Taking My Breath Away

by Felicia Pascarella, Anthony Dellaripa, Sandy Tovray Greenberg

When nineteen-year-old Anthony asks seventeen-year-old Felicia on a date, he knows she is pretty, personable, funny, and has a great smile. He also knows she has cystic fibrosis. This couple is no different than other young people who discover a fondness for one another as they date and map out possible futures together-except Anthony and Felicia have no idea how long that future will last. In this memoir, Felicia and Anthony open their hearts and candidly discuss Felicia's cystic fibrosis and its effect on their relationship which includes fun, romantic dinners; walks on the beach; parties; amusement parks; bonfires and pig roasts; and little love notes and texts. It also consists of respirators, emergency department visits, incessant coughing, medications, trepidation, and uncertainty represented by two words-cystic fibrosis.

Taking My Breath Away narrates a mixture of poignant moments and humorous anecdotes that combine the fun-filled experiences of Felicia and Anthony's romantic relationship with Felicia's more serious medical situation. Through these stories, the authors deliver equally important inspirational and universal messages about responsibility, commitments to living in the now, and being truthful to oneself and to others.

172 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2010

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I have Cystic Fibrosis and was surprised when I found this book. I couldn't believe that there was a book written by someone who actually has CF. Even more so I was surprised by the fact that it wasn't only written by someone with CF it was also written by someone who had fallen in love with her. At first I was skeptical about the book. I wasn't sure that they would talk about everything that goes along with living with CF but they did. They covered every inch of life with CF. This book has given me hope that love is possible even when you have CF. My advice is if you know someone with CF or you want to learn more about it then read this book. It gives such an insight that I was even shocked by what really happens in my life that I don't pay attention to. By far a 5 star book in my oppinon.