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Mother Fights UK Law Allowing Convicted Criminals Visitation Rights To Children

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Sammy Woodhouse Story

Immigration is a difficult subject to broach in public or even private discussion. People on all sides have an opinion and debates on the topic become heated almost inevitably. This point particularly comes to head when a crime is committed by an immigrant against a born citizen of the country in question.

A woman named Sammy, 15 years old at the time, from Rotherham, England, was raped repeatedly by an immigrant 10 years her senior, resulting in the conception of a baby boy. Later, when UK law allowed the convicted rapist visitation rights so he could see his son, the mother, and many others, had more than a few words to say about it…

Growing Up

Sammy Woodhouse Story
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Life in Rotherham was challenging for Sammy Woodhouse, as it was for so many other young girls barely into their teens. Due to mass immigration to the city in the 1980s, a huge community of Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi people settled there. And while most of those immigrants were law-abiding and hard-working, some had other things on their minds. Woodhouse was at school with many Pakistani immigrants, and many lived on her street.

Mass Immigration

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During the late 70s and 80s, under a Labour government in the UK, hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Pakistan and other countries were offered full-time citizenship. Without going into all the legal and social intricacies of the matter, it’s safe to say that a foreign culture was implanted onto a small seaside town over a short period of time, and that led to social issues further down the line.

Just Fifteen

Sammy Woodhouse Story
  www.dailymail.co.uk

When Woodhouse was just 15 years old, she became involved with Arshid Hussain and his cohorts. These men have been accused of raping girls aged 11-16 over a fourteen year period. Hussain, a well-known drug dealer, raped Woodhouse so many times she fell pregnant with his child. Hussain was later jailed for 35 years for sexually abusing up to 50 underage girls.

Systematic Coverup

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When the allegations came out that groups of Asian men were grooming and raping British children, the police, council, government and just about everyone else forged a massive coverup for fear of being dubbed as prejudice. In many cases, the children were blamed by the police for being “child prostitutes” while their parents were threatened if they reported the rapes to the police.

No Responsibility

Sammy Woodhouse Story
  South Yorkshire Police

Having been raped repeatedly since the age of 15, Woodhouse decided to keep the child. The baby’s father, Hussain, 43, was not named on the birth certificate and had no parental responsibility for the child whatsoever. But in a bizarre twist that has left people stunned, Rotherham council recently contacted Hussain in jail and told him he had a right to see the child.

Absolutely Disgusting

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Another survivor, Linzi Williams, who was also raped and impregnated by Hussain when she was 15, told MailOnline.com that she felt the decision to allow him to see Woodhouse’s child was “absolutely disgusting.” “I am speechless that this would be allowed to happen,” she said. “Social services are supposed to protect children and people from pedophiles and rapists not give them contact.”

Massive Betrayal

Sammy Woodhouse Story
  www.channel4.com

These survivors, who number in the thousands, are already outraged that authorities covered up the systematic rapes for decades. To add insult to injury, and for reasons so far unexplained, the council and social services are now forcing rape victims to allow access to children to the men who raped them. “It’s just another massive betrayal by social services, how are people supposed to start trusting in them when they do something as stupid as this?” said Williams.

Outdated Law

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Due to a technicality within British law, guidelines state that all parents, regardless of parental responsibility, should be given notice of care proceedings. That also includes convicted rapists, who also have the right to such information. As such, Woodhouse has been campaigning to have the law changed so that her child doesn’t have to have contact with his rapist father.

Full Support

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Another survivor of the Telford grooming gangs who goes by the name of Holly Archer told reporters that she fully supports Woodhouse’s attempts to have this diabolical law amended. “I fully support Sammy’s campaign; there are similar situations in Telford, and across the rest of the country,” she said. “Survivors of child sexual exploitation and child sex abuse risk having their children removed or their rights as a parent taken away from them and given to abusers and their families.”

Cycle of Abuse

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As Archer explained, “This is a continuous cycle of abuse, when will it end? Using the most important thing in these survivors lives and passing it to men who systematically raped and abused them, is totally disturbing,” she said. She also questioned how many children are put in direct danger as a result of this technicality, noting that immediate change is necessary.

Seeking Guidance

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As a follow-on to the debacle, Rotherham Council is now seeking guidance from the Ministry of Justice after the government cast doubt on its decision. A spokesman from the council told reporters: “As the public would expect, we have already begun to review the specifics of the case. … Concluding the review will take time, and we are asking the Ministry of Justice to work with us on this to ensure that it is completed thoroughly and properly.”

Duty to Comply

Sammy Woodhouse Story
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According to Rotherham Council, they have a “duty to comply” with Family Court practice directions when care proceedings are enacted. According to them, directions include a “requirement to notify every person whom the applicant believes to be a parent without parental responsibility for the child.” But as one government official said, “Courts should consider the potential harm to the child and mother when making this decision.”

Protecting Survivors

Sammy Woodhouse Story
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The main thing here is for authorities to protect the survivors of rape as well as their children. As the government official pointed out: “It is imperative that clarity is realized as soon as possible, not just for Rotherham, but to ensure that other councils across the country who may face similar issues are able to act with certainty and no more survivors of abuse have to experience further trauma.” Woodhouse spoke about the issue on a radio talk show.

Speaking Out

Sammy Woodhouse Story
  aib_london / Flickr

Rotherham Council were forced into making a statement to clarify their official position after Woodhouse appeared on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show. “As a rape victim I’m constantly told he’s got his human rights,” she said. “What about my human rights? My main issue is I have to fight every single day for something just to be treated like a human being.” Woodhouse took issue with the fact the council wasn’t looking out for the best interests of the child involved.

On a Plate

Sammy Woodhouse Story
  www.itv.com

According to Woodhouse, “They should’ve fought for that child.” But what happened clearly wasn’t in the child’s best interests. “What they’ve done is hand my son over on a plate to a rapist,” she said. Woodhouse also spoke to Good Morning Britain where she said she was “mortified” at the decision to give Hussain access to her son. “I was completely shocked and mortified,” she said. “I thought when I testified in court, and he was sentenced to 35 years, I thought that was it, I can move on.”

Perverse Decision

Sammy Woodhouse Story
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According to Nazir Afzal, former chief crown prosecutor for the North-West, South Yorkshire council’s decision, in this case, was as “perverse” as it was “ridiculous.” “They (councils) think they are doing the right thing because they are told it is important the child has access to both parents, but it is wrong,” he said. “By following the letter of the law they are lacking judgment – they are applying a tick-box approach when it is plainly a ridiculous thing to do.”

Appallingly Insensitive

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Louise Haigh is the shadow police and crime minister who is backing Woodhouse’s campaign to change the Children Act 1989. She spoke to The Times about the case, stating that the council’s decision was “appallingly insensitive.” “They handed him an invitation to re-traumatize his victim,” she said. “No man who has fathered a child through abuse or rape should have the right to apply for custody or visitation rights,” she added.

Wide Support

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The move by Woodhouse to petition for a change in the law has been met with a lot of support across the board. Baroness Newlove, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, also spoke about the decision: “This appears to be a case in which a victim of the worst sexual violence faced the prospect of continuing to be abused by her perpetrator, this time via the family courts.”

Meeting Dad

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When Woodhouse’s son got wind of the issue, he was “seduced” by the idea of meeting his real father for the first time. She said her son was “catapulted into a dream world” by the prospect of a relationship with his jailed father. He later changed his mind, but the fact he was given false hope just added to the trauma for this poor family.

Wanting Closure

Sammy Woodhouse Story
  sammywoodhouse1 / Twitter

For Woodhouse and other victims, a change in the law is imperative so they can get the much-needed closure they need for what they’ve been through. The prospect of rape children being offered access to their fathers is a bizarre one and not something that can be allowed to happen. For the time being, campaigners like Woodhouse are doing what they can to apply pressure in the right places to have the law changed once and for all.

Mother Fights UK Law Allowing Convicted Criminals Visitation Rights To Children is an article from: LifeDaily


Miscommunication, Lack Of Experience During Robot-Assisted Surgery Spell Disaster For 69-Year-Old Patient

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Robotic Heart Operation Story

While robotic surgery is considered generally safe, the FDA is reviewing the data after a growing number of reported complications. The risk versus reward is being analyzed as robotic-assisted surgeries also carry the risk of human error.

In the following story, the “first of its kind” robotic heart surgery was conducted by a surgeon inexperienced with the technology. This led to a horrible chain of events…

Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery

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Stephen Pettitt, 69, was set to undergo a Da Vinci robot-assisted heart valve operation at the Free Hospital in Newcastle, England. According to Da Vinci’s website, the goal of mitral valve surgery is to repair or replace the damaged valve and allow blood to flow properly.

Minimally Invasive

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“Da Vinci technology enables your surgeon to operate through a few small incisions between your ribs, like minimally invasive thoracoscopy, instead of a large open incision,” they explained. “The da Vinci System is a robotic-assisted surgical device that your surgeon is 100% in control of at all times.”

Benefits

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The surgery offers the patient a shorter hospital stay, smaller incisions with minimal scarring, a low need for transfusions and fast improvement of physical function following surgery. It is no surprise that Pettitt, a music teacher, was intrigued by the procedure.

Scheduling Surgery

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He soon scheduled his surgery with Dr. Sukumaran Nair. Nair was the lead surgeon who would be assisted with the surgery by Dr. Thasee Pillay and two proctors. But the major problem was that Nair had never had any one-on-one training in using the device.

Device

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He missed a training session in Paris using a cadaver, and another session at his own hospital because he was busy with other surgery, according to the Daily Mail. Despite this, he conducted the operation to repair Pettitt’s leaking mitral valve using the da Vinci robot for the first time.

Higher Risk

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In regards to gaining patient consent, Nair said, “I made it clear to (Pettitt) that he is going to be the first robotic mitral valve repair patient. … I had explained to him about risks. I agree, I did not tell him he ran a higher risk being the first robotic mitral valve patient.”

Team Of Doctors

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Nair trained in India and London and previously worked at Papworth Hospital before operating at the Free Hospital. Nair would need all the help he could get with the surgery from his assistant surgeon and the two proctors supplied by Edwards Lifesciences.

Setting Up

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According to consultant cardiothoracic anesthesiologist Kevin Brennan, the proctors were helpful in setting up for the procedure. Dr. Anthony George, a consultant assisting with the operation on Pettitt, said the anesthetic proctor told him at the beginning of the operation that they would be leaving at lunchtime.

Supervising Experts

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Nair was aware the proctors, also known as supervising experts, were intending to leave at lunchtime and were not returning. He was not surprised, so he chose to go ahead with the surgery without them.

Surgery

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George told the Daily Mail, “I don’t recall exactly what was said but the implication was that he was happy to continue with the process.” He said the robotic operation continued after he told them he was considered that it was going badly.

Tensions

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“I expressed my concern to both surgeons that things were not going well. The report into this incident said later that it was not my place to harass surgeons and that is not the role I took on,” George added. Tensions between the two surgeons, Nair and Pillay, led to shouting between them.

Poor Communication

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Both appeared to be unable to tell what the other was saying and they were also disagreeing over the placing of the stitches in Pettitt’s heart, according to George. He said, “I think the proctors should have stayed for the whole case, their departure is significant.”

Surgery Gone Wrong

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The loss of that vital assistance turned out to be another major blow at a critical time. During the surgery, Pillay was standing a few feet away from Nair facing the patient, while the lead surgeon had his head in a console facing away from him.

Microphone

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While he could hear Nair’s voice through a microphone, his method of making himself heard if he saw something going wrong was to shout. Pillay explained that they weren’t far apart, but “Nair’s voice comes through a microphone and it is tiny, the acoustics were not very good. … There were times when I raised my voice, one was when the sutures were not being placed in an organized fashion and were crisscrossed.”

Stitches

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The stitches then had to be taken out and replaced, which extended the operating time. Pillay said he raised his voice again when a colleague standing over Pettitt had his arms knocked by the robot. He then called for the proctors to return.

Unable To See Clearly

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Pillay thought the proctors had gone to the coffee shop for a break, when in fact they had left the hospital and gone home part of the way through the procedure in February 2015. They were not on hand to help when the father-of-three, Pettitt’s intra-aortic septum was damaged and Nair was no longer able to see clearly when blood covered the robot’s camera.

Death

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The robotic operation was abandoned and open chest surgery began when Pettitt’s heart was functioning very poorly. He died a few days later on March 3, after going into multiple organ failure. After the patient died, Nair called Paul Renforth, a coordinator in the use of robotics at the Freeman Hospital, to say he felt “very sad” and that “the procedure had not gone as planned.”

Major Investigation

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The death of Pettitt sparked a major investigation at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including a probe by police. Professor Naeem Soomro, director of robotic surgery, said the trust had operated with robots 2,500 times, with more than 30 surgeons trained in their use, and it was a national leader in the field, according to the Telegraph.

Inexperienced

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After the death of his patient, Nair said, “At the time I should have gained more experience and my clamp times would have been shorter with time.” During a hearing, George said, “I think communication problems the two surgeons experienced was a core part of the failure of the repair. … If they had been able to place those sutures precisely and correctly then the outcome would have been different.”

Investigation Continues

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Nair agreed when Barry Speker, for the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, read from an official report by a professor that his cross-clamp times in non-robotic operations were slow and moving to robotic procedures was a premature step like “running before you could walk.” The investigation into Pettitt’s death continues.

Miscommunication, Lack Of Experience During Robot-Assisted Surgery Spell Disaster For 69-Year-Old Patient is an article from: LifeDaily

Wrongly-Accused Man Saved By Seemingly Innocuous Selfie

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Christopher Precopia Story

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but in this modern age, this seems like somewhat of a superfluous notion. This might be because of technology. Everyone has a camera on them all the time and we are able to constantly snap and post pictures of just about anything. But does their abundance mean that pictures don’t say nearly as much as they once did?

Some would say, yes. Think about it… what does a picture of your lunch say? What words are conveyed by your sixtieth selfie post to Instagram in the past week? Yet, as widespread and sometimes annoying as selfies can be, one man learned that a simple selfie would ultimately save his life…

Lumberyard

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.dailyentertainmentnews.com

22-year-old Christopher Precopia was working at the lumberyard, hauling and cutting wood, just as he always did. The yard, located in Georgetown, Texas, was the same place that Chris worked every day. The only people that ever came into the yard were those who worked there, except for that day. On that day, the police showed up.

Don’t Act Surprised

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The officer approached the foreman, who pointed out Chris. The police then informed him rather roughly that he was under arrest. When the bewildered 22-year-old asked them what they were arresting him for, they replied with a smarmy “don’t act like you don’t know what we’re talking about.” The thing was, he really didn’t know what they were talking about.

Accusations

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It wasn’t until they hauled him into the police station and into the interrogation chamber that Chris learned the truth. He had been accused of burglary, but that was not all. He allegedly also had the intent to commit other, more serious crimes as well, according to them anyway. He had no idea what they were talking about or why it was happening to him.

Hauled In, Let Out

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After that, the officers hauled Chris off to Williamstown County Jail. He was arraigned and given a bail of $150,000. Knowing that he was innocent, his family posted the $150,000 and he was released. Unfortunately for him, he still didn’t know exactly who he had burglarized or what else they believed he had planned to do.

99 Years

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From there, Chris went home to think about the potentially disastrous fate that awaited him. By this point, he had been officially charged with first-degree felony burglary of a habitation, with intent to commit additional felonies. If he was convicted, the 22-year-old could end up serving up to 99 years in prison.

Charged Regardless

Christopher Precopia Story
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Despite having a pretty solid alibi, the authorities had no problem charging him. As it happened, they’d actually charged him before they’d even taken him to the station. This was particularly odd considering police usually interview suspects before charging them. Nevertheless, the severity of his alleged crimes evidently gave them a reason to ignore protocol.

Learning Later

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His parents, having posted a pretty significant amount for his bond, were now on a mission to prove their son’s innocence. In the course of their own investigation, they learned that Chris’ accuser was someone he had known personally. The accusations came from his ex-girlfriend, someone he hadn’t seen since he graduated high school.

Ex-Accuser

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Yes, Chris’ accuser was a girl he hadn’t seen or spoken to in more than four years. She was one of his ex-girlfriends, a woman he hadn’t dated since high school. And though police hadn’t known it at the time, she had fabricated the whole crime just to get him into trouble. Though he couldn’t have told you why.

Racking his Brain

Christopher Precopia Story
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Chris racked his brain over the next few days, trying to figure out when he’d last spoke to the woman, much less seen her. Regardless of what he and his parents knew, however, the girl’s story was shocking enough that if he couldn’t prove his alibi, the court would most certainly throw the book at him.

