Editor's note: Presenting Iva Petrovchich's winning entry in the 2018 Synapse Storytelling Contest's science writing category. Category judge, San Francisco Chronicle science writer Erin Allday, says, "Public Cervix Announcement had a f
“The purpose of a [clinician] or any human in general should not be to simply delay the death of a patient, but to increase the person's quality of life.” - Patch Adams, MD
“I love to escape the masses, put on a backpack and explore the mountains, or pick up and move to a new place where I don’t know a soul. It’s thrilling to feel so vulnerable.
“Being forced to resign from my 11-year gymnastics career was incredibly life changing for better and for worse. I had countless discussions with healthcare providers telling me that my physical abilities would be limited as I had a high risk for trauma. However, I refused to acknowledge the limitations that were set before me.