Category: Uncategorized

  • World’s Most Premature Baby Defies Sub-1% Survival Odds and Stuns Doctors
  • In the beginning Michelle “Chelly” Butler seemed to be experiencing a normal pregnancy — she was progressing well and expected to go full-term. However, on July 4, 2020, she was rushed to the hospital and immediately went into emergency surgery. Butler was then transferred to the hospital at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), which is well-known for having one of the leading neonatal and pediatric departments in the nation. Curtis Zy-Keith Means was delivered at 21 weeks, 1 day at around 1 p.m. on July 5 — exactly one month after the previous world's most premature baby. His original due date was just last week on Nov. 11. At birth, Curtis weighed just 420 grams, or about the same weight as a soccer ball. "The medical staff told me that they don’t normally keep babies at that age," Butler told Guinness World Records. "It was very stressful." Curtis was responding very well to his treatment and continued growing stronger and healthier. However, Curtis was a twin, and his sister was less developed and unable to respond to treatment, so she died a day after birth. After 275 days in the hospital, Curtis was able to go home on April 6, 2021. He celebrated his first birthday on July 5, 2021, which officially made him the most premature baby to survive. He has three older siblings who love to help out by giving him baths, dressing and feeding him. Image source: Guinness World Records
  • 98.5% of U.S. Seniors Have Received At Least One Dose of Covid-19 Vaccine
  • Nearly 100% of all U.S. adults ages 65 and up have had at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 85.8% of seniors are fully vaccinated. That includes 99.9% of adults ages 65-74 who have received a first shot (88.2% fully vaccinated) and 95.7% of those 75 and older (83% fully vaccinated), according to CDC data. The total U.S. population is 67.7% vaccinated, with 79% of those 12 and older receiving at least the first dose. The total cases among seniors have declined thanks to their high vaccination rates, with just 64 cases per 100,000 as of Nov. 6. Death rates have also declined from 53.5per 100,000 in January to just 0.7 per 100,000 as of November. Image source: Forbes
  • Local Celebrity: Meet Boji, Istanbul’s Commuter Dog Who Travels Through 29 Metro Stations Each Day
  • A street dog named Boji has become a local celebrity in Istanbul, Turkey for frequenting the city’s subways, ferries, trams and buses. Boji sometimes travels over 30 kilometers per day, making his rounds through dozens of Metro stations and at least two ferry rides. “He knows where to go. He knows where to get out,” said Avlin Erol, the head of customer relations at Metro Istanbul. “He’s such a free spirit,” said Chris McGrath, a Getty Images photographer who recently spent a day following Boji around Istanbul. “All he wants to do is ride on transportation. Every time he goes past a bus or van or any form of transport, he just wants to get on it. It’s really quite bizarre.” McGrath first learned of Boji on Twitter, and the pup even has his own Twitter and Instagram accounts with nearly 100,000 followers a piece. “Everybody knows him now and everybody’s seen him,” said McGrath. “He went into one restaurant and two men sort of shooed him away, yelled at him. And then you hear someone else, another restaurant owner, yelling at those guys going: ‘It’s Boji! It’s Boji! Don’t shoo him away!’ So he’s definitely got celebrity status now.” “He’s totally a perfect dog. Just wanders around. Everybody pats him. He’s super happy.” Image source: Getty Images
  • 17-Year-Old Creates Free App that Makes Films More Accessible for Deaf Children
  • Mariella Satow, a 17-year-old girl with dual UK-US citizenship, typically lives in the UK but has been in New York since summer 2020 due to pandemic travel restrictions.  The most restrictive days of lockdown led her to create something brand new — a signing app called SignUp. The idea came about when she taught herself American Sign Language. Many streaming platforms do not offer sign language options, rather just closed captions. It has taken over a year, but Mariella has finally developed technology in which an interpreter appears in a box in a corner of the screen once a film begins playing.  The app can be downloaded in the US as a Google Chrome Extension. It currently only works for Disney+ films, because Mariella felt this would be the most helpful for children, but she does plan to expand the capabilities soon. "Me and my sister were avid movie watchers when we were younger, and I couldn't imagine that not being a part of our childhood," she tells Newsbeat. An eight-year-old boy named Toby, who is deaf, found that watching movies or TV could be pointless since so many lacked sign language versions. Now, Toby can enjoy movies like everyone else. “This app creates a level playing field,” said Toby’s father. "The most meaningful comments are when it's the first time a child has had full access to a movie. The numbers don't really matter, it's the messages," said Mariella. Image source: BBC
