Life on a Planet Without Patricia Moreira Cali

My Journey with the Purple Dragon:

 Living with Leiomyosarcoma, a Rare and Aggressive Cancer  

by Patricia Moreira-Cali (Author) 

Patricia Moreira‑Cali was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) in her early 50s, several years before the publication of her memoir My Journey with the Purple Dragon in 2014. LMS is an extremely rare and aggressive cancer of smooth muscle tissue, affecting only about 1 in 5 million people.

Her diagnosis became the catalyst for the symbolic framework she developed — the “Purple Dragon” metaphor — which transformed her cancer story from a purely medical ordeal into a spiritual and mythic journey. She lived with LMS until her passing in 2017 at age 55.

Would you like me to create a timeline of her cancer journey, showing diagnosis, treatment, travels, and the founding of Helping Children Heal?

• This moment becomes the entry of the “Purple Dragon” into her life.
• 2012–2013 — Initial Treatments & Awakening She undergoes medical interventions while beginning to sense that illness carries emotional and spiritual messages. Her background as a clinical dietitian informs her nutritional healing practices.
• 2013 — Healing Pilgrimages Travels to Bali, Brazil, and the Omega Institute. These landscapes serve as initiatory thresholds, opening emotional and spiritual pathways. She begins to frame cancer as a teacher rather than an enemy.
• 2014 — Publication of Memoir Releases My Journey with the Purple Dragon, chronicling her diagnosis, treatments, travels, and spiritual transformation. The Purple Dragon metaphor becomes her symbolic anchor.
• 2014–2016 — Community & Service Builds networks of healers, teachers, and companions. Founds Helping Children Heal, an NGO providing medical care for impoverished children, transforming personal suffering into collective compassion.
• 2017 — Passing & Legacy Patricia died on June 12, 2017, at age 55 in Gainesville, Florida. Her philosophy insists that healing is not a destination but a spiral — each cycle through travel, community, purpose, and service deepens identity. Her legacy continues through her books and humanitarian work.

Patricia’s world turned upside down when she was accidentally diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), an extremely rare cancer affecting only 1 in 5 million people. LMS is also a very aggressive type of tumor, thus nicknamed the Purple Dragon. After the initial shock of the diagnosis subsided, Patricia was ready to discover ways to heal herself and find hope. 

She went from being a counselor to thousands of patients on how to be proactive and take charge of their own health, to taking unknown paths in search of hope for surviving a disease that does not have a single established medical treatment. She embarked on a spiritual journey, which took her to Omega Institute, Bali and Brazil, where she met healers, a guru, a physician and other extraordinary people who became instrumental in her finding peace within and starting to believe that everything can be healed, even the Purple Dragon. 

Born in Brazil, Patricia moved to the United States at age 20. She has a Master of Nutrition Science from the University of California, Davis, and has worked as a university professor, researcher, speaker, clinical dietitian and diabetes educator. She is also the proud mother of three children (including an angel in heaven) and the founder of Helping Children Heal (HCH), an NGO that provides medical treatment for impoverished and sick children who don’t have health care. 

Patricia is a world traveler, having backpacked solo in Tibet, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Namibia, India and many other countries. Above all she is a proactive woman who has been inspiring many as she travels the paths of healing and discoveries, keeping alive the flame of faith that even the Purple Dragon can be tamed.

Patricia Moreira‑Cali was a Brazilian‑American author, clinical dietitian, and certified diabetes educator, best known for her memoir My Journey with the Purple Dragon. The “Purple Dragon” was her metaphor for leiomyosarcoma (LMS), an extremely rare and aggressive cancer affecting about 1 in 5 million people. Her book, published in 2014, chronicles her diagnosis, treatment, and spiritual healing journey through places like the Omega Institute, Bali, and Brazil.

✧ Life and Career

• Born: February 15, 1962, Brazil
• Died: June 12, 2017, Gainesville, Florida (age 55)
• Education: Master of Nutrition Science, University of California, Davis
• Career: University professor, researcher, speaker, clinical dietitian, diabetes educator
• Humanitarian work: Founded Helping Children Heal (HCH), an NGO providing medical treatment for impoverished children without access to healthcare

✧ Writing Themes

Her memoir blends:

• Spiritual healing and faith in transformation
• Holistic health and nutrition
• Resilience in the face of rare illness
• Travel as transformation — she backpacked solo across Tibet, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Namibia, India, and more

✧ Legacy

Patricia’s work continues to inspire survivors and caregivers navigating rare illnesses. Proceeds from her book support charitable causes. Her symbolic “Purple Dragon” metaphor remains a powerful image in illness narratives, representing both the ferocity of cancer and the possibility of taming it through resilience and spiritual strength.

Patricia Moreira‑Cali’s healing philosophy is best understood as a three‑layer system: the body, the soul, and the journey. She writes as someone who lived through a rare cancer (leiomyosarcoma) and rebuilt her inner world through nutrition, spirituality, and meaning‑making. Her philosophy is not medical advice; it’s a personal, experiential framework for healing from the inside out.

✧ Core Takeaway

Her healing philosophy centers on integrating scientific nourishment with spiritual awakening, using illness as a catalyst for transformation rather than a purely physical battle.

The Body: Nutritional and Energetic Grounding

Moreira‑Cali’s background as a clinical dietitian shapes her belief that cellular nourishment is the foundation of healing.

Key elements include:

• Functional nutrition — food as information that communicates with cells.
• Anti‑inflammatory living — reducing physiological stress to free energy for healing.
• Energetic detox — releasing emotional and spiritual “toxins” alongside physical ones.
• Mind–body coherence — aligning physiology with emotional intention.

Her approach blends evidence‑based nutrition with the belief that food carries energetic signatures that influence mood, resilience, and spiritual clarity.

✧ The Soul: Illness as a Spiritual Teacher

She frames cancer as a “Purple Dragon”—a metaphor for a force that is terrifying yet transformative.

Her spiritual philosophy includes:

• Radical acceptance — meeting illness without denial or collapse.
• Inner listening — treating symptoms as messages rather than enemies.
• Sacred surrender — releasing control to access deeper intuition.
• Transmutation of fear — converting fear into clarity, courage, and compassion.

She draws from meditation, prayer, energy work, and cross‑cultural spiritual traditions (Brazilian, Balinese, and Western contemplative practices).

✧ The Journey: Healing Through Movement, Place, and Meaning

Her memoir describes healing as a pilgrimage—not just through treatments, but through landscapes that shift her consciousness.

Themes include:

• Healing travel — environments that open emotional and spiritual pathways.
• Community as medicine — teachers, healers, and friends as part of the therapeutic ecosystem.
• Purpose discovery — illness as a doorway to one’s deeper calling.
• Service as integration — founding Helping Children Heal as a way to transform personal suffering into collective good.

Her philosophy suggests that healing is not a destination but a continuous unfolding of identity.

✧ The Non‑Obvious Insight

Moreira‑Cali treats healing as a relationship—between the self and the illness. Not a fight. Not a surrender. A dialogue.

This reframing allows her to see cancer as a mirror reflecting unresolved emotional patterns, spiritual disconnection, or unexpressed truth. Healing becomes the process of learning what the illness came to teach.

✧ If you want to go deeper

Would you like a deeper dive into her Purple Dragon metaphor, a breakdown of her nutritional principles, or a chapter‑by‑chapter analysis of her memoir?

Here’s a structured breakdown of Patricia Moreira‑Cali’s nutritional principles, which weave together clinical dietetics, energetic symbolism, and spiritual meaning. She treats food not just as sustenance but as a language of healing.

Functional Nutrition

• Clinical layer: Food is information — nutrients instruct cells to detoxify, repair, and regulate.
• Systems focus: Liver, gut, lymph, mitochondria, and brain chemistry are supported through targeted nourishment.
• Symbolic layer: Each nutrient is a syllable in the sacred language of repair, aligning body and soul.

Anti‑Inflammatory Living

• Clinical layer: Chronic inflammation drains energy and blocks healing.
• Lifestyle focus: Emphasis on whole foods, omega‑3s, antioxidants, and reducing processed irritants.
• Symbolic layer: Inflammation is “internal friction.” Calming it is an act of peace‑making within the body’s battlefield.

Energetic Detox

• Clinical layer: Detox clears metabolic waste through hydration, fiber, and cleansing foods.
• Emotional focus: Release of grief, fear, and stagnant emotional patterns.
• Symbolic layer: Detox is a purification ritual — cleansing the body, emotions, and spirit simultaneously.

Mind–Body Coherence

• Clinical layer: Emotional states directly affect digestion, immunity, and hormonal balance.
• Psychological focus: Anxiety tightens digestion, grief slows it, fear disrupts it.
• Symbolic layer: The gut is the “emotional organ.” Symptoms are messages, not malfunctions, guiding inner listening.

✧ Integrative Insight

Her nutritional philosophy insists that food is a bridge between body and soul.

• Eat to reduce friction.
• Eat to align function.
• Eat to cleanse energy.
• Eat to listen inwardly.

Healing, for her, is not about restriction but about dialogue — every bite is a conversation with the body’s intelligence and the soul’s needs.

Great — let’s expand those four key elements of Patricia Moreira‑Cali’s healing philosophy into their deeper symbolic and practical layers.

Functional nutrition

• Literal meaning: Food is not just calories; it’s information that tells cells how to repair, detoxify, and regulate.
• Symbolic meaning: Eating becomes a way of “speaking” to the body’s intelligence. Each nutrient is a word in the language of healing.
• Application: She emphasizes whole foods, micronutrient density, and supporting systems like the liver, gut, and mitochondria.

Anti‑inflammatory living

• Literal meaning: Chronic inflammation drains energy and blocks repair. Reducing it frees resources for healing.
• Symbolic meaning: Inflammation is “internal friction.” To heal, one must reduce not only physical irritants but also emotional and spiritual conflict.
• Application: She frames anti‑inflammatory choices as acts of peace — calming the body’s battlefield so repair can begin.

Energetic detox

• Literal meaning: Detoxification clears metabolic waste.
• Symbolic meaning: Detox is also about releasing grief, fear, and stagnant emotional patterns. It’s a purification ritual.
• Application: She links cleansing foods (greens, bitters, hydration) with practices like meditation, journaling, and forgiveness.

Mind–body coherence

• Literal meaning: Emotional states directly affect digestion, immunity, and hormonal balance.
• Symbolic meaning: The gut becomes the “emotional organ” — symptoms are messages, not malfunctions.
• Application: Healing requires aligning physiology with intention: calming anxiety, softening grief, and cultivating trust so the body can respond.

✧ The Unifying Thread

Together, these elements show her belief that healing is a dialogue:

• Food speaks to cells.
• Emotions speak through symptoms.
• Choices speak to the soul.

Illness becomes not just a physical challenge but a teacher — a mirror reflecting where coherence, peace, and release are needed.

Would you like me to expand this into a symbolic atlas of her healing system, or a chapter‑structured breakdown of how she lived these principles in her memoir?

Patricia Moreira‑Cali’s spiritual philosophy is the heart of her healing system — the place where illness becomes not just a physical challenge but a mythic teacher. Let’s unfold the symbolic layers of the principles you listed:

Core Spiritual Elements

• Radical acceptance Literal: Meeting illness without denial or collapse. Symbolic: Standing before the “Purple Dragon” without flinching — acknowledging its presence as part of the path.
• Inner listening Literal: Treating symptoms as messages rather than enemies. Symbolic: The body becomes an oracle; pain and fatigue are not punishments but coded signals pointing to hidden truths.
• Sacred surrender Literal: Releasing control to access deeper intuition. Symbolic: Illness as initiation — surrendering the ego’s grip allows the soul to hear what ordinary consciousness cannot.
• Transmutation of fear Literal: Converting fear into clarity, courage, and compassion. Symbolic: Fear is raw energy; when alchemized, it becomes the fire that illuminates the path forward.

Practices and Traditions

She drew from:

• Meditation — cultivating silence as a healing container.
• Prayer — invoking connection to the divine as a stabilizing force.
• Energy work — balancing subtle fields to restore coherence.
• Cross‑cultural traditions — Brazilian Catholic mysticism, Balinese ritual, and Western contemplative practices, woven into one integrative spiritual fabric.

✧ Symbolic Insight

Her philosophy reframes illness as a dialogue with the sacred. The Purple Dragon is not only a monster to be slain but a guardian of transformation, demanding radical honesty, surrender, and courage. Healing becomes a spiritual apprenticeship — learning to listen, to release, and to transmute.

Patricia Moreira‑Cali’s cancer story is both a medical journey and a mythic narrative — she framed her rare illness as a dialogue with the “Purple Dragon,” a metaphor for leiomyosarcoma (LMS), an aggressive cancer that affects only about 1 in 5 million people.

Diagnosis

• In her early 50s, Patricia was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a malignant tumor of smooth muscle tissue.
• LMS is notoriously difficult to treat, with limited targeted therapies available.
• She chose to face it not only through medical care but also through spiritual and holistic practices.

The Purple Dragon Metaphor

• She named her cancer the Purple Dragon, symbolizing both its ferocity and its transformative potential.
• The dragon was not just an enemy to be slain but a teacher — demanding courage, surrender, and inner listening.
• This metaphor became the centerpiece of her memoir My Journey with the Purple Dragon.

Healing Journey

• Patricia traveled to Bali, Brazil, and the Omega Institute, treating these landscapes as pilgrimage sites that opened emotional and spiritual pathways.
• She drew strength from community as medicine — healers, teachers, and friends who became part of her therapeutic ecosystem.
• Illness became a gatekeeper to purpose discovery, leading her to found Helping Children Heal, an NGO providing medical care for impoverished children.

Legacy

• Patricia passed away in 2017 at age 55, but her philosophy insists that healing is not a destination — it is a spiral.
• Each cycle through travel, community, purpose, and service deepens identity.
• Her story reframes cancer as the beginning of a new self, not the end of the narrative.

Would you like me to expand this into a chapter‑structured retelling of her memoir, or a symbolic atlas of her cancer metaphors showing how the Purple Dragon connects to broader illness imagery?

Chapter‑by‑Chapter Analysis of My Journey with the Purple Dragon

Chapter 1 — The Dragon Arrives

Diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma enters like a mythic rupture. Themes: shock, fear, collapse of identity. The Purple Dragon is introduced as the embodiment of illness and suppressed truths.

Chapter 2 — The Shattering of the Known World

Medical tests and prognosis dismantle her sense of control. Themes: disorientation, mortality awareness, destabilization of professional life. The dragon is a monster overwhelming her world.

Chapter 3 — Entering the Medical Maze

She begins treatment, confronting the tension between her clinical background and vulnerability as a patient. Themes: surrender to medical authority, limits of science, first stirrings of inner listening. The dragon waits, unacknowledged but present.

Chapter 4 — The First Dialogue with the Dragon

Turning point: she senses illness carries emotional and spiritual messages. Themes: trauma surfacing, unexpressed truth, awakening. The dragon shifts from monster → messenger.

Chapter 5 — Omega Institute: The Inner Door Opens

Immersion in meditation and spiritual practice. Themes: emotional release, inner peace, spiritual inquiry. The dragon becomes a guide, pushing her deeper.

Chapter 6 — The Body’s Cry for Nourishment

Her dietitian background resurfaces. Themes: anti‑inflammatory nutrition, intuitive eating, energetic food signatures. The dragon teaches her to listen to her body.

Chapter 7 — Bali: The Landscape of Transformation

Travel as medicine. Themes: ritual, community, vulnerability, spiritual immersion. The dragon becomes a teacher, revealing truths about surrender and identity.

Chapter 8 — Confronting the Deepest Wound

Emotional core of the memoir. Themes: ancestral wounds, childhood pain, relational trauma. The dragon becomes a mirror, forcing breakdown → breakthrough.

Chapter 9 — Brazil: Returning to the Source

Reconnection with roots, family, and cultural identity. Themes: ancestral healing, belonging, reclaiming identity. The dragon becomes a bridge between past and present.

Chapter 10 — Integration of Body and Soul

Holistic healing emerges. Themes: nutrition, spirituality, emotional truth, intuitive guidance. The dragon becomes part of her inner landscape.

Chapter 11 — Emergence of Purpose

Healing expands beyond self. Themes: compassion, leadership, meaning, birth of Helping Children Heal. The dragon becomes a companion guiding her toward service.

Chapter 12 — Living with the Dragon

Final integration. Themes: sovereignty, awakening, resilience, rebirth. The dragon is no longer an adversary but an identity — symbol of transformation.

Symbolic Arc

The Purple Dragon evolves: Monster → Messenger → Guide → Teacher → Mirror → Bridge → Companion. Her memoir reframes cancer as a mythic apprenticeship, not a battle to be won.

Fundraiser for Brandie Gargasz by Jayne Bonilla : Brandie’s Fight With Stage4 Uterine Leiomyosarcoma  

Stage IV leiomyosarcoma survivor: Faith and quality care got me through cancer | UT MD Anderson

Two Sarcoma Survivors, One Critical Lesson: Find the Right Specialist

K-LOVE Cruise 2026 (Day 1) – Lauren Daigle concert

Brandie Baranowski is 41 years old and was born on 09/20/1983.

Summary

Brandie Baranowski  a  nurse from Northern California, recounts her journey from long-standing menstrual pain to a stage 4 leiomyosarcoma diagnosis after ovary removal and elective hysterectomy. Initial symptoms were mistaken for fibroids; pathology revealed rare smooth muscle cancer. Multiple chemotherapy regimens failed, and surgery was initially deemed too risky due to organ invasion.

Seeking sarcoma specialists led to extensive multi-surgeon resection at City of Hope, followed by lung metastasis removal. She currently has clear scans but lives with lasting effects including neuropathy, bladder damage, and ostomies. Brandie stresses early referral to sarcoma centers, multiple expert opinions, ongoing support beyond “no evidence of disease,” and managing the emotional toll of lifelong monitoring.  

If you’re still in the thick of it,
Don’t give up.
You see me now, looking healthy and thriving.
Not one bit of this journey has been easy.
I remember all too well,
the mixed feelings of envy, anger, and a sprinkle of hope,
seeing those who went through this hell and came out on the other side.

