A Paisley man living with Cystic Fibrosis has told of his struggles against Covid-19 and how a game-changing drug prescribed by experts at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) saved his life.
Frontline supermarket worker, Shane Howard MacGill, 39, had been extremely careful throughout the pandemic and had avoided the virus up until last week when he came down with illness and was taken to hospital.
Living with Cystic Fibrosis meant the illness carried a far greater risk to Shane, who believes it’s thanks to 'miracle' CF drug Kaftrio and the ongoing support from the CF specialists at the QEUH, that he’s here today and able to be discharged back home to his partner Leanne and two step-children Luke, 18 and Daryl, 20.
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It also means Shane’s idea to take his partner and the kids to Disneyland Paris later this year can go ahead as planned.
Shane said: “If the team at QEUH hadn’t managed to get me on Kaftrio, I don’t think I'd be here. My lungs would have been in a terrible condition to have to face COVID-19. I was diagnosed later in life and a lot of damage had already been done so it was really important for me that I get the right treatment to look after my lungs.
Uncommonly, Shane was diagnosed with CF at 19. Prior to that, his unusual lack of weight gain went unexplained, and it was only when he was in with pancreatitis that the doctors at RAH were able to diagnose him with the condition, which results in a build-up of thick sticky mucus in the body’s passageways.
Now, 20 years later, Shane has been able to live life with minimal worrying about his condition, which is largely kept at bay thanks to the care and support provided by the QEUH CF service, which looks after patients across Scotland.
Shane said: “The team at QEUH have become extended family to me. I really can’t thank them enough for helping me manage my condition and looking after me on the rare occasions it flares up. Thanks to them I can safely say ‘We’re going to Disneyland’.”
Due to the success of his treatment, Shane has also been able to enroll and progress in his education and is working towards a degree in Cyber Security.
"Studying, alongside working and helping look after two boys and a dog, Shane said: “I’m juggling a lot at the moment, and I'm thankful to be in the position to do that. I own my condition – it doesn’t own me.
"The Kaftrio treatment has been a real game changer for me, and alongside my previous medication Symkevi, means that rather than ending up in hospital three or four times a year, Covid-19 aside, I only need additional support around once a year.”
The QEUH was able to prescribe Kaftrio following a long campaign from patients and staff to have the drug made available on the NHS.
More than 250 CF patients within NHS GGC are now being treated with Kaftrio which, for those for whom it is clinically appropriate, confers a longer life expectancy and far fewer flare ups of their illness.
Professor Gordon MacGregor, consultant physician at the QEUH and one of the team looking after Shane, said: “We have a large expert team of staff delivering CF care within the QEUH and the team have a huge wealth of experience in CF.
"Ultimately, this means people like Shane have access to the best care and support.
"For Shane, coping with Covid-19 was far easier when in the specialist ward QEUH where he was looked after by the multidisciplinary team. We are delighted to see him discharged back home to his family.”
