How pandemic and new therapy turned CF sufferer’s life around
SASHA DELANEY remembers exactly where she was on March 10 last year, when she phoned her GP to ask for advice about Covid.
The secondary school worker, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just six weeks old, had read like everyone else about the disease.
‘At that stage there were seven cases in Ireland and I thought she would say something like “you need to be cautious and wear a mask” and things like that.
‘But she just said immediately, “You need to get out of school. You need to get home and you need to stay at home”.’
And that’s where the 38-year-old from Co. Kildare, has been ever since. Ms Delaney has left the house for just one medical appointment in 12 months. She is a special needs assistant in a city centre girls secondary school.
Because her condition is stable, she is in Category 7 and has no idea when she will be vaccinated. ‘I just really hope it’s before the end of the summer because the thing I want to do most is go back to school.
‘I have not been able to see my whole family. I have not seen my friends in person in nearly a year. I have realised how important the little things in life really are.’
While Covid may have made 2020 a tough year, it was also life changing in other ways after Ms Delaney started on a new drug therapy called Kaftrio.
She describes the impact of the drug as ‘incredible’ and says she is now in the best health of her life. ‘In just over 60 hours my lung function increased by 10%. I no longer cough, even after exertion.’
With her health stabilising and the rollout underway, Ms Delaney’s hopes for the future are clear. ‘I want to stay alive as long as possible and enjoy every moment I can,’ she says. n People wishing to support Cystic Fibrosis Ireland can donate online at 65RosesDay.ie