Dan’s Father’s Day story

Before Charlie

I was diagnosed with CF when I was around 17 years old, which was a massive and sudden change for me to navigate. It definitely changed my outlook on life.

I had always had a cough throughout school, but we never knew what was causing it. I didn’t really know much about CF beyond the basic definition until I was diagnosed. It was an adjustment, having to take all these different medications and do physio daily.

Before 2015, I remember struggling to physically keep up with my nieces. Even picking them up was hard work, so it was really lucky that I got to start taking Kalydeco in 2015. It was life-changing for me.  Since then, I’ve been able to keep up with all the kids in my family and make the most of what I have.

And then fast forward a few years, and I married my wife, Emma, and we had our now seven-year-old son, Charlie. He’s growing up quickly, but we are just taking each day as it comes and enjoying family time. I’m also very appreciative that I am able to do things I wouldn’t have been able to do before starting Kalydeco.

The IVF process

We had to have Charlie through IVF due to complications with CF. Before I was diagnosed with CF, I wasn’t aware of my fertility problems. To be honest, I didn’t even know that people with CF had issues when it came to fertility. I also wasn’t aware of the different variants (mutations) of CF, but obviously, now I know there are lots of different genetic mutations, and they impact each person with CF very differently.

Emma and I always wanted to have children; she was ready before me, but at the back of my mind, I was wary about the risk of our child getting CF.

So we went through genetic testing to make sure there were no risks. Some of our family struggled with our decision to try for a baby, but we were so careful when making our decision. I never wanted to bring a child into the world that could be as ill as me, especially seeing what my mum had to go through with me when I was unwell.

Once we completed all the testing and got the green light, we were able to move on to the next steps. It was all new to us, but from my perspective, the process was pretty easy. It was much harder for Emma. But in the end, we had our beautiful boy, Charlie. He’s like a mini-me; we are best friends and I'm forever grateful to have him in my life.

If we go through the IVF process again, Charlie will see a lot of the journey and be involved as we will be having his brother or sister. He’s very excited to be a big brother.

Fatherhood and CF

My CF is even easier to manage now since starting Kaftrio. I just have to take my tablets and no longer need to worry about doing my nebulisers.

Being a parent has actually helped my CF. Having to run around and play games with Charlie has helped to keep me fit and get some exercise each day, which is a good thing. Having Charlie has also made me grow up faster. I now work harder as I want to help provide for my family. I also enjoy life more now, as my family makes everything worthwhile.

Advice for other dads with CF going through IVF

Take it in your stride, and remember that all the effort will be worth it in the end. Becoming a parent is definitely something to look forward to.

A perfect Father’s Day

This year I have been giving Charlie some ideas of how we can spend the day and what activities we can do together, like going to a racing circuit or having a nice picnic. Ultimately, I just want to enjoy some quality time with him.

I was brought up going to watch motor racing, so now I am excited to bring Charlie along and get him involved in my interests. It’s something we can share together.

A life unlimited

For me, a life unlimited means doing everything that everyone else can do. I don’t consider myself limited in what I can do; I run marathons and go on bike rides. And if I can do it, anyone can.

The work of the Trust is vital to making sure parents like me don’t have little ones at home constantly worried about us getting sick. That's why I wore yellow on 16 June!

Both men and women with cystic fibrosis (CF) may have problems conceiving a child ‘naturally’ for various reasons. Find out more about how CF affects the reproductive system and fertility of men and women, and the different fertility treatments available.

Download our family planning resources guide to get information for adults with CF and their partners who are thinking about having children.

Download the family planning factsheet