Break-In

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Chris’ accuser said that he broke into her home in Temple and began an altercation. The two began to fight, vases were smashed, items were taken, and eventually, she fell to his strength. When she was prone, Chris allegedly pulled out a box cutter and sliced an X into her chest as a memento. The angry, red wound and her own tears had been enough to convince the police.

Staged

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Of course, the whole altercation had merely been staged to look like a violent confrontation. She had broken her own vase, thrown items around her home, and knocked over furniture so it looked like a struggle. As to why she had done this thing, that mystery still remained to be solved. In the meantime, Chris had to clear his name.

Miles Away

Christopher Precopia Story
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Luckily for the harried lumberyard worker, he had been more than 65 miles away from Temple when the alleged attack occurred. He and his mom Erin had been staying at the Austin hotel that night and they’d even taken a picture of the impromptu getaway as well. As long as he had that selfie, his innocence was assured.

Selfie Evidence

Christopher Precopia Story
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Chris’ alibi evidence included a few time-stamped, geolocated photos of his night in Austin. This, along with the sworn affidavits of the people he had been with on that night, was more than enough to exonerate him. Erin Precopia knew where her son was and so did several others, it was a rock-solid alibi.

Fortune Favors

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Eventually, the time came for Rick Flores, Chris’ lawyer, to address the charges. He brought forward a motion to dismiss. “He was very fortunate that she chose a date and time that he just happened to have a rock-solid alibi for,” Flores told the Sun. “He and I have talked many times about how lucky he is, whether you believe in a higher power or good old-fashioned luck.”

Nine Months Later

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In the end, Flores had been right about Chris’ luck. Nine months after the arrest, the police dropped the charges against him. The selfie had been more than enough to secure his alibi. But Bell County prosecutors still had a problem on their hands. Someone had lied to the police and disrupted a young man’s life. So what was her fate in all this?

No Charges for Her

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Firstly, it must be understood that Chris’ accuser’s identity was not immediately made public. This is due to the fact that despite her lies, she is not being charged with any crime. Though she eventually admitted that her rocky relationship with Chris was what caused her to make up such a vindictive lie. The Bell County prosecutors seemed to be at a loss when it came to taking action against her.

Admission

Christopher Precopia Story
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After Flores presented the evidence and the charges were dropped, the district attorney admitted their mistake … sort of. Rather, they admitted how difficult situations like this are to properly prosecute. “We are always willing to listen and examine new information, and that’s exactly what we did in this case,” explained Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza.

No Black or White

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Garza went on to discuss how most of the time, the courts deal in grey matters. Nothing is ever truly black or white, but they had to err on the side of caution if Chris Precopia was truly a dangerous criminal out on the loose. It was prudent thinking. It was just handled poorly by everyone involved.

Not the Same

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Regardless of their “good intentions,” Chris’ suffering at the hands of the courts has had something of a negative effect on his personality. Even his mother admits that his change in demeanor has broken her heart. Chris is just not the same young man he was a year and a half ago.

Ignoring the Liars

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Nevertheless, Chris Precopia is ready to move on with his life. “I’m ready to actually live my life, the way I want to, without having any kind of worry that this can come back and hurt me,” he told KVUE. Here’s hoping both he and the ex-girlfriend stay well clear of one another in the future.

Wrongly-Accused Man Saved By Seemingly Innocuous Selfie is an article from: LifeDaily

Boy With Cancer Is Granted The Wish Of A Lifetime By An Entire City

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Miles Scott Batkid Story

The impact of inspiration in our lives is sometimes difficult to put into words. When we are inspired, it lights a fire within us that drives us closer to our dreams, it can be developed from anything that reignites our hope and faith in humanity, and it encourages us to unite for the greater good.

In 2013, the entire city of San Francisco came together in an inspirational tale of magnificent proportion. And from their efforts, a little boy’s life would change forever…

Full Of Life

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Miles was just like any other vibrant toddler, full of life and curiosities about the world around him. Spending his days on his family’s farm in Tulelake, California, Miles loved exploring the animals and rural environment around him. But, there was one thing he loved more than his adventures on the farm, and it was his love for the superhero, Batman.

Favorite Superhero

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Miles and his dad shared a nightly routine of sitting in the couch and watching an episode of Adam West’s Batman series. Between Batman themed pajamas, slippers, bedding, and much more, the caped superhero had officially taken over their home. And when everything in life was going wonderfully, shy of Miles’ second birthday, his parents noticed a drastic change in their little boy.

The Shocking News

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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In the blink of an eye, the lives of Miles and his family had gone from completely happy and normal to complete devastation. One doctor’s appointment had changed the entire course of their lives. Miles went from being a healthy, active boy to feeling lethargic and unwell.

The Diagnosis

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After running tests and blood-work, doctors had made a heart wrenching discovery. Miles had leukemia, the most common type of cancer in children and teens. The unexpected diagnosis of their little boy was utterly devastating.

Harsh Treatment

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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After months of chemotherapy and radiation, little Miles had become increasingly weak and agonized. At such a young age, it had become difficult trying to explain to little Miles why he had to suffer. And when Miles’ pain and tears would heighten, his parents, Nick and Natalie, knew what to do to cheer him up.

A Wish

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Watching Batman would light up his face, and bring out a smile every time. After years of battling the crippling disease, Miles had just turned five, and although he had grown, his love for Batman remained. Close to the end of his treatment and in remission, Nick and Natalie asked their little boy what he had wished for, and without any hesitation, he wanted to be his hero, Batman.

Five Year Mark

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Reaching the five year mark in remission is a significant milestone for patients given it can mean a positive future prognosis. His wish also marked the end of extremely painful and invasive treatments. His mom, Natalie, said at the time, “This wish has meant closure for our family and an end to over three years of putting toxic drugs in our son’s body.”

Make A Wish Foundation

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  www.wish.org

So, Nick and Natalie reached out to the Make A Wish Foundation and asked if they could come up with a plan together to make Miles into a real life superhero, Batman of course. To their excitement, Make A Wish not only responded with a yes, but their magnificent idea would make history.

Volunteers Needed

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Patricia Wilson, head of the foundation in the Bay Area, wanted him to spend a day saving San Francisco. Patricia began putting the call out to volunteers to help turn San Francisco into Gotham City for a day for Miles. What happened next was both amazing and wonderfully surprising.

Outpour Of Help

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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The foundation was flooded with offers of help, so many that Patricia found herself having to turn volunteers away. They originally thought they would have no more than 200 people come forward, but boy were they wrong. A local man offered his Lamborghini to become the famous Batmobile. Another local woman offered to be the “damsel in distress.”

City United

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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The police gladly cooperated, so did countless local merchants, and so did the local paper. Word of the foundation’s efforts spread quickly on social media, and soon what began as a small effort to make a 5-year-old boy a hero for the day turned into a citywide extravaganza, with support and volunteers coming in from all over.

Gotham City

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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With the help of the late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments, the San Francisco Giants and countless others, San Francisco turned into Gotham City to help provide one brave boy the chance to forget his illness for a day. The San Francisco Chronicle produced a special edition of the newspaper the day of his wish, and even astronauts on the International Space Station were watching and sending messages of encouragement.

Social Media Frenzy

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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More than 25,000 people crowded the city’s streets to take part in Miles’ Make A Wish dream to be his favorite superhero for a day. An estimated two billion people followed his heroics on social media, including President Obama. The little caped-crusader’s wish resonated with so many people that the hashtags #SfBatKid and #BatKid went viral.

Might Be Overwhelmed

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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As events took on a life of their own, Miles’ parents feared he’d be too shy and wouldn’t know what to do about all the craziness swirling around him. Enter Eric Johnston, who assumed the identity of Batman, and spent time with Miles to put him at ease. The Batman to Miles’ Batkid was a world famous video game programmer who helped create some of the games you know and, in some cases, deeply love and fondly remember.

A Real Life Superhero

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Miles had turned into a real life superhero, as Batkid. San Francisco was beset by a wave of crime on Friday, as a woman was taken hostage and tied to cable car tracks, a criminal calling himself the Riddler attempted to rob a bank vault, and a miscreant known as Penguin generally made a nuisance of himself in the downtown area.

The Batmobile

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Miles’s day began with a fraught message from police chief Greg Suhr, alerting “Batkid” to the various criminal activities and pleading with him to help the city fight off the criminals. Miles was about to lose to the criminals, but Batman came to his rescue in the infamous Batmobile.

Keys To The City

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

As thousand watched from the sidelines, Batkid and Batman zipped from location to location, saving a damsel in distress, stopping the Riddler and capturing the Penguin at AT&T Park. At the end of the day, Batkid was able to save his beloved city from the villains and received the keys to the city from grateful San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

The Movie

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Now the legendary pint-sized superhero is hitting the big screen in Batkid Begins. This time, Batkid’s fans are getting the whole story. “That event rocked my world,” says Batkid Begins director Dana Nachman. “People saw bits and pieces of this day and fell in love with Miles and the people who made it happen. My goal is to take you behind-the-scenes and see how and why it happened.”

An Inspiration

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

It doesn’t end there. Julia Roberts plans to produce and star in a movie based on Batkid Begins, keeping the feel-good memory alive. Millions of others around the world have also been inspired by the heart felt story of Miles. Miles’ life has become an inspiration for thousands across the globe to play a more active role in helping children in similar situations.

Where is Miles Now?

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Many people ask if Miles is still cancer free and the answer is a resounding yes! Since his crime fighting day five years ago, Miles has returned to being a typical kid, playing little league, going to school, helping his family farm, and even selling his first market goat in the local fair. Now, 10 years old and in fifth grade, Miles loves science and robotics.

Boy With Cancer Is Granted The Wish Of A Lifetime By An Entire City is an article from: LifeDaily

Man Furious After Fiancée Goes Into Coma Following Plastic Surgery In Mexico

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Laura Avila Story

It’s fairly common for Americans seeking discounted plastic surgery to travel outside the US. By traveling abroad, patients can save up to 80 percent for plastic surgery, depending on the procedure and country.

While many Americans would never consider going overseas for a knee replacement, they don’t hesitate as much with cosmetic surgery. The drawbacks, however, can be dangerous. Take a look at what happened to the woman in the following story…

Mexico

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

When 36-year-old Laura Avila, of Dallas, Texas, decided she wanted a nose job, she hopped on a plane to Mexico for the procedure. The procedure’s cost in Mexico is around a third of what it would cost in the US.

Rhinoplasty

Laura Avila Story
  Google Maps

She booked an appointment for the rhinoplasty procedure on October 30, 2018, at the Rino Center in Juarez, Mexico. Avila’s supportive fiance, Enrique Cruz, traveled with her to be by her side for the big operation.

Surgery Center

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

From the moment they arrived at the surgery center, the nightmare began even before the procedure. Avila was administered anesthesia via her spine and the anesthesia traveled to her brain, instead of downward throughout her body, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Coma

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

Within moments, Avila went into cardiac arrest and hospital officials were forced to place her into a medically induced coma to prevent further brain damage. While this was happening, her fiance was not informed about the severity of the situation.

Operating Room

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

Cruz told WFAA, “I was kind of getting upset and worried because they would not let me see her or anything.” For eight hours, she laid in a room and Cruz was only told that her blood pressure had dropped and they couldn’t perform the operation.

Anesthesia

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

“They injected anesthesia in her spine at the clinic and instead of flowing down her body, it went into her brain which caused severe swelling,” said Avila’s sister Angie. Eventually, a doctor from the Juarez hospital was called to the clinic and Cruz said he wanted Avila moved to the hospital immediately.

Cardiac Arrest

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

“That’s when they told us, ‘oh, by the way, she had a cardiac arrest,’” said Cruz. Avila then spent four days in a Mexican hospital as her family fought to move her to a hospital in the US. Hospital officials in Mexico refused to sign her transfers papers until the family paid the bill.

Hospital

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

“The hospital basically held us hostage because we wouldn’t pay the full amount,” said the sister. They were finally able to get her taken by ambulance to a hospital in El Paso, but they didn’t have the critical medical records they needed.

Brain Damage

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

Hours later, doctors shared the grim news with the family. “They say she suffered severe brain damage so much that she will never be our Laura again,” said Angie. The family was then given the choice to take her off life support or put feeding and breathing tubes in to keep her alive.

Prayer

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

“They told us she could never be able to walk or eat for herself again or speak,” said Angie. The family continued to pray for a miracle and Cruz said, “really we want a second opinion.” They desperately wanted to transfer Avila to another hospital but the family said that three major hospitals in Dallas have turned them away.

GoFundMe

Laura Avila Story
  www.gofundme.com/laura-loves-outloud

Even though she is a Dallas resident, they refuse to take her because she has no insurance. Angie Avila set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her sister’s medical expenses. “It is with a heavy heart that I request your prayers and assistance in this great time of need. My sister Laura Avila has endured a tragedy that has been very heavy on our family,” Angie wrote.

A Woman Who Exudes Life

Laura Avila Story
  Laura Avila / Facebook

“If you know or have met Laura, you know she gives us all life. Laura exudes love, life, laughter, joy, selflessness, enlightenment, passion, friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, wisdom, and so much more,” she added. “Without Laura, I would not be where I am today. She is my sister, a second mom to me, my best friend, and my #1 fan.” Thanks to the GoFundMe, Angie was able to raise $81,710 on behalf of her sister.

Second Opinion

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

Unfortunately, despite the generous donations, Avila’s health was rapidly declining. Desperate for a second opinion on her condition, the family wanted Avila transferred to the Parkland Medical hospital in Dallas. But, they have “denied her a second time, despite the fact that it is a public hospital and she is a Dallas resident who pays taxes.”

Tragic Death

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

After they moved Avila across a border to a hospital in El Paso, Texas, Angie informed family and friends that her sister had passed away. “My heart aches, and I truly don’t know how or if I’ll ever overcome this pain,” Angie wrote. “I’m kind of numb right now with everything that is going on and trying to be strong for the family,” Cruz said.

Justice For Laura

Laura Avila Story
  Laura Avila / Facebook

“This morning my tiny dancer passed to the other side. I knew it was coming but it still hit me unexpectedly … My next mission is justice for Laura. After paying all the hospital bills and giving some financial support to her family, I will tenaciously be pursuing the lawsuit against the criminals that killed her,” Cruz added.  

Memorial Service In Tulum, Mexico

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

Cruz told a CBS affiliate that he and Avila’s family have “already hired some attorneys. … We’re after the negligence and now murder.” Cruz also planned memorial service in Tulum, Mexico, where the couple was supposed to wed and he will also spread her ashes there. “The ocean of Tulum [is] where we first fell in love … She loved to sing. She loved to dance.”

Cross-Border Discount Surgery

Laura Avila Story
  AGCuesta / shutterstock.com

The family’s attorney, Larry Friedman, urged others to think about Avila before traveling to Mexico to save money on medical procedures. “So that her death is not in vain, people should think of Laura before they look for cross-border discount surgery,” Friedman told WFAA.

Investigation

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

“They should do their homework and investigate the experience, training and track record of anyone BEFORE they sign up. Always LOOK before you leap!” Since her death, CBS News reported that their news correspondent Anna Werner spoke to a prosecutor in Mexico who is now handling an investigation into the Rino Center where Laura was treated.

Raid

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

No formal charges have been filed as of yet, but the clinic has been raided. Since the clinic did not provide Avila’s medical records to the Mexican government, Angie alleged on Facebook that “as a result, they were raided … The documents are under review.”

Large Public Health Issue

Laura Avila Story
  Castleski / shutterstock.com

Dr. Dennis Orgill, the medical director of Brigham and Women’s Hospital Wound Care Center in Boston, told The Chicago Tribune that people are motivated to leave the country for medical procedures because the cost is significantly cheaper. Still, he said, “Some surgeons in these countries are excellent, but sometimes it is hard for patients to tell the difference by looking on the Internet.”

Man Furious After Fiancée Goes Into Coma Following Plastic Surgery In Mexico is an article from: LifeDaily

Mother And Baby Cling To Life During ‘Code Blue’ Delivery

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Tracy Hermanstorfer Story

When Dr. Stephanie Martin heard the urgent “Code Blue” message over the hospital intercom, she rushed to the aid of 34-year-old Tracy Hermanstorfer, who was in labor, but not in a good way. Martin knew that a Code Blue message meant it was something serious, and it just happened to be Christmas Eve.

It was lunchtime when the Code Blue came through. Dr. Martin rushed to the room of Hermanstorfer at the Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs where she was on shift. She was lucky to have arrived just in the nick of time, but quickly realized it may have been too late…

Lunchtime

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Most of the hospital staff were winding down as it was Christmas time, with a skeleton crew of staff on hand for emergencies. It was lunchtime on Christmas Eve when Martin was conferring with a patient in her office when suddenly the Code Blue came through on the intercom.

