• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Man who suffered huge health scare aged 18 proceeded to defy all odds

Home> News

Published 17:52 24 Feb 2024 GMT

Man who suffered huge health scare aged 18 proceeded to defy all odds

He was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was just three weeks old

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

A brave young man was able to turn his life around and go on an inspiring journey despite experiencing health issues all his life.

27-year-old Bradley Dryburgh looks like any another 20-something guy.

But - like many across the world - the illnesses he has are invisible.

Advert

Bradley has been candid about his health struggles and regularly talks about the difficulties he has faced on his podcast, A Lot To Talk About.

Bradley has been living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and doctors diagnosed him with the lung-damaging genetic illness at just three weeks old.

Media professionals shockingly told Bradley’s parents 'he’d be better off with a terminal illness like cancer', as it would 'either kill him or he would miraculously recover from it', unlike CF which would 'ruin his life'.

Bradley Dryburgh was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was just three weeks old.
Instagram/@bradleyjdryburgh

Advert

He was also diagnosed with liver disease when he was nine and diabetes at 13, both related to his CF.

Despite this prediction from doctors, Bradley has done his best to live a normal life while growing up in Wollongong, Australia.

However, when he hit his late teens his health took an even worse turn.

“At 18, I was challenged by my first real obstacle with cystic fibrosis when I began coughing up blood after a week of being unwell,” he told 7Life.

Advert

“Until this point, I had been told that if I was to ever cough up blood that I had to present to emergency immediately as there was a risk it could be fatal.”

It was at the tender age of 18, Bradley realized the seriousness of his illnesses and was convinced he didn’t have much longer to live.

“It was the beginning of a six-year pattern in which every year I would find myself unwell again with another damaging lung infection,” he added.

However, in 2020, after three days of consecutive bleeding, he decided to prepare to run a marathon.

Advert

He has raised thousands for CF research.
Instagram/@bradleyjdryburgh

“I decided to run a marathon by the end of the year, to prove that cystic fibrosis doesn’t define me, or any of us, but how we chose to respond to it does,” Bradley said.

“Alongside Cystic Fibrosis Australia, we created the inaugural ‘#42forCf event’, despite many hurdles, including some more bleeds, in the lead up to the big day."

He says the event, which is no longer held, went on to be a three-part endeavour over two years.

Advert

And it raised more than $120,000 for research, development and advocacy of life-saving drugs for those diagnosed with CF.

Bradley has so far run four marathons and a 50km ultramarathon and shows no signs of stopping.

Featured Image Credit: bradleyjdryburgh/Instagram

Topics: Australia, News, World News, Health

Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Elon Musk's ex-wife reveals one reason being married to him 'sucked'

    Justine Wilson was married to Elon Musk from 2000 to 2008 and did not mince her words as she opened up about their relationship

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Scientists reveal biggest great white shark ever recorded in Atlantic has resurfaced in major US tourist hotspot

    It's not the biggest great white shark in the ocean, however

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Scientists reveal what the length of your fingers really says about you and it might be surprising

    An in-depth analysis of more than 5,000 people across 12 countries indicates that your hand could well determine your fitness and more

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Plane passenger almost fined $800 after being stopped by TSA over easy mistake

    The passenger explained her travel nightmare in a video that has since gone viral on TikTok

    News
  • Mom, 48, who suffered a stroke reveals the one symptom that doctors dismissed for a year
  • Doctors issue health warning to people who regularly walk around their homes barefoot
  • Woman who suffered heart attack aged 46 reveals unexpected symptoms she experienced but dismissed
  • Mom of teenager who died after eating slug shared what she thought of friends who dared him to do it