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Shannen Doherty shares "miracle" amid stage four cancer battle

<p>Shannen Doherty has shared a promising update as she continues to <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/my-fear-is-obvious-shannen-doherty-s-tearful-health-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">battle stage four breast cancer</a>. </p> <p>The <em>90210</em> star shared the positive update during the latest episode of her <em>Let’s Be Clear</em> podcast, after months of heartbreaking updates and her <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/betrayed-shannen-doherty-opens-up-on-tough-divorce-amid-cancer-battle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tough divorce</a> from her husband of 14 years, Kurt Iswarienk.</p> <p>“I’m on a new cancer infusion and after four treatments, we didn’t really see a difference and everybody wanted me to switch,” she said during a conversation with her doctor. </p> <p>“I just kinda was like, ‘we’re going to keep going with this and see.’”</p> <p>After multiple rounds of treatment, she began to see an unexpected positive development. </p> <p>“After the sixth or seventh treatment, we really saw it breaking down the blood-brain barrier," she said.</p> <p>"Do I call that a miracle? Yeah. For me, that happens to be a miracle right now. That I sort of rolled the dice and said, ‘let’s keep going.’”</p> <p>“That it’s actually breaking down that blood-brain barrier is actually a miracle of that drug, a miracle of maybe God intervening and being like, ‘I’m gonna give her a break,’” she added. </p> <p> “Sometimes you’re looking for miracles in all the wrong places and they’re right in front of your face.”</p> <p>The star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and has been open about her ongoing battle, from her 2017 remission to her 2020 stage 4 diagnosis, which caused the cancer to spread to spread to her bones and brain. </p> <p>In January 2023 the former <em>Charmed </em>star underwent surgery to remove a brain tumour. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

"Miracles do exist": Astonishing return of missing teen after four years

<p>An American teenager has been found after she went missing four years ago, when she walked into a police station and asked to be taken off the missing children list. </p> <p>Alicia Navarro, who is now 18, walked into a police station in a small town in Montana, close to the Canadian border, and identified herself as the teenager who was reported missing in September 2019. </p> <p>“Alicia Navarro has been located,” Glendale public safety communications manager Jose Santiago said during a press conference.</p> <p>“She is by all accounts, safe, she is by all accounts healthy and she is by all accounts happy.”</p> <p>The teenager reportedly left her home willingly four years ago when she was 14-years-old, leaving her parents a note when she disappeared from her house overnight on September 15th 2019. </p> <p>Alicia, who has been described as a high-functioning autistic person, left a handwritten note for her parents that read, “I ran away. I will be back. I swear. I’m sorry,” before she slipped out of the house while they slept. </p> <p>Her parents then didn't hear from her for four years, until they were contacted by the Glendale Police Department to let them know their child had been found. </p> <p>Alicia had an emotional reunion with her mum, who never stopped looking for her, as she was very apologetic over the pain her mother went through not knowing where she was for the past four years or even if she was still alive. </p> <p>Her mom, Jessica Nuñez, called the discovery of her daughter four years after her disappearance a miracle in a video she posted to Facebook.</p> <p>“For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to use this case as an example,” she said. “Miracles do exist. Never lose hope and always fight.”</p> <p>Nuñez said she doesn’t have details on her daughter’s disappearance but said “the important thing is that she is alive.”</p> <p>Glendale police are now investigating how the teenager got to Montana, and how she has survived over the last four years by herself. </p> <p>Alicia told police that no one has harmed her and appeared to be healthy, while the girl currently remains in Montana and is able to come and go as she pleases and has asked for privacy so she can move on with her life. </p> <p>“We can only imagine what she’s going through, mentally, emotionally, as well as her family, and as much as we’d like to say this is the end, this is probably only the beginning of where this investigation will go,” Glendale PD Lt. Scott Waite said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Fox 10</em></p>

Mind

Neglected pre-war car up for sale after miracle restoration

<p>A 1939 MG VA, initially purchased as a stripped bare shell of itself, is heading for auction.</p> <p>When the pre-war vehicle sold for only a few hundred dollars, it wasn’t asking for much - most likely because it wasn’t offering a whole lot either. Missing entire doors and rusting in more than one place, the car left a lot to be desired. </p> <p>Its original owner had tucked it away in the garage after the MG failed an MOT in 1969 - an annual test in the United Kingdom to verify a vehicle’s safety. Although they’d intended to restore it, those plans never came to fruition, with the car learning a hard lesson in dust bunnies instead. </p> <p>45 years later, it finally got the chance to see the light of day again, with its next owner snatching it up from a family friend at a ‘bargain’ price. And to everyone’s delight, the vehicle finally got the makeover it had been waiting almost half a century for. </p> <p>The owner - who has requested anonymity - even performed the bulk of the work by themself, although they left the engine overhaul and respray to the professionals.</p> <p>The hard work produced some spectacular results, and with the car now rolling into auction with an asking price of ~$18,500-$22,2000, its next owner is sure to enjoy all that it has to offer. </p> <p>When the line of MG VAs left production, they sold for up to $650 (or roughly $35,000 in 2023), and only 2,400 of them were ever made. </p> <p>The vehicles were produced alongside the larger SA and WA models, with their smallest-in-the-range 108-inch wheelbases distinguishing them from their counterparts. The VA model was only produced for two years, before the Second World War saw production come to a screeching halt. </p> <p>The MG company itself had been founded in the 1920s, and was renowned for its range of two-seater sports cars. After years of ownership changes, and after it was absorbed into the British Leyland group, the firm - which at that point was known as MG Rover - faced financial difficulty in the early 200s, and by 2005 was forced into receivership. </p> <p>However, the group was then purchased by Nanjing Automobile Group, and resumed its production of vehicles in 2007. In 2011, the MG6 appeared in the market, establishing itself as the first UK model in 16 years.</p> <p>And as for the 1939 VA model heading to auction with Charterhouse, Richard Bromell - who is handling the sale - had one just one thing to note, “to say the MG was bought as a project makes it sound much better than it was as it was in a very sorry state indeed</p> <p>“Thankfully the owner was more than handy with a spanner and undertook a complete restoration of the MG.”</p> <p><em>Images: Charterhouse Auctioneers & Valuers </em></p>