Ballroom Dancer

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  CBS / YouTube

At the age of 42, Martin looks more like a ballerina in scrubs than the head of high-risk obstetrics at the hospital. In her spare time, Martin is a competitive ballroom dancer, and her physique and energy levels make her an ace doctor to boot. When the Code Blue came in, Martin arrived at the emergency within two minutes.

Code Blue

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

A Code Blue is an emergency announced in a hospital or medical facility whereby a patient in cardiopulmonary arrest requires the immediate assistance of a team of providers, often called a “Code Team,” who rush to the specific location of the patient to begin immediate resuscitative efforts. When Martin heard the person needing the help was in labor, she feared for the worst.

East Tower

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

The patient in danger, Hermanstorfer, was located in a room in the East Tower of the hospital. When the call over the intercom came: “Code blue, East Tower, labor and delivery rooms,” Martin ran down the hall to the room. “I can’t lose anyone on Christmas Eve,” she said to herself. But the situation was desperate, and both mother and baby were in dire straits.

Good Health

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  Tracy Hermanstorfer / Facebook

When Hermanstorfer arrived at her hospital with her husband Mike, a long-haul truck driver, earlier in the day she was in good health and expecting a normal delivery for her baby. She had given birth twice before and knew more or less what to expect once at the hospital. The mother-to-be and Mike were excited to be having a Christmas baby and knowing he was a boy they had already decided on a name.

Contractions Begin

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

When Hermanstorfer began to realize she was having contractions, she made her way to the hospital, arriving at around 12:30 in the afternoon. After a few hours of contractions, the pregnant woman was growing tired and decided to accept an epidural injection to ease the pain of labor and delivery. The baby’s heart rate was slow, but no major issues were noted at the time.

Long Day

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  CBS / YouTube

Mike was playing the role of the perfect husband on that day as he attended to his wife’s every need and doted on her. Mike knew his wife was facing a long day ahead and wanted to offer her some words of comfort. “Rest, close your eyes,” Mike told her. “It looks like you’re going to have a long day.” But nobody could have predicted what happened next.

Previous Experience

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  CBS / YouTube

As she raced to the Code Blue emergency, Martin recalled the Fourth of July 1997, which was the first time she worked as a physician on a maternity ward. On that day, Martin encountered a normal birth involving a 21-year-old woman, but things went wrong on that occasion. Amniotic fluid had escaped the placenta and entered the mother’s bloodstream, causing an allergic reaction. Both the mother and the baby died during that incident, and it left a deep and lasting impression on Martin.

Emotional Tailspin

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Being that she was new at the job despite all her years of training, the incident sent Martin into an emotional tailspin. She found herself depressed and bedridden for days at a time, and no one could talk her out of her mood. It took Martin weeks to recover from that, and she said to herself, “I can’t give up. I have to find a solution,” according to a Gazette report.

Expert Skills

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Having worked with maternal cardiac arrests for twelve years since the fateful July fourth incident, Martin became an expert in her field and just the person one would want around in such a situation. When Hermanstorfer closed her eyes and began to doze off, her husband felt that her hands were unusually cold and noticed her lips were turning blue. “What’s going on?” he asked a nurse in the room.

Saving Life

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

The nurse realized something was very wrong, and that’s when she pulled the Code Blue cord in the room. Mike was ushered into a corridor where two chaplains were waiting for him. He rushed back into the room where his wife was, noticing she wasn’t breathing and was in cardiac arrest. Mike prayed, hoping that his wife and son weren’t dead.

Many Causes

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Hermanstorfer’s condition could have been caused by any number of factors. It could have been an amniotic embolism, an allergic reaction to the epidural. For that matter, it could have been down to a spontaneous irregular heartbeat, or the placenta separating from the uterus. In such situations protocol calls for the baby to be delivered before the mother is resuscitated.

Improving Chances

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  CBS / YouTube

Through her years of experience, Martin knew that if there was any chance of saving the distressed mother, the fetus and placenta needed to be removed as soon as possible in order to take the strain off the mother’s heart. As two teams worked to save the patients – one team working on Hermanstorfer and the other standing ready to revive the baby – the atmosphere in the room was tangible.

Fading Heartbeat

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

When Martin noticed from the monitor that the baby’s heartbeat was fading fast, she instructed medical staff to intubate the mother, forcing air into her lungs with a manual pump so that the baby could get enough oxygen. Martin then planned to perform a C-section then and there and without hesitation.

C-Section Time

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Martin had done them numerous times before, but when she poured a bottle of surgical soap over Tracy’s abdomen and made the first six-inch horizontal incision, she noted there was no blood as Tracy’s heart had stopped beating. The second cut was also horizontal and opened the uterus as intended. Martin pulled the baby from the amniotic fluid, lifted out the limp body and cut the umbilical cord.

Vital Functions

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Martin immediately noticed that the baby’s vital functions were depressed. The boy was pale and not moving, so the doctor handed him to the neonatologist, who took the baby to the warming table. The baby’s nose and mouth were suctioned, and artificial respiration was applied. The baby had been delivered inside just five minutes, but things weren’t looking good.

Tiny Heartbeat

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Martin was almost sure that the mother wouldn’t make it but was nicely surprised when she placed her finger on Hermanstorfer’s aorta and felt a tiny heartbeat. “Let’s get her to the operating room. Now!” she shouted. As Hermanstorfer was rushed on a gurney to the OR, she passed by her husband, Mike. Martin instructed him to “give her a kiss,” knowing it may be the last one he ever gave her.

Breathing Machine

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  shutterstock.com

Tracy Hermanstorfer was still very much alive, and her heartbeat was improving nicely. She was put on an automatic breathing machine to assist her as Martin removed the placenta and stitched the patient up. Hermanstorfer had survived and was taken to the ICU to recovery. Suddenly she awoke exclaiming, “My baby’s name is Coltyn.” Then Mike was summoned into a room by a nurse.

Feeling Proud

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  CBS / YouTube

As soon as Mike had entered the room his baby son was thrust into his arms by the nurse. The baby seemed lifeless to Mike, but he was simply exhausted from the ordeal he had just been through. “He came alive in my arms,” Mike said. He was then taken to the ICU with the baby to be reunited with his wife.

Appreciating Life

Tracy Hermanstorfer Story
  CBS / YouTube

Having made a full recovery, Tracy Hermanstorfer loves her son and is thrilled that he was saved. She told reporters that the near-death experience had taught her a lesson in appreciating life to the full and enjoying her three children. To Mike’s mind, the whole thing was a miracle, especially as doctors still have no idea what caused the emergency medical situation in the first place.

Mother And Baby Cling To Life During ‘Code Blue’ Delivery is an article from: LifeDaily

Scammers Target Pensioner Who’s Lived In Custom Home For 30 Years

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Standing at just 4 feet, 10 inches tall, Barbara Barkley designed her Chesapeake, Virginia, home with just herself in mind. She arranged for all the counters and handles to be lowered for convenience, despite being told it could affect the resale value of her property.

“I planned to live there until I died,” said the 68 year old. And until recently, everything was going according to that plan…

Mortgage Modifications

  facebook.com

The scam all began under the Obama administration when a program was set up to stem the fallout from the housing crisis at the time. A man called Sammy Araya from Santa Ana, along with a group of friends, started sending out mailers and internet adverts claiming to be able to help with “mortgage modifications.” The program itself was real, but Araya’s ads were not.

Trial Payments

  shutterstock.com

The scam involved trying to get homeowners to send cash “reinstatement” fees and then “trial payments” on a monthly basis for new mortgages under preferential terms. They were told that their money would go to the lender but instead, they pocketed it. The group of scammers extracted in the order of $11 million in total from their unwitting victims; most of whom were elderly and already drawing a pension.

Lost Everything

  Family Photo

While the ringleader of the gang already faced a federal court in Alexandria, Barkley and thousands of other victims have suffered life-changing losses. “I literally lost everything because of these people, and it’s breaking my heart,” said Barkley, according to a Los Angeles Times report. “I paid for it all myself, didn’t have a man to pay for it for me, and then some stranger gets to destroy it.”

Ignoring Calls

  shutterstock.com

Barkley recalls how she frantically tried to get Araya on the phone when she realized something was going on with her payments. The poor woman only found out she was in trouble when a man on a motorbike came to paste a notice from her mortgage lender on her door to warn her of foreclosure. The company claimed they had forwarded her monthly checks as promised but that was a complete lie.

Sending Proof

  shutterstock.com

Barkley was desperate to prove to her lender that she had made payments via the company and hadn’t even missed one. “I sent them the proof, and they said, ‘That’s not us,'” she recalled. “I called the [Federal Trade Commission], and they said, ‘Honey, you’ve been scammed.'” Those four words from the Commission sent Barkley into a downward spiral, and she was unsure how to get out of it.

No Recourse

  shutterstock.com

Representatives from government agencies informed Barkley that she had no meaningful recourse and that her lender would no longer work with her. That custom-fit home she had plunged her life savings into was gone, and she had no way of getting it back. The group specially targeted vulnerable people and Barkley simply got caught up in the web of deceit without her knowledge.

Staggering Scam

  www.law.virginia.edu

When it came time for the trial, Assistant US Attorney Ryan Faulconer said to the court about Araya: “He was targeting people who were first off incredibly vulnerable, and second, incredibly trusting,” adding that the number of victims “wouldn’t fit in this courtroom or probably all of the courtrooms in this building … it’s staggering.” People from across America were targeted and defrauded out of millions of dollars.

Many Victims

  shutterstock.com

As well as Barkley, many other people lost their homes and life savings, and ended up in terrible situations they couldn’t get out of. One couple who were scammed ended up getting divorced from the stress of losing their home. Another victim was made homeless and had to put her daughter in a pediatric psychiatric unit to deal with what she had just been through.

Reducing Payments

  shutterstock.com

Another victim of the scam, Aaron Davis, was looking at the time to reduce repayments on his Woodbridge home. He was already behind on the mortgage, and his basement had been flooded, so he needed cash. At the age of 64, Davis had no choice but to invest all his money into the repairs. His house was unceremoniously repossessed with his belongings inside.

Needing Money

  shutterstock.com

Davis and his ex-wife were shocked that they lost their home. The fact that they jointly care for their 28-year-old daughter who has brain cancer made their circumstance even worse. “I could’ve used that money,” Davis said. He noted that if he ever got paid back, “I’ll probably be senile. I’ll think I won the lottery.” Meanwhile, the scammers were living the high life on the money they had stolen.

Fast Lane

  youtube.com

For his part, Araya was living life in the fast lane according to testimony. He frequented strip clubs and threw massive parties at his leased mansion in Orange County. He even took to YouTube to launch an online reality show he called “MakeItRain TV.” In one video, Araya is seen showing off stacks of cash in his refrigerator as well as a fleet of luxury cars and an extensive sneaker collection.`

Make it Rain

  youtube.com

The whole premise of the TV show involved throwing handfuls of cash into crowds of people. In one episode, Araya performs a parody of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” called “Fly Day.” The series never took off in any real way, but it was used as evidence against Araya and his cohorts when they faced trial for their crimes.

Offering Incentives

  shutterstock.com

Araya set the scam up properly and even incentivized his colleagues with fancy dinners and Los Angeles Lakers tickets when they successfully scammed large amounts of money from people. He told them all to use aliases regularly and to change their accents when necessary. Araya himself is a master of accents and went by numerous different names.

Moving In

  shutterstock.com

As soon as Araya sensed that law enforcement was closing in on him and his team he moved offices and even changed his business name. His team destroyed hard drives and computers, and it was reported that Araya used a federal complaint paper he had received to roll a joint. Now it was time for search warrants to be executed.

Winding Down

  shutterstock.com

At one point after searches had been carried out, the operation ground to a halt. Araya wasn’t even arrested at that time and went on to start spearheading a fresh scam, involving taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Texas businessmen toting a fake oil investment opportunity. Before long though, Araya was arrested and that scam never took off.

Pleading Guilty

  shutterstock.com

When it came to trial, Araya and nine co-conspirators pleaded guilty to the mortgage scam they had been involved in. Prosecutors wanted Araya to serve a life sentence for his crimes, but on the day his trial was supposed to start, Araya set up a GoFundMe page asking for money to start a church. The slogan he chose was apt though as it read, “Give ’til it hurts.”

Most Vulnerable

  shutterstock.com

Pensioners and those over 65 are considered to be the fastest growing demographic in the United States, as well as the most vulnerable to financial schemes. While the scammers present themselves as financial advisors, their scams often have devastating and life-changing effects on their victims. Many of these people suffer from health issues like dementia, making scamming them all the easier.

Elder Abuse

  shutterstock.com

In the United States, a staggering $6.2 billion is lost every year due to what’s called “elder abuse.” While more than 90 percent of these incidents occur within the victim’s home, the most common scams for the elderly are done on the phone or by mail. But the scams aren’t limited to mortgage fraud and often include claims of winning foreign lotteries or sweepstakes.

Staying Safe

  shutterstock.com

The main way these scammer work, as in the case of Barbara Barkley, is to establish trust with the victim, usually during a phone call. The best way to protect oneself is to never reveal your bank account details to anyone. For that matter, it’s important not to let strangers into the home or to allow them to gather any information on you or your assets.

Jail Time

  shutterstock.com

While Araya and his team thought they would get away with their crimes scot-free, nothing could be further from the truth. The prosecutor’s target of a life sentence for Araya wasn’t realistic, and he ended up being sentenced by a federal court in Alexandria to 20 years in prison. His colleagues received prison sentences too, ranging from five to 18 years.

Scammers Target Pensioner Who’s Lived In Custom Home For 30 Years is an article from: LifeDaily

Doctors Fight To Save Newlywed Who Caught Rare Sickness On Honeymoon

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Adam Spoerri Story

When a couple gets married, they vow to love and cherish each other in both sickness and health from the moment they say ‘I do.’

Unfortunately, a couple from Wisconsin ended up having to put that vow to the test much sooner than they ever expected they would need to. During their dream honeymoon just days after getting married, the 30-year-old groom caught a cold, which has left him fighting for his life.

The Dream Wedding

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

On July 21, 2018, Adam and Bridget Spoerri got married surrounded by all of their friends and family members. The ceremony was hosted at the South Shore Pavilion at a park on the edge of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the couple both live and work.

Starting Their Life Together

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

For the couple, their wedding day was everything they had dreamed of. They managed to celebrate the love they shared for each other and made vows to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. A few days later, the couple set off on their honeymoon.

The Honeymoon

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

“Adam is probably the nicest person I have ever met. He makes me a better person,” Bridget, an English teacher, told Fox 6. For their honeymoon, Adam and Bridget had planned to go on a road trip together to Lake Superior. However, while at a bed and breakfast in Minnesota, Bridget ended up catching a cold.

Coming Down With A Cold

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

Not long after, Adam caught the same cold and started experiencing flu-like symptoms. Bridget’s cold started to go away on its own. But 30-year-old Adam wasn’t so lucky. His symptoms were more extreme and continued to get worse as the days passed.

A Worried Wife

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

Thinking Adam had a bad case of the flu, Bridget asked him if they should go to the hospital. “Adam first had symptoms of kind of a general chest infection, cold, cough,” Bridget said. Adam, a home renovator, didn’t want to spend their honeymoon at the hospital so told his concerned wife that he’d be fine.

The Symptoms Get Worse

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

He figured he just needed to rest and that he’d start getting better. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened as the days passed. On August 5, just two weeks after their dream wedding, Bridget insisted on taking her new husband to the hospital.

Time To Go To The Hospital

Adam Spoerri Story
  Elmer B. Domingo / Wikipedia

He was incredibly weak and showed no signs of improvement. That day, Bridget took Adam to the emergency room at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. While at the hospital, Adam was so weak he could barely hold his head up as his neck wobbled.

A Mystery Illness

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

He could barely even swallow the pills doctors were trying to give him even when they crushed them up. In order to break, Adam had to brace himself with his arms. Doctors weren’t sure what was causing the strange symptoms, but it was clear he was going to need more intense care.

The Paralysis Begins

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

As a result, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at the hospital. Within a couple of days at the hospital, Adam lost control of his muscles in his left arm, right shoulder, right arm, and neck. Then the muscles in the 30-year-old’s face started drooping.

Puzzling Symptoms

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

He could no longer swallow at all and he was seriously struggling to breathe on his own. “His head became very weak. He could not swallow and then his breathing was very labored,” Bridget said. The symptoms puzzled the doctors, who became frustrated since they couldn’t figure out what was causing Adam’s illness.

