00:02Push-ups. Just a few years ago Maximilian Bronnard couldn't do a single one.
00:10Push-ups used to be out of the question for me. These days I can do about 10 to 15
00:15in three sets.
00:16No way was that possible before. I'm Maximilian Bronnard, I'm 21 years old and I have cystic fibrosis.
00:26Maximilian can barely believe it. Not long ago he couldn't imagine stepping foot in a gym.
00:32Now he's here five times a week even on the treadmill.
00:35He says he's never felt this fit in his whole life.
00:40Maximilian has had cystic fibrosis since birth.
00:44It's a rare inherited disease that shaped his entire life.
00:48In Germany it affects around 8,000 people.
00:53You wouldn't know it from looking at Maximilian, but his disease is life threatening.
00:59Mostly due to a thick, sticky mucus that clogs vital organs, especially the lungs and digestive system.
01:08Many diagnosed die in childhood.
01:11Now 21 years old, Maximilian remembers when the doctors gave him a grave prognosis.
01:18Back then they told me I might live to around 17 or 18 if things stayed as they were, because
01:24they were so bad.
01:26That hit hard.
01:31His mother often looks through old family photos.
01:34When he was born he seemed healthy.
01:39But it didn't take long for Sandra Bronner to realise that something was wrong.
01:44Shortly after birth he lost a dramatic amount of weight, despite feeding well.
01:50Four weeks later came the diagnosis.
01:55We both cried, his father and I.
01:58We were a young married couple and never imagined that anything like this could happen to us.
02:05From then on, life revolved around inhalation therapy, constant infections and stays in hospital.
02:11By the age of one, Max was so underweight that he had to be fed through a tube.
02:18That's when the doctors decided you needed a feeding tube through your nose because they kept saying you were too
02:24thin.
02:24At first we tried to make sure you didn't pull it out, but eventually you got used to it.
02:30Two dummies and everything worked.
02:34Three years ago everything changed.
02:37A new medication transformed his life that meant he got sick less often and didn't need to be hospitalised.
02:44He describes it as a total game changer.
02:48I could live life again.
02:50The new drug works wonders, but it costs several hundred euros a day.
02:56Although Maximilian has benefited enormously, the price still shocks him.
03:01It's terrible that medicines can be so expensive, especially in countries where there's no assistance to access them.
03:11That's sad.
03:14Every three months Maximilian and his mother return to the clinic for a routine checkup.
03:19One of the most important tests is his lung function.
03:24To test how well his lungs are working, Maximilian is asked to take some regular breaths
03:30and then some really deep breaths.
03:38Sabine Weger is his doctor and is sharing the results with him.
03:45Everything is excellent. Going on these results alone you'd say we're seeing completely normal lung function.
03:52And a life that's now close to normal thanks to a new treatment combining three different active ingredients.
04:01There's no doubt that this medication has been a real game changer.
04:05It's made an enormous difference and we're all delighted that it's available.
04:11For Maximilian, the future finally looks bright.
04:15He hopes to begin vocational training in sports management.
04:21I can't put it into words. It completely changed my life.
04:25It's impossible to express how grateful I am to finally be able to live a normal life again.
04:31Amen.
04:32Amen.
04:33Amen.
04:34Amen.
04:35Amen.
04:36Amen.
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