Book excerpt: The Life of a Walking Mermaid looks into the life of an angel, disguised in a 90-pound body with a smile and laugh that lit up the world. Young Vicki Thompson could have been the next Gandhi or Abraham serving as a magnet for love, kindness, and goodness. She wrote from the heart and, without knowing it, transformed peoples lives. Her memoir will open your heart and soul whether you suffer from a physical or mental illness or have perfect health. Through Vickis inspirational blogs, she gives readers a glimpse into what it felt like being forced to live with Cystic Fibrosis and the lessons she learned through her experience. Most importantly, though, Vickis blogs attest to not allowing a disease define who you are. Vicki never did and encouraged others not to do so, either. Right up to her final days, she spoke of what she was going to do after she received her new lungs, thrilled to no longer be a prisoner of Cystic Fibrosis.