Money & Banking

How to clean jewellery at home: 14 household items that work miracles

<h2>How to make your jewellery shine</h2> <p>If you want to clean your bling but don’t want to shell out lots of money for a professional, fear not – there are lots of easy methods for how to clean jewellery right at home. You don’t have to save it for your most valuable cocktail rings or necklaces, either. Even the best affordable jewellery needs a cleaning every now and then, especially those delicate earrings that you never take off, even after they turn your skin green.</p> <h2>What is the best home remedy to clean jewellery?</h2> <p>These trusted everyday items are just as good as (if not better than) jewellery cleaner, and you probably already have most of them in the house.</p> <h2>Alka-Seltzer</h2> <p>Drop your dull-looking jewellery in a glass of fizzing Alka-Seltzer for a couple of minutes. It will sparkle and shine when you pull it out.</p> <h2>Aluminium foil</h2> <p>Here’s how to clean jewellery with aluminium foil: simply line a small bowl with it. Fill the bowl with hot water and mix in one tablespoon of bleach-free powdered laundry detergent. Put the jewellery in the solution and let it soak for one minute. Rinse well and air-dry. This procedure makes use of the chemical process known as ion exchange, which can also be used to clean silverware.</p> <h2>Ammonia</h2> <p>Brighten up your gold and silver trinkets by soaking them for ten minutes in a solution of 1/2 cup clear ammonia mixed with 1 cup warm water. Gently wipe clean with a soft cloth and let dry. Note: do not do this with jewellery containing pearls, because it could dull or damage their delicate surface.</p> <h2>Baking soda</h2> <p>To remove built-up tarnish from your silver, make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Apply with a damp sponge and gently rub, rinse, and buff dry. To polish gold jewellery, cover with a light coating of baking soda, pour a bit of vinegar over it, and rinse clean. Note: do not use this technique with jewellery containing pearls or gemstones, as it could damage their finish or loosen any glue.</p> <h2>Light-coloured beer</h2> <p>Get the shine back in your solid gold rings (read: bands without any gemstones) and other jewellery by pouring a bit of light-coloured beer (not dark ale!) onto a soft cloth and rubbing it gently over the piece. Use a clean second cloth or towel to dry.</p> <h2>Soda water</h2> <p>Soak your diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds in club soda to give them a bright sheen. Simply place them in a glass full of soda water and let them soak overnight.</p> <h2>Denture tablets</h2> <p>Has your diamond ring lost its sparkle? Here’s how to clean jewellery using denture tablets: drop the tablet into a glass along with 1 cup water. Follow that with your ring or diamond earrings. Let it sit for a few minutes. Remove your jewellery and rinse to reveal the old sparkle and shine.</p> <h2>Ketchup</h2> <p>Let ketchup do the work of shining tarnished silver. If your ring, bracelet, or earring has a smooth surface, dunk it in a small bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. If it has a tooled or detailed surface, use an old toothbrush to work ketchup into the crevices. To avoid damaging the silver, don’t leave the ketchup on any longer than necessary. Rinse your jewellery clean, dry it, and it’s ready to wear.</p> <h2>Toothpaste</h2> <p>Put a little toothpaste on an old toothbrush and use it to make your diamond ring sparkle instead of your teeth. Clean off the residue with a damp cloth.</p> <h2>Vinegar</h2> <p>Is vinegar good for cleaning jewellery? Yes! Here’s how to clean jewellery with it: soak your pure silver bracelets, rings, and other jewellery in a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda for two to three hours. Rinse them under cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.</p> <p> </p> <div> </div> <p> </p> <h2>Vodka</h2> <p>In a pinch, a few drops of vodka will clean any kind of glass or jewellery with crystalline gemstones. So although people might give you strange looks, you could dip a napkin into your vodka on the rocks to wipe away the grime on your eyeglasses or dunk your diamond ring for a few minutes to get it sparkling again. But don’t try this with contact lenses! Also, avoid getting alcohol on any gemstone that’s not a crystal. Only diamonds, emeralds and the like will benefit from a vodka bath.</p> <h2>Window cleaner</h2> <p>Use window cleaner to spruce up jewellery that is all metal or has crystalline gemstones such as diamonds or rubies. Spray on the cleaner, then use an old toothbrush for cleaning. But don’t do this if the piece has opaque stones such as opal or turquoise, or organic gems such as coral or pearl. The ammonia and detergents in the cleaner can discolour these porous lovelies.</p> <h2>Dish soap</h2> <p>Dish soap can do a whole lot more than just clean your kitchen! It’s great for regular jewellery cleaning. All you need to do is mix a few drops of dish soap with warm water and let the jewellery soak in the solution for a few minutes. You can use this method for silver jewellery too, but you’re better off using a toothbrush or cloth to wipe down that jewellery rather than fully submerging it. Don’t forget to rinse!</p> <h2>Shampoo</h2> <p>A bit of mild shampoo – think baby shampoo – is a great way to polish your pearls. Stones like turquoise and opals will benefit from this treatment as well. To use this method most effectively, mix a little bit of shampoo with warm water and use a soft, clean brush like a makeup brush to polish each pearl with the mixture. You don’t want to risk damaging pearls by soaking them.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/diy-tips/how-to-clean-jewellery-at-home-14-household-items-that-work-miracles?pages=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

