Mary Burzynski, Author at Beacon Health System

Two people sit together and lean close at a restaurant table with drinks and appetizers.

09 Jul

Elkhart General patient’s final gift makes him become nation’s oldest liver donor

Every organ donation matters. But in January 2026, one made history. At 84, Fred Voorde of Elkhart became the oldest liver donor in the United States through Donation After Circulatory Death, or DCD. It's a process in which doctors recover the organ after life support is withdrawn and the heart stops,...

Photo of Genevieve Nikolai, a smiling, red-hairs young woman wearing a blue top and a white vest.

17 Jun

Beacon genetic testing delivered the diagnosis a family had sought for 27 years

Genevieve Nikolai shines with an irresistible sweetness that makes people remember her wherever she goes. She’s a joyful force who may have a big speech delay but still finds her voice, especially when it comes to her love of Mickey Mouse (Mickey, never Minnie). She fills her world with stickers,...

A doctor and a patient shake hands in an exam room, with medical equipment on the wall behind them and a banner below reading “Multiple Myeloma Warning Signs.”

15 Jun

Eye on Health: Pay attention to your body for cancer warning signs

Mike Coryn never imagined that a few everyday aches or his constant tiredness would lead to a cancer diagnosis. But eventually he met with doctors at Beacon for answers. When his wife told him the doctor had called with the results, the shock was so intense he dropped to his...

Beacon patient Dylan Friar stands to the left of his neurosurgeon, Jose Lopez, MD.

19 May

Eye on Health: A stroke at 39 becomes a wake-up call

Recognizing the signs of a stroke and acting quickly can mean the difference between recovery and lasting damage. For 39-year-old Dylan Friar of Niles, Michigan, that lesson became all too real. What Dylan thought was a migraine turned into a sudden medical emergency. He couldn’t control his hand, and his speech...

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