-
Scientists Create First 3D Map of the Heart’s Nervous System
A groundbreaking new study could be the key to treating heart diseaseA team of researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have created the first 3D map of the heart’s nervous system. This breakthrough has major implications for both neurology and cardiology, and could lead to the improved treatment of heart disease, heart attacks, and sudden cardiac death. The intracardiac nervous system functions like a simplified “brain” that…
/
-
My Brother’s Unexpected Death from Necrotizing Fasciitis
Grief led my brother to neglect himself to the point that a terrible infection took his lifeThis is Tammy’s story as told to Jeanette Summers. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences. By sharing these experiences publicly, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their grief and, ultimately, aid them in their healing process. In this story, Tammy talks about her experience surrounding her…
/
-
“End-of-Life Care During the COVID-19” Crisis
A short film for BBC News about the impact of COVID-19 on doctors on the front linesFilmmaker Paul Myles’s short film for BBC News about end-of-life care during the COVID-19 crisis asks five doctors working during the COVID-19 crisis the question: “How has coronavirus changed how doctors deal with and feel about death?” The film opens with voice-overs from the doctors’ interviews over serene, hand-drawn 2D animation by May Kindred-Boothby. Doctors…
/
-
“Nothing Compares 2 U”
Sinead O’Connor turned the rock star’s forgotten gem into an enduring ode to lossIn 1990, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor exploded onto the American music scene with her music video “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Eschewing the sort of flashy exuberance that characterized MTV’s hits at the time, the video was starkly intimate, featuring a near-continuous shot of O’Connor’s face as she lamented: It’s been seven hours and thirteen days…
/
-
Our Monthly Tip: Offer Condolences That Honor Social Distancing
How to express sympathy and support while meeting health and safety guidelinesOur Tip of the Month Many people are grieving the loss of their loved ones or cut off from those with COVID-19 in the hospital while unable to receive physical condolences. Meanwhile, friends and family members are confronted with the challenge of how to express sympathy when visits aren’t permitted, hugs aren’t allowed and funerals…
/
-
“La Junta Luz: Oratorio a Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo”
The renowned poet and political exile’s tribute to the mothers of Argentina’s lost childrenFor the last thirty years of his life, the work of late poet, political analyst and political exile of Argentina’s Dirty War Juan Gelman grappled with the themes of grief and loss. From 1976 to 1983 a CIA-backed military Junta waged a war of state-sponsored terrorism against the civilian population of Argentina. The Junta mission…
/
-
How Do We Safely Mourn Loved Ones Lost to COVID-19?
The coronavirus has changed everything, including the way we grieveIn the era of social distancing, we’ve been forced to reimagine the rituals in our lives that revolve around physical closeness. Birthday parties are on hold. Graduations are being held over Zoom. Weddings are being postponed. But what about funerals? When a loved one dies of COVID-19, grief can be compounded by fear and confusion…
/
-
“Con Te Partirò/Time to Say Goodbye”
The operatic pop song that topped the charts for months in the 1990s remains an emotional favoriteAndrea Bocelli is one of the world’s most famous and beloved operatic tenors. A native of Italy, Bocelli’s roots are firmly classical, but he has had incredible success as a crossover performer in operatic pop. Since the start of his career in the mid 1980s, Bocelli has sold tens of millions of records and collaborated…
/
-
A New World of Street Art Has Emerged Under Lockdown
With galleries and museums closed to the public, artists take to the streetsSince the coronavirus outbreak, we live in altered landscapes. Skies have cleared; highways are quiet. Stages and stadiums lie eerily vacant, and on a walk through your local downtown, you’re likely to be faced with dark windows and empty streets. And you might be faced with something else: a new world of street art. In…
/
Want an Easier Way to Plan a Memorial Event? Get our FREE guide
“7 Ways to Create an Amazing Celebration of Life”
