From when she was 15 and he was 18, Brad and Becky Fitzgerald have had each other's hearts.

They dated four years before they married. It's been 25 years and two daughters since they said their vows, and Becky Fitzgerald no longer has Brad's heart that she cherished as a teen.

The McComb resident instead has her husband's new heart, a priceless and perfect organ that on March 31 began beating in his 46-year-old chest, thanks to his transplant team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

They don't know the donor's family, and might not get their wish to thank them personally. “But, they can rest assured that heart will be well taken care of,” Becky said. “We won't do anything to disgrace this gift.”

Sherard Shaw Jr. touched the lives of many young people during his coaching career at Jackson Academy.   

Family, friends, and former students and players can attest to Coach Shaw's drive to inspire young people to overcome adversity, even when he himself was diagnosed with stomach and esophageal cancer.  Although he lost his battle to cancer in 1995, the foundation that bears his name continues to inspire others in the fight against pediatric cancer.

Applauding the Medical Center as “a gem of an institution” and “the future of Mississippi,” Dr. Jeffrey Vitter met with faculty members collectively for the first time as chancellor on Thursday. 

Addressing the Spring Faculty Meeting, Vitter, who became Chancellor January 1, emphasized his commitment to boosting cooperation and collaboration between the Jackson and Oxford campuses.

Noting that the University of Mississippi was declared in February one of the top doctoral research universities in the country, Vitter added: “Perhaps the main reason we got that designation is we are starting to talk, think and act as one university.” The recognition from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a first for the university.

Vitter attributed the “momentum” enjoyed by the institution to, among others, his predecessors, Dan Jones and Robert Khayat, along with interim chancellor Dr. Morris Stocks, as well as Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, who led the faculty meeting.

A number of interesting events is scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.