Heart transplant girl misses father-daughter dance – hospital came to rescue
A ten-year-old girl waiting for a heart transplant missed out on her school father-daughter dance—so staff recreated it in the hospital.
Ava Cooper was born on July 1, 2014, with several heart defects.
She had her first open-heart surgery when she was six days old, and in May 2024, a sinus infection escalated, pushing her into heart failure, and she was put on the transplant list.
Ava has spent more than 200 days at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Cleveland, Ohio, waiting for a donor heart.
Usually, in February, Ava would attend a father-daughter dance at school, so on February 12, 2025, the hospital decorated her room and turned it into a dance hall.
Corsage in hand, her dad, Sean, 38, was waiting for Ava outside her room to take her to the ball.
Greeted into the space with a round of applause from caregivers who are more like family, Ava and her father danced to a curated playlist of her favorite songs created by one of the music therapists.
Sean, from Cleveland, Ohio, said: “It was an unforgettable experience.
“We can’t thank Ava’s care team and everyone involved enough for making this such a special dance.
“I’m grateful to be a girl dad. It means being inspired to always be better.”
Baby born with ear on his cheek as part of rare syndrome
A baby was diagnosed with a rare syndrome after being born with an ear on the right side of his cheek.
Vinnie James, a four-month-old, has Goldenhar syndrome – an extremely rare condition characterized by the abnormal development of the eye, ear, and spine.
His parents, Grace, 25, and Rhys James, 26, noticed a small ear on their newborn son’s cheek after he was born, and he was rushed to the ICU.
At two months old, little Vinnie – who was also born without a right eye – was diagnosed and has since undergone surgery to have a tracheostomy fitted when he stopped breathing.
Vinnie has started the process to have a prosthetic eye fitted and will need surgery to relocate his ear in the coming years.
Rhys, a business owner from Bridgend, Wales, said: “When Grace gave birth, he wasn’t breathing, so they rushed him over to a table, and I didn’t know what to do – I went into the bathroom and started praying.
“I then noticed a small ear on his right cheek; I didn’t know what had happened – I was really shocked in the moment.”
Grace had a smooth pregnancy and had been unaware of Vinnie’s condition before he was born.
Vinnie was born on November 9, 2024, but was immediately rushed to the intensive care unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen when he wasn’t breathing.
He was put on a ventilator for an hour after he was born, and doctors told his parents they suspected he might have Goldenhar syndrome.
Rhys said: “We didn’t know what it was – we were really shocked and had no preparation for it. We sat there, confused and tired.”
They stayed in Glangwili Hospital for four days before being moved to Heath Hospital in Cardiff, where Vinnie stayed for 61 days.
After an initial discharge meeting, Vinnie’s doctors conducted a sleep study, but when he stopped breathing, he was rushed into surgery.
Rhys said: “He was a month and a half old when they had to give him a tracheostomy.
“After surgery, he was on a ventilator, but doctors started to realize his lungs were too strong, and he was breathing against the machine, so he was off the ventilator within a week.
“It was really amazing – we knew he was progressing.”
After the surgery, Grace and Rhys spent time completing training on tracheostomy care, including how to pass a nasogastric tube – a tube that goes through the nose into the stomach – to feed Vinnie.
Despite his progress, Vinnie’s tracheostomy still has to be suctioned multiple times a day, and he is more prone to illnesses and infections.
He has suffered from two chest infections since being discharged from the hospital.
Vinnie is now under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital and has begun the process to get a prosthetic eye fitted. He will also need surgery to relocate his ear in the coming years.
Vinnie’s parents now must travel from Bridgend to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London every two weeks for his eye appointments – with the cost of travel and living expenses becoming overbearing.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help support Vinnie’s parents with these expenses – and has raised £4,900 so far.
Rhys said: “It’s the biggest blessing we’ve ever received.”
Vinnie’s mom, Grace, is now a full-time caregiver for their son, having formerly been a receptionist.
Rhys added: “When I have a day off, I don’t get paid, so the money is the most amazing thing for us in this situation.
“We wouldn’t be able to do it without the money – I’d be in a lot of debt.”
With thousands raised, the family’s worries about the financial aspects of Vinnie’s care can be less of a burden – but there are still countless procedures and surgeries in Vinnie’s future.
