Mere days after her father had lost his battle with cancer, Jennifer Johnson was diagnosed with the disease. Her father's deathbed admonition to fight was still with her, along with a determination to do whatever it took to overcome the challenges of oral cancer.

Among Mississippi’s staggering health challenges is a disease that affects 15 percent of the adult population. A new collaboration between the John D. Bower School of Population Health and the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center aims to avert full-scale diabetes by early identification of those at risk.

Gulfport resident Lywanda White and Jackson resident Abram Jones are proof it’s never too late to fulfill a dream. For almost 19 years, Jones, a heart transplant recipient, and White, the daughter of a man whose organ saved Jones’ life, hoped to meet. In November 2017, the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency helped bring the pair together.

Transplant recipients and those who gave them the gift of life were honored Friday during the annual Legacy Lap on the UMMC campus. Families of donors remembered their heroes and organ recipients gave thanks during a ceremony that included a colorful balloon launch and a walk through University Hospital to view photographs of donors.

Medical Center leadership is proud to acknowledge those employees who will celebrate service anniversaries during the week of April 16-22.

Several interesting events are scheduled for the upcoming weeks at the Medical Center.