Searching For Answers

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

Because he was gradually becoming paralyzed, doctors wondered if he had polio. Yet tests for the virus came back negative. Meanwhile, doctors intubated Adam and put him on a ventilator to keep him alive while they continued running tests.

A Terrifying Experience

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

“It was awful. He was scraping the cardboard because he couldn’t breathe,” Bridget told the Journal Sentinel about those horrifying moments Adam was fighting to stay alive. “I thought he was dying every day those first two weeks. I had no hope.”

Stuck In The ICU

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

Adam and Bridget should have been living in newly married bliss in their new home, which Adam had planned on completely renovating himself before he got sick. Instead, Adam was stuck in the intensive care unit. Bridget refused to leave his side the entire time.

Four Weeks Later

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

She spent her nights trying to sleep in a reclining chair next to Adam’s hospital bed. Then in September, after about four weeks in the hospital and almost 100 different tests, doctors finally figured out what was wrong with Adam. Unfortunately, the prognosis wasn’t good.

The Diagnosis

Adam Spoerri Story
  shutterstock.com

According to Adam’s team of doctors, he was suffering from Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), a serious disease that affects the spinal cord and the pathway that carries messages to and from the brain. The disease is incredibly rare and is more often seen in children than adults.

Not A Subtle Disease

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.chw.org

“AFM is not subtle,” Rodney Willoughby, program director for antibiotic stewardship at Children’s Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin, told the Journal Sentinel. According to Willoughby, the symptoms include “sudden weakness in an arm, or a leg, or the face – it doesn’t hurt, but is paralyzed – trouble with saliva, or swallowing, sometimes trouble breathing normally or deeply.” He also explained that AFM usually presents itself as a cold at first.

The Prognosis

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

Unfortunately, there is no cure for AFM and Adam’s case is particularly complicated because he has asthma and Crohn’s disease. Some patients with AFM have been able to regain movement with physical therapy and some have even fully recovered, so Bridget and their family have remained hopeful in the more than three months since Adam fell ill.  

Signs Of Improvement

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

During that time, Adam has had terrifying experiences where he believed he was going to die from not being able to breathe. However, he has shown promising signs of improvement. At one point, he was almost entirely paralyzed. Now, he is starting to walk again and is regaining strength in his torso, back, shoulders, and arms. His doctors are even starting to slowly wean him off the ventilator hoping he will eventually be able to breathe entirely on his own.

An Unbreakable Bond

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.fox6now.com

Adam still has a long road ahead of him, but amazingly, the experience has brought him and Bridget closer than they ever imagined. “I don’t know how he is so calm through all of this, but sometimes he’s had to calm me down,” said Bridget. “Adam and his wife have shown such strength through this entire illness,” Dr. Taylor Finseth, Adam’s neurologist at Aurora St Luke’s told the Journal Sentinel. “They really amaze me. The love that his wife shows for him is incredible.”

Determined To Recover

Adam Spoerri Story
  www.gofundme.com/AdamSpoerri

In the wake of Adam’s illness, the couples’ friends and family have supported them by starting a GoFundMe account and even offered to begin renovating their home. According to Bridget, Adam is still determined to renovate the home, which they only got to spend one day in together. “I’ll do one tile a day if I have to,” he said.

Doctors Fight To Save Newlywed Who Caught Rare Sickness On Honeymoon is an article from: LifeDaily


Man Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis Regains Hope After Watching Stem-Cell Documentary

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Roy Palmer Story

Many people who suffer from multiple sclerosis would classify it as an invisible illness. Some have few (if any) visible signs of the disease, while others show obvious symptoms like being unable to walk on their own.

The man in the following story suffered more serious symptoms of MS and he gave up the idea of ever being able to walk again. That was until a documentary changed his entire life…

No Control Of His Legs

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.com

For a decade, Roy Palmer had no control of his legs. The 49-year-old from Gloucester, England, had multiple sclerosis (MS), which results in the body’s immune system eating away at the protective covering of the nerves.

Collapsing Out Of Bed

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

Palmer first noticed something was wrong when he developed a fizzing sensation in his legs, which gradually got worse. One day when he was getting out of bed, the he collapsed as his legs were unable to support him.

Getting A Wheelchair

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

This eventually caused Palmer to get a wheelchair and his wife, Helen took on the role of caretaker. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is an unpredictable, disabling disease of the central nervous system.

Genetic Predisposition

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

MS disrupts communication between the brain and the body, and caused Palmer to have no feeling in his legs, forcing him to use a wheelchair. While its cause is still unknown, scientists believe the disease is triggered by an as-yet-unidentified environmental factor in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond.

Life-Changing Documentary

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed. Palmer suffered for 10 years before watching a BBC documentary with his wife in 2016.

BBC’s Panorama

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.co.uk

In the documentary called Panorama, the couple saw how two MS sufferers’ lives were transformed after having hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). They watched as the patients were wheeled into the hospital, only to be walking when they got out.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

“We sat on the sofa and we both cried, and we thought well if they can do it,” Helen told BBC. After being moved to tears by the program, Palmer asked his general practitioner if he was able to try to the treatment.

Inquiring About HSCT

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

Palmer learned that HSCT attempts to “reboot” the immune system, which is responsible for damaging the brain and spinal cord in MS. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in HSCT for MS, blood cell-producing stem cells, which are derived from a person’s own bone marrow or blood, are collected and stored, and the rest of the individual’s immune cells are depleted by chemotherapy.

The Process

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

The stored stem cells are reintroduced into the body, then migrate with the bone marrow and over time produce new white blood cells. Eventually, they repopulate the body with immune cells. HSCT basically involves taking stem cells from a patient, who then undergoes chemotherapy.

The Goal Of HSCT

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

The chemo is given with the aim of destroying the immune system, before the stem cells are reintroduced to build a new, healthy immune system. The goal of HSCT is to reset the immune system and stop the inflammation that contributes to active relapsing MS.

Experimental Therapy

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

The entire process takes anywhere from three to six months and although HSCT has been shown to be effective at treating certain cancers and MS, it is still considered an experimental therapy. It has also been linked to severe kidney, liver, and lung complications.

Risks

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

While there are a number of known risks and toxicities associated with HSCT, the most serious is the risk of death. The main risk comes from the chemotherapy regimen used to reduce or deplete the immune system. This makes the patient vulnerable to many infections. But despite its risks, Palmer wanted to try to the treatment.

Effectiveness

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.com

He discovered that he was the perfect candidate for HSCT since he had highly inflammatory relapsing-remitting MS and has had it for ten years. Still, the effectiveness of the treatment would vary according to Palmer’s individual characteristics and the intensity of his treatment.

Beginning The Treatment

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.com

“If [the patients on the documentary] can have that done, on a trial, why can’t I have it done?” Palmer said. So, in 2017, Palmer started the grueling treatment. “Let’s hope it works,” Palmer said in a home video taken just before the treatment.

A Success

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.com

Thankfully, for Palmer, the treatment worked. After HSCT, he regained feeling in his left leg within two days. “I haven’t felt that in 10 years,” Palmer told BBC. “It’s a miracle.” He eventually regained feeling in both of his legs and began to walk.

Given A Second Chance

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.com

He said that the support from the nurses was “absolutely fantastic” and attributed to his recovery. “I’ve been given a second chance at life,” Palmer said. Since recovering from the surgery, Palmer started volunteering at his local police station.

Trip To Turkey

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

Thanks to his life changing surgery, Palmer has enjoyed his first stroll on the beach during a holiday trip to Turkey. “Little things like that, people don’t realize what it means to me,” he told BBC. Besides traveling, he’s enjoying the little things in life that most people take for granted, like dancing.

Dancing

Roy Palmer Story
  www.cbsnews.com

Videos of Palmer participating in the “Kiki Challenge,” and “flossing” have gone viral. While most people take part in these trends without thinking too much about it, Palmer is rejoicing in being able to dance, as he wasn’t able to before MS.

Promising Treatment

Roy Palmer Story
  shutterstock.com

The MS Society says “HSCT is a hugely promising treatment that has had amazing results for some people.” But since it requires patients to undergo chemotherapy, it can do more harm than good if a patient has a lot of nerve damage.

Favorable Odds

Roy Palmer Story
  www.bbc.com

The society added that “its risk is decreasing as more people have the treatment.” Despite being favorable odds, one in 100 patients who use HSCT will still die as a result. But for patients like Palmer, it can prove to be hugely successful.

Man Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis Regains Hope After Watching Stem-Cell Documentary is an article from: LifeDaily

Arkansas Teen Who Survived Brain-Eating Amoeba Swims Again

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In the summer of 2013, a little girl went swimming at an Arkansas water park and the next day she was rushed to the hospital where doctors diagnosed her with a fatal condition.

She was one of only three people in the United States to be diagnosed with this rare infection she contracted from the water park. Today, many people are still unaware of this deadly parasite known to thrive in water…

Willow Springs Water Park

  facebook.com

On a warm summer day, Kali Hardig, 12, and two of her friends hopped into the car to go to Willow Springs Water Park. She loved the water and spent most of her time swimming at the water park near her house in Arkansas.

Swimming

  facebook.com

It was a day that Kali remembers vividly, as she came home from swimming and told her mother, Traci, she had a bad headache. Her mother assumed it was from too much time in the sun or dehydration, being unaware of what was really going on.

Headache

  shutterstock.com

By later that day, Kali couldn’t get rid of her headache and she didn’t even want to get out of bed. “Mama,” she said, “just let me sleep,” Kali recalled to BuzzFeed. Even with the Motrin and Tylenol, her temperature was still over 103 F and Kali’s eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Doctor’s Appointment

  shutterstock.com

She had a doctor’s appointment at 3 pm, but at 12 pm, Traci called her husband Joseph saying “I got her in, but I don’t know if she’s going to make it that long.” Traci’s mother, Linda, drove over to the house and the two put Kali on a bed of wet towels in the back of the car.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital

  Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Linda drove as fast as she could to the emergency room at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. At the ER, Traci told doctors that this couldn’t be an ordinary flu. When the doctors ask to do a spinal tap to rule out meningitis, Traci told them Kali was terrified of needles. But thankfully Traci willingly let them stick an IV in her arm.

Excruciating Pain

  shutterstock.com

She was in so much pain at that point that a needle wasn’t going to affect her much. A doctor then extracted a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from the horsetail of nerves that extend from the brain down to the spine. The sample went to Tameka Reed, a technician at the hospital’s microbiology lab, and she was amazed at what she saw.

Naegleria Fowleri

  tribune.com.pk/

What she saw was not bacteria or fungi, but instead, a pinkish scrum of white blood cells clustered around a white blob. The head of the department said it looked like Naegleria fowleri, although it was something she had never seen before.

Spreading

  pediatrics.emory.edu

The hospital had only diagnosed two previous cases, both which ended in deaths. A call immediately went out to Dr. Matt Linam, one of the hospital’s infectious disease specialists, and the story soon spread. When Linam notified the family that Kali had Naegleria fowleri, they were speechless, not having a clue what this meant.

Diagnosis

  shutterstock.com

Then, the head doctor took Traci and Joseph into a room and explained it to them. “He told us what she had, and he said, ‘she won’t make it through the weekend,’” Joseph recalled. This was another piece of terrible news for the family as Traci was fighting her sixth recurrence of breast cancer and Joseph had just returned from serving in Kuwait to take care of her.

Chance Of Survival

  shutterstock.com

Now, they faced losing their daughter. “It’s hard to wrap your head around,” Joseph said. “They gave her a one percent chance of survival.” The family learned that Naegleria fowleri thrive in freshwater and when it’s warm, they crawl through mud and sediment to fest on bacteria. The organism’s form resembles a dragon fruit covered in mouth-shaped suction cups, and swallowing one or even more can be harmless since gastric acid inferno burns them to a crisp.

Deadly Parasite

  id.medicine.ufl.edu

But, if the organism gets flushed up your nose, there’s a chance it can attach to the nasal mucosa and dissolve the barrier and wander into the brain. “It’s like it’s on a highway direct to the brain,” says Nicole Iovine, an infectious disease doctor, and director of Antimicrobial Management Program at the University of Florida.

Brain-Eating Amoeba

  shutterstock.com

Once it works its way up to to the brain cells, it multiplies and scientists call it a free-living amoeba. The organism exploits a weakness in the body’s defense and by the time the immune system responds to the inflammation, the brain begins to swell. The brain-eating amoeba is 99 percent fatal, with only a one percent survival rate.

Devastated Parents

  facebook.com

Upon hearing the news, the family started to cry but Traci said, “I can’t plan a funeral.” Joseph replied, “We’re not. We’re going to go in there and tell her to fight.” No one explained this diagnosis to Kali, although she wondered about the bags of fluid hanging over her head. “Why are they giving me Mountain Dew?” Kali recalled to BuzzFeed.

Drug

  outbreaknewstoday.com

The same week that Kali fell ill, the CDC’s Free-Living Ameba Laboratory in Atlanta received a drug called miltefosine that is made in Germany but not distributed in America. Before 2013, hospitals would not be able to get the drug in fast enough from Europe and patients would die before it would arrive. But the day after Kali’s hospitalization, the first shipment left Atlanta for Little Rock.

Airport

  shutterstock.com

“First they said, ‘It’s on its way,’” says Traci. “Then they came back in and said, ‘We’ve got bad news. Delta lost it.’ It was lost in baggage control, so the head doctor, he went out to the airport instead of having it delivered. He didn’t want it to get lost again.” That next day, on Sunday, doctors added miltefosine to Kali’s regimen of antibiotic drugs.

In The Water

  shutterstock.com

As Kali fought for her life in the hospital, that Tuesday, Traci taped a segment for the 9 o’clock news. “If your child has been swimming anywhere and they start complaining – their head hurting and running a fever or just not acting normal – go to the doctor.” She didn’t mention the beach or the water park, but the amoeba lived in water and as far as the public knew, it could be anywhere.

Spike In ER Visits

  shutterstock.com

That weekend, the hospital saw a spike in emergency room visits, about 20 more than average for the month. By Thursday, six days after Kali had arrived at the hospital, she was still in an induced coma. Traci was receiving Facebook messages from people who heard her story on the news and had unfortunately lost their child to the deadly parasite.

Miracle

  facebook.com

After one month in the ICU, Kali was wheeled out and had to learn to use her tongue again. Kali’s parents still didn’t explain to her how she ended up with tubes down her nose as there was no sense in scaring her. She’d lost 25 pounds and had to wear braces to walk and the fact she survived is a miracle.

Kali’s Survival

  facebook.com

Dr. Matt Linam at Arkansas Children’s Hospital found it hard to attribute a single factor to Kali’s survival. Some suspect the amoeba was not as virulent or perhaps Kali had been exposed to the organism previously and somehow built up an immunity to it. “If they hadn’t identified it until the next day,” Dr. Linam says, “we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Against All Odds

  facebook.com

But Kali is a fighter and against all odds, she made it through. “It’s awesome to be home,” Kali told CNN. After 55 days, Kali walked away from the hospital as one of the world’s few survivors of the rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba. She has been undergoing rehab and plans to head back to school part-time. In the meantime, she’ll be at class in the morning and in physical and speech therapy in the afternoons.

Arkansas Teen Who Survived Brain-Eating Amoeba Swims Again is an article from: LifeDaily

Notorious Mafioso’s Shocking Double Life Exposed Years After His Death

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The life of a successful career criminal can be, despite the risks, something to be envied at times. For decades we’ve seen and read stories of successful mobsters surrounded by drugs, money, women, and fine living. Of course, the reality is much less grand.

Greg Scarpa was a charming mafioso with a loving family, an unbelievable amount of money, and connections all across New York City. Of course, even criminals have secrets, and Greg Scarpa’s was potentially the most dangerous thing about him…

Immigrant Life

  shutterstock.com

Greg Scarpa was born in Brooklyn to first-generation immigrants, Salvatore and Mary, who both hailed from the impoverished village of Lorenzaga of Motta di Livenza near Venice, Italy. Greg was the second of five children and by the age of seven, had been forced into working with his father as a coal deliveryman to make ends meet.

Famous Brother

  pinterest.com

The hard labor that Greg experienced would stick with him for the rest of his life. As he walked around the neighborhood, looking at the local mobsters living the easy life, Greg decided that a life of hard work was not for him. In fact, when Salvatore Scarpa, Greg’s younger brother, started working for the Colombo crime family, Greg saw his way into the life and at age 17, he found his way in…

Criminal Career

  pinterest.com

Greg was strong and street-smart, and his skills were soon noticed by local Profaci crime family mafioso, Charlie LoCicero. Before long, Greg Scarpa was invited to take part in a number of mob rackets such as: loansharking, bookmaking, and extortion. He soon earned a reputation for being brutally vicious when enforcing unpaid debts.

