Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Liver From Oldest US Donor, Age 95, Successfully Transplanted
CBS News: 95-Year-Old Cecil Lockhart Becomes Oldest Organ Donor In U.S. History
Cecil Lockhart, a 95-year-old, became the oldest organ donor in United States history after he died last week. Lockhart, of Welch, West Virginia died on May 4, and his liver was donated to a woman in her sixties, CBS Pittsburgh reports. (5/11)
The Washington Post: Air Pollution From Farms Leads To 17,900 U.S. Deaths Per Year, Study Finds
The smell of hog feces was overwhelming, Elsie Herring said. The breezes that wafted from the hog farm next to her mother’s Duplin County, N.C., home carried hazardous gases: methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide. “The odor is so offensive that we start gagging, we start coughing,” she told a congressional committee in November 2019. Herring, who died last week, said she and other residents developed headaches, breathing problems and heart conditions from the fumes. (Kaplan, 5/10)
The Baltimore Sun: ‘Silver Linings In This Mess Of A Pandemic’: Telecommuting Allows Black Women In Maryland To Build Wealth
At first, Minyanna Farmer thought the LinkedIn message from a recruiter was spam. She couldn’t imagine she could work from home and increase her salary by 80%. But when it turned out to be real, the Forest Park resident didn’t think twice, accepting the offer to become senior manager of relationship marketing for BETMGM, an online gaming and sports betting website in New Jersey, and giving her a six-figure salary — a first in her career. (Williams IV, 5/11)
CNBC: Here Are The 2022 Health Savings Account Contribution Limits
Americans will be able to stash away more money in health savings accounts next year. Individuals with self-only coverage will be able to save up to $3,650 in an HSA in 2022, the IRS announced Monday. Those with family coverage will be able to save $7,300. (Iacurci, 5/10)
USA Today: Oprah, Prince Harry Launch Mental Health Series Featuring Lady Gaga, Glenn Close: 'We Are All Human'
Lady Gaga and Glenn Close are some of the major participants taking part in the Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry series on mental health, now slated to stream this month on Apple TV+. "The Me You Can’t See," the just-revealed title for the documentary series, will begin airing on May 21, according to a release. Winfrey and Prince Harry are co-creators and executive producers for the project that was announced in 2019. The series features high-profile guests and mental health experts, along with profiling people from across the globe "living with the challenges of mental health issues and addressing their emotional well-being" the release said. (Alexander, 5/10)
KHN: How Schools Can Help Kids Heal After The Pandemic’s Uncertainty
Kai Humphrey, 9, has been learning from home for more than a year. He badly misses his Washington, D.C., elementary school, along with his friends and the bustle of the classroom. “I will be the first person ever to have every single person in the world as my friend,” he said on a recent Zoom call, his sandy-brown hair hanging down to his shoulder blades. From Kai, this kind of proclamation doesn’t feel like bragging, more like exuberant kindness. (Turner and Herman, 5/10)
The Baltimore Sun: Bel Air Teen’s Documentary About Living With Disabilities Set To Serve As Teaching Tool Across The World
Faith Guilbault does not want pity. She just wants friendship. The 17-year-old from Bel Air has not let cerebral palsy stop her from being a featured model during New York Fashion Week. It has not prevented her from regularly riding horses, playing sled hockey or even skydiving. The cheerful go-getter will allow the world to get to know more about the realities of her daily life with disabilities through a documentary, “Faith’s World,” which she directed. (Williams IV, 5/11)
In sports news —
CBS News: Golfer Makes History As First Person With Down Syndrome To Compete In College Championship
Amy Bockerstette has earned her nickname Amazing Amy. She is the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a national collegiate athletic championship. Just by teeing off on Monday, Bockerstette is a winner. "I like meeting new friends at the tournaments, I have fun," she said about why she loves the game. (O'Donnell, 5/10)
AP: NBA Ref Diagnosed With Cancer, Will Miss Rest Of Season
Veteran referee Tony Brown, who worked his first NBA Finals last season, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and will miss the rest of the season. The NBA announced Monday that the 54-year-old has been undergoing treatment since his diagnosis last month. (5/11)
