This fun-loving Colorado family has brought the beloved Pixar film Up to life for a youngster’s birthday—and the results are adorable.
5-year-old Elijah Perman has been obsessed with the movie since he was born—so when his mother Rachel offered to host one magical-themed photoshoot for his birthday, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.
For starters, Elijah gathered all the garb he needed to dress up as Russell, the bombastic Boy Scout character from the film. He then recruited his great-grandparents, Richard and Caroline Bain, to dress up as the iconic cinematic couple Carl and Ellie.
Despite how 90-year-old Richard and 89-year-old Caroline have never seen the film, they were more than happy to participate.
Carl went to the local thrift store so he could get his costume together for the photoshoot earlier this week. He could not technically whisk his house away with a million balloons, but he did attach a few inflatables to a toy house specifically for the shoot.
Needless to say, Elijah “loved the photos”.
The photoshoot wasn’t just to celebrate the boy’s birthday, either; Rachel says that she was inspired to take the pictures in celebration of being cancer-free.
Shortly after Elijah and his twin sister Emilee were born five years ago, Rachel was diagnosed with cancer—and she was horrified to think that she may not be alive to celebrate their birthdays in the future.
“I had fears if I would even get to see their fifth birthday,” Rachel told CNN. “My oldest [child] was 5 at the time and I hated not knowing if I would get the same time with them that I got with her.”
Thankfully, since the 32-year-old photographer is now cancer-free, she can celebrate her health and her children’s birthdays by capturing the spirit of what they love most.
While Elijah may have opted for an Up-themed photoshoot, his twin sister chose to stand next to a unicorn instead—although it seems that her magical steed was equally as convincing as Elijah and his great-grandparents in costume.
If you want to check out more of Rachel’s photography, you can visit her website or Facebook page to learn more.
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Quote of the Day: “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” ― Rumi
Photo: by Uppy Chatterjee, CC license
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Hear an amusing tale of scientific determination in this week’s edition of MOTH Monday, a partnership with Good News Network that features inspiring videos from The MOTH, a nonprofit group showcasing the art of storytelling.
Back when Deirdre Bowen was in middle school, her father always pressured her to pursue “hard science” in order to win the science fair.
Rather than continuing his suggested research on monkey skulls, however, Deirdre defied her father’s wishes by opting for “soft science” projects on dreams and education.
He later told Deirdre that she was the only one of her siblings who had been brave enough to go against his coaching methods—but it turned out to be a good thing that she did.
(LISTEN to the amusing story below)
The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year. The Moth’s third book, Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible is now available for purchase through your favorite booksellers.
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One of the world’s largest trials ever undertaken in the realm of mental health is now underway in the classrooms of hundreds of schools in England—and GNN has learned new details about the curriculum, as outcomes are being evaluated for the first round of data.
Thousands of children and teens are being taught wellness techniques aimed at providing the students with better coping skills and self-awareness of their mental health. The London-based researchers expect their study to show how investing in training and setting aside class time devoted to relaxation, mindfulness, and mental health will pay off for our youth—with less depression and anxiety, and fewer suicidal thoughts.
Organized by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, this long-range study began in January 2019 and has enrolled 370 schools. In partnership with University College London and funded by the UK’s Department for Education, these interventions have been shown in smaller studies to be promising for students in other countries. This much-larger study is expected to make clear that a small investment of time can put young people in the driver’s seat of their own inner lives with knowledge and skills they can practice on their own.
“Schools and teachers don’t have all the answers, nor could they, but we know they can play a special role, which is why we have launched one of the biggest mental health trials in schools,” UK Education Secretary Damian Hinds said in a statement. “These trials are key to improving our understanding of how practical, simple advice can help young people cope with the pressures they face.”
The randomized control trials were set up to evaluate two major age groups: one for 9th graders, and another one for students in grades 4, 5, 7, and 8. The schools then were assigned to different groups, with each linked to a specific age-appropriate wellness curriculum, or no curriculum at all—so that effective comparisons could be made.
