Dr. Lisa Belisle

Springing into Allergy Season

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published April 6, 2006, Community Leader

Our mild Maine winter has given way to an early spring. Grass is pushing its way through the soil, trees are beginning to bud—and spring allergy victims are sadly reaching for their tissues. These individuals are not alone in their misery. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergic diseases, making them the 6th most common chronic health condition in this country.

Cultivating Compassion in Kids: The Key to a Healthy Heart

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published April 2006, Parent & Family

Last year, I attended a middle school concert in which one child seemed to stand out. He stood in the front row, singing only rarely, yet clearly enjoying himself as he swayed to the music. Every so often he moved as if to join the chorus director at the front of the stage. He was prevented in doing so by a fellow classmate who gently tugged him back into place. When I questioned my son about this boy, it took him a minute to know who I had described, then told me that the child had a developmental disability. He hadn’t realized who I was talking about because to him, this boy was just one of his classmates, accepted for who he was, and helped as the need arose. I was touched by this, realizing that my son and his schoolmates were practicing simple, unknowing compassion. We need more compassionate kids (and adults) in this world.