Peering at the article on the computer screen I felt a familiar rush of tears. As a health visitor, I knew it was a priority to remain on top of medical research but this latest news about drug treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF) sufferers hit a nerve.
It was June 2023 and I had just finished reading a feature about how a leading combination drug was now helping ease lung damage for those living with advanced CF. Average life expectancy for people with CF used to be around 30 to 40 years, but with new drug breakthroughs like this, it may have improved to 70.
It was, of course, wonderful news and would change the life of millions of sufferers worldwide. But not for my one-year-old son Oliver, who was diagnosed with CF in June 2022 when he was just three weeks old.
I’ll never forget the moment my husband Harvey and I found out. Oliver had been given all the usual blood tests when he was five days old and the midwife told us that if something was wrong we’d be contacted. Harvey and I forgot all about it, lost in our little newborn bubble, but then I received a voicemail on 1 June from Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, asking me to bring Oliver in to discuss his blood tests.
By the time Harvey and I saw the consultant I had worked myself up into such a state that I was sure they were going to tell me our son was going to die. Yet I was thoroughly unprepared for the news they did have.
‘Oliver has cystic fibrosis,’ the consultant explained.
Denne historien er fra August 07, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra August 07, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on the gender gap, cats and timed hugs
Check out CHICAGO
With a spectacular skyline, sandy beaches and great food, the Windy City is calling, says Zoe West
LET'S EMBRACE OUR CHRISTMAS TAT!
Becky Dickinson explains why she'll still be rocking around her tinsel-strewn tree this year
BURIED SECRETS
We look at the shocking cases of celebrities posthumously accused of being sexual predators-and how they got away with it
FESTIVE NO-BAKES
Pop on the Christmas tunes and whip up a batch of these easy sweet treats
PROTECT YOUR SMILE
Are you doing enough to look after your teeth and gums?
'TIS THE SEASON TO SHINE!
At last, Hayley McCrossan, 39, feels fit and healthy
FOR THE LOVE OF TOM
When Deborah Mitchell, 57, lost her son, she vowed to help other families facing the same heartbreak
THE NURSE WHO LEFT MY GRANDAD FOR DEAD belict
Rachael Fealey, 31, had one question for the woman who killed her beloved Grampa - how could you?
Coleen's MONEY WORRIES
What are the reasons behind her financial and marriage fears?
