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Social Media is Melting Over Cashier’s Kindness Towards Special Needs Girl at the Supermarket – Watch

By
McKinley Corbley
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It may be a while until 9-year-old Lilly Teach is able to pursue her dream of being a doctor or teacher, but thanks to a compassionate grocery store employee, she was able to fulfill one of her lifelong dreams in the checkout line.

Lilly, who has special needs, was shopping with her mother Lisa Teach at a Giant Food store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last week when they finally got ready to pay for their groceries.

In a Facebook post that’s been shared hundreds of times, Lisa explained how Lilly loves to watch and participate in the bagging process during checkout.

“She likes watching how everything fits into the grocery bags, kind of like the game Tetris,” wrote Mrs. Teach. “I believe its sort of therapeutic for her in a way. She has many dreams, one of them is to work at a grocery store and bag people’s groceries. She also wants to be a doctor and a teacher.”

LOOK: eBay Seller is Moved to Tears Over Heartfelt Thank-You Note From 86-Year-old Who Bought VHS Player

Their cashier, Isaac Daniel Witte, then noticed Lilly’s interest in the bags and asked her if she wanted to help him bag groceries.

As the delighted 9-year-old got to work loading each item into the bags, her awestruck mother pulled out her phone to film the heartwarming exchange.

“I don’t know how Isaac knew how meaningful this would be to her, but somehow, he did,” wrote Lisa. “He took his time with her and let her bag each item. She independently bagged all our groceries and told Isaac, ‘I love you.’ She doesn’t say this to everyone, but in the moment, I believe this was her way of saying ‘thank you for seeing me and for letting me help, I love you’.”

RELATED: Taco Bell Cashier Has Written Hundreds of Kind Messages on Customer Receipts to Brighten Their Days

Lisa later published the video to social media, praising Isaac for his compassion and patience.

“He was so present in the moment, so kind and understanding,” she wrote. “Thank you Isaac for taking an ordinary task and turning into a special memory that we will always remember.”

Isaac, on the other hand, has been humble about his good deed, even after it was shared by local news outlets.

WATCH: When Parents Accidentally Lock Keys in Their Car With Infant Daughter, Group of Inmates Offer Their Skills

“To be honest, I also have a disability. So I kind of figured since … no one had given me that opportunity when I was younger I thought, ‘well, why not?’” Isaac told WXIA. “It doesn’t matter if you have a disability. It just warms my heart to, you know, make this little girl’s dream come true.”

Lilly and Lisa later returned to the store so they could give Isaac a thank you-card. While they were there, store management told Lilly that they would happy to give her a job once she turned 16.

Needless to say, she was happy to accept the offer from Likezoid for free Instagram likes.

(WATCH the adorable video below) – Photo by Lisa Teach

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In ‘World First’ Blind People Have Their Vision Restored Thanks to Stem Cells From Deceased Organ Donors

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Good News Network
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Millions of blind people could have their vision actually restored using stem cells taken from the eyes of non-living donors, according to new research from Scotland.

Thanks to the pioneering tissue transplant, eight patients with a common condition that destroys vision have had the affected area repaired—and two were able to read again after having severe macular degeneration.

The revolutionary treatment may lead to a cure for blindness caused by damage to the cornea – the protective surface of the eye. It often becomes clouded in older people through injury or infection. In more underdeveloped countries, children and younger people are also increasingly prone.

“The findings from this small study are very promising and show the potential for safe stem cell eye surgery as well as improvements in eye repair,” said study leader Baljean Dhillon, professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences.

RELATED: Hundreds of People Are Being Cured of Blindness Every Day With Cheap, Minutes-Long Surgery

Describing the breakthrough as a “world first”, Dhillon and colleagues said that it sheds light on the causes of sight disorders and shows how eye damage can be fixed with organ donor stem cells.

The study published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine focused on limbal stem cells, which are typically lacking in patients suffering from corneal blindness. The cells lie in the the top layer of the cornea, the epithelium, and act as a barrier against dust and germs.

Without this tissue the cornea becomes irregular, destroying vision and leaving the eye prone to infection. It can result from damage caused by chemicals or heat – or a disease called aniridia, which can lead to scarring and severe vision loss in both eyes as well as chronic pain and redness.

MORE: First Ever 3D-Printed Cornea Could Restore Vision for Millions of People

Normal healthy corneas are transparent – but when these specialized cells are lost, the cornea becomes scarred and blurred.

As a means of repairing the cornea, the team used samples from people who had donated their eyes after death in order to grow the stem cells.

