UK’s third-largest baby born weighing over a stone is already eating porridge and bursting out of size 9-12 month clothing - at FIVE MONTHS OLD
A baby born weighing 14lbs 15oz is now so big he's already eating porridge and bursting out of size 9-12 month clothing - at the age of just FIVE MONTHS.
Alpha Stone Mitchell, now 24 weeks, was crowned Britain's third largest new born when he arrived via c-section on 28th October 2021 at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
The tot is now a hefty 1st 10lbs and squeezing into size 9 to 12 month baby clothing - despite not yet being six months old.
Mum Cherral Mitchell, 31, says her little boy is now so chunky and hungry that she's having to wean him off milk and start him on soft foods.
He loves porridge and rusk biscuits - despite most babies not being ready to eat solids until they are at least six months old.
The mum-of-four, from Thame, Oxfordshire, said: “Alpha was a whopper.
"We knew he was going to be a big boy as my bump was huge, but we didn't realise quite how big he would be until he was here.
"I'd had three babies before and with Alpha it felt like we skipped the new born stage altogether - and went straight to him being three months old.
"He didn't fit into any new born or 0-3 month baby grows - he went straight to 3-6 month and quickly grew out of them.
"Even now he's in 9-12 month clothing, it's a little tight - it won't be long before he's in the next size.
"And I just found he wasn't feeling full enough after drinking his milk so I've had to start weaning him early.
"Now he gobbles up porridge and he loves rusk biscuits too.
"He's a growing boy."
Alpha’s considerable appetite leads him to eat baby porridge first thing in the morning, before drinking 7oz bottles of Aptamil baby milk every three hours and consuming a whole baby rusk in the evening.
Full-time-mum Cherral - who has Rouge-Angel, five, Lyon, three, and Twyla-Bay, one, with husband Tyson, 36, an electrical engineer, - said: “We just started introducing baby porridge because he still seemed hungry in the morning.
“He’s not quite six months yet, but it’s not affecting his digestive system so it’s fine.
“He also sleeps all night from his last bottle at 9 or 10 o’clock until he wakes at five or six, ready for his next one. He's a good baby."
None of Cherral's other children were as big as their little brother when they were born.
Cherral revealed: “None of my children weighed anywhere near 1.5st at Alpha’s age.
“And they only needed to be fed every four hours - he's definitely the greediest.”
“Because Alpha is so long, he’s not far off his one-year-old sister’s height so people actually say to me ‘ah you’ve got twins!’
“He doesn’t even fit in his carry cot anymore because he’s so long, so he sits in a car seat on the buggy instead.”
Twyla-Bay is only 10 months older than her younger brother, but Alpha already weighs just under 11lbs lighter than her.
Twyla-Bay and her two older siblings were delighted to welcome their baby brother when he returned from the hospital at the end of last year.
Cherral said: “His siblings absolutely love Alpha.
“They always want to hold and feed him and even put his dummy in before I even get a chance to, so they’re helping out a lot.”
During her 30-week scan, it became clear that Cherral was expecting a larger-than-usual baby, and at 36 weeks, her baby bump ballooned.
Doctors believed this was due to Cherral’s gestational diabetes diagnosis - a condition which caused Alpha to consume sugary amniotic fluids in the womb.
But despite doctors’ predictions, Cherral and husband Tyson could never have imagined their son would be born weighing over a stone.
Cherral said: “When we first saw him, my first thought was he was not going to fit into any of the clothes I’d brought in the hospital bag.”
“Tyson even had to go home to bring back some 3-6 month clothes for him.
“When he was first born, I suddenly thought ‘oh wow, you are a big baby’ and then started asking the midwives how big he was.”
Weighing 14lb 15oz, Alpha claimed the title of the UK’s third largest new born baby on record, closely following Guy Carr who measured 15lb 8oz at his birth in 1992, and George King who tipped the scales at 15lb 7oz in 2013.
After delivery, midwives started excitedly Googling the measurements of the UK’s heaviest new born.
Cherral recalled: “One of the anaesthetists admitted to me that Alpha’s birth was the first one she hadn’t cried at because she was just so shocked by his size.
"Everyone kept laughing when his head came out. My husband Tyson was like: 'He's a chunky boy'.
