Dying Should Be A Selfish Endeavor

My patient Rona is dying. She has been my psychoanalytic patient for 30 years and has struggled against her cancer for 15 years. She has had Stage 4 cancer for seven years. She fought the good fight, a valiant fight, and truly, for many years, it had seemed as though she were indefatigable. She has been telling me that she is dying for a few months now, and in spite of her being bone-thin, I still saw and heard life energy in her. Her voice and spirit were strong in spite of her frail body. Although she needed help to make it up the two flights of stairs to my office, still she plowed through it, and never missed a session.

Until she did. Two weeks ago, she explained that she had simply slept through the session. She had begun painkillers. After not wanting to pollute her body for many months with the toxicity of painkillers (and this, in spite of being on chemo and immune therapies for the cancer for all of the 15 years of her cancer ordeal — she was a bit irrational about the reluctance to take any painkillers other than Advil), she finally relented to the more powerful morphine drugs — the ones reserved for hospice patients. And she began to live her life through the haze of a drugged sleepiness, but with considerably less pain.

Rona wanted to die at home, with her beloved husband of 38 years at her bedside. Home Hospice was arranged. Through Medicare, she was awarded the use of a home health care person two days a week, for an hour and a half each day.

Rona described her husband as trying to help her, trying to assist her in sitting up, helping her to eat, getting her to the bathroom. She described that (in spite of his having been a physician) he kept pulling her arm in the wrong way, or positioning her leg at the wrong angle. He was trying. She appreciated his feeble attempts, because they were his bestowal of love. But, the fact was, the only time she could really move without pain was when the home health person came. At those times, twice a week, Rona got a shower. She wanted one every day. She wanted to still be able to stand, and look in the mirror (though the sight of her thinness horrified her); she wanted to brush her hair and put on a little lipstick to meet the day — even though meeting the day meant greeting it from her bed.

Rona had one desire before her death. She had told me every year, each year that she was in analysis with me, that Easter was her favorite holiday. She looked forward to her whole family gathering together — to the grandchildren hunting for the eggs, to the meal that all shared. She liked that there were no presents. Christmas was always more taxing than she felt it was worth, with the pressure to find the perfect gift, the stress of needing to be “happy.” Easter was, for her, just about family. Not about happiness. Not about shopping. Not even about eating. Just about family gathering together.

Rona made it to Easter. And, indeed, her family came from around the country, knowing that it would be their last Easter with her. They gathered around her bedside. And then Rona did a remarkable thing. She asked each of them what they were going to say at her funeral. She wanted to hear her eulogy. They cooperated with her request, and told her what only her spirit would have heard on that imminent day that they were all awaiting with reluctant anticipation. She heard a great outpouring of love with their “live eulogy.” But she heard more. She heard that she had been “seen,” really “seen” for all the years that she had shared with her family. Rona had always felt defensive about her intelligence because of not going to college (though, in fact, she had a keen, innate intelligence). She had never considered herself especially pretty (though she had an appealing, attractive femininity about her). Rona defined her best qualities, and what she valued most about herself, as her warmth, her acceptance of people in a non-critical way, her generosity, her willingness to give. And, all this is what her family said to her in their live eulogy. Of all the gifts that Rona had ever gotten in her life, she felt that her family’s recognition of “seeing” all this in her was the greatest gift of all. She and I laughed at her great invention — a living eulogy: a eulogy for the still alive rather than for the recently dead. We decided that a live eulogy should be implemented by all as a way of dying.

The family left. And Rona was left alone with her thoughts, her feelings, and her bodily pain. We talked again about the home health person coming twice a week. I asked if she could get more time from her. She said “Yes, but we would have to pay out of pocket.” I asked how much. “$125 for the day.” That seemed like a bargain to me. I asked her if she wanted to do that — hire the woman for more time. Rona answered that she would have to discuss it with her husband. I said, “Really?”

Rona had spent her adult life working in her husband’s medical practice. She ran his office. She worked every bit as hard as he did caring for his patients, doing the billing, organizing appointments and filing insurance claims. It is possible that she worked even harder than he did.

