Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine Forever
By | Bijal P. Trivedi
“Elaborating on the science as well as the business behind the fight against cystic fibrosis, Trivedi captures the emotions of the families, doctors, and scientists involved in the clinical trials and their ‘weeping with joy’ as new drugs are approved, and shows how cystic fibrosis, once a ‘death sentence,’ became, for many, a manageable condition. This is a rewarding and challenging work.” —Publishers Weekly
Cystic fibrosis was once a mysterious disease that killed infants and children. Now it could be the key to healing millions with genetic diseases of every type – from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s to diabetes and sickle cell anemia.
In 1974, Joey O’Donnell was born with strange symptoms. His insatiable appetite, incessant vomiting, and a relentless cough – which shook his tiny, fragile body and made it difficult to draw breath – confounded doctors and caused his parents agonizing, sleepless nights. After six sickly months, his salty skin provided the critical clue: he was one of thousands of Americans with cystic fibrosis, an inherited lung disorder that would most likely kill him before his first birthday