“A ray of sunshine”: Catherine’s heartwarming visit to miracle baby

<p>A mother from West Sussex has recounted the experience of having Catherine, Princess of Wales, meet her young daughter Amaya-Rae. </p> <p>When Amaya-Rae was born at only 23 weeks and classed as a “late miscarriage” in August 2021, her parents were left heartbroken. </p> <p>Amaya-Rae had already beaten the odds by surviving what was described as a traumatic birth, but the family’s medical team didn’t have high hopes for the baby girl, advising her parents to say their goodbyes. </p> <p>Over the course of 360 days in hospital, Amaya-Rae’s family were told on eight separate occasions that she was not going to make it, but she had other ideas. </p> <p>“It’s nothing short of a miracle,” her mother, Mischa, said, “I’m not religious but I really do believe she has had someone watching over her, telling her it’s not her time to go yet, sending her back.</p> <p>“At first, each time we were told to say goodbye to her, our world just crumbled.”</p> <p>Amaya-Rae went on to prove her mum right and her doctors wrong, defying all of the odds in her fight to survive. Now, she is almost eighteen months old, and safe at home with her family. </p> <p>Despite the heartbreak that came with their time in hospital, Amaya-Rae’s mum has opened up about one bright moment in the dark: a visit from Princess Catherine. </p> <p>“When we were in the Evelina Children’s Hospital, we were totally stunned when Catherine, Princess of Wales, made an unexpected visit,” Mischa recalled. “Catherine was so lovely, she listened intently to Amaya’s story, and genuinely seemed so taken with her and asked such a lot of questions.</p> <p>“She seemed totally besotted, complimenting her smiles and her outfit. Amaya couldn't take her eyes off her, she was transfixed. </p> <p>“Someone suggested we take her to see a Disney Princess show at Christmas, but we joked she only deals with actual royalty now.”</p> <p>Amaya-Rae’s need for specialist care saw her transferred to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where she stayed for 166 days before getting to go home. It was there, at the children’s hospital, that she came face-to-face with the real-life princess. </p> <p>Catherine, who is the hospital’s patron, was there on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxfEqxs3v2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxfEqxs3v2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by amayarae_ story (@amayarae_story)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>As Mischa explained, she was “with Amaya and her nurse came in and said we had someone who’d like to visit us. I was stunned when I realised who it was, I kept saying it couldn’t be her because it was the Jubilee weekend.” </p> <p>The nurse, she said, told them that Catherine had come to visit the families who couldn’t be out celebrating, and that after being told about Amaya-Rae, she had requested to meet her. </p> <p>“There were no press there, we didn’t see any bodyguards,” Mischa said of the meeting, “she just popped in to meet the children. She was so lovely.”</p> <p>In an interview with the <em>Mirror</em>, Mischa added, “when the nurses told me she was in the hospital and wanted to meet Amaya-Rae, I completely panicked.”</p> <p>“She was in her nappy. I ran around finding something presentable for her to wear. But as soon as Kate walked in through the door, all the nervousness disappeared."</p> <p>After speaking on Catherine’s calming demeanour, and how Amaya-Rae was “transfixed” with the princess, Mischa reflected on their experience and the surprise introduction, saying, “there are some really dark days in a children's hospital, and for our family - and lots of others - there isn't much to look forward to. </p> <p>“Everybody who met Kate said it gave them such a pick-me-up. She was a ray of sunshine in a really frightening time."</p> <p>Mischa’s miracle, her ray of sunshine, is now home. Though Amaya-Rae will require oxygen for another few months, and faces some underlying conditions that Mischa hopes will be manageable and won’t hold Amaya-Rae back, she is happy to report that her daughter is just like anyone else her age. </p> <p>“She is doing so well. She’s such a happy, chilled out little girl. You’d never know what she’s been through.”</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

"Beautiful miracle!": Rebel Wilson's huge baby news

<p dir="ltr">Rebel Wilson has announced she is now a mother, taking to social media to reveal she has welcomed her first child via surrogacy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing a sweet photo of the newborn dressed in a white onesie and and unicorn socks, the Australian star penned a heartwarming message to her new daughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Beyond proud to announce the birth of my first child, Royce Lillian, born this past week via surrogate,” Wilson began.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-51f63ec4-7fff-4ac5-114c-bbf1a0f41b71"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I can’t even describe the love I have for her, she’s a beautiful miracle!”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkqsdK1pzN2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkqsdK1pzN2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The 42-year-old also thanked those who were involved in helping bring Royce into the world, adding that “this has been years in the making”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are), this has been years in the making … but particularly wanted to thank my gorgeous surrogate who carried her with such grace and care,” Wilson wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you for helping me start my own family, it’s an amazing gift. The BEST gift!!</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-284adaf7-7fff-8d00-9ae5-2fda652deee3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I am ready to give little Roycie all the love imaginable. I am learning quickly … much respect to all the Mums out there! Proud to be in your club.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/rebel-baby.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @rebelwilson (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Wilson also shared a suite of photos on her Instagram story from her baby shower, which she also posted a photo from in October with a different message.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-b624ce2a-7fff-b27e-533d-40458bdfdbb8">The photo, showing Wilson and her partner Ramona Agruma posing together with a white teddy bear partially obscured behind them, was shared along with a message about the condemnation of the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em> for outing Wilson earlier this year.</span></p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkTyuzVvMia/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkTyuzVvMia/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Just seeing the news that the Australian Press Council has condemned the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em> and their journalists for their recent grubby behaviour in trying to out my same-sex relationship. And while I didn’t personally ask for any action to be taken I am glad that this has been officially recorded and recognized,” Wilson wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Their actions did cause Ramona and I a lot of distress and while we’ve remained classy, there are still pains from having to rush this news publicly which we are dealing with. We move on, focusing on all the absolutely amazing new things in our life though! Sending love to everyone.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-89b5afc5-7fff-d53e-e2ae-5fe72e464836"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes after Wilson made her romantic relationship with fashion and jewellery designer Ramona Agruma public in June, and has since shared plenty of photos of her and Ramona on Instagram.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjvgLbzpDnQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjvgLbzpDnQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fab0b6ec-7fff-f66b-8ec5-ba2a304bc87f">Last month, the actress sparked engagement rumours after sharing a photo of the pair, with Wilson wearing what appeared to be a silver ring on her left ring finger.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @rebelwilson (Instagram)</em></p>

