In his book, The Long Haul, Ryan Prior writes about his advocacy on behalf of people with ME/CFS: Though I had negotiated a fragile truce with the disease, my deeper fear was that it would eventually fully disable me, just as it had done for so many of my friends…At the edge of my every thought […]
Champions
Wow! How? Peer Support for Queer Youth
Today’s “wow” is unfortunately a troubling statistic: 49% of LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. experience depressive symptoms, according to a survey conducted by Hopelab and Common Sense Media, compared with 24% of their straight and cisgender peers. But many Queer youth are meeting the challenge by accessing online therapy to a greater degree (44%, […]
Wow! How? Patient-led Biodesign
This post is part of my LinkedIn series: Wow! How? Health. Jules Sherman designs pediatric medical products, like a delayed cord-clamping cart and a special robe to help make neonatal skin-to-skin care safer. In 2016, she was called into a hospital room to observe a new mom using a device that Sherman had created to collect […]
Wow! How? Obesity Treatment
This post is part of my LinkedIn series: Wow! How? Health. Four in ten U.S. adults have obesity, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That includes 9% of U.S. adults with severe obesity, which is defined as having a body mass index over 40. Shame and stigma compound their health problems. “You wear […]
Wow! How? For Love & Life
This essay is part of my LinkedIn newsletter series: Wow! How? Health. Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya brought their second daughter home on the same day that he received a devastating diagnosis: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Brian was told he had six months to live. Seven years later, Brian is still alive. He and Sandra […]
Wow! How? Mystery vs. Moms
When her daughter, Sara, transformed from an active teen to a nearly catatonic shell of a person, Eileen Quinn knew she had to take action. Unfortunately, since Sara lives with Down syndrome her symptoms were likely to be dismissed as sad but inevitable. But Quinn had a hunch that her daughter’s rapid decline was not […]
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