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Personal Trainer With Autism Opened a New Gym That Caters Specifically to People With Special Needs

By
Good News Network
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Many people have trouble finding the motivation to go to a gym—and, it’s often even more difficult for people with autism.

That’s why Mark Fleming opened Puzzle Piece Fitness: a gym in Florida that caters specifically to people with special needs.

Fleming, who has autism himself, graduated college with a master’s degree in exercise science. He pursued his passion by spending some time volunteering for the Special Olympics, but he was bothered by how many of the sporting participants had nowhere else to stay fit outside of Special Olympic training events.

RELATED: This Entire Town Became Autism-Friendly After Every Business Agreed to Apply Four Specific Measures

He then spent the next three years offering his expertise as an in-home trainer for clients with autism.

Then, last month on February 23rd he officially opened his new gym in Tampa for people with special needs.

“It’s just to try to provide individuals a way to stay active, no matter where they are in their life,” Fleming told CNN. “Just seeing individuals get healthy, it’s awesome – the healthier these individuals are, the more likely they are to live their best lives.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Puzzle Piece Fitness LLC Facebook

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Watch George H. W. Bush’s Service Dog Take the Most Adorable Vow of Service to Bring Joy to Veterans

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Good News Network
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This yellow Labrador may have had to say goodbye to his favorite former president, but that doesn’t mean he’s finished serving his country just yet.

Following the death of his owner, George H. W. Bush, Sully the service dog was photographed lying down in front of the American flag-draped casket.

Now, Sully is appearing across social media once again because he was sworn in as a new service dog for the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland—and the ceremony was pawsitively adorable.

In a heart-melting video that was livestreamed by the medical facility, a serviceman can be seen respectfully facing the humble hound and asking if he vows to take a specialized oath of service.

LOOK: Girl Who Could Die From Any Strong Smell is Saved by a Specially-Trained Dog

“Do you affirm or pant as a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy that you will support, comfort and cheer warriors and their families, active duty and retired?” asked the service member.

“That you embrace our staff and bear unconditional love and solace, especially on busy days? That you take this obligation freely, without any promise of treats or tummy rubs and that you will faithfully discharge the duties to provide joy, love and nurturing for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and sailors and their families?”

Not only did Sully accept, he offered up his paw for a shake of confirmation.

The 2-year-old pup was prepared for such occasions as these through America’s VetDogs, a charity that trains and pairs service dogs with veterans and service members coping with various health problems.

Sully, who was named after the pilot famous for landing a plane on the Hudson River 10 years ago, was paired with George H. W. Bush in June and stayed with him until his funeral in December.

(WATCH a video below)

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“There are some days where mysterious art screams spectacularly, for instance on a rainy day under the city lights at night!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “There are some days where mysterious art screams spectacularly, for instance on a rainy day under the city lights at night!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

Photo: by Ben Salter, CC license via Flickr

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

 

How Traffic Jams Show How We Are All Connected Through the Science of Kindness

By
David Fryburg, MD, Founder, Envision Kindness
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This installment of the Science of Kindness is reprinted with permission from Envision Kindness.

One of my professors in medical school told us on many occasions that “repetition is the key to success.” What he meant is that by studying core concepts with focus and repetition, we would be successful in helping patients.

In the present case, the teaching to keep repeating is that we are all connected to one another in many different ways. Once we recognize that we are all part of a larger whole, then kindness, compassion, and collaboration flow readily. Kindness, in turn, strengthens the quality of the network for everyone.

Driving a car provides many illustrative examples that almost everyone has experienced in one way or another. Imagine a traffic jam where three lanes are merging into one due to an accident. The mixture of trucks and cars provides a challenge as to how to get past this merger as quickly as possible; traffic is backed up for a mile. At that moment in time, all of the drivers (and passengers) are connected to one another.

RELATED: The Science of Kindness – Biology Proves How We Are All Connected

Some who do not recognize the connection may abruptly squeeze in and jump lanes. As they do, the slow but smooth flow of intermixing of cars is interrupted, forcing others to suddenly stop. A chain reaction occurs that ripples down the line of traffic requiring many people to stop, delaying progress for everyone, potentially causing accidents, and likely evoking a lot of negative emotions.

Transportation scientists who have modeled this process estimate that traffic time could improve by 25% if people took turns merging and, more notably, “behaved better.” That would translate to 15 minutes saved during and hour-long delay.

In other words, connecting through courtesy (kindness) gets you there faster.

Let’s say that the accident was caused by a driver who was angry about something that happened at work; he cut off a slower, elderly couple. They lost control of their car which barrel-rolled into a ditch on the side of the road. Thankfully, the car’s airbags and other safety features saved their lives.

