Salt gives breath of life to girl with cystic fibrosis
Night after night, Jayme Warner would anxiously lie in bed hearing coughing, gagging and gasping from the bedroom down the hall. It was her younger sister, Katie, struggling with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening lung disorder. Fortunately, Katie has found relief through an inexpensive source some may find surprising - salt. By inhaling concentrated, vaporized salt twice a day through a nebulizer, Katie successfully fights the debilitating symptoms of cystic fibrosis. Her recovery was so dramatic it inspired Jayme, 16, to write an essay about the family's experience with salt therapy.
Her essay, "Salt: Saving Lives One Breath at a Time," won first place in the senior division of the prestigious DuPont Challenge science competition, which attracted nearly 10,000 participants.