Lifestyle

By Brianne R.  Fitzgerald RN, MSN, NP, MPH Winter in Boston is long and dark.  The Redline breaks down, folks complain about the weather and we make do.  This winter I was part of the huddling hoards on the platform at Andrew trying to get home at night.  I was a regular at Dunkin Donuts (ooops cross out donuts) in Andrew Square,  I trudged Methadone Mile to see patients at the detox on Mass Ave, wandered by the empty lot at Old Colony and Dorchester Street on my way to my job at Gavin Foundation and tried to remain grounded with regular yoga at a Bikram studio.  I practiced gratitude; I had several great jobs and my health.  I was tired and attributed this to [...]

By Tara Kerrigan Hayes While the complicated origins of Mother’s Day attributes a woman named Anna Jarvis to founding the holiday, it was actually her own mother, Ann Jarvis, who had a slightly different idea for the holiday’s intent. Rather than simply celebrating one mother in particular, (our own), she envisioned a community service day for mothers to help other mothers in need. It is in that same spirit that NURTURE YOUR NEIGHBOR was created. Though previous Mother’s Day Make-over Contests held by Nurture Salon and Spa focused mainly on aesthetics, this year, owner, Susan Devlin (who is known for her charity work), is partnering with several local businesses in a display of community love, to award one special mom with an ultimate make-over to [...]

By: Tara Kerrigan Hayes (Photo by Julie Ryan Photography) A special fundraising event was held on Tuesday, April 2, at Capo Restaurant’s Supper Club on West Broadway. Fittingly called Neighborhood Night at Capo, neighbors and loved ones showed up by the hundreds in a remarkable turnout to support Colin’s Joy Project, and to pay tribute to an inspiring family aiming to transform their grief into a legacy of joy and giving. After the tragic death of their son, Colin, (just shy of his third birthday), parents  Kerri and Brendan McGrath initiated Colin’s Joy Project, an organization dedicated to building and enhancing play spaces as well as sponsoring children and family programming in the community, particularly for families in need. Colin’s Joy Project has grown both [...]

By Brianne Fitzgerald, Family and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Recoverymattersma.org The idea of intravenous vitamin therapy became popular in 2012 with raves coming from Hollywood celebrities like Rihanna and Adele.  How is that the idea of being stuck with a needle in an unregulated walk-in clinic and run by for profit companies has been turned into a wellness must for those with disposable incomes?  These clinics boast everything from a cure for jetlag and hangovers, to healthier skin, improving your immune system and sex life.  Why are so many Americans seeking chemical answers for distress?  Is your life here in the richest country in the world becoming more stressful nd traumatic?  How is it that people from other countries are desperate to come to the US [...]

By Tara Kerrigan Hayes   This past Sunday, January 27th, the Boston Bruins Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual BFit First Responder Challenge, presented by National Grid at the TD Garden. Also known as the Climb to Support the Families of Fallen First Responders, the event does precisely that, by donating the proceeds raised to The Hundred Club of Mass, Inc., (the 100 Club), a charity that supports the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The 100 Club was organized in 1959, recognizing early on that when a family faces the devastation of losing a loved one in the line of duty, they are also often met with the harsh reality of losing the [...]

by Rick Winterson     Boxing Day is an English tradition.   Its origin is not certain, but most of the historic references say that it is traditionally (but not always) held on December 26, the day after Christmas.  On December 26 in England, servants and employees who worked on Christmas Day were given the 26th off to visit their own families and friends.  They were also given gifts of food, money, or clothing just before they left for the day, which were usually put in boxes so as to be a surprise.  Hence the name “Boxing Day” (as far as anyone knows). Not to be outdone in celebrating Christmas traditionally, South Boston has observed Boxing Day in years  past – 2018 was no exception.  Michael [...]

South Boston Probation Officer Barbara Loftus and 5th graders at Joseph Tynan Elementary School have teamed up to spread holiday cheer and warmth to Boston’s homeless and senior citizens as part of Cold Hands, Warm Heart, a lesson in empathy.  Loftus and her Probation colleagues will go to the school, located at 650 E. 4th Street, to pick up the gift bags the students decorated and listen to several of the students read the personal messages they wrote which will be tucked into each bag and distributed to the homeless and elderly.   The bags will be filled with items collected by Probation including cold weather gear such as hats, gloves, and hand warmers as well as holiday goodies including cookies, candies, granola bars, tea and [...]

By: Tara Kerrigan Hayes   Your world can change in an instant. That’s what Josh Fitzmaurice of Sandwich, Massachusetts learned last year, when life as he knew it came crashing down with the flick of a doctor’s pen. As a young, successful accountant, Josh seemingly had it all, until he visited the doctor to investigate neck pain and was prescribed Meloxicam. That night Josh was rushed to the ER, (with what felt like a heart attack), where he was diagnosed with a nocturnal panic attack and was sent back to his PCP. That’s when he was handed a prescription for benzodiazepines. Like so many others, he trusted in his doctor and took the benzos (in this case, Ativan), which ultimately would come close to destroying [...]