News

"It's a miracle": Aussie hospital rolls out cancer treatment

<p dir="ltr">Two years ago, Tony Jiang was told he had advanced, terminal lung cancer. Today, he is fighting fit thanks to a new treatment requiring the pop of just one pill per day.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's a miracle. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm a patient," Jiang said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He reports that this a dramatic turnaround from the day he was diagnosed. Prior to diagnosis he suffered two months of a persistent cough which eventually landed him in hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They didn't think about cancer because of my age, I never smoked, I had a pretty much healthy lifestyle."</p> <p dir="ltr">Doctor Vanessa Chin at St Vincent's Hospital Medical Oncologist said Jiang's right lung was filled with fluid.</p> <p dir="ltr">"By the time I'd met him he already had a tube inserted into that lung to drain off the fluid and a biopsy had been performed," Chin said.</p> <p dir="ltr">A tissue biopsy of Jiang's lung was sent off for genetic sequencing. Alterations in his cancer cells meant that he was eligible for a subsidised treatment, and no longer needed chemotherapy or radiation.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Just taking a tablet, one tablet every day and I'm just back to my normal life," Jiang said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jiang's doctor Chin said the tumours on his scans virtually disappeared and that he experienced very few side effects.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When we do scans it's actually hard to tell that he has anything wrong," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">New technology now allows pathologists at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital to test hundreds of genes in one go – a task that just two years ago was impossible.</p> <p dir="ltr">Anatomical pathologist Dr Tao Yang from St Vincent's Hospital said the technology used can load 24 patient samples at once and deliver results overnight.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

Caring

"We’ve got a pandemic baby and a flood baby": Mum’s twin miracles

<p dir="ltr">A woman trapped by flood waters was rescued by a heroic neighbour in his kayak just in time for her to give birth.</p> <p dir="ltr">Krystle Henry was stranded in her home in Taringa, Brisbane, after flood waters surged up the driveway - preventing her from leaving to go to the hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">But her quick-thinking neighbour Rob came to the rescue, kayaking Ms Henry to dry land on Sunday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">She and her partner Matt Bridges welcomed their newborn son, Angus, into the world at Mater Mothers’ Hospital Brisbane on Tuesday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Bridges said he would be forever grateful to his neighbour for helping their son arrive safely.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d7bec5d6-7fff-1b1e-d4d5-32ff681a8afa">“We didn’t know Bob, but he was more than happy to help us out and I’m so thankful Angus arrived safely,” he <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/mum-gives-birth-to-baby-boy-after-she-was-rescued-in-a-kayak-from-flood-waters-in-brisbane-c-5911798" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/krystle.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Krystle Henry and Matt Bridges with their newborn son, Angus. Image: Krystle Henry</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m so glad I got to the delivery room in time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Angus is the couple’s second child, after Ms Henry gave birth to their daughter Olive in 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve got a pandemic baby… and now we have a flood baby,” Mr Bridges said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mater obstetrician Dr Paul Conaghen said he had never delivered a baby in such a chaotic situation, and praised the couple for their calm attitude.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Considering the situation, Krystle and Matt remained very calm,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t imagine being 39 weeks pregnant stuck in flood waters.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5ed40b1b-7fff-3e60-4fe4-22eba811394b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But Angus isn’t the only flood baby to be born in such circumstances, after another couple were rescued by kayak, this time by the SES.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/felicity-jacques.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Felicity and Alex were rescued by SES volunteers before going on to welcome their newborn son into the world. Image: Felicity Jacques</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Sherwood couple Felicity and Alex Jacques called the SES for help when their cars flooded in the underground carpark of Alex’s parents home, where they were staying.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple stayed in a hotel near the hospital overnight, before Ms Jacques went into labour early on Monday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their baby son, Andrew Jacques, was also born on Tuesday, weighing 3.35 kg.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hate to think what would have happened if we weren’t close to the hospital,” Ms Jacques said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m so relieved our little one is here. He is definitely a little miracle.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Paula Foley, the chief operating officer at Mater Mothers’ Hospital, said the past week had seen many mums and families going to extraordinary lengths to get to the hospital to give birth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s been an incredibly stressful time for many of our new mums and dads,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But we’ve had 188 babies born at Mater Mothers’ South Brisbane in the past week, despite the flooding.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-db22e156-7fff-5997-fa8e-9066a18ab3b8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Krystle Henry</em></p>

News

New “miracle” Parkinson’s treatment can be done “anywhere in the world”

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">World-first technology has opened doors for new treatment of Parkinson’s disease, with the new wireless implants being dubbed a “miracle” by patients.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implants reduce the symptoms of Parkinsons, and have required adjusting from a neurologist every time a patient’s condition changes - until now.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new technology from neuromodulation company Abbott allows specialists to adjust DBS devices remotely over the internet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For 70-year-old Clive Couperthwaite, the first patient to use the new tech as part of a clinical trial last year, the development has put an end to his two-hour commutes for 20-minute adjustments to his implant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “I’m not the patient that lives the furthest away, but it’s a complication to get in [to visit a specialist] … if you live in Longreach or some place out of the city - it’s a major demand, Mr Couperthwaite <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-29/qld-remote-brain-function-parkinsons-treatment-breakthrough/100576716" target="_blank">said</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When you live so far away from your specialist, it’s anxiety-provoking because what if something goes wrong.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845200/_0-17-screenshot.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b2d4ab738fcf499ea41e2d814c23d5f2" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clive Couperthwaite, the first person to use the new remote technology. Image: Abbott / YouTube</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You feel like you can live again - you don’t have to keep looking over your shoulder.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The technology has been approved for use in Australia, Europe, and the United States.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Peter Silburn, a neurologist from the Queensland Brain Institute, said the development of the new technology has been “the most exciting development” in treatment of the neurological disease since the DBS device itself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The DBS device works as a pacemaker for the brain, sending electrical signals to areas responsible for movement to reduce symptoms.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We take away the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson’s and we’re able to take the drugs right down - if not stop them all together,” Dr Silburn said.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845199/_1-26-screenshot.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/80b1ad454cf64e9bbdeab17e3c6b2dce" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two electrodes are implanted in the brain and receive electrical signals from the device, implanted in the chest. Image: Abbott / YouTube</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Without the new technology, Dr Silburn said the device may need to be adjusted as frequently as every two weeks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, the wireless technology allows specialists such as Dr Silburn to connect with patients via an app installed on paired devices - meaning that adjustments can be made from anywhere in the world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is going to have a major impact for particularly regional Australians,” Dr Silburn said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It reduces the burden of care, whether you’re remote in the bush or an hour away in the car - someone has to give up their time to bring you in.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you’re way out in the middle of Australia and something goes wrong, you need to have a Careflight, that could be completely eliminated.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Couperthwaite said the DBS implant is the source of his autonomy, allowing him to complete tasks from painting to kayaking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Before I was shaking through my hands, I couldn’t write my name legibly,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Migual Diaz, the chief executive of Parkinson’s Australia, said the new development could lead more people to pursue DBS as a form of treatment, especially if they are geographically isolated.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People [who] may have been put off by the fact that you have to come to Brisbane to have [adjustments] and have opted not to have DBS surgery might now reconsider that,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s, so anything that will improve their wellbeing is an absolute benefit and we’ve got to pursue it.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Abbott / YouTube</span></em></p>