Rhys added: “I can’t even put into words how much this will help.
“We say the soul is more important than facial features, but for his quality of life, it will matter to him.”
Despite all the challenges, parents Rhys and Grace have stayed positive.
Rhys said: “We’re still new to this, but we’ve learned to adapt to the situation and use it as a way to spread awareness for those who suffer from disabilities.
“We want to encourage people to contact us if they feel like they’re struggling – we’d love to speak to people and tell them how we got through this journey and give them advice.
“Hopefully, Vinnie can inspire a lot of people.”
Support Vinnie and his family here – https://www.gofundme.com/f/n2g4y5-supporting-little-vinnie-on-his-medical-journey
Mum’s heartbreak as one-year-old’s rare disorder leaves her always hungry
A mum has told of her daughter’s “devastating” rare disorder – which will lead to her feeling permanently “starving”.
Min Kaur, 45, was told her one-year-old daughter, Sophia, suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome in January 2024 after she went in-and-out of consciousness and floppy.
The rare genetic disorder causes a wide range of physical symptoms, learning disabilities and behavioural challenges.
Typical signs of Prader-Willi syndrome include restricted growth, floppiness and an excessive appetite which can easily lead to dangerous weight gain.
While Sophia’s eating habits are currently “normal” and she appears to know when she’s full, her dietician has told Min she may start to overeat from the age of two.
Mum-of-one Min was even informed it may get so severe, she’ll need to put a lock on her fridge.
Former support worker Min, who cares for Sophia full-time, from Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, said: “I don’t know how long Sophia is going to live – at the moment, I’m trying to be as positive as I can.
“I’ve got an excellent care team and I’m learning as I go – I feel prepared to start keeping an eye on her weight within the next few years.
“Sophia’s doctors say she’ll live longer if she can maintain a healthy weight – they just can’t say how long.”
As an older mum, Min decided to get Sophia screened for Down syndrome while she was 12 weeks pregnant.
She says, had a screening been available for Prader-Willi syndrome and other genetic disorders, she would’ve done them, too.
The scan came back clear, and the original plan was for Min to have an induced labour at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, on January 12, 2024.
But when the day arrived, the drugs were unable to start Min’s contractions, and 14 hours later than planned, she was taken for a c-section.
“Sophia just wasn’t coming at all, so they decided to do a c-section,” Min said.
“I was absolutely desperate to get her out and have her here, safe and sound.”
Sophia was born at 2.22am on January 14, 2024, weighing 6lbs 3oz.
Min immediately noticed she wasn’t making any noise, was freezing and would fade in and out of consciousness.
But, she says, doctors kept an eye on her during genetic testing, and she was then taken to the ICU.
On January 21, 2024, Sophia’s genetic blood test came back positive for Prader-Willi syndrome.
Min said: “It was so scary.
“I kept blaming myself – but my care team reassured me I hadn’t done anything to hurt her.
“I didn’t know anything about Prader-Willi at all – of course, I’m more clued up now.
“They say she’ll have a shorter life – and won’t have an off-switch for eating.”
The tot spent four weeks in the intensive care unit, before being discharged back home with Min – who has needed to give up work in order to look after her full-time.
Sophia sees a physiotherapist every Thursday to help learn core movements like crawling – but she isn’t expected to hit her milestones at the same rate as “healthy” babies.
She also has a dietician, who will be helping Min create healthy meal plans for Sophia to stick to as she gets older.
“I’m really going to have to be in control of her food as she grows up,” she said.
“It’s not going to hit her until she’s two years old – as long as she doesn’t get obese, she should be able to live a longer life.
“At the moment, she seems to know when she’s full – she puts her lips together when she doesn’t want to eat any more.
“She’s also a healthy weight.”
While visiting Sophia daily in the ICU, Min spent all of her £5k savings on travel, food, urgent home repairs and sensory toys for the tot.
She hopes to adapt her home to meet Sophia’s needs – but is currently unable to afford the costs after giving up work.
“I’m not the kind of person to ask for help – and if I could go back to work ASAP, I would,” Min said.
“But I’ve come to the point where I have no choice.
“How can I give Sophia the best she deserves if she doesn’t have space?”
