Faces in the Archive: Old Planet Chiropractic Stories, Seen Again

November 8, 2026 Chiropractic News

Planet Chiropractic has been publishing since the late 1990s. A lot of those early stories made it through the years, but their pictures didn't. Some were reduced to thumbnails smaller than a postage stamp. Others lost their photos entirely and ended up as text alone.

Lately we've been going back through old CDs, backup drives, and archive folders and matching photos to the stories they belong to. What I didn't expect was how different these articles feel once you can see the people in them again. Here are a few to start with. Each one links to the original article, and the text is just as it was first published.

Kid's Day America, Los Angeles, 1999

Our September 1999 report opened with the line "Welcome to Kid's Day America!" and explained, "That was what the banners said all across the country." In Los Angeles, the SICA chapters from LACC and Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles teamed up, and "hundreds gathered in the parking lot at Cleveland Chiropractic College" for spinal screenings, police and fire safety, face painting, and "plenty of chiropractic tattoos on hand for the kids."

For years that article had five tiny thumbnails. Now it has the full-size event photos, recovered from an archived CD: the fire truck, a costumed mascot, an elephant bounce house, balloons, and a hand-lettered Health & Safety sign. The article also thanks Drs. Theresa & Stuart Warner for creating the program.

Read: Welcome to Kid's Day America!

CREW missions: Panama and Costa Rica

Children gathered during a CREW chiropractic mission in Panama, 1999 — CREW chiropractic mission — Panama, 1999.

In October 1999 we reported that chiropractors had "returned home on Monday from the fifth CREW mission to Panama." That trip was different because everyone adjusted in one location, at a large Central American health care event called ExpoMedica. The article says DCs who spoke Spanish gave health talks all week, and it credits Lina Ocon, Luis Ocon, D.C., and James Sigafoose for coordinating it.

Read: Chiropractors Return Home From Panama

A few days later came the news that after five Panama missions, Lina and Luis Ocon had been invited to bring their C.R.E.W. of chiropractors to Costa Rica. The photo now on that article is from the Costa Rica mission itself, in May 2000, months after the announcement ran.

Children during the CREW chiropractic mission to Costa Rica, May 2000 — CREW chiropractic mission, Costa Rica, May 2000.

Read: Chiropractic Mission to Costa Rica · CREW missions page

Stew Bittman, D.C.: "Chiropractic And The Environment"

Stew Bittman, D.C., adjusting a child during a CREW chiropractic mission in Costa Rica — Stew Bittman, D.C., adjusting during a CREW chiropractic mission in Costa Rica.

Stew's February 2000 essay starts with Gandhi's line, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world," and goes from there: "We will never care for the planet any better than we care for ourselves." For a long time it ran with no picture at all. Now it has an archive photo of Stew adjusting a child on a CREW mission in Costa Rica, which ties his words about personal change to the service trips covered above.

Read: Chiropractic And The Environment

Sid and Nell Williams: "Nothing is bigger than LIFE!"

Sid Williams, D.C., and Nell Williams, D.C., in hard hats at a Life University groundbreaking — Sid Williams, D.C., and Nell Williams, D.C. — Life University.

Our November 1999 report was about the 153rd Dynamic Essentials weekend in Atlanta. We wrote that "Planet Chiropractic was there and the energy was high!" and that Sid Williams "was incredibly 'On'" for Thursday's opening, with talks from Jim Sigafoose, Joe Accurso, and Dick Santo. The article now opens with a photo of Sid and Nell in hard hats at a Life University groundbreaking. It's a different occasion from the weekend in the story, but it shows the building spirit the story describes.

Read: Nothing is bigger than LIFE!

Remembering Ian Grassam, D.C.

Ian Grassam, D.C., arms open on a hillside under a blue sky — Ian Grassam, D.C.

In November 1999 we published a tribute to Ian Grassam, written by someone who had known him for 23 years through D.E. It calls him "one of the greatest warriors and teachers for principled chiropractic" and remembers that "there was standing room only whenever he took the platform." The tribute finally has a portrait of Ian with his arms open under a blue sky. You can also hear him in his own voice in our 1997 audio.

Read: Dr. Ian Grassam – In Loving Memory · Listen: Ian Grassam 1997 audio

Sharon Gorman, D.C.: "Are you forcing your practice?"

Sharon Gorman, D.C., speaking in a red jacket — Sharon Gorman, D.C.

In June 2003 Sharon wrote to us after a Pocono Focus weekend: "We had over 100 people... almost half of those people were under 15 years old." She went on to look honestly at why she had been holding those weekends for about ten years, and how her reasons changed from "volume" to something deeper. Her article now carries a portrait from our archive. Her story connects to our recent feature on Sharon and the League of Chiropractic Women.

Read: Are you forcing your practice?

More to come

This is only the start. There are more archive boxes to go through, and more old stories waiting for their pictures. If you were at one of these events, or you're in one of these photos, we'd love to hear from you. Help us put names and memories back with the faces.