“We are in the community treating the people who live here”
In rural South Mississippi a patient enters his primary care clinic. He is turning yellow, but he feels fine. He was sent to see his nurse practitioner from the hospital. Winnette Denmark sees the patient and immediately calls a specialist. The patient is airlifted to Jackson and within hours is placed on a liver transplant…
A new life after addiction and prison
“I was a functioning addict.” That’s how Julie Crutcher describes herself during the early years of her struggles with addiction. “I had an addiction problem for a long time. I had my kids. I had my house. I worked and was in school, but I still used,” she said. It was in 2013 that Crutcher…
Barrier to entry. Barrier to healthcare.
As a young girl entering college, Sarah Catherine Morrow had a picture of what her life would look like. She wanted to major in business and open a coffee shop. “I think I had watched too many episodes of ‘Friends’ and I wanted the ‘Central Perk’ coffee shop,” she laughed. She quickly realized sitting in…
My nurse practitioner saved my life. Twice.
In 2016, I walked cautiously into my local nurse practitioner’s office. I was unable to walk back out unassisted. This is the first time that my nurse practitioner saved my life. She begged the hospital to admit me. When the hospital couldn’t diagnose me and tried to discharge me – despite the fact that I…
Coffee and Conversation: Grant Callen with New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis
Say the name Demario Davis, and people rightfully think of one of the greatest athletes in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints linebacker is a leader on and off the field who has received countless awards including being named captain of his NFL team; the Saints’ nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the…
Kristie Rushing
What do you think of when you think of Mississippi? Most people think about Elvis Presley, the birthplace of the Blues, and good food. Some may think of negative things like inequality, poor access to health care, and the fact that we were voted 50th by Becker’s Hospital Review in ‘50 States Ranked from Healthiest to Unhealthiest.’ When…
Two life sentences for seven boxes of Sudafed
Three strikes and he’s out. But does the punishment fit the crime? James Vardaman is serving two life sentences under Mississippi’s habitual offender law, for seven empty boxes of Sudafed. He’s an offender convicted of a crime not ordinarily considered a crime of violence but is included in the state’s habitual offender laws. Vardaman had…
Released after a decade, and time is quickly running out for Lori Griffin
“It goes against the very essence of what you want to reform. There’s no way that someone leaving prison can get a job and improve their lives if they can’t get an ID.” The clock is ticking – 60 days. With each tick, Lori Griffin is closer to the deadline for finding work she…
Save Our ESA: ‘Families depend on it.’
“I don’t want to think of what Landon’s life might look like without (the ESA).” A small rural town in Northern Mississippi has much to offer the Morrow family. Unfortunately, Pope, Mississippi, is not able to offer a public education that meets the needs of their middle son Landon. Struggles in the classroom have…
Save Our ESA: ‘If the ESA went away it would be a blow to the gut’
“People want to say, ‘You’re choosing private school.’ No, I’m not choosing private school. I’m choosing to educate my son in the way that he needs to be educated.” Whatever it takes. That’s how Kristi and Yancey Nolan of Madison explain the lengths to which they will go to provide for their son’s education.…
Save Our ESA: “Some of us just can’t put our kids in public school. We have to have a choice.”
“The ESA is a blessing. It’s very, very scary to think that it could be taken away. I have major worries and fears that something is going to happen, and we won’t be able to send him to his school anymore.” A parent’s love knows no sacrifice, and that is evidenced by the actions…
Save Our ESA: “We will do what we have to do for our daughter”
“About 85 percent of parents of kids with special needs end up in divorce. It’s a constant stress on a family, and they don’t need the additional financial stress. They need this ESA so they can sleep at night, work their jobs, and not worry about how they are going to provide for their child’s…
Save Our ESA: Jalyn finds a home and an education
“We overwhelmingly felt like somebody had to fight for these kids. Even though we didn’t know them and didn’t have an attachment to them, we felt like everyone needs someone in their corner.” A voice for the voiceless. John and Ashley Wells of D’Iberville embarked upon that mission when the couple began discussing adoption.…