At the time, I couldn’t see how this could possibly be me.

How I could survive this. My prognosis was bleak. IS bleak.

Why couldn’t I have gotten a cancer that was easier to treat? But there are people who beat the odds every day, and there is no reason you can’t be one of them, too. I see you. In quiet moments, I think of you. I say a silent prayer that you, too, will make it through. #sarcoma #sarcomasurvivor #leiomyosarcoma #stage4cancer #ostomate #doubleostomate

Do not lose hope.

Leiomyosarcoma: Severe Uterine Symptoms Led to Stage 4

Instagram   Sunflowers for sarcoma on my Instagram  second cancerversary

“I did 12 infusions, but the tumor doubled in size.”

Brandie’s narrative underscores the importance of seeking specialized care and exploring multiple treatment options. Her openness about the challenges she faced, including life with an ostomy, serves as a beacon of hope for others navigating similar paths.

Her journey through stage 4 leiomyosarcoma was a true sign of resilience.

When Brandie opted for surgical intervention, hoping to alleviate her distress, she received a leiomyosarcoma diagnosis in the aftermath, propelling her into a whirlwind of further surgeries and chemotherapy, all met with limited success. Brandie continued to seek alternative avenues for treatment, eventually finding solace in the expertise of specialists at MD Anderson Cancer Center and City of Hope.

From neuropathy to urinary incontinence, Brandie’s resolve remained unshaken. Her persistence paid off when, in January 2024, her scans showed no lingering traces of the disease, marking a significant milestone in her arduous journey.

Read her full story  @thepatientstory Lnk.Bio · link in bio

Brandie Baranowski | on August 2, 2023:   

Even with no evidence of cancer currently in this body, cancer won’t let me forget that the treatment wreaked havoc on me anytime soon. Still grateful, still happy to be alive, but if you see me hobbling around these days, be patient with me. This is my new normal.

#thepatientstory #clinicalTrials #TreatmentAdvancements #PatientEducation #cancerstories #cancerwarrior #cancersupport #leiomyosarcoma #stage4leiomyosarcoma #stage4 #leiomyosarcomaawareness #lms #livingwithcancer

strong team!!

Brandie Baranowski is 43 years old and was born on 09/20/1983 and currently lives in Ripon, CA; Fundraiser for Brandie Baranowski by Hollie Trullenque : Help Brandie Beat Cancer || Two Sarcoma Survivors, One Critical Lesson: Find the Right Specialist

Father Ariel Suárez Jáuregui greets a parish­ioner at Our Lady of Char­ity Cath­olic Church in Cent­ral Havana. Suárez and the church have been a safety net dur­ing the human­it­arian crisis.

HAVANA – In the cool dark­ness of the church’s sac­risty, the Rev. Ariel Suárez Jáuregui pulled on his vest­ments – a white ankle-length robe and bright green stole – and entered the 19th-cen­tury sanc­tu­ary of Our Lady of Char­ity Cath­olic Church.

Hints of incense waf­ted among the soar­ing columns up to the Baroque-style domed ceil­ing. Eight small fans blew onto about 35 parish­ion­ers scattered among the wooden pews, a lux­ury in power-starved Havana. They swayed on their feet in the heat like Cuban palms as Father Suárez read from the Old Test­a­ment, sang hymns and urged the faith­ful to turn to the Holy Spirit for solu­tions to today’s “grave and urgent prob­lems.”

After the ser­vice, about 25 of them filed into a single line to speak with Suárez, a tra­di­tion he has main­tained after every Mass for the 27 years he’s been a priest. In hushed voices, they whispered their anxi­et­ies and asked for his help.

For dec­ades, the Roman Cath­olic Church in Cuba has served as a savior to many Cubans, oper­at­ing as a de facto social safety net. Once the bane of Cuba’s com­mun­ist, athe­ist gov­ern­ment, the church has stepped in as a power­ful advoc­ate for the Cuban people, a broker for those caught between war­ring polit­ical ideo­lo­gies.

“It’s the toughest – and prob­ably the sad­dest – of all the times I have lived through.” The Rev. Ariel Suárez Jáuregui

In May, the United States ear­marked $100 mil­lion in aid to Cuba. The Vat­ican agreed to act as an inter­me­di­ary and dis­trib­ute it through Caritas Cuba, a group asso­ci­ated with the Cath­olic Church. Cargo planes filled with pal­lets of rice, beans, cook­ing oil, sugar and tooth­paste star­ted fly­ing into Cuba this sum­mer.

Priests such as Suárez are on the front lines, secur­ing sup­plies and min­is­ter­ing dir­ectly to his par­ish’s flock.

On a recent Tues­day after Mass, one woman asked him to pray for her preg­nant daugh­ter, who had fallen and had to be rushed to a hos­pital. Another who had traveled from Matan­zas to Havana found her­self alone in Cuba and asked him to find her a place to live. One man des­per­ately needed medi­cine for his dia­betes.

To some, Suárez offered a quick bless­ing, tra­cing a cross in the air in front of the parish­ioner. To oth­ers, he gif­ted a pack of dis­pos­able diapers or pren­atal vit­am­ins. Always, he told them to cling to their faith. God would see them through.

Over the years, Suárez, 53, has led con­greg­a­tions through peri­ods of pro­longed black­outs, eco­nomic crises, mass migra­tions and viol­ent protests in Cuba.

Today, by far, is the worst he’s seen his coun­try, he said.

“It’s the toughest – and prob­ably the sad­dest – of all the times I have lived through,” Suárez said from his church office in an inter­view with USA TODAY.

“We are wit­ness­ing a grow­ing deteri­or­a­tion in recent months across every aspect of national life.”

When the United States imposed an oil embargo on Jan. 29 and began step­ping up sanc­tions against Cuba, it exposed dec­ades of mis­man­age­ment of Cuba’s power grid, lead­ing to black­outs that last for days and food and water short­ages.

To fill the gaps, priests, bish­ops, nuns and volun­teers across the island have ramped up their aid: start­ing soup kit­chens, fer­ry­ing clean water, open­ing laun­dro­mats and deliv­er­ing food to the home­less.

But Caritas and the Cuban author­it­ies don’t have the resources to get all the sup­plies where they need to go, said Miami Arch­bishop Thomas Wenski, who is help­ing to over­see the trans­port. Lack of ware­houses to store sup­plies and fuel to trans­port them cripples aid dis­tri­bu­tion, he said.

“There are mir­acles hap­pen­ing all the time,” he said. “But it’s a drop in the bucket.”

‘A cer­tain hope and joy’

Vis­it­ors light candles and pray at the shrine to La Caridad del Cobre, Cuba’s pat­ron saint, in Our Lady of Char­ity Cath­olic Church in Cent­ral Havana.

Suárez was born in Havana and ordained in 1999, and became the par­ish priest at Our Lady of Char­ity in Feb­ru­ary 2015, a crit­ical time for Cuba.

Later that year, Pope Fran­cis vis­ited the island, improv­ing ties between the Church and Cuban offi­cials. And in March 2016, Pres­id­ent Barack Obama announced a rap­proche­ment between Wash­ing­ton and Havana that encour­aged private enter­prise on the island and benefited scores of Cubans eco­nom­ic­ally.

“The people and church lived with a cer­tain hope and joy,” Suárez remembered.

The situ­ation star­ted to notice­ably deteri­or­ate after the coronavirus pan­demic as tour­ism dried up and the eco­nomy cratered, he said. Con­di­tions worsened each year and spiraled after the United States imposed the oil embargo in Janu­ary.

Earlier this year, using funds raised in part by parish­ion­ers’ fam­il­ies in the United States, his church launched soup kit­chens twice a week, opened a free par­ish laun­dro­mat for fam­il­ies without elec­tri­city and star­ted cook­ing meals for Havana’s bur­geon­ing home­less pop­u­la­tion, Suárez said.

“There are vast voids here,” he said. “And unfor­tu­nately, as far as I can see, there doesn’t seem to be much of a glim­mer of hope.”

Suárez’s day starts at 6 a.m. with his morn­ing prayer (“O God, come to my assist­ance. Lord, make haste to help me …”), fol­lowed by morn­ing cof­fee and cook­ies with his staff. By 8 a.m., he’s meet­ing with con­greg­ants or vis­it­ing the sick in their homes.

Suárez, who also serves as sec­ret­ary of the Con­fer­ence of Cath­olic Bish­ops of Cuba, meets with church offi­cials on some days. On oth­ers, he secures a water truck to replen­ish the par­ish’s sup­ply or finds fresh food for the kit­chen staff to cook.

Drug use ‘des­troy­ing young people’

Walk­ing the city’s streets offers Suárez a glimpse into the hard­ships of life in Havana.

Some fam­il­ies he vis­its go weeks without run­ning water. Oth­ers are in dire need of medi­cine.

Most alarm­ing is the grow­ing num­ber of young people slumped on park benches, high on el químico, a syn­thetic, can­nabis-based drug com­monly laced with anti­e­pileptic med­ic­a­tion, form­al­de­hyde or animal-grade anes­thesia.

“It’s des­troy­ing so many young people,” he said.

“They’re caught in a cycle of escap­ism, rad­ical dis­or­i­ent­a­tion, and a lack of pur­pose in life.”

As black­outs grew more fre­quent last year, Suárez raised funds to install a 16panel solar power sys­tem for the church – mak­ing it one of the few build­ings with con­stant power in this cent­ral Havana neigh­bor­hood.

He real­izes his par­ish is one of the luck­ier ones. Other churches rarely have power. Their work­ers cook meals over fire­wood and return each night to dark, swel­ter­ing homes.

Besides 22-hour black­outs and lack of run­ning water, what’s really hurt the island is the recent mass exodus, Suárez said.

Many of the par­ish’s younger con­greg­ants have fled Cuba, includ­ing youth min­istry lead­ers and other volun­teers, he said.

An estim­ated 1.8 mil­lion Cubans have fled the island in the past five years. The major­ity, about 75%, are between the ages of 15 and 49, accord­ing to a 2025 ana­lysis by the Uni­versity of Nav­arra in Pamplona, Spain.

They left behind a grow­ing pop­u­la­tion of aging fam­ily mem­bers who can’t sur­vive on mea­ger gov­ern­ment pen­sions.

Every Wed­nes­day and Fri­day, his par­ish din­ing hall fills with more than 200 older res­id­ents, many get­ting their first full meal of the week, Suárez said. On Thursdays and every other Sat­urday, he and other church offi­cials deliver meals to more than 100 people liv­ing in parks and squares around the Vedado and Old Havana neigh­bor­hoods.

“It just keeps grow­ing,” Suárez said of the num­ber of people his church feeds.

In between help­ing parish­ion­ers sur­vive a worsen­ing crisis, Suárez also organ­izes one of the most import­ant events of the Cuban Cath­olic cal­en­dar: the annual half-mile pro­ces­sion of La Caridad del Cobre, Cuba’s pat­ron saint.

Throngs of adher­ents clog the street as a statuette of the Vir­gin Mary as La Caridad is wheeled around the neigh­bor­hood. A march­ing band blares music and pray­ers are recited through a bull­horn as res­id­ents scat­ter col­or­ful con­fetti over the pro­ces­sion from bal­conies.

It’s one of the most anti­cip­ated events of the year for Cuban Cath­ol­ics, some­times draw­ing more than 20,000 faith­ful into the streets out­side the church.

But it wasn’t always allowed.

Castro clashes with Cath­ol­ics

Before Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolu­tion, about three-fourths of Cubans con­sidered them­selves Roman Cath­olic. Castro, a product of a Cath­olic edu­ca­tion him­self, expelled hun­dreds of priests sus­pec­ted to be anti-revolu­tion­ar­ies and denounced the church’s role in soci­ety.

Churches closed. Cath­olic col­leges were nation­al­ized. Attend­ance plummeted as Cath­ol­ics avoided Mass and fled Cuba.

Castro’s ire against the church erup­ted in Septem­ber 1961 – out­side Our Lady of Char­ity Church. The priest at the time, Monsignor Eduardo Boza Mas­vida, led an unau­thor­ized pro­ces­sion of La Caridad del Cobre through the streets. Police fired into the crowd and killed a young man, accord­ing to an account by Time magazine.

Days later, Mas­vida and more than 130 other Cuban priests were expelled from the island on Castro’s orders.

La Caridad’s street pro­ces­sion was can­celed for nearly four dec­ades – until Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba in 1998 helped rekindle rela­tions between Havana and the Vat­ican. It’s been a yearly occur­rence ever since.

On Sept. 8, more than 1,000 people crowded the streets near Our Lady of Char­ity Church to fol­low the statuette on her 11-block loop around the neigh­bor­hood.

Some wore yel­low, the saint’s his­toric color; oth­ers hois­ted their own statuettes of the Vir­gin they affec­tion­ately call Cachita. White-robed clergy walked among the crowds, swinging incense and filling the street with fra­grant clouds.

“It reminds us that God walks with us, that we are not alone,” Suárez said, “that God and the Vir­gin Mary walk among men.”

The church as dip­lo­mat

The church for years has inter­ceded in nego­ti­ations between Cuba and the United States.

The clergy helped broker a deal between Havana and Wash­ing­ton in 2015 that restored rela­tions after more than five dec­ades of hos­til­ity and laid the ground­work for Obama’s his­toric visit to the island in March 2016.

Pres­id­ent Don­ald Trump later reversed many of those policies. And in May, Sec­ret­ary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vat­ican to dis­cuss the church dis­trib­ut­ing the $100 mil­lion in U.S. aid.

The church has also voiced its con­cern when rela­tions between the two coun­tries frac­ture.

Two days after the White House announced the oil embargo, the Con­fer­ence of Cath­olic Bish­ops of Cuba released a tersely-worded state­ment, warn­ing of the harm it could inflict on Cubans.

“The risk of social chaos and viol­ence among the chil­dren of the same people is real,” the state­ment said. “Cuba needs changes – changes that are becom­ing increas­ingly urgent – but it cer­tainly does not need any more anguish or pain.”

Suárez called the state­ment proph­etic – and a reminder that gov­ern­ment decisions often inflict the most harm on the most vul­ner­able.

“Why don’t we set aside par­tisan interests to truly seek the com­mon good of people, the good of the nation, the good of a people who are suf­fer­ing?” he said.

Bar­bara Díaz, 68, of Havana, left the church after join­ing local com­mun­ist party com­mit­tees but returned in the 1990s. People are “look­ing for hope,” she said.

‘Look­ing for hope’On a recent Tues­day, Suárez wrapped up morn­ing Mass by listen­ing dir­ectly to the faith­ful who had come to church.

Among them was Bar­bara Díaz, 68, of Havana. She atten­ded Mass reg­u­larly here as a child with her grand­mother but stopped com­ing after becom­ing involved with local com­mun­ist party com­mit­tees.

She returned in the 1990s. Lately, more and more of her rel­at­ives are attend­ing church, she said. “A lot of people who stopped com­ing to the church are com­ing back,” Díaz said. “They’re look­ing for hope that this situ­ation will change.”

Ileana Ser­rano, 57, said she had traveled from Matan­zas to Havana, look­ing for a place to stay after her fam­ily left. Ser­rano said she didn’t have any other fin­an­cial options, so she turned to the church.

“I’m all alone. I never had elec­tri­city. I can’t live like that,” Ser­rano said. “I’m a believer . … If they let me live in the church, I would.”

Suárez listened to all the con­greg­ants’ needs, help­ing where he could, until every one filed out and the church emp­tied.

He returned to the dress­ing area, removed his vest­ments and sat for a minute on a couch in his office. Statues of the Vir­gin Mary and cru­ci­fied Jesus looked down on him from atop a book­case next to five wall-moun­ted mon­it­ors blink­ing with the kilo­watts cap­tured by the church’s solar pan­els.

It’s not always easy listen­ing to the hard­ships of his par­ish and com­ing up with solu­tions, Suárez said. Often, there are none.

“It’s over­whelm­ing,” he said. “But I tell myself, ‘Go – because you became a priest to serve people, not lock your­self away in a glass bubble.’”

It was time for a quick lunch. Then Suárez needed to visit sick parish­ion­ers and ensure his volun­teers had enough food and clean water. The clock was tick­ing. In a few hours, Havana would be cloaked in dark­ness.

‘God walks with us, we are not alone’

He stood and went back to work.

PressReader.com | ‘God walks with us, we are not alone’

Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 coaster Credit: Shutterstock© Shutterstock

Six Flags to permanently close X2 roller coaster after more than 100 riders claimed they suffered brain injuries from it

Story by Natalia Senanayake

NEED TO KNOW

• Six Flags Magic Mountain announced it is permanently closing its X2 roller coaster after nearly 20 years
• An operational update announcing the news on Sept. 29 claimed that the ride has “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests” but they are closing it because “it’s the right thing to do”
• The news comes after a California law firm claimed more than 100 riders allegedly suffered traumatic brain injuries from the ride over the past two years

Six Flags Magic Mountain is permanently closing its X2 roller coaster after more than 100 riders claimed they suffered brain injuries from riding it. 

“After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2,” Six Flags Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding announced on Tuesday, Sept. 29

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding announced the news in an operational update: “After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2,” the message began.

It continued, “Since X2 opened in 2008, it has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts. We recognize the special place X2 holds in the coaster community, and we are grateful to our team members who operated and maintained it throughout its run.”

Oerding notes that while the coaster has “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests,” they are officially closing the ride “because we believe it’s the right thing to do.”

X2 roller coaster Credit: Shutterstock

Key takeaways

• Ride Closure: Six Flags Magic Mountain is permanently retiring X2 after nearly 20 years, despite the coaster passing multiple safety tests.
• Safety Issues: Over 100 riders reportedly suffered traumatic brain injuries, with lawsuits filed and at least one death linked to the ride.
• Legacy & Impact: X2, known for its 360-degree rotating seats and extreme thrills, welcomed over 16 million guests, leaving a lasting impression on coaster enthusiasts.

“Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” the update added, before concluding, “Our purpose is to create FUN, thrills and a lifetime of memories by creating unforgettable experiences that are underpinned by comprehensive safety policies.” 

The Valencia, Calif., park also shared the news of the coaster’s retirement to its official Instagram account, which received a number of comments from past guests expressing how “sad” they were to hear the “legendary” coaster was closing. 

Featuring 360-degree rotating seats, the X2 was described on the park’s website as a “rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil,” and it was often regarded as one of the most thrilling roller coasters in the world. 

Oerding’s announcement comes after a California law firm said more than 100 Six Flags Magic Mountain guests claimed they suffered traumatic brain injuries after riding its X2 coaster in the last two years, PEOPLE reported last week. 

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, attorneys Gary Dordick and Christopher Bulone with Dordick Law Corporation announced three lawsuits had been filed, alleging “catastrophic brain damage” suffered by three guests who rode X2 earlier this year. 

In an email shared with PEOPLE, Dordick said the firm had been contacted by about 400 people who have “indicated they were injured on X2,” but more than 100 claim to have suffered some type of “traumatic brain injury” and retained the attorneys. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

All three lawsuits filed against Magic Mountain also pointed to the death of 22-year-old student Christopher Hawley, who died after suffering a brain injury while riding X2 on June 23, 2022.

A spokesperson for Six Flags Magic Mountain declined to comment on the new allegations at the time citing pending litigation, but they did confirm the ride had been closed since the evening of July 12. 

The allegations came after CNN released a report in August that alleged more than a dozen instances of serious injuries and hospitalizations related to the ride. 

Six Flags to permanently close X2 roller coaster after more than 100 riders claimed they suffered brain injuries from it – Search Videos

Southern California-based Dordick Law Corp. has filed multiple lawsuits on behalf of park visitors who say they were injured, and said they represent more than 100 people who were hurt after boarding the ride.

Six Flags previously referred USA TODAY to the company’s ride safety webpage but declined further comment due to pending litigation. According to the company’s website, Six Flags’ safety program includes independent third-party ride inspection, insurance inspectors, Six Flags engineering and corporate safety experts, and international ride operator training and evaluations.

X2 stats

Six Flags Magic Mountain described X2 as “a rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil” with a top speed of 76 mph, a height of 200 feet and 3,610 feet of track.

“To make things even better, your 360-degree seat extends on wings far off the track, so your body will be flipping around the entire time,” according to the park’s website.

Oerding said X2 had welcomed more than 16 million guests and “earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts” since its debut in 2008.

Colleagues noticed lawyer’s changes after ride

Michael Wilk before and after a Feb. 7, 2026 visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. That day, Wilk rode the X2 roller coaster and he has since filed a lawsuit against Six Flags alleging the X2 roller coaster left him injured.More

Lawsuits lay out a timeline accusing Six Flags of knowing the ride has hurt visitors and then failing to alert the public to potential injury risks.

Among those suing Six Flags is Patrick Plumlee, whose lawsuit was filed on Sept. 10. Plumlee, who is represented by Dordick Law Corp., rode the X2 in September 2024 and was “violently thrown around,” the lawsuit reads. Plumlee’s head banged against the headrest, leading to a traumatic brain injury, the suit alleges.

Park visitor and lawyer Michael Wilk made similar complaints in his lawsuit, filed on Sept. 21, in which he said he visited Six Flags in February 2026 with his daughter and grandchildren. During the X2 ride, his “head began slamming violently against the headrest of his seat,” according to the lawsuit. Once he got off the ride, he felt sick, had a stabbing pain in his head, felt fuzzy and had trouble walking, the suit says.

Wilk said he thought his symptoms would go away on their own, but as weeks went by, colleagues noticed “a continuing decline in his cognitive function and became alarmed.” They encouraged him to see a doctor. He then underwent a brain MRI, which revealed that he had intracranial bleeding, swelling and a shift of the brain.

Doctors performed an emergency embolization procedure, but it didn’t stop the bleeding. He had to undergo two separate surgeries to relieve the pressure the bleeding was causing on his brain. He still has headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss and personality changes, he said in the lawsuit.

BONUS: Ohio State Fair “Fireball” Ride Collapse — 2017 Tragedy – Search

Daughter said mom had ‘vacant stare and her mouth open’ after ride

Pamela Guillen (red shirt) before and after a July 5, 2026 visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. Guillen rode the X2 roller coaster that day, which her family said left her injured. They have since sued the park.More

Pamela Guillen went to Six Flags on July 5, 2026, with her daughter Camille Marquez to celebrate Marquez’s birthday. They rode the X2.

“When X2 returned to the station, Camille looked at her mother and saw her sitting with a vacant stare and her mouth open,” the lawsuit reads. “Camille initially thought Pamela was joking. She quickly realized that something was seriously wrong.”

Guillen tried to get off the ride but was confused and unable to walk properly, according to the lawsuit. She stumbled after getting off the ride and then collapsed. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors conducted a scan and found a massive intracranial hemorrhage and life-threatening traumatic brain injury. She has since had multiple brain surgeries, the suit reads.

X2: The Final Ride? | A Cinematic Tribute to Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Wildest Coaster

I have been an Avid Follower of these Ladies Online, and they have taught me a lots through the years. Kate Shemirani: To D0 Or Not To D0 – That Is The Question (Video) » Sons of Liberty Media

Kate Shemirani In 2012, at the age of 46, received a cancer diagnosis with an aggressive, invasive Grade 3 lobular breast cancer, with a highly pleomorphic presentation of 75%+. At the time I read 3 studies stating that even with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tamoxifen and Zoladex, my predicted survival was approximately 20% at two years and 0% at five years.

If Kate’s pathology report describes Grade 3 invasive lobular breast carcinoma with a pleomorphic component exceeding 75%, generally indicates a high-grade, biologically aggressive form of lobular breast cancer. The pleomorphic variant is recognized as a more aggressive subtype of invasive lobular carcinoma and tends to grow more rapidly than classic lobular carcinoma. [mayoclinic.org], [biologyinsights.com], [ejso.com]

Key points:

• Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) means the cancer originated in the milk-producing lobules and has invaded surrounding breast tissue. [mayoclinic.org], [nationalbr…cancer.org]
• Grade 3 means the cancer cells appear very abnormal under the microscope and are expected to behave more aggressively than Grade 1 or Grade 2 tumors. [nationalbr…cancer.org]
• Pleomorphic lobular carcinoma is a variant of ILC characterized by larger, more atypical cells and is associated with a greater likelihood of lymph node involvement and spread compared with classic ILC. [biologyinsights.com], [ejso.com]
• A pleomorphic component of 75%+ suggests that most of the tumor displays these high-grade pleomorphic features, which pathologists generally regard as an unfavorable characteristic. [biologyinsights.com], [ejso.com]

However, the overall outlook cannot be determined from the grade and pleomorphic percentage alone. Important factors still needed include:

• Tumor size
• Lymph node status
• Estrogen receptor (ER) status
• Progesterone receptor (PR) status
• HER2 status
• Ki-67 proliferation index
• Evidence of spread elsewhere in the body

These features strongly influence treatment recommendations and prognosis. [biologyinsights.com], [mayoclinic.org]

From a clinical perspective, a report describing aggressive, invasive Grade 3 pleomorphic lobular carcinoma would typically lead oncologists to evaluate carefully for surgery, systemic therapy (such as endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy when indicated), and radiation based on the full staging results. [mayoclinic.org], [biologyinsights.com]

Sadly, I did not discover this until after I had undergone surgery. So my surgery had removed the symptom, but had not altered the prognosis! Against medical advice and against a second opinion, I declined chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tamoxifen and Zoladex.

“ Cancer is a chronic, degenerative disease, where almost all essential organs are involved in the more advanced cases: the entire metabolism with the intestinal tract and its adnexa, the liver and pancreas, the circulatory apparatus (the cellular exchange supporter, the kidneys and bile system) (as main elimination organs), the recto endothelial and lymphatic system (as defence operators), the central nervous system and especially the visceral nervous system for most metabolic and motoric purposes”.

Dr Max Gerson, MD, ‘A Cancer Therapy, Results of 50 Cases & The Cure of Advanced Cancer by Diet Therapy’ I understood this and this was the therapy I chose 14 1/2 years ago for an aggressive and deadly breast cancer. I’m not telling anyone what to do, but just take a look at the food they feed you in the hospital, chocolate biscuits, tea, coffee , fluoride chlorine bromine filled water, whilst you sit there with your IV psych toxic drug going into your veins

Do your due diligence, ask for your histology report, ask for copies of all your bloods and all tests that you have had including the full DICOM of your CT scans, educate yourself, understand what you are being told by asking the right questions. Will your treatment take you nearer to Healing and Vitality or further away? It is possible to do an integrative approach with your doctor and oncologist.

Please do contact me for 12 questions to ask your oncologist… but the one piece of advice I would always give, regardless of whatever you choose to do and the decision must always be yours…

PLEASE change your diet, eliminate the toxicity that you’re exposing your body to at the very least. BUY A WATER DISTILLER. COOK AND DRINK WITH THAT ONLY. GET YOURSELF A GOOD JUICER AND FLOOD YOUR BODY WITH ORGANIC NUTRIENTS AND THEN THINK ABOUT THE TOXICITY THAT YOU CANNOT SEE… EMFs

You can contact me via my website; kateshemirani.com

@DeeManiOfficial and myself are both aggressive and deadly breast cancer survivors. 

To read Dee’s best selling book… amzn.eu/d/0atQFwtu  —  mywaycbd.com

I am 14 1/2 years post diagnosis and I believe Dee is just under a decade. We asked the questions and we changed our lives. 

This became a major turning point in her life. She chose to go a different way and began researching natural healing, immersing herself in nutritional science, lifestyle medicine, and holistic health. It changed everything. She saw first-hand the power of the human body to heal, when supported with the correct nutrition and detoxification. This path became her life’s calling. Following divorce, Kate  continued to build her work and her life independently.

I immediately embarked on the full Gerson therapy and followed it strictly for two years, followed by a less intensive version for a further five years. The full regimen consisted of 13 freshly pressed juices every day, five coffee enemas daily, and a very strict vegan diet, with the exception of approximately 200 ml of fat-free yoghurt each day. I never wavered.

During those first two years, I also took vitamin B17/laetrile orally at 1 g three times daily, high-dose oral vitamin C, and daily subcutaneous mistletoe/ISCADOR injections for one year. I also took all of the supplements recommended for the therapy, including the natural thyroid and exact amount of lugol’s Iodine. Dr Gerson correctly identified cancer as a metabolic disease.

Today, I am almost 61 years old. I remain alive, well, cancer-free and thriving. I continue to take 1 g of laetrile daily, I still juice, I still follow the principles of the diet most of the time, and I continue to use coffee enemas daily. This is my personal experience and the path I chose for myself.

Kate remains in the beautiful south England, East Sussex, where her children were raised,  with her two chihuahuas and four cats. She hikes daily through the Sussex Downs and Ashdown Forest and can often be found walking along Eastbourne seafront, where she jokes she goes to “catch the negative ions.” She follows a regular strength training programme and loves to attend dance classes. Her life is rooted in discipline, nature, movement, learning, and purpose.

In 2020, a regular health broadcast Kate gave on local radio, which was also live-streamed to Facebook, went viral, reaching around two million views in just a few days. The response was explosive. Shortly afterwards, she was silenced by the station and by OFCOM.  Instead of backing down, she stepped forward, stronger, clearer, and unshaken. 

She attended and MC’d anti-lockdown rallies and publicly warned about the dangers of medical interventions without full informed consent. This stance came with great personal and professional loss, but she continued, and she will continue. Kate’s life has also been shaped by profound personal loss, including the death of her daughter, Paloma, aged just 23. Like all of the grieving mothers out there, an event that changed her life forever. 

Rather than stepping away from the world, she channelled that grief into determination, determination to seek truth, to ask difficult questions, and to stand up for patients and families who felt deceived, unheard, ignored, or powerless.  This loss strengthened her resolve and deepened her mission to expose lies, medical crimes and demand true informed consent, patient rights, and for transparency in medicine.

Today, Kate is a public speaker, radio presenter, writer, and adviser on natural health and nutrition. She works closely with individuals who want to optimise their health and vitality naturally through diet, lifestyle, and understanding their bodies.

Her mission is simple;

To empower people to take back control of their health without fear, and to teach others what she has learned on her own health journey.  Kate Shemirani is a voice for truth in a world full of noise. She stands boldly against medical injustice, working tirelessly alongside her dedicated researcher to examine evidence, challenge assumptions, and expose facts. Together, they bring information to light that many dare not speak of. 

If you would like to be part of this growing movement, you are welcome here. Subscribers get access to Kate’s full body of work, weekly Roundtable Meetings. Teaching sessions and  with powerful and inspiring guests from around the world. You will also receive practical guides, meal plans, and holistic protocols to support health and help avoid disease naturally. 

Everything is designed to help you live with clarity, energy, and vitality using real food, natural products, and time-tested methods. You will join the Natural Army and become a true minister of health, supporting your own family and friends, sharing what you have learned.

Membership? The cost of a coffee monthly and it makes a real difference. Your support funds the platform, research, and resources that keep this mission alive. You are saying, “Truth matters and my health matters”.

Now fall in line, recruits. We are stronger together. We are healthier together.

Love Kate xx

Kate Shemirani is a former British nurse who became well known for promoting alternative health treatments and later for anti-vaccine and conspiracy theory activism. She has frequently spoken about her own breast cancer experience as a turning point in her life. [en.wikipedia.org], [prospectma…zine.co.uk]

According to an interview published in 2026, Kate Shemirani said she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2012. She underwent a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction but later rejected chemotherapy. Instead, she pursued alternative approaches including mistletoe injections, Gerson therapy, a vegan diet, large quantities of vegetable juices, coffee enemas, and nutritional supplements. She has claimed these methods helped her recover. [prospectma…zine.co.uk]

It is important to note that mainstream cancer organizations do not consider treatments such as Gerson therapy or coffee enemas to be proven cancer cures. The interview itself notes that Cancer Research UK states there is no scientific evidence supporting Gerson therapy as a cancer treatment. [prospectma…zine.co.uk]

In later years, Kate Shemirani’s cancer story became highly controversial because she publicly advocated alternative cancer treatments. Following the death of her daughter, Paloma Shemirani, from non-Hodgkin lymphoma after refusing chemotherapy, medical professionals, family members, and a coroner’s inquest examined whether her mother’s influence contributed to that decision. Sources report that doctors had estimated an approximately 80% chance of recovery with chemotherapy. [lbc.co.uk], [ibtimes.co.uk], [en.wikipedia.org]

So, in summary, Kate Shemirani’s cancer story involves:

• A reported 2012 diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. [prospectma…zine.co.uk]
• Surgery including a double mastectomy. [prospectma…zine.co.uk]
• Rejection of chemotherapy in favor of alternative therapies. [prospectma…zine.co.uk]
• Subsequent promotion of those therapies to the public. [prospectma…zine.co.uk], [en.wikipedia.org]
• Major controversy following the death of her daughter after refusal of conventional cancer treatment. [lbc.co.uk], [en.wikipedia.org]

If you’d like, I can also provide a detailed timeline of her cancer journey and the later Paloma Shemirani case.

Kate Shemirani publicly available timeline of her cancer story is as follows:

February 12, 2012

• Kate Shemirani says she was diagnosed with aggressive grade 3 invasive lobular breast cancer with a high pleomorphic presentation at age 46. She has stated that she was the mother of four children at the time. [solitarius.org]

2012: Initial Medical Recommendations

• According to her own account, after surgery she was advised to undergo conventional cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, Tamoxifen, and Zoladex. She says she declined those treatments. [solitarius.org]

2012 to approximately 2014

• She reports following the Gerson therapy regimen for about two years, including extensive dietary measures and coffee enemas. These claims come from her personal testimony. [solitarius.org]

Following Years

• She has repeatedly stated that she remained free of cancer after her diagnosis and treatment decisions, describing herself as cancer-free for more than a decade. [solitarius.org]

Public Advocacy and Controversy

• After her cancer experience, Kate Shemirani became a prominent public figure known for criticizing mainstream oncology and advocating alternative health approaches. Her cancer story became central to her public activism and speaking engagements. [solitarius.org], Rumble}

2025

• Articles discussing her story continued to reference her claim of being approximately 14 years cancer-free since the 2012 diagnosis. [solitarius.org]

Important Context

• The sources I found largely rely on Kate Shemirani’s own accounts and testimony. The specific medical details, treatment outcomes, and long-term claims described above are presented as her statements. [solitarius.org], [youtube.com]

If you meant a different person by “Kate Sheranimi,” let me know the name or a link, and I’ll research that individual specifically.

Here’s a concise, evidence-based comparison of Gerson therapy and standard breast cancer care.

Topic	Gerson Therapy	Standard Breast Cancer Care
Core idea	Cancer is viewed as a systemic illness that can be addressed through diet, supplements, and “detoxification.” [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]	Cancer is understood as a disease driven by abnormal cell growth and specific biological characteristics of the tumor. Treatment is tailored to stage and tumor biology. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]
Main components	Organic plant-based diet, large amounts of juice, supplements, and frequent coffee enemas. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]	Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy when appropriate. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]
Scientific evidence	The National Cancer Institute states that few clinical studies have been published and that available research is limited. The therapy is not approved by the FDA for cancer treatment. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]	Treatments are supported by large clinical trials and are incorporated into guidelines from organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, NCCN, and American Cancer Society. [cancer.gov], [nccn.org], [cancer.org]
Goal	Support the body’s healing capacity through nutrition and detoxification. [cancer.gov]	Remove, destroy, or control cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence and death. [cancer.gov], [cancer.org]
Risks	Coffee enemas and strict regimens may lead to complications; some reviews note risks from excessive use and from delaying effective treatment. [cancer.gov], [cam-cancer.org]	Treatments can have significant side effects, but benefits and risks have been extensively studied and quantified. [cancer.gov], [cdc.gov]
Position of major cancer organizations	Evidence is considered insufficient to show that Gerson therapy cures cancer. [cancer.gov], [cam-cancer.org]	Considered the standard of care based on decades of clinical evidence. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov], [cancer.org]

In Kate Shemirani’s Case

Kate Shemirani reports that after breast cancer surgery she declined chemotherapy, radiotherapy, Tamoxifen, and Zoladex and instead followed the Gerson regimen. She attributes her long-term survival to that approach. [solitarius.org]

However, from a medical evidence perspective, an individual’s outcome does not establish that a treatment is effective. Researchers look for evidence from controlled clinical studies involving many patients before determining whether a therapy improves survival. The National Cancer Institute notes that such evidence for Gerson therapy is limited. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]

A Mythic Perspective

Since you often explore illness narratives symbolically, these two approaches can be seen as representing different archetypes:

• Gerson therapy embodies the archetype of the Hermit-Healer, seeking renewal through purification, nature, discipline, and personal sovereignty.
• Standard oncology embodies the Warrior-Physician, confronting the malignancy directly with surgery, drugs, radiation, and targeted interventions.

