As you might imagine, my notions of work and purpose changed radically when I retired prematurely due to ALS. I had spent my adult life describing my work as a vocation, because I derived a deep purpose from my role as a nurse and as a pediatrician. I experienced a...
Peggy will soon publish her most recent scholarly article, entitled “Changing the paradigm: practical wisdom as true north in medical education”. It will appear in a special issue of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. In the article Peggy explores the...
ALS is always a grim tale to tell, and to hear. Sorry. What if we could tell a parallel ALS tale that was the opposite of grim? I have an idea. Read on. ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is generally defined as a progressive, neurodegenerative illness with no...
The Hummingbird Fund is gaining notice which makes me really happy. Our mission is clear, and dare I say boldly stated: Ending ALS. Starting with all of us. The Hummingbird Fund stands on three pillars: access, innovation, and advocacy. We are on a mission to end...
In a recent essay published in the New York Times, Mary Pipher reveals her double life. Perhaps you remember Mary Pipher, PhD., as the best-selling author of Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, and Women Rowing North. Or, maybe you remember her...
A few years ago, our son William led a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. He had a small flock of pilgrims, or peregrinos as they are known along the Camino. Exactly two peregrinos: his parents. William selected the route, made the...
Yesterday, May 12, 2022, my mom would have been 93 years old. Peggy and I were on the National Mall with Lefty and Righty planting 6,000 flags to honor people living with ALS, and people who have passed away from ALS. Each flag bore a name and a date of diagnosis. A...
"I hope you know how loved you are!" "You are so loved." "People love you." Over and over and over again I have received these sincere exclamations that are meant to remind me of the bountiful love that surrounds me. I am most often without adequate words in response....
This year I decided to give up death for Lent. 40 days and 40 nights to put aside any thought about death. It would be like a Death fast. If you can give up chocolate for Lent, why not death. Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights alone in the desert, fasting and facing...
I heard a new one this week. That is, I heard tell of a simple triumph that caught me up short. A family recently put together the capital to buy a van to transport their 12 year old son who requires complete care. The van came equipped with a lift and more space for...
Today, we mark two years since our beloved Jim passed away. Our Plews-Ogan family, including Rowan and baby Phoebe, Erin and Hal, and Will and Monika, are gathering for the weekend as we will every year. This year, we’re in Minneapolis. The time together has given us...