Kenny DeForest was a great vibe. He was appreciated by nearly everyone who crossed his path. His comedy was insightful, silly and provocative. He was life-affirming, kind and giving to his friends. I know this because I was one of those friends (yes, I am biased).

So when he tragically passed away last December in an e-bike accident, there was no world in which he would just “fade away.” Instead, his legacy will continue not only through his friends and family, but through a new comedy festival in his honor: “DeforeFest.”

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The slow, structured practice of forest bathing helps those grieving from loss receive the therapeutic benefits of nature.
Credit: Johannes Plenio

A hike through the woods is soothing for a grieving heart, but the practice of “forest bathing” can raise the therapeutic benefits to another level.

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Black patients are dismayed to learn they could have received kidney transplants much earlier.

A racially biased medical test used to determine the degree of patient’s kidney failure and rank them on kidney transplant lists is finally being changed. Although Black Americans are three times more likely to have kidney failure than white Americans, they are 25% less likely to be waitlisted for kidney transplant than white peers. An outdated model for assessing kidney function has contributed to inequitable access to transplant options.

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