Living to Die: An Ohio Woman Showed How to Do It with Joy

Cystic fibrosis and many other sufferings kept Emily DeArdo focused on love on earth and the promise of more.

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Emily DeArdo in a photo posted in 2015

Emily M. DeArdo/Facebook

You will die. I will die. You may have had the dearest of loved ones die all too early already. During Christmas, a woman died, at age 41, though she never thought she would make it even that far. And her message to the world was about remembering that you will die. And she meant it in an encouraging way. Use your time well and give thanks.

When she was eleven, Emily DeArdo was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. She almost died as she was graduating from college. A double-lung transplant saved her life.

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About the Author

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Kathryn Jean Lopez is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and the religion editor of National Review. Sign up for her weekly newsletter here. She is the author of A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living.

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