Articles & Stories

Mary Tibbats knows firsthand what it’s like to care for an aging parent. She is the primary caregiver of Mary Nolan, her 88 year-old mother who has diabetes, but enjoyed an active lifestyle.

“Mom was 88 years old, totally and completely independent, except she didn’t drive any longer but she lived on her own,” Mary said. “She paid her own bills, ordered her own medication, sorted her medication every week, cooked her own food, went out and played Bingo, crocheted, did everything, totally independent, got up and around.” … Read More

If you have a serious illness, the bills for doctors, drugs and hospital visits can pile up quickly. For many families, money worries are sadly a big part of being sick in America.

Palliative care can help.

… Read More

In this episode of our Quality Life series, we hear from Malcolm, a 51 year-old Philadelphia man whose life changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Malcolm shares how palliative care helped manage his pain and improved his quality of life. … Read More

The short answer is no. Depression is never normal, regardless of the state of your health. People who have a serious illness will likely have occasional sadness, insomnia, hopelessness or just a down day-but feeling this way over weeks and months should not be thought of as just another side-effect of a serious illness.

If you (or someone you love) are living with a serious illness, and you feel you are depressed, talk to your doctor about it. You may be unaware of how much it is affecting your quality of life. In most cases depression can be treated.

There is alot of research on depression and serious illness-and there is definitely a connection between the two. Studies have shown that people living with illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetes are more likely to experience depression. Depression is also quite common after having a stroke. … Read More

Malcolm White loves the Philadelphia Eagles and socializing with his friends. But when the 51 year-old was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, he experienced so much pain that it became hard to focus on anything else.

“It started out gradually with, you know, pain and stiffness in the back, which gradually got worse where it became really hard to move around,” he explained. “It started early, at the beginning of this year and it got progressively worse to where I saw a doctor and had some X-rays and they ran some tests and that’s when I was diagnosed.” … Read More

Serious illness can dramatically change not just the life of patients, but the lives of their family members, as well. In 1993, Shari McClendon was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, which causes abnormally high blood pressure in her lungs. Once an active hiker and skier, Shari struggled as her physical symptoms worsened.

“We had a two-story house and I first started feeling very short of breath when I went up the stairs, and getting more tired, and not having as much energy as I had,” explained Shari. … Read More

In this episode, we hear from Dannell Shu, whose son was born with severe brain damage. Dannell discusses the role that pediatric palliative care played not just in improving Levi’s quality of life, but in supporting the entire family as it navigated the waters of his chronic condition. … Read More

In the first episode of our Quality Life Series, we hear from Christine Buehlmann, a California woman whose life changed dramatically after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and began receiving chemotherapy. Christine discusses how the physical and emotional symptoms of her disease and its treatment were hindering her quality of life, until she received palliative care. … Read More

Welcoming your first child into the world is truly a life-changing moment for anyone. For Dannell and Peter Shu, it was beyond anything they ever imagined.

Their newborn son Levi was born with brain damage.

“When Levi was born, he was born without a heartbeat or a breath. He didn’t move and he didn’t cry,” recalled Dannell Shu, Levi’s mother. “And it was in that moment that we changed course.” … Read More

Sixty percent of the estimated 44 Million* caregivers in this country work full-time. In addition, they spend an average of 18 hours a week caring for an ill family member. This added part-time “job” is generally unpaid, and for many it is the hardest work they will ever do. … Read More