Two-year-old Tayla Sladdin is all smiles. The bubbly toddler is a ‘frequent flyer’ at the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, Tayla needs specialist help every few months to keep her lungs clear and functioning.

Cystic fibrosis is an incurable genetic disease where organs, especially the pancreas and lungs, are clogged with thick, sticky mucous.

Tayla’s nine-month-old brother Thomas also has the disease, meaning that visits to the RCH are common for the Ararat family, as both children need regular “tune-ups”.

But little Tayla doesn’t mind the two and a half hour drive into Melbourne, she loves the hospital and starts screaming with joy when the she sees it in the distance.

Every three months Tayla needs a strong course of intravenous antibiotics, meanwhile, a strict regime physiotherapy and exercise keeps her lungs strong and healthy.

Although it is difficult to have two children with the disease, the small touches and attention from the staff at the RCH, make a big difference to the Sladdin family.

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