TITLE: Justina, 1985-2019

This is the last photo I took of my girlfriend before she died. We met while I was working on a book project called SaltyGirls, about women living with Cystic Fibrosis. We became friends and eventually we fell in love. Justina had already had 2 double-lung transplants, one in her teens and the second in her early 20s. During the second one she had a stroke which partially paralysed her right side. In early 2019 her lungs began to fail, and there were no medical options left for us. She died in October 2019. She inspired me with her bravery in the face of such daunting adversity. She inspired me to become a better person. She showed what strength and resilience truly were. And she made me discover what true love actually meant. And I know how much she truly inspired other women living with this horrible disease.

AUTHOR: Ian Pettigrew (Canada)