The Michigan Health and Health Lab blogs are celebrating five years. Check out more anniversary stories: Golden Oldies: 5 Health Stories You Should Still Read, Celebrating 5 Years of the Michigan Health Blog, Michigan Health Lab Turns 5, Michigan Health Lab's 5 Most Viewed Stories May Surprise You
While articles rely heavily on a writer and an interviewee to shape the story, they also require another key element that help bring them to life: a compelling visual.
Since the Michigan Health blog launched in 2016, not only has the platform covered a variety of gripping patient stories, informative health pieces and more, but it also provided captivating videos, photos and graphics to depict each one.
To help celebrate the blog's fifth anniversary, we're looking back at over 1,500 articles and highlighting five in particular that are worth another look (along with a bonus Editor's Pick at the end):
1. 7-Year-Old Receives New FDA-Approved Retina Gene Therapy
University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center is one of just 10 centers in the country to offer Luxturna, a new treatment that hopes to slow the progression of rare genetic eye disease and prevent blindness. Here, Zion Grant and his parents talk about being enrolled in the clinical trial that may change the trajectory of his disease so that he won't sustain significant vision loss as he grows.
2. Pokémon Go Makes Children's Hospital 'More of a Magical Place' for Patients
A phenomenon that took over the summer of 2016 brought to life a magical fantasy world for fans of Pokémon, including for patients at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
It proved to be an effective tool for Mott's child life and occupational therapists to get their young patients up and moving, sparking joy and excitement, dethatching, even for a few moments, many from their medical diagnosis or fear of the hospital.
3. Buying Your Own Health Insurance Just Got a Lot Less Expensive
The ray of light that breaks the rain is exactly the feeling of hope when you read about affordable health insurance being made available to more people in this country.
4. Michigan Medicine Team Separates Conjoined Twins at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
Infant sisters, born attached at the chest and abdomen, underwent a complex 11-hour surgery involving more than two dozen specialists. The result? A video that will bring you tears of joy.
5. Treating One of Their Own: COVID-19 Breaks Myth of Invincibility for Hospital Doctors
Two hospitalists felt a sense of duty and pride volunteering to take care of the sickest patients with COVID-19. But when a fellow critical care doctor became one of their sickest patients, it opened their eyes to everything they were risking. The imagery captured here portrays the real-life valiant efforts care providers gave, and continue to give, to countless patients who required their bravery and expertise in their desperate time of need.
Editor's pick:
Lessons in Love for Jimmy
Sylvia Morris has cared for over 200 foster children, many who arrived to her and her husband's home with significant mental and physical developmental needs. Working with Michigan Medicine to provide these children and adults with expert medical care, Simon Glynn, M.D., a neurologist at Michigan Medicine, who works closely with Morris for patient visits, shares more about the selfless, nurturing caregiver that is Sylvia Morris.