Cystic fibrosis in fiction

Fictional representations of CF can help raise vital awareness of the condition – but some portrayals can be misleading or one-sided. Here, you can find more information about the issues raised in fictional portrayals of CF, as well as a discussion guide to help you with conversations that might happen because of them. Warning: this page contains spoilers!

  • Commonly raised topics

    There are a number of commonly raised issues featured in fictional portrayals of cystic fibrosis, including things like lung transplant, clinical trials and coughing up blood. Take a look at our page on commonly raised CF topics to find out more about some of these areas of cystic fibrosis.

    Common topics

  • Talking about cystic fibrosis

    If you are someone with cystic fibrosis, or know someone with the condition, you might find that you end up having conversations with people about fictional representations of the condition when it is being shown in a TV show or film, and this might involve having to talk about some challenging subjects. We've created a discussion guide to help you to talk about the issues raised in fictional representations of cystic fibrosis.

    Discussion guide

  • Five Feet Apart

    Five Feet Apart is a 2019 American film starring Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson as two young people with CF who fall in love but must stay separated because of cross-infection risks.

    Find out more

  • Casualty

    In 2019, Casualty featured a storyline about a young woman with CF and her experiences with a clinical trial.

    Find out more

  • How can I help people with cystic fibrosis?

    Make a donation online to help support our ground-breaking research, vital information and support and fight for access to life-saving drugs.

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What is CF?

Cystic fibrosis, or CF, affects the lungs, digestive system and other organs, and there are over 10,600 people living with it in the UK.

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