Standing up to CF: Yvonne's story

I’m Yvonne. I’m 50 years old and live in Glasgow with my partner. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at three months old. I was failing to thrive as a newborn, and I had a distended tummy, so my mum knew something wasn’t right. My parents took me to hospital, and I was eventually diagnosed with CF.

Before Kaftrio, my health was in decline. I had to give up work, and I was in the process of being assessed for a transplant. I was on IV antibiotics every four to six weeks, and obviously, my mental health wasn’t great. I wasn’t meeting up with friends and was relying on my family to do a lot of things for me. I was also on oxygen for exercise.

I was 48 when I started Kaftrio. I’d been on Orkambi and then Symkevi on compassionate grounds. Then, as soon as it was approved in Scotland, I moved on to Kaftrio. I remember the day I started my first dose – a man came to the door to deliver my Kaftrio, and I said to him, “you’re about to save my life,” and he smiled. I even took a picture of him. 

Whenever I was in hospital, I was always writing and turned to comedy as my escape. So, a year after starting Kaftrio, I decided to take an eight-week course, and by the end, we had to write five minutes of stand-up and perform it. I did, and I just loved it. I was laughing out loud each week with these new people I had met. I wish I had done it when I was twenty, and I might have made some money by now! But being able to perform at the Fringe last year was amazing. Edinburgh is always on the horizon when you’re doing comedy, so it’s wonderful that we got to go. 

My comedy stems from feminism and what it’s like to be a woman. I don’t really talk about my CF because it’s too niche, but I have created a show with two other comedians who are disabled. I could say I’m a disabled comedian, but I don’t ever see myself as having a disability. I’m living independently now, and my partner and I are also planning to get married at some point, which is lovely! I’ll continue working until my stand-up starts to pay me, but my dream is to make a career out of comedy one day.

Yvonne to perform new show at 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Yvonne will also be appearing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She says: "I am thrilled to be returning to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024 with a show based on my life with cystic fibrosis. I am also terrified that it won’t be funny enough, or serious enough, or good enough, and today I am worried it won’t even be finished for the 19th of August, when the show kicks off.

"I called the show Yvonne Hughes is Absolutely Riddled, the title of which was conceived during one of my first dates with my now partner, Alan. This was “the conversation” where you know the time is right to tell a potential significant other about having cystic fibrosis. My partner and I both have the same sense of humour and when I explained to him what cystic fibrosis was, he turned around to me, in his Glaswegian accent and said: So, are you telling me you are riddled then?"

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This story was featured in CF Life. Do you have a creative hobby or passion you’d like to share in the magazine? If so, get in touch with us at [email protected].