Technology

"Miracle I'm alive": Tragic way grandfather survived skydiving fall

<p>After surviving a fall of 12,000 feet in a terrifying skydiving accident, a Victorian grandfather has praised the man who saved his life.</p> <p>Christopher Rantall was doing a tandem jump with his instructor Arron Toepfer when the pair got into difficultly when their parachutes didn't open. </p> <p>As they plummeted towards a paddock in Torquay, Arron turned in the last seconds of the fall to cushion the blow for Christopher and did not survive the impact. </p> <p>In an emotional interview, Christopher spoke to 7News about the traumatic ordeal. </p> <p><span>“It still gets to me. Arron basically sacrificed his life (so) that I can live, or have a chance at living,” the grandfather said.</span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“I personally believe it is a miracle that I’m alive and another miracle that I’m as able-bodied as I am.”</p> <p>He shared the skydiving experience with his daughter Raya, as part of her birthday present and a bucket list wish for Christopher. </p> <p>The grandfather said he was having the time of his life until he realised something was wrong. </p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“Arron has gone to release the first chute - It didn’t work,” the 54-year-old said.</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“I didn’t know and I’m just loving this free-fall and we’re just going down and down and down.”</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">Christopher said he realised the severity of the situation once they were in a vertical position and he noticed the secondary chute was not filling with air. </p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><span>“At the same time I could see Raya above us, so I was like: ‘Oh, we’re in trouble here’,” he said.</span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><span>Raya had jumped first but her father overtook them as he fell at up to 200km/h. </span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">After not remembering the impact of the crash, Christopher spent two weeks in hospital with a dislocated hip, bleeding into his spleen and some broken bones. </p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">The 54-year-old praises his instructor for saving his life, and insists he won't skydive again. </p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><span>“For someone to put their life in danger to save a stranger - how brave do you have to be to do that,” he said.</span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

New Year miracle as dog missing for eight years is returned to owner

<p>A dog owner had an emotional start to the year after she was reunited with her missing dog that disappeared eight years ago.</p> <p>Magdalena Klubczuk was devastated when her beloved Shih tzu Roxy vanished from her home in Connah's Quay, North Wales while she was at work.</p> <p>The 35-year-old spent weeks looking for her pet and even contacted the local vet, but no one had brought Roxy in.</p> <p>She eventually gave up on her search and assumed her three-year-old dog had passed away or been stolen.</p> <p>But in a New Year miracle, Roxy, now 10, was spotted running through the streets of Buckley at around 11pm.</p> <p>She was then taken to Skylor's Animal Rescue in North Wales.</p> <p>Dawn Taylor, who runs the centre in Dobshill, scanned the dog to see if she had a microchip and was able to get the contact details for Ms Klubczuk.</p> <p>Ms Klubczuk, a mother-of-one said: “When I received the phone call I told them it was not possible.</p> <p>“When she explained I couldn‘t even speak I was that shocked.</p> <p>“We‘ve spent all these years thinking she was dead.</p> <p>“I was at work and she was at home with my son and my brother, the door was open for her to go into the garden.</p> <p>“When I got home I realised she was gone.</p> <p>“She had a collar on with my details on it and she was chipped so I‘m starting to think she may have been stolen.</p> <p>“I reported it to the vets, but I heard nothing and over time just gave up hope.</p> <p>“I was just in total disbelief. I actually told her it wasn‘t possible because my dog was next to me on the sofa, then I realised she was talking about Roxy!”</p> <p>Roxy is currently staying with a friend of Ms Klubczuk until she can safely introduce her to her six-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier.</p> <p>She added: “I will be taking her to the vets on Monday.</p> <p>“She looks well, but she is very skinny.</p> <p>“Until then we just don‘t know how serious the tumour is.</p> <p>“It was such an emotional reunion, I felt like she recognised me when she saw me”.</p>

