“I thought I was going to be paralyzed.” Butch is a veteran who spent his post military career working as a plumber. His nickname at work was “Bam Bam” because of his strength, which he built up during his time in Iraq carrying a pack and ammo that together weighed over 250 pounds. While under a … Read more

“It was like having an eye patch on and it came off and now I can see clearly.” Essie is a NCCC nurse at UNC Health working nights to care for critical patients in the NCCC. While driving home from work in October 2023, Essie had unusual difficulty seeing road signs clearly. Aside from reading … Read more

I thought this would be a new normal, and my family depends on me. I thought ‘this is it.’ Stanley works as a construction worker in North Carolina, and as one would expect in this field, his job is physically demanding. When Stanley started to struggle with debilitating neck pain that led to a limp … Read more

UNC Health offers integrative medical group visits to support brain tumor patients. Led by Division Chief of Neuro Oncology, Dr. Soma Sengupta, these visits give brain tumor patients a chance to learn from other patients and health care professionals, and the opportunity to contribute to group discussions on a variety of topics including nutrition, how … Read more

“So there is something wrong because everyone was making me feel like I was crazy.”  EB is a passionate wrestler and has spent years training on the mat of his high school gym in a coastal town of North Carolina. But in November of 2022, EB was injured during a practice when another wrestler executed … Read more

“We wanted to do everything we possibly could so that our son gets more time with his dad.”  In January 2024 Sam developed a headache that would not go away. He then started experiencing fainting spells. On February 24, 2024 while attending a birthday party with his 8-year-old son, Sam started to feel unwell. His … Read more

“My whole life had changed. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t go out because I was worried about falling.” In August of 2022 Cheryl fell and fractured her right foot. For 12 weeks, Cheryl was unable to put weight on her foot while it healed. During that time, Cheryl noticed that, while her foot slowly improved, … Read more

Devinder describes her mother, Bhupinder, as fairly healthy and very active. But in September of 2022, Bhupinder started to notice numbness and tingling in her legs. She then developed frequent and intense cramps to her lower body. Her symptoms made it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, or sit for long periods of time. … Read more

“I want individuals of color to realize that an endocrinologist can help with some of these issues.” Joyce runs a nonprofit, Bridging the Gap CDC, in North Carolina that aims to connect resources with individuals who are in need. She’s also a wife, mother, and grandmother that loves to garden and help out on her … Read more

“I’m in love with my back. When I saw the x-rays I was so emotional.” Niasia first noticed her daughter Dwane was standing “funny” at a waterpark when she was 12-years-old. Niasia noted that her daughter was standing with one shoulder raised. “We looked at her back and it looked crooked,” recalled Niasia. “It just … Read more