At least 8,600 ninth-graders participated in the trial. Ninety high schools set aside 45-60 minutes in a class once per week for 6 consecutive weeks, so that a specially-trained instructor could present a lesson from a mental health curriculum.
Dr. Daniel Hayes, the Trials Manager for the Education for Wellbeing project, told GNN that one group of teens was assigned to The Mental Health and High Schools Curriculum Guide, developed in Canada by Dr. Stan Kutcher. It was originally a web-based curriculum, but was adapted for the UK study to include more resources from England and less emphasis on PowerPoint presentations in favor of interactive discussions. The lessons contained units on bipolar disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, depression, OCD, ADHD, stress, support, and where to get help.
Another high school group participated in the Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) curriculum. The primary focus here is reducing symptoms of depression. Statistics show that seeking help at 14 years old can result in a sevenfold decrease in depressive symptoms at 17. In a different randomized controlled trial in Europe using the YAM, the data showed reduced suicidal ideation or attempts at the 12-month follow up.
In the primary and middle school groups, most of the children are involved more experientially, with 5-minute coaching sessions in mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing. School staff members complete a half-day face-to-face training course and are provided with manuals appropriate to the grade level, containing many activities, apps, and online games.
Photo by unsplash, CC license
The Mindfulness intervention was developed for the trial based on the concept as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn: “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally”. It consists of mindful breathing exercises and other activities focused on self-awareness of sensations, emotions and thoughts, with exercises divided into three types: (1) those focusing on the mind; (2) those focusing on the body; (3) those focusing on the world around us.
Another group was paired with a curriculum designed to bring awareness to aspects of mental health in 8 consecutive weekly lessons:
It’s safe to talk about mental health
We all have mental health
What is safety?
Early warning signs – noticing our bodies
Early warning signs – noticing our feelings and thoughts
Developing our safety networks
Safe friendships
Safe ways of managing emotions.
The curriculum for the younger kids was created by Dr. Bajaj, the lead developer at the Anna Freud Centre’s schools program, who consulted with experts in Protective Behaviors interventions for the Safety and Wellbeing lessons.
Opt-outs were offered to parents who didn’t want their child’s data collected for the study, but the pupils could still take part in the interventions, even if they or their parents chose not to take part in the evaluation. And after the study is complete, the faculty at the inactive “control” group schools will be offered the opportunity to receive specialized training, so that no one is left behind without something to share with students.
The researchers are evaluating the student outcomes now, 3-6 months after the intervention commenced—and they will look at the long-range effects of each intervention by surveying students again after a year, with the final data being released in 2021.
Outcomes measured will include changes to: positive well-being, behavioral difficulties, support from school staff, stigma-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and mental health first aid. An economic evaluation will also assess the cost-effectiveness of the interventions.
As the data from the first wave of the trial is collected and processed, researchers will determine the impact of the interventions on mental health and wellbeing, and whether this is money well spent.
– Co-written by Jennifer Zolper with GNN; Photo by Dystopos, CC license
This obituary for a Philadelphia street pole has struck an odd emotional chord with social media users around the world—and it’s strangely heartwarming.
Since the city’s power company is updating its technology, the ancient, staple-riddled post on the corner of 3rd and Federal is due to be replaced with a newer wooden pole in order to support the new infrastructure by the end of the month.
After the pole was marked for retirement earlier this week, local journalist Brad Pearson noticed a new sign appear on the post during one of his daily walks through the square.
The 150-word goodbye note was written from the perspective of the telephone pole bidding adieu to all of the local residents.
“I just wanted to say it’s been my pleasure to be your corner telephone pole for many years now. It looks like I’ll soon be replaced. Probably by the young pole there on the ground,” said the note. “The neighborhood has changed over the years but I’ve always been here—holding street signs, electric wires, telephone wires, cable, a light, and lately this transformer.
