Superagers

Sandy Vong watches the University of Michigan women’s volleyball practice from the bench, where he has regularly observed the team for years. The team celebrated his 96th birthday. (Bridge photo by Brayan Gutierrez).

Sandy Vong watches the University of Michigan women’s volleyball practice from the bench, where he has regularly observed the team for years. The team celebrated his 96th birthday. (Bridge photo by Brayan Gutierrez).

Shirley, 90 (left), and Lorelie S., 79 (right), play the card game Hand and Foot during a gathering at Shirley’s home. They are part of a group of four friends who try to meet at least every two weeks to play cards, stay socially connected, and keep their minds sharp. (Brayan Gutierrez for Bridge Michigan.)

Cards are laid out during a game of Hand and Foot, played by a group of four friends who meet regularly to stay connected and engaged.
(Brayan Gutierrez for Bridge Michigan.)

Sandy Vong (middle) watches the University of Michigan women’s volleyball practice from the bench, where he regularly observes the team. Vong, who established the university’s first men’s volleyball team and later became the first head coach of the women’s program, is celebrating his 96th birthday, and the team surprised him to mark the occasion. Seated beside him are Performance Analyst Matt Adams (left) and Director of Operations Kenzie Shand (right). (Bridge photo by Brayan Gutierrez).

Dina Salhani, medical technologist, oversees Lelia Crawford’s MRI at the Bonisteel Interdisciplinary Research Building in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The MRI procedure takes about an hour, capturing multiple scans some lasting up to 12 minutes that can produce as many as 70,000 images. (Bridge photo by Brayan Gutierrez)

Erin Brick (42), mother of Paige (9), recalls the confusion that followed her daughter’s sudden decline. She says months passed before doctors diagnosed PANS/PANDAS, leaving the family struggling to understand Paige’s rapid changes.
(Brayan Gutierrez for Bridge Michigan)

Dr. Amanda Maher leads the U-M initiative, one of six sites in the U.S. and Canada researching the biological, genetic, and psychosocial factors behind SuperAgers’ resilient cognition, at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Bridge photo by Brayan Gutierrez)