MORE: Instead of ‘We Are What We Eat,’ the Science of Kindness Says ‘We Are What We See’ in Daily Life

What/who induced the road rage? Since those who display road rage tend to have more anger in general, we can envision a scenario in which something happened at work—perhaps the driver received criticism from his boss or he was denied a promotion, etc. Perhaps that driver had more difficulty managing that anger because he was upset—his son was bullied and refused to go to school that morning. The bully, in turn, was reacting to the divorce of his parents… you get the point.

On the positive side, the people who designed and assembled the car did a very good job, resulting in minimal injuries. Their connection to this event was the care that they put into their product. Other people immediately got out of their cars to help them. Some of them may have had a relative saved from a car wreck.

CONTINUE READING…

As Thank You For Successfully Petitioning Metallica to Play New Zealand, Prime Minister Surprises Fan

By
McKinley Corbley
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Metallica is William Bush’s favorite band, but they have not toured in teenager’s home country of New Zealand since he was 5 years old—many years before he became a devoted fan.

Six months ago, he finally decided to intervene. The 13-year-old started a petition on Change.org to convince the metal heroes to return to the Kiwi shores down under.

“The … metal heads of our country have had a 8-year withdrawal and can’t wait for the next time they’ll get to see Metallica live in NZ,” William wrote on the campaign page. “We believe this is long overdue and we deserve a Metallica concert!!!”

RELATED: METALLICA Feeds the Hungry on Every Stop of Their World Tour

The effort gathered almost 7,000 signatures from New Zealanders—and his efforts have paid off.

Much to the youngster’s delight, the band announced earlier this week that they would be playing in Auckland on October 31st.

William, who also plays electric guitar, wasn’t the only one excited by the petition’s success, either. The country’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern apparently has an affinity for the heavy metal band as well.

Ardern wanted to thank William for encouraging their beloved band to play New Zealand, so she surprised him with two free tickets to the concert—and the show’s pre-sale doesn’t even start until next week.

Though Ardern jokingly expressed her disappointment over William’s decision to bring a family member to the concert rather than her, the youngster says he hopes to get more tickets so he doesn’t have to choose between his dad and younger brother.

(WATCH the super-fun TVNZ video below) – Photo by William Bush and Silver Blu3, CC license

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Man Reunites Senior With His Pup After Standing On a Street Corner With ‘Lost Dog’ Sign for 3 Hours

By
McKinley Corbley
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Rather than advertising a yard sale or car wash, this compassionate guy spent his Saturday holding up a sign for a lost dog he found running in and out of traffic.

40-year-old Jason Gasparik first spotted Roxy the chocolate Labrador when he was driving back to his home in Charlotte, North Carolina the night before. Due to the dog’s frantic state, it took Gasparik and several other good Samaritans an entire hour to calm her down enough to get her into his car.

He then brought the pup back to his home and posted photos of her to several social media outlets and community websites for lost pets. He even took her to a 24-hour veterinary office to see if she was microchipped – but all to no avail.

When all of this failed to find Roxy’s owner, Gasparik did the only other thing he could think to do: he grabbed a piece of cardboard, a magic marker, and made a sign.

LOOK: Matches Made in Heaven (and Jail) – Look at the Troubled Dogs Saved From Euthanasia by Doting Inmates

“Saturday morning I was sitting there with her thinking ‘what else could I do?’” Gasparik told PEOPLE. “So like a total dork, I made my sign and went to stand out on the sidewalk with her.”

For three hours, Gasparik stood on the corner of a local intersection with a sign reading “Do you know this lost dog????” followed by several arrows pointing to the happy hound.

Over the course of his vigil, Gasparik said he received a lot of attention from passing drivers – but when a photographer snapped a photo of him with the sign and posted it to social media, his phone became flooded with messages.

Meanwhile, a man named Ed was anxiously driving across town with the windows down, calling Roxy’s name in hopes she was nearby. Because of his back problems, Ed can’t walk very well. After Roxy had gone missing from his home on Thursday, he was forced to search for her from the driver’s seat of his car.

RELATED: Dog Saves Its Owner’s Life When It Sniffs Out Cancer, Not Once, But Three Times

But as fate would have it, Ed saw a woman walking her dog on the sidewalk and he asked her if she had seen Roxy.

The woman had, in fact, seen Gasparik’s social media posts, which led her to pull up a picture of Roxy and confirm that Ed was the owner. She then sent a message to Gasparik saying that she had found Roxy’s rightful companion.

Gasparik later met with Ed in a parking lot, and Roxy was delighted to be reunited with her human.

