"Eye test saved my life - when optician spotted a brain tumour"
By George Mathias
A woman says an eye test 'saved her life' - after her optician spotted a brain tumour during a routine examination.
Katie Everett, 31, was referred to at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital for an MRI scan after her optician noticed an abnormality in both of her eyes.
Doctors there diagnosed her with meningioma - the most common type of primary brain tumour - in July 2021.
Katie believes the routine eye test 'saved her life' as the tumour would have been otherwise undetected.
She underwent two operations to have the mass removed in July 2021 and went on to have radiotherapy in November 2022.
The surgery was a success, though not all the tumour could be removed, meaning Katie has to have check ups for the next 10 years.
Katie, a beautician, from Romsey, Hampshire, said: "I feel like the eye test saved my life and eyesight – as if it was left any longer, I could have lost my vision completely due to it pressing on my optic nerve.
"It’s hard to believe, I really don’t think something like that could happen, it’s quite upsetting and shocking."
The type of tumour Katie had is classed a benign as it is slow-growing, however, had it been left undetected it could have caused life-changing or life-limiting problems.
She has since then had two surgeries to remove the tumour and in October 2022 underwent fertility preservation as she hopes to have kids in the future with husband James Everett, 33.
She then began radiotherapy to prevent the tumour from growing which is successful in 90 per cent of cases.
Katie said: “I’ve had some hair loss where the radiotherapy was targeting the mass and my nose and throat are still recovering from the second surgery as they cut away what they could of the tumour via my nose.
“Other than that, I feel fortunate to be able to share my story to help raise awareness.
“It's made me realise that even when you don’t feel that you’re strong enough to deal with something like this, when it comes to it you somehow find the strength within you.”
The tumour was pressing on Katie’s pituitary gland which caused her menstrual cycles to stop while also severely impacting her vision.
It also strangely made colours were appear “more vivid.”
“I almost needed to wear sunglasses because everything felt brighter,” Katie said.
She is now monitored with regular scans.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re grateful to Katie for sharing her story with us as well as fundraising an incredible amount and we wish her well with her ongoing scans.”
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Incredible rare footage shows orcas and sperm whales in a fraught battle
By Leo Black
Incredible rare footage shows a pod of orcas and sperm whales in a fraught battle.
The large pod of orcas can be seen laying siege to a maternal pod of sperm whales, possibly to steal prey.
A whale-watching vessel filmed the extremely rare event on March 24 in the Bremer Canyon, 70km off the coast from Bremer Bay, Western Australia, Australia.
Naturaliste Charters, a whale-watching company, had been tracking the orcas as they searched for food.
But the giant predators suddenly attacked a group of sperm whales, resulting in a long and savage battle.
Jenna Tucker, a marine biologist who was on board the vessel, said: "Everyone was on the lookout for a small dorsal fin and long slender body, characteristic of beaked whale species.
"Instead, what we saw left our jaws gaping, the unmistakable arched back and tail of a sperm whale."
The pod of orcas, in the dozens, swam circles around the five whales, who huddled together and attacked them.
Jennah didn't notice any injuries but saw a large dark bubble which she initially suspected was blood.
She also saw an orca swim away with a piece of meat, although she can't confirm if it came from a sperm whale.
She said: "The group of sperm whales appeared distressed and exhausted, huddled in a tight group.
"Members of Split Tip’s pod [orcas] including Wonks and Flapper swam tight circles around the huddled sperm whales who were thrashing their tails around to fend off the predators.
"The head of one of the larger adults emerged from the surface, with its mouth wide open, displaying its powerful toothed bottom jaw.
"Then, a large dark bubble rose to the surface amongst the huddle, believed at the time to have been blood."
According to Jennah, this was an extremely rare sight as both animals are predators but they tend to leave each other alone,
While the origin of the meat and the dark bubble remains unknown, Jennah suspects the liquid was feces.
She explained: "Historically, it was thought that sperm whales, due to their size, herding behaviour and strong-toothed jaws were not vulnerable to killer whale predation.
"Sperm whales are known to defecate when threatened, referred to as emergency or defensive defection.
"Events like this are rarely witnessed, let alone documented, with only a handful of accounts having been recorded globally and will always remain an immense privilege and a reminder of just how wild these animals and this place are."
