A touching tribute to one teenage fan, Bryan Warnecke, and his struggles success living with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a disease that attacks the digestive system and slowly shuts down the lungs. The mucus in everyone else’s lungs is mostly water, so you can clear it easier, but when it comes to my lungs, the mucus is very syrupy. I've been doing my treatments everyday of my life, so to me, it’s just one of those things that’s normal. My name is Bryan Warnecke and I've been living with cystic fibrosis for fifteen years...

Hope when you take that jump
You don't feel the fall
Hope when the water rises
You built a wall
Hope when the crowd screams out
They're screaming your name
Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

When I first found out the life expectancy for the first time, it really scared me. Right now, it's about thirty-six. It’s just one of those things that really makes you appreciate life. It makes me appreciate where you are, as a person...

Hope that you fall in love
And it hurts so bad
The only way you can know
You gave it all you had
And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain
Hope when the moment comes,
You'll say

I, I, I... I did it all
I, I, I... I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived

It feels like I’m breathing through a straw. Whenever I try to breathe hard, it hurts. I want to make the most out of my life and have as much fun as I possibly can and my biggest fear is not being able to do that.

Hope that you spend your days
And they all add up
And when that sun goes down
Hope you raise your cup
Oh, I wish that I could witness
All your joy
And all your pain
But until my moment comes
I'll say

I, I, I... I did it all
I, I, I... I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived

Oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh (x4)
With every broken bone
I swear I lived
With every broken bone
I swear I

I, I, I... I did it all
I, I, I... I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone
I swear I lived

Oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh (x2)
I swear I lived
Oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh (x2)

CYSTIC FIBROSIS= /'sɪstɪk faɪ'brəʊsɪs/ A hereditary disease of the exocrine glands, usually developing during early childhood and affecting mainly the pancreas, respiratory system, and sweat glands. It is characterized by the production of abnormally viscous mucus by the affected glands, usually resulting in chronic respiratory infections and impaired pancreatic function. Also called mucoviscidosis.

DISEASE= /dɪ'zi:z/ Sickness, illeness; an abnormal condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, inflammation, environmental factors, or genetic defect, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs, symptoms, or both.

SHUT DOWN= Cease to operate, or cause to cease operating.

MUCUS= /'mju:kəs/ The viscous, slippery substance that consists chiefly of mucin, water, cells, and inorganic salts and is secreted as a protective lubricant coating by cells and glands of the mucous membranes.

SYRUPY= /'sɪrəpɪ/ Resembling syrup in consistency; a thick gooey liquid-like substance.

TREATMENTS= /'tri:tmənt/ (Medicine) The application of medicines, surgery, psychotherapy, etc, to a patient or to a disease or symptom.

YOU DON'T FEEL THE FALL= It’s important to not be afraid of failure and to push yourself to try things and jump, taking risks or following your dreams. So if you fail but you don't feel the fall, you have courage and energy to try again and again.

WHEN THE WATER RISES= When the water increases its high-level or moves upwards.

YOU BUILT A WALL= This means that if something happens you have prepared for it and that you will be safe when it happens. It could mean that if bad events happen (when the water rises), you should not give up and keep going; the wall could represent you, trying to keep the bad from getting to you or affecting you.

THE CROWD= /kraʊd/ A large number of persons gathered together; a throng.

SCREAMS OUT= To say something in a very loud voice, shouting.

HOPE IF EVERYBODY RUNS YOU CHOOSE TO STAY= Don't be a coward and don't be afraid of being the one to stand out if what you are standing out for/against is something you truly believe in. Instead of giving up on your dreams, like many people do, don't run away and fight for them.

LIFE EXPECTANCY= The average period that a person may expect to live.

HOPE YOU FALL IN LOVE AND IT HURTS SO BAD= Everyone needs to experience heartbreak in order to grow from the experiences. It also means that if you are feeling any kind of hurt (emotional one in this case), you are still alive.

YOU GAVE IT ALL YOU HAD= You lived your life to the fullest.

TAKE THE PAIN= Don't let the pain stop you or make you suffer; take it, use it to push you farther.

I DID IT ALL= They are hoping that you are able to experience emotions and experiences whether they be heartbreaking or joyous. Because in the end, it doesn’t matter which ones were difficult and which ones were enjoyable, all that matters in the end is the fact that, because you were able to push through those challenges and emotions, you have more life experiences. You have lived more.

I OWNED EVERY SECOND= (to own = to posess) I made every second worthwhile, living it like if i were dying.

WITH EVERY BROKEN BONE I SWEAR I LIVED= Just because you have been down a few rough roads, it doesn’t mean that you still can’t experience this huge world as much as you are able to. At the end of it all, it isn’t about how many good memories you have had that makes your life an impressive one. It is about all of your moments and experiences added up, every single one. The good and the bad, the attractive and the ugly, the heartbreaks and the celebrations. All of those moments have added up to define just one thing. You.

STRAW= A slender tube used for sucking up a liquid.

THEY ALL ADD UP= Allow yourself to collect experiences.

RAISE YOUR CUP= Celebrate all the things you have accomplished.

WITNESS= To see, be present at, or know at first hand.

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Until the video, most students at Rock Canyon High School probably had no idea that Warnecke was battling a serious disease, forced to endure treatments every day for the past 15 years, to ease the impact of the disease.

Bryan’s dad, Steve, says last winter was especially tough. “He missed four or five weeks of school and he was at Children’s Hospital for a week,” Steve Warnecke said. “He got really, really sick. He had to go in and get a full tune up at the hospital, with heavy antibiotics and heavy steroids.”

Bryan, however, hasn’t let the disease slow him down. In fact, he is an active teenager, playing hockey and cycling; last summer he decided to conquer the grueling Courage Classic. Even as he struggled through the toughest moments last winter, he and his dad were already planning on an even bigger feat, which they accomplished this summer. They rode 1,065 miles through 46 Colorado cities and over 8 mountain passes in 43 days, raising a record $300,000 for Children’s Hospital of Colorado.

It is this spirit that caught the attention of OneRepublic. “They said, ‘you know, we’ve been looking around the country over the past four or five months trying to find the right story to pair up with this song, ‘I Lived.’ We really want to do a music video about your son’s life,’” Steve Warnecke said. “Within a week, they were out here doing a concert and we were shooting video and three weeks later they had the video all put together and up on YouTube. It was an incredible experience.”

“It is a dream come true,” added Bryan Warnecke. “It was so much fun spending so much time with these guys from OneRepublic. Honestly, these guys were larger than life.” The Warnecke family says they are thankful for the band, as well as the 40 members of the video crew who have helped to bring attention to this important issue.

“For Ryan Tedder and One Republic to do something like this, to take a chance and take a hit song and make it something really good… there is no way we can repay them for the level of awareness they’re giving to the CF community,” Steve Warnecke said.