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Bambi-obsessed mother given the ultimate surprise

<p>A woman has shared the heart-warming moment she gave her ill mother the ultimate surprise while she was in palliative care. </p><p>In a post to the popular Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/515507852491119?multi_permalinks=940210780020822&amp;hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Kindness Pandemic</a>, Lisa McDonald said she and her sister have been caring for their sick mother, who is a life-long fan of deer and the Disney film <em>Bambi</em>. </p><p>Lisa and her sister came up with the idea for a real-life Bambi to visit her in her palliative care homes and got in touch with a couple how owned a mobile petting farm. </p><p>The couple, Chris and Simone, travelled two and a half hours to Melbourne in order to surprise Lisa's mother with the adorable fawn, coincidentally called Bambi. </p><p>Lisa shared the tear-jerking video of her mother meeting Bambi, and becoming instantly besotted with the animal. </p><p></p><p>"She has Bambi statues everywhere, she is wearing a Bambi T-shirt in her bed and will be cremated in one too," Lisa wrote. </p><p>"My sister and I and the rest of the family that are supporting us are also wearing Bambi T-shirts... we are calling them our nursing uniforms."</p><p>Lisa contacted Simone and Chris after finding their business and arranged for them to bring Bambi to her mother's bedside the following day. </p><p>"However unfortunately mum deteriorated quickly today and Simone and Chris didn't hesitate... they drove two and a half hours to bring Bambi to meet mum," Lisa said.</p><p>"Out of pure love and kindness. I cannot thank them enough for what they have done for my mum and my family."</p><p>Lisa's post to the Facebook has been flooded with well-wishes after receiving over 17,000 likes. </p><p>"Brought me to tears. What a special and touching moment. Absolutely beautiful people to drive all that way for your mum to experience something so magical before she passes," one woman wrote.  </p><p>"This is so beautiful. She would have absolutely loved this so much. You can see it in her eyes how much joy it brought to her. Bless them, and bless you and your beautiful Mum," another said.</p><p>"I have tears streaming down my face. What a beautiful thing for you to arrange and have happen for your mum!!! She has certainly raised two beautiful daughters with such dedication," a third person said. </p><p><em>Image credits: Facebook - The Kindness Pandemic</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Home and Away star adopts daughter's best friend

<p>Former<em> Home and Away</em> heartthrob Mat Stevenson has “adopted” his transgender daughter Grace Hyland’s best friend, Belle Bambi, after she alleges her own father disowned her.</p> <p>Taking to social media app TikTok, Belle revealed Stevenson had taken her into his family.</p> <p>Grace shared her own clip too, applauding her father for being so accepting and understanding.</p> <p>“He’s always supported me, and he wants to support Bambi, too,” Grace said.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842981/home-and-away-trans-matt-stevenson-7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/92784897942645b188e459516c72c736" /></p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p>“We’re sisters now! My BFF’s dad left because she’s trans. So, we did this!”</p> <p>The adoption may not be legally binding, but it means just as much to Belle who has been a long-time family friend of Stevenson and Hyland.</p> <p>Grace’s dad has been a supporter of her transition since she decided to transition at the age of 12.</p> <p>Stevenson rose to fame while playing the Aussie heartthrob Adam Cameron, in<span> </span><em>Home And Away</em><em>.</em></p> <p><em><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842980/home-and-away-trans-matt-stevenson.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0dfd88d0c5cf42069cfb90652f5a5329" /></em></p> <p><em>Image: Home and Away archives</em></p> <p>He told <em>The Sunday Project<span> </span></em>earlier this year that the suicide rate among transgender teenagers left him with a strong determination to make sure his daughter didn’t “become one of those statistics”.</p> <p>“Sadly, in this country, we have a really high adolescent suicide rate and it’s a tragedy. Trans-adolescents are 36 times more likely to self-harm, to commit suicide,” he said.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842977/home-and-away-trans-matt-stevenson-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ba261e2c6f3248f6979c7c1cbf5cdb27" /></p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p> <p>“There’s a distinct correlation between lack of support and self-harm.”</p> <p>Grace says she has been on her journey since she was 12, and had consulted doctors, psychologists and experts before she underwent any physical changes.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842976/home-and-away-trans-matt-stevenson-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f0ae618f8c234d4ba176ca3ea91e416b" /></p> <p><em>Image: The Sunday Project</em></p> <p>“I came out at 12 and then I went through a gradual transition until I was 14, to grow my hair out, to get my name change sorted, to sort out my blockers,” she revealed.</p> <p>“And then by the time I was 14, I was fully presenting as Grace to the public and at school.”</p>

Family & Pets

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Why she won't pay: Cancer fraudster Belle Gibson’s "financial crisis"