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New pictures surface of man 'believed to be Banksy' at site of tree mural
By Josie Adnitt
New pictures have surfaced showing a man believed to be illusive artist Banksy at the site of his latest mural.
The photos were taken on Saturday 23 March but have only just surfaced – and show a man believed to be Banksy at the scene of his work.
Taken by a passerby - who wished to remain anonymous - the images show a man in a black Nike hoodie stood in front of the painting.
The man, who has short hair and glasses, can be seen climbing over the black railing.
The passerby who captured the pictures said: “I noticed the man in a black hoodie who seemed to have finished his work hand over a box to an assistant in a grey checked flannel shirt with grey hair.
“He then started to climb over the fence I had a gut feeling that it could be a Banksy mural and that was Banksy himself.
“I quickly focused on taking pictures of him he looked at me with an expression which seemed to say 'I’ve have been spotted’.
“He quickly left the scene in a black van parked near the mural.”
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Wild monkey causes chaos in restaurant
By Leo Black
A wild monkey caused chaos in the buffet restaurant at a three-star resort.
Video shows the monkey climbing all over the tables and knocking over chairs while hotel guests were having breakfast.
Junior, 33, was staying at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort in Cancun, Mexico with his wife when he captured the moment on camera.
The couple had been at the hotel for two weeks when the incident happened on February 24.
Emil noticed some movement while eating and looked up to see the furry creature darting between tables.
Junior, from California, USA, said: "We think that it knew there was a buffet there and wanted food.
"I saw something coming on the side and it startled me.
"[People were] startled, scared. Some didn't fuss about it because we knew that these monkeys are mostly harmless."
After just a few minutes of chaos, the animal was able to get out on its own.
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Ambulance explodes in fireball after dropping off elderly patient
By Nathan Pynn
Shocking footage shows an ambulance explode into a fireball - moments after an elderly patient is dropped off at home.
David and Marilyn Brinklow were having a cup of tea when they heard a huge bang and saw flames engulfing their front garden.
Minutes earlier, a private ambulance had dropped off the couple’s 91-year-old wheelchair-bound neighbour after a hospital stay.
Footage shows two care workers wheeling the woman to her home in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffs., at around 1.45pm on March 14.
Video shows one of the carers checking the ambulance after a worried passerby spots smokes pouring from the engine and alerts them.
Minutes later the vehicle exploded with such force the ambulance roof was ripped off and flew 50ft into the air before crashing through David and Marilyn’s garage.
Firefighters dashed to the scene and managed to extinguish the flames before they spread to neighbouring properties.
Incredibly, no one was injured in the blast which caused extensive damage to the couple’s home and set fire to their garden.
The heat was so intense the back of their Honda Civic melted while their living room windows shattered and their curtains were singed.
Marilyn, 74, said: "It was like a Hollywood movie. I suffer with my nerves and it didn't do me any good.
"I keep having flashbacks. There was nothing left of the ambulance and all the bits of it like a volcano were flying off like glass and started burning our nets.
"It’s horrible to talk about."
Retired carpenter David, 69, said the house suffered smoke damage and the electricity was cut off to the garage.
He said: "It went off like a roman candle. I was shocked - it was like a horror show.
“It’s incredible no one was killed. Our neighbour was in the ambulance a short time before it exploded.
“The heat was so bad the back of our car literally melted. We just want the insurance company to hurry up so we can repair our home.”
The private ambulance company EMED, which provides patient transport, said they were investigating the cause of the explosion.
A spokesperson said: "On Thursday 14th March 2024 , during a routine patient drop-off in Barton Under Needwood the engine of our ambulance caught fire.
"Unfortunately, some of the neighbouring properties suffered damage, which we are now managing through our insurer.
"All our ambulances undergo robust safety checks on a regular basis and our absolute priority is the safety of our patients and the communities we serve.
"We are working closely with the vehicle manufacturer and an independent safety consultant as part of our on-going internal investigation."
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"We've visited 23 countries world schooling our kids"
By Emma Dunn
A British family ditched the rat race to travel to 23 countries and say world schooling has put their children "way ahead" of other kids.
Nikki Collinson-Phenix, 47, had always dreamed of an "adventure" with her husband, Ian, 50, and their children - Laanii, 12, and Raif, six.
