Shannon Dominguez works at least 70 hours per week at Upcountry Maui's Haku Baldwin Center.She directs a popular community program called Animal-Assisted Therapy. Several times per week, she loads up her truck with a menagerie of well-trained animals--including dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, ducks & chickens--and visits people who are elderly, infirmed or disabled. Her therapy … [Read more...]
A liver attack leads to a simpler life
What happens when an otherwise perfectly healthy woman suffers near liver failure? Find out in this essay published today the New York Times Science Times. It's entitled "The night my liver started running my life and was written by former Maui-based science writer Genevive Bjorn, who is also the main author of this blog and another blog about her superpower sense of smell, … [Read more...]
Pet ownership in Hawaii higher than Mainland
Owning a cat or dog improves people's health, according to decades of research. The major benefits include lower stress and better cardiovascular health (at least for dog walkers). Almost half the population in the US receives these benefits: 39% of households have at least one dog and 33% of households have at least one cat, reports US Pet Statistics, a site run by the Humane … [Read more...]
Vaccines for travel to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo and the Amazon
I was lucky enough to travel recently for the first time to Brazil and the Amazon. After negotiating the complex travel visa process, I learned from the Brazilian Consulate that I also need a vaccine for yellow fever, which is a virus endemic to most of South American and Africa, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Do I have to get vaccinated for yellow … [Read more...]
Hawaii healthy for children
Hawaii's children are among the nation's healthiest, according to the most recent data published by the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Areas where Hawaii's children exceed the national level include having been breastfed, oral health, vigorous daily activity and positive social skills. More of Hawaii's children are insured (96.2%), compared to Mainland children … [Read more...]