Press

Making a documentary that doubles as a final testament is no easy task. But with access to family members, doctors, personal reflections and hospital footage (which includes a surgery), “Salt in My Soul” poignantly reconstructs the life of Mallory Smith, who received a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis at 3 years old.

Frank Buckley interviews author and publicist Diane Shader Smith, who’s daughter, Mallory, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and authored the posthumously published book “Salt in My Soul: An Unfinished Life.”

Intimacy pervades the moving documentary “Salt in My Soul,” based on the posthumously published journals of Mallory Smith, a vibrant young woman with cystic fibrosis. Smith chronicled her experience with both raw honesty and real eloquence, and director Will Battersby refuses to cut away from more painful moments of the disease and its effects on Smith and her family.

Mallory Smith was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was only 3-years old. Despite daily life interrupted by intensive treatments and more than 70 hospitalizations, she went on to become an excellent athlete and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford, as well as an environmental journalist. Most of all, Mallory had a remarkable spirit and resilience. She lived life more fully than most of us ever do, knowing that she might die at any moment.

Frank Buckley interviews author and publicist Diane Shader Smith, who’s daughter, Mallory, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and authored the posthumously published book “Salt in My Soul: An Unfinished Life.”

The compelling story of Mallory Smith, who lived with cystic fibrosis for 25 years and died in 2017 after a 10-year battle with antibiotic-resistant infections, set the stage for a discussion on Capitol Hill on May 18 about the growing impact of resistance, the broken economic model for antibiotic development, the need to use antibiotics wisely and how legislation like the PASTEUR Act can help.

A new film called Salt in My Soul was recently released, with one of the expressed goals being to raise funds for phage research and antibiotic resistance.

A new documentary called “Salt in My Soul” is out now and it tells the story of Mallory Smith, a young woman who secretly documented her 25 year struggle with chronic illness before ultimately losing her battle with disease. Joining us to discuss is Diane Shader-Smith, writer, speaker and mother of Mallory.

Salt in My Soul documents the life of Mallory Smith, who is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age three. Throughout her 25 years of life, Mallory journaled every step of her experience with cystic fibrosis, right up until her last breath, resulting in the memoir on which this documentary is based.

Susan Gottlieb of the Gottlieb Native Garden was there, with Diane Shader Smith, an accidental environmentalist inspired by her late daughter Mallory. Will Battersby, who wrote and produced “Salt in My Soul,” the documentary about Mallory’s life with cystic fibrosis, talked about how Mallory’s passion for the environment inspires him.