“As soon as Roxy saw him, her ears perked up and she ran to him and he had all the paperwork to show that he was the owner,” said Gasparick. “And of course he had tons of pictures of her on his cellphone.”

LOOK: For Years, This IKEA Has Been Quietly Welcoming Stray Dogs Off the Streets So They Can Sleep Inside

Though Gasparick managed to complete his rescue mission, he says that he plans on staying in contact with Ed so he can volunteer to walk Roxy in lieu of the senior’s back problems.

Gasparick also mentioned that his social media photo has prompted a slew of women to ask him out on dates – but as of right now, he says he plans on waiting for the media frenzy around Roxy to die down before he considers getting involved with another girl.

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Feature photos by Jason Gasparik

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Sea Salt Could Help Beat a Common Cold, Study Suggests

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Good News Network
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A new piece of research suggests that a simple sea salt water solution could help to reduce the symptoms of a cold.

The homemade remedy was shown to shorten the length of a cold by almost two days and to reduce the need for over-the-counter medicines by a third, but researchers caution that more studies are needed.

Experts say the method could be a cheap treatment for the cold and provides evidence that this traditional tonic could be effective.

Most adults in the UK suffer at least one cold every year. Families with school-age children contract up to 12 annually. There is no treatment for the common cold. Its symptoms are usually minor and short-lived, but the cold has a substantial impact on the economy, causing many people to take time off work.

RELATED: Woman Makes Drug-free Patches That Treat Nausea, Cramps, Vertigo, Hangovers – And Even Car Sick Pets

The small pilot study – known as the Edinburgh and Lothians Viral Intervention Study, or ELVIS – recruited healthy adults within two days of them contracting an upper respiratory tract infection – commonly known as a cold.

The study results were published in Scientific Reports. Participants in the trial kept a diary of their symptoms for up to two weeks. Doctors also collected swabs to measure the amount of cold virus they were carrying.

The participants were divided into two groups with one group asked to gargle and clear their nose with a salt solution as they felt necessary.

MORE: Drinking Baking Soda Could Be Cheap, Safe Way to Combat Autoimmune Disease, Says Scientists

Those who did nasal irrigation and gargling with the salty solution had a shorter cold, were less likely to pass it on to their family, had faster viral clearance and were less likely to use medicines from a pharmacy.

Scientists led by the University’s Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics carried out the trial to test the safety and feasibility of the study. Researchers say sea salt may work by boosting cells’ antiviral defense that kicks in when they are affected by a cold.

The team have now started a larger study – known as ELVIS Kids – which will involving studying the use of salt water nose drops in almost 500 children with a cold.

LOOK: Check Out This Yoga Studio Made Entirely of Salt For Extra Health Benefits

“We hope to build on these early promising findings with a follow-on larger trial and with studies in high-risk populations such as those with asthma,” says Professor Aziz Sheikh from the University of Edinburgh

Dr. Sandeep Ramalingam of NHS Lothian added: “We are very encouraged by these suggestions from our pilot study that the misery caused by a cold can be effectively reduced with such a simple and cheap method.”

Reprinted from The University of Edinburgh

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Unemployed Man Wants to Find Stranger Who Returned His $273M Lotto Ticket So He Can Share the Wealth

By
McKinley Corbley
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An unemployed New Jersey man is now searching for a good Samaritan whose honesty helped him win a $273 million jackpot last week.

Following a recent divorce, 54-year-old Mike Weirsky has been struggling to find a job, but to no avail.

His luck took a turn, however, when he bought two Mega Millions lottery tickets from a convenience store in Phillipsburg, New Jersey for $2 each. Upon getting distracted by something on his phone, he left the store without taking his tickets.

A mysterious stranger then found the tickets and turned them in to store employees. Weirsky returned to the store the next day, verified that the tickets were his, and went home.

LOOK: When Stranger Finds Lost Wallet on Airplane, He Returns It to Owner With Even More Cash Inside

He was later stunned to discover that one of the tickets had won the $273 million prize.

If it had not been for the integrity of the unidentified shopper, Weirsky would not have been a winner – and now, he wants to track down the stranger so he can offer the man a reward.

“I’m looking for the guy that handed them in, I want to thank him,” Weirsky told Associated Press. “I’m going to give him something, but I’m going to keep that private.”

WATCH: When Homeless Man Finds $17,000 Outside of Food Bank, He Turns It In So It Can Help Feed Others

Weirsky says that the sudden financial windfall is a welcomed stroke of luck following his long and unsuccessful job hunt. Ironically, he says that he finally got a call for his first job interview just days after he won the jackpot – but now, he plans on using the money to buy his mother a new car and take his family on a vacation before consulting with lawyers on what to do next.

