Negative - Postive CF on TV

[JennaB]

I remember watching ER one time, and there was a guy on there with CF. I love ER, but I hated what the episode did with the illness. Basically, I hate how everything you see on tv about CF is negative. You never see someone living a healthy life with CF. On ER, he was dying. Then there was that movie ( I think it was 6 days or 13 days - something like that) where his wife died of CF.

My question to you is: Have you ever seen any positive CF stories on tv? Fiction or not?

 

[Emily65Roses]

The 6th Day is the movie. And also some of their information is incorrect. If you go to imdb.com and looked at the goofs of The 6th Day, there is a factual comment that I added to it maybe a year ago, to correct their info. And no, I can't think of a movie offhand that has portrayed it positively.

 

[anonymous]

The other thing that bugs me is that they don't ever show what CF patients go through on a regular basis as far as treatments. They only state that they have a disease of the lungs and they are going to die.....ugh!!! Even Tami Cochran was on a show that portraid this. It would be more factual if they showed the treatments, vest, cpt, albuterol, TOBI, WHATEVER, and told the truth as it relates to the disease...that more and more kids/adults are getting married, having kids, etc. Sorry for getting a little off topic.

 

[anonymous]

A year or so back on 7th heaven one of the main actresses has a real life step sister (maybe it's half sister) with CF and they had her on the show, talking about the CF and they worked it into the story line. I wrote to the WB and gave them a big thank you for how they worked it so positively into the scene.

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

There was a documentary last year on HBO about this lady in California that adopted about 15 kids with different medical issues and one of the boys had CF. He also had some serious unrelated mental and emotional problems, as well. The boy ended up dying at the end of the documentary, I was horrified. It was extremely hard to watch, and I had a complete emotional breakdown (It was the first time I cried since my son was diagnosed.) I had been in denial for over three years and had become so numb and tried to sugar coat everything. Despite the fact the documentary was depressing, it really did help. It showed the breathing treatments (including how he often refused to do them!) the vest, IV meds, hospitalizations, and even how he passed away. It was a heavy dose of reality. But, it was real and showed the real day-to-day issues surrounding CF, good and bad. I am more appreciative of my son's good health and even more determined to keep him that way. I hope this wasn't too depressing but it was the most informative show I've seen. I also think they did a wonderful job of focusing on the "whole" child, not just the "CF kid": I find that very positive.

 

[thefrogprincess]

I saw that episode of ER. There was another one a few years before where this guy with CF ran into a burning building to save a little girl. He of course inhaled a bunch of smoke and was in bad shape. I don't remember if he died or not.

The sad fact is in fictional accounts about CF most of the time the people are going to die. But even if they don't get all their facts straight it does raise awareness. I bet there were tons of people who saw those episodes of ER and had no idea what CF is but then they went out a researched it.

On the other hand true stories about CF usually result in death too. Its just a fact of this disease. We all know that someday it will probably kill us, there's no used denying it. Has anyone read Breathing For a Living by Laura Rothenburg? If not I recommend it.

 

[2sickkids]

I saw the ER's with CF on them there were three. They did the ones with the boy turning 18 that ran away and got sick. He died on his b-day because he requested a DNR. They never lived on ER. I watch Lifeline on the Discovery Health channel every time they do shows on CF. Because they deal with all of the medical issues. There was one Law and Order S.V.U. that did a CF show. In that one they explained CF well. As far as the meds cpt and cost. They even showed the cpt. But the parents were doing porn to pay their kids medical bills because no insurance would take the kid and they were eary teens when they had her. The dad was the kid that played Zach on Saved By The Bell.

 

[Emily65Roses]

Frog Princess, I've read that book, it's one of my favorites.

 

[shamrock]

I was actually on tv on a programme about health. Their topic for the episode was CF so it was about me and what I do each day etc. It was really fun to make but they also showed that I had a life aside from my cf. They followed me to the hospital and everything. I did it about 4 years ago.

 

[NoDayButToday]

I was also on a show about CF. I was in 3rd grade. My favorite CF book is "Give Me One Wish" by Jacquie Gordon. It seems like not many people on here have read it though. I highly reccomend it

 

[Magerly111]

I am just writing because I had no idea that CF issues were ever televised. It amazed me, and I wish I had seen them...depressing or not. I once saw a commercial for CF...but that was it. I need to watch tv more often..?

 

[JennaB]

I agree with the above posters. I think that they should show us doing our treatments, etc, and that we have lives outside of our CF.

 

[Cariann2005Rob]

i saw an episode on touched by an angel about cf. One of the judds was the mom of a little boy with cf adn he had a wish list of things that he wanted to happen or get finished before he died. It was actually a pretty good episode. It was about a year or two ago when i saw that episode so i dont know if they have replayed it since then! He eventually died but it did show a little bit of our everyday life and was uplifting in many ways but in the end cf won the battle, which i hate!!!! anyways yah .....

 

[terber]

Ive only seen one show on tv that had something about cf on it...It actually was a special about young girls doing pageants and one of the older girls (13 yrs old) had cf...They didnt immediately come out and say she had it but, they showed her coughing and as soon as I heard her cough, I knew she had cf (the cough is so distinct)...They then showed her doing her treatments and her G-Tube feedings. I was like "cool...they're showing someone doing what they love and not letting cf get the best of them.." Then, at the end it showed that she had died recently after the documentary was shot...Then, I cried...

 

[NoDayButToday]

Terber and Cariann-- I saw both of those... I had just happened to come upon the paegent thing, and I also immediately knew the girl had CF by her cough, and also the tone of her voice.

 

[anonymous]

Lets not overlook the holy grail of CF shows/movies...Alex the life of a child. When I was in college it was a required part of my respiratory class to watch that movie, what a tear jerker!!! It made everyone in the class feel sorry for me, it took them almost 2 hours before they realized what an A-hole I can be and it was all back to reality!

But, from what I remember a nicely depicted movie.


luke

 

[anonymous]

I've seen one thing on the Discovery Health channel where they showed this girl who had CF taking real good care of herself and going to college and going to Football games, having a good time, she was talking about how just because she has CF doesnt mean she cant do what she loves to do on a daily basis, but then they also showed a lady who was on an oxygen tank and saying it's so hard for her to get around at all these days. So there are some good stories and some bad, but you got to remember, thats the reality of it

 

[anonymous]

There was a lady on M.T.V with CF

 

[anonymous]

Ya, but she wasn't someone we want as our poster child...she drank, smoked and NEVER did her treatments...she must have had a REALLY mild case too.

 

[anonymous]

Wow opinionated much. Just want to say in this day and age we have something called editing. Meds and breathing treats are not exciting all that show wants anyone to see stupidity sex and fighting. Did you hear that chick cough.