Student has rare hand transplant – to help her become a doctor
A medical student who lost limbs to meningitis has had a rare hand transplant to help her become a doctor.
Becca Heritage had been enjoying her first weeks at the University of Southampton when she became ill.
Doctors later discovered she had meningitis in November 2018 – a diagnosis that would change her life forever.
Her parents were told to expect the worst, but medical staff were able to save her life by amputating both legs and most of her fingers.
She self-referred to undergo a hand transplant – and would go on to become the ninth person in the UK to have it done.
The operation lasted around 12 hours – a complex procedure where bones, tendons, nerves, arteries, veins, and muscles were reconnected.
The 25-year-old said: “I have been wanting to be a doctor for years now – it is nice to know that there will be fewer barriers for me.
“It has definitely made it easier for me to draw blood because I have the grip on both hands and even do something simple like putting my gloves on.”
The aspiring doctor was staying with a friend when she first fell ill.
Just six weeks after starting her medicine degree, Ms Heritage woke up in the night vomiting uncontrollably.
After calling 911, she was admitted to the ER at University Hospital Southampton.
Doctors gave her anti-nausea medication and were preparing to send her home when her condition suddenly got worse.
She developed septic symptoms – including a high fever, elevated heart rate, and confusion.
“I collapsed when I got up and then they tried to cool me down and I wasn’t cooling down enough, so they took me to intensive care,” she said.
With her organs failing and a rash on her arms and legs, she deteriorated quickly and was put into an induced coma for two weeks.
Her family was warned that she might not survive through the night.
On waking up, she had no recollection of what had happened – but remembers seeing parts of her body that had turned black and patchy.
Becca added: “They did not look like they were going to come back properly – it was quite surreal.
“I could not move my fingers. They were completely black with a surreal, strange texture.
“The surgeons and my family were hoping that I wouldn’t have to have all those surgeries, but to me it just seemed kind of obvious from the start.”
Over the next six weeks in intensive care, she underwent multiple surgeries – including the amputation of several fingers on her left hand and all the fingers on her right hand, as well as the removal of dying skin.
In January, she was transferred to Salisbury for specialist surgery, where both legs were amputated.
After just seven weeks, she learned how to use her prosthetic legs and walk independently with them.
To replace her fingers, Becca was given cosmetic prosthetics – but she “hated” them because they didn’t give her any function.
She referred herself to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – the only hospital trust in the UK to offer hand and upper limb transplantation.
Becca said: “They were excited I might be a good candidate and they did all the testing for two years.
“I went on to the list in January 2022 – and then got my call in February 2023.
“I had had a couple of calls before that, but unfortunately they hadn’t found a good donor or there was no consent given.
“But this time they were like, ‘We need you to come to Leeds – we have one.’ I was really surprised.”
The operation lasted around 12 hours – a complex procedure where bones, tendons, nerves, arteries, veins, and muscles were reconnected.
She would go on to become the ninth person in the UK to undergo a hand transplant.
Becca said the hand felt like a part of her immediately – and that it resembled her original hand.
She added: “I was just so happy that it had finally happened – it was amazing in terms of the matching. They did such a good job.
“It is more or less exactly my skin tone, it is exactly the same size as my hand was before – it just felt mine immediately.
“I was just so excited to get going and moving with it and trying to use it as much as possible and get my nails done.
“It has been such a life-changer for me in so many ways, and I know that it is true for so many recipients as well.”
Due to confidentiality, she was not able to find out anything about her donor before the operation—but she was encouraged to write a letter to the donor’s family afterward.
“I got a reply which was really lovely. I found out a couple of things about my donor.
“It was so nice to have something in my mind—like a person to thank.”
Following intensive physiotherapy, she is back to doing most things with her right hand, including cooking, doing her makeup, and sketching.
“Before my sepsis, I was always right-handed, so it was hard to manage at first without it.
“I have got a good grip on my right side – so I can write, I can draw, and I can paint with my right hand again.
“I won’t have any problems making myself dinner, washing the dishes, and doing the housework.
“It is nice to not get funny looks.
“It has been such a life-changer for me in so many ways, and I know that it is true for so many recipients as well.”
