But right now the 20-year-old from Wodonga has had to set aside his animal science studies at Charles Sturt University, Wagga, to concentrate on rebuilding his health.

Ben was born with cystic fibrosis and during his entire life he has battled the condition that primarily affects the lungs, pancreas and liver of sufferers who have a reduced life expectancy.

However, three years ago, he contracted swine flu while returning home from Cairns and since then he has battled with ongoing illness that has reduced his lung function to just 30 per cent of capacity.

Every six to eight weeks Ben goes to hospital in Melbourne for what he describes as a “tune-up”, incorporating physiotherapy and antibiotics, to tackle continued bouts of lung infection and inflammation.

This week he has returned home from hospital after an operation for a hernia that was a further symptom of the damage to his lungs.

Ben is being considered for a lung transplant but his parents Peter and Louise say he is in fact seen as not sick enough to go on the lung transplant list.

Instead, the family hopes Ben will benefit from a combination of two new drugs that have offered an improvement in lung function of more than 10 per cent in some patients.

Mr Symons said his son’s poor health meant he did not qualify for trials involving the new drugs but his health would continue to decline while they waited for the drugs to come under Australia’s pharmaceutical benefits scheme.

A fund-raiser on Friday night raised more than $25,000 towards the purchase of the drugs, which cost $24,500 in the US for a 30-day supply.

Mrs Symons said Friday night’s dinner at Wodonga Catholic College had been attended by 320 people, buoyed by raffles and events held by Ben’s former Wodonga Raiders Junior Football Club and other clubs he was involved with.

Donations can be made to any Bendigo Bank branch or online at www.bendigobank.com.au/foundation/benscause.