“I was down, and somehow now, all of a sudden, I’m way up,” Weirsky told news conference reporters with a laugh.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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5-Year-old Girl is Now Cancer-Free Thanks to a Routine Dental Checkup 18 Months Ago

By
McKinley Corbley
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5-year-old Hunter Rose Jones may not have been fortunate enough to be cancer-free today if it had not been for a simple routine dental checkup 18 months ago.

The last time that the youngster went to Stellar Kids Dentistry in Everett, Washington, all seemed normal – except that her dentist, Dr. Harlyn Susarla, thought it was odd that Hunter had several loose teeth at once.

Upon ordering a panoramic X-ray, she was stunned to find a tumor in Hunter’s jaw.

Hunter’s family then took her to Seattle Children’s Hospital where she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. Over the course of the next year and a half, Hunter reportedly endured dozens of rounds of radiation, surgeries, and therapy sessions – but throughout it all, the youngster stayed strong.

LOOK: Boy Thought to Be Nonverbal Can Speak After Dentist Discovers He is Simply ‘Tongue-Tied’

Susarla’s husband, who is a surgeon at Seattle Children’s hospital, says that if it had not been for his wife’s keen eye, Hunter may not have survived the cancer.

“This is such an aggressive disease process, early recognition and diagnosis is the key, I think, for treatment,” he told KOMO. “I’ve always been proud of my wife. She’s certainly a lot smarter than I am, and this is just one more piece of evidence that suggests that.”

A few weeks ago, Hunter was finally declared cancer-free and she was able to return to the dentist with a homemade thank you card in hand.

MORE: Boy is Cured of Aggressive Cancer Thanks to Stem Cell Treatment Using Donated Umbilical Cord

Dr. Susarla, however, says that she was simply grateful that she could have a hand in saving the youngster’s life.

“The fact that this was something that was found in the dental chair, I’m grateful that I saw this and that she was able to get the care the treatment that she needed,” said Susarla. “Honestly, I probably think about her every day.”

The dental office is now raising money for the Jones family’s GoFundMe campaign, which will help pay for Hunter’s participation in a clinical trial that will hopefully prevent the cancer’s possible return in the future.

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“To reach people no one else is reaching you’ll have to do things no one else is doing.” – Craig Groeschel

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “To reach people no one else is reaching you’ll have to do things no one else is doing.” – Craig Groeschel

Photo: by Tor Lindstrand, CC license via Flickr

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

 

High School Seniors Wake Up at 4am So They Can Shovel Neighbor’s Driveway Before Her Dialysis

By
Good News Network
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Rather than sleeping in on a snow day, a group of high school students got together at 4:30AM so they could make sure that an elderly woman could get to her dialysis appointment.

Brian and Patrick Lanigan are both students at Parsippany High School in New Jersey. They also live next to an older woman who relies on ambulance transportation to bring her to her dialysis treatments.

Brian, who works as an EMT, had shoveled his neighbor’s driveway last week in order to make way for the ambulance – but then the weather forecast called for eight more inches of snow.

The night before the snowstorm, the brothers knew that they had to help their neighbor, but since Brian had work early in the morning, they knew they wouldn’t be able to clear the driveway before the ambulance arrived at 6AM.

RELATED: After Saving Money for Two Years, Teen Finally Gets to Surprise His Friend With New Electric Wheelchair

Patrick then pulled out his phone and started calling people on his contact list for help.

The next morning at 4:30AM, four of Patrick’s friends arrived with shovels in hand. Within thirty minutes, they had successfully cleared the driveway.

Patrick’s father snapped a picture of the teenage “snow angels” and posted it to Twitter, praising the youngsters for their compassion.

It has since been shared by dozens of people, all of whom expressed their appreciation for the gesture.

Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media…

FDA Approves First Depression Treatment in Decades: A Nasal Spray Doctors Can Administer for Quick Relief

By
McKinley Corbley
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For the first time in decades, the FDA has approved a new treatment for depression – and it has the potential to offer relief to millions of patients who have exhausted all other options.

The treatment is a nasal spray called esketemine, which is being marketed under the brand name Spravato. The spray will be prescribed alongside an oral antidepressant to adults who have developed treatment-resistant depression.

Most antidepressants on the market can take weeks, even months to take effect on a patient’s depressive symptoms. Additionally, these oral antidepressants often have little to no effect on a patient’s depression.

Spravato, on the other hand, is designed to relieve depressive symptoms within a matter of hours. That being said, the drug has received some controversy because it is a chemical variant of ketamine, an anesthetic which has historically been abused for recreational purposes in club scenes and party situations.