“The many staples are a reminder of the garage sales, flea markets, and hundreds of lost pets,” it continued. “Sox, Cinnamon, Poncho and the rest, I hope you made it home. I hope I do too.
“It’s been fun! Maybe a few months from now you’ll say to yourself ‘I remember the old pole.’ Thanks, The Corner Pole.”
Pearson was so impressed by the sign’s personal message, he posted a photo of the obituary to Twitter where it has since been shared thousands of times.
Some users have expressed their skepticism and dismay over an inanimate object evoking such powerfully complex emotional reactions; others have simply been touched by an inanimate object taking on such an intimate role in a community.
Regardless, thousands of viewers have agreed that the anonymously-written sign is a sweet reminder of how we can appreciate the little details of our neighborhoods.
The power company has confirmed that it will be repurposing the wooden pole through their recycling program, so concerned readers need not be afraid of the pole being turned into smoke.
Now after 12 years of standing tall in the community, local residents are paying homage to the pole before it is retired from its long career of being an upstanding citizen.
Scientists have determined a new way to protect the hair follicle from chemotherapy in an effort to prevent hair loss as a result of cancer treatments.
Researchers based at The University of Manchester have discovered a new strategy for how to protect hair follicles from chemotherapy, which could lead to new treatments that prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss—arguably one of the most psychologically distressing side effects of modern cancer therapy.
Published in the journal, EMBO Molecular Medicine, the study from the laboratory of Professor Ralf Paus of the Centre for Dermatology Research describes how damage in the hair follicle caused by taxanes, cancer drugs which can cause permanent hair loss, can be prevented.
To do this, scientists have exploited the properties of a newer class of drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors, which blocks cell division and are already medically approved as so-called “targeted” cancer therapies.
Dr Talveen Purba, lead author on the study explains: “Although at first this seems counter-intuitive, we found that CDK4/6 inhibitors can be used temporarily to halt cell division without promoting additional toxic effects in the hair follicle. When we bathed organ-cultured human scalp hair follicles in CDK4/6 inhibitors, the hair follicles were much less susceptible to the damaging effects of taxanes.”
Taxanes are very important anti-cancer drugs commonly used to treat, for example, patients with breast or lung carcinoma and particularly cause anxieties among breast cancer patients for the very distressing and sometimes long-lasting hair loss taxanes can induce. Thousands of patients in the US are currently suing pharmaceutical company Sanofi over a lack of warning of the risk of permanent hair loss after treatment with the taxane drug Taxotere.
Dr Purba emphasizes: “A pivotal part of our study was to first get to grips with how exactly hair follicles responded to taxane chemotherapy, and we found that the specialized dividing cells at the base of the hair follicle that are critical for producing hair itself, and the stem cells from which they arise, are most vulnerable to taxanes. Therefore, we must protect these cells most from undesired chemotherapy effects—but so that the cancer does not profit from it.”
The team hopes that their work will support the development of externally applicable medicines that will slow or briefly suspend cell division in the scalp hair follicles of patients undergoing chemotherapy to mitigate against chemotherapy-induced hair damage. This could complement and enhance the efficacy of existing preventive approaches i.e. scalp-cooling devices.
The researchers underscore that more work is desperately needed in this lamentably under-funded field of cancer medicine, where patients have waited for so long to see real breakthroughs in pharmacological hair loss prevention.
“Despite the fact that taxanes have been used in the clinic for decades, and have long been known to cause hair loss, we’re only now scratching the surface of how they damage the human hair follicle,” said Purba.
“We also don’t really know why some patients show greater hair loss than others even though they get the same drug and drug-dose, and why it is that certain chemotherapy regimens and drug combinations have much worse outcomes than others.
“We need time to further develop approaches like this to not only prevent hair loss, but promote hair follicle regeneration in patients who have already lost their hair due to chemotherapy.”
An accidental text to a wrong phone number has sparked an unexpected wave of kindness towards a family in need.
Abby Fink had been trying to get in contact with her friend from church named Alex Jakeman so she could bring some dinner over to his house.