I found it odd that she felt that she needed to discuss with him — as in “ask his permission” — to spend their money to make her dying days more comfortable. It was the dark side of Rona’s unrelenting giving: her giving to her own sacrifice. I asked her about this — why she didn’t feel entitled to spend the money. She talked (as any loving partner would have) about wanting him to have enough money to make his ensuing years without her comfortable. It sounded reasonable. But still: she was dying. Why couldn’t she decide to make her dying more comfortable? Why couldn’t she, at these last moments on this planet, decide to make her life just a little easier to endure, as endure had become all of what these last months and days had come to mean? To be just a little selfish, perhaps?

I asked if she thought that she could make, at least, her dying a selfish endeavor.

I have come to this point with cancer patients in the past. I think of it as the point when their life meets their destiny: the funnel point, the end of a long journey of encroaching awareness. It’s the moment when it seems as though all energy of that person’s life has spiraled down, from a wide entry point, and coalesced into one intense, infinitesimally small point of energy — a funnel of life energy/life purpose/life meaning. And, it seems as though that moment represents the most important challenge, the most important lesson of that life, and it represents a moment when the person can embrace the destiny they were meant to have, live it, and learn from it. Or not.

My patient, Miriam, too, had been given a cancer diagnosis. But unlike Rona, her body had not yet been fatally ravaged by her disease. Her funnel point came when she realized that she was spending her life caring for her brother who had become a quadriplegic from a motorcycle accident. In allowing herself to finally see that her brother had to live his own life, as limited as it was, Miriam made the decision to reclaim her own. And as she embraced recapturing the propulsion movement of her own life, instead of piggybacking on her brother’s, her cancer mysteriously (miraculously) disappeared.

The funnel point, when there is a rapid reversal of the direction of how one has lived his or her life, may look like selfishness. It may even FEEL like selfishness. But, I see it rather, as the crucial point at which one is faced with a decision of living one’s own life.

This profession that I practice — psychoanalysis — doesn’t promise happiness, wealth, or bodily health. (It may result in any of those, but they are mere secondary gains.) Its only promise — a rather limited ambition for a timely and costly endeavor — is freedom: the freedom to have of all one’s thoughts and feelings, and the freedom to be able to translate that complex, contradictory and stunningly rich domain of the interior of one’s mind and psyche into words: the freedom of articulatable awareness.

Unlike Miriam, Rona met that place at a time when her decision to reverse the energy direction of her life was too late to save her. But she is now getting a shower every day; her dying with just a bit of selfishness has changed the way she is living with dying. Sometimes, that is all we, as healing practitioners, can do.

Jane originally wrote this article for Huffington Post.

DR. T IS RETURNING TO LA CASA THIS WEEK!

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren is giving another lecture at La Casa!

Dr. T returns this week -- Thursday, April 19, at 7:30pm​. His talk is titled: "More than Skin Deep: What Your Skin and Hair Reveal about Your Brain, Gut, and Other Critical Organs."

The event costs $10 and you can RSVP for it HERE.

Jane speaks around the country about holistic health and the true origins of disease.

If you are interested in  interviewing her for your podcast or radio show, or if you would like to book her to speak at an event, please get in touch:

Email

[email protected] 

Phone

212-477-6039

In March, Jane spoke at the CAM Conference in West Palm Beach, as part of a wider discussion about complementary and alternative cancer therapies. 

The title of the talk was "Disease is Not a Mistake" and you can watch it in full by clicking HERE. 

Click HERE to donate to La Casa Puerto Rico, in our rebuilding efforts.

Donations to
La Casa Spa & Wellness Puerto Rico are tax deductible.

La Casa Spa & Wellness Puerto Rico
is registered as a not-for-profit corporation.

(Corporación Doméstica Sin Fines de Lucro (not-for profit): registration number 400094)

The news about the benefits of Forest-Bathing has made its way to NPR. Back in February, Jane wrote about this oh-so-natural way to stay well.

To see what Jane had to say about it back then, click HERE.

To see the April NPR article, click HERE.  

If your pet could talk, they would tell you to please take THIS QUIZ.

It’s a great way to determine factors that dramatically increase your pet’s risk of cancer. Your answers can change their lives -- and give you many more precious memories together.

You can also check out the Musings Jane wrote back in 2014, about the healthiest things to feed your pets, by clicking HERE.

Rent our cottage at La Casa de Vida,

Puerto Rico Now!

Our beautiful La Casa de Vida, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, is finally getting back on its feet again after terrible storms. Once again, the gorgeous cottage on the property is available to rent, through Airbnb.

