Young caregivers put life on hold
By Jacque Wilson, CNN
(CNN) - Kim Shifren came home from school one day to find her world turned upside down. Her mom had suffered a massive heart attack; doctors said she would need weeks to recover.
In a matter of minutes, the 14-year-old went from child to child caregiver.
Shifren spent the next month bathing, dressing and feeding her mom before school. When she got home, she cleaned the house and made dinner. Her dad helped when he could, but he worked long hours to support the family.
Two years later, Shifren had to do it all again when her mom had another heart attack. And then again when a third heart attack hit two years after that.
In between, Shifren tried to be a normal teen. But the time she spent living in fear of losing her mom had a lasting impact.
"I felt that getting married and having kids just wouldn't be right, because I was so sure I would have early heart disease like my mom," said Shifren, now an associate professor of psychology at Towson University. "I didn't want to put a husband and children through that experience."
It's difficult to say how many child caregivers there are in the United States. The only national survey on the topic, a 2005 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving (PDF), estimated that there were at least 1.3 million between the ages of 8 and 18 - most caring for a parent or grandparent, some looking after a sibling.
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Robin Roberts found a match, but others likely won't be as lucky
By Jacque Wilson, CNN
CNN) - Robin Roberts' battle against myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, is just beginning. The "Good Morning America" anchor will undergo chemotherapy before having a bone marrow transplant later this year.
"Bone marrow donors are scarce and particularly for African-American women," Roberts wrote Monday. "I am very fortunate to have a sister who is an excellent match, and this greatly improves my chances for a cure."
More than 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with blood-related disorders every year, according to the National Marrow Donor Program. Often the best treatment is a bone marrow transplant. During the procedure, a donor's stem cells are directly transfused into the sick patient's bloodstream. The patient's new cells multiply over time to create healthy bone marrow.
Unfortunately, the chance of finding a match on the national registry is as low as 66% for African-Americans and other minorities, compared with 93% for Caucasians.
More cohabitating couples having children
By Jacque Wilson, CNN
(CNN) - After publishing a report Tuesday on the record low teen birth rate, the National Center for Health Statistics is releasing more numbers on babies in America.
Gladys Martinez and her colleagues at the NCHS have written a report on the fertility of men and women aged 15 to 44 in the U.S. based on numbers from the National Survey of Family Growth that was taken between 2006 and 2010. The survey collected data from more than 22,000 face-to-face interviews.
A few interesting tidbits emerged from the report. The NCHS survey found that a greater proportion of births to unmarried couples are happening in households with cohabitating partners than in years past.
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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