Lucy Baxter: "A podcast is such a personal and intimate form of communication”

I’m Lucy, I’m 24 and I’m from a small village just south of Preston. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when I was just over two years old. I finished my Masters in Broadcast Journalism last September. Since then, I’ve been working as a freelance broadcast journalist at BBC Radio Manchester and have been on tour with the BBC to mark their centenary year by sharing my CF story in secondary schools around the North West of England.

More recently, I was offered a job as a reporter at Farmers Guardian, which is a weekly magazine with the latest news relevant to farmers in the country. My dream is to one day become a television presenter; I’d love to interview people like Graham Norton does!

This is actually why I originally set up my own podcast, From a Lancashire Lass. I was in a lecture learning all about media law and I was quite shy at talking to people – which may be quite hard to believe for those who know me! I decided to focus my podcast on people from Lancashire as there was nothing like this already out there. I’m now in the middle of season two of my podcast and have released a new episode every Friday since December 2020 without fail, even when I had COVID-19.

When I was approached to host CForYourself, I was delighted because it was another opportunity to improve and gain experience in presenting and interviewing – but more importantly, because I would have the chance to give a voice to people with CF. With cross infection, we can never mix, so I hope people with CF know that they aren’t alone and that by listening to me chat to them, it provides an intimate experience where they feel like they are in the same room as me chatting or listening to a conversation. 

Podcasting is just one of my many hobbies! In my spare time, I enjoy tap dancing and going to the gym. In lockdown, between my undergraduate and postgraduate degree, I trained to become a Zumba instructor and just love teaching the classes. I love cross stitching and have recently started beekeeping.

I am lucky that I can take Kaftrio. It has really given me another zest for life. I have more energy, my lung function has gone up and I feel far less breathless. I stopped coughing and my voice has so much more clarity when I talk now. Kaftrio has meant that I can plan my future with more assurance that it will happen, like planning for my future dream career. If there was one bit of advice I’d give a young person with CF today, it would be to know that we are such determined and resilient people. We have an incredible fire in us to keep going.

Find out more about CForYourself and where you can listen here. Our latest episode all about relationships and CF is out now!

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition which causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. It affects more than 10,800 people in the UK. One in 25 of us carries the faulty gene that causes it, usually without knowing. 

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