 You can make a reservation HERE.​

Check out some reviews from satisfied visitors below:

“This place is AMAZING. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing and romantic stay, this is your place. The sounds of the forest at night are something special! Can't wait to come back to this purple piece of heaven. And have to add -- the dogs and cat were the cherry on top. Sweetest animals ever!”​
                               -Ashley
 

“Really quiet (expect at night with the rainforest sounds, which are incredible) affordable place. Very close to rainforest. Host was very communicative and helpful!! Definitely located in the jungle, very dark and hot at night. If you're looking for more of an adventure, this is the place to be!”
                               -Kelsey

“Great dogs! This was an awesome secluded getaway!!”
                                   -Kari​

"I really enjoyed staying in this secluded part of the rainforest. Kevin took really well care of me and even picked me up when the Uber got lost on the way. He was very friendly and helped with advice on what to do.”
                                 -Lydia

For a complete archive of all previous issues of Musings From 20th Street, simply click HERE!

Jane's latest book is out now through Free Association Books, and available through AMAZON!

In Defense Of Shivering

My absolute favorite activity at my recent two-week stay at Hippocrates Health Institute was the cold plunge. I spent every day at the end of the day alternating between the Dead Sea warm pool, and the VERY COLD cold plunge. I have noticed that my essential metabolism seems to have changed since I have been plunging into cold water. Last week, when frigid weather enveloped New York City, I was walking around in a light coat, and truly enjoying the cold air. I felt pleasantly chilled.

I decided to review all the research I had done over the years on cold water therapy. And then decided to begin every day with a cold shower. BRRRR… By the fourth day, I actually began to enjoy the shower.

Cold Water Therapy

Cold water specifically helps to oxidize the cells of tissues, increasing the absorption of oxygen and aiding in the elimination of carbonic acid. In making parts of the body cold, you are actually asking your own circulation system to warm you from the cold. This exercising of the circulatory system builds up a resistance in the body to take care of ordinary situations—drafts, cold weather, and exposure to pathogens—all of which might cause illnesses if you’re in a weakened state.

The yogis from long ago understood how to use cold water therapy to achieve absolutely precise effects in the body.

For a clear mind:
Get in the shower and let cold water fall just below your lower lip for 15 minutes.

For energy:
In the shower, let cold water fall between your eyebrows and upper lip for 15 minutes.

To induce sleepiness:
In the shower, let the water fall on your forehead for 15 minutes.

Cold water for colds:
When you have a head cold, the fastest way of getting rid of it is to do a cold sponge bath. Make sure the bathroom is warm, and then sponge your whole body with cold water. Wrap up quickly in a sheet or big towel, without drying yourself. The principle here is that you're getting your body to respond more vigorously to warm you, so you don't want to interfere with your body's doing all the work. Then hurry to bed and lie there covered as warmly as possible for an hour. Do this every hour four times. Then get up and dress warmly. You'll notice that each sponging gets you to feel warmer. By the third sponge, you should actually begin to sweat when you are in bed. Congestion in your nose will clear up; in fact your nose may begin to run profusely for a while. And your head will feel lighter. It's a guaranteed one day cure for a chest or head cold. The next day you'll feel 100% better.

Cold water for infections and inflammations:
You can get good results with local infections and inflammations by using a cold water spray on the affected area. The process is the same. Wet the area with a shower spray, then cover yourself without drying and relax. Repeat this several times. Once you get the hang of this
therapy, you can get really creative and follow the basic rules while, at the same time, following your own intuition about what would help your body to respond.

Cold water for overweight:
Cold water therapy keeps the glands in good working order. There is almost always some kind of glandular disturbance in an overweight condition. Also, keeping the bowels and kidneys functioning, which cold water therapy effects, helps to discard toxins which often settle in as extra weight. For losing weight, it's best to do a hip spray in the morning and a back spray in the evening. These techniques help to both cleanse and keep the cells of organs well saturated with water. As well, the muscles will stay well-toned, and you will avoid that sagging that comes with weight loss. Of course, cold water therapy should be augmented with drinking lots of water and healthy eating habits.

To do the hip spray, aim the shower spray directly at your hip. Do this several times, then wrap up and jump into bed for a half hour. Remove the wrapping and stay in bed for another half hour. 

To do the back spray, you need someone to aim the water at your back. Go up and down the back several times, wrap and go to bed.