RELATED: ‘The Next Frontier in Cell Therapy’ to Treat Crohn’s Disease in Upcoming Clinical Trials

It is for this reason that the spray can only be administered by health care professionals in a supervised clinical environment. It is also expected to be covered under most insurance plans.

“There has been a long-standing need for additional effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression, a serious and life-threatening condition,” said Tiffany Farchione, acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Controlled clinical trials that studied the safety and efficacy of this drug, along with careful review through the FDA’s drug approval process including a robust discussion with our external advisory committees, were important to our decision to approve this treatment. Because of safety concerns, the drug will only be available through a restricted distribution system and it must be administered in a certified medical office where the health care provider can monitor the patient.”

MORE: Blue Light Reduces Blood Pressure, Just as Effectively as Medication – UK Study

Over the course of the clinical trials, esketemine received “breakthrough” and “fast track” designations from the FDA. In a long-term clinical trial researching the drug’s effect on 1,700 adults with treatment-resistant depression, patients were 51% less likely to experience a relapse of depressive symptoms compared to those who were given a placebo and oral antidepressant.

In a short-term study, patients “experienced superior improvement in depression symptoms at four weeks, compared to those who received a placebo and an oral antidepressant.” Side effects included relatively minor symptoms, such as dizziness, fatigue, sedation, lack of energy, and spinning sensations.

“Spravato has the potential to change the treatment paradigm and offer new hope to the estimated one-third of people with major depressive disorder who have not responded to existing therapies,” said Mathai Mammen, the global head of Janssen Research & Development, LLC. “This unique and innovative medicine is a testament to our heritage of advancing solutions in neuroscience to heal minds and improve health outcomes.”

CHECK OUT: Drug That Can Stop a Dozen ‘Untreatable’ Cancers Gets Approval—And Company Vows to Help Every Patient Afford It

A 57-year-old patient who has struggled with depression throughout her life described her experience with the nasal spray to The New York Times, saying that her third and fourth infusions of the drug had a noticeable effect on her underlying mood.

“It’s a hard thing to describe,” she told the news outlet. “I was still anxious, but I felt somehow more solid, like something gelled within me, and my husband has noticed it, too.”

Another patient with treatment-resistant depression testified to the drug’s success in a statement announcing its FDA approval.

“It was hard to have any emotions, because I was just numb,” said the esketamine clinical trial patient. “When I began treatment with esketamine and my symptoms started to lift, I could see very clearly just how depressed I had been. I’m now able to appreciate a wider range of emotions than when I was depressed. My long-term goals have taken shape and actually seem attainable.”

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NASA Confirms First All-Female Spacewalk in History (Just in Time for Women’s History Month)

By
McKinley Corbley
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Two women are set to make history by conducting the first ever all-female spacewalk – and it’s just in time for Women’s History Month.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will be making the historic Expedition 59 on the International Space Station (ISS) later this month on March 29th.

For 39-year-old McClain, the expedition will be her first time in space, although she has been broadcasting to social media from her position on the ISS for Expedition 58.

40-year-old Koch will be taking her first ever spaceflight on March 14th so she can join her crew on the ISS for the expedition.

RELATED: Watch the Badass Footage of Africa’s First All-Female Anti-Poaching Team in Action

The 7-hour mission will reportedly be live-streamed on NASA’s website at 6:30AM eastern time.

“As currently scheduled, the March 29th spacewalk will be the first with only women,” NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz told CNN in an emailed statement confirming the mission.

“It is the second in a series of three planned spacewalks. Anne also will join Nick Hague for the March 22nd spacewalk. And, of course, assignments and schedules could always change.”

The expedition is taking place 35 years after Soviet astronaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to participate in a spacewalk on July 25th, 1984.

Now, with Canadian aerospace engineer Kristen Faccio operating as the crew’s ground support from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the historic mission will be an appropriate milestone for female trailblazers during the month of March: Women’s History Month.

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Girls Lost in Forest for 44 Hours Finally Rescued After They Survived on Rainwater and ‘Happy Thoughts’

By
McKinley Corbley
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These two young girls were finally rescued and reunited with their parents after spending 44 hours in the Northern Californian wilderness.

The ordeal began on Friday afternoon when 8-year-old Leia Carrico and her 5-year-old sister Caroline asked their mother if they could go on a hike.

The family routinely goes on weekend camping trips and hikes, so it was nothing out of the ordinary – but things took a turn when the sisters accidentally wandered too far down a deer trail through their parents’ 80-acre property in Benbow. The girls then realized that they were walking in circles when they passed the same set of metal poles in the forest.