She managed to convince Ian, a distance running coach, to travel Europe full time in a caravan and the family have now been on the road for three years and have visited 23 countries including Greece, Turkey and Spain.
Nikki says world schooling both her children has been "powerful" and they are now "way ahead" of other kids their age in education.
Nikki, a remote working consultant, originally from the Isle of Wight, said: "I think my children are way ahead.
"Their confidence is through the roof.
"I want them to be worldly wise.
"I don't think it is good for kids to be sheltered. I feel they should see the realities of the world."
Nikki and Ian had become fed up with "rigid" structure of their lives and decided to take the plunge to travel full-time with their kids.
Nikki previously worked as a chiropractor and Ian as a prison officer.
Nikki said: "Life before was like a hamster wheel.
"Everything was to a rigid time.
"It was everything we wanted to move away from.
"I felt like life was rinse and repeat."
The couple spent two years getting their finances in order and finding remote jobs before leaving the UK in September 2021.
The family set off to France without a plan and have spent the last three years travelling around Europe.
In making the choice to travel full-time, Nikki decided to homeschool her kids.
She said: "We enrolled Laanii in an online school - following the British curriculum.
"Some of what she does is home educated. She has a mix of books and online resources.
"I had thought home educating was sub-standard but it's been so powerful."
Nikki's son, Raif, is completely homeschooled but Nikki is looking to enrol him a similar online school.
She said: "He's working at the level of an eight-year-old.
"If he'd been in local school he possibly would have been quite disrupted.
"Teachers are restricted with what they can teach."
The kids spend the morning doing online learning before the family go out to explore.
Nikki said: "We got to museums. We just go and have fun.
"They don't see us as teachers. They see us as mum and dad.
"They get global and cultural learning.
"They have no fear to giving it a go.
"They have a cultural awareness.
"It's important for kids to see opportunities they have by seeing cultures who don't have so much.
"It's experiences you don't have at school in the Isle of Wight."
Nikki loved taking her daughter to Greece - as she expressed an interest in Greek mythology.
She said: "She planned out where she wanted to go.
"We went to see Olympus."
Nikki also loved visiting Venice, Italy, for her son - who had seen the city in a cartoon.
The family bought a renovation in Bulgaria in May 2023 - but still rent out their home in the Isle of Wight.
The family have an ambition to travel to America.
Nikki said: "We regularly have a meeting to check everyone is happy.
"The moment someone says we're not feeling it we'll revaluate."
Nikki wants others to take the plunge and travel if they have the urge.
She said: "One of my biggest fears is regret. I just thought we have to try it.
"It's exceeded my expectations.
"People make assumptions that we're filthy rich. We're busting that myth.
"Our children are thriving and are over and above what they would have been."
List of countries the family have visited -
France
Spain
Portugal
Italy
Slovenia
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Motenegro
Bulgaria
Hungary
Austria
Germany
Belgium
Luxenbourg
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Romania
Turkey
Albania
Greece
Kosovo
North Macedonia
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Barber slammed for charging £2 extra for kids with special needs
By Isobel Williams
A barber who charged extra to cut the hair of "special needs boys under 15" has apologised after receiving an online backlash.
Shwan Kadir, 49, who has owned Rayna unisex salon in Sutton for 17 years put up the sign on his price list.
After it went viral he taped over it and says it was all a misunderstanding but admitted he did charge an extra £2 if the cut went over an hour.
He said he didn't understand was "special needs" meant and was mortified when he was subjected to so much abuse online.
The controversy started when a Facebook user, Leanne Caffrey, shared a post to the social media site with a picture of the sign stating: “I never out small businesses. But this has made me really cross.”
The owner says that since the post he has received mountains of hate on social media, even receiving a call from someone in Scotland to abuse him.
Shwan, who lives in Sutton with his three children, apologised on social media for the “misunderstanding” and claims that he never meant any harm. The sign has since been taped over.
At the shop today he said: “The sign being there was by mistake. I didn’t know that these words were against the law.
"We have an autism specialist here and we had no idea. If she had told me that the word was wrong then I would have just taken it down.
“I made a mistake, and I fixed it, I am only human. I am not sure what more I can do.
"I'm saddened by the way this has been taken. Me personally and my staff have always done our best to be strong members of the community and we love to speak with you all on your visits."