Jakeman and his family have been having a rough time since their 4-year-old son Noah recently suffered a massive seizure which landed him in the ICU at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Jakeman’s family told CNN that in addition to the non-verbal youngster having Lennox Gasteau Syndrome, which is a severe form of epilepsy and cerebral palsy, he also has brittle bones, abnormal brain development, impaired motor functions, and autism.
So when Fink sent her text message intended for the Jakeman family, it did not take her long to realize that she had sent it to the wrong number.
“Hey Brother Jakeman, this is Sister Fink, we are bringing you dinner tomorrow, I was wondering what time would be a good time to bring it over,” said Fink in her text message. She then received a joking response from a man named Bill, saying: “Oh what are you bringing me? I don’t like seafood.”
Fink then noticed that she had sent the message to a phone number that was one digit off from Jakeman’s. She quickly apologized and explained how she had meant to send the message to a grieving family.
On the other end of the conversation, Bill realized the seriousness of Fink’s inquiry. Upon learning about the Jakemans and their son, he offered to start his own social media fundraiser in order to gather gifts, donations, and contributions from his friends list.
Since Noah was recently released from the ICU, Bill plans on stopping by the hospital so he can present the cards, gifts, and donations to the Jakeman family.
“It’s amazing. He is a total stranger and he just wanted to jump into action,” Fink told CNN. “I told him he was an angel sent to help this sweet family.”
If you want to donate to the Jakeman family, you can also contribute to their GoFundMe campaign, which has almost reached its goal of $12,000.
(WATCH the news coverage below)
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Quote of the Day: “Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can only describe it from the vantage point of distance.” – Charles Lindbergh
Photo: by GWC, Copyright 2019
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?
There are an estimated 785,000 new heart attack cases in the United States each year, with no established treatment for repairing the resulting damage to cardiac tissue.
For the first time ever, researchers have successfully conducted an FDA-approved Phase 1 human clinical trial of an injectable hydrogel that aims to repair the damage and restore cardiac function in heart failure patients who previously suffered a heart attack.
The trial, which was conducted by the University of California San Diego spin-off company Ventrix, was the first test of a hydrogel designed to repair cardiac tissue. It was also the first to test a hydrogel made from the natural scaffolding of cardiac muscle tissue, also known as extracellular matrix, or ECM.
This is significant because ECM hydrogels have been shown in preclinical studies to potentially be effective for other conditions, such as poor blood circulation due to peripheral artery disease. The trial showed that the hydrogel, known as VentriGel, can be safely injected via catheter into patients who had suffered a heart attack in the past 2 to 36 months.
“Although the study was designed to evaluate safety and feasibility and not designed to show whether VentriGel effectively helps improve heart function, we observed some improvements in patients,” said Karen Christman, the paper’s senior author and a professor of bioengineering in the Jacobs School of Engineering and the Institute of Engineering in Medicine at UC San Diego. “For example, patients could walk longer distances. We also observed signs of improving heart function in patients who experienced a heart attack more than one year prior to treatment.”
Researchers from Ventrix, led by Christman, reported their findings this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Basic to Translational Science.
After a heart attack, scar tissue develops, which diminishes muscle function and leads to heart failure. This is where VentriGel comes in. Once injected in damaged cardiac muscle, VentriGel forms a scaffold that acts as a reparative environment where healthy cells migrate, leading to increases in cardiac muscle, less scar tissue, and improvements in heart function.
Additionally, VentriGel can be easily injected into heart muscle using a minimally invasive procedure that does not require surgery.
The Phase 1 trial evaluated the gel in 15 patients who sustained moderate damage in the left ventricle chamber of the heart following a heart attack. Each patient received up to 18 injections of VentriGel into the damaged region via catheter. Researchers followed the patients for six months after treatment. All patients completed the full follow-up.
Photo by UCSD
Twelve of the 15 patients were men. All 15 were experiencing mild to moderate heart failure following a heart attack. Half had suffered a heart attack within the past year.
