Thank you for visiting my website and reading my story.
I hope you stay awhile and browse around!
I am 21 years old and just before my fifth birthday I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, or CF for short.
Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes mucus to become abnormally thick consequently blocking all the tubes and channels all throughout the body. It mainly affects the lungs and digestive system in various ways. The thick mucus traps bacteria in the lungs leading to frequent hospitalisations to treat the infections. My normal day consists of two nebulisations with chest physiotherapy in between twice a day, in the morning and evening.
I take a handful of supplements and medication to keep me going and I have a port-o-cath to make IV access a little bit easier when I am admitted to hospital.
My normal might be different from yours, but I wouldn’t change my life one bit. I have a saying, “I have Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis doesn’t have me” and I live by that.
Dharma Breathes is a non-governmental organization that would fund the cost of a life-saving treatment called Trikafta, also generically known as Kaftrio or Trixicar.
Trikafta directly targets the underlying genetic cause of Cystic Fibrosis, correcting the malfunctioning protein made by the faulty CFTR gene. Accessing Trikafta in South Africa can cost up to one million Rand per year. The main objective of Dharma Breathes is not only to help me, but to help individuals like me that cannot afford the medication. Whilst also spreading awareness to get this life saving drug at an affordable price available to all with Cystic Fibrosis in South Africa.
When I was younger, and the hospital stays got a little too long and the nebulisations and medications became too much, I told my parents I wish there is a simple treatment in the form of a pill. And now there is, but without your help I and others like me will not be able to access this treatment.
For a more direct donation:
Nedbank
Account number: 1234858290
Branch code: 10391000
Type of account: Business PAYU
Dharma Breathes NPC (2022/579994/08)
Thank you Diana and Johan Neveling for all your advice and guidance from the very beginning. Thank you Janett, Hilton, Shaye, Sihle and Wynand for your enthusiasm and modelling my sweatshirts. Thank you Esté, Charles, David, Doleen, Jorika, Joy, Karla, and Ruané for making it all possible behind the scenes. Thank you Wynand for always being there. Thank you mom and dad for all the love, encouragement and support. Last, but certainly not the least, thank you from the very bottom of my heart to each and every single one of you who supported my cause by donating or buying. I appreciate you.
Love Dharma xx