For a complete body rejuvenation:
This is the most powerful yogic water application. Yogis believe that daily performance of this cold water shower will insure health and long life. First, coat your skin with almond oil. Then, immerse your whole body in water as cold as you can stand it. It may take a few attempts to get used to it but what’s remarkable about the technique is that after the first shock of the cold, you actually will feel warm, not cold. Your blood rushes out to meet the challenge of the cold and begins to generate its own heat. This is better than a sauna or a steam bath, where your body is passively heated; here it is an active process, activating your entire circulatory system and changing your entire bloodstream.

The technique is to stand under the cold shower, massaging each part of your body that the cold water is hitting. Use your feet to massage your calves and feet. The almond oil will help to keep the heat sealed in. Repeat the cold dousing and self-massage several times until you’ve been in the shower for 15 minutes. By the time you get out, you should feel toasty warm or even hot. Then towel dry yourself; put on warm clothes and wrap yourself in a blanket. This technique totally rebuilds your body and you will feel simultaneously invigorated and calm.

Cold water therapy was practiced some years ago at the Kneipp Sanitarium in Wörishofen​, Germany. This was a highly successful and popular treatment for a variety of health problems; over 4000 patients a week were treated using cold water therapy. One of the keys that Sebastian Kneipp discovered was that if you have good circulation all the way down to the legs, it gives you good circulation all the way up to the head, and everywhere in between. The Kneipp Sanitarium became known for its Kneipp water walk, which consisted of a 30-foot walk through cold water which reached up to the knees. You can create the same effect as the Kneipp water walk.

Kneipp outdoor water walk:
Use a simple garden hose without the sprinkler attachment. Run the water against your leg, starting at the point that is farthest away from your heart, the ankle of your right leg. Move the stream of water up your leg until you reach your groin, then around and down the back of the other leg. Then do the same to the front. Let the water evaporate naturally; otherwise you don't get the benefit of your circulatory system getting activated. To augment the effect, end the treatment with a barefoot walk through either sand or grass. In the winter, you can do the same thing in your bathtub.

Kneipp indoor water walk:
Fill the tub with water just a few inches as cold as you can tolerate, and walk back and forth. It may be painful at first, particularly if your circulation is poor. But you will feel your feet begin to get a little numb, and then warm. This is the time to step out. Build up tolerance for being able to walk for five minutes. If you're really adventuresome, you can try the same thing outside in new, clean snow. In both

circumstances, warm your feet by continuing to walk for a while with shoes and socks.

Alternating hot and cold water therapy:
Alternating exposure to hot and cold water is an extremely powerful therapy. The simplest way of using hot and cold water therapy for health maintenance in your own home is using your morning shower.

Hot and cold shower:
Start with warm water. You can go to as hot as is comfortable. This will open the pores in your skin, and allow them to exhale toxins. Then ease into cool water that will close your pores.

Make the water increasingly cold until your breath quickens. This is the response that you want and where you should end your shower. At the right dosage, your body will have just received a good influx of invigoration and your skin will glow radiantly if you make this a regular part of your routine.

Another method of alternating hot and cold is to do a hot/cold wrap.

The hot-cold wrap:
You need first to line your bed with plastic. Take a sheet that has been dipped in a warm stew of herbal water, lay it out on the bed and wrap yourself thoroughly in it. Cover yourself with blankets and relax for a half hour. Then repeat this using the same sheet, now dipped in cold herbal water. This wrap is probably the most beneficial of the hot/cold applications, but also the most work.

Using alternating hot and cold packs is a way of drawing blood into specific organs and tissues when there are localized problems. In effect, you are stimulating the same circulatory response that is created by exercise. Because hot relaxes the tissues, blood is drawn into the area of the application. Cold, on the other hand, constricts the area, pushing blood away from the exposed tissues. By alternating hot and cold, you draw blood in, then force it out. Alternate the packs ten times, applying them for only half a minute cold, and a minute hot. This is a particularly effective treatment for moving along stagnant blood. Most benign growths are either caused by stagnant blood, or create stagnant blood. For instance, fibroid tumors in women respond well to frequent use of hot and cold packs applied to the abdomen. Using alternating hot and cold water in a sitz bath, which you can buy from your drugstore, is also an effective way of dealing with both gynecological and urinary tract problems.