Family & Pets

Couple welcomes “miracle” baby after losing two kids in horror car crash

<p>A US couple who lost two of their children in a horrifying car crash in July have welcomed their “miracle” baby boy.</p> <p>Crystal and Brad Sparks are thanking the heavens for their “precious gift” after they endured an unthinkable tragedy just three months ago. </p> <p>"Nixon comes to us at a time of great distress for our family," Brad wrote in an emotional social media post that was announcing the newborn's birth.</p> <p>"While in our hours of sorrow and tears of sadness at missing Bailey and Landon, the Lord in this grace has given us a bright light of hope and goodness with Nixon."</p> <p>Crystal was seven months pregnant while driving from Antonio, Texas, to their home in San Diego.</p> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/CrystalSparks3/posts/10222905259840878" data-show-text="true" data-width=""> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>I guess I missed National Daughters Day... Cameryn and Sadie- I’m so thankful I still have you. You are both beautiful...</p> Posted by <a href="#">Crystal Sparks</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CrystalSparks3/posts/10222905259840878">Saturday, September 26, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p>Sadly, she lost control of the car with her husband Brad, 42, and their six children Cameryn, 14, Bailey, 12, Landon, 10, Sadie, 7, Jackson, 5, and Wilson, 3, riding along with her.</p> <p>Bailey and Landon died at the scene of the crash, while the other children and their unborn baby survived. </p> <p>"Last Sunday morning, as we lay trapped in our car in the dark, upside down and in shock, I wondered if thats how we would die," Crystal wrote in a sad <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/CrystalSparks3/posts/10222350800499741" target="_blank">Facebook post</a> after the accident.</p> <p>"Brad was quick to start checking on the kids - calling out their names. Sadie was able to tell us that she could see Landon outside of the car but his eyes were closed, but that Bailey was missing."</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCsWNAfjNE_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCsWNAfjNE_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Kimberly Piccolo Correia (@xchargergirl)</a> on Jul 15, 2020 at 11:28pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Crystal's aunt Kimberly Piccolo Correia also made a post on social media to share that the accident was one of the mosto social media photos of the children, noting that the accident was one of the most "horrific" the area has ever seen. </p> <p>“After being suspended upside down, a few of the kids were able to release themselves from their seat belts but the parents were completely stuck with no room to move," she writes. "Brad used his Apple Watch to call 911 but he was stuck unable to move an inch for well over one and a half until authorities used the Jaws of Life to get him out."</p> <p>Ms Correia claims it was a miracle that any of the family survived and baby Nixon was unharmed. </p> <p>"It is a miracle that six of the eight family members were able to walk away from this horrific accident," she wrote on a crowdfunding page set up to help the family.</p> <p>"They are now beginning the slow process of recovery."</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGOwWRcjpyv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGOwWRcjpyv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Kimberly Piccolo Correia (@xchargergirl)</a> on Oct 11, 2020 at 9:45pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Close family friend Abe Daher echoed this sentiment in an interview with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.today.com/parents" target="_blank"><em>TODAY</em> Parents</a>. "It really is a miracle," he said. "Crystal's body protected him."</p> <p>"If you saw the way the car looked, you'd never believe six people walked away. The passenger compartment was crushed to the size of a backpack."</p> <p>Last month, Crystal shared a heartbreaking tribute to Bailey on National Daughter's Day.</p> <p>"I think it hurts a little more each day. You and Munch left such a hole in my heart. Love you sweet girl," she <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/CrystalSparks3/posts/10222905259840878" target="_blank">wrote </a><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.facebook.com/CrystalSparks3/posts/10222905259840878" target="_blank">on Facebook.</a></p> <p>"Can you maybe ask a God for a favor... can you ask Him to let this little boy come sooner than later please? This mama's body is tired and worn out. It's so bittersweet as i think more on him being here, but without you."</p>

Family & Pets

Mum’s miracle hack for restoring ruined chopping boards

<p>An online Melbourne mum and avid Tik Tok user by the name of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mama_mila_/video/6862601561869241606" target="_blank">Mama Mila</a> has wowed fans with her amazing hack to bring scratched wooden chopping boards back to life – and it’s so easy you can get it done in just minutes.</p> <p>“This hack is so quick and it's completely chemical-free,” writes Mila. “Just cut a lemon in half and rub the entire board with the juice. Once you've rubbed the board with lemon juice, sprinkle coarse sea salt and rub that in with a cloth.”</p> <p>Leave it for a few moments, and then rinse the board and leave it to dry.</p> <p>“Finally, rub it with mineral oil as this prevents it from absorbing moisture and cracking over time.” </p> <p><strong>METHOD</strong></p> <ol> <li>Cut a lemon in half and rub the lemon juice into your wooden chopping board.</li> <li>Sprinkle coarse sea salt and rub it in with a microfibre cloth.</li> <li>Leave for a few moments, then rinse the board and leave it to dry.</li> <li>Rub is with a mineral oil to prevent it from absorbing moisture and cracking over time.</li> </ol> <p>Thousands who viewed the quick and easy hack were blown away by just how simple and effective it is, writing “OMG” and “this is fantastic”.</p> <p>“I need this,” another wrote, “my board just cracked.”</p> <p>Others said they would definitely try it for themselves.</p> <p><strong>IMAGES:</strong> Tik Tok / <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mama_mila_/video/6862601561869241606" target="_blank">Mama Mila</a></p>

Home Hints & Tips

“Miracle” coronavirus survivor released after four weeks in coma

<p>South Australia’s last remaining COVID-19 patient has been released from the Royal Adelaide Hospital after spending four weeks on a ventilator.</p> <p>Paul Faraguna, 68, was the first coronavirus patient to be admitted to intensive care in the state and the last to walk out.</p> <p>He was admitted to hospital over two months ago after contracting the virus on the Ruby Princess cruise ship. At least <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-covid-19-death-toll-reaches-100-20200519-p54uhb.html">22 passengers have died since disembarking the vessel in Sydney</a>.</p> <p>Faraguna was rushed to intensive care six days later and placed in an induced coma and on a ventilator for about four weeks. During this period, he started to suffer multiple organ failure.</p> <p>“The doctors were unable to say what my future would be if I survived, even suggesting that I may have brain damage and be permanently disabled,” he said in a statement.</p> <p>“I remember that, after awakening from my coma, virtually every doctor and nurse consistently telling me that my recovery was a miracle.”</p> <p>On Thursday afternoon, he was farewelled by staff from the infectious diseases ward</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The last patient recovering from COVID-19 left the RAH today. Paul contracted COVID-19 on the Ruby Princess. He was so ill he was in the ICU in an induced coma and on a ventilator for 4 weeks. He's still recovering and now receiving care closer to home at Modbury Hospital ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/NwcZ1ippPJ">pic.twitter.com/NwcZ1ippPJ</a></p> — SA Health (@SAHealth) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAHealth/status/1263396492577959936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Faraguna thanked the medical staff for the “caring treatment” he received.</p> <p>“I don’t particularly enjoy being in hospital for such a long time, but the experience of being looked after by the wonderful staff has made it far better,” he said.</p> <p>“I will never be able to repay all of the dedicated medical staff, but I give you my heartfelt thank you.”</p> <p>The hospital’s Nurse Unit Manager, Karen Shutz, said Faraguna’s recovery was “a huge boost” to the medical team.</p> <p>“We honestly didn’t think he’d make it through, but to see him come out the other side is just the most amazing gift you can have out of this pandemic,” she told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-21/last-coronavirus-patient-leaves-rah/12273918">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p>“It was just such a huge boost that somebody had made it out the other side who was really sick, so yeah, there were a few tears as he was walking out this afternoon.”</p>