Min and Sophia’s GoFundMe can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-give-sophia-space-to-crawl-and-walk
Toddler steals eyeliner and doodles all over the walls
A mum shares the hilarious moment her toddler stole her eyeliner and covered the walls in make-up.
Mum Jackline Mwende, 42, had dozed off while her son Thabani Canessius, two, napped in his cot.
But the mum-of-two woke up to find that Thabani had reached out of his cot and got hold of her eyeliner from her make-up bag and started doodling on the wardrobe.
He used the entire eyeliner pen drawing on the walls and on himself too.
Jackline, a stay-at-home-mum, from Bristol, said: ‘’He really went on a mission.
‘’We had to wash his mouth, hands, face…. even scrub his tongue!’’
Jackline had dozed off at around 4pm on February 4, 2025 after suffering with a migraine.
She woke up an hour later to ‘’dark colour absolutely everywhere’’.
She said: ”I saw dark writing on the wall, and my initial reaction was shock-horror’.
”I switched the light on… and I was mortified.”
Luckily Jackline and Thabani’s dad, Goodwill Canessius, found it hilarious but stayed calm to try and clean it up.
Jackline tried vinegar and lemon juice to remove the make-up and had to use bleach to restore the wardrobe back to its previous white colour.
But the mischievous toddler was apologetic enough, promising his mother that ‘’I wont do it again’’.
Jackline said: ”He’s done loads of hilarious things which I haven’t caught on camera, but my initial reaction was ‘please Thabani, please tell me you haven’t’.
“I almost thought I was dreaming!”
“We’ve furnished our home for FREE by dumpster diving and save £9k a year on food”
Meet the dumpster-diving couple who have furnished their entire home for FREE using items people have thrown away and save £9k-a-year on food eating out of bins.
Amir Jardan, 38, and his fiancé, Ruth Moore, 27, have been finding treasures in dumpsters since 2022.
Over the years, the pair from Dorchester, Dorset, have discovered items such as faulty iPads and drones in the trash – that Amir restores.
They’ve also got their hands on rare trainers, luxury perfumes and designer clothing.
The savvy couple – who have three children aged seven, five and six months- even stock their fridge and pantry with bread, pasta, chocolate and crisps they find in supermarket bins and spend a minute £50-a-week topping up with a food shop.
They have even been able to deck out their entire cottage in Dunelm furniture they discovered in the store’s bin – including a light fitting worth £135, a coffee table worth £170 and rugs worth up to £60.
They spend up to nine hours a week trawling through the bins of their local stores – and say it’s saved them £7,000 in total on home decor and saves them roughly £9,300-a-year on groceries.
Amir, a fire alarm engineer, said: “We get an adrenaline rush every time we go, we can’t stop.
“You never know what you’re going to find – it’s like treasure hunting.
“We don’t shop anymore because you don’t get the same buzz when something is full price.
“Ruth and I are both from humble beginnings so we know what the cost-of-living is like – which is worse than ever.
“Anything we won’t use or keep, we donate to the charity, We Are Humans.
“It’s fun to cop a steal but we want to give back to people who need it and do our bit for the environment.
“We’re teaching our kids the true value of items.
“I hope one day to launch a programme when I can go into schools and teach kids why dumpster diving is a great hobby and resource.”
Ruth, a postwoman, added: “It’s our bonding time and getting in those industrial bins is a workout.
“Some of our mates say to Amir ‘oh, you’re taking the Mrs to the bins again?’ but it’s me that’s taking him!
“I know what it’s like to not be able to afford certain things and small luxuries, so I love that we can donate things that would be in landfill.
“Our family don’t need a lot, so why not get it out of a dumpster?”
The couple – who met in 2021 when Ruth was Amir’s postwoman- started dumpster diving in April 2022 to keep up with the rising cost-of-living.
Starting out with taking items from designated bins, they found a plethora of furniture – including rugs, lamps, clocks and even a TV stand which they refurbished themselves.
Soon after, realised they could get an entire food shop from bread, crisps, chocolate, vegetables and meat.
Amir said: “We’d known about the concept of dumpster diving and were curious about what we could find.
“On our first dive, we found loads of furniture which meant we were able to decorate our home.