Made Man

  shutterstock.com

By the time Scarpa had reached his early 20s, he took the final step to become a made man. Greg “made his bones,” as it were, by killing an anonymous mark on a Brooklyn street. He was finally in. He formed a crew under himself and together they got into illegal gambling, narcotics, counterfeit credit cards, and of course, murder…

Family Man

  Linda Scarpa

In the 1950s, just as his own criminal career was taking off, Greg met and married Connie Forrest. Together, the happy couple had one daughter and three sons, including Gregory Scarpa Jr., who would follow his father into the business when he finally came of age. The family was happy and Greg’s illicit businesses afforded them a comfortable life.

Stylish Gangster

  shutterstock.com

Greg not only lived the good life as a gangster, he made sure that he looked the part as well. He was a stylish dresser who routinely carried upwards of $5,000 cash as “pocket money” for purchases and bribes. He owned homes in Singer Island, Florida, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Las Vegas. He also had a secret apartment on Manhattan’s Sutton Place that his wife didn’t know about…

Secret Romance

  youtube.com

Greg Scarpa and Connie separated in 1973, in part because his wife could no longer take the stress that her husband’s criminal career put upon the family, but also because Scarpa had apparently been seeing a mistress on the side. He maintained a 30-year relationship with girlfriend Linda Schiro that resulted in two children.

The Grim Reaper

  shutterstock.com

Scarpa’s guile and brutality earned him the nickname “The Grim Reaper,” and his ability to outflank authorities allowed him to escape prosecution for many years. Nevertheless, 30 years of luck soon began to run out. In 1962, the feds finally caught up with Greg Scarpa, and they had a proposition for him…

Arrested Development

  shutterstock.com

In March of 1962, Greg Scarpa was arrested for armed robbery. While in custody, the FBI approached him and asked if he’d like to work as an undercover informant for them. In that way, Scarpa could continue to live the way he was and avoid any and all jail time for his illicit activities. All he had to do was report on the activities of his contemporaries and come when they called.

A Good Deal

  shutterstock.com

Greg had been in business long enough to recognize an ‘offer you can’t refuse,’ so he took the deal. Thus began Scarpa’s 30-year relationship with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was a dangerous game of course, after all, if the mob found out, his whole family would be in danger. Luckily, Greg was good at keeping secrets…

Civil Rights

  shutterstock.com

Two years later, the FBI came calling. FBI field agents in Mississippi recruited Scarpa to come to Mississippi to help them with an unusual task. Scarpa had to help the agents find missing civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner. The three agents had disappeared and were believed dead.

Missing-Sippi

  shutterstock.com

The FBI was convinced that the three men had been murdered, but could not locate their bodies. They assumed that Scarpa, with his penchant for making men “sing” under interrogation, was the perfect man to help weed out the truth. Scarpa arrived in Mississippi and was given a gun and money to pay for information: he wouldn’t need the money…

Rough Methods

  shutterstock.com

Scarpa, accompanied by an undercover FBI agent, pistol-whipped and kidnapped Lawrence Byrd and stored him at Camp Shelby, a local Army base. Byrd was a TV salesman and secret member of the Ku Klux Klan and Scarpa proceeded to beat him severely while sticking a gun barrel down his throat. Choking on the gun and his own tears, he admitted the location of the three bodies.

Good Cop, Bad Mafioso

  shutterstock.com

Using illegal interrogation techniques not available to agents, Scarpa was able to gain information from suspects that the FBI would never have been able to gain. He was brutal to watch and hard to control at times, but he was effective; and there was no way that the FBI could argue that point. Still, they would never admit it…

Refused to Corroborate

  shutterstock.com

The FBI however, has never officially confirmed these events publicly. The official story and evidence indicates that Mississippi highway patrolman Maynard King provided the grave locations of the three civil rights workers to FBI agent Joseph Sullivan. Apparently Sullivan had obtained the information from an anonymous “third party.”

Second Mission

  shutterstock.com

In January 1966, Scarpa was sent on a second mission to Mississippi. He was called in on the murder case of Vernon Dahmer, who had been killed in a fire set by the Klan. The second trip resulted in a sharp disagreement between the FBI and Scarpa about a reward for his services to the government. After that, the FBI dropped Scarpa as a confidential informant…

Charmed Life

  shutterstock.com

Despite this, Scarpa was still living the charmed life. He still had a loving family at home (Connie had not yet found out about his girlfriend), and his mob business was booming. But as the 70s turned to the 80s and his personal life began to fall apart, he began to develop an addiction to aspirin and developed an ulcer as a result.

Ulcer Surgery

  shutterstock.com

After having emergency ulcer surgery at Victory Memorial Hospital in Brooklyn in 1986, Scarpa needed a blood transfusion. He refused to take any blood from the hospital blood because he was afraid it might come from African-Americans, who ironically, he hated. Instead he took donations from family members and some of his mob associates…

HIV

  shutterstock.com

Some of this blood was from fellow mobster Paul Mele, a bodybuilder who was abusing steroids. Unfortunately, Mele had contracted HIV from a dirty needle and the disease was subsequently transmitted to Scarpa during the blood transfusion. Afraid of what he would have to tell his crew and the connotation AIDS had back in the 80’s, Scarpa and his relatives told everyone he was suffering from cancer.

Final Years

  NYPD

Eventually, even Scarpa’s FBI connections couldn’t help him avoid prosecution. He was caught again and charged with multiple counts of murder. In May of 1993, Greg Scarpa decided he’d had enough and pleaded guilty to his crimes. He was weak from the AIDS virus and therefore given a lenient sentence. He died in a medical prison on June 4, 1994 at age 66.

Notorious Mafioso’s Shocking Double Life Exposed Years After His Death is an article from: LifeDaily

Granddaughter Thankful Grandfather Was Brought Home From War After Losing 5 Siblings

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Margaret Smith Story

When the Smith family waved goodbye to six of their sons who went off to fight in WWI, they feared they’d never see them again. For five of their sons, that was the harsh reality.

These events closely resemble those of Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic, “Saving Private Ryan,” though they happened 70 years before the film, during WWI.

The Smith Family

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

Margaret and John Smith’s two years of hell began in September 1916 when their 22-year-old son Robert was killed in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, on the Somme. Robert died just 11 weeks after arriving in France and he had been among 100 men who had wrongly been told the Germans were retreating from their position.

WWI

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

Margaret, a mill worker, and her husband John, a chimney sweep, had 11 children, with six being sent away to fight in WWI. She feared that they would never return, saying to a news station, “Don’t have boys, they’ll only end up as cannon fodder,” as reported by The Sun.

Robert Smith

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

Robert lost his life on the morning of September 16, 1916, when he was hit by enemy machine gun fire. He was then taken to a casualty station, where at first, he and his older brother George, 26, who was in the same battalion, joked together. But three days later, Robert died from his wounds.

Four Brothers

Margaret Smith Story
  Nelson Family / www.thegirlsun.com

After his death, four brothers – George, John, Frederick and Alfred – came home on leave and posted for a photo, which wound up being their last one together. The sixth son, Wilfred, was not in the photo, because he wasn’t called up at the time.

George Smith

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

On Bonfire Night 1916, George lost his life when he was shot through the head by a sniper as he walked down waist-deep mud. He body disappeared under the surface, only to be lost forever. Then, Frederick, 21, was wounded on Christmas Eve 1916 and was sent home to recover where he remained until February 1917.

Third Battle Of Ypres

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

The following week, Wilfred joined his brothers, and five months later, on the opening day of the third battle of Ypres, Frederick was killed. Frederick has no grave but his name is shown on the Menin Gate in Ypres. Then, there was the fourth brother, John Stout, 37, who was married with two daughters.

The Nightmare Continues

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

He was killed in the war on October 9, 1917, and his body was never found. The nightmare only continued the following summer, when their fifth son, Alfred, 30, was wounded in a battle on the Ardre river. He died of his wounds at a military hospital on July 22, 1918.

Margaret’s Heartache

Margaret Smith Story
  UA Archives | Upper Arlington History / Flickr

Just three weeks later, Queen Mary received a letter begging her to end Margaret Smith’s heartache, and bring her last son, Wilfred, home. By that time, Wilfred was 20-years-old, and he had fought the Germans in the trenches of Ypres.

Black-Edged Telegrams

Margaret Smith Story
  Nelson Family / www.thegirlsun.com

Margaret couldn’t handle receiving one more telegram, after receiving five black-edged telegrams from the War Office, each one confirming that one of their boys had died. Three of her sons were never found and to this day, their bodies still lie under the fields of Northern France and Flanders.

Queen Mary

Margaret Smith Story
  PD-US / Wikipedia

Then, in August of 1917, Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, read Margaret’s horrible story in a letter sent to Buckingham Palace. She vowed in the moment that Wilfred would be returned home safe to his mother from the front line of war.

Wilfred Smith

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

To Margaret’s surprise, a few days later, the Queen’s private secretary, Edward Wallington, wrote back to her saying Her Majesty had contacted the War Office to find Private Smith in the trenches and order him home. During his time at war, Wilfred survived mustard gas attacks and was training for the final round of combat with enemy soldiers.

Returning Home

Margaret Smith Story
  www.thegirlsun.com

It was then that a messenger arrived to the French-Belgian border of Terdeghem, with orders from Army headquarters for Wilfred to pack his bag and go home. Military historian John Sheen, an expert on the Durham Light Infantry, said “Mrs. Smith’s story must have touched the Queen’s heart because taking a man from the line for personal reasons is extremely rare,” as reported by The Sun.

Suffering After The War

Margaret Smith Story
  Nelson Family / www.thegirlsun.com

After Queen Mary sent Wilfred home to Barnard Castle, he became a stonemason and chimney sweep, like his father John, who died in 1918. Throughout the remainder of his life, Wilfred suffered chronic chest problems from the mustard gas attack, and he lived until he was 69-years-old, having raised five children with his wife Hannah.

Barnard Castle

Margaret Smith Story
  Ben Gamble / Wikipedia

Wilfred’s granddaughter Amanda, 52, said, “As children we knew a little bit about Wilfred’s amazing story. My mom would tell us some of it but Grandad did not really talk about it. I think it was probably hard for him in some ways, as he was lucky to leave the war behind – though the people in Barnard Castle didn’t see it that way.”

Memorial

Margaret Smith Story
  www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

“Few people can imagine what it must have been like to him to lose five brothers,” Amanda added. On a Sunday in November 2018, Wilfred’s daughter, Diane, 74, along with Amanda and her daughter Charlene 30, son Craig, 28, and grandson Tommy, 2, planted poppy crosses at Barnard Castle’s war memorial.

Mary Bircham

Margaret Smith Story
  www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

It is there that the names of the five brothers are remembered. Anna recalls that Wilfred was brought home in the first place thanks to a woman named Mary Bircham, who befriended Margaret at the time of the war. It was Bircham who took the brave step of writing Queen Mary and begging her to save Margaret from any further sadness by bringing Wilfred home.

Saving Private Smith

Margaret Smith Story
  Nelson Family / dailymail.co.uk

Anna said, “We owe a lot to Mrs. Bircham, because without her, none of us would be here. Wilfred was sent home to keep the family name alive, and he was able to live a long life because of that.” With the help of historians, The Sun has pieced together this story of Saving Private Smith.

Saving Private Ryan

Margaret Smith Story
  www.imdb.com

While much of the 1998 movie “Saving Private Ryan” was inspired by fiction, the premise behind Captain Miller’s mission is based on a true story. It covers the story of the Niland brothers – Preston, Edward, Robert, and Frederick – from Tonawanda, New York serving in WWII.

Similar Stories

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

When the War Department learned that three of the four brothers had perished, they decided the remaining brother needed to be brought home, just like it was portrayed in the film and for the Smith family. The only difference is the Smith brothers served in WWI.

Niland Family

Margaret Smith Story
  shutterstock.com

The fourth Niland brother, Frederick, was ordered home to the U.S. in 1944. But, something unexpected happened in May 1945, when the Nilands received news that Edward was found alive in camp when it was liberated by British forces. The two other Niland brothers, Preston and Robert, were buried side-by-side in the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.

Granddaughter Thankful Grandfather Was Brought Home From War After Losing 5 Siblings is an article from: LifeDaily

New York Woman Discovers Her Entire Life Was A Lie Thanks To DNA Test Results

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DNA Test Results Story

Many people decide to get their DNA tested as a fun way to get to learn about themselves and their family histories. What many people don’t realize, however, is that the pursuit can turn up family secrets that have been kept for decades.

In 2016, a New York woman and her partner decided to take DNA tests for fun. However, when the results came back, the woman’s life was turned upside down as she learned the truth about a secret her mother had kept her entire life.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/18/your-fathers-not-your-father-when-dna-tests-reveal-more-than-you-bargained-for

An Ancestry Fascination

DNA Test Results Story
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After tracing her father’s family tree back to the 1600s, one New York woman always dreamed of taking her research into her ancestry to the next level. To do that, however, she would have to get her DNA tested through a DNA database like Ancestry.com or 23andMe.

Focusing On The Future

DNA Test Results Story
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Yet for a long time, she and her now-husband didn’t have the extra money to get the tests done. At the time, it had been 2016 and the couple had recently moved from Florida back to New York. They had also been saving up for a fertility treatment hoping to start a family together. Michèle and her then-boyfriend couldn’t justify the cost of the DNA tests. Instead of their interests in the past, the couple knew they needed to be focusing on their future together and spending their money to make that future a reality.

Justifying The Cost

DNA Test Results Story
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However, getting a DNA test started to seem like an investment for Michèle after she started thinking about going back to school. She recalled that she had been told that she had some Native American ancestry from her father’s side of the family. Native Americans and people with a certain percentage of Native American ancestry can be eligible for education scholarships. Michèle thought that if she got a DNA test done, she could see what percentage of her ancestry was Native American.

An Early Christmas Gift

DNA Test Results Story
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If it was high enough, she hoped she could apply for some scholarships to ultimately help save her money if she decided to go back to school at any point. So in May 2016, she and her partner decided to order DNA tests for themselves as early Christmas presents.

An Unexpected Challenge

DNA Test Results Story
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Michèle and her partner decided to get their DNA tested through Ancestry.com. When the test kits arrived, they excitedly got to work. Yet, filling up the vials with their saliva turned out the be harder than they imagined. “It was daunting,” Michèle told The Guardian.

Six Weeks Later

DNA Test Results Story
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“It took us, like, 20 minutes. And the more we laughed, the harder it was to do,” she explained. “We joked about sending them sweetener samples, to see if it still works.” Eventually, the couple managed to fill up the vials. The next day, they sent their test kits back to Ancestry.com, who would then have the samples tested in their lab. According to Michèle, she and her now-husband were contacted just six weeks later by Ancestry.com that their results were in.

Expected Results

DNA Test Results Story
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The couple both logged onto their accounts on a laptop. First, they looked at Michèle’s husband’s results. According to Michèle, her husband’s DNA results pretty much reflected what he had always been told about his ancestry and the family’s history. Then it was Michèle’s turn.

A Complete Shock

DNA Test Results Story
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Michèle logged into her account and looked at her results. Unlike her husband, however, the results didn’t make any sense and didn’t seem to reflect any of the information she had been told about her family. “The first thing that popped up is a pie chart, and one whole half was red and said ‘Italy’,” Michèle said.

In Denial

DNA Test Results Story
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In fact, Michèle was so shocked by the results that her first thought was that Ancestry.com must have made a mistake. “I was dumbfounded. Like: ‘Well, that’s a huge mistake. They must have mixed mine up with someone else’s.’,” Michèle explained.

Reality Sets In

DNA Test Results Story
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“My husband looks through it, then he says: ‘Honey, they didn’t make a mistake. This is you.’,” Michèle said. After realizing that there was no mistake with her results, Michèle started to panic. According to Michèle, she had her first ever anxiety attack that night.

A Lifelong Secret

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“I just got very quiet. All these things from my past suddenly started going through my head: questions, feelings, things that couldn’t be explained, things that my mother would get angry or defensive about if I brought them up,” Michèle said. “I started to realize: ‘I think I’ve discovered a secret.’”