Patients took a six-minute walking test as well as a heart function assessment and a heart health questionnaire before the injections. They retook the tests three and six months later. In addition, patients underwent an MRI at three and six months after the procedures.
Ventrix is now gearing up for a Phase 2 clinical trial that will expand on this successful first-in-human study. They are planning a larger, randomized trial that will evaluate how effectively VentriGel can improve cardiac function and quality of life for patients experiencing heart failure.
Toy Story 4, which opened in theaters this June, became the biggest box office animated film blockbuster yet—and it’s no wonder, with beloved toys like Mr. Potato Head playing a starring role.
Toys that engage the body, mind, and imagination, still hold the #1 place in the hearts of children, despite the pervasiveness of digital devices.
In fact, Mr. Potato Head and Play Doh are the top vintage toys that have withstood the test of time, according to new a study of 2,000 American parents.
Other toys that are still starring in American homes and continue to enchant kids after decades of familiarity include trolls, toy phones, teddy bears, and plastic dinosaurs.
Board games have proven to be timeless, as well. Whether you grew up in the ’70s, ’80s, or 90s, families can’t get enough of classic board games—particularly, Scrabble, Monopoly, Candy Land, the Game of Life, and Mouse Trap. They all ranked in the top 30 of toys that were played with by both parents and, later, their children.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Mr. Potato Head, who has undergone several iterations of his own, the survey revealed that adults are still kids-at-heart who love playing with these toys.
Nearly half of parents said their favorite childhood toy is still on the market—and 84% have purchased, or plan to purchase, that toy for their own child.
When it comes to buying any toy for a child, parents are on the look out for a certain set of qualities. Three in five parents want a toy that’s educational, but just behind that is a toy’s ability to make their kid laugh (60%). Fifty-nine percent are on the hunt for a toy that’s colorful, while 56% look for something interactive.
TOP TIMELESS TOYS (ENJOYED OVER MULTIPLE GENERATIONS)
1. Play Doh
2. Mr. Potato Head
3. Trolls
4. My Little Pony
5. Furby
6. Puzzles
7. Toy phone
8. Bop It
9. Building blocks
10. Bicycle
11. Yoyo
12. Guess Who?
13. Water blasters
14. Teddy bear
15. Scrabble
16. Tricycle
17. Candy Land
18. Game Boy
19. Spinning tops
20. Toy cash register
21. Plastic animals
22. Monopoly
23. Mouse Trap
24. Game of Life
25. Transformers
26. Clue
27. Baby Alive
28. Plastic food/kitchen supplies
29. Scattergories
30. Perfection
ALSO CHECK OUT THE TOP TOYS LOVED BY ADULTS WHEN THEY WERE KIDS
1. Mr. Potato Head
2. Trolls
3. Play-Doh
4. My Little Pony
5. Toy phones
6. Furby
7. Puzzles
8. Building blocks
9. Yoyo
10. Bicycles
11. Bop It
12. Teddy bears
13. Baby dolls
14. Spinning tops
15. Candy Land
16. Guess Who?
17. Tricycle
18. Scrabble
19. Plastic animals
20. Toy cash register
21. Yahtzee!
22. Monopoly
23. Rubber duck
24. Clue
25. Mouse Trap
26. Game of Life
27. Plastic food/kitchen supplies
28. Perfection
29. Scattergories
30. Hungry, Hungry Hippos
31. Scooter
32. Bead maze
33. Sorry!
34. Operation
35. GI Joe
36. Super Soakers
37. Chutes + Ladders
38. Taboo
39. Trouble
The GNN staff loved the surprise of seeing Mousetrap and other favorites making the list of toys that are not in the attic. Tell us which ones have been passed down or repurchased in your family?
Street lights may be helpful for motorists, but they can be particularly worrisome for bats. Caring about their health, one English county has come up with an ingenious solution.
The county of Worcestershire is preparing to switch on an array of bat-friendly street lights—and they are the first of their kind in the UK.
