Florence Pugh’s childhood health battle: What doctors told her parents and the condition behind her raspy voice

Oppenheimer actor Florence Pugh dealt with serious breathing problems that led to frequent hospital visits in her childhood. She has tracheomalacia, a condition that affects the windpipe, as well as asthma. In February 2025, she shared about how her parents received warnings from doctors when she was born. They were told she might not survive.

What doctors told Florence Pugh’s parents

According to Metro’s February 2025 report, Pugh opened up about her childhood health struggles when she appeared on the television series No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski.

During the episode, she learned about an ancestor who shared her name and died before her fifth birthday. Then Pugh shared about her own childhood and the serious breathing problems.


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“I wasn’t supposed to live,” she said, explaining that doctors had told her parents that she was unlikely to survive and advised them to enjoy the time they had with her.

What is Florence Pugh’s medical condition?

Pugh has tracheomalacia, a condition that affects the structure of the windpipe. Explaining her condition in 2022, the Oppenheimer actor said, “I have asthma and I have this thing called tracheomalacia as well. And so from a young age, I’ve just had a different breathing system.”

The actor also has asthma. She has explained that her breathing problems began when she was very young and contributed to her distinctive raspy voice.

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In an August 2022 report, The Independent recalled Pugh’s comments on Running Wild with Bear Grylls. She said doctors had advised her family to move somewhere with a warmer climate when she was younger.

“We were in Spain because I have a breathing issue, and when I was younger they kind of just advised that a hotter climate would be better,” she said.

Why her family moved to Spain

Pugh grew up in Oxford, England. According to The Independent, when she was about three years old, her family moved to Spain. Because doctors suggested that a warmer climate might help her health.

She lived there with her parents and older siblings until she was around six. Pugh later explained that she continued to take precautions because respiratory illnesses could affect her more severely than other people. She explained that her breathing problems have become less intense as she grew older. Although getting sick can still be difficult.