Throughout the ups and downs in life, Mary Jo Burkhard of Howell has never underestimated the power of a meaningful hug. The 71-year-old Navy veteran and former Brookdale Community College administrator doled them out in good measure over the past 18 months as her family, friends and the CentraState [...]
For many years, Juan Merino Martos’ days seemed repetitious: wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat. At age 33, he was overweight, tired, depressed and suffering from severe joint and back pain. He knew something had to change but wasn’t sure how. “I didn’t have any energy,” the Freehold resident explains. [...]
Tracy Vitulli of Freehold was running the bases during a softball game years ago when he suddenly couldn’t catch his breath – and then couldn’t get out of bed for several days. A longtime smoker, Tracy learned he had emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), two conditions that [...]
After completing treatment for early-stage breast cancer in 2011, Marites “Jing” Nieveras had put the disease in her rearview mirror. She moved forward with her life, working as a registered nurse in CentraState’s Pre-Admission Testing department and raising two teenagers with her husband, Mike. Jing’s commitment to her annual [...]
Cutting-edge technology is helping patients with brain and balance issues learn to adjust their movements to become more stable – and more confident when walking. Ataxia is a type of poor muscle control that can affect everything from walking and eye-hand coordination to speech and swallowing. It is typically [...]
When Julie McLaughlin suggested that her husband, Mark McLaughlin, MD, join her for a swim class at the CentraState Fitness & Wellness Center, he couldn’t have predicted it would become one of his favorite ways to exercise. “I'm a wrestler and a runner, but these activities come with muscle [...]
Doug Brooks has struggled with his weight since high school, and it continued to climb through adulthood. Four years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Howell resident to work from home, his weight spiked from 220 pounds to 300 pounds. Easily fatigued and experiencing excruciating hip and knee pain, [...]
Gary Triolo’s workday started like any other – going through paperwork, checking email and answering calls – until his world suddenly started spinning out of control. “I looked up and the room started to spin to the left in slow motion,” explains Gary, who serves as the director of Food [...]
When Cynthia James was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) – a chronic, debilitating disease of the central nervous system – she could’ve scaled back her commitments while processing her new reality. Instead, she found ways to help others with the disease. Six years ago, with a career she loved, a [...]
After 18 years as a Staten Island bus driver, Middletown resident Chad Frontera finally had his work schedule align with one of the yearly free health screenings offered by the New York City Transit System union. “I never had an indication of any thyroid issues, and I had no [...]