“Then we moved on to food and haven’t looked back.
“We only spend £50-a-month on food, which is mainly a takeaway coffee because that’s our treat.”
The couple started documenting their adventures on YouTube in November 2023 where they have over 7k followers and share their weekly hauls.
Whatever they don’t keep they donate to the Bournemouth-based charity, We Are Humans, which provides food and other essentials to locals in need.
“We never keep more than our means, we don’t like to be greedy,” Amir said.
“If there are clothes that are fit for someone who needs them or tonnes of canned goods, we donate that and more.
“I love the community we’ve built online because it helps educate people that dumpster diving isn’t weird.
“It’s fun, good for the bank account and environment.
“There’s not a lot we won’t dive for – except for meat, that’s where we draw the line.”
To keep up with Amir and Ruth’s finds, find them @CoupleofDumpsters on YouTube.
Some of Amir and Ruth’s best finds:
- £600 worth of Lancôme make-up
- X-Box controllers worth £70
- iPad 10? retailing at £329
- Dunelm rugs worth £1,200 total
- New Balance trainers retailing at £110
- Dunelm light fitting worth £135
- Michael Kors jacket retailing at £400
“I was a real-life Rapunzel – but chopped my hair off for an easier life”
A woman branded a “real life Rapunzel” by her friends and family says she decided to chop a metre off her hair because she got bored of it.
Anaram Alizadeh, 25, blamed her lengthy locks for worsening her neck and shoulder pain and says they took an entire day to wash and style.
Despite loving the compliments she received, the political science student says having 1m 20cm hair wasn’t worth the upkeep – and her head feels a lot lighter now.
She paid £88 to get the big chop and has donated her hair to a local charity who make wigs for people undergoing chemotherapy.
Anaram, who studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, said: “I was really scared I wouldn’t like myself anymore if I cut my hair – people would call me a real life Rapunzel – and it really felt part of who I was.
“I just couldn’t bring myself to finally cut it all off.
“But it eventually felt like it was a part of self-care – it was affecting my posture and causing neck and shoulder pain.
“Even my physiotherapist advised me to cut it.”
For the last five years, Anaram only ever cut the split ends off her hair and refused to go further than a 10cm trim.
She’d only ever trim her own hair once-a-year – as hairdressers would turn her away because of her long tresses.
At its longest, the student’s mane grew up to 1m 20cm, reaching her knees.
But it soon became so long she hated wearing it down and would often tie it up in a braid or tight ponytail, just to keep it off her face.
“Hairdressers didn’t want to cut it, they just couldn’t handle it,” she said.
“The ends would get really dry from tying it up, so I’d trim five to 10cm off every so often – up to twice a year.
“I didn’t feel comfortable enough to undergo a big change.”
Anaram says she didn’t set out to grow her hair to her knees, but her “Persian genes” ensured her hair was thick, strong and fast-growing.
Friends and family branded her the “real life Rapunzel” and strangers would often come up to her in the street, wanting to grab and feel her hair.
Even though she says it didn’t offend her, Anaram would often tell people she was wearing extensions, to avoid even more questioning.
She said: “I got compliments really often.
“People would grab and touch my hair – I didn’t feel offended, I get it was unusual to look at.
“I think people were just really surprised – I’d often get asked if it was my real hair.
“I’d just tell people they were extensions, because they wouldn’t believe it was real anyway.”
The last major cut Anaram got was when she was 19 and it inspired her to eventually get it done again, six years later.
At the time, she donated her hair to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and she decided she wanted to do it again.
Her long locks were even beginning to have an impact on her health.
After being diagnosed with a curved spine, known as scoliosis, as a child, the weight of Anaram’s hair was causing her symptoms to worsen.
“I was struggling so much with neck pain,” she said.
“My hair was definitely making my scoliosis pain worse – I was having a really stiff neck and shoulders, not helped by the fact that I had to spend whole days washing and styling it.”
On February 1, 2025, just a week after booking her appointment with her family hairdresser, Anaram had one metre chopped off her hair.
As soon as the hairdresser finished, the student said she “burst into tears”.
“It was long, long overdue,” she said.
“The first thing I did after the cut was shake my head – I cried with happiness.
“It just felt so light.”
