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Cystic Fibrosis is the main conflict in the story stopping her from doing everything she loves at certain times.

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“Overall, I want people to celebrate my life with joy, rather than mourning my passing.” (Smith p. 366)

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“Diary of a Dying Girl” by Mallory Smith is about a young girl with cystic fibrosis. She writes an entry in her diary every time something good happens in her life. This book seemed interesting for me because I have learned about CF and how it can affect someone, but I wanted to learn more about how it would affect a young girls everyday life.

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One of the major events in Mallory’s life is when she fond out that she had Cystic Fibrosis, at the young age of 3. Another really major event in her life was when she had a double-lung transplant because she couldn’t do some of the stuff she loved for a while, and had to basically pause her life. One of the major events that happened in her life a few times would be when she went to Hawaii. She would go to Hawaii because the water and air there would help her be able to breathe better.

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This story takes place at a variety of different places. One of the main settings would have to be at Mallory’s house because she had to have different breathing treatments done a lot to help her. Another main settings would have would have to be in the hospital because when she would have to have IV treatments done, they would be done in the hospital. She was between the ages of 3-25 when all this stuff was happening. These places impacted how people acted in the story because they would seem to be nicer in the hospital because they felt bad that she was in there, but at Mallory’s house they would be able to be wild and crazy with her and not feel bad about her situation because all she wanted was people to celebrate her being there, not worry about when she will be leaving. This story highlights the advancements in treatment and awareness for people with CF.

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The authors purpose of this story was to have readers understand the importance of living fully, loving deeply, and advocating for better health care and environmental awareness. She shows how resilience and positivity can shine through even in the face of a terminal illness. Mallory’s journal entries are filled with reflections of how she lives her life with CF. Not wanting to write about all of her bad experiences, she chose to find the positive aspects of things that happened to her during those negative times and wrote about that. Mallory’s was a talented writer and environmental advocate. Her experience living with a terminal illness from a young age gave her a unique and powerful perspective. She showed that writing was both her profession, as well as her therapy. Her personal journey shaped the content of the book, and her professional skills helped express it in a thoughtful, impactful way.

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Mallory uses ethos by sharing her real experiences living with cystic fibrosis, showing her intelligence, honesty, and vulnerability. She also had a background in journalism and environmental advocacy, which helps readers trust her perspective and voice. Mallory’s writing is deeply emotional. She shares her fears, heartbreaks, hopes, and determination. Her story of facing a terminal illness from a young age evokes compassion and empathy. This draws readers into her inner world and helps them understand the importance of living with intention and love. She includes facts about her disease, treatments, and the failure in the healthcare system. This logical information supports her argument for better patient care and medical innovation, and it adds credibility to her emotional and ethical appeals.

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For this musical connection, I chose the song “I Lived” by OneRepublic. This song connects to the book because it is all about making the most of life, which is all the book is about. Both the book and the song are bittersweet and inspiring. One part of the lyrics that stood out to me would be “I owned every second that this world could give” which made me think of Mallory and her resilience and refusal to let her illness define her.

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This is Mallory doing one of her breathing treatments, while doing her schoolwork.

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This is Mallory’s mother. She was a big character in the book because she always tried to keep Mallory safe and happy, even in the bad and dark times of her fight with CF.

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I chose this part of the song because it highlights living life to the fullest. Mallory owned every second of her life, and lived it to the fullest.

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You’d never know Mallory was dying, you couldn’t tell.

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Mallory is seen in this picture after her very significant, and important, double-lung transplant. This was a very important event in her life because it gave her healthy lungs for a little bit.

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Mallory’s laptop was a significant part of her life because this is where she did everything. She kept her diary there, as well as used it to do all of her school work. This is a symbol because it means a lot to her and she would likely not have a story without it.

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Works Cited

“Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.” CIDRAP, 13 Aug. 2024, www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/putting-face-invisible-threat-antimicrobial-resistance.

Diane Shader Smith. “DIARY of a DYING GIRL BOOK TRAILER.” YouTube, 8 Apr. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRxXqsGrQ-M. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Miller, Hawken. “Mallory Smith’s Life with CF Now Is ‘Salt in My Soul’ Film Documentary.” Cystic Fibrosis News Today, 18 Jan. 2022, cysticfibrosisnewstoday.com/news/salt-in-my-soul-film-documentary-book-cystic-fibrosis-mallory-smith/. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. “Cystic Fibrosis - Diagnosis .” Www.nhlbi.nih.gov, 24 Mar. 2022, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/cystic-fibrosis/diagnosis.

Rabbitt, Meghan. “My Daughter Died and Left Me Her Diary. This Is What She Wanted All of Us to Know.” Sunday Paper PLUS, 24 Aug. 2024, www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/diary-of-a-dying-girl/. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Smith, Diane Shader. “My Daughter Is Gone but Her Legacy Lives on through Her Writing and Phage Therapy.” STAT, 13 Nov. 2019, www.statnews.com/2019/11/13/phage-therapy-writing-mallory-smith/. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Smith, Mallory. Diary of a Dying Girl. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2024.

---. “Diary of a Dying Girl by Mallory Smith: 9780593647479 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books.” PenguinRandomhouse.com, 2024, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720678/diary-of-a-dying-girl-by-mallory-smith/. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Stenaven. “OneRepublic - I Lived - Lyrics Video (Native Album).” YouTube, 12 Apr. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KINfQbfZwik.