Laughing Until You Die

Laughing Until You Die
Laughter is a powerful antidote to some of the worst side-effects of disease. Halfpoint/Shutterstock
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Just weeks before Christmas some years ago, Shirley Rapp and her family faced the devastating news that she had what appeared to be a terminal illness.

But that didn’t stop Rapp from wanting to do one last round of Christmas shopping for her kids. Her daughter, Karyn Buxman, a registered nurse who describes herself as a “neurohumorist,” went along. When the mother-daughter duo stepped into a St. Louis-area stationery store, Rapp picked up a day planner that she admired, turned to her daughter and quipped: “If I make it past Jan. 1, will you buy this one for me?”

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