  • 13-Year-Old Boy From Mississippi Uses “Make-A-Wish” to Feed Homeless for a Year
  • Last year, Abraham Olagbegi got the news that he was born with a rare blood disorder and would need a bone marrow transplant. About a year later, the 13-year-old got much better news: his transplant was successful, and he qualified for Make-A-Wish, a nonprofit that helps fulfill wishes for children with critical illnesses. That is when Abraham shared an idea with his mother. "I remember we were coming home from one of his doctor appointments and he said, 'Mom, I thought about it, and I really want to feed the homeless,'" Abraham's mom, Miriam Olagbegi, told CBS News. "I said, 'Are you sure Abraham? You could do a lot ... You sure you don't want a PlayStation?'" However, Abraham was uninterested in the PlayStation. Instead, in September, Make-A-Wish helped Abraham organize a day to hand out free food in Jackson, Mississippi — the food and supplies were donated from local businesses. They were able to feed around 80 people that day. "When the homeless people get the plate, some of them would come back and sing to us and thank us," he said. "And it just really feels good, it warms our hearts. And my parents always taught us that it's a blessing to be a blessing." Abraham’s efforts are not over just yet — Make-A-Wish will help Abraham feed the homeless on the third Saturday of every month for a year. This will last through Aug. 2022, but Abraham already plans to keep it going much longer than that by starting a nonprofit that he has already named “Abraham’s Table.” "We're just very excited to be able to continue on this endeavor. It's just so rewarding," his mom said. "If I was out there on the streets, homeless, I would want somebody at some point to think of me and to do something special for me. So, that's what I try to instill in my kids and we just try to pay it forward, by doing what we were raised to do." Image source: CBS News
  • Mortgage Lending Company Donates 11 Homes to 11 Deserving Veterans
  • Veterans United Home Loans, a Missouri-based mortgage lender and the country’s largest Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans provider, announced Wednesday that it is donating 11 homes to 11 deserving U.S. veterans. Veterans United partnered with Marine veteran and comedian Rob Riggle to choose 10 veterans who are making a difference in their communities to receive the gifts. The 11th home is going to any veteran who enters for a chance to win at Thanks.ToVeterans.com. "We as a company work on improving the lives of service members, their families and their communities, and that is the core of every decision we make," said Pam Swan, vice president of military relations for Veterans United. "…Last year, we made a big statement in trying to say thank you on Veterans Day in a more spectacular way." She said Veterans United decided to donate 11 homes to 11 veterans who “give back to their communities” on Veterans Day, which falls on 11/11, to say thank you to those who have served as part of its #ThanksToVeterans campaign. Those who were selected to receive the donation were completely surprised, and were all recently approved for home loans. Army veteran Jonathon Brown served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is now a law enforcement officer in his small town in Wisconsin. He was previously living in a three-bedroom rental with seven children and his wife. While applying for a home loan, Brown was asked to participate in a series of interviews for a “documentary series” about veterans who give back to their communities. Instead, he was surprised with the donation of home. "I thought, ‘That’s cool,'" he said of the documentary series. "…During the process of that, they surprised us while we were having breakfast with this bombshell announcement and it just blew us away. I could not believe it." Other recipients include eight-year U.S. Navy veteran and single dad Andre H. from North Carolina; Vietnam Army vet Jim L. from New Mexico, who needed a wheelchair-accessible home; U.S. Army veteran and father of three Daniel G. from New York; U.S. Navy veteran, widow and mother of three Regina L. from Georgia; and Marine Corps veteran Iraq vet Samuel T. from California, who teaches local self-defense classes. Image source: Veterans United Home Loans
  • Reaching New Heights: Alex Honnold’s Mom, Diedre Wolownick, Climbs Yosemite’s El Capitan to Celebrate 70th Birthday