Many patients experience an inner tension between these archetypes: the desire to trust the body’s healing wisdom and the desire to use powerful external tools against a serious threat. Modern integrative oncology often seeks a middle path, combining evidence-based cancer treatment with nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and supportive care. [cancer.gov], [cancerchoices.org]

Delaying treatment for breast cancer can be risky because breast cancer is often a progressive disease. The exact risk depends on the cancer’s type, stage, growth rate, and biological characteristics, but several general concerns are well established in oncology.

1. The cancer may continue to grow

A tumor that is localized today may become larger over time. Larger tumors are often more difficult to treat and may require more extensive surgery or additional therapies. National Cancer Institute treatment guidance emphasizes that treatment recommendations are based heavily on the cancer’s stage and extent of spread. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]

2. The cancer may spread to lymph nodes

Breast cancer frequently spreads first to nearby lymph nodes. Once lymph nodes become involved, treatment often becomes more complex and prognosis may change. American Cancer Society notes that treatment decisions are strongly influenced by whether cancer has spread beyond the breast. [cancer.org]

3. The cancer may metastasize

The greatest concern is spread to distant organs such as bone, liver, lung, or brain. When breast cancer becomes metastatic, treatment generally focuses on long-term control rather than cure. National Cancer Institute recognizes metastatic breast cancer as a distinct and more advanced treatment category. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]

4. Fewer treatment options may remain

A cancer that might initially have been treatable with surgery alone could later require combinations of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. Treatment intensity often increases as disease burden increases. [cancer.gov], [cancer.org]

5. Alternative therapies may create “opportunity cost”

One concern raised by cancer organizations regarding regimens such as the Gerson therapy is not only whether the regimen itself works, but whether pursuing it instead of proven treatment delays interventions that have demonstrated benefits in clinical trials. Reviews of the Gerson approach specifically identify this as an indirect risk. [cam-cancer.org], [cancer.gov]

The Important Exception

Not every person who delays treatment experiences rapid progression. Breast cancers vary enormously. Some are relatively slow-growing, while others are highly aggressive. This variability explains why individual stories, whether positive or negative, cannot by themselves determine which approach is effective. Oncologists rely on evidence from many patients and clinical studies rather than single cases. [cancer.gov], [cancer.org]

A Symbolic Perspective

In the mythic framework you often explore, delay can be seen as the period between the Herald’s Call and the Crossing of the Threshold. Sometimes reflection, information-gathering, and second opinions are valuable. The danger arises when contemplation becomes immobilization while the illness continues its own journey. Cancer does not pause while a person is deciding; biologically, the story may continue unfolding in the background.

For that reason, major cancer organizations generally encourage patients to discuss any complementary or alternative approach with their oncology team rather than substituting it for evidence-based treatment. [cancer.gov], [cancer.gov]

Gerson Therapy, Treating Breast Cancer Naturally | Kate Shemirani – Anti-Cancer Revolution

https://www.instagram.com/kateshemiran_/reels

Kate Shemirani Diagnosed 14.5 years ago – Instagram

If You Don’t Plan you Will Fail – Instagram  

Kate Shemirani: “Untold Story” — Context and Background

“Kate Shemirani: Untold Story” is a series of YouTube videos documenting her personal cancer journey, alternative treatment choices, and the controversies surrounding her public advocacy, which have also been the subject of legal and coroner findings.

The “Untold Story” videos

The YouTube series, produced by WTF is Going On, follows Kate Shemirani’s experience after being diagnosed in 2012 with Acute Lobular Invasive Grade 3 Breast Cancer with a high pleomorphic presentation YouTube. She underwent a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction but refused chemotherapy, opting instead for Gerson Therapy and other integrative methods YouTube. Later parts of the series, such as RUMBLE (Part 3) The Coffee Enema, describe her use of up to five coffee enemas daily over two years, a practice promoted by Gerson Therapy proponents for detoxification and immune support.

Legal and coroner findings

In October 2025, a UK coroner’s inquest concluded that Shemirani’s conduct toward her daughter Paloma Shemirani — who died in July 2024 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma — was “incomprehensible” The Independent. The inquest found she raised concerns with medical staff about chemotherapy, took a “leading role” in pursuing alternative treatments (including strict diets, coffee enemas, and green juices), and seeded doubt in Paloma’s mind about her diagnosis The Independent. The coroner stated that if Paloma had been supported to accept chemotherapy, she “probably would have followed that course” The Independent.

Key takeaways

• The “Untold Story” videos focus on Shemirani’s personal cancer treatment journey and alternative methods, often in the context of her broader public advocacy.
• Her public profile is marked by controversy over misinformation and legal consequences.
• The coroner’s findings link her actions to her daughter’s death, highlighting the serious impact of her advocacy on medical decision-making.

Note: The videos and related content are intended for educational and commentary purposes, not as medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for medical matters.

Own your health. Do not leave it to a system that relies on you being sick and a customer.

Kate Shemirani: How The NHS Murdered My Daughter & Why It Should Matter To You – The Sons Of Liberty | Podcast on Spotify

Kate has been widely reported for promoting COVID-19 denialism, 5G conspiracy theories, (Which I do agree with.) and was stripped of her nursing license in 2021 for spreading harmful misinformation. She styles herself the “Natural Nurse in a Toxic World” and has been described as a leading figure in a movement blending conspiracy theory with far-left and far-right activism these videos are viewed strictly as educational – Search Videos

How much does Gerson Therapy cost a year – Search

Many cancer patients tell me if I knew the cost beforehand, I would have never considered Gerson Therapy nor have watsed the time considering it.

Now, meet Dee Mani who was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in March 2017, age 44 and was advised to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Dee Mani: “Cannabis oil, Not CBD, Saved Me,” Cancer Survivor Furious at Media Misreporting Her Story 

Following minimal surgery, she declined the remaining treatment and adopted her own approach: a predominantly plant-based diet based largely on raw vegetables, eggs and pulses; removal of refined sugar and dairy; extensive fruit and vegetable juicing; lemon water, apple cider vinegar water and bicarbonate water; serrapeptase, turmeric, fish oils, St John’s Wort, Lugol’s iodine, fisetin, wormwood oil, vitamin C, beta-glucan, pre- and probiotics, selenium, magnesium, colloidal silver, ubiquinol, mushroom extracts, frankincense oil, oregano oil, lemon oil and pepper, together with full-extract cannabis oil containing 76% THC.

– Medical Marijuana

When Dee Mani, now 44, was diagnosed with breast cancer last March, 2017, 

Her doctors suggested chemotherapy. She originally agreed to undergo one year of the treatment for her triple negative breast cancer – the deadliest type – but later had second thoughts. After seeing her sister suffer and die after undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, the mother of two set out to find an alternative.

She decided to take cannabis oil after researching natural cancer remedies online. She said she took one drop inside a capsule every night before going to bed because she didn’t care for the taste or texture of it on its own. Four months after her original diagnosis, her cancer had reduced significantly, and her doctors gave her the all-clear in August, just five months after starting cannabis oil.

She continues to take it to this day and says she plans to do so for the rest of her life as it has also helped her with problems like insomnia, a dust allergy, and back pain caused by slipped discs. She has also changed her diet and taken up meditation.

Stories like Mani’s are becoming less and less unusual as more people give cannabis oil a try. For example, a 33-year-old U.K. father, David Hibbitt cured what doctors deemed a “terminal” case of colon cancer with cannabis oil after radiation, chemotherapy and surgery all failed him. He had initially rejected the idea, but after being told he had just 18 months left to live, he was willing to try anything. Hibbitt used a high-potency variety known as Phoenix Tears and is now cancer-free. He also said that his “pain just seemed to disappear.”

In another of the many stories that have emerged of cancer being successfully treated with cannabis oil, a three-year-old boy in Utah who was given just days to live by doctors because of leukemia is thriving thanks to the oil. After two months of chemo, Landon Riddle was refusing to eat and vomiting dozens of times a day. After researching cannabis oil treatment online, his family traveled to Colorado to gain access to it. After just a few days, his vomiting eased, his appetite returned, and he was showing signs of improvement. Months after the ordeal, he, too, was free of cancer.

Then there is the case of Darren Miller, who found out he had lung and pericardial heart sac cancer on the day he turned 50. Given just a year to live with chemotherapy, he and his wife decided to move to California, where he would be able to use cannabis oil. Seven months later, he was cancer-free. He believes it was the combination of chemotherapy and cannabis oil that cured his cancer.

Unfortunately, until there is more widespread acceptance of this type of treatment, it’s possible that some people who could benefit from it simply won’t be aware or willing to give it a try. Of course, there’s also the fact that should cannabis oil treatment go mainstream, Big Pharma would lose out on the billions of profits it makes from the cancer industry. While some people have found success using cannabis oil in conjunction with chemotherapy, others have found it to be effective on its own, illustrating that the most mainstream method isn’t necessarily the only or best way to solve a problem.

Sources for this article include:  https://medicalmarijuana.co.uk/  Metro.co.uk  NaturalNews.com   NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Dee Mani, an inspiring individual whose health journey took an unexpected turn in March 2017. 

After discovering a sudden lump and undergoing a series of tests, including mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies, Dee received a diagnosis of grade 3 Triple Negative breast cancer, recognized as one of the most aggressive forms.

Initially advised to undergo a year of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Dee opted to chart her path based on thorough research. She chose to forgo conventional treatment, which had failed her sister previously, and instead embraced a natural healing approach. 

Following a lumpectomy, Dee pursued self-healing using an array of methods such as dietary changes, essential oils, supplements, detox salt baths, meditation, and full extract cannabis oil (FECO). Her journey of healing extended beyond her physical well-being, encompassing her mind and soul.

Despite her oncologist’s lack of support, Dee persevered. Just five months post-diagnosis and four months into her natural protocol, she achieved an all-clear status, free from evidence of disease (NED). Motivated by her experience, Dee penned her story, sharing it in a self-published book that swiftly became an Amazon bestseller. This venture propelled her into an advocacy role, particularly in the realms of cannabis and holistic health. 

She contributes articles to top-tier Medical Marijuana publications, engages in interviews with health advocates, and delivers educational health talks at various forums. Deeply convinced of the potential of cannabis, Dee has developed a range of CBD oils, wellness products, and skincare items. She has also initiated a cannabis education hub, where she seeks to counter prevailing stigmas surrounding this remarkable plant.

Dee’s contributions to health literature extend beyond her personal narrative. She has co-authored two other Amazon best-selling health books and holds columns in esteemed medical marijuana publications. Additionally, Dee serves as a mentor in a private support group for individuals grappling with cancer.

With her expansive role as an author, motivator, inspirer, and advocate, Dee’s journey reflects a quest for understanding health, our world, and our place within it. As she aptly quotes Henry David Thoreau, “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”When Dee Mani, now 44, was diagnosed with breast cancer last March, 2017, her doctors suggested chemotherapy. 

She originally agreed to undergo one year of treatment for her triple negative breast cancer – the deadliest type – but later had second thoughts. After seeing her sister suffer and die after undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, the mother of two set out to find an alternative.

She decided to take cannabis oil after researching natural cancer remedies online. She said she took one drop inside a capsule every night before going to bed because she didn’t care for the taste or texture of it on its own. Four months after her original diagnosis, her cancer had reduced significantly, and her doctors gave her the all-clear in August, just five months after starting cannabis oil.

She continues to take it to this day and says she plans to do so for the rest of her life as it has also helped her with problems like insomnia, a dust allergy, and back pain caused by slipped discs. She has also changed her diet and taken up meditation.

Stories like Mani’s are becoming less and less unusual as more people give cannabis oil a try. For example, a 33-year-old U.K. father, David Hibbitt cured what doctors deemed a “terminal” case of colon cancer with cannabis oil after radiation, chemotherapy and surgery all failed him. He had initially rejected the idea, but after being told he had just 18 months left to live, he was willing to try anything. Hibbitt used a high-potency variety known as Phoenix Tears and is now cancer-free. He also said that his “pain just seemed to disappear.”

In another of the many stories that have emerged of cancer being successfully treated with cannabis oil, a three-year-old boy in Utah who was given just days to live by doctors because of leukemia is thriving thanks to the oil. After two months of chemo, Landon Riddle was refusing to eat and vomiting dozens of times a day. After researching cannabis oil treatment online, his family traveled to Colorado to gain access to it. After just a few days, his vomiting eased, his appetite returned, and he was showing signs of improvement. Months after the ordeal, he, too, was free of cancer.

Then there is the case of Darren Miller, who found out he had lung and pericardial heart sac cancer on the day he turned 50. Given just a year to live with chemotherapy, he and his wife decided to move to California, where he would be able to use cannabis oil. Seven months later, he was cancer-free. He believes it was the combination of chemotherapy and cannabis oil that cured his cancer.

Unfortunately, until there is more widespread acceptance of this type of treatment, it’s possible that some people who could benefit from it simply won’t be aware or willing to give it a try. Of course, there’s also the fact that should cannabis oil treatment go mainstream, Big Pharma would lose out on the billions of profits it makes from the cancer industry. While some people have found success using cannabis oil in conjunction with chemotherapy, others have found it to be effective on its own, illustrating that the most mainstream method isn’t necessarily the only or best way to solve a problem.

Oncologists recommend this simple snack for cancer prevention

Dee Mani is in Koh Samui, Thailand . August 9 ·

August 8th marked 9 years since I was declared cancer free… | Facebook

It was only when a memory popped up that I realised. I’d been so busy living my life that a date which once meant so much had simply passed me by.

I actually think there’s something quite beautiful about the fact that I forgot.

We’ve been programmed to fear cancer so much that many people can’t even bring themselves to say the word. We call it “the Big C”, and I completely understand why.

From a young age, most of us have known somebody who had cancer or somebody who died from it. So without even realising it, we begin associating cancer with death. Then one day, if you’re the person hearing “you have cancer”, all of that fear comes flooding in.

When people contact me after a diagnosis, sometimes they’re so frightened they can barely say the word cancer. I would never tell somebody not to be scared, but I do try to help them understand that their diagnosis doesn’t have to define everything that happens next.

For me, cancer became one of the most life-changing experiences of my life. It made me ask WHY. It made me look at my health, my life and the unresolved trauma I had carried since I was far too young to have experienced it in the first place. I thought I’d dealt with it because I’d got on with my life, but I hadn’t. I’d simply learnt how to live with it.

Facing and releasing that trauma changed me completely. Cancer made me understand my body differently, question everything I thought I knew about health and ultimately changed the direction of my life. That journey also enabled me to go on and help others through their cancer journeys.

I know not everybody gets to tell the story I’m fortunate enough to tell today, and that is never lost on me. But nine years ago, cancer occupied such a huge part of my life and now, I’ve been too busy living to remember such a poignant date.

Cancer happened to me, it taught me and it changed me. But it never got to define me.

Nine years cancer free… when told I would be dead within a year

#cancer#cancerfree

Dee Mani Cancer Story – SUMMARY

Dee Mani was diagnosed with Grade 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer in 2017 and achieved full recovery through natural therapies, including cannabis oil, lifestyle changes, and holistic wellness practices.

Diagnosis and Personal Tragedy

In March 2017, Dee Mani discovered a lump and was diagnosed with Grade 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease deemani.com+2.

She was initially advised to undergo a year of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but after witnessing her sister’s death from chemotherapy side effects, Dee made the difficult decision to refuse conventional treatment deemani.com+2.

Oncologists warned her she might have as little as one year to live if she chose this path deemani.com+1.

Alternative Healing Approach

Dee Mani pursued a natural healing protocol that focused on holistic wellness. Key components included:

• Full-Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO/RSO): Central to her healing, used for its reported anti-cancer properties solitarius.org+2.
• Dietary Changes: Adoption of a plant-based diet and nutritional supplements to support the body’s healing processes solitarius.org+1.
• Lifestyle and Emotional Practices: Meditation, detox salt baths, trauma work, and emotional wellbeing strategies deemani.com+2.
• Spiritual and Mind-Body Focus: Practices aimed at mental and emotional resilience, complementing physical healing deemani.com+1.

Recovery and Outcome

Despite skepticism from the medical community, Dee reports that she achieved complete recovery within five months of her diagnosis solitarius.org+2. She emphasizes that her approach addressed the root causes of illness, rather than just the symptoms, and credits her recovery to a combination of cannabis oil, nutrition, lifestyle changes, and emotional healing deemani.com+2.

Advocacy and Career

Following her recovery, Dee Mani became a best-selling author with her book My Way: Following the Cancer Brick Road, which chronicles her journey and natural healing methods mywaycbd.com+1. She also founded My Way CBD and My Way University, focusing on cannabis education, natural health, and wellness. Dee contributes as a Senior Writer for Brainz Magazine, delivers educational talks, and mentors individuals navigating cancer and holistic health choices deemani.com+2.

