Natalie Archibald, seven, kept alive by Viagra
Natalie Archibald, who fell ill 18 months ago when she passed out and turned blue, suffers from the incurable lung condition primary pulmonary hypertension, a rare affliction in children.
She was taken for treatment in hospital in London and prescribed Viagra, better known for helping boost impotent men’s sex lives, and is able to lead a normal life.
Mother Janis Archibald, 46, from near Edinburgh in Scotland, said: “At first when we saw the programme of drugs, Viagra was given the proper medical name (of Sildenafil or Revatio) so we didn’t know what it was.
“It was only when we looked into it a bit more and, of course, then came all the jokes.
“But seriously, it has transformed her life. I’ve never seen her so happy. She can run, jump, skip – all the things her friends do.
“We have a wheelchair for her if she gets exhausted, but we’ve never had to use it, and I hope she grows out of it before we do need it.”
The incurable illness causes high blood pressure in the lungs and strains the heart, with potentially fatal consequences. Viagra opens the arteries and improves blood flow to her lungs.