Creating your own home spa:

The water that your skin is exposed to should be, as well as your drinking water, as clean as possible. Virtually all city water supplies are chlorinated; most are fluoridated. If it's not good enough for our insides, it's not good enough for our outsides. One of the best treats you can give to yourself is to make an investment in a shower filter. Get a good one.

You can turn your bathtub into a mini-ocean by simply adding Epsom salts to the water. Epsom salts are one of the all-time greatest detoxifiers, and help to draw impurities to the surface of the skin. After the bath, take a dry skin brush and brush vigorously to remove the dead skin cells and the toxins that these cells now hold.
 

Taking an herbal bath is the next best thing to going to a spa and having a body wrap. You can familiarize yourself with the common herbs and what they do, and hand-select your herb for its specific talent.

Alternatively, you can throw in a touch of essential oil that will leave your skin feeling well-nourished and baby soft.

For even more cold; really frigid cold:
I have also been going into a chamber that is 260 degrees below 0 (Fahrenheit). This process is called Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC). The maximum length of time in the chamber is 3 minutes. For my first two sessions, I made it to 2 ½ minutes. The next time, I broke the 3 minute barrier.

WBC was first used in Japan in 1978 by Dr. Yamauchi. He found that it reduced pain and inflammation in his patients for whom no other treatments were working. In the two decades since, technology has allowed us to perfect the application through sophisticated equipment. And, we have seen that the healing impact is not just limited to inflammation, but affects the endocrine, immune and nervous systems.

As you enter the cryo-chamber, the sudden drop in heat stimulates the temperature receptors of the body, prompting the brain to transmit messages throughout the body, whose temperature has dropped to 32 degrees. As the brain processes this new development, it sends signals to the body to protect itself, and activates an immune response that produces a host of benefits.

This process is what I have been speaking and writing about for several years now: The Hormesis Effect. Hormesis is the application of a stressor that stimulates the phenomenon that I call BOUNCEABILITY—the resilience to recover from the stressor and actually come to be better (better health, stronger, more fertile, less pain, longer life) than before the stressing agent was applied.

When you exit the chamber, blood is pumped vigorously around the body, which in turn enhances the oxygen supply and removal of toxins. The cold also triggers the nervous system to release feel-good endorphins. As well, the body’s natural anti-inflammatory reaction to extreme cold results in pain reduction.

The procedure has been especially embraced by athletes. The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, used a cryosauna at the 2012 London Olympics. Alberto Salazar used it when coaching Olympic medalists.

These are the results you can expect:

BEAUTY AND ANTI-AGING

• Cellulite reduction
• Boosted metabolism promoting weight loss
• Skin conditions ameliorated—including psoriasis, blemishes and acne
• Collagen production—skin toned evened, visible signs of aging reduced

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

• Pain relief from joint disorders, rheumatoid diseases and fibromyalgia
• Decreased muscle soreness, spasms and inflammation
• Improved post-surgery recovery
• Alleviation of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, migraines and the effects of stress
• Lowered incidence of colds and flu
• Prevention of conditions like osteoporosis

SPORTS AND FITNESS

• Faster recovery from stress of competitive sports or training
• Reduced inflammation, swelling and pain
• Enhanced energy and endorphin release
• Improved muscle and motor unit activation
• Greater testosterone levels in men

Enjoy shivering!

Disease Is Never A Mistake!

Jane spoke at the New York City Navel Expo last November. The title of her talk was "Disease is Never a Mistake -- It's Communication." You can watch the full fascinating video on YouTube by clicking the image below.

Jane speaks around the country about holistic health and the true origins of disease.

If you are interested in  interviewing her for your podcast or radio show, or if you would like to book her to speak at an event, please get in touch:

Email

[email protected] 

Phone

212-477-6039

Jane was recently interviewed by Luke Storey, for his Life Stylist Podcast. 

The title of the episode is "How to Live Forever: The Anti-Aging Revolution."

You can listen to Part 1 by clicking HERE. 

You can listen to Part 2 by clicking HERE.
 

As we get back on our feet after the big storm, the cottage at La Casa, Puerto Rico is finally available to rent again. We're also offering a wealth of brand new services for all visitors, including: private yoga, horseback riding, breakfast, fresh farm bread and raw goat cheese, and massages.

To book via Airbnb, click
HERE.

And click the image below for 6 seconds of beachy Puerto Rican bliss!