Key Lessons from Dee Mani’s Story

• Trust the Body’s Healing Ability: Dee emphasizes that with proper nutrition, mindset, and natural remedies, the body can heal itself solitarius.org.
• Question Conventional Medicine: Her experience highlights the importance of informed decision-making and exploring alternatives solitarius.org.
• Holistic Wellness Matters: Physical, emotional, and spiritual health are interconnected in recovery deemani.com+1.
• Empowerment Through Knowledge: Dee’s story encourages individuals to take an active role in their health journey deemani.com+1.
  Dee Mani’s journey is widely regarded as a testament to resilience, empowerment, and the potential of natural therapies, inspiring many to explore holistic approaches to health and wellness deemani.com+2.
• Dee Mani: How I Cured My Own Cancer – The Power Of CBD And Natural Health – Audio » BabyBoomer.org

From Surviving To Thriving: Journey To Natural Healing – BRAINZ Exclusive Interview With Dee Mani

Dee Mani-mitchell | Pharmacology UniversityKeep your eye out for our new Health Radio show, coming soon: Kate Shemirani “BACK TO ROOT” – Search Videos

Kate Shemirani: Are You Sure? Get A Second Opinion! (Video) – Search

18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies

We both remain alive, well, cancer-free and thriving, and we have turned what we have learned from our individual experiences into educating others.

Keep your eye out for our new Health Radio show, coming soon:

“BACK TO ROOT”

Kate Shemirani

https://kateshemirani.com

Dee Mani

https://deemani.com

These are our personal experiences and are not a substitute for individual medical advice.

Kate Shemirani (@KateShemirani) / XDee Mani (@DeeManiOfficial) / X

Dee Mani: How I Cured My Own Cancer – The Power of Cannabis Oil and Natural Health

Capt. Sully breaks silence about Alzheimer’s diagnosis – Search

Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III was born January 23, 1951, in Denison, Texas.^[11] His father was a descendant of Swiss-German immigrants named Sollenberger (modern spelling is Sollberger) from Wynigen, Switzerland.^[12] He has one younger sister, Mary.^[13] The street on which he grew up was named after his mother’s family. 

According to his sister, Sullenberger built model planes and aircraft carriers during his childhood; she says he became interested in flying after seeing military jets from an Air Force base near his house.^[14] He went to school in Denison and was consistently on the 99th percentile in every academic category.^[15]

At age 11, his IQ was deemed high enough that he was allowed to join Mensa International.^[15] In high school, he was the president of the Latin club, a first chair flutist, and an honor student.^[16] He was an active member of the Waples Memorial United Methodist Church.^[17] He graduated from Denison High School in 1969,^[16] near the top of his class of about 350.^[14] At 16, Sullenberger learned to fly in an Aeronca Champion 7DC at a private airstrip near his home. He said that the training he received from a local flight instructor influenced his aviation career.^[18]

Sullenberger earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and basic sciences from the United States Air Force Academy. He earned a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from Purdue University in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration from University of Northern Colorado in 1979.^[19]

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the pilot who performed the “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009, revealed on Tuesday that doctors have diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s disease. He learned of the diagnosis in August 2025, according to People.  “It is early stage,” he told the magazine. “For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey.”

The first signs that something was wrong, Sully said, was when he noticed he’d started forgetting things, since he once had a photographic memory. Sullenberger’s wife, Lorrie, told People that Sully remained focused. “That strength and steadiness is guiding us as a family,” she said. “We’re supporting him on this journey that we now walk with so many other families. Though the future is uncertain, we continue to live our lives, have hope, and find joy in the everyday.”

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who famously landed a plane in the Hudson River in 2009, said he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The 75-year-old Sullenberger announced the news Tuesday on his website, saying the disease is in its early stages.

“So this new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service. And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward,” Sullenberger said.

How All Passengers Survived the Miracle on the Hudson

“And about hope – so many people told us after Flight 1549, that the outcome gave them hope. Lorrie, my incredible partner of 37 years, says we can all use a little of that hope right now.”

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory, thinking skills and eventually the ability to carry out everyday tasks. There is no known cure.

Sullenberger said right now, his symptoms are relatively mild — a name doesn’t come as easily, he forgets a story he has recently told and he doesn’t sleep as well. But he added he is in talks with his doctors about next steps and is planning for the future.

Sullenberger is best known for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on New York’s Hudson River in 2009 after a bird strike disabled both engines. All 155 people on board survived, and the emergency landing became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

A retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Sullenberger was widely praised for his calm decision-making and aviation expertise, earning international recognition and numerous honors. He later wrote several books, became an aviation safety advocate and public speaker, and served as the U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization from 2022 to 2025.

Sully full movie | Tom hanks | english movie #trending #movie #english – YouTube

On January 15, 2009, Sullenberger was the captain of US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City bound for Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.^[34] Shortly after takeoff, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese and lost power in both engines.^[35] Quickly determining he would be unable to reach either LaGuardia or Teterboro Airports,^[36] Sullenberger flew the plane to an emergency water landing^[23] on the Hudson River. All 155 people on board survived and were rescued.^[37]

Sullenberger said later: “It was very quiet as we worked, my copilot Jeff Skiles and I. We were a team. But to have zero thrust coming out of those engines was shocking—the silence.”^[38] Sullenberger was the last to leave the aircraft, after twice making sweeps through the cabin to make sure all passengers and crew had evacuated.^[14][39]

Sullenberger, described by friends as “shy and reticent”,^[40] was noted for his poise and calm during the crisis; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg dubbed him “Captain Cool”.^[41] Nonetheless, Sullenberger suffered symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in subsequent weeks, including sleeplessness and flashbacks.^[42] He said that the moments before the landing were “the worst sickening, pit-of-your-stomach, falling-through-the-floor feeling” that he had ever experienced.^[43]

 Sully landed US Airways Flight 1549 after a bird flew into an engine, stopping it, on the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey. That act saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew. Tom Hanks portrayed Sully in the 2016 biopic Sully.  “This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service,” Sully told People. “And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.”

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, 75, has spoken publicly for the first time about his August 2025 Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, sharing that subtle changes in memory and routine were the first signs 

Early signs he noticed

In interviews with Good Morning America and other outlets, Sullenberger said the first things he noticed were:

• Difficulty remembering people’s names, even those he knew well 
• Forgetting things he normally wouldn’t
• Repeating himself without realizing it
• Relying daily on his calendar to keep track of commitments Movieguide+1

His wife, Lorrie Sullenberger, said these small changes were “easy to dismiss” at first, as many people expect severe memory loss only in later stages Yahoo+1.

Diagnosis and treatment

Sullenberger received the diagnosis in August 2025 and publicly announced it in July 2026  

He is currently undergoing monthly infusion treatments aimed at slowing, but not stopping, the disease’s progression 

The National Institute on Aging notes that early symptoms vary and can be caused by other conditions, so a full medical evaluation is essential Movieguide.

His approach and advice

Drawing parallels to his 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” emergency landing, Sullenberger said he is “focusing clearly on the highest priority items first” and ignoring distractions ABC News+1. He urged families with concerns to get tested early, saying “the sooner you act, the more options there are, the better the outcome is likely to be” Movieguide.

Family’s decision to speak out

Initially, the couple planned to keep the diagnosis private, but Lorrie encouraged openness, saying, “This is a disease, not a character flaw” Yahoo+1.

They hope their story will help others recognize early warning signs and avoid feeling isolated.

Key takeaway: Sullenberger’s experience underscores that Alzheimer’s often begins with small, overlooked changes. Early detection can open more treatment and planning options, and he encourages anyone with doubts to seek professional evaluation Movieguide+1.

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III is speaking out about his early-stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis to help other families catch the early warning signs of the disease.

The 75-year-old retired pilot became a national hero after saving 155 people in 2009 in what became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson”. This week, Sullenberger and his wife of 37 years, Lorrie, sat down with Good Morning America this week to discuss their new reality.

After initially planning to keep his August 2025 diagnosis a secret, the couple decided to share their experience publicly so others going through the same thing wouldn’t feel isolated. “Initially, like a lot of families, we were not going to tell,” Lorrie told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts. “And I said to Sully one day, ‘This is a disease, not a character flaw. I think we need to talk about it more openly, and maybe other people can do the same.'”

Catching the Early Signs
The first indicators of his cognitive decline were so minor that the couple almost brushed them off.

“One of the first things I noticed was that it was harder and harder to remember people’s names, even people we knew,” Sullenberger said. “That’s still an issue. Just forgetting things that I normally wouldn’t. Or repeating myself, not realizing that I just said that an hour ago.”

Lorrie explained that most people expect to see severe memory loss when they think of dementia, making these small behavioral shifts easy to overlook. “They were so little that it was easy to dismiss in the beginning,” she said. Lorrie advised families to watch for tiny changes in routine and pay close attention to any behavior that feels out of the ordinary for their partner.

“If you have doubts, get tested,” he added. “Because the sooner you act, the more options there are.”

Facing the Future Together
Sullenberger said he views his treatment as a strict plan that requires him to cut out distractions and focus solely on what matters most. “We’re focusing clearly on the highest-priority items first, and we are ignoring everything we don’t have time to do as being only distractions and unimportant,” he said.

Despite his pragmatic approach, he openly worries about the “inevitable” toll his decline will take on Lorrie as she steps into the role of primary caregiver. “I do worry about you as the caregiver,” he told her during the interview. “And I know what a burden caregivers have. I know it’s going to be a thing, and I’m very aware of it.”

Sullenberger hopes his transparency can help destigmatize the disease. Just as he pushed for flight safety after the Hudson River crash, he wants to use his public platform to advocate for families dealing with dementia.

“I felt like after the 2009 flight that [co-pilot] Jeff Skiles and I and others had made a difference,” he said. 

“And I think in this regard, with this issue, maybe we can make a difference in this way also.”

Symptoms of Late-Stage Dementia in Men and Women

Late-stage dementia (also called end-stage dementia) is the final, most severe stage of the disease, and its symptoms are generally the same in men and women — differences are more related to individual health, age, and comorbidities than to gender Alzheimer’s Society+1.

Core Symptoms in Late Stage

By this stage, severe cognitive decline, physical impairment, and loss of independence are common, regardless of sex helpdementia.com+2:

Dementia Patients Want to Go Home – Search they are often seeking comfort and familiarity rather than a literal location, and the best response is to validate their feelings and gently redirect attention.

Understanding the Behavior

When a person with dementia repeatedly expresses a desire to go home, it usually reflects emotional needs rather than a literal wish to leave. The hippocampus and parietal lobes, which handle memory and spatial awareness, are often damaged in dementia, causing disorientation and difficulty recognizing familiar surroundings scienceinsights.org.

“Home” may represent a feeling of safety, comfort, and belonging, or a memory of a time when life felt secure, rather than a specific address helpdementia.com+2.

This can include childhood homes, previous residences, or periods of life before illness or loss Elder Guru.

Effective Caregiver Responses

1. Validate the Emotion
   Avoid arguing or trying to correct the patient. Instead, acknowledge their feelings:
   “You miss home, don’t you? Tell me about it.” This helps the person feel heard and reduces anxiety helpdementia.com+1.
2. Gently Redirect Attention
   Once the emotion is acknowledged, shift focus to familiar or comforting activities, such as looking at a photo album, listening to a favorite song, or engaging in a simple task like folding laundry helpdementia.com+1. This meets the underlying need for security without confrontation.
3. Reassure Safety and Comfort
   Use verbal reassurance and gentle touch if appropriate. Let them know they are safe and cared for in the present moment Alzheimer’s Society+1.
4. Understanding Triggers
   Requests to go home can be amplified by sundowning, overstimulation, or unfamiliar environments. Reducing noise, maintaining routines, and providing familiar cues can help prevent distress helpdementia.com+1.
5. Explore the Meaning of “Home”
   Sometimes “home” refers to a past routine or a period of life when they felt happy. Encouraging conversation about these memories can provide insight into their emotional needs and help caregivers respond empathetically Alzheimer’s Society+1.

Key Takeaways

• The phrase “I want to go home” is not stubbornness or attention-seeking; it is a signal of emotional distress and a need for reassurance scienceinsights.org.
• Validation, gentle redirection, and reassurance are more effective than trying to orient the patient to reality.
• Understanding the emotional and neurological basis of this behavior allows caregivers to respond with compassion, reduce anxiety, and improve the patient’s sense of security and well-being helpdementia.com+1.
  By focusing on the feelings behind the words and providing comfort, caregivers can help dementia patients feel safe and supported, even when their perception of “home” is rooted in memory rather than the present environment.

• Cognitive and communication changes
  • Severe memory loss, including inability to recognize close family, friends, or familiar places Alzheimer’s Society.
  • Loss of language skills; may only understand a few words or their native childhood language Alzheimer’s Society.
  • Disorientation to time and place; “time shifting” (believing they are in an earlier life stage) Alzheimer’s Society.
  • Possible hallucinations or delusions Medical News Today.
• Physical decline
  • Need for full-time assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting Alzheimer’s Society+1.
  • Reduced mobility; may be bed bound helpdementia.com+1.
  • Weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration helpdementia.com.
  • Frequent infections, especially aspiration pneumonia helpdementia.com.
  • Changes in breathing patterns (e.g., Cheyne–Stokes respiration) helpdementia.com.
• Behavioral and sleep changes
  • Increased sleepiness; may sleep most of the day helpdementia.com.
  • Agitation, confusion, or withdrawal Medical News Today.
  • Loss of ability to respond to familiar voices or touch helpdementia.com.

Gender Considerations

While the clinical picture is similar in men and women, some research notes:

• Early-onset dementia is more common in women, but late-stage symptoms are not inherently different Sunflower Communities.
• Men may have higher rates of certain vascular or mixed dementias, which can influence physical decline patterns Medical News Today, but these are not universal.
• Hormonal, genetic, and comorbidity differences can affect disease course, but core late-stage signs — loss of independence, severe cognitive impairment, and physical decline — are shared Alzheimer’s Society+1.

Prognosis

Late-stage dementia often lasts 1–2 years on average before death Alzheimer’s Society+1. The progression is gradual, and symptoms may fluctuate day to day Medical News Today.

In summary: Whether in men or women, late-stage dementia is marked by profound cognitive loss, inability to perform basic self-care, severe physical decline, and behavioral changes. Gender does not change the fundamental symptom profile, though individual health factors can influence the course.

Doctors say dementia is a decline in thinking abilities that interferes with daily activities, and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form.  A Lancet study estimated that 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by lifestyle changes. Exercise, the Mediterranean way of eating, social connection and daily brain challenges are among the habits that may help. Early Morning Sunshine and Nature, Protecting hearing, getting seven hours of sleep, checking vitamin levels and keeping up with oral health also matter.

SOURCE:  Capt. Sully reveals that his first symptoms of Alzheimer’s were ‘so little, it was easy to dismiss’

The following are some of the most frequent reasons people living with dementia come to the ER – Search

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Christina Applegate, 54, shared her first new video since a nearly four‑month hospital stay, showing off a fresh blonde hair color and a warm message to fans Yahoo+1.

Christina Applegate Returns to Social Media After Months in Hospital

Christina Applegate says she’s “getting stronger and better every day” after her recent hospitalization.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and well wishes,” she wrote in Instagram caption on Monday. “Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day. I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.

The update

On September 21, 2026, Applegate posted a short Instagram video in which she smiles, poses with her hands in her pockets, and jokes about a “fresh hair color” and a “new weird spot on my cheek” Yahoo+1.

She thanked hairstylist David Stanwell for “brightening up my cloudy day” and closed with, “Love you and love to you all out there” Yahoo.

The post marked her first video update since leaving the hospital in August KTLA+1.

Hospitalization and recovery

Applegate was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital in late March amid her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis (MS), which she first announced in 2021 Yahoo+1.

Reports in April and August confirmed she was discharged after about four months, with her representative noting she has “a long history of complicated medical conditions” Yahoo+1.

She returned home on August 4, sharing a photo of a “you’re home” sign her daughter made for her Yahoo+1.

Public and family support

Her Instagram post drew supportive comments from celebrities including Henry Winkler, Robin Antin, Kim Fields, and Jennie Garth KTLA. Fans flooded the comments with messages of encouragement, praising her resilience and beauty KTLA+1.

Family support was also highlighted, with her daughter Sadie Grace LeNoble reportedly creating a welcome‑home display TheMix.net.

Previous health updates

In April, Applegate told fans, “Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day… I’ll be back with more to say soon enough” Yahoo+1.

She has been open about the physical and emotional toll of MS, chronic pain, and other health challenges, often discussing them on her MeSsy podcast with co-host Jamie‑Lynn Sigler, who also has MS Yahoo+1.

In short: Christina Applegate is back online, sharing a lighthearted, personal glimpse of her life after a long hospital stay, and expressing gratitude to fans and family as she continues to navigate her health journey Yahoo+2.

Christina Applegate is ‘getting stronger and better every day’ while focusing on her health – Search

Christina Applegate debuts new look as she’s seen for the first time since months-long hospital stay amid ongoing MS battle | Daily Mail Online

Christina Applegate has resurfaced on social media after a lengthy hospital stay to show off her lovely locks. In a reel posted to Instagram, The Emmy-winning actor, 54, showed off her fresh do, with a blond blowout and layers that framed her smiling face.

“Fresh hair color, new weird spot on my cheek haha,” she wrote alongside the video. She continued thanking celebity hairstylist David Stanwell for brightening up her “cloudy day.”

Applegate has used self-deprecating humor in recent years when addressing her battle with multiple sclerosis, which she was diagnosed with in 2021. Earlier this year, she spent months in the hospital due to the disease. In August, a source close to Applegate told The Times that “all is well” after Applegate was reportedly discharged and back at home.

I started to learn how to sketch. I’m not good at all but I love trying. 

I strongly suggest getting a charcoal pencil kit and good strong paper and just have “you” time. It’s such a peaceful thing to do. Quiet and alone. Just you and the pencil. Open the windows. Listen to the birds and fade into art.

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease that causes the protective covering of nerves to breakdown, which can lead to numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes and other symptoms, per the Mayo Clinic. Eventually, MS can cause permanent damage to the nerve fibers, and symptoms vary from person to person, depending on the location and severity of the damage in the nervous system.

There is no cure, but there are treatments to help mitigate symptoms. The “Dead to Me” and “Married With Children” star wrote her nearly 300-page book, “You With the Sad Eyes,” to help others not feel so alone, she told The Times in March.

