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Blake Pavey: Terminally-ill 20-yr-old comedian who takes 50 pills a day has hilarious take on his life

The 20-year-old has cystic fibrosis, a condition that damages his respiratory and digestive systems resulting in thick mucus adhering to the lungs

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: While performing in front of live audiences, a young Australian stand-up comedian posted a series of videos online in which he mocks his terminal respiratory illness. Blake Pavey is a 20-year-old comedian from Melbourne who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at the age of six weeks.

Cystic fibrosis is a fatal disease that causes severe damage to the respiratory and digestive systems, resulting in thick mucus adhering to the lungs - and patients typically live into their 30s or mid-40s. Pavey must self-manage by taking 30 to 50 tablets per day, is frequently out of breath after exercise, and is unable to have children. During his live shows, he copes with his condition by using humor to raise awareness, he told DailyMail. 

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Pavey turns to humor and makes fun of himself in his shows. In a videos he posted to Twitter, he asks his audience, "Are there any other dying people in the room?" and a woman raises her hand to explain that she has a "hereditary family disease." They exchange playful banter before he jokingly refers to the woman as a "loser" because she did not receive a "Make A Wish" despite having a terminal disease. 

In another video he posted on Twitter, someone can be heard cheering after Pavey describes CF and the life expectancy of people suffering from the condition. Prior to making fun of the woman, he laughs and displays shock. "He's going to die, let's go! That was the most positive way to tell me to kill myself," he joked. 

Describing what it's like to have cystic fibrosis, Pavey said, "CF feels like 'breathing through a straw on a daily basis because the mucus in the lungs is thicker and becomes trapped." The risk of bacteria and illness in the body is increased by this buildup, requiring careful management and medicine.

Pavey doesn't remember the first time he was told he had cystic fibrosis, but he does recall the "toughest moment," which was when his parents had to talk to him about his condition. He said, "It's always been something I've just had to deal with throughout my life. The life expectancy is always in the back of my mind but I try not to focus on it too much. I don't want to let it control me."

Pavey now faces the possibility of not just dying young but also of perhaps needing a lung transplant in the future. He said, "A lot of people with CF tend to need a lung transplant at some point depending on how severe it gets, which is something that is always on the cards."

Pavey believes the disease can get worse with time but that he has been able to self-manage it. He is careful about health examinations and typically sees the doctor every three months. In order to pursue comedy, he came to Melbourne in 2021. He is currently organizing a national tour. A well-known TikTok star with 870,000 followers, he posts humorous skits and relatable videos, including parodies of the voices of "every" host on various radio stations and outrageous perspectives on current events.