  • Alex Honnold climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan without ropes or safety gear in the 2018 documentary “Free Solo.” This documentary gave climbing more attention, and it even became an Olympic sport in 2020. Fast forward to Sept. 2021, and Honnold’s mother, Diedre Wolownick, followed in her son’s footsteps by climbing “El Cap” on her 70th birthday — making her the oldest woman to conquer the 3,000-foot-high granite monolith. Wolownick’s climbing journey began in 2009, when she was 58 years old, as a way to try to get closer to her son. “I wanted to be part of his life, to share his triumphs as well as his disasters,” Wolownick wrote in her 2019 memoir. “Getting outdoors with my son filled in so many gaps in my education. I learned how little I knew about the mountains. About my own possibilities. About him.” Wolownick has since become a sort of celebrity in her own right, with recent features in both USA Today and the New York Times, as she pushes boundaries and proves it is never too late to pursue something new. Her 36-year-old son has helped to amplify the attention, too. “It’s all been an amazing experience, one I never could have dreamed up for myself,” said Wolownick. She has written several books in the past, and is currently planning to write her next book about raising children to be environmentally attuned. Wolownick is also preparing to welcome her first grandchild in February. Most importantly, though, Wolownick reminds others to get out and enjoy the world, no matter the age.“The most important decision is to start,” Wolownick said. “Once you start and decide you want to do something, it can be powerful. I say, ‘Just try it! Try it! You never know what might happen.’ ” Image source: LA Times
  • Japan Reports Zero Daily COVID-19 Deaths for First Time in 15 Months
  • On Sunday, Japan reported no deaths from COVID-19, making it the first day the country had no pandemic-related deaths in 15 months. Case rates in Japan have been falling rapidly, leading to some restrictions being lifted by officials — such as entry restrictions for students, foreign workers and short-term business stays for those who are fully vaccinated. The country also reduced self-quarantine times for Japanese citizens and foreign residents from 10 days to just three days. Japan reported a total of just 162 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and only 21 new infections in the capital city, Tokyo. The daily tally in Tokyo remained below 30 for 11 consecutive days. Osaka Prefecture, one of Japan’s hardest-hit areas, reported 39 new cases of the virus on Sunday. Initially, Japan faced a slow administration of vaccines. However, during the summer, it saw an increase in vaccines administered and the country is currently 74% vaccinated. Some Japanese officials are concerned that restrictions are being lifted too soon or too rapidly, and that this could result in an uptick of COVID-19 cases in the future. Image source: LA Times
  • Girl Power: First Woman Completes US Army Sniper Course
  • The first woman just completed the seven-week course meant to create “the most feared weapon on the battlefield,” graduating from the US Army’s elite sniper school. The soldier’s name has not been identified. Following her enlistment in the Montana National Guard last December, she was given orders to move to Fort Benning, Georgia, for One Station Unit Training, — a 22-week course that combines basic training with infantry skills. The One Station Unit Training staff took note of her remarkable results that include qualifying as an expert shooter, and recommended her for sniper school that also takes place at Fort Benning.  "We are extremely proud of this Soldier's achievement and recognize that this is a milestone for not only Montana, but the entire National Guard and Army," said Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general for Montana, in a statement. Aside from precision shooting, the course also teaches soldiers in mission planning, advanced battlefield awareness, complex engagements and more. "She arrived prepared for training and physically conditioned to succeed. We are proud of the results of her efforts and the quality training provided by the Sniper Course Cadre," said Capt. David Wright, a battalion commander at the sniper school. This makes her the first woman to graduate from the Army’s sniper school since its inception in 1987, and she will now join her unit in Montana. A company commander at Fort Benning, Capt. Joshua O’Neill, said the soldier “epitomizes what it means to be an infantry soldier. There wasn’t a doubt in our minds that she would succeed in the U.S. Army sniper course,” he said. Image source: CNN
  • Woman Falls Down Mountain, Leaves Hilarious Five-Star Review for Indestructible Leggings
  • A woman named Cory posted a funny review on Amazon for a pair of leggings after putting them through the ultimate test — she tumbled down a mountain and there was not a single rip. Cory posted the review back in July 2020, but the funny moment was unearthed on Twitter last week where it racked up over 400,000 likes. The user who posted the review said: “i think about this twice per week.” In Cory’s five-star review, she said: “order them right now,” adding that she would be “reordering the pants in every color.” She then shared two photos of herself rolling down a mountain while wearing a purple pair of the leggings, which remained unscathed. “My leggings did not rip not even a little bit and I got stuck on rocks and trees,” she wrote. One user tweeted, “I really hope the company gave her free leggings for life for that kind of solid endorsement. How can you not be sold when you read that.” Image source: Amazon