“It’s Been Really Stressful”
With SNAP funding in jeopardy, Greater Chicago Food Depository sounds alarm on food access Chicago resident Stacy Robison-Holzendorf faces a nearly impossible choice this month: pay her bills or feed her children and grandchildren. “It’s been really stressful,” Robison-Holzendorf says. “Telling my grandkids: ‘Don’t run through the food.’ They’re not used to that. And now […]
Food Insecurity in Chicago
Area hospitals, pantries work to counteract federal cuts Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Illustrations by Fiorella Quaranta The sprawling Illinois Medical District — home to Rush University Medical Center, Cook County Health, UI Health, Sinai Chicago, the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, and more — sits just east of some of Chicago’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, […]
Breakthrough Stroke Therapy Offers Hope
Fact checked by Jim Lacy The effects of stroke, among the top drivers of disability in people over 60, have a new foe in Vivistim. The device stimulates the vagus nerve via a small chip implanted in a person’s chest. The goal: to restore arm function. The therapy is intended for people six months removed […]
Play On
Chicago area flautist flouts the usual outcome of bow hunter’s syndrome Flautist Janice Frank, of Naperville, has a rare gift for woodwind instruments. She has played since age 7, has her master’s degree in music, and is the current secretary and past-president for the Chicago Flute Club. But a few years ago, when Frank was […]
Long-Covid Apps Offer Connection and Hope
In the pandemic’s wake, many — perhaps more than 60 million worldwide — are still suffering from long Covid. The condition involves chronic symptoms such as brain fog and extreme fatigue that last for months or indefinitely. Long Covid’s newness means there isn’t yet a gold standard for treatment. This leaves people searching for appropriate […]
Plant Power
Little Apothecary plants the seed of ‘people’s medicine’ in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood In the middle of a community garden in Englewood sits a red box, labelled “free medicine.” Inside the box is a treasure trove of herbs and salves: mugwort, beeswax, yaro, and other natural ointments for various conditions. This Free Little Apothecary is the […]