Caring

"Cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me": Stan Walker's miracle comeback

<p>Stan Walker is set to go back on tour after focusing on his health battle over the last few years, during which he underwent bouts of surgery to treat his stomach cancer.</p> <p>The 28-year-old will begin his Australian tour in early August, two years after having his stomach removed.</p> <p>“Cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Walker told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/entertainment/cancer-is-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me-stan-walker-goes-back-on-tour-c-372376" target="_blank"><em>Sunrise</em></a> in an interview aired on Tuesday morning.</p> <p>“It allowed me to be, like, reborn in every way. It’s like I had to die to be reborn again, and that made me realise I’m not gonna wait for nobody to tell me … what I can do. I want to go hard and I want to go right in with everything and live my wildest dream.”</p> <p>The singer carried the CDH1 gene mutation, which had been responsible for the cancer deaths of 25 of his family members and gave him an 80 per cent chance of contracting the disease.</p> <p>In 2017, Walker was diagnosed with stomach cancer after doctors found 13 tumours inside his body.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnsg-z5H0qJ/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnsg-z5H0qJ/" target="_blank">1 year ago today my whole life changed forever. Hardest thing I've ever done but honestly turned out to be my biggest blessing... Found out i had cancer & was supposed to go on a mean health kick before my operation, but what did I do lol? As you can see I lived my best life & ate half the world cos I knew I wasn't gonna eat again for a looong time hahahaha... I was in the operating theatre for over 6hrs, tryna get my fat gut out hahahaha... A few more procedures, a collapsed lung, almost dying a few times, a lot of complications, another major operation & a lot of spewing later here I am.. SKINNY hahahaha... no but I'm actually at my best now... I'm blessed man.... All jokes & laughs aside, to get to where I am now was actually the hardest thing.... & now I'm going on tour 1 year post getting my whole stomach out & a few other organs hahahahah... I am the result of Gods grace... Also I probs would have healed faster if I didn't bots it & think I was allgood straight away ahahhahaa... But all in all I'm here alive, happy & more ready for this tour than ever.. This will be my greatest achievement yet... So if you're keen to come along & celebrate & party with me... get yo tickets at www.ticketspace.nz Aroha mutunga kore ❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/stanwalker/" target="_blank"> Stan Walker</a> (@stanwalker) on Sep 13, 2018 at 10:55pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Walker said he spent months doing rehab and undergoing major operations. </p> <p>“If I hadn’t done the operation, I would for sure be dead by now,” Walker told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.who.com.au/exclusive-stan-walker-opens-up-about-his-cancer-battle" target="_blank"><em>WHO</em></a> last year.</p> <p>“To be honest, I can honestly say going through that cancer thing, and the last however many years of everything, I am so thankful – because I haven’t been this happy in so long. I can look at myself and 100 per cent back myself that I’ve got this.”</p>

Caring

"I survived my own funeral": Woman shares miracle story

<p>A woman has shared her story of surviving cancer after being told she only had “months, not years” to live.</p> <p>Advertising professional and English woman Amanda McDonald was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2013. Eighteen months into the treatment, when McDonald thought she was heading for recovery, the doctors revealed the terrible news that the cancer had spread to her brain.</p> <p>She underwent surgeries and radiotherapy to remove the tumour, but they could not stave off the return of the cancer.</p> <p>“In October 2015, I was told I was dying,” McDonald told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/15/experience-i-survived-my-own-funeral-amanda-mcdonald" target="_blank"><em>Guardian</em></a>. “I was 42. The doctors said there was no more they could do for me.”</p> <p>With mortality looming close, McDonald decided to organise her own funeral to spend time with her friends and family for one last time.</p> <p>A party was held in an upscale restaurant for 250 guests, including friends, colleagues, clients and family. Her mother “couldn’t bear the thought of coming”, but her father and husband were present.</p> <p>“I wanted to celebrate my life with the people I Ioved the most,” McDonald told <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/survived-funeral-woman-shares-amazing-recovery-story-045646843.html" target="_blank">Yahoo7 News</a></em>.</p> <p>“I knew I was going to die soon and wanted to say goodbye properly. At your actual funeral you don’t get the chance to do that.”</p> <p>The funeral was a success, with the guests writing down their favourite memories and giving eulogies about what McDonald meant to them.</p> <p>“The day after ‘the funeral’ I woke up and thought: ‘That was the high and now I’ll fade away’,” she said.</p> <p>She proceeded to cease her treatment and continue living normal, everyday life with her husband Dean, trying to stay on as long as possible.</p> <p>Miraculously, the tumour did not grow back as expected.</p> <p>“Day by day, I began to start living a normal life again, although I was plagued by fears that I was going to die,” she said.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpageforamanda%2Fposts%2F2245468699113035&width=500" width="500" height="493" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>About five years after her original diagnosis, McDonald is now cancer-free. Her oncologist said her survival was a rare case that happened only to one other patient in his 28-year career, while her palliative care nurse simply called her the “miracle lady”.</p> <p>McDonald has changed her life since she was cured. “I treasure the people I love more,” she said. “I don’t work long hours and travel all the time. I still work for them in a support role part time and work from home. </p> <p>“When you’ve looked death in the face and you are somehow allowed to step back, you are just overwhelmed with gratitude.”</p>

Body

How this woman found her diamond ring will restore your faith that miracles do happen