Now Anaram has no plans to grow her hair back to its original length and is enjoying her newfound freedom.
She says she takes pleasure in styling it now and it doesn’t feel like a burden to wash it every other day.
“I’ll probably stick to short hair for some time now,” she said.
“In my culture, we always say hair holds energy and memories.
“I got rid of the bad energy by cutting my hair and it’s time to make some new memories.”
“I’m a superfit 43-year-old – pressure to be a perfect mum led to suicide attempt”
A woman who says the pressure to be a “perfect mum” led to a suicide attempt has become a bodybuilder and now feels “worthy”.
Rajni Singh, 43, struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety and had a lack of confidence.
The mum-of-two put pressure on herself to be the “perfect” wife and mum but says she “lost herself” instead.
When approaching her 40th birthday and after being hospitalised after an overdose Rajni had a “wake-up call” and found a 12-week body transformation programme.
She found a love for fitness which has helped with her mental health and turned her into a super fit 43-year-old bodybuilder.
Now the mum says her relationships with her family and herself are better than ever.
Rajni, a practice manager for the NHS and an online fitness coach, from Hornchurch, East London, said: “I was trying to be a perfect mum – but in that I lost myself.
“In the spur of the moment I tried to take my own life and take an overdose.
“I felt like I was in a whirlpool.
“Now every single day when I go to the gym I’m pushing my limits.
“I’m inspiring my own children.
“Me and my daughter are best of friends.
“She’s so confident.”
Rajni moved to the UK from WHERE 23 years ago with her husband, Daljut, 43, a property developer, but struggled with the “culture shock”.
She struggled with postpartum depression after having her daughter, 19, and son, 17, but always put a smile on her face.
Rajni said she continued to struggle with her mental health and it began to impact her behaviour and relationship with her children.
She said: “I was putting a lot of expectations on my children.
“There was a phase I was trying to get my daughter into grammar school and she did.
“I was more ambitious than her. I hadn’t had that sense of achievement for such a long time.
“Once she got into the school she held a grudge.
“I could see my daughter becoming like me – scared, shy and not confident.
“I had normalised for her to not be confident.”
Rajni’s became so depressed she attempted to take her own life in June 2019.
She ended up in hospital after taking an overdose but said it was a “wake up call” and started to make her realise she needed to make a change.
Rajni also struggled with multiple physical health problems – such as osteopenia, herniated discs, sciatica, vertigo, piriformis syndrome and a frozen shoulder.
Her final wake up call was when she was about to turn 40.
She said: “Me and my husband were sat together and he asked ‘how are you feeling?’.
“Do you feel so accomplished?
“I had no answer. That hit me really hard.
“I didn’t feel happy. I’m turning 40 and I’m only going into the darkest phase of my life.”
Rajni found a 12-week body transformation programme with 43,000 participants and threw herself into it in June 2021.
She said: “Those 12 weeks changed me.
“You prep as if you are doing bodybuilding.
“I came in the top 50.
“It was my first achievement that made me go ‘I’m worthy’.”
Rajni fell in love with fitness – going into bodybuilding – and she had now progressed to calisthenics – a form of strength training using your own body weight.
She has even competed in Ms Great Britain 2022 – coming fourth runner up.
Rajni goes to the gym five days a week and added: “It’s my place that I fill my cup.
“Fitness is not just the appearance.
“It’s building resilience.
“It’s limitless.”
Rajni wants to inspire others who feel stuck in a rut or struggling with their mental health.
She said: “Now it’s all about self love.
“It starts with you and ends with you.
“I look forward to the gym like a child looks forward to play time.”
Court rules man allowed to continue protest outside puppy breeding factory
An animal campaigner says his faith in British justice has been restored after a High Court judge ruled he could continue protesting outside a controversial puppy breeding factory.
John Curtin has been living in a tent outside the MBR Acres research site at Huntingdon, Cambs, for nearly four years to protest against medical experimentation.
The passionate 62-year-old, who has lived at makeshift ‘Camp Beagle’ since June 2021, made an impassioned speech to the court as he was told he and his fellow animal campaigners could continue his protest if he adhered to certain conditions.
Mr Justice Matthew Nicklin told animal lover Mr Curtin he had the right to picket MBR so long as he doesn’t obstruct vehicles coming in and out of the facility and does not enter the area immediately in front of its gates.
