Rare condition makes Florida teen unable to enjoy outdoors, until now

OLDSMAR, Fla. - A 17-year-old from Oldsmar with a rare disease is finally getting to enjoy his backyard thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

Enjoying the Florida sun can be challenging for Jackson Settle due to his condition which is why Make-A-Wish helped build a heat-sensitive screened-in area in hi backyard. Now he can safely enjoy the outdoors.

"It's beautiful, and I cannot thank the Make-A-Wish people and the construction people enough. This has truly changed my life," Jackson Settle said.

His life hasn't been easy. He was born with an extremely rare medical condition that results in adrenal insufficiency meaning his adrenal glands do not produce cortisol. He's able to supplement with oral steroids for daily maintenance, but it's impossible to know when the body needs more because there is no test for low cortisol. The inability to process heat makes the Florida sunshine a challenge for him and why he spends much of the year indoors to maintain his energy reserves.

"It makes it hard to enjoy a backyard, and we didn't have a screened in backyard space in this backyard, so the wish was actually very practical. We wanted him to have an opportunity to be outside," Jackson's mom Pam Settle said.

Now he can safely enjoy the outdoors thanks to Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. The organization built this heat sensitive screen-in backyard space. They also added pavers and outdoor games along with a set of swings and a fire pit.

"Make-A-Wish is known for helping children and families, being able to make a memory in a time when it may be hard to do that and so this is something that's going to help them make memories for many years to come. So not just one, but many. So it's super exciting, and I'm so happy to be a part of it," Make-A-Wish volunteer Andrea Delegro said.

Jackson says the backyard makeover has now inspired him to want to pay it forward and hopefully help fulfill a wish another kid just like him.