Woman’s wonder drug joy
CYSTIC FIBROSIS SUFFERER WHO WAS GIVEN TWO YEARS TO LIVE IS ELIGIBLE FOR WONDER DRUG
A YOUNG mum who was given just two years to live says she will now be able to see her little girl grow up thanks to a life-changing drug.
Chantelle Millward, 24, became so ill with cystic fibrosis (CF) back in 2016 that she was told a lung transplant was her only option.
Not long after Chantelle was offered a place on a drug trial for Orkambi – a CF treatment that drastically improved her health.
A year later Chantelle discovered that – against all the odds – she was pregnant with daughter Arya Amari Edwards.
She was delighted by the news, but was told that pregnancy would be particularly difficult and she may not live to see Arya grow up.
But now Chantelle has been told she is eligible for a revolutionary ‘life-changing’ drug, Kaftrio, after the NHS approved a deal to make it available in England.
Experts say the treatment has the potential to increase life expectancy and radically change quality of life.
Like many CF sufferers, Chantelle, from Knutsford, has been overwhelmed by the news.
“I didn’t believe it at first because the doctors had said the timescale was more like two years,” she says. “I just burst out crying.
“My doctor spoke to me and said it will be in my hands in 30 to 60 days.”
She adds: “My life has always been a bit uncertain. When Arya was born I didn’t think I would see her grow up or would ever be well enough to run around the park with her. Knowing this drug has been approved is fantastic.”
Cystic fibrosis causes lungs and the digestive system to become clogged with mucus, making it hard to breathe and digest food.
Chantelle added: “I have lost really good friends to CF and I know they would be happy for me but it’s heartbreaking to know I will be able to live a normal life when they couldn’t.
“I’ve got to keep it in my mind that I’m living for them too.”