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Living with Cystic Fibrosis: Kiley’s Story of Strength, Survival, and Mental Health

September 2, 2025

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A smiling woman laying on a hospital bed holding a thumbs up.

When you’re 21, your biggest concerns might be choosing a career path, planning your next vacation, or navigating relationships. For Kiley Mahoney, those concerns exist – but they often take a back seat to something much heavier: living with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Diagnosed just one month after birth, following emergency surgery for meconium ileus, Kiley’s earliest chapters were already shaped by life-threatening complications. While she doesn’t remember those early days, the weight of that experience—and its impact on her family—is something she has come to appreciate deeply. Her parents’ first introduction to cystic fibrosis was a poster that compared it to “drowning from the inside out.” That image never left them. And in many ways, it continues to frame what it means to live with CF: a daily fight to breathe, to stay ahead of infection, to keep going.

Kiley describes her life today as a balancing act – working at a local pub, spending time journaling, walking her beloved dog Runkle, and daydreaming about a future in writing and storytelling. But behind the scenes, there’s an ever-present layer of vigilance. Every day means multiple medications, chest treatments, supplements, and monitoring symptoms that most people wouldn’t think twice about. “Even something as a change in weather or wildfire smoke can have a serious impact,” she says. “There are days I come home completely wiped out just from a shift at work.”

Yet it’s not just the physical toll that makes cystic fibrosis so relentless. The mental and emotional challenges – often invisible – can be just as hard to manage.

For years, Kiley struggled with feelings of hopelessness and even suicidal thoughts. “Living with a progressive illness at a young age forced me to confront my mortality in ways most people my age didn’t have to,” she says. “It felt like my future was already written for me.”

That emotional weight intensified after starting Trikafta in 2021. While the medication dramatically improved her lung function and overall health, it also brought on something unexpected: survivor’s guilt. “It’s like I was given back time I didn’t expect to have,” she explains, “but without a clear roadmap for how to use it.”

A woman with red hair sitting in a restaurant with her eyes closed.

"It felt like my future was already written for me."

Kiley now takes an antidepressant and continues to prioritize her mental well-being through journaling, community connection, and regular therapy check-ins through her CF care team. “I’m learning how to live in this new space – one that still holds uncertainty but also hope.”

That hope is deeply tied to the cystic fibrosis community – especially, the people she’s met online. “Connecting with other CFers has been a game-changer,” Kiley says. “They’ve helped me see myself in a new light, and their stories remind me I’m not alone in this.”

But managing CF – and the emotional toll it takes – is still a full-time job. Transitioning from pediatric to adult care came with a steep learning curve, and accessing treatments like Trikfta wasn’t easy. Between pharmacy coordination, insurance paperwork, and the pressure to self-advocate, Kiley says the system can feel overwhelming. “We need smoother transitions, better pharmacy support, and faster access to life-changing medications,” she says. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”

Despite the challenges, Kiley holds on to a powerful vision: a future where people with CF live without limits.

“It means being able to make long-term plans, travel, build a career, and start a family – without CF always being the loudest voice in the room. It means seeing people with CF for their passions, dreams, and potential – not just their diagnosis.”

You can help make that future a reality.

Kiley’s story is one of survival – but also one of strength, self-discovery, and advocacy. It’s a reminder that while medical breakthroughs like Trikafta are transforming lives, the journey doesn’t end there. Mental health support, community connection, and access to care are essential parts of living with cystic fibrosis.

This fall, Cystic Fibrosis Canada is working to raise $50,000 to expand mental health resources –like our new Mental Health Resource Hub – for people living with CF. Your gift helps fund programs, support services, and tools that ensure no one in our community must face the mental health impact of CF alone.

As Kiley says:

“When you raise money for CF healthcare and research, you’re not just donating – you’re giving someone more time with their family, a shot at their dreams, and the ability to plan a future.”

Let’s continue building that future – together.

Donate now and help us ensure every Canadian with CF can live and thrive without limits.