by Laura Rothenberg Wikipedia
Twenty-one-year-old Laura Rothenberg had always tried to live a normal
life--even with lungs that betrayed her and a constant awareness that
she might not live to see her next birthday. Like most people born with
cystic fibrosis, the chronic disease that affects primarily the lungs,
Laura struggled to come to grips with a life that had already been
compromised in many ways. Sometimes healthy and able to attend school,
other times hospitalized for weeks, Laura found solace in keeping a
diary. In her writing, she could be open, honest, and irreverent, like
the young person she was. Yet behind this voice is a penetrating
maturity about her mortality, revealing a will and temperament that is
fierce and insightful.
Also see: The Amazing Life of Laura by Andrew Solomon