CForYourself: Living with an invisible condition

You might not be able to see CF or what it does to the body. But it’s not invisible to the 10,800 people in the UK whose lives are dominated by it every single day. The challenge of living with cystic fibrosis is invisible. Except for the ones who live it.

Kieron Smith, 26, was the face of our latest #CFTruths awareness campaign, ‘You don’t see CF’, that launched across the UK in April this year. As part of this, his face appeared on billboards and adverts to raise awareness of the realities of cystic fibrosis. In the very first episode of season two, our host, Lucy sits down with Kieron to hear more about his involvement in the campaign, his life with CF and the importance of raising awareness.

(In this episode, Kieron is speaking from a personal capacity - all views are his own and not necessarily that of Cystic Fibrosis Trust.)

We also hear from Sean Chapman, Head of Marketing at the Trust to give us the lowdown on the campaign and the response from the CF community.

Read the full episode transcript.

• For more information and support on any of the issues we've talked about in this podcast, you can call our Helpline on 0300 373 1000, or email [email protected], or message us on WhatsApp
• When it comes to diet and nutrition, everyone with CF is different. You should always seek individual advice from your CF dietitian.
• For general information about a range of issues relating to diet, nutrition and CF, we have a series of leaflets that have been written by CF dietitians.
• Check out our ‘Work Forwards’ programme of employment support for more information about disclosure of CF at work and how, when and why you should make an employer aware that you have CF. The decision to tell your employer about your CF is a personal choice for you to make, but if you don’t tell them, it could affect your rights.
• Find lots more information on work and CF, including details of organisations that can provide support with discrimination.
• Speak out and share your CF truth. You can download our social media graphics and help others understand what everyday life is like for people with CF. Remember to tag us @cftrustuk and use the hashtag #CFTruths to join the conversation.
• Discover our new programme of employment support.

The podcast is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.