Health Story Collaborative

In 2010, Kate, a single mom from New Hampshire, gave birth to Brook, a healthy baby girl. Brook seemed to be developing normally and reaching all of her milestones -- learning how to sit up and roll over, grasping at toys--until she was 6 months of age, at which point she started to regress. She lost skills she had already learned, and gradually, Kate noticed other things. Brook didn't seem to res...

Tiron, Marie's husband shares his perspective.

Essay by Marie Pechet: As a mother to two young boys who love to watch movies, certain lyrics tend to run through my head, like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang we love you! or You’ve got a friend in me…. from Toy Story. Since my most recent cancer diagnosis, the lyrics that stick in my mind are from Frosty the Snowman: Frosty the Snowman Knew the sun was hot that day But he said let’s run and we’ll have s...

Wayne, Loie's husband, shares his perspective.

Chris Loie's son shares his perspective.

At age 51, Loie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At the time of this interview, she had just celebrated five years cancer-free. Loie beat the odds. On average, individuals with this disease survive 4-6 months after diagnosis, and only about 6% make it to five years. Early diagnosis is rare, as symptoms can be very subtle, or even nonexistent. All too often, the cancer is locally advanced or h...

Lyzz, a 19 year old college student, has struggled with issues of weight, and ultimately with self-love, since childhood. Growing up, she watched her mother struggle with anorexia and endure multiple hospitalizations, feeding tubes, and seemingly endless suffering. She didn’t want to end up this way, and promised herself she would never have an eating disorder. Despite her best intention, she deve...

Sara and Kerry met as students at Bates College in 2001. They were together for eight years, and planned to get married in August 2010. Last June, just two months before the wedding, Kerry committed suicide using a gun he purchased legally that same day. He was 27 years old. This was a complete surprise to everyone who knew him, and obviously devastating. At the time, both Sara and Kerry were in g...

Anne grew up with privilege. She was well-educated, and she had resources. She married a Harvard professor. She sent her children to a prestigious private school. On the surface, her life looked neat and pretty, even enviable. But her life had another, hidden side. For over forty years, Anne has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and for many of these years, while injecting amphetamines an...

On March 19, 1991, Larry Brennan broke his neck. He was 18 years old and suddenly paralyzed. He’s had to use a wheelchair ever since. At the time of the accident, Larry was a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; he was in the Bahamas with friends on spring break. The details of the accident are fuzzy, he says, because he was intoxicated at the time, having been on a “booze cruise”...

At 44, Karin had a successful career and three nearly-grown children. Then, in 2004, she began a relationship that at first felt dreamy but slowly deteriorated. Eventually, Karin found herself in a position she never imagined: as the victim of domestic violence. Initially, her partner seemed lovely. He was a respected member of her community, well known for his dedication to volunteer work and he...

Eileen - Chris’ mother offers her perspective by Health Story Collaborative

Chris is a 38-year-old Ph. D. student who spent 10 years struggling with and fighting against his psychotic illness. His condition has been hard to diagnose — it’s been characterized as Bipolar and Schizoaffective Disorder at various times. Regardless of the specific diagnosis, the bottom line is the same: Chris has a lifelong mental health condition. He hears voices, and has suffered from paranoi...

Zachary went through puberty twice, first as a girl, then as a boy, after he started taking hormones. “The second time was a lot better,” he said. “I got excited when my voice cracked, and when I started to smell different,” though he adds that excitedly telling friends that you smell really bad is kind of a conversation killer. Zachary is transgender. He was born female but he has always known, e...