Down But Not Out… The Puerto Rico Rebuild is Underway.

Though La Casa Puerto Rico has sustained considerable damage, we continue to operate as a farm, hosting WWOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms.) Jubilant Jyl, our head WWOOFer, is amazing (as recent addition, Alec Beattie, describes below).

We are grateful for all the assistance they have given us. We are essentially renovating the renovation that we did for a year and a half before Majestic Maria found her way to the island. And we are doing this without electricity. But we continue… because we LOVE Puerto Rico, we LOVE our farm, and we LOVE the concept that we have for re-opening a most amazing holistic wellness center.

A word from Alec about his experience on the farm:

"This is a top notch place to WWOOF. Jyl is an amazing host, and very knowledgeable about gardening. In my time here, it was post-hurricane Maria, so there was still no electricity, but we never let it effect us. It was actually nice living off grid for a few weeks.

We planted a lot of Papaya, seeded a lot of starts -- basil, lettuce, thyme, mint, cucumber, watermelon etc. I also had the opportunity to help with putting a roof back on the main house. There is also a really nice cabin to stay in. Jyl is great about going to the beach, and having fun after a good day's work. Mucho love for this farm.”

=====================

Click HERE to donate to La Casa Puerto Rico, in our rebuilding efforts.

Donations to
La Casa Spa & Wellness Puerto Rico are tax deductible.

La Casa Spa & Wellness Puerto Rico
is registered as a not-for-profit corporation.

(Corporación Doméstica Sin Fines de Lucro (not-for profit): registration number 400094)

Last year, Jane and her daughter Molly (currently training to be a psychoanalyst, just like her mom!) contributed to an article titled "When Parents Get New Partners: Your Guide on How to Deal" for Betty.com. You can read the story by clicking HERE!

READER'S CORNER

We've had a lot of great responses to the last edition of Musings, Forest-Bathing / Tree-Hugging: Getting Healthy the Natural Way! 

Here are just some of the thoughts shared with us:

“I had my favorite hugging tree in Riverside Park and had amazing experiences with it. The tree you hug behind your house has special healing properties, as Pine needles are filled with Vit C, etc. They all have medicinal qualities. They also have special spiritual attributes. All ancient cultures knew that. We just planted a Hemlock tree from the forest here that we dug up—a small one onto of our dog Tiny's grave. They are very powerful, strong and beautiful trees. They are protectors. I love tree mythology and tree medicine!”

                - Richard Harvey

“Over 10 years ago I spent the weekend at a Casino. After my breakfast, I went for a long walk. I entered into a State Park & ventured to where the Park Ranger lived. He had just cut down a very big tree that morning. I told him I had been walking for hours and I knew that if I sat on the stump it would recharge me. I did so and it did - I wasn't as heavy, and my ankles felt better.”

                        - Dan Guzman

“I just wanted to let you know I loved this article on trees! This hits very close to home for me. I've had a few wonderful relationships with trees over the years—especially white pines and dogwoods. Thank you! I'm going to share this email.”  

- Jodie (Glenwild Garden Ctr)

"Nice that we’ve discovered such similar practices. The major practice that I’ve been doing for the last 40 years is called Zhang Zhuang… translated as 'Standing like a Tree.'" 

- Michael (Bodymind Healing)

“Loved your piece on trees! Check out my outdoor interactive installation show. We give people the opportunity to interact with trees in a tactile and visual way so that the dissonant becomes real.

It's the Trees of Life Sculpture Installation Show by artist Peter G. Pereira. 
The show has toured internationally, and started on Governors Island during the Figment Festival in June since 2006.

You will not believe the way in which people of all ages delight in being able to touch the tree, play with it, love it and of course hug it — something they have never been able to do before because of the rough nature of bark. (Check out some of the video.)

I have observed that once this interaction occurs the tree develops character and that leads to love and that leads to preservation.”

                 - Karina Holosko

“Dora Moness Shapiro established Deborah in 1922 as a tuberculosis sanitorium to provide care for those who could not afford it. Her motto was ‘There is no price tag on life!’ Legend has it that Deborah's rural Burlington County location was the key to recovery because of its therapeutic Jersey Pine Barrens air. Thousands of tuberculosis patients were treated there and successfully cured. Perhaps it was not mere coincidence that the facility was located in a place replete with trees.”
                          - Ken Maffeo​