Research shows that certain species of bat are light-shy and will not cross roads that are lit by white lights, which can stop them accessing food supplies and water. Bright street lights also attract the flies and insects the bats feed on, and so reduce the food available for bats and other mammals in their typical feeding areas.
These LED lights, on the other hand, are red in color and use a unique “recipe” of light which does not affect bats and their flying and feeding habits.
Similar lighting schemes in the Netherlands have proved successful, helping to preserve bat species and other nocturnal wildlife.
The new Worcestershire lights are spread across a 60-meter swath of highway near the Warndon Wood nature reserve.
Councillor Ken Pollock, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure said: “These ground-breaking lights are a great example where we have been able to adapt the usual standards to better suit the local environment.”
“The adapted lighting being used may look a little different at first, but we’d like to assure those using the area at night that the color of the lights has been through stringent testing and adheres to all safety checks.”
Visibility for drivers and pedestrians is not affected by the red light and is fully compliant with the required standards. The light “recipe” not only meets the needs of road users and residents, but, like an immune booster, supports the daily nutrition requirements of their winged wildlife neighbors.
You’ve heard of New Yorkers taking their pets for walks in baby strollers? This gnarly pup is touring the town balanced upon his own set of wheels.
A man was spotted striding down the city streets with a dog on a leash—nothing new there, except the dog was calmly gliding alongside him on a skateboard.
If that isn’t enough, the dog was wearing a cool hat, too.
(WATCH the video below for a quick Sunday funny…)
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Quote of the Day: “A wise parent humors the desire for independent action.” – Elizabeth Gaskell
Photo: by Evangelio Gonzalez, CC license, cropped
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Even though it sounds suspiciously like a song by The Police, this family was rescued from a dire situation thanks to an SOS note that was literally launched as a message in a bottle.
Back in June, Curtis Whitson, his girlfriend, and his 14-year-old son had embarked on a 4-day camping voyage so they could experience the beautiful scenery of the Arroyo Seco River in central California. On the third day, however, their family vacation turned into a nerve-wracking ordeal.
The three hikers had just made their way down a narrow gorge when they suddenly found themselves atop a 40-foot waterfall. When previously Whitson had hiked down the river a few years ago, there had been a rope secured to the cliff face so that travelers could safely rappel down from the top of the waterfall in a matter of minutes.
Whitson suspected it had been washed away by floodwaters—but without the rope, he and his family couldn’t climb down the cliff. The gorge walls were so steep that it left them stranded in a semi-isolated region with no cell service.
“It was a sad realization, to know that our trip was over and we needed help. Every inch down that river had committed us to a spot where we couldn’t get out,” Whitson told The Washington Post. “It was a little scary. We hadn’t seen a single soul the entire trip.”
At first, Whitson tried carving an SOS message onto a stick to send floating downstream, but it was too light to stay afloat amidst the river’s current. He then used a much more unlikely rescue tool: his green plastic water bottle.
Luckily, his girlfriend Krystal Ramirez—who professed to be very competitive when it comes to playing cards—had brought a pen and receipt pad so she could keep score of their games.
After Whitson scratched “HELP” onto both sides of his bottle, he wrote a message that included the time of their plight and their location at the top of the waterfall. He shoved it into the bottle, threw it downstream, and told his son and girlfriend that there was nothing left to do but wait—so they set up camp and climbed into their sleeping bags.
To their surprise, they were awakened only hours later by a search-and-rescue helicopter hovering over their heads.
Photo by Joe Kingman
The aircraft’s loudspeaker informed them that rescuers had received their message and the family just had to sit tight until they could be rescued the following morning.
As it turns out, Whitson’s bottle had caught the eye of two hikers a quarter of a mile downstream shortly after he had sent it afloat. The hikers immediately brought it to the staffers at the Arroyo Seco Campground so they could alert a search-and-rescue crew.
The California Highway Patrol returned the next morning in the light of day to airlift the grateful family to safety.