<p>Belle Gibson has told the court she is in a financial crisis and drowning under the weight of over $170,000 in personal debt.</p> <p>The cancer fraudster has written in a letter to the Federal Court of Australia that she has been unable to pay a cent back of her $500,000 fine to taxpayers for years of lying about having a terminal brain illness and saying eating healthy cured her cancer.</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/BwVQmTvnlNf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/BwVQmTvnlNf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Alyce Cooper Solicitor (@alycecoopersolicitor)</a> on Apr 16, 2019 at 2:52pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In the letter, Gibson explained: “I am indebted to BMW Finance resulting from a personal guarantee in excess of $50,000.</p> <p>“I have a fully drawn credit card with ANZ owing $30,000 and another personal debt exceeding $90,000, all of which I cannot pay.</p> <p>“Consequently, I am not able to pay the amounts ordered by Justice Mortimer [Federal Court judge presiding over Ms. Gibson’s case].”</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/4gs5kRlkc3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/4gs5kRlkc3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Leah | Business Mindset Coach (@thegoldengoosehq)</a> on Jun 29, 2015 at 4:13am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Gibson revealed she hasn't got a job and receives the parenting payment from Centrelink to care for her son. </p> <p>Gibson ended her letter, written 14 November 2017, by asking the government to approach her accountant directly in the future, “given my current health”. </p> <p>Her original $410,000 fine has ballooned past $500,000 due to interest. </p>

Legal

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A Current Affair busts cancer con-artist Belle Gibson on lavish $15K holiday

<p>Cancer con woman Belle Gibson has been caught out returning from a luxury trip overseas.</p> <p>Gibson convinced thousands of Australians that she was suffering from a brain tumour but healed herself due to natural remedies.</p> <p>As she was charged with five breaches of Australian Consumer Law, she was fined $AUD400,000 ($NZD 417,424) in 2017 as her empire crumbled around her. Many have questioned how she can afford to go overseas on a luxurious escape to East Africa, as her five-week trip reportedly cost $AUD15,000 ($NZD 15,653).</p> <p><em>A Current Affair</em> revealed details of her luxury overseas stay, as well as catching a refreshed-looking Gibson arriving back at Melbourne Airport with her partner by her side.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">BUSTED! <a href="https://twitter.com/tinekae9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tinekae9</a> catches-up with Belle Gibson after she touches down from a luxury getaway... she asks why Belle still hasn't made any effort to pay her 410K fine. <a href="https://twitter.com/ACurrentAffair9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ACurrentAffair9</a>. <a href="https://t.co/WlW0l9l6dh">pic.twitter.com/WlW0l9l6dh</a></p> — Jonathan Gwinner (@gwinnerism) <a href="https://twitter.com/gwinnerism/status/1100645341035032576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>This is the first time that Gibson has been confronted since her interview with <em>60 Minutes</em> in 2015, which Gibson reportedly received $AUD75,000 ($NZD 78,267) for.</p> <p>Gibson falsely claimed she had brain cancer and healed herself with natural remedies. She also lied to her supporters about donating money from her Whole Pantry app and her book sales to charities.</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/BlcU_udDzfK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=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/BlcU_udDzfK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by QNA Investigations (@qna.investigations)</a> on Jul 19, 2018 at 11:00pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>One of these charities included a family whose son was suffering from the same inoperable brain tumour that Gibson herself claimed she had. Gibson was supposed to donate one week’s profit from app sales, or $150,000 to the family, but never ended up donating the funds.</p> <p>Justin Lawrence, of Henderson &amp; Ball Lawyers, told<span> </span><em>A Current Affair</em>:</p> <p>“There can actually be another situation where she’s taken back to court and wheeled out from court to the jail cell,” he said.</p> <p>“That can happen, and this is not fake jail, jail in her (Belle’s) own mind. This is real jail.</p> <p>“The court understands when people can’t pay, that’s different to circumstances where they won’t pay.”</p> <p>What do you think? Let us know in the comments.</p>

Legal

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These cute cats ring a bell when they want treats

<p>Well, you don’t live nine lives without learning a thing or two along the way. The<a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/03/why-cats-scratch-furniture/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> two purr-fectly trained cats</strong></span></a> in the video below have been taught by their owner to ring a buzzer whenever they want a treat (for his a-mew-sment we imagine).</p> <p>The owner of the video, <em><a href="https://twitter.com/b_ru_ru" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Twitter user @b_ryu_ru</strong></span></a></em>, is the editor of a cat news website and often posts videos of his furry pals and the new adventure he has them on.</p> <p>Check out the cats at work below:</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">横に並んで注文 <a href="https://t.co/lQYeyfnsMC">pic.twitter.com/lQYeyfnsMC</a></p> — ねこナビ編集部@VR動画公開中 (@b_ru_ru) <a href="https://twitter.com/b_ru_ru/status/847368727016259584">March 30, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>He’s been working on this trick for a little while. In September 2016, he posted the below video showing the cats first learning the association between the buzzer and food.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">注文の多い料理店 <a href="https://t.co/QWYlJWOPmf">pic.twitter.com/QWYlJWOPmf</a></p> — ねこナビ編集部@VR動画公開中 (@b_ru_ru) <a href="https://twitter.com/b_ru_ru/status/777485385437818881">September 18, 2016</a></blockquote> <p>This is one of videos on the internet that you could watch again and again and again – the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/03/photos-of-cats-watching-over-hong-kong-shops/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>perfect tool for pro-cat-stination</strong></span></em></a>.</p> <p>Do you have any clever pets?</p>

