Death on an Airplane

The man is already dead. He is lying in the aisle of the airplane as my daughter trades off on chest compressions with a firefighter and a couple of nurses. “One, two, three…,” they count out loud for each other. Thirty compressions, then two breaths. Thirty compressions, two breaths. The monotony of the counting, the…

Raising a Twinless Twin

The ultrasound technician places the wand on my daughter’s lower abdomen and moves it slowly across taut skin glistening with gel. I’ve been holding my breath since being ushered into the dimly lit cubicle to witness a sonogram that will determine if my daughter is carrying one or more babies. She is a twin, a…

Parents Should Limit Sports Participation for Children, Trainers Say

Too many children are risking injuries, even lifelong health problems, because they practice too intensively in a single sport, and parents should set limits on their participation, according to a leading organization of athletic trainers. New recommendations issued by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association urge parents to ensure that children and adolescents postpone specializing in…

Born to Trot

We had a sick donkey and a ticking clock, so there wasn’t time to fool around. Our friend Tanya McKean, a horse trainer and veterinary assistant, clicked a rope to the donkey’s halter, then looped it under her butt and swayed way back, using her full body weight to persuade the donkey to place his…