Breaking The Silence

DNA Test Results Story
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Michèle and her mother were estranged and, at that point, she hadn’t spoken to her mother in two years. Desperate to get some answers, Michèle called her mother that same night. Unfortunately, she didn’t get the answers she hoped she would get. When Michèle brought up the Italian ancestry, her mother claimed there must be a mistake. Michèle’s mom denied having any knowledge of the alleged Italian ancestry and claimed the results were impossible.

The Relatives

DNA Test Results Story
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While looking through the DNA results, Michèle also noticed her Ancestry account linked her with several people from Syracuse, New York, where she had grown up. The names she read were the names of strangers, but the website claimed they were first cousins.

Searching For Answers

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The next morning, Michèle decided to call her mom’s sister. She hoped her aunt would be more open with her about her mother’s past even though she was only 10 years old when her mom got pregnant at 18 years old. After calling her aunt, Michèle asked if her mother ever dated an Italian boy.

The Prom Date

DNA Test Results Story
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“I’m looking at the last name: 100% match, first cousin. And my aunt says: ‘The only guy I remember who comes to mind is her prom date.’ And she says that same surname,” Michèle said. “I stood up, my laptop went to the floor, I dropped my phone and I ran to the bathroom and started vomiting.”

A Cruel Reaction

DNA Test Results Story
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Michèle contacted her mother, who denied that her prom date could have possibly been her father. Her mom then went on to say it wouldn’t even matter if he was since the man died the year before in a motorcycle accident. “That’s how I found that out. It was very cruel,” said Michèle, who then found her biological father’s obituary. “It was literally the male version of me.”

The Aftermath

DNA Test Results Story
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To be sure, Michèle got a paternity test done with the man her mother always claimed was her real father. The pair were devastated when the results proved what Michèle had suspected. According to Michèle, however, the pair became even closer after the paternity test. On the other hand, Michèle completely cut her mother out of her life as she continued to insist that three separate DNA tests are wrong.

Meeting The Relatives

DNA Test Results Story
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After the shocking discovery, Michèle got in touch with her biological family in Upstate New York. She explained her story, and they knew just by looking at her photos that she was her father’s child. In August of 2016, Michèle traveled to Syracuse and met her relatives for the first time.

A Touching Reunion

DNA Test Results Story
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According to Michèle, her grandmother was thrilled to find out she had a granddaughter since she only had grandsons up until that point. Michèle’s uncle also took her to visit her father’s grave. “It took me at least a couple of weeks to recover,” Michèle said. “But they welcomed me with open arms.”

Moving Forward

DNA Test Results Story
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While Michèle was happy to get to know her long-lost family, it wasn’t easy to deal with.“There have been times when I’m just kind of breaking down, and so angry and sad, that I say I wish I had never opened Pandora’s box,” she said. After a lot of work and therapy, however, she has been able to move on with her life and accept what happened.

New York Woman Discovers Her Entire Life Was A Lie Thanks To DNA Test Results is an article from: LifeDaily

Wrongly-Accused Man Saved By Seemingly Innocuous Selfie

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Christopher Precopia Story

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but in this modern age, this seems like somewhat of a superfluous notion. This might be because of technology. Everyone has a camera on them all the time and we are able to constantly snap and post pictures of just about anything. But does their abundance mean that pictures don’t say nearly as much as they once did?

Some would say, yes. Think about it… what does a picture of your lunch say? What words are conveyed by your sixtieth selfie post to Instagram in the past week? Yet, as widespread and sometimes annoying as selfies can be, one man learned that a simple selfie would ultimately save his life…

Lumberyard

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.dailyentertainmentnews.com

22-year-old Christopher Precopia was working at the lumberyard, hauling and cutting wood, just as he always did. The yard, located in Georgetown, Texas, was the same place that Chris worked every day. The only people that ever came into the yard were those who worked there, except for that day. On that day, the police showed up.

Don’t Act Surprised

Christopher Precopia Story
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The officer approached the foreman, who pointed out Chris. The police then informed him rather roughly that he was under arrest. When the bewildered 22-year-old asked them what they were arresting him for, they replied with a smarmy “don’t act like you don’t know what we’re talking about.” The thing was, he really didn’t know what they were talking about.

Accusations

Christopher Precopia Story
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It wasn’t until they hauled him into the police station and into the interrogation chamber that Chris learned the truth. He had been accused of burglary, but that was not all. He allegedly also had the intent to commit other, more serious crimes as well, according to them anyway. He had no idea what they were talking about or why it was happening to him.

Hauled In, Let Out

Christopher Precopia Story
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After that, the officers hauled Chris off to Williamstown County Jail. He was arraigned and given a bail of $150,000. Knowing that he was innocent, his family posted the $150,000 and he was released. Unfortunately for him, he still didn’t know exactly who he had burglarized or what else they believed he had planned to do.

99 Years

Christopher Precopia Story
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From there, Chris went home to think about the potentially disastrous fate that awaited him. By this point, he had been officially charged with first-degree felony burglary of a habitation, with intent to commit additional felonies. If he was convicted, the 22-year-old could end up serving up to 99 years in prison.

Charged Regardless

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.tdtnews.com

Despite having a pretty solid alibi, the authorities had no problem charging him. As it happened, they’d actually charged him before they’d even taken him to the station. This was particularly odd considering police usually interview suspects before charging them. Nevertheless, the severity of his alleged crimes evidently gave them a reason to ignore protocol.

Learning Later

Christopher Precopia Story
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His parents, having posted a pretty significant amount for his bond, were now on a mission to prove their son’s innocence. In the course of their own investigation, they learned that Chris’ accuser was someone he had known personally. The accusations came from his ex-girlfriend, someone he hadn’t seen since he graduated high school.

Ex-Accuser

Christopher Precopia Story
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Yes, Chris’ accuser was a girl he hadn’t seen or spoken to in more than four years. She was one of his ex-girlfriends, a woman he hadn’t dated since high school. And though police hadn’t known it at the time, she had fabricated the whole crime just to get him into trouble. Though he couldn’t have told you why.

Racking his Brain

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Chris racked his brain over the next few days, trying to figure out when he’d last spoke to the woman, much less seen her. Regardless of what he and his parents knew, however, the girl’s story was shocking enough that if he couldn’t prove his alibi, the court would most certainly throw the book at him.

Break-In

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Chris’ accuser said that he broke into her home in Temple and began an altercation. The two began to fight, vases were smashed, items were taken, and eventually, she fell to his strength. When she was prone, Chris allegedly pulled out a box cutter and sliced an X into her chest as a memento. The angry, red wound and her own tears had been enough to convince the police.

Staged

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Of course, the whole altercation had merely been staged to look like a violent confrontation. She had broken her own vase, thrown items around her home, and knocked over furniture so it looked like a struggle. As to why she had done this thing, that mystery still remained to be solved. In the meantime, Chris had to clear his name.

Miles Away

Christopher Precopia Story
  Michael Gray / Flickr

Luckily for the harried lumberyard worker, he had been more than 65 miles away from Temple when the alleged attack occurred. He and his mom Erin had been staying at the Austin hotel that night and they’d even taken a picture of the impromptu getaway as well. As long as he had that selfie, his innocence was assured.

Selfie Evidence

Christopher Precopia Story
  Christopher Precopia / Facebook

Chris’ alibi evidence included a few time-stamped, geolocated photos of his night in Austin. This, along with the sworn affidavits of the people he had been with on that night, was more than enough to exonerate him. Erin Precopia knew where her son was and so did several others, it was a rock-solid alibi.

Fortune Favors

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Eventually, the time came for Rick Flores, Chris’ lawyer, to address the charges. He brought forward a motion to dismiss. “He was very fortunate that she chose a date and time that he just happened to have a rock-solid alibi for,” Flores told the Sun. “He and I have talked many times about how lucky he is, whether you believe in a higher power or good old-fashioned luck.”

Nine Months Later

Christopher Precopia Story
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In the end, Flores had been right about Chris’ luck. Nine months after the arrest, the police dropped the charges against him. The selfie had been more than enough to secure his alibi. But Bell County prosecutors still had a problem on their hands. Someone had lied to the police and disrupted a young man’s life. So what was her fate in all this?

No Charges for Her

Christopher Precopia Story
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Firstly, it must be understood that Chris’ accuser’s identity was not immediately made public. This is due to the fact that despite her lies, she is not being charged with any crime. Though she eventually admitted that her rocky relationship with Chris was what caused her to make up such a vindictive lie. The Bell County prosecutors seemed to be at a loss when it came to taking action against her.

Admission

Christopher Precopia Story
  Google Maps

After Flores presented the evidence and the charges were dropped, the district attorney admitted their mistake … sort of. Rather, they admitted how difficult situations like this are to properly prosecute. “We are always willing to listen and examine new information, and that’s exactly what we did in this case,” explained Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza.

No Black or White

Christopher Precopia Story
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Garza went on to discuss how most of the time, the courts deal in grey matters. Nothing is ever truly black or white, but they had to err on the side of caution if Chris Precopia was truly a dangerous criminal out on the loose. It was prudent thinking. It was just handled poorly by everyone involved.

Not the Same

Christopher Precopia Story
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Regardless of their “good intentions,” Chris’ suffering at the hands of the courts has had something of a negative effect on his personality. Even his mother admits that his change in demeanor has broken her heart. Chris is just not the same young man he was a year and a half ago.

Ignoring the Liars

Christopher Precopia Story
  www.kvue.com

Nevertheless, Chris Precopia is ready to move on with his life. “I’m ready to actually live my life, the way I want to, without having any kind of worry that this can come back and hurt me,” he told KVUE. Here’s hoping both he and the ex-girlfriend stay well clear of one another in the future.

Wrongly-Accused Man Saved By Seemingly Innocuous Selfie is an article from: LifeDaily

Boy With Cancer Is Granted The Wish Of A Lifetime By An Entire City

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Miles Scott Batkid Story

The impact of inspiration in our lives is sometimes difficult to put into words. When we are inspired, it lights a fire within us that drives us closer to our dreams, it can be developed from anything that reignites our hope and faith in humanity, and it encourages us to unite for the greater good.

In 2013, the entire city of San Francisco came together in an inspirational tale of magnificent proportion. And from their efforts, a little boy’s life would change forever…

Full Of Life

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Miles was just like any other vibrant toddler, full of life and curiosities about the world around him. Spending his days on his family’s farm in Tulelake, California, Miles loved exploring the animals and rural environment around him. But, there was one thing he loved more than his adventures on the farm, and it was his love for the superhero, Batman.

Favorite Superhero

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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Miles and his dad shared a nightly routine of sitting in the couch and watching an episode of Adam West’s Batman series. Between Batman themed pajamas, slippers, bedding, and much more, the caped superhero had officially taken over their home. And when everything in life was going wonderfully, shy of Miles’ second birthday, his parents noticed a drastic change in their little boy.

The Shocking News

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

In the blink of an eye, the lives of Miles and his family had gone from completely happy and normal to complete devastation. One doctor’s appointment had changed the entire course of their lives. Miles went from being a healthy, active boy to feeling lethargic and unwell.

The Diagnosis

Miles Scott Batkid Story
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After running tests and blood-work, doctors had made a heart wrenching discovery. Miles had leukemia, the most common type of cancer in children and teens. The unexpected diagnosis of their little boy was utterly devastating.

Harsh Treatment

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

After months of chemotherapy and radiation, little Miles had become increasingly weak and agonized. At such a young age, it had become difficult trying to explain to little Miles why he had to suffer. And when Miles’ pain and tears would heighten, his parents, Nick and Natalie, knew what to do to cheer him up.

A Wish

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Watching Batman would light up his face, and bring out a smile every time. After years of battling the crippling disease, Miles had just turned five, and although he had grown, his love for Batman remained. Close to the end of his treatment and in remission, Nick and Natalie asked their little boy what he had wished for, and without any hesitation, he wanted to be his hero, Batman.

Five Year Mark

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Reaching the five year mark in remission is a significant milestone for patients given it can mean a positive future prognosis. His wish also marked the end of extremely painful and invasive treatments. His mom, Natalie, said at the time, “This wish has meant closure for our family and an end to over three years of putting toxic drugs in our son’s body.”

Make A Wish Foundation

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  www.wish.org

So, Nick and Natalie reached out to the Make A Wish Foundation and asked if they could come up with a plan together to make Miles into a real life superhero, Batman of course. To their excitement, Make A Wish not only responded with a yes, but their magnificent idea would make history.

Volunteers Needed

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Patricia Wilson, head of the foundation in the Bay Area, wanted him to spend a day saving San Francisco. Patricia began putting the call out to volunteers to help turn San Francisco into Gotham City for a day for Miles. What happened next was both amazing and wonderfully surprising.

Outpour Of Help

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

The foundation was flooded with offers of help, so many that Patricia found herself having to turn volunteers away. They originally thought they would have no more than 200 people come forward, but boy were they wrong. A local man offered his Lamborghini to become the famous Batmobile. Another local woman offered to be the “damsel in distress.”

City United

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

The police gladly cooperated, so did countless local merchants, and so did the local paper. Word of the foundation’s efforts spread quickly on social media, and soon what began as a small effort to make a 5-year-old boy a hero for the day turned into a citywide extravaganza, with support and volunteers coming in from all over.

Gotham City

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

With the help of the late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments, the San Francisco Giants and countless others, San Francisco turned into Gotham City to help provide one brave boy the chance to forget his illness for a day. The San Francisco Chronicle produced a special edition of the newspaper the day of his wish, and even astronauts on the International Space Station were watching and sending messages of encouragement.

Social Media Frenzy

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

More than 25,000 people crowded the city’s streets to take part in Miles’ Make A Wish dream to be his favorite superhero for a day. An estimated two billion people followed his heroics on social media, including President Obama. The little caped-crusader’s wish resonated with so many people that the hashtags #SfBatKid and #BatKid went viral.

Might Be Overwhelmed

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

As events took on a life of their own, Miles’ parents feared he’d be too shy and wouldn’t know what to do about all the craziness swirling around him. Enter Eric Johnston, who assumed the identity of Batman, and spent time with Miles to put him at ease. The Batman to Miles’ Batkid was a world famous video game programmer who helped create some of the games you know and, in some cases, deeply love and fondly remember.

A Real Life Superhero

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Miles had turned into a real life superhero, as Batkid. San Francisco was beset by a wave of crime on Friday, as a woman was taken hostage and tied to cable car tracks, a criminal calling himself the Riddler attempted to rob a bank vault, and a miscreant known as Penguin generally made a nuisance of himself in the downtown area.

The Batmobile

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Miles’s day began with a fraught message from police chief Greg Suhr, alerting “Batkid” to the various criminal activities and pleading with him to help the city fight off the criminals. Miles was about to lose to the criminals, but Batman came to his rescue in the infamous Batmobile.

Keys To The City

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

As thousand watched from the sidelines, Batkid and Batman zipped from location to location, saving a damsel in distress, stopping the Riddler and capturing the Penguin at AT&T Park. At the end of the day, Batkid was able to save his beloved city from the villains and received the keys to the city from grateful San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

The Movie

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Now the legendary pint-sized superhero is hitting the big screen in Batkid Begins. This time, Batkid’s fans are getting the whole story. “That event rocked my world,” says Batkid Begins director Dana Nachman. “People saw bits and pieces of this day and fell in love with Miles and the people who made it happen. My goal is to take you behind-the-scenes and see how and why it happened.”

An Inspiration

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

It doesn’t end there. Julia Roberts plans to produce and star in a movie based on Batkid Begins, keeping the feel-good memory alive. Millions of others around the world have also been inspired by the heart felt story of Miles. Miles’ life has become an inspiration for thousands across the globe to play a more active role in helping children in similar situations.

Where is Miles Now?

Miles Scott Batkid Story
  Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube

Many people ask if Miles is still cancer free and the answer is a resounding yes! Since his crime fighting day five years ago, Miles has returned to being a typical kid, playing little league, going to school, helping his family farm, and even selling his first market goat in the local fair. Now, 10 years old and in fifth grade, Miles loves science and robotics.

Boy With Cancer Is Granted The Wish Of A Lifetime By An Entire City is an article from: LifeDaily


Texas Fiancée in Coma After Mexico Surgery Dies Following Month-Long Battle on Life Support

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Laura Avila Story

It’s fairly common for Americans seeking discounted plastic surgery to travel outside the US. By traveling abroad, patients can save up to 80 percent for plastic surgery, depending on the procedure and country.

While many Americans would never consider going overseas for a knee replacement, they don’t hesitate as much with cosmetic surgery. The drawbacks, however, can be dangerous. Take a look at what happened to the woman in the following story…

Mexico

Laura Avila Story
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When 36-year-old Laura Avila, of Dallas, Texas, decided she wanted a nose job, she hopped on a plane to Mexico for the procedure. The procedure’s cost in Mexico is around a third of what it would cost in the US.