Ms Heritage, who is studying to be a doctor, said she had been inspired by the team at Leeds General Infirmary.
She volunteers with the charity Meningitis Now to boost vaccine awareness among students and is also working to inform more people about hand transplants.
Mom gave birth in car with her family – after being “hypnotized into labor”
A first-time mom gave birth in the car on the way to the hospital in front of her entire family – after her midwife mom hypnotized her to help her go into labor.
Madelin Bryans, 21, was three days past her due date with her first baby and was keen to get labor underway.
Her mom, Darcey Croft, 50, is a trained hypnotist and midwife and suggested they do a session to induce labor and help her handle the pain.
Madelin agreed and did the session, despite her doubts, then went to bed.
Hours later, she woke up to use the bathroom in the night, and as she sat down her body began to push.
Single Madelin and her mom, dad, and sister sped to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in their 2008 Chrysler Grand Voyager.
But just halfway there, driving along the A413, Madelin yelled that they needed to pull over because her water had broken.
Madelin gave birth to baby Delilah on April 22, 2022, with help from her mom, dad, and sister, as she lay across the back seat of their car with her legs resting against the passenger window.
Madelin, a marketer from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, said: “I did the hypnosis just to humor my mom, really.
“When I woke in the night, I felt a little bit of pain, but I thought it was nothing.
“Even after I started pushing and we were jumping into the car, I was still cracking jokes.
“When I was in labor in the car, I had my head at one door and my legs at the other.
“Luckily we brought towels to catch most of the mess.”
Madelin’s due date of April 19, 2022, came and went, but she wasn’t showing signs of labor.
Two days later, mom Darcey, founder of Isomum – a pre- and postnatal energy drink company – suggested a hypnotherapy session to bring on the labor.
So Darcey ran a session where she explained how to treat pain like a dial, which Madelin could “twist down” to reduce the pain mentally.
Madelin felt no pain going to bed that night, but woke up later feeling stomach cramps similar to period pains.
Because the pain was mild, she assumed it couldn’t be labor – and even napped a bit longer.
But eventually she woke up to use the bathroom and woke up her mom, dad David Bryans, 48, and sister.
She said: “I went to the bathroom and my body started pushing automatically.
“We all jumped in the car to go to the hospital around 3 AM.
“Twenty minutes from the hospital, I felt my water break, and we pulled over by a construction site.
“There were moments when the pain got too much, and I could control it using the methods from the hypnosis.
“I had my head near one door and my legs against the other window – I just stayed calm and carried on.”
Baby Delilah was born at 5:20 AM, weighing 7 lbs 4 oz.
Darcey tied off the umbilical cord while her other daughter cut it, and they sped off to the hospital to finish the process.
Madelin said: “After giving birth, my thoughts were like, ‘What the hell just happened?'”
Three years on, little Delilah is doing well – and Madelin looks forward to the day she can explain the birth story to her daughter.
She added: “People can’t believe it when I tell them what happened.
“It’s lucky my mom is a midwife.”
Proud grandma Darcey added: “I have delivered countless babies as a midwife, so I snapped out of being Madelin’s mom to give her what she needed.
“But being in a car on a divided highway at 5 AM wasn’t ideal!
“It was amazing though – I know I sound biased, but of all the births I’ve ever seen, it was one of the most beautiful.
“Now Delilah is bright as a button – from the moment Madelin held her in her arms, they were the perfect team.”
“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.
“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.”
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!”
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
Strangers raise more than $150k for a man’s life saving cancer treatment
Strangers and friends have raised more than $150k for a man’s experimental life-saving cancer treatment after he found out his insurance won’t cover it.
Matt Maclean, 49, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer after noticing blood in his stool in October 2020.
He underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery – to remove part of his colon – which was successful and declared in remission in September 2021.
Just one year later, Matt’s blood cancer markers returned but doctors were unable to find a tumor, until a CT scan showed that Matt had a tumor on his liver and he underwent a successful liver resection.
After doctors discovered two new tumors, Matt decided to pursue two separate procedures – another surgical approach to ablate the tumors followed by a localized chemotherapy.
During his surgery in November 2024, three more tumors were discovered and the surgery was abate, Matt still underwent localized chemotherapy but it didn’t work.
