“I finally found something that worked. Now I’m waiting again.”

When Cathi was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 52 years old, her lung function was 29%.  

By then, everyday life had become increasingly difficult. Walking even a short distance meant stopping to catch her breath. She was admitted to hospital for a month, receiving antibiotics and oxygen. 

Nothing seemed to be working. She was referred for a lung transplant. But then, she was able to access the treatment, Trikafta. 

Within days, her breathing became clearer. Her energy returned. Her symptoms improved dramatically. Her clinic celebrated with her. “It immediately worked,” Cathi shared. “Within three days, I had no phlegm and breathed clearly with extreme energy.” 

But treatment experiences aren’t always one-size-fits-all. Over time, Cathi began experiencing severe anxiety and brain fog, side effects she had never experienced before. 

She made the decision toreduce her dose to try to manage the side effects. That meant  the benefits she had finally experienced  

Then Alyftrek was approved in Canada. For Cathi, approval brought hope. Alyftrek is the newest cystic fibrosis therapy approved in Canada and after seeing what treatment could make possible, she hoped another option might help her continue benefiting while reducing the side effects she had been experiencing. 

But nearly a year later, she’s still waiting. And while she waits, the burden of cystic fibrosis continues. “We know what life can look like when treatment works. We’re not asking for something impossible - we’re asking for the chance to keep living, breathing and being present with our families.” 

Cystic Fibrosis Canada is calling for urgency. You can help. It takes less than a minute to use our automated tool to send a message to public drug plans and tell them we need: 

• Immediate access for people with the most urgent need: those who are not eligible for Trikafta or who had to stop taking it 
• A public commitment to provide access to Alyftrek immediately for all who can benefit once negotiations conclude 
• Faster negotiations for Alyftrek and future cystic fibrosis medicines 

This community has made change happen before. Let's do it again, for people like Cathi - and others across the country – Help end the wait for access to CF treatments.