Rhinoplasty

Laura Avila Story
  Google Maps

She booked an appointment for the rhinoplasty procedure on October 30, 2018, at the Rino Center in Juarez, Mexico. Avila’s supportive fiance, Enrique Cruz, traveled with her to be by her side for the big operation.

Surgery Center

Laura Avila Story
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From the moment they arrived at the surgery center, the nightmare began even before the procedure. Avila was administered anesthesia via her spine and the anesthesia traveled to her brain, instead of downward throughout her body, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Coma

Laura Avila Story
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Within moments, Avila went into cardiac arrest and hospital officials were forced to place her into a medically induced coma to prevent further brain damage. While this was happening, her fiance was not informed about the severity of the situation.

Operating Room

Laura Avila Story
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Cruz told WFAA, “I was kind of getting upset and worried because they would not let me see her or anything.” For eight hours, she laid in a room and Cruz was only told that her blood pressure had dropped and they couldn’t perform the operation.

Anesthesia

Laura Avila Story
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“They injected anesthesia in her spine at the clinic and instead of flowing down her body, it went into her brain which caused severe swelling,” said Avila’s sister Angie. Eventually, a doctor from the Juarez hospital was called to the clinic and Cruz said he wanted Avila moved to the hospital immediately.

Cardiac Arrest

Laura Avila Story
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“That’s when they told us, ‘oh, by the way, she had a cardiac arrest,’” said Cruz. Avila then spent four days in a Mexican hospital as her family fought to move her to a hospital in the US. Hospital officials in Mexico refused to sign her transfers papers until the family paid the bill.

Hospital

Laura Avila Story
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“The hospital basically held us hostage because we wouldn’t pay the full amount,” said the sister. They were finally able to get her taken by ambulance to a hospital in El Paso, but they didn’t have the critical medical records they needed.

Brain Damage

Laura Avila Story
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Hours later, doctors shared the grim news with the family. “They say she suffered severe brain damage so much that she will never be our Laura again,” said Angie. The family was then given the choice to take her off life support or put feeding and breathing tubes in to keep her alive.

Prayer

Laura Avila Story
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“They told us she could never be able to walk or eat for herself again or speak,” said Angie. The family continued to pray for a miracle and Cruz said, “really we want a second opinion.” They desperately wanted to transfer Avila to another hospital but the family said that three major hospitals in Dallas have turned them away.

GoFundMe

Laura Avila Story
  www.gofundme.com/laura-loves-outloud

Even though she is a Dallas resident, they refused to take her because she has no insurance. Angie Avila set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her sister’s medical expenses. “It is with a heavy heart that I request your prayers and assistance in this great time of need. My sister Laura Avila has endured a tragedy that has been very heavy on our family,” Angie wrote.

A Woman Who Exudes Life

Laura Avila Story
  Laura Avila / Facebook

“If you know or have met Laura, you know she gives us all life. Laura exudes love, life, laughter, joy, selflessness, enlightenment, passion, friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, wisdom, and so much more,” she added. “Without Laura, I would not be where I am today. She is my sister, a second mom to me, my best friend, and my #1 fan.” Thanks to the GoFundMe, Angie was able to raise $81,710 on behalf of her sister.

Second Opinion

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

Unfortunately, despite the generous donations, Avila’s health was rapidly declining. Desperate for a second opinion on her condition, the family wanted Avila transferred to the Parkland Medical hospital in Dallas. But, they have “denied her a second time, despite the fact that it is a public hospital and she is a Dallas resident who pays taxes.”

Tragic Death

Laura Avila Story
  shutterstock.com

After they moved Avila across a border to a hospital in El Paso, Texas, Angie informed family and friends that her sister had passed away. “My heart aches, and I truly don’t know how or if I’ll ever overcome this pain,” Angie wrote. “I’m kind of numb right now with everything that is going on and trying to be strong for the family,” Cruz said.

Justice For Laura

Laura Avila Story
  Laura Avila / Facebook

“This morning my tiny dancer passed to the other side. I knew it was coming but it still hit me unexpectedly … My next mission is justice for Laura. After paying all the hospital bills and giving some financial support to her family, I will tenaciously be pursuing the lawsuit against the criminals that killed her,” Cruz added.  

Memorial Service In Tulum, Mexico

Laura Avila Story
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Cruz told a CBS affiliate that he and Avila’s family have “already hired some attorneys. … We’re after the negligence and now murder.” Cruz also planned memorial service in Tulum, Mexico, where the couple was supposed to wed and he will also spread her ashes there. “The ocean of Tulum [is] where we first fell in love … She loved to sing. She loved to dance.”

Cross-Border Discount Surgery

Laura Avila Story
  AGCuesta / shutterstock.com

The family’s attorney, Larry Friedman, urged others to think about Avila before traveling to Mexico to save money on medical procedures. “So that her death is not in vain, people should think of Laura before they look for cross-border discount surgery,” Friedman told WFAA.

Investigation

Laura Avila Story
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“They should do their homework and investigate the experience, training and track record of anyone BEFORE they sign up. Always LOOK before you leap!” Since her death, CBS News reported that their news correspondent Anna Werner spoke to a prosecutor in Mexico who is now handling an investigation into the Rino Center where Laura was treated.

Raid

Laura Avila Story
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No formal charges have been filed as of yet, but the clinic has been raided. Since the clinic did not provide Avila’s medical records to the Mexican government, Angie alleged on Facebook that “as a result, they were raided … The documents are under review.”

Large Public Health Issue

Laura Avila Story
  Castleski / shutterstock.com

Dr. Dennis Orgill, the medical director of Brigham and Women’s Hospital Wound Care Center in Boston, told The Chicago Tribune that people are motivated to leave the country for medical procedures because the cost is significantly cheaper. Still, he said, “Some surgeons in these countries are excellent, but sometimes it is hard for patients to tell the difference by looking on the Internet.”

Texas Fiancée in Coma After Mexico Surgery Dies Following Month-Long Battle on Life Support is an article from: LifeDaily

US Soldier Is Perfect Match For 7-Year-Old Boy Who Needs Bone Marrow Transplant

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Kyle Crawford Story

When a child is sick or in pain, a parent will do whatever it takes to help their child get better. Unfortunately, parents sometimes are powerless to ease their child’s suffering.

For a couple from California, the only thing worse than having a sick son was not being able to do anything to help him. Their desperate search for help began when their son’s condition turned out to be worse than they thought…

A Red Flag

Kyle Crawford Story
  sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com

When Kyle Crawford was just four years old, his parents, David Crawford and Angela Kwan, started noticing an unusual amount of bruises on their son. At first, they thought it was just from playing outside. However, when the excessive bruising didn’t stop, they started to get worried. 

Time To See A Doctor

Kyle Crawford Story
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At one point, the couple from San Mateo, California, brought their 4-year-old in to see a doctor. They were worried that the bruising was a sign that Kyle was sick or something serious was wrong. Yet the doctor brushed off their concerns and assured them nothing was wrong.

Nothing To Worry About

Kyle Crawford Story
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According to Crawford and Kwan, the doctor told them they had nothing to worry about. Bruising was common and to be expected for an active young boy like Kyle. At first, the explanation made sense and their worries faded away. But the assurance didn’t last long.

A Bad Ending To A Dream Vacation

Kyle Crawford Story
  Featureflash Photo Agency / shutterstock.com

Not long after, the family took a trip to Disneyland. Everything was going great until the last day of the dream vacation. Crawford and Kwan noticed that Kyle’s lips started bleeding. Because it was the last day of the trip, the couple decided they would wait until they were home to bring him to the doctor.

A Bad Sign

Kyle Crawford Story
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Shortly after arriving at home, however, Kyle started vomiting blood. Crawford and Kwan knew that wasn’t normal and that their instincts had been right all along. Something was very wrong with their 4-year-old. Rather than wasting any more time, the couple brought Kyle straight to the hospital.

Getting Some Answers

Kyle Crawford Story
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Once at the emergency room, the terrified parents described all of Kyle’s symptoms to the nurses and doctors. The team performed several tests, and soon after they had a diagnosis. According to Crawford and Kwan, they were told that their son was suffering from a rare and dangerous condition.

The Diagnosis

Kyle Crawford Story
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Kyle was diagnosed with a severe form of aplastic anemia, a rare blood disease where the body stops creating red blood cells. If it was left untreated, it meant that a simple infection that most kids’ immune systems would be able to fight off could actually kill Kyle.

The Bad News

Kyle Crawford Story
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Kyle’s parents were glad they discovered Kyle was sick before it had gotten to that point. However, doctors then broke the bad news to them. The only way Kyle could get better from severe aplastic anemia was if he underwent a bone marrow transplant.

An Added Challenge

Kyle Crawford Story
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Normally, finding a matching bone marrow donor is an extremely difficult and lengthy process. According to the doctors, Kyle’s case was even more challenging because he was half Caucasian and half Chinese. Doctors hoped they would find a donor within their family, but sadly, no one came back as a match.

Buying More TIme

Kyle Crawford Story
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To buy Kyle more time, doctors put Kyle on cyclosporine, a drug that suppresses the immune cells’ activity that damage his bone marrow. Unfortunately, however, this was only a temporary fix. The drug can cause permanent organ damage if used for too long.

Running Out Of TIme

Kyle Crawford Story
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By the summer of 2014, doctors explained they had to take Kyle off the drug. It was too risky for him to continue taking them as the drug would soon start damaging his vital organs. Now, the pressure was really on to find a matching bone marrow donor.

The Search Continues

Kyle Crawford Story
  shutterstock.com

Kyle’s parents desperately held donor registration events in the hopes that someone they recruited to help would be a donor. They also reached out to Be The Match, the world’s largest bone marrow donor registry, which is located in Minneapolis and has been connecting donors with patients needing bone marrow transplants for 25 years.

Slim Odds

Kyle Crawford Story
  www.bethematch.org

After speaking to Be The Match, however, the family was struck by how hard it would be to find a donor for Kyle. According to the registry, only four percent of donors are mixed race. After searching through their registry, however, Be The Match miraculously found a match for Kyle.

The Match

Kyle Crawford Story
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In August 2014, Be The Match contacted Lieutenant Kawika Segundo. Segundo, an Iraq War veteran and father of two, is Caucasian, Chinese, and Hawaiian. At that time, he had been working as the department head for the administration department for Naval Health Clinic Annapolis.

A Good Deed

Kyle Crawford Story
  www.salutetolife.org

In 2009, however, he had joined the C.CW. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program while he was undergoing radiation health tech training. When he received a call that August day in 2014, he had almost completely forgotten about his good deed several years before.

An Unusual Phone Call

Kyle Crawford Story
  shutterstock.com

“When I got the call, I thought it must be a telemarketer, so I was considering to not pick it up,” Segundo told Maui News. “I picked it up defensively and they immediately told me, ‘Hey we got this kid and you’re found to be a probable match. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

Committing To Help

Kyle Crawford Story
  shutterstock.com

Segundo was interested in helping out the 7-year-old across the country but had to get approval from both his wife and from his chain of command since harvesting bone marrow is considered an elective surgery. With their approval, he committed to helping save Kyle’s life. “If it wasn’t for the military, I wouldn’t have been in that drive, so I don’t know what the chances would have been for Kyle to find a match,” Segundo said.

The Transplant

Kyle Crawford Story
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On September 23, 2014, Segundo underwent surgery to extract bone marrow from his hip at the Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Kyle was waiting desperately for the bone marrow after undergoing intense chemotherapy and radiation to wipe out his immune system so his body wouldn’t reject the donation.

A Year Later

Kyle Crawford Story
  Be The Match / YouTube

Thankfully, the transplant was a success and Kyle has since been able to return to the school and is even back to playing sports. A year after the transplant, Kyle was finally able to meet the war hero who had become his personal hero. “I’ve done a lot of cool stuff in the military, but nothing really compares to this,” Segundo said. “This is really life-changing being able to save somebody’s life.” During their first meeting, Segundo even gave Kyle the Purple Heart he received for his service in Iraq. “There are many heroes in this world,” he told Kyle.

Bonded For Life

Kyle Crawford Story
  Be The Match / YouTube

Now, the two families are bonded for life and take family vacations together to Hawaii, where Segundo grew up and where Kyle’s parents went on their honeymoon. “I told him he is now part of our ohana,” Kwan told Maui News. “How do you thank somebody who saved your son’s life? As a mother, you just can’t thank somebody enough,” she added about her family’s hero. “I don’t even know what to do, he’s just such an awesome guy. It’s literally like we won the lottery. It was that slim.”

US Soldier Is Perfect Match For 7-Year-Old Boy Who Needs Bone Marrow Transplant is an article from: LifeDaily

San Diego Teens Vacation In Mexico Never To Return

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Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story

When San Diego teen, 17-year-old Christopher Alexis Gomez and his best friend, 18-year-old Juan Suarez-Ojeda visited Tijuana in Mexico for a vacation they knew that the area they were staying in had a high crime rate.

The friends had no criminal record and were not known to authorities in Mexico. Apart from a questionable charge for car theft back in the US, these friends appeared to be on vacation, though the trip didn’t go as planned…

High School

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

While Gomez was in his senior year at O’Farrell Charter High School, he was far more interested in pursuing his passion for Football than anything else. His buddy Suarez-Ojeda was a little more studious than his friend but not by much. Suarez-Ojeda had also graduated from Ingenuity Charter School on the shared Encanto campus earlier this year. A break was coming up, so the two teens decided to book a vacation to Tijuana in Mexico. They had Mexican roots and had visited family in the country before.

High-Crime

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
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Tijuana is a border city in Mexico, just south of California. It’s main street, called Avenida Revolución, is full of souvenir shops for tourists as well as many lively bars and restaurants offering local cuisine at reasonable prices. Despite some of its charm though, this border city is rife with crime and enjoys the notorious honor of having one of the highest murder rates in Mexico.

Lomas Verdes

Why the pair decided to find accommodation in the dangerous Lomas Verdes neighborhood is anyone’s guess. While the area is considered middle-class, it is also known to be a high-crime area in central Tijuana with much drug-dealing and domestic violence. The area is known as a “bedroom community” as the majority of the residents living there commute to México City for work.

Victims Found

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
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Just a few days after the two friends arrived at their holiday destination they were found murdered outside the complex where they were staying. The semi-naked bodies of the two teens and a third local teen, having all been shot execution-style by a single bullet to the head were found. The bodies were found during the early hours of the morning, and no witnesses had seen or heard anything the night before.

Ongoing Investigation

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
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When Jorge Alvarez, the head of the Baja California Attorney General’s Office in Tijuana, gave a press conference on the case, he was obviously hiding some vital information. He said that preliminary information indicated that the two San Diegans knew the neighborhood where they were killed well. They had family there and were visiting them during their trip.

Frequent Visits

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
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Alvarez also confirmed to reporters in a heated exchange of questions and answers that the teens visited the area regularly. “They did not live there, but they came to visit family members, one of them apparently did so frequently,” Alvarez said according to a San Diego Union-Tribune report.

Third Victim

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  Handout / www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Angel Said Robles was a 17-year-old Tijuana high-schooler was also murdered at the same place, but the connection between Robles and the two American teens was unclear. They knew each other, as confirmed by Gomez’s cousin, Katheryn Garcia, but the connection between the three was tenuous and they were likely just good friends.

Contradicting Stories

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
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Despite the police’s take that Gomez had visited Tijuana many times before, his cousin Garcia claimed that he had never visited the city before. She claimed Gomez was raised in San Diego and had only visited Mexico once. On that trip, he traveled with his family to visit other family members in Morelia, the capital of the central state of Michoacan, she said.

Innocent Boy

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

Garcia described her cousin as “an innocent boy” who was the “sweetest, most selfless person.” He had recently gotten a job cleaning cars at a parking lot near the San Diego International Airport and following graduation, planned to join the marines. “We’re all in disbelief that this happened,” Garcia said during a phone interview.

Barbecue Time

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

Gomez’s family reported that Gomez headed out Friday with Suarez-Ojeda, who was dating his sister. Robles joined the two friends, and the trio attended a barbecue with friends and family on that night at a residence in Ensenada. The San Diego teens never made it home, and when Robles called his mother, he told her the boys were safe but had lost their cellphones.

Frantic Search

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

As soon as the families contacted the Baja California authorities to report the teens missing, a frantic search was initiated to locate them. Tragically, at the same time approximately, the Tijuana police had found the bodies of three teens who had all been shot outside the Lomas Verdes apartments.

