Ashlyn Clark's first home run in high school came at just the right time: her softball team's Senior Night. What made it even more special is that it came while Ashlyn is undergoing cancer treatment.

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"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." Yogi Berra

Leslie Yerger's 500-mile journey across Spain last fall was more than just a pilgrimage. She was also raising money and awareness for research at Mayo Clinic.

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Not long into his retirement, Skip Sturtz felt a stirring to do something life-changing for someone else. He reached out to Mayo Clinic and began the process of becoming an altruistic donor.

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"There are two great days in a person’s life — the day we are born and the day we discover why." William Barclay

Recent graduates of Mayo's Neonatal Intensive Care Units, along with their families, gathered for the annual NICU Family Reunion, where they reconnected with each other and the staff that cared for them.

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Using a cell phone while driving is now illegal in Minnesota (and 18 other states), but if a ticket and fine aren’t enough to deter you, perhaps a distracted driving simulation will.

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"The best car safety device is a rearview mirror with a cop in it." Dudley Moore

Child Life specialists at Mayo Clinic rely on their friends in Facilities to help them create environments that allow kids to still be kids while in the hospital.

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"A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark." Robert A. Heinlein

After a patient mentioned to radiation therapist Jenn Deweese that she was excited to see fireflies for the first time while in Minnesota, Jenn (and her kids) made it happen.

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"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed." Maya Angelou

After 12 years of trying to get a handle on Crohn's disease, Josh Gates decided to seek help from Mayo Clinic. Ten days after surgery, he was on the road to a better life.

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Megan Williams, an information technology manager at Mayo Clinic, co-hosts a knitting retreat that's as good for relieving stress as it is for socializing.

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"The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling." Fabienne Fredrickson

Keith Glasshoff had just survived one cardiac event when the unexpected happened during his cardiac rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.

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Mayo Clinic child life specialists recently gave pediatric patients a day they won't soon forget: a special event that featured kid-sized obstacles and a chance to meet Mayo's American Ninja Warriors.

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"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity." Kay Redfield Jamison

A program that provides support for families of cancer patients was just what Sean Snyder and his son, Evan, had been looking for since his wife was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.

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As commercial spaceflight inches closer to becoming a reality, Jan Stepanek, M.D., explains the potential hazards and risks that may be associated with space travel.

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"It is a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one's safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract." Alan Shepard

Aja Fisher's dream of becoming a doctor was put on hold after a leukemia diagnosis. She's sharing her story to help raise awareness of the need for bone marrow donors among minority populations.

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Just three days into her schooling to become a nurse, Sara Segner switched gears and applied to medical school. Her chosen field is one she's already quite familiar with.

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"The best way to forget your own problems is to help someone else solve theirs." Norman Vincent Peale

Edward Pompeian first came to Rochester, Minnesota, for care at Mayo Clinic. He never forgot his experience as a transplant patient, nor of the concerns shared with him by other patients about the financial and emotional strain of transplantation.

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