News

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Most traumatic scenes in kids’ movies

<p>I’m not sure whether it was just being a child growing up in the 1970s and 80s, but most of my early childhood movie memories were traumatic ones.</p> <p>From the horrors contained within Disney’s early animated output to <em>Never Ending Story</em>’s drowning horse (which played just before the intermission), it seems no trip to the movies then was without tears or a subsequent sleepless night.</p> <p>In celebration of Oscar-winner <em>Inside Out’</em>s fabulous depiction of childhood emotions, here are 10 movies that still haunt me to this day.</p> <p><strong><em>Bambi</em> (1942)</strong></p> <p>Many a child was scarred by a visit to see this seemingly benign animated adventure.</p> <p>While most of the film involved fauna frolicking amongst the undergrowth, one early scene casts a pall over proceedings - the death of Bambi’s mother.</p> <p>One minute she’s warning him of the dangers of the forest, the next we hear a gunshot that signals her demise.</p> <p><strong><em>Fantasia</em> (1940)</strong></p> <p>Another classic bait-and-switch from the team at Disney.</p> <p>A portmanteau film involving matching images to music, for the most part it’s all happy, happy, joy, joy.</p> <p>But then comes the final sequence, Night on Bald Mountain, set to Modest Mussorgsky’s score, which conjures up a devil-like creature who summons evil spirits.</p> <p><strong><em>Gremlins</em> (1984)</strong></p> <p>Phoebe Cates might be most remembered by viewers of a certain age for a dream sequence in 1982’s<em> Fast Times at Ridgemont High</em>, but younger cinemagoers had a more traumatic experience at her hands two years later.</p> <p>In the middle of all the gleeful mayhem and comedy frights of <em>Gremlins</em>, her Kate Beringer delivers a terrible tale of Christmas and Santa Claus that will test even the most fervent young believer’s resolve.</p> <p><strong><em>The Lion King</em> (1994)</strong></p> <p>In simplistic terms, this was Bambi for a new generation, unexpected death and all (although I still haven’t forgiven the women behind me at the cinema who spoiled it for everyone around her in order to pre-warn her child).</p> <p>However, allied to a Shakespearian-esque drama, the offending sequence plays out so powerfully it’s hard to be moved to tears. It was also so good Pixar virtually repeated the trick in last year’s <em>The Good Dinosaur</em>.</p> <p><strong><em>The Never Ending Story</em> (1984)</strong></p> <p>A story about a decaying universe was never going to be tear-free (especially when its herald was a ferocious wolf), but few could have expected the moment that blindsided a generation of moviegoers.</p> <p>Incredibly unleashed just before the intermission (when such things existed), our androgynous fictional hero Artreyu suddenly finds his horse Artex sinking in the swamps of sadness. Cue children fleeing from the auditorium. So indelible it even gained a mention in recent rom-com <em>How to Be Single</em>.</p> <p><strong><em>The Secret of Nimh</em> (1982)</strong></p> <p>Based on Robert C O’Brien’s novel, this tale of a field mouse’s search for the cure for his son takes her into the terrifying world of lab rats.</p> <p>Bizarrely the lead character’s name had to be changed from Frisby to Brisby because of fears from the producers of copyright infringement action from the makers of the flying discs.</p> <p><strong><em>Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs</em> (1937)</strong></p> <p>Disney’s first full-length animated adventure proved they knew how to emotionally manipulate and scare an audience.</p> <p>From the frightening woods to the heart-shaped box, the magic mirror and the Wicked Queen’s true form, there’s so many moments to leave the littlies with nightmares.</p> <p><strong><em>Time Bandits</em> (1981)</strong></p> <p>Nobody saw the end of this film coming.</p> <p>Sure Terry Gilliam’s anarchic tale of a young boy who accidentally joins a band of dwarves as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal wasn’t scare free, but everything seemed to have played out happily - until that final, oven-destroying, childhood-scarring scene.</p> <p><strong><em>Watership Down</em> (1978)</strong></p> <p>I blame Art Garfunkel.</p> <p>His hit tune Bright Eyes led us to believe (my parents included) that this animated adventure was suitable fare for a five-year-old.</p> <p>However, what actually transpired was a dark, blood-soaked tale of life as a rabbit. Some scenes still send a shudder down my spine.</p> <p><strong><em>Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory</em> (1971)</strong></p> <p>While others will cite the earlier <em>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</em> as far more compelling, this was the movie that scared those of my era onto the straight-and-narrow.</p> <p>Some bits towards the end are confusing in the extreme (Wonka’s sudden changes of mood and heart), but there’s no doubting the power of scenes like Augustus Gloop being sucked up a chocolate pipe or Violet turning violet. All back by those proto-rapping Oompa Loompas with their cautionary lyrics.</p> <p><em>Written by James Groot. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/09/vcr-is-officially-dead/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Digitise those VHS tapes, the VCR is officially dead</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/09/best-movies-based-on-kids-books/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Hollywood’s 15 best movies based on kids’ books</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/movies/2016/06/favourite-musical-films/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Our favourite musical films</strong></em></span></a></p>

Movies