In it, the actor revisited the personal journals she’s kept since she was 13 and examines painful points throughout her life, “an absent father, a chaotic home life, sexual abuse she experienced as a child, body image struggles, an abusive boyfriend,” all before reaching her life-altering MS diagnosis.

She added, “I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.”

Applegate revealed on her “MeSsy” podcast last year that she’s been hospitalized upwards of 30 times due to her MS symptoms. 

“For three years, since I was diagnosed, I’ve been in the hospital upwards of 30 times from throwing up and diarrhea and pain,” she said. “That is unimaginable, OK? They’ve done every test known to man on me, put so much radiation into my body from CT scans to everything else.”

“One of the things with MS is that it slows down our organs, you know, not like completely, but there is a slowing of the function of your organs. I have noticed that — and I’m going to be really honest — if I have to poop, I puke.”

“My neuro doesn’t — God bless her — says that’s not an MS thing,” Applegate added. “So, I’m sorry, there’s got to be a correlation here, and I’m not a doctor. I’m not giving medical advice. I’m just saying, just think about that, OK? Because I’m in the middle of the same exact situation, and it f—— sucks, and it’s scary.”

The “Dead to Me” actress — who recently became a best-selling author with her memoir, “You With the Sad Eyes” — recently admitted that her diagnosis often impacted her ability to parent her 15-year-old daughter Sadie.

“I want to take her [to school and activities]; it’s my favorite thing to do,” Applegate told People magazine. “It’s the only time we have together by ourselves. I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do.”

Because of limitations, Applegate said she feels more free to be unapologetically herself.

“My life isn’t wrapped up with a bow,” she said. “People’s lives, sorry for lack of a better term, f—ing suck sometimes. So I’m being as honest and raw as I possibly can.”

Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day. I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.

Thank you for the outpouring of love and well wishes.

Christina Applegate has been open about the reality of living with **multiple sclerosis (MS) including the pain, exhaustion, anger, and grief that can exist behind a public smile.

Her words say what so many people with chronic illness struggle to explain:

“Don’t call me inspirational for just surviving my pain. I’m not strong by choice; I’m just trying to make it through the day.”

And while Christina’s battle is with MS, that feeling reaches far beyond one diagnosis.

Christina Applegate shares first video following months-long hospitalization: ‘Love to you all out there’ | Watch

Christina Applegate Resurfaces On Instagram After A Scary, Months-Long Hospital Stay

Christina Applegate Shares First Video Following Months-Long Hospitalization

Christina Applegate back home after 4-month hospital stay

Bart Starr And Gordie Howe Stem Cell Treatment – Search

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Vallarta Vitality Longevity Center in Mexico

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The centenarian just renewed her driver’s license until 2033 and lives in her own house. © Courtesy Lynnette Overby
July 22, 2026, 8:04 AM EDT

A. Pawlowski – TODAY Author

Susan Young Browne – Search Videos born on April 24, 1918, in Lincoln, Delaware the 10th of 12 children to George and Susie Brown, Susan grew up in rural Delaware during the segregated education era, attended a one-room schoolhouse, and later graduated in 1945 – with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from what is now Delaware State University farmcountrytoday.com+2.

According to multiple reputable sources, including Delaware State University’s honors program and local news coverage, Mrs. Browne celebrated her 108th birthday on May 2, 2026, at a gathering in Dover, Delaware farmcountrytoday.com+1. She is recognized as the oldest living alumna of Delaware State University and the oldest living resident of Dover farmcountrytoday.com+1.

Her life story and longevity have been widely honored for her role as a “living bridge across generations” and her continued active lifestyle into her late 100s farmcountrytoday.com+1.

She lives independently in her own house in Dover, Delaware, Lives on Her Own Has 5 Simple Tips for a Long Life. She exercises every day and prizes her independence. “I take care of myself,” she says. “I read romance novels and enjoys dancing and socializing.”

Who Still Drives a Car and likes to drive her blue Subaru everywhere she needs to go. The centenarian has been driving for more than 80 years and just renewed her driver’s license until 2033, when she would be 115.

“In order for me to go to the store, I have to drive,” Browne tells TODAY.com. “Anywhere I want to go, I have to drive. … I’m an experienced driver. I try to be very careful.”

Susan Young Browne with her trusty blue Subaru. © Courtesy Lynnette Overby

Browne had a huge 108th birthday party earlier this year with guests that included the governor of Delaware. Her son, Jim Young, 83, calls her “amazing” and strong. Her daughter, Lynnette Overby, 75, says she’s “quite something, and now she’s quite famous.” It seemed a world away from the farm where she was born on April 24, 1918, in Lincoln, Delaware.

She, her parents and nine siblings lived in a house that had no electricity or running water. Browne went to a segregated elementary school, where she admired her teacher and also became determined to become one herself. “One of the most important things that I had in mind was to get an education and be a teacher,” she said in an interview about her life.

Browne is the oldest living alumna of Delaware State University. © Courtesy Lynnette Overby

There were no free high schools for Black students in the area at the time, so the family had to pay to send her to Delaware State College High School, Overby says.

Browne went on to attend Delaware State University, graduating in 1945 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She’s DSU’s oldest living alumna.

The centenarian worked as a teacher for 30 years, starting in a one-room schoolhouse. She also helped her first husband run a bus business. Browne retired in 1977. She’s lived in her house for more than 70 years.

“I don’t know why I’m living so long. I’m just trying to take care of myself,” Browne says. Here is what to know about the centenarian and her tips for living a long life:

Keep Moving

Browne credits regular exercise as a big factor in her longevity. She starts every morning by getting on the floor and doing a 10-minute stretching, strengthening and balancing routine.

“Then I get up and stand against the wall and exercise my legs. I make sure my legs are exercised,” she says. “I can move better than he,” the centenarian confirms teasingly. “She does things I can’t do,” her son notes.

Browne exercising at home. © Courtesy Lynnette Overby

The exercises work — she walks without the need for a cane or a walker.

Browne also does chair dancing at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, a gathering place for older adults where she drives herself three days a week.

Eat Healthy Food

The centenarian lists chicken and fruit as some of her favorite foods. She eats an apple most every day — a famously nutritious fruit that delivers fiber, and comes with benefits for heart health, diabetes, cancer, gut health, weight loss and inflammation.

She also enjoys peaches and blueberries — a dietitian’s pick for the healthiest berries.

Her morning menu includes a cup of black coffee, which has a positive impact on heart health and brain health, plus a frozen waffle and cranberry juice, her daughter notes.

Browne avoids fried foods — “of course, I like them, but I know I shouldn’t eat them, so therefore I don’t eat them,” she says.

She also doesn’t drink alcohol and skips sugar.

“I like sweets, but I just probably avoid them for my health,” she says. One exception is her 7UP cake, which she likes to make for family gatherings.

Browne doesn’t indulge in sugar often, but her 7UP cake is worth it, she says. © Courtesy Lynnette Overby

The formula works. At 108, Browne only takes one medication, a pill to control her blood pressure, Overby says. Longevity runs in her family — one of her sisters lived to be 103.

Be Independent

Browne was married twice and had no desire to remarry after her second husband passed away. “That’s right. I am not taking care of another man,” she says.

“I decided when I was left alone that I didn’t need anybody to take care of me, I take care of myself. So, in order to live a healthy life, you have to make up your own mind.”

Driving her car and living in her own home are important aspects of her self-reliance. “She very, very much wants to maintain her independence as long as she can,” Overby notes.

Keep Your Mind Busy

The centenarian likes to read, including romance novels. She also enjoys doing puzzles and word games, her son notes.

Browne continues to be active in the community — she goes to church, socializes at the Modern Maturity Center, and meets with members of her sorority, her daughter adds. She’s a life member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Pi Chapter.

. In this photo, she’s surrounded by family at her 108th birthday celebration. Browne, center, is an active member of her community in Dover, Delaware © Courtesy Lynnette Overby

The busy centenarian likes to stay on top of all the family get-togethers and other events she takes part in.

“She’s very organized,” her son says. “She always makes sure that wherever she goes, she has a little calendar.”

Expand Your Horizons

Alaska and Hawaii became U.S. states while Browne was a teacher, so she visited both, even going to Alaska twice.

She’s also traveled to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and other countries around the world.

“I enjoyed my trips,” she says. Her favorite place? “Hawaii. It’s beautiful there,” she notes.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

How to Build Healthy Habits to Improve Longevity and Healthspan – Search

Adopting consistent, research-backed lifestyle habits—covering diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, and social connection—can significantly enhance both lifespan and healthspan.

Nutrition and Diet

Eating a nutrient-dense, plant-focused diet is strongly linked to longevity. Diets like the Mediterranean or Okinawan diet emphasize vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats while limiting processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats, which helps reduce chronic disease risk and supports cellular health Healthline+1.

Maintaining a healthy weight and staying hydrated (2.7–3.7 liters of water daily) also supports organ function and slows biological aging fountainlife.com.

Physical Activity

Regular exercise is crucial for cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and metabolic function. Aim for 450–750 minutes of moderate activity per week, including aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility work fountainlife.com. Reducing sedentary behavior and incorporating movement throughout the day improves overall longevity and quality of life Healthline.

Sleep and Recovery

Quality sleep of 7–9 hours per night enhances cognitive and physical recovery, supports immune function, and reduces inflammation fountainlife.com. Establishing a consistent sleep schedule and creating a restful environment are key strategies.

Stress Management and Mental Health

Chronic stress accelerates aging and increases disease risk. Practices like mindfulness, journaling, meditation, and deep breathing can lower inflammation and oxidative stress fountainlife.com.

Cultivating optimism, gratitude, and happiness also supports immune function and emotional resilience fountainlife.com.

Social Connection

Strong social relationships are linked to longer, healthier lives. Engaging with family, friends, and community provides emotional support, reduces stress, and encourages healthy behaviors wellnesspulse.com+1.

Preventive Health and Consistency

Regular health check-ups, screenings, and preventive care help detect and manage conditions early, extending healthspan wellnesspulse.com. Experts emphasize that small, sustainable changes maintained over time are more effective than drastic, short-term interventions wellnesspulse.com+1. Observing habits from Blue Zones, regions with the longest-living populations, shows that consistent lifestyle patterns, rather than extreme measures, are key to longevity wellnesspulse.com.

Practical Tips for Habit Formation

• Start small: Introduce one habit at a time to ensure sustainability.
• Set clear goals: Use measurable targets for diet, exercise, and sleep.
• Track progress: Journaling or apps can reinforce consistency.
• Create routines: Anchor new habits to existing daily activities.
• Seek support: Engage friends, family, or communities for accountability.
  By integrating these habits into daily life, individuals can increase both lifespan and healthspan, enjoying more years of vitality, independence, and well-being wellnesspulse.com+3.

How to build healthy habits to improve longevity and healthspan

108-Year-Old Centenarian Still Driving and Living Independently

Susan Young Browne, 108, renewed her driver’s license until 2033, continues to live alone, and credits daily exercise, a clean diet, and independence for her longevity Today+2.

Who She Is

Born April 24, 1918, in Lincoln, Delaware, Browne grew up on a farm without running water or electricity, attended a segregated elementary school, and later paid to attend Delaware State College High School because local high schools did not admit Black students at the time Today+1. She graduated from Delaware State University in 1945, became the school’s oldest living alumna, and taught elementary school for 30 years, starting in a one-room schoolhouse Today+1.

Current Life

Now 108, Browne drives her blue Subaru everywhere she needs to go, having been behind the wheel for over 80 years Today+1. She lives in the same house for more than 70 years, handles her own daily affairs, and values her independence. She recently celebrated her 108th birthday with over 130 guests, including Delaware’s governor Only Good News Daily+1.

Health and Longevity Habits

Browne credits five key principles for her health NewsBreak+1:

1. Move Every Day – She starts each morning with 10 minutes of stretching, strength, and balance exercises, then does wall-based leg workouts Today+1. She also attends chair dancing classes three times a week cristinaiglesias.com.
2. Eat Clean – Her diet focuses on chicken, fresh fruit (apples, peaches, blueberries), and black coffee. She avoids alcohol, fried foods, and sugar except for occasional homemade 7UP cake NewsBreak+1.
3. Stay Independent – She refuses assistance with daily tasks, saying, “I take care of myself” Today+1.
4. Stay Social – She enjoys reading romance novels, doing puzzles, attending church, and sorority meetings NewsBreak.
5. Mindset – She believes making her own decisions and staying active in life are essential to longevity NewsBreak.

Legacy

Browne’s story is a testament to resilience, self-reliance, and the power of consistent, healthy habits. At 108, she continues to drive, live independently, and share her “keep moving” philosophy with the world Today+2.

Born in 1918, she was in Delaware during Segregation where she worked on a farm with her family – without water or electricity. Browne would eventually attend Delaware State College for Colored Students, today known as Delaware State University, and graduated in 1945. She then taught in a one-room schoolhouse, followed by other schools, for three decades.

Now 108 years old, Susan Young Browne works out three times a week, drives herself around town and starts every morning with an exercise routine she’s followed for decades. “When I get up in the morning, I have an exercise routine that I’ve been doing for the last 20 years,” she told CBS News. “When I retired – and I walked around that classroom for 30 years – I am not going to sit down.”

On the morning of her birthday, she went for a workout class. “You are the spotlight,” classmates cheered as Browne walked into the Modern Maturity Center – a place she’s been regularly attending since 1973. She was one of the center’s first members.

130 people attended her 108th birthday party, including Delaware’s Governor Matt Meyer. Best of all, she was courteously provided a parking spot right in front of the building. That’s important, because – as Browne told those assembled to celebrate her life – the state had just reissued her driver’s license until 2033. “OK, see you later,” Browne said before pulling away behind the wheel once again.

“I grow old gracefully,” said Susan Young Browne, who just received permission to keep driving until the age of 115.

That’s a testament to Browne’s enduring aptitude (and attitude) for life; having recently celebrated her 108th Birthday in Dover, Delaware.

Browne was in Delaware in 1918 during Segregation where she worked on a farm with her family—sans water or electricity. She would eventually attend Delaware State College for Colored Students, today known as Delaware State University, and graduate in 1945, going on to teach in a one-room schoolhouse (and elsewhere) for 30 years.

Married twice, she enjoys the company of a clan of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Nowadays, she can be found three times a week at the Modern Maturity Center where she enjoys group exercise classes. Staying active is a key to that graceful aging she talked about. You’ve Never Heard “Bridge Over Troubled Water” Like This.. — Timeless Memories

Alaska’s secret map covers 44 million acres – and most Americans have never seen it | Watch Search Videos

Louisiana’s Unique Status: No Counties, Civil Law Tradition

There is a place in my country where you could die at any second if the natural disasters don’t kill you the animals will if the animals don’t kill you the roads will if the roads don’t do it the ocean will if you make one wrong turn if you’re out of gas you’ll get stuck in the middle of nowhere where nobody can hear you scream if you move you’re dead, if you don’t stop moving you’re still dead no matter what you do no matter how comfortable you get here you are always just kind of surviving but what’s even crazier than all of that is the insanely difficult multi-layered structured way that this place ad ministers itself this is the most beautiful but the most deadly and confusing place in America.

Alaska may look like a remote wilderness, but beneath the surface lies one of the strangest and most complex systems in America. This video explores the hidden “Native Corporation Map” that controls millions of acres across the state, why Alaska has more airports than any other U.S. state, and how entire communities survive in places with almost no roads. From avalanches and whiteout blizzards to isolated villages and secret land divisions, Alaska feels less like a state — and more like a world of its own. 

Louisiana is not the only U.S. state without counties — Alaska is the other, using boroughs instead StudyCountry.com+1. However, Louisiana is indeed the only state whose political subdivisions are called parishes rather than counties, and it is also one of the few states that retains a Napoleonic civil law system alongside its English common law heritage StudyCountry.com.

Why No Counties in Louisiana?

Louisiana’s parish system dates back to its French and Spanish colonial periods (1699–1801). Under both regimes, the territory was officially Roman Catholic, and church parishes served as both religious and administrative units StudyCountry.com+2. The boundaries of these ecclesiastical parishes were adopted as civil divisions, and in 1807 the territorial legislature formally replaced the term “county” with “parish” StudyCountry.com+1. This tradition continued after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the state’s admission in 1812 Yahoo. Today, Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes Yahoo.

Civil Law vs. Common Law

Louisiana’s legal system is unique in the U.S. because it is based on the Napoleonic Civil Code (Code Napoléon) for matters like contracts, property, and family law, while still using English common law for other areas StudyCountry.com. This dual system reflects its French colonial past and the influence of the Napoleonic Code, which was adopted in the 19th century. Most other U.S. states operate solely under common law traditions.

Summary

• No counties: Louisiana uses parishes; Alaska uses boroughs StudyCountry.com+1.
• Civil law: Louisiana applies Napoleonic civil law in many areas, unlike most U.S. states StudyCountry.com.
• Historical roots: French/Spanish colonial governance, Catholic parish system, and 1807 legislative adoption of “parish” StudyCountry.com+1.

So, while Louisiana is the only state with parishes instead of counties, it is also one of the few U.S. states with a Napoleonic civil law system, making it legally and administratively distinct from the rest.

Travel to the Acadiana region in South Louisiana, Cajun Country, culture, food, geography, parishes, cities and towns

The Parishes and Cities of Acadiana

Acadiana is the name given to the traditional twenty-two parish Cajun homeland, which in 1971 the Louisiana state legislature officially recognized for its unique Cajun and Acadian heritage (per House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution No. 496). It stretches from just west of New Orleans to the Texas border along the Gulf of Mexico coast, and about 100 miles inland to Marksville.

