Cystic Fibrosis Trust
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK's only national charity dealing with all aspects of Cystic Fibrosis. It funds research to treat the symptoms of CF and to find an effective treatment. It also aims to ensure appropriate healthcare for those with Cystic Fibrosis and provides information, advice and support to people with CF and their families across the UK. Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common, life-threatening diseases in the UK. It affects over 9,000 people and 1 in 25 of us carries the faulty gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis. If two carriers start a family, each child has a 1 in 4 chance of having Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick, sticky mucus making it hard to breathe and to digest food. People with Cystic Fibrosis have to endure a rigorous daily treatment regime including physiotherapy to clear the chest, inhaled and injected drugs to thin the mucus and fight infections and dozens of enzyme pills to help digest food. Each week, five babies are born with CF and sadly, each week three young lives are lost. Only half of those with Cystic Fibrosis are likely to live past their late 30s, but a baby born today can expect to live longer. We seek to continually improve standards of care for people with CF; we commission cutting-edge clinical and scientific research; and provide practical and accurate information to people with CF and their families. None of this would be possible without the support of the CF community and the generosity of the public.