Final Days: A new program pairs volunteers with people with terminal illnesses who would otherwise die alone. The program in New York was started by a childbirth maven who, inspired by Dr. Sherwin Nuland’s reflections on death, wondered why there should not be ‘midwives’ to accompany people’s departure from the world as there are to accompany their entry. “There’s no rental agency for friends, for when you’re sick and staring death in the face.” —New York Times