In Sickness

If you're raising children while caring for aging parents at the same time, you're not alone. In this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving, co-hosts Bob Coughlin and Paul Kidwell explore the challenges of being a sandwich caregiver. The three podcast guests share their personal experiences as they explore the emotional, financial, and physical toll of being part of the "Sandwich Generation."

The PBS “Caregiving” documentary has sparked a national conversation that will hopefully lead to change in the many issues facing caregivers. The film features intimate stories from a diverse group of caregivers that highlight the emotional, financial, and logistical tightrope that all of us caregivers walk each day. “Caregiving” shines a light on this essential yet mostly invisible work force and humanizes it by amplifying their emotional narratives and calling attention to burnout, isolation, and gaps in resources and recognition. If you are a caregiver, you will be heartened to know how this film stands on the precipice of action a...

Rosalynn Carter redefined the role of caregivers in American life, spotlighting their burdens and needs long before they became a national conversation. She founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute in 1987 which continues today as a guiding light for professional and family caregivers. This episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving explores her deeply personal legacy and how that translated into a lifelong and very public commitment to caregivers and families through her work with The Carter Center and beyond. That work continues with an equally committed group of individuals who are ushering this legacy boldly into the...

The latest episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving honors Henri Termeer’s legacy as the ultimate patient advocate and caregiver. What better way to offer this tribute than with a group of people who knew him best and considered him a friend and mentor. Deborah Dunsire, John Crowley, David Meeker, John Maraganore, Bob Coughlin and Tamar Thompson reflected on Henri’s legacy and his personal influence on each and our industry. The conversation was rich, lively and filled with anecdotes, lessons learned and how Henri’s legacy continues to define the life science industry. To learn...

Living with male breast cancer presents unique physical, emotional, and social challenges, many of which stem from the rarity of the condition and the societal stigma surrounding it. There are many misconceptions about this rare form of cancer, but in this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving, our two cancer patients – Arvind Natarajan and Steve Del Gardo - share their graphic stories and dispel much of the erroneous information about this condition. One patient even served double duty as his caregiver as well. We also were fortunate to have a clinician and male breast cancer sp...

Compassion fatigue is quite literally, the emotional cost of caring. The physical and emotional exhaustion experienced by caregivers is a common thread in the caregiving experience. It’s a serious condition that affects anyone finding themselves in a helping or caregiving role. This episode of In Sickness had the privilege of speaking with three of the authors – Peter Dudley, Antoinette LeCouteur, Tammy Hurst - of the extraordinary book, Relit. It’s a collection of essays by individuals engaged in a “heart-based role” who succumbed to the eventual care inertia. Think the heart writ large. To learn more, go to insickness.

In this episode of In Sickness, we were the fortunate guests of Takeda Pharmaceuticals as they asked us to take part in their annual celebration of Rare Disease Day by recording our podcast in front of an audience of over 50 energized employees. What a thrill for Bob and I to speak with three of their employees who are also caregivers. Equally delighted to field questions from the audience. Takeda is a company that clearly understands that by supporting caregivers, they can improve patient outcomes. After hearing from our hosts at Takeda, which included one of their executive leaders I be...

Collaboration between caregivers and biopharma companies can lead to innovations that benefit both the patient and their support systems, leading to better health outcomes, more effective therapies, and a higher quality of life for all involved. In this special Rare Disease Day 2025 podcast you will hear the story of Ron and Marla Chapleau and how they have cared for their Aiden who has an ultrarare neurodegenerative disease for over two decades. You will also hear how one company, Vigil Neuroscience, is developing a therapy to help treat Aiden’s condition and the strong bond that has developed between Vigil an...

At first glance Sawyer looks like most Golden Retrievers. Floppy ears, kind eyes and a never-stop-wagging tail. But then you step inside the home of Ron and Linda Baxter and see him in action helping Linda who has MS and is in a wheelchair. On any given day Sawyer can aid Linda in retrieving and carrying items, opening and closing doors, providing mobility assistance, and assisting with navigation. Plus, he provides emotional support to Linda as well as Ron who finds him invaluable in reducing the pressures and commitment of being a caregiver. This episode looks at caregiving through...

All caregivers reach a point where the responsibilities of caregiving bumps heads with the demands of life. It’s usually a combination of physical, emotional and/or mental exhaustion brought on by caring for a loved one over a prolonged period. That’s what happened to podcast guest Kate Washington, who cared for her husband as he endured a series of serious health setbacks. She tried to keep up with the increasing demands of his many illnesses, without adequate support or self-care. Until she couldn’t. It’s an experience she chronicled in her excellent book, Already Toast: Caregiving and Burn...

