Magnify Magazine

Charles Riggan, 68, (pictured above with clinical trial nurse coordinator Quinna Lawson) is well-known on the clinic floor for the Werther’s Original caramels he passes out during almost-weekly visits to Duke Cancer Center.

Though he doesn’t eat them — he’s diabetic — Charles said the hard candies help “smooth things over” and put a smile on the faces of people that take care of him.  

When Grayson Kollins was two and a half years old—just shortly after the birth of his younger sister—his parents noticed that he had all but stopped uttering the sentences and phrases that up until then he had been using to communicate. In addition, his daycare provider mentioned that Grayson had begun repeating phrases over and over, and lacked interest in playing with other children. 

Alexandra Angelova was 16 when she began experiencing blurry vision and occasional dizzy spells. Instead of going away, her symptoms gradually grew worse. Now nearly a decade later, with her vision at one percent of its original strength and with balance problems that prevent standing or walking unassisted, these symptoms inform every aspect of her daily life.

This article first appeared in DukeMed Alumni News.

Imagine a doctor saying you need surgery to replace a heart valve, and if you don’t get it you will die from heart failure within two years.