Eastleigh mother of child with cystic fibrosis urges there to be more research
A mother's telling us her four-year-old son is one of a small percentage of people who can't have treatment
Last updated 20th Apr 2026
A mother from Eastleigh's telling us there needs to be more research into cystic fibrosis as there's no life-changing treatment available for her four-year-old son.
Rebecca Hardie says her son, Luca, is one of four people in the world with this particular combination, and one of 10% of people who can't have treatment for CF.
She's telling us about her son.
She said: "At the beginning it was a massive shock and it was quite hard to get our heads around for a little while.
"Now, as he's got older, life has become easier with it and we've got into a routine of it.
"We've got into a routine of it and kind of know what to look out for when he's poorly, and what to expect.
"But it's been massive - we expected to have a little boy that played in the mud and ran around and splashed in puddles, but he can't do those things because it's too risky for him.
"But he's incredible and amazing - he takes everything in his stride and just gets on with it."
Ms Hardie's telling us what more research would mean for Luca and her family.
She said: "It would be incredible.
"As I say, life's easier, but we have to think about everything.
"If I'm going to a soft play, you have to think about how many germs are there and it's kind of risk versus benefit.
"We want him to have a normal, happy childhood, but everything we do with him is a risk as he's very prone to infection.
"It would just be incredible for there to be a cure and just for that funding to be there so they can continue to research and make a difference to people's lives."