For this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving we took the podcast on the road. At the invitation of Pfizer, Inc. we recorded our podcast at the company’s New York City headquarters as part of their annual “Patients in Focus” week. Host, Paul Kidwell, had the pleasure of speaking with Pfizer’s VP, Global Patient Advocacy, Emma Andrews and Jason Resendez who is the CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. Among the topics discussed were the evolving role of caregivers, the need for more interaction between caregivers and the biopharmaceutical industry, and some of the n...

Stories of individuals living with and enduring the challenges of any disease never fail to move and inspire others. This is especially true when the illness becomes fatal, and life is shortened. Maria Middleton was an exceptional young girl when she was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer and only 15 when she passed away. I use the word exceptional because during her final months when she was experiencing the brunt of her illness, Maria took the time to touch and move others. She wanted to strengthen their own personal resolve and encourage them to never lose hope. She cared...

It takes courage and compassion to be a police officer. The same is true for a caregiver. Just ask Clifton Huffmaster whose day job finds him working as a detective in the Special Victims Unit with the Concord Police Department in Concord, California. This takes courage. He’s also a graduate from the Theological Union at Berkeley College from which he holds a PhD. Maybe that’s where compassion comes from. When Clifton’s wife Lauren was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer his world turned upside down as he assumed the unfamiliar territory as her caregiver. This is where he fou...

For all caregivers, their lives are divided into two parts. Before diagnosis and After Diagnosis. This is particularly true for those who must manage one of the more insidious illnesses, Alzheimer’s Disease, where the changes taking place before the diagnosis and once the disease has become fully onset, are significant for the patient and care partner alike. Marty Schreiber is the former Governor of Wisconsin, author of, My Two Elaines. Learning, Coping and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver. The book chronicles Marty’s experience as primary support and caregiver for his wife of 60 years who was diagnosed with A...

For Josh Argall, life couldn’t get much better. He was a 25-year-old first-time father of, Devin, who quickly became the center of Josh’s universe. Josh’s world was rocked when he and Devin’s mother noticed that their three-year-old son was somewhat slow in reaching some of the physical milestones like crawling and walking that are typically associated with children his age. In the months following, Josh’s world changed dramatically as Devin went through numerous doctor visits and misdiagnoses. Finally, a specialist at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee diagnosed Devin as having Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare and pro...

When you have a child diagnosed with any illness, you can only hope your efforts don’t require a lifetime commitment. The hope is for a short-lived illness that comes with a diagnosis followed by a cure. For former MassBio President, Bob Coughlin, he has lived through the in utero cystic fibrosis diagnosis of his son, Bobby, the physical challenges of caring for a young CF patient, and the constant involvement as a CF patient advocate raising awareness and all-important research money. Also, a time where CF treatments improved allowing Bobby to enjoy his teen years, finish high school, gr...

At 17, Mason Smith was your typical teenager and living a life filled with school, sports, lots of hanging out with friends and more growing up. That all came to an abrupt stop when his mother was diagnosed with a fatal and ultra-rare neurodegenerative disease, adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP). This young man who was just sprouting his wings took a harsh turn into adulthood as part of his Mom’s primary care team when she began to exhibit behaviors that were noticeable to Mason’s Aunt Heidi. Together, they both felt the need for further medi...

If you’re looking for a fair fight, don’t pick one with cancer. Odds are that cancer rarely loses and its adversary won’t have a puncher’s chance of bringing on defeat. Anyone confronted with caring for someone with a cancer diagnosis typically has no shortage of personal will, but not necessarily successful in finding a way to beat cancer. Just ask Miguel Barron who supported his wife in her two-year ordeal living with metastatic breast cancer, providing constant love, compassion, and dedication. Miguel also endured the emotional pressures of caring for someone with a progressive and punishing...

John Crowley’s life was on the upswing after completing his MBA studies at Harvard Business School and beginning a new position as an investment banker. Without any warning his seemingly good fortune changed dramatically with the diagnosis of two of his children who contracted a rare, inherited disorder for which there were few treatments. His new path directed him towards creating a start-up biotech company that would research this once fatal disease and discover new treatments for his kids. John’s story is heroic and what he accomplishes against unimaginable odds is riveting. To learn more about this podca...

Coming Soon: In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving is a monthly podcast that will focus on stories of male caregivers who have supported individuals with various diseases and medical conditions across all therapeutic areas including select cancers, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and numerous rare diseases. The podcast will highlight the growing population of male caregivers who are caring for their spouse, life partners, children family members, and friends, and joining the ranks of the throngs of women caregivers who have historically been central to this effort. The podcast is co-hosted and produced by Bob Coughlin and Paul Kidwell, wit...