Recent Pioneer Press Columns

If I kiss you will I get diabetes?

Jan 26th, 2012 | By
If I kiss you will I get diabetes?

  As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on January 27, 2012. At age 13, Quinn Nystrom was already well versed on diabetes, her younger brother Will having been diagnosed with Type I at age 5. When she learned she would share his fate for their lifetimes — or until there is a cure
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From St. Paul, rallying medical care for Honduran orphans

Jan 13th, 2012 | By
From St. Paul, rallying medical care for Honduran orphans

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on January 13, 2012. It was a life-changing, chance encounter. In 2003, a nine-year-old Honduran girl with severely deformed legs met an orthopedic surgeon with a generous heart when he and his family went on a mission to the orphanage she called home. Once destined for a
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Connections: In prison for the holidays

Dec 23rd, 2011 | By
Connections: In prison for the holidays

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on December 23, 2011. By age 23, nearly one-third of Americans have been arrested for an offense more serious than a traffic violation, the New York Times reported recently. With so many involved with the criminal justice system, the Bennewitz family of New Hope won’t be alone
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Care for the caregivers

Dec 9th, 2011 | By
Care for the caregivers

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on December 9, 2011. We know them. We are them. The people who change parents’ Depends; sit with children through chemotherapy; answer the same question from a spouse over and over. Caregivers are the bone-tired folks who attend to others’ basic needs, often while balancing family responsibilities,
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Alzheimer’s: Memories made and lost and reconsidered

Nov 25th, 2011 | By
Alzheimer’s:  Memories made and lost and reconsidered

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on November 25, 2011. With the holiday season under way, not everyone is focused on how early retailers will open their doors today. Many families are gathering to share traditions — perhaps dusting off the good china, playing charades or singing carols. But that won’t be true
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Pediatric hospice: A drive to provide a setting for respite and end-of-life care for kids

Nov 10th, 2011 | By
Pediatric hospice: A drive to provide a setting for respite and end-of-life care for kids

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on November 11, 2011. A baby girl is born with a life-limiting medical condition and needs 24/7 care. A teenager has exhausted her cancer-fighting options and has a short time left to live. An infant acquires a rare metabolic disorder for which the only viable treatment fails.
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New model: An upscale retreat for people with autism

Oct 28th, 2011 | By
New model: An upscale retreat for people with autism

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on October 28, 2011. Two decades ago, autism was a mysterious condition known to relatively few. These days, media reports about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appear daily; it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have a connection to the lifelong condition affecting between 1 million and 1.5
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Adoption: Change is afoot

Oct 14th, 2011 | By
Adoption: Change is afoot

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on October 14, 2011. Shari was 16 years old in 1984. When her single mother discovered Shari was 26 weeks pregnant, she withdrew her from school, secured a tutor and, with the help of a physician, arranged for a private, closed adoption. Already disconnected from friends and
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Art and autism: Through Jimmy’s eyes

Sep 30th, 2011 | By
Art and autism: Through Jimmy’s eyes

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on September 30, 2011. Jimmy Reagan’s story unfolds through pictures. It begins with baby photos his parents treasure: Jimmy as an infant, snacking in his high chair, impish grin stretching between rosy cheeks; Jimmy frolicking with his dad in a pile of leaves, bright eyes focused on
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Literacy: An educational adventure in Mali

Sep 16th, 2011 | By
Literacy: An educational adventure in Mali

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on September 16, 2011. With the ink barely dry on her 2009 college diploma, Edina native Katharine Stofer joined the Peace Corps then spent two years in the West African nation of Mali doing post-graduate work in the school of life. Stofer recently spoke about her time
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