Soldiers' wives struggle to care for their 'minimally conscious' husbands who were severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. (NJ Star-Ledger)

Los Angeles County gave 50 hardcore homeless on skid row a place to live with no strings attached. This four-part multimedia series tracks participants over two years. (LAT)

Worried residents of a small Louisiana fishing community face an uncertain future. The Deepwater Horizon disaster destroyed their environment, their livelihoods, and, for some, their families. (UNC)

Damon Conrow, 26, believes that the only way to rescue himself from a debilitating drug habit is to spend more time in state prison. (Standard-Examiner)

Three life-saving open-heart surgeries to repair a birth defect have defined the life of a four-year-old girl, and plunged her family into debt. (Arizona Daily Star)

Early diagnosis with microscopic techniques may be saving more lives of women with breast cancer, but the potential for horrible mistakes has also grown. (NYT)

A 13-year-old Haitian girl adjusts to a prosthetic leg provided by a New Hampshire team that aids earthquake victims. (Boston Globe)

Working with a certified nurse-midwife, an Ohio couple has a positive experience with home birthing for their second child. (Soul of Athens)

Unable to afford escalating insurance premiums, Sheila Wessenberg (left) had to stop chemotherapy for breast cancer. Her death exemplifies the American healthcare tragedy. (Media That Matters)

Jessica is a physically disabled artist who refuses to buy into societal stereotypes regarding her physical appearance. Her artwork documents her body's decline.