Cystic Fibrosis Dream Holidays
Cystic Fibrosis Dream Holidays was founded in 1985. They provide a stress free respite holiday for children in the United Kingdom diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, ages 3 thru 18.
The founder of Dream Holidays, Elaine Tozer, who herself has a daughter with CF, has done voluntary work for Cystic Fibrosis since 1978. In 1986 she set up a charity to send groups of CF children away on holiday. This was very successful until the early 90's when a new lung infection started to affect CF patients and group holidays were considered to be a problem regarding cross infection within the CF community.
Dream Holidays was then set up in 1993 to send families away as a whole. This has proved to be a great success and is much safer health wise, as CF children are not coming into close contact with each other over long periods of time.
Cystic Fibrosis is a disease caused by an inherited genetic defect and is one of the most common recessive genetic diseases. CF affects approximately 70,000 children and young adults world wide. It occurs in approximately one of every 3,300 births and 1,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. As such it is not contagious and there is no risk of catching CF from another person
People with CF suffer from chronic lung problems and digestive disorders. It also causes other difficulties such as cirrhosis of the liver, malnutrition, diabetes and serious lung infections, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the disability to the patients.
For many years, the cause of CF was a mystery. Today, advances in medical study have made it clearer. Humans have a gene encoded in their DNA which makes a special protein called CFTR. If a child inherits a defective copy of this protein from each parent, they will have CF. Parents with a single defective CFTR protein are referred to as carriers. Each time two carriers conceive a child, there is a 25% chance that the child will have CF, a 50% chance that the child will be a carrier, and a 25% chance that the child will be a non-carrier.
Despite major improvements in management and diet over the years, Cystic Fibrosis remains a truly horrendous life threatening disease. There is a lifelong impact on the parents, siblings, and close relatives of the CF child, to say nothing of the suffering of the child him or herself.
Dream Holidays was set up to provide holidays for families who endure the trauma of having children suffering from Cystic Fibrosis. Our aims are to help these families enjoy a carefree holiday, taking away the problems of arranging and cost.
Through commitment compassion and generosity of many businesses and charitable trust, almost 1,000 families have now enjoyed a holiday with us and we have many more families on our waiting list. We feel we are doing a great job helping these people and delight in the knowledge that we are bringing smiles to their faces whilst providing treasured memories for those who may not have their child with them in the years to come.
Founder's History
The founder of Dream Holidays, Elaine Tozer, who herself has a daughter with CF, has done voluntary work for Cystic Fibrosis since 1978. In 1986 she set up a charity to send groups of CF children away on holiday. This was very successful until the early 90's when a new lung infection started to affect CF patients and group holidays were considered to be a problem regarding cross infection within the CF community.
Dream Holidays was then set up in 1993 to send families away as a whole. This has proved to be a great success and is much safer health wise, as CF children are not coming into close contact with each other over long periods of time.
Please visit Current Members to learn more about Cystic Fibrosis Dream Holidays.