A WOMAN who lives with a crippling condition has spoken about the illness.

Maddison Beacon, 25, lives in Hanover, Brighton, with her husband Dafydd and enjoys walking her two English bulldogs and going to music festivals.

But she has cystic fibrosis and has CF-related diabetes which proves a daily challenge.

When she was born her condition went unnoticed by doctors and school was not easy.

She said: “When I was born they thought I was normal but my mother noticed I was losing weight and was poorly.

“The doctors didn’t believe her but she kept going back.

“She was even struck off her doctor’s list because of it.

“I wasn’t getting nutrients and I had a bloated tummy.

“I had to take many pills and needed to take medication at school but I wanted to be like everyone else.

“Some of the children thought I was faking it but I just got on with it.”

Mrs Beacon persisted with her education and studied on Brighton University’s food and culinary arts programme to become a chef.

She said: “At times I didn’t think I’d finish.

“There were about four hospital admissions of about two weeks at a time.

“I needed to have antibiotics by intravenous drip.

“I regard myself as very lucky compared to some people.

“There are people with cystic fibrosis who are more poorly than I am – they can’t go out, go to work or do what they want to do.

“We are not allowed to meet with each other because there is a danger we might cross-infect each other.”

There are not always obvious outward signs that someone has CF.

Mrs Beacon said: “We (people with CF) don’t look poorly and when I tell them they are shocked.”

She needs to be in hospital several times each year and is also given antibiotics intravenously.

She said: “I have to go to Kings College Hospital in London if I’m ill and unfortunately this happened two weeks before my wedding.

“I only got out of hospital five days before my wedding day.

“I take 15 pills in the morning and use a nebuliser. I take up to 30 pills a day.”

Getting accesses to services can be a struggle.

“Recently my blue badge was taken away and I had to fight to get it back.

“They said I was getting better and that was stressful, but I have the badge back now.”

Mrs Beacon is grateful for the help she gets from her husband, family and friends.

She is holding a fundraiser for the Cystic fibrosis Trust at The Tempest Inn on Brighton seafront on Thursday with DJs, a raffle and a barbecue.