Miles away, years apart: When geography impacts destiny, everything plays a part
In October 2022, Orange Mound community members viewed renderings of the old Melrose High School renovation during the groundbreaking for the project. The building, which was vacant in the neighborhood for more than 40 years, will become a library, genealogy center and affordable senior housing. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian file)
The almost 20-year difference between estimated life expectancies across Shelby County is a product of differences in food, education, crime rates and access to all sorts of resources.
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Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki covers health care, banking and finance, technology and professions. After launching her career in news two decades ago, she worked in public relations for almost a decade before returning to journalism in 2022.
As a health care reporter, she’s collaborated with The Carter Center, earned awards from the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists and won a 2024 Tennessee Press Association first-place prize for her series on discrepancies in Shelby County life expectancy by ZIP code.
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