Helicopter pilot Joe Kingman told The Post that until he rescued the trio from the waterfall, he had never heard of a message in a bottle prompting a successful rescue.
Upon recounting the story to the news outlet this week, Whitson mused: “It blows me away how it all came perfectly together. What are the odds?”
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A 17-year-old in Louisiana has made a daily tradition of greeting his little brother Max at the bus stop—and always surprising him by wearing a different outlandish costume every day.
Since Noah Tingle began the ritual earlier this year, he has dressed as Batman, Chewbacca, Waldo (from Where’s Waldo?), Santa Claus, and a giant gorilla—to name just a few.
Though Max has been more than a little embarrassed by his older brother’s antics, the 12-year-old can always be seen smiling in the videos of Noah’s silly appearances.
The siblings aren’t the only ones in on the joke. As word spread of his daily shenanigans, he’s became something of a local celebrity in the community. Many of the neighbors have donated their crazy costumes so Noah can continue the streak.
The prankster says that he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon; especially because he and his brother are creating such sweet memories before Noah heads off to college next year.
Thankfully, the teen has been sharing videos and photos of his costumes to his Facebook page The Bus Brother so social media users can delight in their familial love, as well.
(WATCH the video below)
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Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic — University of Edinburgh
J.K. Rowling is known worldwide as the author of the beloved Harry Potter book series—but now, she is making headlines for donating a magical amount of money towards multiple sclerosis research.
This week, the Scottish philanthropist donated £15.3 million ($18.8 million) to the University of Edinburgh so they can build on the success of their Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.
The clinic, built in 2010 thanks to another hefty donation from Rowling, was named after the author’s mother Anne Rowling who died from MS at the age of 45.
“When the Anne Rowling Clinic was first founded, none of us could have predicted the incredible progress that would be made in the field of Regenerative Neurology, with the Clinic leading the charge,” said Rowling.
“I am delighted to now support the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic into a new phase of discovery and achievement, as it realizes its ambition to create a legacy of better outcomes for generations of people with MS and non-MS neurodegenerative diseases.”
In addition to financing the construction of facilities pertaining to the clinic, the donation will also help fund research on neurodegenerative treatments and cures as well as how healthcare workers can improve the lives of patients suffering from similarly debilitating diseases.
Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Edinburgh, said: “We are immensely honoured that J. K. Rowling has chosen to continue her support for the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic. This inspiring donation will fund a whole new generation of researchers who are focussed on discovering and delivering better treatments and therapies for patients.”
Be Sure And Share The Good News With The Other Muggles On Social Media — File photo by Daniel Ogren, CC license
After Terry Garrett witnessed his ailing brother lose the ability to pursue his love of gardening, he took it upon himself to ensure that anybody—regardless of whether they are confined to a wheelchair—could keep their green thumbs in the dirt.
Garrett is the mastermind behind the Elevated Garden: a tabletop garden that has been designed specifically for people in wheelchairs. The idea for the elevated garden was born after his brother was diagnosed with Stage IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“He loved gardening but could no longer handle the physical demands of traditional gardening,” says the veteran. “I designed and built my first elevated garden… and by the end of the year, my brother was taking care of 40 units and growing all his produce for the winter.”
“I saw how it benefited him with an improvement in his quality of life, and an increased sense of self worth and accomplishment,” he continued.
“This spurred me on to developing, patenting, and trade-marking what we are currently manufacturing and marketing.”
Standing at just 30 inches tall, the gardens have been used in nursing homes and assisted living facilities because they limit the amount of bending and physical activity that is typically required by traditional gardening.
The components are made and manufactured in Tennessee, by the veteran’s company, T&L Group. Additionally, the mobile gardens are built on wheels so they can be used indoors through all seasons.
Garrett, who was recently named a “Horticultural Hero” for his design, is now looking to develop handicap-accessible gardening tools so his company can continue to uplift disabled and geriatric patients who want to garden ‘outside the box’.