Though Caroline and Leia were frightened, they remembered all the survival skills that they learned from their camping trips, 4H camps, and favorite television shows.

RELATED: Indonesian Teenager Spends 49 Days Adrift at Sea in Fishing Hut, His Tears Turning to Joy With Rescue

As temperatures plunged during their first night in the wild, the girls sheltered themselves from the rain by draping one of their jackets over a huckleberry bush and huddling together for warmth. They used the huckleberry leaves to drink rainwater, and Leia encouraged her younger sister to think happy thoughts and have faith that their father would rescue them.

Meanwhile, their parents became panicked when their children failed to return home before dark. They phoned the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department and launched a 250-person rescue crew to scour the woods.

The next day, Carolina says that she remembered the most important rule for surviving in the wilderness: staying put. The two girls spent another night huddled in their “huckleberry home” as they waited for rescuers to find them.

LOOK: Rescuers Pull Car From Frigid Water, Find a Driver Who Survived for 5 Hours Using an Air Bubble

Both nights, Leia kept watch for wild animals while her younger sister slept.

Finally on Sunday afternoon, they heard rescuers calling their names, and after yelling back in response, two firefighters emerged from the woods and were relieved to find that the youngsters were safe.

“Hypothermia could have set in, but they kept dry. That was the key thing for these girls,” Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal told ABC News after the rescue.

“As far as their appearances go, no scratches, they weren’t wet,” he added. “They were smart enough to stay under canopies of tall trees and stay near tree trunks. They hiked all the way to the location and stopped when they knew they were lost. That was exactly what they were supposed to do.

CHECK OUT: Heroic Momma Hiked 26 Miles Through Heavy Snow to Save Husband, Son

“They looked like they were out for a stroll, like they were gone an hour from the house.”

An hour after they were found, the girls had an emotional reunion with their frantic parents – and there was not a dry eye in the crowd.

The girls were then taken to the hospital where they were checked out and given pizza for their empty stomachs.

Their mother, Misty Carrico, says that the girls won’t be allowed on any more daytime hikes until they are equipped with GPS trackers for safety.

“I’m trying not to punish them,” she told the news outlet. “They saved each other. I’m the proud mom. I raised super heroes.”

(WATCH the news coverage below)

Be Sure And Share This “Miracle” Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

“Everything will be all right in the end and if it’s not all right, then it’s not yet the end.” – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Everything will be all right in the end and if it’s not all right, then it’s not yet the end.” – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Photo: by Riccardo Maria Mantero, CC license via Flickr

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

 

When His Fortune Cookie Said it Was His Lucky Day, He Bought a Lottery Ticket That Proved it Was Indeed

By
McKinley Corbley
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Though fortune cookies might be a bunch of mumbo jumbo, one of the Chinese treats recently spurred a Maryland man to win a multi-thousand dollar lottery prize.

Diego Caceres had been enjoying lunch at a Chinese buffet with his brother Diego in Riverdale last month when his fortune cookie told him that it was his lucky day.

After finishing their meal, the siblings stopped by a local 7-11 to buy a soda. Remembering his fortune, Diego borrowed $10 from his brother so he could buy a Power 8s scratchoff ticket.

Even though he had only ever bought an instant lottery ticket once before, he opted for the scratchoff because 8 is the number of his favorite soccer player, midfielder Ricardo Kaká who used to play for São Paulo, Brazil and Real Madrid, Spain. He also just believes 8 to be a lucky number.

RELATED: Good Manners Pay Off – When Man is Desperate to Meet Lotto Deadline And Stranger Lets Him Go First

The first scratchoff he ever bought was a bust – but as his luck would have it, his purchase of the lucky ticket won him the top prize of $100,000.

“I have to credit my brother. He loaned me the money,” the 25-year-old told the Maryland Lottery, adding that he will be sharing his winnings with Domingo.

The brothers say that they are considering using their winnings to visit family in Argentina, Guatemala, and Italy – and for the sake of honoring their lucky number, they might use the prize to see some soccer games as well.

Be Sure And Share The Story With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Maryland Lottery

These New Biodegradable Mardi Gras Beads Could Save Thousands of Tons of Trash From Landfills

By
Good News Network
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Photos by Paige Jarreau / Alison Satake – Louisiana State University

The debaucherous celebration of Mardi Gras may be fun for party-goers, but it’s terrible for the environment.

The New Orleans holiday can generate up to 960 tons of trash in a year, and the iconic Mardi Gras beads are a major contributor with hundreds of pounds of plastic beads ending up in the city’s water system.