He says that the sign had only been up for a couple of months and was immediately taken down when he saw the complaint.
He added: “The hate has affected me, but the local people know what our business is like.
"They have defended me a lot online. I have received thousands of supportive messages from our customers today.
“There are a lot of kids who don’t like getting their hair cut. If some customers take more than an hour we may charge them an extra two pounds, but this is extremely rare.
“We are very good at dealing with kids who have different disabilities.
"We have customers come from all across England because we are the only ones they trust to cut their hair and other places have refused them.”
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Woman with rare spinal condition walks for the first time thanks to pioneering op
By Adam Dutton
A brave disabled woman who lived lying down to avoid being internally decapitated walks for the first time thanks to pioneering surgery.
Melanie Hartshorn was filmed standing up and taking several steps before being embraced by her thrilled team of physios.
The 34-year-old, who has spent most of her life on her back, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which caused her skull to dislocate from her spine.
She was forced to live with a halo brace 24/7 to keep her in a fixed position to stop her suffering violent seizures which risked her being internally decapitated.
Melanie was just weeks from death before she became the first patient in the world to undergo surgery in October 2022 to have her neck and spine fused together.
It was the only chance she had of survival and she managed to raise nearly £100,000 for the operation which is not available on the NHS.
Melanie spent months in hospital and underwent a second operation last February before flying home to the UK.
Just over a year later, Melanie, from Cramlington, Northumberland, has taken her first steps and hopes in time she will be able to live a normal life.
She said: “It was a very wonderful and weird feeling to stand up on my own for the first time.
“I could only shuffle a few steps but I have to teach my legs, feet and ankles how to walk.”
Footage taken at North Tyneside Hospital last month shows Melanie standing proudly for the first time.
Melanie, who is volunteering at a primary school to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher, added: "My surgeon is really pleased with how everything has gone because they didn't know if it was going to work.
“In fact it's going a lot better than anyone thought and I have done really well.
"After the operations I had problems swallowing and I had a feeding tube.
"It's only three months ago that I stopped having to use it and swallow normally.
"I was in a normal wheelchair but it didn't offer much support to I still had to lie down for long periods.
"Now I have a much better chair now which allows me sit for four hours at a time.
“I do physio once a week at the hospital but every day I do my own routine at home
strengthening my legs and feet.
“I still wear my back brace but I’ve come this far I’m not going to stop. I want my life back.”
Melanie is the first patient in the world to have her neck and spine fused through her mouth after surgeon Dr Vicenç Gilete performed two operations in Barcelona.
She is now having regular injections to help her bones fuse better and is preparing to start a teaching course and move into her own home.
Standing unaided for the first time marks a landmark moment for Melanie who feared she would spend the rest of her life lying down after previous operations failed.
Despite her condition, she still managed to complete a biology degree at Newcastle University and collected her certificate lying flat on a medical trolley stretcher.
Melanie, who is now recovering at home with mum Molly, 72, said: "When I was in the halo it was just so awful. I was in a really desperate position.
“There was just no end in sight and there was no way out of it. The operation gave me a chance and I’m going to seize it with both hands.”
Melanie has so far raised £151,000 on her GoFundMe page but needs a total of £165,000 to cover her medical bills.
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"I was born without a uterus - my gym buddy had my baby"
By Amy Reast
A woman born without a uterus had twins after her gym buddy became her surrogate.
Brooke Smith-Sanders, 39, found out she was born without a uterus aged 17 when her periods never started.
It meant she'd never carry children so when she and husband, Walt Sanders, 42, were ready to become parents they went straight for IVF with a surrogate.
It fell through and after hearing about their heartbreak, Brooke's CrossFit buddy Dawn Crawley, 47, a pharmaceutical product provider, agreed to become their surrogate instead.
She fell pregnant with twins and Maverick and Shepherd were born at 33 weeks.
Brooke said they feel "so blessed" - and wants to share their story to give other families hope when going through infertility.
The mum-of-two, a farmer, from Bell Buckle, Tennessee, US, said: "When I first found out I didn't have a uterus, I was scared and shocked.
"We started looking into surrogacy and found a surrogate - until she called and couldn't go ahead.
"Then Dawn offered to help and it just fell into place for us - she is a member of our family now.
"Becoming a mum was amazing - every day I look at my children and can't believe how lucky we are.
