“After my transplant, I had scans every six months. Since I had two little nodules of cancer in my original liver, they wanted to make sure it didn’t come back. “Meanwhile, they discovered that my bile duct and the donor’s bile duct never matched up … Continue reading‘They thought they were going to lose me’
“They called on a Saturday morning. My husband had just gotten off working nights, so I didn’t answer the phone. Then they called him. He didn’t answer his phone. They called my daughter. She didn’t answer her phone. They called my sister. She did answer … Continue readingHer birthday present: a new liver
“About two years ago, I decided to go get my bachelor’s degree in special education. I thought it was a good match for me and where my heart is for these kids. But I wouldn’t have done it if not for my youngest son. “When … Continue readingSon inspires her to pursue college degree
“Prior to the coronavirus interrupting all our lives, I would do my work with the recruitment and enrollment department at Lee College pretty much five days out of the week. And on Monday nights, I would race from work over to Deer Park to conduct … Continue readingHe turns to comedy in times of need
“I’ve learned so much about the coronavirus, like how you can carry it without knowing and pass it along to others. That makes it very difficult to see and track. “My sister, mom and dad all agreed to limit physical contact from different households due … Continue readingSocial distancing can be heart-breaking
“My mother works for the county. She’s been at Stallworth Stadium several weeks now, where they’re testing people for coronavirus. They’re open every day, and she only gets one day off. So it’s been physically and emotionally exhausting for her. “They’re testing about 250 a … Continue readingHer mom on coronavirus testing front lines
“Woody and I are at the stay-at-home-and-don’t-panic stage of life. Our kids do not want us to go out because of our age. “We realize we have been given a gift from God. It’s the gift of years. He will be 90 in May, and … Continue readingThey manage with recliner church, dominoes, family
“When I heard about the coronavirus, the first thing I did was pray, ‘Please don’t close the schools. Please don’t close the schools.’ My boys are particularly rambunctious, and they don’t always get along perfectly with each other. So when the kids usually go to … Continue readingIt’s no summer vacation for busy mom
(During this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, we’ve been forced to alter many aspects of our lives. This includes how we deal with death and honoring our loved ones. In this essay, Susan Cummings describes what that meant for her family.) Funerals are for … Continue readingCoronavirus changes how we bring closure
“It’s been 16 months since I was diagnosed with GBS (Guillain-Barré syndrome). Little by little, I’m regaining everything. I still have nerve pain in my neck, my face and legs. They told me that I will probably always have some nerve pain, even when I’m … Continue readingHe’s working hard to leave that wheelchair