by Lauran Neergaard

WASHINGTON (AP)—Courtney Montgomery’s heart was failing fast, but the 16-year-old furiously refused when her doctors, and her mother, urged a transplant.

Previous surgeries hadn’t helped and the North Carolina girl didn’t believe this scarier operation would either. It would take another teen who’s thriving with a new heart to change her mind.

HITTING IT OFF—Courtney Montgomery and Josh Winstead pose for a photo April 9, before Courtney’s prom. Given a choice, Courtney had refused a heart transplant; but then she met Winstead who’d just had one and was doing well. (AP Photo/Michelle Mescall)

“I was like, ‘No, I don’t want this. If I’m going to die, I’m going to die,’” Courtney recalls. “Now I look back, I realize I wasn’t thinking the way I should have been.”

Teenagers can add complex psychology to organ transplantation: Even though they’re minors, they need to be on board with a transplant because it’s up to them to take care of their new organ. Depression, anger and normal adolescent pangs—that tug-of-war with parents, trying to fit in—can interfere. It’s not just a question of having the transplant, but how motivated they are to stick with anti-rejection treatment for years to come.

WASHINGTON (AP)—There’s a new U.S. symbol for healthful eating: The Agriculture Department unveiled “My Plate” on June 2, abandoning the food pyramid that had guided many Americans but merely confused others.

The new guide is divided into four slightly different-sized quadrants, with fruits and vegetables taking up half the space and grains and protein making up the other half. The vegetables and grains portions are the largest of the four.

‘MY PLATE’ INTRODUCED—First lady Michelle Obama greets Surgeon General Regina Benjamin at the Agriculture Department in Washington, June 2, during an event to introduce the department’s “My Plate”—a simple circle divided into quadrants that contain fruits, vegetables, protein and grains—which will replace USDA’s food pyramid, which has been around in various forms since 1992. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Gone are the old pyramid’s references to sugars, fats or oils. What was once a category called “meat and beans” is now simply “proteins,” making way for seafood and vegetarian options like tofu. Next to the plate is a blue circle for dairy, which could be a glass of milk or a food such as cheese or yogurt.

(ARA)—One in two Americans is living with a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are persistent and recurring, and are typically either hereditary or the result of factors such as poor diet, obesity or lack of exercise.

Dr. Ian Smith, creator and founder of “The 50 Million Pound Challenge” and “The Makeover Mile” is a health and nutrition expert who is constantly encouraging Americans to be proactive when it comes to their health. “Unfortunately, many Americans postpone or even skip key health screenings due to fear, lack of awareness, or cost concerns,” says Smith. “However, it's important to know your risk so you can make the appropriate lifestyle modifications to change—or reverse—the course of chronic disease.”

DR. IAN SMITH

by Floyd J. Malveaux
For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—More than 10 million children are sitting on the sidelines of kid-hood. Many have low expectations for everyday life. Their parents and caregivers—especially those in urban areas—watch as their children miss out on playing outside, struggle to get a good night sleep and fall behind at school. For these families, everyday routines are interrupted by doctor’s visits and trips to the E.R.

What is the culprit that slips into the lives of these families, that strips away the very makings of childhood, and leaves behind fear and anxiety in its wake?