Help JC breathe

Hi, I’m JC Vorster and I was born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

Thinking back to my childhood, there is your usual memories of playing outside, climbing trees and falling off bikes, but there is also an overwhelming amount of doctor’s visits, hospitalisations, tests and scary machines and eventually a diagnosis at the age of 8 years old. It felt like answers would bring some sort of relief, but that was just the start of a whole new rodeo.

CF is a genetic condition that affects the lungs and digestive system, causing my body to produce thick, sticky mucus that clogs my airways, leading to chronic infections and damage. Over time, this damage can make even the simplest tasks incredibly challenging. CF also affects how my body absorbs nutrients, leading to issues like malnutrition and stunted growth.

As I got older, the illness took a larger toll on me, my body and my way of life. More infections came, that meant more doctor visits, more daily medication, more hospitalisations and longer recovery time after every infection and procedure.

Living with CF is an ongoing battle. Even with my current treatment plan, the damage to my lungs is progressively worsening. I rely on daily treatments such as physiotherapy, antibiotics, and frequent hospital visits to manage my symptoms, but they don’t address the underlying problem. They help me to try and stay stable, but they don’t fix the root cause of CF.

Despite all this, I do my best to stay active. I know that keeping my body strong helps my lungs and overall health. But even regular activities like walking or exercising can feel like tackling an impossible task. The inflammation in my lungs and constant fatigue make movement feel like a constant battle with my own body. Still, I push through, knowing how important it is to my long-term well-being.

This is where Trikafta comes in. Trikafta has shown incredible results for CF patients worldwide. It works by targeting the root cause of CF at the cellular level, helping the body process the CFTR protein properly. In clinical studies, it’s been proven to significantly improve lung function, reduce hospitalizations, and dramatically improve quality of life. For someone like me, Trikafta could be life-changing.

However, the reality is that Trikafta is not available to most CF patients in South Africa, and the main reason is the extremely high cost. The medication is simply out of reach for most of us, and even though it has the potential to improve my health in ways I could only dream of, my medical aid will only cover the medication from April 2027.

Living with CF means I don’t have the luxury of waiting another 2 years to get access to life saving medication…my lung function is currently 28% and progressively declining.

Trikafta has proven to prevent a decline in lungfunction, lung transplants and premature death.

Please help me to raise R33 500 pm for the next 24 months so that I may have access to this life saving medication earlier than later.

That’s why I’m reaching out today. With your support, I can access this treatment and give myself a better chance at living a fuller, healthier life. Every donation will go directly toward covering the cost of Trikafta.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and consider supporting me. Your help means more than words can express.

JC needs to raise R800 000 for his out-of pocket expenses in total or be able to afford R33 500 monthly for a period of 24 months, afterwhich his medical aid will be willing to cover the costs of medication for him.