Making the two injunction orders, Mr Justice Nicklin told the High Court hearing: “The first [order] is in relation to Mr John Curtin, restraining him from entering the [MBR]’s land directly situated directly in front of the Claimant’s gates and obstructing vehicles entering or exiting.
“Also, the court prohibits everybody from entering [MBR]’s land.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Claimant’s land is directly in front of the gates, marked out with yellow lines.
“All people are restrained from stopping vehicles entering or exiting the site.”
Speaking outside the court, flanked by family and fellow animal justice campaigners, Mr Curtin admitted that, after 40 years of similar court battles, Mr Justice Nicklin’s judgement had restored some of his faith in the British justice system.
He said the “David vs Goliath” ruling means he and his cohort can move their camp back nearer to the front gates of MBR’s facility.
The High Court previously ruled in a 2021 interim injunction that Camp Beagle protesters must stay ten metres away from the site.
“Normally, [the courts] listen to big business,” a jubilant Mr Curtin said. “This is the first time we have had any justice. This time, the judge listened to little scruffy old me.
“I hate to say it, but it has renewed a bit of my faith in the British justice system. They tried to ban us. They wanted to get rid of Camp Beagle.
“The idea was to allow us to go to MBR once a year, but we got justice today because Camp Beagle is still here.”
In court, Mr Curtin was allowed by Mr Justice Nicklin to make a speech in which he thanked the court for hearing his case.
“If you reflect on the original application, we were going to be banned for a mile away and allowed to protest for an hour a week,” he told the court.
“I really do appreciate being listened to. I can be marginalised as a scruffy man with a criminal record.
“I have dedicated my life to protecting animals. I really appreciate your King Solomon approach here.
“I don’t know how much they have spent… I want to know who we have been up against. I feel grateful to you as a judge. You have done your job and not crushed me.
“We are a thorn in the side of what I call the puppy killers… A vile company. That is what they are,” Mr Curtin said, pointing his finger across the court to the legal team of MBR.
“I would like to thank you once more,” he told Mr Justice Nicklin. “I don’t expect justice as I walk in here – but this is justice.”
Mr Justice Nicklin responded: “All I will say is that you have tenaciously stood your ground and been present in court, diligent and attentive in learning about the proceedings.
“Everybody is equal in front of the law. This will be the end of the case.
“I hope the injunction I have granted will be abided by the people at the protest site.
“You have the right to protest but not to do the things I have prohibited.”
However, Mr Justice Nicklin warned Mr Curtin and Camp Beagle protesters about the “serious” consequences of flouting the injunctions the court had imposed, saying they would be “enforced if necessary”.
Mr Curtin replied that he would stick to the restrictions imposed on him.
Camp Beagle, which is the longest-running protest camp of its kind in the UK, has been backed in the past by famous faces such as singer Will Young, who chained himself to the front gate of the dog breeding facility in November 2021.
Mr Curtin and his fellow campaigners were alleged by MBR to have harassed, alarmed and distressed its workers.
Animal campaigners claim hundreds of beagles are being reared at the Cambridgeshire site before being transported to laboratories for medical research at just 16 weeks old.
Self-professed ‘most liked’ man on Hinge says he’s still looking for a date
The self-professed ‘most liked man’ on Hinge says he gets 40 likes a day – because of his dog.
But Alex Puxley, 32, is still looking for love after joined the dating app in January 2024 and says he’s received a record number of 3,000 likes.
The tech consultant, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, claims he gets up to 40 prompts from interested women every day and says he’s had over 1,500 matches in the last year alone.
But although Alex – and his Cockapoo, Raffy are a big hit on the app – he says he’s still looking for love and hasn’t been on even one date yet.
Alex insists he’s not picky, but says he wants someone who’s interested in getting to know him.
Romantic Alex – said: “I’m the only single one out of my friendship group so we don’t go out to meet girls often anymore.
“I wish someone would pop up that wants to date me for the right reasons.
“I feel they approach for a one night stand or just the wrong reasons in general – to be taken out for meals etc all paid for via myself.
“I’ve had a few matches ask how much money I earn each year which is a strange way to start a conversation!