Some Hope

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

Before the bodies were positively identified, the families were holding on to hope that the boys were still alive. “We were still holding out hope it wasn’t them,” Garcia said. But as soon as Gomez’s uncle went to identify the bodies at the morgue, their worst fears were confirmed. The tragic news soon reached the administration and students of the O’Farrell Charter High School.

Pretty Devastating

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
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Superintendent of the O’Farrell Charter School, Jonathan Dean, was also contacted by reporters following the incident. “It’s been pretty devastating for students and staff,” he said. “It’s a tough situation.” Meanwhile, Dean and his staff ensured that social workers and counselors were available for students should they wish to talk to someone. The school’s senior class of 135 students also held a meeting to discuss plans for a memorial service.

Good Kid

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  www.gofundme.com/2-o039farrell-families-tragically-lost-their-sons

According to superintendent Dean, Gomez was a “really nice, good kid.” He explained that the teen was a leader during this year’s football team’s inaugural season and was even considering entering professional football at some point. According to John Van Houten, a former teacher and basketball coach at O’Farrell, Gomez also liked basketball and enjoyed coming to watch his friends play.

Hard Working

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  www.gofundme.com/2-o039farrell-families-tragically-lost-their-sons

While Van Houten explained that Gomez came to all the school’s basketball games, his cousin explained that he was a hard worker and had high hopes for the future. “He was so hard working, always helping his parents out,” Garcia said. “Nobody had a bad thing to say about him, he was just so goofy, happy and always smiling,” she added.

Sad Story

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

Garcia spoke more about the tragedy that had befallen her family. “I know how this story sounds, like something that people hear on the news: You go to Tijuana, and this happens,” Garcia said. “But he was the most selfless, kindest boy ever … This shouldn’t have happened to him.” His freind, Suarez-Ojeda, did finally graduate too but he reportedly had issues at school.

Team Effort

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  Juan Suarez Ojeda / Facebook

When Suarez-Ojeda dropped out of school at O’Farrell, Dean called his mother in for a meeting. He said she was instrumental in convincing him to enroll at Ingenuity, an independent study program that shares a campus with O’Farrell. It was a team effort, but it paid off, and the teen received his high school diploma.

High Hopes

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  shutterstock.com

Robles’ uncle told reporters that his nephew attended the Jose Vasconcelos high school in Tijuana and worked part-time as a barista at a coffee shop to make some extra cash. He was earning money to buy a car and had hoped to attend college to become an industrial engineer. “His name Angel was what he was to all his family,” his uncle said. “A great kid with good grades in school, kind, lovable. He will be missed.”

Mistaken Identity

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  Photo Spirit / shutterstock.com

The uncle explained that the family felt the murder must have been a case of mistaken identity. “His whole family is broken,” he said. In the meantime, Mexican officials say they are working closely with US authorities. “When we have this type of incident, we work together with US authorities,” Alvarez said. “They help us, and we help them.”

Raising Funds

Juan Suarez-Ojeda Story
  www.gofundme.com/2-o039farrell-families-tragically-lost-their-sons

When the faculty at O’Farrell found out that the families barely had enough cash to fly the teens home for burial, they immediately set up a GoFundMe page to help out. “We are asking for donations to help both families cover the funeral arrangements and any other unexpected costs,” reads the page. The case is ongoing as Mexican authorities do what they can to locate and apprehend the perpetrators of this horrific triple-murder.

San Diego Teens Vacation In Mexico Never To Return is an article from: LifeDaily

Colombian Drug Lord Undergoes Extensive Plastic Surgery To Avoid Capture

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Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story

When world-renowned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was caught by law enforcement, everyone knew that a domino effect would ensue. After all, once a drug lord is finally caught there are friends, accomplices and business partners who also certainly had some involvement.

Due to the nature of the charges and sentences these men face, it’s common for them to do what they can to make themselves undetectable to the cops. One accomplice of El Chapo’s, a man named Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía, who was nicknamed Chupeta, went to remarkably astonishing lengths to avoid capture. Just how much this man did to stay hidden is something to behold…

North Valley Cartel

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

Abadia was one of the main leaders of the North Valley Cartel. This cartel was involved in millions of dollars of drug trafficking but also murder and RICO charges in the US. According to police, Abadia was also involved in extensive money laundering as well as heroin trafficking. This man amassed a personal estate of $1.8 billion according to the US Department of State but was able to avoid law enforcement for years.

Dodging Cops

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

Abadia and his cohorts were masters of disguise as well as being drug trafficking experts. They went to great lengths not to be caught by the police and would stop at nothing to ensure that remained the case. But according to Adam J. Szubin, Director of the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Abadia was “one of the most powerful and most elusive drug traffickers in Colombia.”

Cali Cartel

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

While El Chapo had been around for a while, Abadia entered the drug trafficking scene in 1986 under the so-called Cali Cartel. By the mid-1990s, Abadia had smuggled thousands of kilos of cocaine into San Antonio and Los Angeles. Abadia was the youngest of the members of the cartel and was not to be reckoned with as he had a propensity for violence.

Arrests Made

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

By January 2007, Colombian officials stepped up efforts to combat the drug cartels who were seemingly running free. They carried out some targeted raids on their financial holdings and seized $54 million in cash and gold in just one week, hidden in buildings in the south-eastern portion of Cali. The residents of the homes where the money was found were taken into custody, but the $54 million was but a drop in the ocean of Abadia’s $1.8 billion fortune.

Finding Abadia

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

In August 2007, Abadia was arrested in an exclusive area of Brazil called Aldeia da Serra. He sat in jail for years until he was extradited to the US by the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil in 2008. He was finally extradited in August 2008. An auction of his possessions followed his arrest as hundreds of Brazilians stood in line to get a piece of his massive estate.

El Chapo Trial

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  www.ice.gov

During the trial of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, defense lawyers claimed they intended to discredit prosecution witnesses who they called “criminal liars” who would say anything to convict their client and come to a deal with the prosecution. First on the stand was Abadia, who was hammered for more than an hour by defense lawyers.

Killings Ordered

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

As well as admitting to the assassination of a man in Queens, Abadia was accused in the federal court in Brooklyn of being involved in the murders of 150 people. He even kept meticulous financial records which listed the costs of those killings. Guzmán’s lawyer William Purpura showed jurors an image of a business ledger and asked Abadia if an entry referred to “the murders of three people.” He said, “That’s correct.” He claimed not to remember the victim’s names but admitted the cost of the killings was $45,000.

Admitting Guilt

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

In court, through an interpreter, Abadia admitted ordering the killing of a brother of a cartel member who he believed was a snitch. He even admitted openly that that hit specifically cost exactly $338,776. When he was asked to explain why that hit cost so much more than the others, he said, “It was a big group of hit men who took part in that killing.”

Brutal Man

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

It soon became clear that Abadia would stop at nothing to protect his business and financial interests. He admitted in court that he invited the cartel member named Tocayo to a meeting where he and his associates were shot and killed. Abadia admitted that the bodies of the men were thrown into the back of a pickup truck and disposed of accordingly.

Violence Necessary

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

Attorneys were shocked by the matter-of-fact way in which Abadia spoke about murder and violence. After acknowledging that he killed a man by shooting him in the face at the distance of one meter, he told the court, “It’s impossible to be the leader of a cartel in Colombia without violence,” making out like he was just doing his job and that this was normal behavior.

Discrediting Witnesses

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

The whole effort from Guzman’s defense team was to attempt to discredit Abadia to make his claims against Guzman of drug trafficking, conspiracy, money laundering and other crimes not credible. The attorney then turned his attention to Abadia’s face, which had been through extensive plastic surgery.

Fooling Nobody

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  PD-US / Wikipedia

Despite thousands of dollars and hours under the plastic surgeon’s knife, Abadia was fooling no one. He was traced by US and Brazilian authorities to a hideout in an upscale neighborhood outside São Paulo and arrested. He was finally identified by prosecutors using voice-recognition technology.

Bribing Officials

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

Abadia admitted openly that he was a liar. He promised Colombian authorities that he would dismantle his cartel, stop selling cocaine and cooperate with them in exchange for a lighter prison sentence, but he never kept that promise. “Would you lie to avoid arrest, avoid extradition, avoid going to prison?” the attorney asked. “At that time, of course, I lied,” replied Abadia.

Maximum Sentence

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  Attila JANDI / shutterstock.com

At the age of 55, Abadia is all set to receive the maximum sentence of 30 years for a guilty plea he made back in 2010. That sentence could be reduced to 25 years if it’s deemed that the suspect cooperated and was telling the truth. But Abadia is the third drug kingpin to implicate Guzman as the ringleader of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel.

Different Methods

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

Abadia explained to jurors that he and Guzman, as well as many others, used different methods to smuggle cocaine from Colombia, via Mexico to the US. In the early 90s, drug shipments were mainly transported on planes. But after authorities caught on to this method of smuggling, the cartels agreed to shift the shipments to Pacific Ocean shrimp boats.

Virgin Method

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  Najmi Arif / shutterstock.com

The cartel members called the shrimp boats a “virgin method,” as they had no idea whether it would prove to be lucrative or not. According to Abadia, Guzman requested he joined him and others in seeking approval for this shipment method from Juan José Esparragoza Moreno, a respected member of the crime group whose nickname was El Azul. But once the game was up, Abadia wanted to do whatever he could to not be caught by the cops.

Three Surgeries

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

When Abadia was asked in court about his altered appearance, he explained that his jawbone, cheekbones, eyes, mouth, ears, and nose were all altered during at least three rounds of plastic surgery. But Abadia’s success was mainly down to a meeting he had with Guzman at a hotel in Mexico where the men agreed to work together.

Purest Product

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

Abadia recalled in court that when Guzman told him he wanted the “purest product possible,” he was happy to oblige due to wanting “a reputation for myself for my cocaine being so good,” he said. Guzman also asked for a larger cut of the proceeds as his network was so large and successful. “I’m a lot faster. You’ll see,” he recalled Guzman bragging.

Positive Identification

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

For the most part, the plastic surgery had worked. Abadia looked so different that when cops finally caught up with him, they needed to use voice recognition to confirm it was the suspect as no one was sure. Once they confirmed it was him, that extensive and painful plastic surgery accounted for nothing and was pointless.

Going Down

Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia Story
  shutterstock.com

While law enforcement across South America as well as in the States was looking for these cartel members for years, they were pleased that they were finally caught. Now, authorities in the US have to carefully play a delicate cat and mouse game to get the cartel members to testify against each other so that the maximum sentences can be handed down to men who ruined the lives of thousands of people and took the lives of others.

Colombian Drug Lord Undergoes Extensive Plastic Surgery To Avoid Capture is an article from: LifeDaily

Richest Temple In India Holds Just As Much Mystery As It Does Wealth

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Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple has been a fascination in India for many years and one that involves both mystery and fear. The six chambers that reside in the Temple are known to have billions, if not trillions, in gold, diamonds, rubies, gems, and other precious stones.

All but one of the six chambers has been opened, and legend has it that anyone who opens the final treasure chamber will be met with disastrous results…

Sree Padmanabhaswamy

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  shutterstock.com

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is one of the 108 centers of worship in Vaishnavism. It’s renown from the early medieval Tamil literature (6th-9th centuries), with structural additions made throughout the 16th century.

Lord Padmanabhaswamy

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
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The Temple and its assets belong to Lord Padmanabhaswamy and were controlled by a trust headed by the Travancore Royal family for a long time. However, the Supreme Court of India has since removed the Travancore Royal family from leading the management of the Temple.

Hindi Temple

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  shutterstock.com

The Temple stands as a replica of the famous Sri Adikesavaperumal Temple at Thiruvattar and only Hindus are allowed to enter. Inside of the temple, Sri Padmanabha reclines on the serpent Anantha or Adi Sesha. The serpent has five hoods which are facing inwards and this is meant to signify contemplation.

Serpent

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  CRS PHOTO / shutterstock.com

“The Lord’s right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam. Sridevi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Bhudevi the Goddess of Earth, two consorts of Vishnu are by his side. Brahma emerges on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of the Lord,” according to Forbes contributor Jim Dobson.

Trip To India

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  suronin / shutterstock.com

While he was traveling throughout India, he visited Thiruvanathapuram on the southwest coast, and couldn’t help but stop by to see the famed Temple. “Visiting the temple, I was awestruck at its decadence and gold-plated glory. This was after all the richest temple in the world,” he said.

Six Chambers

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
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Among the six chambers in the Temple, Chamber B is not part of the Temple Treasury, but it does house an idol of Sri Padmanabha and many valuables. Since Dobson’s article was published in 2015, the Supreme Court of India and its seven-member committee have open six of the secrets vaults.

Secret Vaults

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  shutterstock.com

The secret vaults found 20 feet underground, contained approximately $22 billion in treasure, including golden elephants, golden idols, and idols wearing 18-foot diamond necklaces. There was also many bags of gold coins from around the world and ceremonial costumes including 66-pound solid gold coconut shells studded with rubies and emeralds.

Vault A

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  shutterstock.com

“After my visit, it was announced that a hidden treasure vault had been discovered beyond the already well-documented Vault B inside,” Dobson said. In an inventory list from August 2014, Vault A contained 2,000 pounds of gold coins dating to around 200 B.C.

Billions In Treasure

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  shutterstock.com

A pure Golden Throne adorned with hundreds of diamonds and fully precious stones, meant as a seat for the 18-foot-long Deity was also discovered. In addition, there was solid gold crowns, all studded with diamonds, and many other precious stones.

Valuables

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
  shutterstock.com

It’s estimated that the valuables have been accumulated in the temple over several thousands of years “having been donated to the Deity by various Dynasties and Kings,” Dobson said. In 2014, he wrote that Jake Halpern, a journalist with The New Yorker Magazine, conducted extensive interviews with the people who opened the vaults.

Vaults A & B

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Story
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Halpern said, “The doors to Vaults A and B required multiple keys, which had been entrusted to Varma and the Temple’s current executive, V.K. Harikumar. The observers used the keys to open the metal-grille door to Vault B, and discovered a sturdy wooden door just behind it.”

Observers

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The observers then entered a small room with a huge rectangular slab on the floor, resembling a toppled tombstone. “It took five men more than thirty minutes to move the slab. Beneath it they found a narrow, pitch-black passage, barely wide enough for an adult to get through, leading down a short flight of steps,” Halpern said.

Special Equipment

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Before the observers descended, a team of firemen arrived and used special equipment to pump oxygen into the enclosure, and at the bottom of the stairs was the vault. One of the observers was a 59-year-old attorney named M. Balagovindan, and he recalled his first glimpse of the treasure.

Darkened Vault

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“When they removed the granite stone, it was almost perfectly dark, except for a small amount of light coming in through the doorway behind us. As I looked into the darkened vault, what I saw looked like stars glittering in a night sky when there is no moon,” M. Balagovindan said.

Diamonds And Gems

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“Diamonds and gems were sparkling, reflecting what little light there was. Much of the wealth had originally been stored in wooden boxes, but, with time, the boxes had cracked and turned to dust. And so the gems and gold were just sitting in piles on the dusty floor. It was amazing,” he added.

Chamber B

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For many years, Chamber B has been considered as highly mysterious by astrologers of India. Dodson said that “If any human attempts are made with man-made technology to open the mysterious inner chamber beyond Chamber B, other than by chanting highly sacred and powerful ‘GARUDA MANTRAS,’ it is told that disasters are likely to occur in and around the Temple and throughout India and quite possibly the world.”

Disaster

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Dodson said that “If any human attempts are made with man-made technology to open the mysterious inner chamber beyond Chamber B, other than by chanting highly sacred and powerful ‘GARUDA MANTRAS,’ it is told that disasters are likely to occur in and around the Temple and throughout India and quite possibly the world.”

Unsuccessful Attempts

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In a book titled “Travancore: A guidebook for the visitor,” written by Emily Gilchrist Hatch, she recalled a group of people who tried to open the vaults in 1931 and they to flee for their lives when they found the place infested with cobras. A similar attempt was also unsuccessful in 1908.

Large Diamonds

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However, when observers got a close look at Vault A, they discovered loose diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other stones. According to M. Balagovindan, the most impressive of the gems were the large diamonds, some of which were a hundred and ten carats “the size of a large thumb,” as he put it.

Investigation

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Today, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is protected by metal detectors, security guards, and more than two hundred guards equipped with machine guns. In November 2015, the court was submitted a 500-page report pointing out instances of theft and grave mismanagement. The investigation could end up in higher courts or it could be dismissed. “The fear of the unknown is very real in India, and even Supreme Court judges are not immune to its legend,” Dobson said.

Richest Temple In India Holds Just As Much Mystery As It Does Wealth is an article from: LifeDaily

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