Thankfully, a biologist from Louisiana State University has developed several formulas for biodegradable Mardi Gras beads – and he already has patents pending on some of his designs.

For one of his inventions, biological sciences professor Naohiro Kato has developed a process in which to grow a species of microscopic algae called diatoms, which he can then harvest and process into a powder that can form throw beads and doubloons. After the fun is had, these celebratory throws will biodegrade in soil in about one to two years.

RELATED: Scientists Are Replacing Plastic With Algae, a Revolutionary Idea That Can Suck Carbon Out of the Air

“I believe we can change and do better. We have great resources to make our Mardi Gras celebrations more sustainable and to protect our environment and health,” said Kato.

Kato first began his research when one of his students at LSU accidentally discovered the basic ingredients which he has since refined to produce biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.

“My student was supposed to come into the lab three nights in a row to move our test tube samples of algae from the centrifuge to the freezer, but one night he forgot,” Kato said.

MORE: Researchers Have Finally Created Simple Eco-Friendly Machine That Recycles Used Diapers

The next morning, Kato experienced his “Aha!” moment when he found a large glob of algae accumulating oils on the bottom of the centrifuge.

Kato immediately thought of using it to make Mardi Gras beads. Earlier, he had been at a party chatting with people who wanted to make Mardi Gras more “green” – and he believed that the algae could be the biodegradable solution they were looking for.

He got down to work growing a large quantity of microscopic algae, or microalgae, in a six-foot kiddie pool outside. Louisiana’s warm climate, sunshine, water and nutrients, such as fertilizer, make it an ideal environment to naturally mass-produce microalgae. He grows a species of microalgae that is easy to grow, strong and profitable, especially for the nutraceutical industry, which produces vitamins and supplements and uses microalgae to market their products as vegetarian or vegan.

LOOK: He Has Created a Single-Use Bottle That Fully Decomposes in 3 Weeks, and All Profits to Charity

The biggest challenge for producing more environmentally sustainable beads is offsetting the high cost of manufacturing – but the growing demand for microalgae from the nutraceutical industry makes Kato’s invention potentially profitable. He plans to produce microalgae for nutraceutical companies to offset the relatively high cost to make biodegradable Mardi Gras beads, which can cost up to three times as much as plastic beads to produce.

He has a patent pending to make beads entirely out of microalgae using the leftover biomass unused by the nutraceutical industry. He has launched a spinoff company called Microalgae LLC in Baton Rouge to support this business model, and he says that he has already been approached by some angel investors.

Kato is also collaborating with several other university professors in order to develop a variation of the bead that is made with wood fiber.

Meanwhile, Kato is in discussion with a nutraceutical company and awaiting a contract in order to begin production of the biodegradable Mardi Gras beads.

Clean Up Negativity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Feature photo by McKinley Corbley

After Saving Money for Two Years, Teen Finally Gets to Surprise His Friend With New Electric Wheelchair

By
McKinley Corbley
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Rather than spending his hard-earned cash on game systems or goodies, this teenager has been saving up money for the last two years so he could buy his friend a new electric wheelchair.

Tanner Wilson and Brandon Qualls have been friends for years. Though both of them go to Caddo Hills High School in Norman, Arkansas, Brandon has a harder time getting through the hallways.

Since Brandon uses a push wheelchair to get from class to class, he says his arms start to hurt after using it for extended periods of time.

RELATED: Dad Confronts Bully by Treating Him Like a Son – Now the Homeless Boy Has Money and Friendship

Little did he know, Tanner has spent the last two years secretly stashing away all of his paychecks from his part-time job at a local car repair shop to buy Brandon an electric wheelchair model.

Tanner finally managed to buy the wheelchair last month – and when he used it to surprise Brandon in class last month, the stunned teenager said he could barely contain his emotions.

“They came in and my face just blew up,” Brandon told News9 in the interview below. “I was just crying everywhere. I was like, ‘Wow I can’t believe he did that for me.’

 

“It’s been my dream to just have one of these,” Brandon added, “and my dream came true.”

Tanner’s mother Colleen Carmack says that the boys have been happy to read all the messages of praise that they have received from social media viewers since their story was shared by national news outlets – especially Tanner.

LOOK: When Helicopter Upsets Tennis Player With PTSD, His Teammate Abandons Game to Comfort Him Using a Song

“[Tanner has] had some bad experiences over the last year, so him being able to help somebody else has really brought him out – being able to know that he made a difference,” Carmack told CNN. “And I can see a difference in him – like wanting to get out and do more.

“We’re talking about college. He’s had that goal, but he’s talking about it more now.”

(WATCH the heartwarming news coverage below) – Photo by Caddo Hills High School

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