Together "in sickness and in health…"
The first time Dan Dow saw Andrea Gerrard, he had one reaction: "She took my breath away," he says. And Andrea's impression of Dan? "Very cute," she says. "And when he came in and talked to me, I was just in awe."
This might not sound so unusual for two 17-year-olds, but here's the unusual part: The meeting occurred at MeritCare Roger Maris Cancer Center in 1993. Andrea, then from Devils Lake, N.D., and Dan, then from Frazee, Minn., both came here because of Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymph system. Dan had successfully completed his course of chemotherapy and radiation and was in for a check-up; Andrea was midway through her course of chemotherapy. Read more about Dan and Andrea.
Beating the odds – one step at a time
It happened unbelievably fast, as most tragedies do. On Labor Day, 2002, Greg Moll and his two sons, Jonny and Dillon, then 11 and 8, took a trip to a remote wooded area in northwestern Minnesota to make final preparations for deer hunting.
Faster, easier recovery for kidney donors
With more people in need of donated kidneys, and more family members, friends and even strangers considering donation, MeritCare Transplant Services offers welcome news: minimally invasive kidney donation is available.
Hope for Advanced Parkinson's
For many people who have Parkinson's disease, medication can help alleviate symptoms for years. But in people whose symptoms can no longer be controlled with medication, or the side effects of medication have become too difficult, MeritCare now offers a new option – deep brain stimulation.
Medicated stent, new option for heart
Wayne Bjerke didn't want to believe he was having another heart problem. "Prior to my first angioplasty in 1994, I'd had tightness in the shoulders and neck, and eventually shortness of breath," says the 55-year-old from Argusville, N.D.
New fix for old injury
The injury happened on a basketball court more than 12 years ago, but for Joe Keaveny, Wahpeton, N.D., a torn Achilles tendon did more than keep him off the court.
Eye exams – take a second look
If you've been putting off a routine eye exam, you're not seeing the whole picture. "The only reason I went in is because I figured I needed new glasses, but in fact I needed more than that," says Murl Nord, Blackduck, Minn.
One unbelievable week, one incredible recovery
Lisa Bjergaard wasn't alarmed when her 8-year-old son Danny woke up feeling a little sick on a Monday morning last February. A flu bug had been making the rounds, causing many kids to be absent from school. But the next day, he wasn't any better.