Our Story.

Abigail was born on the 18th of March 2021. Nine days after she was born, we received a call to visit the C.F Unit in Cork University Hospital, as something was picked up in her heel prick test. Abigail had a very short test called a “sweat test”, and it was confirmed that she had Cystic Fibrosis. Although we were aware of the condition, it was devasting news. Over the next few months, we were looked after by a fantastic team at The Seahorse Unit in CUH. The Seahorse Unit is a dedicated CF Unit. The advancements made in C.F. treatment over the last years have given us massive hope for Abbie’s future. Abbie’s daily routine consists of early morning physio and a maintenance antibiotic, mid-afternoon nebuliser session and evening physio and antibiotic. Abbie takes this all in her stride and along with a high-calorie diet and enzymes she is thriving.

On Saturday 9th of April 2022, we will be holding a fundraising 6.5-mile walk for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, an amazing organisation that helps so many people with CF in Ireland.

Please feel free to come along on the day, we will be starting at 11:30 AM from Dungarvan Castle and walking out the Waterford Greenway to the Railway Cottage and back into town. Donations can be made on this page. Thank you for taking the time to read about our story of living with C.F. Dominic, Denise, Ewan and Abbie.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system.

Ireland has the highest incidence of Cystic Fibrosis in the world – approximately 1 in 19 Irish people are said to 'carry' one copy of the altered gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis. Click to read more about CF and the work of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. Cystic fibrosis is a multi-organ disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:
It clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections, obstructs the pancreas, and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

The impact of CF can vary from one person to another. Ireland has among some of the most severe strains of CF and also has the highest incidence (per head of population) of CF in the world, with three times the rate of the United States and the rest of the European Union.
Symptoms of cystic fibrosis
People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:
Very salty-tasting skin
Persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
Frequent lung infections;
Wheezing or shortness of breath;
Poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
Frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.