New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative

The New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, also known as NYMI SOJO, is a partnership of various news outlets, academic institutions, and community organizations. Together, they dedicate their time, skills, and resources to address ongoing issues in our communities from a solutions-focused perspective. This initiative is inspired by other effective news collaborations backed by the Solutions Journalism Network.

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Duchenne caregivers have learned to focus on the person, not the disability

1 week ago | nymisojo.com | Mark Sommer

Suneel Ram’s needs gradually became greater after he was diagnosed at age 3 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle-wasting genetic disorder that afflicts one in 5,000 boys. Today, Ram, 28, requires physical and occupational therapies, help with personal hygiene and special food preparation, and depends on accessible spaces, a motorized wheelchair and specially equipped van.
Photos: Navigating life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

1 week ago | nymisojo.com | Libby March

Suneel Ram is living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which necessitates a wide variety of medical supports and continual lifestyle adjustments. Duchenne, the most common form of childhood muscular dystrophy, is a progressive and fatal disorder that results in the loss of muscle function, decline in respiratory and cardiac function and wheelchair dependency. At age 28, Ram has outlived many of his peers, as the disease sometimes claims their lives in their early 20s.
Not your grandpa’s senior center: Besides bingo, there’s bodybuilding and speed dating

1 month ago | nymisojo.com | Latoya Cross

Senior centers are expanding and evolving. Active aging — think line dancing, speed dating and pickleball––is at the forefront of creating spaces for new generations of older adults with a range of interests. The priority: growing older with dignity and creativity. In June, the city of Livonia held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $26.9 million, 30,000-square-foot upgrade to its Senior Wellness Center.
What caregiving costs will look like for millennials when they’re 80

Dec 16, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Stephanie Steinberg

Forty-year-old Lindsay Madison worries about who will check in on her when she’s 80. It’s one reason she sends her friends’ kids $20 on their birthdays. “I want them to remember me when I’m old,” she said with a laugh, before turning serious. “I’m hoping they will come and keep an eye on things.” Having people — or the means to hire people — to care for you later in life is top of mind for Madison, who doesn’t have kids, but cares for her 98-year-old grandmother.
Michigan Senate greenlights Momnibus bills to combat racial gaps in maternal healthcare

Dec 9, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Planet Detroit
These ombudsmen advocate for those navigating life in nursing homes

Nov 7, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Eleanore Catolico

At the height of the pandemic, long-term care facilities cut visits to their residents, older adults who were the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Connie Grahovac’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. “You’re getting a call from a resident that’s in tears or a husband that’s at the window watching his wife die,” Grahovac said. Grahovac is a long-term care ombudsman for the state of Michigan, advocating for residents of licensed homes, including nursing homes, homes for the aged, and adult foster care homes.
Are community and anti-bias education the key to saving Black mothers?

Oct 25, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Frieda Wiley |Cassie Chew

It took two doctors’ appointments, a trip to the emergency room and an 11th-hour visit before Thanksgiving Day 2019 for Marian Dancy to learn that six months after giving birth to her fourth child, her heart was failing. The 35-year-old mom’s symptoms started with fatigue, swelling around her ankles and an episode of temporary vision loss. But the first two doctors she saw dismissed her concerns. “You’re young. You’re healthy. This will probably pass.
As Parkinson’s cases climb, clinical trial volunteers hope to help future patients

Oct 23, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Eleanore Catolico

On Christmas Eve 2014, a speeding car clipped the bumper of a Detroit city bus in the early morning darkness. Renee Stamper, the bus driver, spun on the road. After the accident, Stamper started physical therapy. That’s when she noticed tremors in her left leg. After a few medical exams she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic nervous system disorder often characterized by tremors.
Tony-winning actress uses theater to raise awareness about U.S. care economy

Oct 8, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Latoya Cross

At the intersection of art and social impact, Sarah Jones’ current work-in-progress, “The Cost of Not Caring” is witty and intriguing, and brings to the stage a conversation that spotlights how we all pay the cost in dollars and human suffering when care is not prioritized. Jones, host of the podcast America, Who Hurt You?
Autonomous vehicles are getting older adults to medical appointments

Sep 25, 2024 | nymisojo.com | Stephanie Steinberg

Retired General Motors engineer Ed Broutin loves living in Detroit with his wife, Barbara. The couple reside in a high-rise on Lafayette with a view of the Detroit River. But at ages 77 and 81, Broutin admits they’re limited in how far they can walk to explore downtown. Then the Accessibili-D shuttle service launched this summer, offering three autonomous vehicles to transport Detroit residents over age 62 or those with disabilities, and it changed their lives.