“So it would be nice to date someone who is just normal and doesn’t come across as materialistic.
“I think I get so many matches because I take photos with Raffy – he’s the star of the show.
“I think a lot of people on dating apps these days aren’t there for anything serious – they ask you how much money you earn, what car you drive etc.
“I just want to chat to someone who wants a relationship and a family.”
Alex says he doesn’t officially know he’s the most “liked” man on Hinge, but thinks he must be after comparing his totals to pals.
“I’m comparing it to what I know others have on their accounts and they have had no where near as many as me,” he said.
“Most of my friends are in shock and laugh about how many I have had.”
Six-foot Alex said he’d like a date who’s shorter than him, he likes red-heads, and people who love their jobs.
He’s had 10 relationships in the past – with one lasting three years – but thinks some disastrous chat up lines might have caused his lack of dates on Hinge.
Alex said conversations stopped when he said ‘are you a parking ticket because you have ‘fine’ written all over you’ and ‘they say dating is a numbers game, so can I get yours’.
Alex was put off when someone said ‘I’ve always wanted a hunk like you as a stepdad’, and when someone asked him what he’d do if she farted on a first date.
He was put off one chat because it was like an interview, he said, where he was quizzed on details like what car he drives and how much he earns.
“I was born with one limb after being exposed to nuclear radiation”
A man abandoned at an orphanage after he was born with one limb due to Chernobyl radiation said he is living his “dream life” – and loves proving people wrong.
Tim Mason, 27, was born in Moscow, Russia, in April 1997 – 11 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Doctors told Tim his biological mother was exposed to high amounts of radiation following the nuclear accident in 1986, causing his disabilities.
The day he was born, his biological mom left him outside an orphanage, with a note saying she didn’t want to raise “a monster”.
Aged three, Tim was adopted by Virginia Mason, from Arlington, Illinois, who said she knew she wanted to be his mom as soon as she saw him.
Growing up, Tim said he had always imagined having the life he has now – living independently, going to the gym, and working full time.
He said he takes it as a challenge when people tell him he can’t do something and loves to prove them wrong.
Tim, an exams officer, from Chicago, Illinois, said: “I am at the point in my life now where I would say I’d make my younger self very happy.
“The life I am living is what I wanted. Growing up, in middle school, I wanted to grow up in the city and be independent.
“It has taken a lot of work, and it hasn’t been easy.
“If I could tell my younger self one thing, it is that ‘everything is going to be ok and you will make it through no matter what’.
“There are going to be people that doubt you, and think you can’t succeed, but if you believe in yourself you can do it.”
Virginia moved Tim to America and he started learning English immediately.
Tim had prosthetics and used a walker and crutch to move around, but said his peers were very supportive.
“Being a young kid around other young kids makes life a lot easier,” Tim said.
“Once they got their question about me answered they were chill.
“It was easy for me to make friends.
“A lot of people think I was bullied in school and it was hard, but school is hard on everyone in middle and high school – you are coming to terms with yourself.”
As he got older, Tim had stopped wearing his prosthetics and said he started to struggle with friends in his teenage years.
Tim said: “One thing that has been limited is forming relationships.
“Growing up was like a rollercoaster.
“Middle and high school is when I started to notice the impacts my disabilities have on making friends.
“I would get asked ‘who would even date you?”
Now, Tim said he is living the life he had always dreamed of.
He lives a fully independent life, goes to the gym and takes his dog out for a walk.
“My mom died in August 2024, after being diagnosed with vascular dementia, Tim said.
“I struggled with her death, I was 188 pounds, which was my highest weight.
“I started working out on the treadmill, I could only do three minutes at first and now I can do around 45 minutes.
“I started working out and going every day, which has been an amazing part of claiming my independence and getting healthy again.
“I have been doing a lot of training, in total I have lost 70 pounds.”
Tim focuses on the positives in his life and loves to show people that ‘life is as normal as he makes it’.
He said: “I do find that I have a lot of positivity, life is meant to be enjoyed.
“Growing up with these challenges, helps you understand how valuable life is.
“I am not always 100% positive but as far as my disability, it has never been something that I felt sad or insecure about.
“I was born into this world like anyone else – you have to make with what you have in life.”
