Sarah Haddow said while life was busy and not always easy, they got through it just like any other family.
‘As a mum, having kids with CF is hard, but I’m grateful that the medication is there and the doctors are helpful,’ she said.
‘It has become a part of our life, we don’t look at it as if they have something to mind.’
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READ NOWMrs Haddow’s two sons Casey (13) and Ricardo (7) both have Cystic Fibrosis, which requires constant physio, medication and high calorie diets.
‘They look well but it is a serious condition and can be very hard. Even simple colds can cause big problems,’ she said.
‘I want people to be aware of CF, it kills without people knowing.’
Casey and Ricardo need 45 to 60 minute physio sessions twice a day, and a Cystic Fibrosis WA physio comes to the house twice a week to help.
Mrs Haddow said the hospital check-ups every three months could be very daunting, but the staff were always kind and helpful.
The family moved to Rossmoyne from Belfast in Ireland because of the great weather for the children and Mrs Haddow’s sister, who is a physio, lives close by.
She said despite the problems, the boys loved keeping busy with all their sports, which helped them manage.
Casey, who attends Rossmoyne Senior High School, is involved in football and swimming and will travel to Melbourne this year with his school volleyball team.
‘Casey has been keeping well, he isn’t even on antibiotics at the moment,’ she said.
Mrs Haddow said Princess Margaret Hospital and CFWA had been supportive, but the Government should do more.
‘I would like more funding and awareness from the Government, cancer isn’t the only illness that can kill,’ she said.