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Quote of the Day: “When I’m tired, I rest… I say, ‘I can’t be a superwoman today’.” – Jada Pinkett Smith
Photo: copyright, MCC
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This kitten still has all of its nine lives thanks to a Russian man who ran into the road in order to save it from a moving car.
The rescue, which was captured by the man’s dashboard camera, took place on a two-lane street in Sargatskoye.
As the man is waiting behind another vehicle, the kitten can be seen scurrying across the road only to stop underneath the tires of the other driver’s car.
The man can then be heard putting his car into park and unbuckling his seatbelt so he can go rescue the kitten—but just as he is getting out of the driver’s seat, he sees the other car start to move forward.
After giving his car horn a few emergency honks, the man rushes into the road and grabs the kitten out of harms way just in the nick of time.
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Save Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Story To Social Media…
This new study reveals that regular tea drinkers have better organized brain regions—which is associated with healthier cognitive function—compared to non-tea drinkers.
For the study, the research team recruited 36 adults aged 60 and above, and gathered data about their health, lifestyle, and psychological well-being. The elderly participants also had to undergo neuropsychological tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study was carried out from 2015 to 2018.
Upon analyzing the participants’ cognitive performance and imaging results, the research team found that individuals who consumed either green tea, oolong tea, or black tea at least four times a week for about 25 years had brain regions that were interconnected in a more efficient way.
“Take the analogy of road traffic as an example—consider brain regions as destinations, while the connections between brain regions are roads. When a road system is better organized, the movement of vehicles and passengers is more efficient and uses less resources. Similarly, when the connections between brain regions are more structured, information processing can be performed more efficiently,” explained Assistant Professor Feng Lei from the National University of Singapore.
“Our results offer the first evidence of positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure, and suggest that drinking tea regularly has a protective effect against age-related decline in brain organization,” he added.
The research was led by Lei from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine’s Department of Psychological Medicine in collaboration with the University of Essex and University of Cambridge. The findings were published in scientific journal Aging.
Past studies have demonstrated that tea intake is beneficial to human health, and the positive effects include mood improvement and cardiovascular disease prevention. In fact, results of a 2017 longitudinal study led by Feng examined the cognitive health of 957 Chinese seniors and found that daily consumption of tea was associated with a 50% reduced risk of cognitive decline in older persons—and for some patients who were genetically at risk of Alzheimer’s, there was an 86% reduction in risk.
Furthermore, a 2004 study from the University of Newcastle also linked green and black tea consumption with reduced risks of dementia.
“While the study was conducted on Chinese elderly, the results could apply to other races as well,” said Feng. “Our findings have important implications for dementia prevention. Despite high quality drug trials, effective pharmacological therapy for neurocognitive disorders such as dementia remains elusive and current prevention strategies are far from satisfactory. Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The data from our study suggests that a simple and inexpensive lifestyle measure such as daily tea drinking can reduce a person’s risk of developing neurocognitive disorders in late life.
“Based on current knowledge, this long term benefit of tea consumption is due to the bioactive compounds in tea leaves, such as catechins, theaflavins, thearubigins and L-theanine. These compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential and other bioactive properties that may protect the brain from vascular damage and neurodegeneration.”
Following this discovery, Feng and his team further explored the direct effect of tea on brain networks.
“We have shown in our previous studies that tea drinkers had better cognitive function as compared to non-tea drinkers,” said Feng. “Our current results relating to brain network indirectly support our previous findings by showing that the positive effects of regular tea drinking are the result of improved brain organization brought about by preventing disruption to interregional connections.”
As cognitive performance and brain organization are intricately related, more research is needed to better understand how functions like memory emerge from brain circuits, and the possible interventions to better preserve cognition during the aging process. Feng and his team plan to examine the effects of tea as well as the bioactive compounds in tea can have on cognitive decline.
A 17-year-old in Louisiana has made a daily tradition of greeting his little brother Max at the bus stop—and always surprising him by wearing a different outlandish costume every day.
