Her name was Jeanne Hardey. She was a third cousin whose family I have never met. The obituary celebrating her fifty-three year old life which was ended this fall by cancer, was only discovered during a websearch for the order of nun to which her aunt Phyllis Braniff belongs.
The Braniffs are the celebrity family of Mom's extended relations because they once ran a commercial airline. Only oldsters remember Braniff Airlines. And only people in Louisiana will remember this cousin, Jeanne. A beautiful, Judy Garland face is pictured with her life story, and there, tucked in with particulars about a lifetime of good will, six children and a grieving husband, is the Braniff connection. Even failed business ventures live on in the hearts of third generation namesakes.
Most interesting to me is the medical practice she helped her husband build. There on his clinic website were links to everything good: local family services, natural family planning, mental health and general health links, even a DMV link. And then, there it was: ehd - Endowment for Human Development. I sat fascinated by ehd videos of a child at 2 month's gestation, captured by some sort of laparoscopic camera, heart beating wildly, hands waving, veins and bones fully visible through paper thin tissue. Now I need not consult Wikipedia for my Zygote updates anymore. EHD features panels full of developmental photos and videos for the full nine month term.
Thank you Dr. Hardey. Thank you Jeanne Hardey. I am impressed, transfixed and so very grateful for discovering www.ehd.org. Why, I am left wondering, does my "family friendly" physician not have an outspoken web presence like this man? I have a mind to patronize Dr. Hardey... how can I swing a visit to Moss Bluff, LA for my next batch of lab work ups?
Better yet, how can I help Dr. Millane here in Long Beach see his need to pony up and stand for something?? Oh, man. I'd rather hitch-hike to Moss Bluff than pursue that matter. CA doctors are so... blind.
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