EARTH shattering news that their newborn baby was carrying a rare genetic condition rocked the world of first-time parents Emma and James Chappell.
But 16 months on, and baby Freya is bouncing around their Tuffley home like any other toddler.
A blood test showed she had Cystic Fibrosis.
"I thought she was going to die," said her mum, Emma.
"It took two weeks to analyse so we had no indication at first if she was a carrier or if she had fully blown CF.
"It was a complete shock.
"As first-time parents, we were bamboozled by the medication and treatment we had to give Freya.
"It was a bombshell at first, but we are adjusting."
The condition blocks her lungs and pancreas with mucus and she can't cough or metabolise fat in her diet.
If unchecked, it can become serious in later life.
But since blood tests became standard within two weeks of birth, babies can be diagnosed earlier and then treated.
Doctors have advised Freya not to mix with other CF carriers, as they are more susceptible to passing on infections.
Two 10-day spells in hospital when she was hit with a lung infection, first at seven months and then in October, brought more worry for the family.
"The nurses at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital were amazing," said Emma, 34.
"I had arranged to go back to work as a consultant eight months after giving birth and thought I would have to cancel.
"It was a stressful time as I thought, 'how am I going to cope?'
"But her nursery, Little Smarties, was amazing."
The Cheltenham nursery help support Freya in her daily routine, and have also started raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Emma and James, 35, have helped raise more than £3,000 for the charity. Accountant James has run the Bristol half marathon. To find out more about the condition and what support is available in Gloucester, visit Cysticfibrosis.co.uk .
