Laura Rothenberg

Laura Elizabeth Rothenberg (February 3, 1981 – March 20, 2003) was an American author. She wrote a memoir describing her life with cystic fibrosis called Breathing for a Living.

Biography Laura Rothenberg was born February 3, 1981 and she grew up in New York City. Shortly after birth she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a fatal disease with varying life expectancy. Goddaughter of Debra Winger, Rothenberg attended The Chapin School in Manhattan and then Brown University where she studied English until the deterioration of her cystic fibrosis forced her to withdraw and she decided to pursue a lung transplant, though it posed its own health risks. in July 2001. She also began recording audio of her experience when a radio producer, Joe Richman, lent her a tape recorder. Her memoir was published posthumously by Hyperion on May 12, 2003. Breathing for a Living describes her fight with cystic fibrosis and her decision to pursue a double lung transplant. In The Washington Post, Roland Merullo wrote, "Those in the grasp of a fatal illness will recognize themselves here – the loneliness, the pain and hope – as will family members and friends. The rest of us, so often oblivious to our good luck, might be moved to set the book down between chapters and put our complaints in perspective."

List of works "My So-Called Lungs", All Things Considered, NPR, August 5, 2002 Breathing for a Living, Hyperion, 2003