Martin's story
“My name is Martin and I have cystic fibrosis (CF). I have a little girl called Emily who is five years old. I’ve ticked a lot of things off my bucket list over the last few years, like taking my family to Disneyland Paris and seeing Emily’s first nativity play, but there are a lot of special moments I still want to see. The Christmas mornings, the birthday parties, the first day of Brownies, school sports days, and her first day of secondary school.
“Cystic fibrosis is, of course, an unpredictable battle, but you have to dream and believe.
“I know I’m luckier than most: I am nearing the magic 40 mark, I married my childhood sweetheart and we have a wonderful daughter. Before my friends with CF passed away they used to call me “the lucky one”, and I guess they were right. But my lung function is now at just 40 per cent.
"Cystic fibrosis kills, but the Trust’s dedication to funding new research and treatments provides a glimmer of hope for brighter days ahead. We need that support; we need people to understand the battle of CF, and we need every chance to live longer lives.
"My friends with CF whose lives were cut short deserved so, so much more. You can make a difference – please donate today.”
By setting up a regular donation today, you are helping to support ground-breaking research so that people like Martin can live longer, healthier lives and spend more time doing the things that really matter. Look out for our CF Gift adverts on billboards across the UK this Christmas.
Set up a regular donation
Find out more about Martin and his books the Charlie Fry Series, which feature a little boy with cystic fibrosis.
Song credit: Reneé Pionso
Fighting infections that kill
Infections like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium abscessus pose a huge threat to people with cystic fibrosis. If they cannot be treated, they can lead to lung damage and a loss of lung function over time: the principal cause of early deaths in people with cystic fibrosis.
How are your donations helping to tackle infection?
We are spending over £3.5 million on funding research that directly addresses infection.
Professor Jane Davies at University College London is in her third year of a £750,000 project that is looking to tackle Pseudomonas, while Professor Andres Floto’s research into M. abscessus is investigating how this dangerous superbug spreads and how it can be treated more effectively.
Find out more about the research we're funding that addresses infection in people with cystic fibrosis.