This includes the following 22 parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. James, St. John The Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Vermilion, and West Baton Rouge. The cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans are NOT considered a part of Acadiana. Read more about the Acadiana Legislative Delegation and the location of Acadiana

The name “Acadiana” often is applied only to Lafayette Parish and several neighboring parishes, usually Acadia, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion parishes, and sometimes also Evangeline and St. Mary; this eight-parish area, however, is actually the “Cajun Heartland, USA” district, which makes up only about a third of the entire Acadiana region.   Travel to the Acadiana region in South Louisiana, Cajun Country, culture, food, geography, parishes, cities and towns

Genetic studies show that Cajun DNA is overwhelmingly French in origin, clustering closest to Acadian and French regional populations such as Normandy, Poitou‑Charentes, and Île‑de‑France.

Cajun and Canadian DNA Differ – Search Videos

Detailed Explanation

Cajun Origins Are Primarily Acadian (French)

• Cajuns descend mainly from Acadian exiles, French-speaking settlers from western and northwestern France who were expelled from Nova Scotia in 1755 and later settled in Louisiana. nsgc.org
• Historical records show that 65% of Acadian founders came from the Loudunais area of Poitou, Aunis, and Saintonge, with additional origins in Normandy and Brittany. exploreyourdna.com

Genetic Evidence

Modern autosomal DNA analyses show:

• Cajun samples cluster directly with French regional populations (Normandy, Poitou‑Charentes, Picardy, Île‑de‑France).
• Genetic distances between Cajuns and French populations are as small as distances between two French regions, indicating strong French continuity. exploreyourdna.com
• The closest modern genetic match to Cajuns is Acadian, confirming their French founder ancestry. worldgenetics.app

Admixture Levels

• Indigenous American admixture is very small (typically <2%), often 0% in individuals.
• Iberian or other European admixture appears only in specific families.
• Some Cajun families also show contributions from Spanish, German, Irish, and Creole lineages, but these do not outweigh the dominant French genetic base. openedition.org

Cultural vs. Genetic Identity

• Cajun culture is mixed—French, Acadian, Spanish, Irish, African, and Creole influences—but genetically the population remains predominantly French.
• Cajuns often emphasize Acadian ancestry as a core identity marker. openedition.org

Conclusion

While Cajun culture is diverse, Cajun DNA is overwhelmingly French, with the strongest genetic continuity to Acadian settlers from western France.  cajun dna isnt frencj – Search      cajun dna isn’t french – Search

The Strangest Things Happening In Louisiana Right Now 25 Unhinged Louisiana Facts

louisiana cancer alley map – Search Videos

Cancer Alley is the regional nickname given to an 184-mile (296 km) stretch of land along the Mississippi River between the Baton Rouge metropolitan area and the Gulf of Mexico, in the River Parishes of Louisiana, which contains over 350 industrial facilities that emit significant amounts of air pollution^[1]. Cancer Alley houses the largest concentration of fossil fuel and petrochemical plants and refineries in the Western Hemisphere.^[2] As of 2025, this area accounted for 25% of the petrochemical production in the United States.^[3]

Environmentalists consider the region a sacrifice zone, which is an area where pollution levels are so significant that they pose considerable dangers to the people who live there, and these people are often marginalized and under-resourced.^[4] The pollution generated by the high density of petrochemical facilities in Cancer Alley has resulted in a local risk of cancer that is 47 times greater than the acceptable threshold set by the U.S. government.^[4] The extent of the health risk in this region has been described as being in violation of human rights.^[4]

The concentration of industrial petrochemical refineries in predominately African American communities places these groups disproportionately in harm’s way, as decisions about land use are often beyond their control.^[4] Lack of government action has inspired community leaders such as Sharon Lavigne to lead the charge in protesting the expansion of the petrochemical industry in Cancer Alley, as well as address the associated racial and economic disparities.^[5] Cancer Alley has been the focus of environmental justice advocates dating as far back as the 1990s, and continues to serve as a landmark example of the systemic failings that perpetuate environmental injustices.^[4]  Cancer Alley – Wikipedia

Inside Louisiana’s Disappearing Bayous and the Towns They Hold – Search Videos

Louisiana’s bayous are shrinking a football field every 100 minutes due to a mix of sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, hurricanes, and human infrastructure like levees, dredging, and canals Dartmouth Library. These changes are reshaping both the landscapes and the communities that depend on them.

Key Towns and Communities

Inside Louisiana’s Disappearing Bayous and  Dulac, LaRose, and Leeville – Featured in RocaNews’ Inside Louisiana’s Most Remote Bayous, these small, water‑bound communities are among the most isolated in southern Louisiana. Dulac and LaRose are known for their boat‑based lifestyles, while Leeville’s “end of the road” feel is tied to its deep marsh setting. These towns are directly affected by marsh loss, which impacts fishing, trapping, and local economies YouTube.

Jeanerette, Pierre Part, and New Iberia – In Inside Louisiana’s French‑Speaking Swamp Towns, these Cajun communities preserve a unique French dialect and cultural traditions. Jeanerette and Pierre Part are deep in the bayous, with daily life tied to the water, while New Iberia sits at a cultural crossroads. These areas face both environmental loss and linguistic erosion, as fewer young people speak traditional Cajun French YouTube.

Berwick and Morgan City – In the Atchafalaya Basin, Berwick is a quiet fishing town where crabbing, catfishing, and crawfish trapping are livelihoods DecorHint. Morgan City, by contrast, is more industrially active, with shrimp boats, tugboats, and the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, but still relies on the basin’s waterways.

Cultural and Environmental Impact

The loss of marshland is not just a physical change — it’s also a cultural one. As seen in Preserving Louisiana French, the disappearance of wetlands erases centuries‑old ecological knowledge, navigation skills, and language news-usa.today. Many elders remain fluent in Cajun French, but younger generations are increasingly disconnected from these traditions.

Efforts to Protect and Restore

Projects like coastline recovery and sediment diversion aim to slow land loss YouTube+1. Photographer Virginia Beahan’s Disappearing archive documents these changes visually, highlighting the beauty and value of the wetlands worth protecting Dartmouth Library.

In short: Louisiana’s disappearing bayous are home to towns like Dulac, LaRose, Leeville, Jeanerette, Pierre Part, New Iberia, Berwick, and Morgan City — each a blend of water‑dependent livelihoods, deep cultural heritage, and vulnerability to environmental change.   BONUS:  Inside America’s capital of despair – Search

Top BBQ Cities and Highlights

1. Austin, Texas
Austin is renowned for its Central Texas-style brisket and diverse BBQ scene, featuring Michelin-starred spots like Leroy and Lewis Barbecue and InterStellar BBQ, as well as the legendary Franklin Barbecue, famous for long lines and tender smoked meats. The city blends traditional BBQ with inventive twists, including lamb tacos and mac-and-gouda dishes, making it a must-visit for enthusiasts LawnStarter+2.
2. Kansas City, Missouri
Known as the Barbecue Capital of the World, Kansas City is celebrated for its sweet and tangy sauces, slow-cooked meats, and burnt ends. Iconic spots like Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and Green Street Smoked Meats showcase decades of BBQ tradition. The city also hosts major events like the American Royal and World Series of Barbecue Sauce Contest Wide Open Country+1.
3. Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis specializes in pork ribs and pulled pork, often served with a tangy tomato-based sauce. Famous establishments include Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Q39, and Pinkerton’s Barbecue, which have earned accolades from Michelin inspectors and competitive BBQ contests. Memphis also hosts the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, attracting pitmasters worldwide LawnStarter+1.
4. Dallas, Texas
Dallas offers a vibrant BBQ culture blending Texas tradition with modern innovation, featuring tender brisket, ribs, and regional specialties. Notable spots include Bludso’s BBQ and Truth Barbeque, where chefs have earned James Beard Awards and Michelin recognition. The city’s BBQ scene is known for both classic and experimental flavors LawnStarter+1.
5. St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis BBQ emphasizes pork, especially ribs, often grilled with a sweet, sticky sauce. The city’s smokehouses provide a distinct style compared to Kansas City, with a focus on pork-centric dishes and local culinary traditions Wide Open Country.

Barbecue Culture and Cancer Rates: What the Data Shows

There is no evidence that barbecue consumption directly causes lower cancer rates in the South or Midwest, and the claim that Eastern states BBQ less and therefore have lower cancer rates is not supported by the available data.

Cancer rate patterns

According to the latest CDC-based rankings, cancer incidence varies widely by state — for example, in 2023 Kentucky had 530.5 new cases per 100,000 people, while California had 420.6 World Population Review. States in the South and Midwest, such as Missouri (471.9), Iowa (511.9), and Ohio (478.5), do not have uniformly lower rates than Eastern states like New York (483.0) or Pennsylvania (461.3). The variation is due to a mix of lifestyle factors (smoking, obesity, alcohol use), environmental exposures, genetics, and healthcare access, not barbecue consumption World Population Review.

Barbecue culture in the U.S.

Barbecue is most strongly associated with the Southern United States and parts of the Midwest, but it is also popular in many other regions Wikipedia+1. Historical and cultural studies show that barbecue styles evolved from local meats, available woods, and migration patterns — for example, pork dominates in the Southeast, beef in Texas, and mixed styles in the Midwest Barbecue Bros. This cultural tradition is widespread and not limited to the South.

No causal link to cancer rates

There is no scientific evidence that eating barbecue less often reduces cancer risk in a way that explains regional differences. While some cancers (like certain digestive cancers) may be linked to diet, barbecue itself is not a proven cause or protective factor for overall cancer incidence. The CDC and other health agencies attribute cancer rate differences to multiple, complex factors, not to specific food traditions World Population Review.

Bottom line

• Eastern states do not have lower cancer rates solely because they BBQ less — the data shows mixed patterns and no clear correlation.
• Barbecue is a cultural tradition with regional variations, not a health indicator.
• Cancer rates are influenced by many factors beyond barbecue consumption, and no study supports the claim that BBQ habits explain these differences.

If you want to understand cancer rate differences, the most reliable approach is to look at public health data, lifestyle statistics, smoking rates and environmental factors, rather than culinary traditions.

 Cancer Rates by State 2026

Based on the latest CDC and national data, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Louisiana have the highest cancer incidence rates, while Kentucky also leads in cancer death rates.

Highest Cancer Incidence Rates (2023, per 100,000 people) World Population Review+1

These are new cases of cancer, age‑adjusted:

1. Kentucky – 530.5
2. West Virginia – 517.8
3. Louisiana – 514.2
4. Iowa – 511.9
5. Minnesota – 507.5
6. New Jersey – 497.1
7. Wisconsin – 494.5
8. Maine – 491.3
9. South Dakota – 490.2
10. New Hampshire – 484.9

These rates are well above the U.S. average of about 455 per 100,000 The Mesothelioma Center. Kentucky also has the highest rates for several specific cancers, including lung, colon, and pancreatic The Mesothelioma Center.

Highest Cancer Mortality Rates (2024, age‑adjusted deaths per 100,000) CDC+1

These are deaths from cancer:

1. Kentucky – 175.6
2. West Virginia – 175.1
3. Oklahoma – 172.4
4. Mississippi – 167.8
5. Tennessee – 165.1
6. Louisiana – 158.3
7. Arkansas – 161.7
8. Indiana – 156.4
9. Missouri – 159.7
10. South Carolina – 151.9

Kentucky’s top ranking in both incidence and mortality reflects a combination of high smoking rates, obesity, limited access to preventive care, and socioeconomic factors The Mesothelioma Center.

Why Rates Differ by State

CDC data show that risk factors such as tobacco use, obesity, alcohol consumption, and healthcare access vary widely by state, influencing cancer rates World Population Review+1. Appalachian states often have higher rates due to lower preventive care access and higher smoking prevalence, while some Midwestern states have older populations and more aggressive screening, which can increase detected cases The Mesothelioma Center.

In summary:

• Worst for new cases: Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisiana
• Worst for deaths: Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma
  These rankings are based on the most recent official CDC data and national analyses World Population Review+2.

Eastern States Dont BBQ As Much AS the South & Midwestern States Henceforth Lower Caner Rates – Search

These five US cities offer the best barbecue in the country (and here’s where to find the best in each one)

These five US cities offer the best barbecue in the country (and here’s where to find the best in each one)

The 18 Best BBQ Towns in the U.S.   ||   Best BBQ Cities in the United States – Search

Location Where BBQ is Popular Do, They Have Increased Incidence of Cancer – Search

How Texas BBQ became this good and why one spot stands above the rest | Watch

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2025’s Best BBQ Cities in America – LawnStarter Ranking

I explore the wild world of BBQ styles | Watch

The tastiest barbecue joints in every US state, ranked

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This is what people miss about Pennsylvania’s “rainforest” | Watch

America’s hidden rainforest nobody knows about | Watch

The plastic detox documentary – Search is an eye-opening journey into the hidden dangers of plastic in our homes.

When six couples embark on a plastic detox within their homes, it changes their families forever. This eye-opening documentary explains what microplastics and their chemicals are doing to our health and how we can take matters into our own hands.

From hormone disruption that’s fueling a worldwide fertility crisis, to growing rates of cancer, and early heart attack and stroke, this powerful documentary reveals the shocking science behind plastic’s impact on human life.

How the world is choking on plastic | DW Documentary

A person may count to cope with anxiety, confusion, or overstimulation.

Counting as a Coping Tool for Anxiety, Confusion, or Overstimulation

Counting can be a simple, grounding technique that helps regulate the nervous system when someone feels anxious, confused, or overstimulated.

It works by shifting focus from overwhelming internal or external stimuli to a structured, repetitive task, which can calm the brain and body.

Why counting helps

When you are overstimulated, your brain may be receiving more sensory or cognitive input than it can process, triggering a stress or “fight, flight, freeze” response BetterHelp+1.

This can lead to racing thoughts, difficulty focusing, or a sense of panic BetterHelp+1.

Counting:

• Engages the prefrontal cortex (the brain’s control center) with a focused, sequential task, which can reduce mental clutter neurolaunch.com.
• Slows breathing and heart rate if done slowly, activating the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) system www.acibademhealthpoint.com.
• Provides a predictable, low-demand activity that can break the cycle of anxiety and confusion Medical News Today.

How to use counting effectively

1. Choose a method
   • Slow counting: Count aloud from 1 to 10 (or 20) in a steady, slow pace.
   • Reverse counting: Count down from 10 to 1.
   • Object counting: Count items in your environment (e.g., “How many chairs are there?”).
   • Breath-linked counting: Inhale and exhale while counting each breath.
2. Keep it simple
   Use a small range (1–10) so it’s easy to follow and not mentally taxing.
3. Anchor your focus
   If your mind wanders, gently return to the count without judgment.
4. Use it in the moment
   Try it when you feel overwhelmed, in a crowded place, or when your thoughts feel chaotic.

When to seek further help

If counting alone doesn’t reduce distress, or if overstimulation, anxiety, or confusion are frequent and interfere with daily life, consider professional support such as therapy or counseling BetterHelp+1.

These can help identify triggers, build coping skills, and address underlying conditions.

In short: Counting is a quick, accessible grounding tool that can help you regain control when your brain is overloaded. It works best when paired with slow, mindful breathing and a focus on the present moment www.acibademhealthpoint.com.

What to know about hyperstimulation anxiety

What is the anxiety-stress response?

If a person unavoidably experiences a negative stressor, they may have a stress response that can affect their physical and mental health. This can also happen if stress becomes chronic.

Stress responses can vary from person to person.

A person’s body can normally effectively manage short-term stress. However, stress may become chronic if stressors are overwhelmingTrusted Source and remain unresolved. Chronic stress can keep cortisol levels high.

Cortisol is a hormone that affectsTrusted Source several parts of the body. It helps to regulate the body’s response to stress. Long-term exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can lead to several complications, includingTrusted Source anxiety.

What The Bible Says About Why You Feel Anxious Right Now

Learn more about cortisol and stress.

What are the effects of hyperstimulation anxiety?

Studies link chronic stress to faster brain aging and cognitive decline

Chronic stress can cause several mental and physical effects. It may lead to mental health conditions or can make existing conditions worse.

Mental and physical effects

Chronic stress can overexpose a person to cortisol and other stress hormones.

This can increaseTrusted Source the risk of:

• digestive problems
• weight gain
• anxiety and depression
• headaches
• sleep problems
• problems with memory and concentration
• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• stroke

Effects on daily life

Chronic stress can interfere with a person’s daily life over time. A person may:

• feel fatigued
• experience frustration
• be unable to concentrate
• be irritable without reason
• develop harmful coping mechanisms
• eventually experience burnout and a reduced stress tolerance

Learn more about how stress affects the body.

Counting numbers in dementia is usually an automatic, deeply rooted habit rather than a sign that the logical side of the brain is functioning well. [1]

Why Counting Happens

• Early habit: Counting is an automatic skill learned early in life that remains stored in the brain.
• Self-soothing: A person may count to cope with anxiety, confusion, or overstimulation.
• Routine memory: Former work tasks, like bookkeeping or retail, can trigger repetitive numerical loops. [1]

How Dementia Affects Logic

• The logic gap: Dementia damages areas responsible for reasoning, making logic and correction ineffective during confusion.
• Emotion over reason: The emotional brain stays active longer than the logical prefrontal cortex, meaning feelings drive behavior more than facts do.
• Trying to correct: Arguing or using logic often increases frustration or distress instead of helping. [1, 2, 3, 4]

What Caregivers Can Do

• Focus on feelings: Pay attention to the underlying emotion, such as fear or boredom, rather than the act of counting.
• Stay calm: Respond with a gentle voice and a reassuring touch.
• Redirect the action: Turn the repetitive movement into a simple, engaging task. [1]

Would you like ideas on how to gently redirect repetitive behaviors, or information on stages of communication changes?

• Alzheimer’s Association 
• Repetition | Alzheimer’s Association How to respond * Look for a reason behind the repetition.
  A person with Alzheimer’s may do or say something over and over — like repeating a
  word, question or activity — or undo something that has just been finished. In most
  cases, he or she is probably looking for comfort, security and familiarity.
  