<p>Once you lose a diamond ring in a busy car park, there’s no going back.</p> <p>And that’s exactly what happened to Shelley Wells, who dropped her prized possession in a Louisiana car park in the US on December 5.</p> <p>Despite the item of jewellery being small, Shirley Ross, who was also in the same car park on the same day, stumbled across the ring.</p> <p>She discovered the diamond ring as she was getting out of her car, and luckily for Wells, Ross was adamant on returning it to its rightful owner.</p> <p>It was an innocent blunder, as Wells took off her ring to apply hand cream as she sat in her car.</p> <p>She placed the ring on her lap, and forgetting that it was there, she got out of the car and dropped it.</p> <p>The ring was a 20th-anniversary present from her husband.</p> <p>She soon realised the sentimental item was missing and went back to the car park to look for it, but unfortunately, had no luck.</p> <p>Speaking to local news station <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/local-news/shreveport-women-say-divine-intervention-led-to-lost-ring-s-return/1654182401" target="_blank"><em>KTAL</em></a>, Wells said: “That night I got into bed and I said, ‘OK, I’m going to post it on Facebook’.”</p> <p>She took to social media to ask about her ring at 10:19pm, hoping desperately for a response.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FShelley.Jenkins.Wells%2Fposts%2F10216463357632406&width=500" width="500" height="528" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>With Ross having the ring in her possession, she thought to hand it to the store staff, so they could take care of it, but then a voice inside her told her to track down the owner herself.</p> <p>“As I looked at the ring, I said, ‘No, I can’t, I must pursue this,” she said.</p> <p>“I must find the owner of this ring.”</p> <p>Coincidentally, Ross was in this exact position before, as she had also taken off her wedding ring in a parked car and lost it.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Ross never found her ring, but that made her more determined to help deliver this one back to the woman who lost it.</p> <p>Ross’s daughter posted on Facebook exactly one minute after Wells at 10:20 pm about the found ring as she tried her best to find the owner.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsherri.collier%2Fposts%2F10156886430339324&width=500" width="500" height="480" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FShelley.Jenkins.Wells%2Fposts%2F10216467575217843&width=500" width="500" height="573" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FShelley.Jenkins.Wells%2Fposts%2F10216468368037663&width=500" width="500" height="242" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>Wells, who’s post was shared over 3200 times, reached out to Ross by December 6.</p> <p>And a few short hours later, the ring was back in her hands.</p> <p>“Thank you to the most wonderful lady who saw it in the parking lot and was honest enough [to] turn it in!” she wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>“I truly have been gifted a Christmas miracle!!”</p>

Beauty & Style

5 incredible facts about Helen Keller

<p>There are few historical figures as inspirational as Helen Keller. Born in Alabama in 1880, a childhood illness left her both deaf and blind by the age of two. Despite this, she went on to become a prolific author and political activist.</p> <p>Chances are you’ve seen her story in the 1962 film<em> The Miracle Worker</em>, starring Patty Duke as Keller and Anne Bancroft as her companion Anne Sullivan, but there’s so much to this incredible woman.</p> <p>Here, we’re taking a look at some of the little-known facts about Helen Keller.</p> <p><strong>1. She had many famous friends</strong></p> <p>In 1895, when she was just a teenager, Keller met legendary <em>Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</em> author Mark Twain at a lunch in New York. They bonded over their political views, with Keller, who was the same age as Twain’s daughter, saying he “treated me not as a freak, but as a handicapped woman seeking a way to circumvent extraordinary difficulties.” Twain introduced her to oil magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers, who, along with his wife, funded her education.</p> <p>Prior to meeting Twain, when she was just six years old, Keller met Alexander Graham Bell (the inventor of the telephone). Bell, whose wife was also deaf, had founded several schools for the deaf and advised Keller’s parents to enrol her at the Perkins Institute for the Blind, which she attended and soon met former student Sullivan. Bell and Keller remained friends until his death in 1922.</p> <p><strong>2. Two of her greatest passions were music and animals</strong></p> <p>Even though she could not hear, Keller was a great fan of music. Through her highly sensitive fingers, she could “hear” music through the vibration of instruments and the human voice.</p> <p>She was also a great lover of animals, particularly dogs, with whom she was able to forge a strong connection. In fact, she was responsible for introducing the popular Japanese breed of dog, the Akita, to America, after being gifted one (called Kamikaze-Go) from a police officer while visiting Japan.</p> <p><strong>3. She won an Oscar</strong></p> <p>Well, not quite, but the 1956 documentary about her life (<em>The Unconquered</em>) won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, which Keller herself accepted. She also dabbled in acting, starring in a 1919 silent film about her life,<em> Deliverance</em>, and performing on the Vaudeville circuit with Sullivan.</p> <p><strong>4. She travelled the world</strong></p> <p>Keller’s advocacy for people with disabilities took her all over the planet. She visited 39 countries, including the UK, France, India, South Africa and Korea, and met with historical figures the likes of Winston Churchill and Japanese Emperor Hirohito.</p> <p><strong>5. She almost married – three times</strong></p> <p>At the age of 36, Keller fell in love with her then-assistant Peter Fagan, a newspaper journalist seven years her junior. The couple took out a marriage license and tried to elope three different times.</p> <p>Sadly, they were never able to go through with it. At the time, eugenics (the belief that reproduction should be limited to those with desirable health and physical traits) was still popular, and to top it all off, Keller’s family stood in the way of at least one of their failed elopements due to concern that only they could care for her.</p>

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News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Shannen Doherty shares "miracle" amid stage four cancer battle

"Miracles do exist": Astonishing return of missing teen after four years

Neglected pre-war car up for sale after miracle restoration

How to clean jewellery at home: 14 household items that work miracles

“A ray of sunshine”: Catherine’s heartwarming visit to miracle baby

"Beautiful miracle!": Rebel Wilson's huge baby news

"It's a miracle": Aussie hospital rolls out cancer treatment

"We’ve got a pandemic baby and a flood baby": Mum’s twin miracles

New “miracle” Parkinson’s treatment can be done “anywhere in the world”

"Miracle I'm alive": Tragic way grandfather survived skydiving fall

New Year miracle as dog missing for eight years is returned to owner

Couple welcomes “miracle” baby after losing two kids in horror car crash

Mum’s miracle hack for restoring ruined chopping boards

“Miracle” coronavirus survivor released after four weeks in coma

"Cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me": Stan Walker's miracle comeback

"I survived my own funeral": Woman shares miracle story

How this woman found her diamond ring will restore your faith that miracles do happen

5 incredible facts about Helen Keller

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