The resource I wish every school had.
CFReady exists because understanding cystic fibrosis shouldn't depend on having someone explain it to you in person. This is free, for everyone, and written from the inside.
Patrick Graham
CF patient & QUT student
I've had cystic fibrosis my whole life. I've been very lucky — through primary school, high school, and now university I've had zero CF-related hospitalisations. My mates asked questions when they didn't understand, I explained, and then they treated me like anyone else. I never felt excluded.
Very lucky at school
I was very lucky with my CF and with school. In primary and high school, my mates would ask about things they didn't understand — why I took enzymes before eating, why I'd cough and it wasn't contagious, why I couldn't share a classroom too closely with another person who had CF. I'd explain, and after that they treated me like any other person. I never felt excluded or singled out.
That isn't everyone's experience, and I know how much that inclusion mattered. Most teachers wanted to help too — they just didn't always have a clear, trustworthy place to learn what CF actually involved. The information out there was often too clinical, too generic, or written for a hospital rather than a classroom.
Why I made this free
No family should have to pay, sign up, or hand over their details just to help the people around their child understand cystic fibrosis. So this resource has no accounts, no cost, and collects nothing about you. You can read it, share it, and learn from it freely.
The topics here are written in plain language and grounded in real, everyday school moments. Where I share lived experience, I say so. It is not a replacement for medical advice or for the specific care plan agreed with a student's CF team — it exists to build understanding alongside those.
What I hope you take from it
Whether you're a teacher, a parent, a classmate, or simply curious — I hope you come away seeing the person, not just the condition. CF is a big part of my life, but it's not the whole of it, and the same is true for every student living with it.
A note on the content
This is a free educational resource, not medical advice. Cystic fibrosis affects every person differently. Always follow the specific plan agreed with the student or child's family and their CF healthcare team.