title: With Every Breath: stories by and about people living with cystic fibrosis
author:  Katherine Russell 
description: Katherine Russell is a 16-year-old patient with cystic fibrosis. She strives to improve the CF community and its positive outlook towards facing CF each day. Margot Russell also wrote When the Road Turns: Inspirational stories by and about people with MS.
zlib_text: For Alyson
  —R. L.
  We dedicate this book, and the movie, to all the patients, families, medical
  staff, and loved ones who bravely fight the battle against cystic fibrosis every
  day. We hope the story of Stella and Will helps to bring awareness to this
  disease and, one day, a cure.
  —M. D. and T. I.
  
  CHAPTER 1
  STELLA
  I trace the outline of my sister’s drawing, lungs molded from a sea of flowers. Petals
  burst out from every edge of the twin ovals in soft pinks, deep whites, even heather blues,
  but somehow each one has a uniqueness, a vibrancy that feels like it’ll bloom forever. Some
  of the flowers haven’t blossomed yet, and I can feel the promise of life just waiting to
  unfold from the tiny buds under the weight of my finger. Those are my favorites.
  I wonder, all too often, what it would be like to have lungs this healthy. This alive. I
  take a deep breath, feeling the air fight its way in and out of my body.
  Slipping off the last petal of the last flower, my hand sinks, fingers dragging t