Nicole graduated summa cum laude from Kean University’s School of Communication, Media and Journalism; she became certified in the theory and practice of child life the same year. Nicole is a satirical writer in the cystic fibrosis community. Diagnosed with CF at age 5, Nicole spent most of her life hiding her disease. When she got a double-lung transplant in June 2019, she embarked on a journey of transparency, and now hopes her column, “Lung, Scrappy, and Hungry,” will inspire others to be transparent.
“One Last Time” from the musical “Hamilton” is sung by the actor who portrays George Washington and sets Washington’s farewell address to music. It’s the perfect song for this breaking news: This is my final column. With…
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I recently discovered “Diana: The Musical,” which follows Princess Diana and Prince Charles through their short-lived relationship. Much like Diana herself, the show is severely underappreciated. I identified with Diana immediately, especially the pressure to keep up with…
In honor of National Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to write about neurodivergence, a term used when a person’s brain operates differently from what is typical (also known as neurodiversity). A few conditions that fall under the umbrella of…
I’ve written about coping mechanisms before and the various ways they’ve kept me sane during my journey with cystic fibrosis (CF). Some include writing, the performing arts, and a dark sense of humor. But there’s one I haven’t…
I became aware of the word schadenfreude during my first viewing of “Avenue Q” on Broadway. In the show, two characters discussed how one person’s pain could make another feel happy. As a person who’s often in pain,…
“Phone rings./ Door chimes./ In comes company.” — from “Company,” from the musical of the same name There was a time I wasn’t a fan of hospital visitors. Living with cystic fibrosis (CF), I needed hours of maintenance…
Make-A-Wish is an organization that offers gift experiences to very sick children younger than 19. If a child has a dream, like becoming a superhero, Make-A-Wish will make that dream come true. I was lucky enough to be…
“Is one a crusader or ruthless invader?/ It’s all in which label is able to persist.” That’s one of my favorite lines from “Wonderful,” a lesser-known song in the Broadway smash “Wicked.” I was recently reminded of this…
Movie musicals are the hottest trend in the musical theater community right now. “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Tick, Tick… Boom!” are just two of the adaptations, and it’s rumored that “Tarzan” is the next show to move from stage…
“Her Voice” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is one of the most beautiful songs. In the Broadway show it was sung by Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, and his voice hits me right in the hormones: “And her…
Does my disease define me? I’ve been battling this complex question since I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 5. Most of my CF friends would say no. The disease is a part of them, but it doesn’t…
For those unfamiliar with the Broadway sensation “Phantom of the Opera,” one of its most famous songs is called “The Music of the Night.” I was enjoying Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music the other night when I realized…
Second in a series. Read part one. In my previous column, I described the lead-up to my diabetes diagnosis. Let’s resume where we left off: in an isolated room at CarolinaEast Medical Center’s emergency department (ED) in New…
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