His physical strength was his currency, now it’s his patience and forbearance. On the afternoon before my college graduation in 1999, there was a ceremony for graduates who were getting department prizes. My father was a New York City tunnel worker (a “sandhog”) and at that time he was working on Roosevelt Island, a 20-minute drive from Barnard’s campus. He always showered … [Read more...] about Parkinson’s Disease: My Father’s Strength
Issues
The Perils of Being Pale
Red hair and pale skin can be very attractive to some, but the potential perils from the sun range from mere sunburn to possibly fatal cancer, as actor Donal Logue discovered. I am a redhead. Yes, I know we’re called “gingers” these days, but when I was growing up this was a term I only heard when visiting my equally pale, redheaded relatives back in Ireland or the UK, so I’ll … [Read more...] about The Perils of Being Pale
Military Physicians: Like Father, Like Daughter
Dr. Francis O’Donnell and his daughter, Dr. Mary O’Donnell, have dedicated their careers as physicians to serving our soldiers. The story of their service to their country and to our servicemen and women is a reminder of what makes our military great – the people. “I was not interested in the military,” Francis O’Donnell recalls. “They basically had to drag me in.” It was the … [Read more...] about Military Physicians: Like Father, Like Daughter
My Grandfather’s War
Over 210,000 Irish enlisted in the British Army during World War I. Among them were doctors such as my grandfather who tended the wounded and saw the brutality of modern warfare up close. "Waiting for the Wounded" is the title of the sketch on the left. The caption reads: “A British advance has just begun, and the surgeons of a Divisional Collecting Station near the Somme are … [Read more...] about My Grandfather’s War
The Trouble in Bahrain
Brian Dooley writes about Irish-trained doctors imprisoned for treating protesters. Ask most people what they know about Bahrain and chances are it won’t be much – the smallest country in the Middle East is known a bit for being on the Grand Prix circuit and for its pearl industry. In the last few years it has also gained a reputation as the place where the government … [Read more...] about The Trouble in Bahrain