Remembering Isabelle's Legacy
Created by Steffanie 2 years ago
I will always remember Isabelle as a sassy warrior, a gifted artist and avid sewer. A loving daughter and sister and animal rights activist. A lover of sweets, Indian food, and umbrella-drink cocktails. And for dying her hair a rainbow of colors that matched her fiery personality. I admired her skills at baking and decorating cakes, even when she was too sick to eat. She fought to live as normal a life as she could despite facing so many obstacles. I know didn't like to talk about her illnesses but her mom Jo told me she was very proud to have been the first person to be successfully treated with a genetically modified phage cocktail to treat the Mycobacterium abscesses infection that was attacking her new lungs. Her case foisted her into the international spotlight, and into the pages of our memoir, The Perfect Predator, but she was so much more than a case report. She was a fearless champion. She was like my little sister. She made face masks throughout the COVID pandemic that she sent to us and many others who played a role in the phage hunt that extended her life for three years. I hope she knows that she inspired a cadre of phage researchers the world over who will become the next generation of scientists to cure superbug infections that plague patients with CF. I miss you so very much, Izzy, and I will never stop fighting for patients like you. Meet you in heaven, I hope.