After researching, Matt came across Verthermia who specializes in full-body hyperthermic extracorporeal applied tumor therapy – a cancer treatment method that uses a heart-lung machine to heat a patient’s blood outside the body.
Despite having FDA approval, the treatment is classed as experimental by Matt’s insurance provider so Matt has raised more than $150k to pay for the treatment.
Matt, a small business owner, from Seattle, Washington, said: “The challenge is, I have already had chemotherapy and it came back.
“Doing chemo might help in the short term, but all the data shows it will not cure my cancer and I really want to cure this.
“This new innovative treatment seems like it would be a critical step, we are at a crossroads and need to do something different rather than go down the same paths.
“It’s five times more effective than chemo with minimal side effects. Cancer patients can avoid a lot of damage standard care does and there’s a higher chance of survival.
“I am still in shock and overwhelmed by all the money that has been raised and the generosity of people who have donated.”
In October 2020, Matt noticed blood in his stool and booked an appointment with a specialist who performed a colonoscopy – a medical procedure that examines the large intestine and part of the small intestine.
It was while he was sitting in the waiting room that he noticed the doctor pause as he was waling into the room – Matt immediately knew it wasn’t good news.
“It was a surreal moment, my wife Elizabeth, was with me and it hit her more than me,” he said.
“We were sitting in the waiting room, I saw the doctor pause when he was about to walk in and I knew he didn’t want to come in.
“Straight away I knew something was going on.
“When you hear the word cancer you feel a sense of dread, but I also felt a sense of peace because of my faith and ‘ok, what do we do now.'”
Matt then underwent a full body scan to see if the cancer had spread to other organs – and started chemotherapy and radiation.
After a break from treatment, in the spring of 2021, doctors took out part of his colon and some of his rectum before undergoing months of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
Matt said: “In September 2021, I was in remission but I was going to be continuously monitored for any changes.
“Just after one year, a test showed that my blood cancer markers had begun to rise so I had a CT scan.
“But the results showed no signs of tumors so I kept being monitored.”
In the spring of 2024, a follow-up CT scan showed that Matt had a significant tumor in his liver and he underwent a successful liver resection.
“When they found the tumor in my liver, that was discouraging, they went back and looked at the previous scan and could see the tumor. Now they knew where it was.
“That made me stage 4. That was a low point, I would say it was harder than my original diagnosis.
“The liver surgery was successful and they removed the tumor with clear margins and I was hopeful I could start moving on.”
However, a month later, an MRI scan showed two more tumors.
Doctors decided they would try a dual approach where they would operate to remove the tumor and put him through a course of localized chemotherapy.
Matt said: “In November 2024, I underwent the surgery and they found three more additional tumors so they aborted the surgery.
“The surgeon believed that more surgery could promote the growth of other tumors.
“When I got out of surgery I was shocked that they didn’t do anything.
“I had to overcome all that emotion, but the doctor did the right thing.”
After finding out he had five cancerous tumors, Matt flew to IYA Medical, Scottsdale, Arizona, for localized chemotherapy.
In January 2025, a follow-up MRI scan and blood test showed that the tumors were still there and the chemotherapy didn’t work.
Matt said: “That was tough, I was getting scared at this point.
“I have two children, Josh, who’s 18, and Rachel, 16. It has been a burden for them.
“They have the fear that they are going to lose their dad, that breaks my heart more than anything.
“It has been very tough on my wife too, she is our rock, she has been nothing but supportive through this whole thing.
“That last year has been particularly tough on her.”
After finding out that the chemotherapy didn’t work, Matt came across Verthermia who specializes in full-body hyperthermic extracorporeal applied tumor therapy – a cancer treatment method that uses a heart-lung machine to heat a patient’s blood outside the body.
Despite having FDA approval, the treatment is classed as experimental by Matt’s insurance provider so they don’t cover it.
Matt has had to raise more than $150k to pay for the treatment.
Matt said: “The fact that so many people reacted to the funding page blew me away.
“The money doesn’t mean anything to me, more so it was realizing just how good people can be.
“People have really wanted to help me, they want to give.
“Even now I am still in shock, I am overwhelmed by the sheer generosity that people have shown to me.
“My kids shared it with their friends, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many of them responded.