  Causes
  The main cause of behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer’s and other progressive
  dementias is the deterioration of brain cells
  which causes a decline in the individual’s
  ability to make sense of the world. In the case of repetition, the person may not
  remember that she or he has just asked a question or completed a task.
  Environmental influences also can cause symptoms or make them worse. People with
  dementia who ask questions repeatedly may be trying to express a specific concern, ask
  for help, or cope with frustration, anxiety or insecurity.
  Because people with Alzheimer’s gradually lose the ability to communicate, it’s
  important to regularly monitor their comfort and anticipate their needs.
  Learn more: Communication Tips, Behaviors Brochure How to respond
• Look for a reason behind the repetition. Does the repetition occur around
  certain people or surroundings, or at a certain time of day?
• Is the person trying to communicate something?
  Focus on the emotion, not the behavior. Rather than reacting to what the
  person is doing, think about how he or she is feeling.
  Turn the action or behavior into an activity. If the person is rubbing his or her
  hand across the table, provide a cloth and ask for help with dusting.
  Stay calm, and be patient. Reassure the person with a calm voice and gentle
  touch. Don’t argue or try to use logic; Alzheimer’s affects memory, and the person
  may not remember he/she asked the question already.
• Provide an answer. Give the person the answer that he or she is looking for, even
  if you have to repeat it several times. If the person with dementia is still able to
  read and comprehend, it may help to write it down and post it in a prominent
  location.
• Engage the person in an activity. The individual may simply be bored and need
  something to do. Provide structure and engage the person in a pleasant activity.
  Use memory aids. If the person asks the same questions over and over again,
  offer reminders by using notes, clocks, calendars or photographs, if these items
  are still meaningful.
  Accept the behavior, and work with it. If it isn’t harmful, don’t worry about it.
• 
  Find ways to work with it.
  Share your experience with others. Join ALZConnected, our online support
  community and message boards, and share what response strategies have worked
  for you and get more ideas from other caregivers
• What Stage of Dementia Is Repetition? | Visiting Angels Repetition can also be accompanied by non-stop talking in seniors with dementia, which is also a common symptom of the disease. Correcting a senior with dementia rarely stops repetition from occurring. Providing calm reassurance followed by gentle redirection to a different topic or activity tends to be more effective.
• The Logic Gap: Why Reasoning Doesn’t Work With Dementia and What to Do Instead | Comfort Keepers Reasoning often fails with dementia because the disease damages brain areas needed for memory, judgment, and logical processing — making factual correction ineffective and sometimes harmful Comfort Keepers+1.
• Why Logic Stops WorkingDementia affects the frontal and parietal lobes, which support self-awareness, abstract thinking, and the ability to evaluate new information scienceinsights.org.
• This can lead to:
  • Memory loss — the person may not recall or store the facts you’re trying to share Comfort Keepers+1.
• • Anosognosia — a neurological inability to recognize one’s own cognitive decline, so they don’t “deny” out of stubbornness but literally cannot detect the problem scienceinsights.org.
• • Processing overload — explanations can overwhelm the brain, triggering anxiety or defensiveness YouTube.
  Because the brain’s internal monitoring system is impaired, presenting facts or logical arguments often feels futile and can cause frustration, agitation, or shame scienceinsights.org+1.
• Why Correction BackfiresWhen you say “That never happened,” the person may feel attacked, unheard, or embarrassed alzheimersinyourhome.com. This can escalate distress and make the situation worse for both parties YouTube+1.
• What Works Better
• Instead of debating facts, meet the person where they are emotionally:
• • Validation therapy — acknowledge feelings and needs without confirming or denying facts. For example, if someone insists they need to go to work, respond with, “You worked very hard. Let’s sit and relax together” Comfort Keepers+1.
• • Redirection — gently shift the conversation toward a calmer, more positive topic Comfort Keepers.
• • Empathy over correction — focus on comfort, connection, and safety rather than factual accuracy scienceinsights.org+1.
• • Early-stage flexibility — in mild cases, gentle reality orientation (calendars, clocks) can still help, but as the disease progresses, emotional connection becomes more important scienceinsights.org.
  Practical Tips for Caregivers
• 1. Pause before responding — give yourself time to choose a calm, non-confrontational reply.
• 1. Acknowledge feelings — “I can see you’re upset” before addressing the content.
• 1. Avoid repeating corrections — each attempt can increase frustration.
• 1. Use simple, positive language — short, clear sentences reduce cognitive load YouTube.
• 1. Stay patient and calm — your composure helps de-escalate tension alzheimersinyourhome.com.
  Bottom line: With dementia, the goal shifts from “proving them wrong” to “keeping them safe, respected, and emotionally supported” Comfort Keepers+1.

This approach reduces conflict and fosters connection, even when logic no longer works

How Counting and the Power of Prayer May Influence Healing

Counting and prayer can influence healing mainly by reducing stress, improving emotional well‑being, and triggering physiological changes that support recovery, though scientific evidence for direct physical cure is mixed.

What the research shows

Prayer’s effects
Studies indicate that prayer can:

• Lower anxiety and depression and boost positive emotions like gratitude and compassion GoodRx.
• Reduce stress hormones (e.g., cortisol) and promote relaxation responses such as slower heart rate, deeper breathing, and lowered blood pressure GoodRx+1.
• Support pain perception — some trials, including a 2026 University of Maryland study, found that five minutes of proximal intercessory prayer significantly reduced pain and anxiety compared to a music control genesisworldhealth.com.
• Provide emotional and spiritual support, which can improve coping and resilience during illness Natural Living Family.

Counting’s role
Counting (e.g., counting breaths, heartbeats, or prayer repetitions) can act as a mindfulness or grounding technique. This helps focus attention, slow the mind, and reduce physiological arousal, which in turn can lower stress and improve emotional regulation scienceinsights.org.

How these practices may support healing

• Stress reduction: Lower stress hormones can improve immune function and tissue repair scienceinsights.org.
• Emotional regulation: Focused prayer and counting can calm the nervous system, making the body more receptive to recovery processes GoodRx+1.
• Pain modulation: Mindful, repetitive prayer can change pain perception and tolerance genesisworldhealth.com.
• Social and spiritual support: Prayer often involves community or personal faith, which can enhance hope and adherence to treatment Natural Living Family.

What’s not proven

Large, rigorous clinical trials on remote intercessory prayer (e.g., STEP, MANTRA II) have not found measurable improvements in medical outcomes scienceinsights.org. Cochrane reviews conclude prayer is “neither significantly beneficial nor harmful” for physical health in those studied scienceinsights.org.

Practical takeaway

Counting and prayer may not directly cure disease, but they can create conditions favorable for healing by reducing stress, improving mood, and supporting coping. They can be used alongside conventional medical care, not as a replacement Natural Living Family+1.

Example: A patient with chronic pain might use gentle breathing counts during prayer to calm the nervous system, which can reduce perceived pain and improve quality of life, even if the underlying condition remains unchanged.

In short, counting and prayer influence healing mainly through psychological, emotional, and physiological pathways, and their benefits are most evident in supporting well‑being and coping rather than altering disease processes directly.   

 What does counting and power of prayer influence youre healing – Search Videos

Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk explains that stress can be beneficial if you change your mindset and use it to connect with others.

Key Insights

Kelly McGonigal challenges the common belief that stress is inherently harmful. She explains that stress only becomes detrimental if you perceive it as dangerous. By reframing stress as a helpful response, you can harness its energy to improve performance, resilience, and social connection TED+1.

The Biology of Stress

During stressful situations, your body experiences physical changes: heart rate increases, breathing quickens, and sweat production rises. McGonigal emphasizes that these responses are not signs of weakness but preparations for action, creating what she calls the “biology of courage” TED+1. Viewing these physiological changes as supportive rather than threatening can reduce the negative health impacts of stress.

Social Connection as Stress Relief

A central idea in the talk is that reaching out to others under stress strengthens resilience. Helping or connecting with someone else during stressful moments activates the body’s stress response in a positive way, releasing oxytocin, which promotes heart health and social bonding TED+1.

This approach transforms stress from a personal burden into an opportunity for meaningful interaction.

Practical Takeaways

1. Reframe your mindset: See stress as a tool that energizes and prepares you for challenges rather than a threat.
2. Use stress to connect: Engage with others, offer support, or seek help when stressed to build resilience.
3. Trust your ability to cope: Believing in your capacity to handle stress reduces its harmful effects and enhances performance TED+1.

Conclusion

McGonigal’s talk encourages a paradigm shift: stress is not the enemy. By changing your perception and using stress to foster social connection, you can transform it into a positive force that enhances courage, health, and well-being TED+1.
You can watch the full TED Talk here for the complete presentation and examples.  

Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend | TED Talk

.

This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more – Search Videos

A person may count to cope with anxiety, confusion, or overstimulation.

Dementia counting in using the logical side of your brain – Search

Dementia counting in using the logical side of your nrain – Search

Counting and the Dementia Patient – Search Videos

Counting Exercise and Dementia – Search Videos

How to Pray for Healing|Unlock Your Power

Dementia is a slow but permanent loss of function in many areas of the brain. This will guide the patient have problems with memory, cognition, and decision making, resulting in interfering with everyday life. Including behavioral problems and emotional involvement, such as aggressive behavior Restlessness Paranoia, and delusion.

This video introduces some finger exercises to prevent Dementia and to improve brain function. These finger exercise is to stimulate the work of the brain to balance both the left and right hemispheres. And to stimulate the brain for computation as well.

The Science of Life After Death: New… book by Stephen Hawley Martin

What happens when we die?

By Stephen Hawley Martin

The question has been around since the first humanoid climbed down from a tree and walked onto the ancient African savanna:

Does our consciousness continue? Is it possible to communicate with the living? How? Are we reborn? If so, how can this be reconciled with modern scientific principles? Or can it? Is something missing from current biological and reproductive theory? 

Scientists at The Universities of Virginia, Maryland and Arizona as well as The Windbridge Research Institute for Applied Research in Human Potential and others have been researching these questions and now have answers. The author, host of the network radio show THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE, shares what he has learned from them in this down-to-earth, pleasurable-to-read book meant for the general public. 

After all, we all will eventually cross the border and enter into what William Shakespeare called ‘that undiscovered country.’ As long as we have to take the trip, wouldn’t it make sense to have an idea where, if anywhere at all, we’re headed? This description may be from another edition of this product.

As the talk show host of a popular weekly internet podcast, “The Truth About Life,” it became clear to bestselling author Stephen Hawley Martin as he interviewed dozens of near death survivors, psychics, researchers into the paranormal, as well as quantum physicists and medical doctors, that humankind is on the cusp of a transition to a new understanding of the true nature of reality.

Why Martin believes consciousness survives death – Search

Martin’s conclusion rests on a single overarching claim: materialism cannot account for subjective experience.

He argues that if consciousness can occur when the brain is offline, then consciousness must be primary, not emergent. This leads to the implication that death ends the body, not awareness.

Context within Martin’s broader work

Martin’s other books—You Are Not Your Brain, Death Is Fiction, Fear an Illusion, and Life Goes On—reinforce the same thesis: Bing Videos

Consciousness is fundamental.

The brain is a receiver, not a generator.

Evidence from NDEs and reincarnation supports survival of awareness.

Loving Life Beats the Fearing Death!!! – Search

Fear of death is based on a mistaken scientific worldview.

These themes strongly suggest The Science of Life After Death is part of the same conceptual lineage.

A symbolic comparison between his model and other afterlife frameworks

Side‑by‑Side Comparison: Martin vs. Mainstream Neuroscience

Concept

Martin’s View

Mainstream Neuroscience

Nature of Consciousness

Consciousness is non‑local, fundamental, and exists independently of the brain.Consciousness is an emergent property of neural networks and electrochemical activity.

Brain’s Role

The brain is a receiver/filter of consciousness, like a radio tuning a signal.

The brain is the generator of consciousness; damage to neural tissue directly alters awareness.

Near‑Death Experiences (NDEs)

NDEs occur because consciousness continues functioning when the brain shuts down.NDEs are hallucinations caused by hypoxia, neurotransmitter surges, or cortical disinhibition.

Evidence from Children’s Past‑Life Memories

Veridical details suggest reincarnation and continuity of personal identity.

Memories are shaped by confabulation, suggestion, or cultural reinforcement.

Mediumship & Psi PhenomenaControlled studies show information transfer beyond physical senses.

Results are attributed to cold reading, chance, or methodological flaws.

Death

Death ends the body, not consciousness; awareness persists in another domain.

Death ends all subjective experience because neural activity ceases.

Implications for Identity

The “self” is non‑physical and survives bodily death.

The “self” is a neural construct that dissolves when the brain stops.

Interpretation of Anomalous CasesAnomalies reveal cracks in materialism and support survival.

Anomalies are outliers explainable by known or future neuroscience.

Philosophical Foundation

Idealism / panpsychism: mind precedes matter.

Physicalism: matter precedes mind.

Why the Two Views Diverge So Sharply

🜂 Martin’s model

Martin begins with subjective experience—the irreducible “I”—and argues that no physical description can explain qualia. He treats consciousness as the ground of being, with the brain acting as a limiter that shapes raw awareness into personal identity.

🜁 Neuroscience’s model

Neuroscience begins with observable mechanisms—neurons, synapses, oscillations—and builds upward. If you change the brain, you change consciousness. If the brain stops, consciousness stops. This framework is anchored in measurable, reproducible data.

Non‑obvious insight

The deepest disagreement isn’t about NDEs or reincarnation—it’s about causation.

• Martin: consciousness → brain → experience
• Neuroscience: brain → consciousness → experience

Everything else flows from this single fork in the road.

Concise takeaway: The strongest near‑death experience (NDE) evidence comes from cases where conscious awareness appears to occur during periods of absent or severely impaired brain function, combined with veridical perception (accurate details later confirmed). These cases challenge a strictly brain‑based model of consciousness and remain the most debated data points in the field.

The strongest NDE evidence (organized by evidentiary weight)

1. Veridical perception during medical “non‑conscious” states

These are cases where people accurately describe events that occurred while they were clinically unconscious or without measurable cortical activity.

• Pam Reynolds (1991)
  • Underwent hypothermic cardiac arrest; EEG flatline.
  • Reported surgical details: the bone saw, conversations, instruments.
  • These details were later verified by the surgical team.
• Maria’s Shoe (1977)
  • Patient described a shoe on a third‑floor ledge—visible only from outside the building.
  • Social worker verified the shoe exactly as described.
• The dentures case (Netherlands, 2001)
  • A man revived from cardiac arrest recognized the nurse who removed his dentures while he was unconscious.
  • The nurse confirmed the event; the patient described the room and actions accurately.

Why these matter: They suggest perception without sensory input, which is difficult to reconcile with a strictly materialist model.

2. NDEs during cardiac arrest (the “gold standard”)

Cardiac arrest is one of the clearest windows for studying consciousness because:

• Blood flow to the brain stops within seconds.
• EEG activity drops to near‑zero.
• The cortex cannot support conscious experience.

Yet many NDEs occur precisely during this window.

Key study: The AWARE Study (2014, Sam Parnia)

• 2,060 cardiac arrest patients across 15 hospitals.
• One patient reported detailed events during a 3‑minute period of no heartbeat.
• His description matched staff actions and machine sounds.

Why this matters:

If consciousness requires brain activity, experiences during cortical shutdown should be impossible.

It’s Not Jesus? The First Person You Meet After Death Will Shock You | Biblical WisdomMost people assume that the moment they die, they’ll open their eyes in eternity and see Jesus waiting with outstretched arms. It’s a comforting thought, right? One that’s preached at funerals, whispered in hospital rooms, and passed down through generations. But what if I told you the Bible paints a far more layered, more mysterious picture than we often realize? What if the very first being you meet after you take your final breath… isn’t Jesus at all? Stay with me. This isn’t some wild theory or fringe idea. We’re going to walk through Scripture together, carefully, honestly, and reverently. And by the end of this, you might find yourself not only surprised—but spiritually awakened.

The Truth About Life – The New American

Marilu Henner has an amazing memory because of this rare medical condition

Through the years, Henner has been a staple of the entertainment and television industry. She starred in the award-winning show “Taxi,” clocking in 114 episodes. But of course, she didn’t stop there. In fact, she is one of the highest-paid Hallmark stars and a fan-favorite on the network. But she has recently shared more insight into the rare medical condition that she lives with.  

Often, when we hear news about health conditions affecting people’s memories, we brace ourselves for the worst. But that isn’t the case for practiced actor Marilu Henner. Henner coins herself as a “memory expert” on her Instagram and has shared details about the medical condition responsible for her ability to recall every day of her life. 

Henner was diagnosed with hyperthymesia, nicknamed Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, according to ABC News.

 “When somebody gives me a date or a year or something, I see all these little movie montages, basically on a time continuum, and I’m scrolling through them and flashing through them,” she told the outlet, explaining how her memory is similar to a scene-selection screen when watching a movie. Henner discovered her rare gift with memory when she was young, but she assumed it was just an interesting quirk – not one of the rarest medical conditions in the world.

“Even when I was 5 years old, people would say to my parents, ‘What’s with that kid and her memory? She remembers the last time I was here and everything that happened,'” she said (via Brain and Life). As she got older, Henner’s career choice benefited from her ability to quickly memorize lines. But it wasn’t until much later that she learned that she had a Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory.

Marilu Henner learned that she is a memory wizard
Actor Marilu Henner had always been gifted when it came to learning, but she didn’t realize that her memory was near supernatural until the 2000s. According to Brain and Life, “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl — who knew Henner and her wicked ability to recite any memory perfectly — had been pitched a story to cover concerning Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. But Stahl didn’t think that the topic was newsworthy because Henner had a similar ability. It took a few years, but eventually, Henner underwent an MRI and answered questions while taped for a segment of “60 Minutes” covering HSAM.

From there, Henner had another accolade to add to her resume: “memory wizard.” She became a consultant for memory tips, per AARP, and even released a book all about her condition: “Total Memory Makeover.” While some with HSAM find the condition overwhelming — the constant bombardment of all their memories interrupting their everyday lives — Henner says that, for her, it’s a blessing. “I get asked if it’s hard remembering all the bad things that have happened to me — but the bad memories, you’re going to remember those anyway,” she told Brain and Life. “I happen to be able to cushion that and the happy memories with all those nice middle-of-the-road memories that make up your life … Your memory is your story, it’s your life, it’s everything.”

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