Health
‘It still seems unbelievable’
At 36, Simon Maloy was a successful political writer with a wife and two young sons. Then he found out he had colon cancer, a disease striking more and more young people.
Group effort
For 90 days, a bunch of men from Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kensington gave up alcohol and sweets, took cold showers and committed to praying for an hour each day. It wasn’t easy, but the impact on their health and spirituality made the journey worth it.
In the moment
A Rockville meditation teacher focuses on being kind to ourselves
‘She’s still my mom’
Two years ago, Holly Gross was diagnosed with ALS, a disease she calls ‘a monster with no mercy.’ As her husband struggles with Parkinson’s, it’s her sons who mostly take care of her. She can’t use her voice, but she talks to them. She can’t move, but she keeps them on track. All they want now is more time with her.
‘It still seems unbelievable’
At 36, Simon Maloy was a successful political writer with a wife and two young sons. Then he found out he had colon cancer, a disease striking more and more young people.
Group effort
For 90 days, a bunch of men from Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kensington gave up alcohol and sweets, took cold showers and committed to praying for an hour each day. It wasn’t easy, but the impact on their health and spirituality made the journey worth it.
In the moment
A Rockville meditation teacher focuses on being kind to ourselves
‘She’s still my mom’
Two years ago, Holly Gross was diagnosed with ALS, a disease she calls ‘a monster with no mercy.’ As her husband struggles with Parkinson’s, it’s her sons who mostly take care of her. She can’t use her voice, but she talks to them. She can’t move, but she keeps them on track. All they want now is more time with her.
Top Doctors spotlights 2021
Interviews with six of the physicians in our Top Doctors package
Up close
The pandemic has meant a year full of Zooms—and a rise in plastic surgery
Rallying
Steve Parker taught tennis in the Bethesda area for more than three decades. When he suffered a stroke in April 2020, players stepped up to help him—and they haven’t stopped.
Tough decisions
A Bethesda geriatric care manager helps families confront the challenges of aging
By their side
College sophomore Nick Opack has Type 1 diabetes. So does his younger sister and their father. For years they’ve relied on dogs who are specially trained to detect the scent of low blood sugar and alert them when something is wrong.
Tossing and turning
Why sleep matters more than people think
The eye guy
With kids staring at computer monitors all day, a Chevy Chase ophthalmologist is hearing from plenty of anxious parents
Fighting back
After Mark and Jenny Mosier lost their 6-year-old son, Michael, to a rare form of brain cancer, the Bethesda couple committed to doing whatever it takes to keep other families from suffering the way they have
‘Finding the water’
A Rockville mom’s new children’s book captures her mental health struggles
Office space
A physical therapist talks about how to avoid an achy neck, back pain and stiffness when you’re working from home
‘A sense of peace’
Before the pandemic, hospice volunteers could hold patients’ hands and talk with them face-to-face. They’re still finding ways to keep patients comfortable—and that connection helps the volunteers, too.
Survivor
As a child, Megan Mendoza faced leukemia, then a relapse and the bouts of depression that came along with it. Pediatric nurses had such an impact on her life that she decided to become one, too.
On the front lines
Meet 13 local medical heroes who are fighting to save lives as the pandemic rages on
On the cusp of a cure?
Jeff Galvin believes his Rockville cell and gene technology company has found a breakthrough treatment for people living with HIV
‘Miracle man’
When Mike Lavorel developed a rare infection, likely from something he ate, it didn’t look like he would survive. Less than a year later, the Bethesda dad was coaching soccer again—and adjusting to challenges he never expected.
Screen time
How the pandemic is changing the way a Chevy Chase pediatrician connects with her patients
