EATONS HILL — An Eatons Hill family knows the daily battles of managing life with cystic fibrosis.
Alison and Ben Perkin are the proud parents of four children, two of whom have cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common incurable genetic condition that substantially shortens life expectancy.
Mrs Perkin said her sons Thomas, 9, and William, 7, had been diagnosed with the disease, which required daily physiotherapy treatment, medication and frequent trips to hospital.
“I didn’t know I was a carrier and we had a one in four chance of having a child with cystic fibrosis,” Mrs Perkin said.
“Thomas was diagnosed with CF when he was three-and-a-half months old, and I knew something was wrong, but it still came as a shock.
“But I just had to get on with it and I wanted to enjoy my baby boy.”
Mrs Perkin said managing the condition was important, but she wanted the boys to have every opportunity to enjoy life.
“I guess as parents we just feel time is really precious, but you can’t wrap them up in cotton wool.
“We don’t let cystic fibrosis dictate what we do.”
The Cystic Fibrosis Queensland Ball is on Saturday.
* Visit http://www.cfqld.org.au.
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