Social impacts of Cystic fibrosis disease on children of various age

The bachelor thesis is called Social impacts of Cystic fibrosis disease on children of various age. Cystic fibrosis is a disease which can be treated, but it cannot be completely cured yet. It is a disease that affects mostly the lungs where a thick mucus is gradually built and is hard to get rid of. However, it impacts other organs too. Cystic fibrosis is considered to be a rare disease because in the Czech Republic there are approximately 600 patients only. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to find out what aspects of life are impacted the most by the cystic fibrosis. The main focus was on the families with children who are diagnosed with the disease. Not only is the disease financially demanding, but also it impacts social life as people suffering from it should avoid contact with a large number of people because they are at higher risk of getting sick. People suffering from the disease face many restrictions, therefore they can feel disadvantaged compared to their peers. The research question was formulated as follows: What are the most common social impacts on a family with a child that is suffering from cystic fibrosis? Given the aim of the thesis, I used qualitative research, specifically interviews. In the empirical part, the snowball technique for the interviews was used. Seven families with children suffering from cystic fibrosis participated (9 - 17 years old). The results suggest that the most common social impact of the cystic fibrosis is a limited choice of a future occupation. Due to the strict restrictions which are placed on people suffering from the cystic fibrosis it is not possible to pursue just any profession that patients would want to. Another issue is that many families are not entitled to social benefits due to unjust decision making