Cystic Fibrosis row: Battling with a ‘ruthless’ disease

Charlie Kelleher was in hospital for his first birthday and antibiotics have loomed large in his first two years of life.

“He was hospitalised three times for the first year-and-a-half and at one stage, had eight to 10 weeks of antibiotics. Augmentin after Augmentin after Augmentin,” says his mother, Adele.

He’s been on a drip numerous times and Adele has become quite adept at hooking him up at home. Occasionally, it’s hard to find a vein and get a line in and he’s had to have an anaesthetic more than once. It’s all very stressful, probably more so for Adele because while Charlie’s memories are short-lived, hers are hard to shake.