“These are kids I used to coach and have watched grow up.”
Matt has booked an appointment at Verthermia for March 6, 2025, and is hopeful the treatment will be successful.
“I’m hopeful that I will ultimately beat this thing, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support and love from my community and family.”
Link to GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-matt-access-lifesaving-cancer-treatment
Teen fashionista obsessed with vintage – wearing 50s dresses and crocheting
Meet the teen fashionista obsessed with all things vintage – who loves wearing 1950s dresses, crocheting and refuses to have a TV in her room.
Mia Rayne, 13, has always loved to dress in feminine clothing but became fascinated with the 1950s dress style after seeing a YouTube video about vintage dolls.
Mia’s collection began with a Shein vintage style dress – gifted to her by her mum, Jodie, 37, for her birthday – and she now has a collection of around 50 outfits.
The pair now hunt out long sleeved dresses and Peter Pan collared frocks on Vinted and in vintage stores.
Mia loves to wear her vintage clothing all the time – even wearing her 1950s inspired coats to school despite bullies telling her she looks like “Mary Poppins”.
The teen also loves taking her crocheting hooks and books everywhere she goes and refuses to have a TV in her room.
Jodie, a business owner, who lives near Adlington, Lancashire, said: “She’s literally an old woman.
“It’s like she’s been reincarnated to a 1950s housewife or something.
“She refuses to have a TV in her room.
“She has a record player and creepy dolls in her room.
“I’m so in awe of her.
“She’s transformed into a sassy, amazingly confident growing girl.”
Mia said: “I have found it interesting to find out about different styles.
“My favourite is a blue dress – it’s 19th century and a long button up pretty dress with old lace. I fell in love with it.
“A few people said I have inspired them. I hope I can give them confidence.
“Make yourself feel like you fit in with yourself – not with other people.
“People copy because they feel they should fit in – everybody should be more crazy.”
Jodie says Mia has always been “quirky” in her dress sense.
She said: “She’s always been that child that wants to go to the supermarket in a princess dress.
“We’ve always encouraged her.
“A year ago she started dressing very feminine boho.”
Mia became interested in past eras after watching a video on vintage dolls and thinking it was “amazing”.
Jodie said: “She looked at photos of girls wearing little dresses and then said ‘mum, I want a vintage dress’.”
For her birthday in September 2024, Jodie bought Mia a vintage style dress.
She said: “She was beside herself. She was really excited.”
The pair then picked out a blue and pink coat from Monsoon and Zara – and Mia wore them to school.
Jodie said: “She was bullied when she went to school wearing one of those coats.
“She was pushed and laughed at.”
But Jodie shared a video with Mia about the situation on TikTok @miaraynec and was overwhelmed with support.
She said: “Her confidence overnight was phenomenal.
“There were thousands of comments saying ‘just be yourself’ and ‘I wish I had your confidence’.”
Since Mia’s confidence has grown, she now has a wardrobe boasting over 50 vintage dresses and underskirts.
She loves to turn up for her non-school uniform days in her full outfits and takes comments from bullies on the chin.
Jodie said: “The boys say ‘you look like Mary Poppins – what are you wearing?’.
“She says ‘now I’m going full vintage.’ ‘I’m going to show you and be even more extra’.”
The mum and daughter have now found a vintage shop to hunt for clothes and also get sent items from followers.
Jodie said: “She got sent a long sleeved blue dress. She got sent it with a note to say ‘my dad bought me this when I was a teen, I never had the confidence to wear it’.
“This child wears it to bed. It’s true vintage and layered.
“She’s very modest and very demure.
“She loves a Peter Pan collar.
“She likes to look her age.
“My 16-year-old is the complete opposite – she’s in leggings and a hoodie.”
Mia’s favourite eras are the 40s and 50s but she has also obsessed over Georgian dresses with all their “ruffles”.
Jodie says Mia is always wearing her dresses – even when it’s not the most practical.
She said: “She put nine dresses on when it snowed.
“She always says ‘fashion over function’.
“It makes her happy.”
Mia’s dream is to be an actor, and she is signed to Little Allstars, but Josie hopes she can continue to inspire others – child or adult – to wear what they want.
She said: “It helps people realise what they like is valid.”
