If she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, fought through rounds of chemo and radiation to no avail, and decided against a bone marrow transplant (which, in this hypothetical situation, which reflects the vast majority of real cases, would more likely kill her than enable a cure) she would be honored and remembered as noble, virtuous and brave.

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Suspecting he would be receptive, she also recognized a sensibility she could trust that of a brave iconoclast conversant with botany, butterflies, and books and willing to risk everything for what he believed.

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