Evans shares twincredible news on air
Dad thrilled over boost for his daughter battling cystic fibrosis
Chris & Natasha THE BBC’S highest-paid star Chris Evans has revealed he and wife Natasha Shishmanian are expecting twins after she had IVF last year.
The 52-year-old told listeners to his Radio 2 show the happy news, confirming he’s set to become a dad for the fourth and fifth time.
He snuck in the news during a conversation with a fertility expert, asking her for advice on having twins.
“Get a bigger car,” she joked, before he said: “Mrs Evans is... she is now, yeah. Twins. Double trouble.”
Chris already has 31-year-old daughter Jade from his relationship with Alison Ward, and sons Eli Alfred, five, and Noah Nicolas, eight, from his marriage to Natasha, 37. THE father of a nine-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis is “delighted” and relieved she will soon be able to start taking a life-prolonging drug.
Just over a year ago the HSE and Vertex reached a landmark deal on the commercial terms for the supply to Irish patients of Orkambi and Kalydeco.
They were licensed for adults and for children over 12 last year, but in January Vertex, the pharmaceutical firm which makes them, announced it had received EU approval to treat kids aged six to 11.
Studies have shown Orkambi can lead to a 42% reduction in lung function deterioration – the primary cause of death in cystic fibrosis sufferers.
Aoibheann Mccarthy, from Shannon, Co Clare, is one of more than 1,300 people in Ireland with the condition and she was recently notified she will be starting soon on the “wonder drug”.
Dad Kieran said: “We’re delighted. We’ve been fighting, I won’t say for Orkambi for years because really the fight was only really last year for Orkambi, but we’ve been fighting for improved services and medication since she was diagnosed the bones of a decade ago. To finally be starting on a drug that can make a difference is a big relief.”
Orkambi and Kalydeco react more positively to some CF strains or genotypes than others and for some patients there is no benefit from the treatment.
Almost 600 patients in total were told they were suitable for the drugs last year.
And now everyone over six who can benefit from Orkambi and Kalydeco and wants to access the drugs can get them.
Kieran, who also has a five-year-old New drugs Kalydeco and Orkambi son, Oisin, with wife Sinead, will soon attend a CF clinic at University Hospital Limerick where Aoibheann’s response to Orkambi will be tested.
He said: “There’s a process everyone has to go through. She physically hasn’t taken it [the drug] yet. It’s in our chemist
They’ll start her on it and monitor her to make sure things go to plan