'It's completely life-changing': Nine-year-old given hope of 'normal life' after news on cystic fibrosis drug Kaftrio

A nine-year-old girl who has cystic fibrosis has been given hope of "a normal life" after it was announced that a drug to treat the condition would be made available to people in Wales.

Rebeka Bow said the news on Kaftrio would be "completely life-changing" for her daughter Sofia as it could enable her to do "normal" things like go to university.

Kaftrio has been dubbed a 'wonder drug' for its ability to help people with cystic fibrosis, which is a life-shortening disease with no cure.

Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, announced on July 23 that a deal had been secured with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to make Kaftrio available on the Welsh NHS.

Sofia was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth and her family were told about drugs like Kaftrio at the time. Credit: ITV Wales

Sofia has been shielding at home in Merthyr Tydfil with her family since the coronavirus pandemic begun but this announcement has given them hope of a brighter future.

Cystic fibrosis causes irreparable damage to the lungs and worsens over time. Rebeka is hopeful that accessing this drug will mean slowing down that process and give her daughter more opportunities to live a "normal long life".

Rebeka added that the drug will be "completely life-changing" for their family.

Sofia was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth and Rebeka said she was told about drugs like Kaftrio at the time.

They spent the next nine years hoping that Kaftrio would be made available on the NHS here but had no guarantee this would happen. Now that day has come and Rebeka said she "can't put into words" what this drug will do for Sofia and others like her with cystic fibrosis.

She said the drugs will give Sofia more "stability" and will "open up so many doors".

Rebeka said this drug could "buy Sofia so many years". Credit: ITV Wales

More than 10,500 people in the UK have the condition and there is currently no cure.

Drugs like Orkambi and Symkevi have already been made available to cystic fibrosis patients in Wales after a long campaign for the drugs to be made available on the NHS.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust also welcomed the news that Kaftrio would soon be made available and said it will "truly save lives".