"It was a hard journey but it was so worth it - and I'd do it again every day of my life to get what I have now."
Dawn added: "I am adopted - someone gave me a chance from birth.
"I wanted to repay that any way that I could. Something just said to me 'I need to help them'.
"Knowing that I was able to help them makes me so happy, not just for the parents, for those babies too.
"They're growing up to be such great kids.
"I know how badly Brooke and Walt wanted this.
"It was an honour to help Brooke and be considered a part of her family now is a joy. I think the world of her."
Brooke said she "never got over the sadness" of knowing she couldn't carry her own children.
The started surrogacy in 2018 but it fell through at the last minute when the local woman discovered she was already pregnant.
Brooke said: "It was such a heartbreaking disappointment because we had finally got to the point of starting and it just fell apart."
Brooke went ahead with her own egg retrieval anyway in November 2018, but it failed when they were "exposed to too much carbon dioxide" and all died.
Then gym buddy Dawn offered to help.
A second egg retrieval in December 2018 resulted in 22 eggs - with three fertilised eggs making it to day five.
In April 2019, two eggs were implanted and Brooke and Walt were soon being told they were expecting twins.
Brooke and Walk attended Dawn's scans with her, and they grew close.
Dawn was rushed to hospital on October 31, at 33 weeks, due to pre-eclampsia - which causes high blood pressure in later-stage pregnancies.
Their twins - daughter Maverick, 5lb, and son Shepherd, 4.5lb - were born on November 1, and were small but healthy.
They stayed in the NICU for three weeks with oxygen and feeding tubes until they were strong enough to go home.
Brooke said: "Nothing can prepare you for bringing babies home.
"I remember when we were leaving the hospital I was like 'oh my God, we don't know what we’re doing' but it's been a really fun process."
On November 23, the tots were finally strong enough to come home - and doting parents Brooke and Walt have loved every moment since.
Now four, they start kindergarten next year - and the parents feel as "blessed and lucky" as ever.
Brooke said: "Becoming a mum, it was amazing. I am still amazed to this day.
"Every day I look at them and it's like seeing them for the first time.
"And Dawn - we love her dearly and she is a member of our family. She is a very special person to us."
Brooke wants to give hope to other women facing infertility - and show it can work out in the end.
She added: "I think when you realise you have to do IVF, it's scary and hard.
"A lot of people shut down because they don't know who to talk to or what to do - I felt like that at times.
"In the movies and TV shows it all looks so wonderful and easy, when it's the furthest thing from that.
"But it's important to show you can get through it, no matter how hard it gets.
"For a long time I was sad I couldn't carry them, but I did my part to bring them into this world.
"Sometimes you just need a bit of extra help.
"I want to tell people you're not alone, you're very valuable no matter what road you have to take."
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Otter super-fan treated to her dream day out to meet the UK's only sea otters
By Samuel Wightwick
An otter superfan has had her decade-long dream come true when she took a trip to meet the only sea ones in the UK.
Mary Heathcote, 70, has been a self-confessed "otter-holic" for over 60 years and even has over 500 pieces of memorabilia dedicated to them in her house.
But her biggest dream, to meet a sea otter, finally came true when she visited the SEA LIFE Centre in Birmingham and met Ozzy and Ola.
Mary was able to get up close with the pair - even feeding and shaking paws with them.
Mary, who lives in Somerset, said: “I honestly can’t believe this has actually happened. it’s like all my Christmases and birthdays have come at once.
"I’ve been all over the world to look for sea otters and I never dreamed I would be able to see one in real life.
"The first time I saw any species of otter was in 1991 and I was in tears.
"I’ve been in love with the animals ever since I was young.
"I’ve got so many different otter items in my house. My husband David said around 20 years ago if I buy one more otter he’s leaving me. We’re still together so I guess I called his bluff."
Mary is so dedicated to the species, that she has spent much of her life working alongside wildlife academics to help with river surveys and conservation of otters.
In her lifetime, she has seen the otter population in the UK go from endangered to flourishing.
Amy Langham, General Manager at SEA LIFE Birmingham, said: “It was incredible to witness Mary meeting our sea otters for the very first time.
"She’s dedicated her life to these animals so it’s amazing to be able to give her something she’s dreamt of for such a long time."
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