What is Johnsy’s Illness? What Can Cure Her, the Medicine or the Willingness To Live?

Johnsy's illness in the short story "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry is pneumonia. This severe sickness has left her weak and bedridden, causing her to lose hope and the will to live. She becomes obsessed with the ivy vine outside her window, believing that she will die when the last leaf falls.

The cure for Johnsy is not just the medicine she is given by the doctor. While the medicine can help her physically, it cannot help her mentally or emotionally. Johnsy has lost her will to live, which is just as important, if not more so, than the medicine she is taking.

The real cure comes in the form of a painting of a leaf, done by an old artist named Behrman. When Johnsy sees that the last leaf has not fallen, she regains her will to live. This shows that while medicine is important, the will to live is equally, if not more, important in the healing process.