A bride who dreamt of dancing with her partner at her own wedding despite struggling with cystic fibrosis has made her wish come true after a trial of a new miracle drug.
Kirsty Young was days away from being placed on the lung transplant list due to the illness before being prescribed Kaftrio during lockdown.
The 32-year-old music teacher was able to walk down the aisle and say ‘I do’ to partner Chris Nelson at a stunning ceremony in February.
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She has now hailed the drug, ingested in tablet form, for giving her the “perfect day” and now wants more patients to be able to feel the benefits after going through a course with the backing of Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Elated Kirsty, from Stirling, told the Daily Record: “Before Kaftrio, a realistic dream for my wedding was to have enough energy to dance the first dance.
“The reality was I had the perfect wedding and danced all night, which was thanks to the team at QEUH who have looked after me all these years to get me to that point and then also getting me on that Kaftrio trial.
"It has gone from defining me to taking a back seat. It’s not an excuse I use anymore. I’ll still need to closely monitor it and there will be points where I need to rely on the team at the QEUH. But they have provided such amazing care so far. I know I’m in safe hands, which means I can focus on living my life to its new fullest potential.”
Cystic Fibrosis forces the build up of thick, sticky mucus in the lungs and digestive system - which can prove fatal.
Over the years lungs can deteriorate to such an extent that patients can die or require a lung transplant.
The average lifespan for a person born with it was just 32 years.
Kirsty had previously struggled to complete even the simplest of day-to-day tasks like going up the stairs or holding a conversation while walking before receiving the drug.
Now, she can be found walking in the countryside with her two dogs Òran and Machair, swimming or cycling as she continues to build up her fitness ahead of bagging her first Munro.
Kirsty said: “I was at a point where I was in and out of the hospital every other month. My lungs had deteriorated so much they were looking to get me on the transplant list. Then along came Kaftrio.
"I remember taking my first two pills at 10am. It was during lockdown and I was sitting in my garden.
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“Within hours I was breathing easier and within a week my lung function had improved by 20 per cent which is a big deal when you have cystic fibrosis.”
Professor Gordon MacGregor, consultant physician at the QEUH, and part of the CF team caring for Kirsty over the years, said: “Kirsty is really inspiring in the manner she has managed her illness over the years while also making a great contribution to raising awareness of CFin the media over the years.
“It’s fantastic to see how much of an impact Kaftrio has had on her quality of life.
“Currently, we treat more than 250 patients with Kaftrio, which is one of a number of treatments for CF patients helping them live fuller lives with less acute visits to our hospitals.”
