Health & Wellness

On the Brink of Heaven

jbloustein — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:38:37 -0500

Lenora was dying.

She was 54 and had inoperable cancer. She lay in bed on pillows surrounded by fragrant flowers. The two of us were alone in her room.

Lenora’s family was gathered at her house. Suddenly she addressed me sternly.

“Ms. Nurse,” she said, pointing to a corner of the room, “this big angel comes and stands by my bed. Right there. He’s always smiling at me.” She fixed me with a look. “Ms. Nurse, when I see that angel, do you really think I see that angel?”

Man Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to Help Blind

batch — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:05:11 -0500

Brad Hart says he is dreaming of the inspirational moment he will see the sunset from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.

This is no idle fantasy. The school principal from Berks County, Pennsylvania has set off on an eight-day journey to ascend the mountain in order to raise money to help save children's sight.

Medicine Man

jbloustein — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:18:33 -0600

Retirement. Lingering with the paper over a late breakfast. Basking in the sun, legs dangling in the pool. Nothing but blue skies and open fairways.

My wife, Nancy, and I dreamed of this day after running my dermatology practice for 40 years. Now, a week into the promised land of retirement, I was haunted by work still left undone.

“Forget the golf game or sleeping in late,” I told Nancy. “I just can’t all of a sudden stop being a doctor.”

Wheelchaired Rapper Inspires

batch — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:05:25 -0600

While some rappers tend to talk about gang life and violence, one teen is putting a positive spin on the music genre by using his experience living with muscular dystrophy as inspiration for his lyrics.

Austin Puckett, a teenager from Springboro, Ohio, is used to wowing the crowd with his musical gift, although he admits that some people may be a bit skeptical when he takes the stage, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Student Meets, Thanks Bone Marrow Donor

batch — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:05:13 -0500

On September 2, a grateful bone marrow recipient from Canada got to meet the American donor he considers an angel for saving his life.

In 2002, Dany Mercado was an engineering student from Kitchener, Ontario who was battling leukemia.

Meanwhile, Wes Hamilton of Abilene, Texas was a medical student who gave blood and put his name on a donor registry at a campus blood drive without giving much thought to the action.

What Mattered Most

admin — Fri, 01 May 1992 06:17:00 -0500

"Ask and it shall be given you," Jesus said. I've always believed this, but never so totally as the day of the accident in 1978.

I was 75 years old. The grass on our 121-acre dairy farm needed cutting, so I hitched a set of mower blades to my tractor and went to work. The tractor was huge, and for added traction on our up-and-down Maryland terrain, its rear wheels were filled with 500 pounds of fluid, and a 200-pound weight hung from each hub.