“Tyson still calls Alpha his future Strongman, and already says he’ll need to do some more weightlifting training to keep up with his son one day.”
iLOVE YOU - A wife who missed her husband's death by minutes found his final phone notes including how to pay the mortgage - and how much he loved her
A wife who missed her husband's death by minutes found his final phone notes to her including how to pay the mortgage - and how much he loved her.
Katie Coelho, 33, walked into the ICU seven minutes after Jonathan Coelho, 32, was pronounced dead of coronavirus.
She regretted being unable to say goodbye then discovered he had penned an incredibly emotional goodbye in an 170-word phone note.
Beneath instructions on how to pay the mortgage, Jonathan left messages for his wife and children - Braedyn, two, and Penelope, one.
Jonathan wrote it the day before he was placed on a ventilator at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut.
The note includes reassurance that "if you meet someone, know that if they love you and the kids that I love that for you".
It added: "I love you guys with all my heart and you’ve given me the best life I could have ever asked for.
“I’m so lucky, it makes me so proud to be your husband and the father to Braedyn and Penny.”
The stay-at-home mum from Connecticut, USA, said: “I don’t think if I was in Jonathan’s position, I would have thought to write a note - but that’s just how Jonathan was as a person.
“Trying to understand how he was in that mental state is so hard, but it’s also not surprising because of how much he loved me and loved the kids.
“I turned on his phone to get some pictures and when his phone turned on, his call log was on because he had tried to call me.
“So I cleared that out and right behind it was his notes and at the top of it, it had some personal information - who to contact at his job, passwords and telling me that we had a safe that I didn’t know we had.
“He was the grown-up in the relationship!
“Then I started reading down and the first line said, ‘I love you guys with all my heart,’ and I just screamed.
“I kept reading and it clicked.”
Jonathan’s symptoms included a migraine and a loss of taste and he tested positive for Covid-19 on March 25.
After developing respiratory problems on March 26, he was admitted to hospital and placed on a ventilator on March 31.
One of the last conversations the pair had was when Jonathan first came off the ventilator on April 7 - he told Katie that he might be discharged soon.
On April 22, doctors called Katie at 2:15 am to say that she needed to come say goodbye.
Jonathan's ashes are now part of two grandfather clocks - one set to the time Braedyn was born, and the other to Penelope's birth time.
Katie and Jonathan met at Western Connecticut State University and would go on double dates with their partners at the time.
The pair eloped on Valentine’s Day in 2013 - and got married in sweatshirts in their living room.
They had a larger wedding with family and friends in December 2013.
Katie said: “I never felt so secure in who I was as a person until I became his wife, because he just never made me feel anything less than amazing.
“It sounds so surreal because it’s like a person like that doesn’t exist, but he really did.
“He was my partner - there was nothing else I wanted to do except share my time, my laughter, everything with him.
She added: “Jonathan was just steadfast and I knew he loved me."
Note transcription:
“I love you guys with all my heart and you’ve given me the best life I could have ever asked for.
“I am so lucky it makes me so proud to be your husband and the father to Braedyn and Penny.
“Katie you are the most beautiful, caring, nurturing person I’ve ever met...you are truly one of a kind...make sure you live life with the happiness and that same passion that made me fall in love with you.”
“Seeing you be the best mom to the kids is the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced.
“Let Braedyn know he’s my best bud and I’m proud to be his father and for all the amazing things he’s done and continues to do.
“Let Penelope know she’s a princess and can have whatever she wants in life.
“I’m so lucky…”
“Don’t hold back and if you meet someone, know that if they love you and the kids that I love that for you.
“Always be happy no matter what!”
NEW YORK PROTEST ARREST - A British photographer has become one of the first members of the media to be arrested and charged while working at the American police brutality protests
A British photographer has become one of the first members of the media to be arrested and charged while working at the American police brutality protests.
Adam Gray, 33, a New York based photojournalist for agency SWNS, had been taking photographs at the rallies in city.
He says he was thrown to the ground by police with several officers climbing on top of him in order to restrain him and force him into handcuffs.
Despite showing his press pass that had been issued to him by the US State Department at the UN Plaza, Adam reports he was arrested and put into a police vehicle.
He was charged with unlawful assembly near Union Square and spent twelve hours through the night in custody amongst the protestors.
Adam said: "The whole time that I was being arrested, I was shouting that I was press and showing them my Foreign Press card but they just didn't seem to care.
"I get that in the heat of the moment you might get pushed or grabbed, but as soon as you say that you're press, it normally stops there but not this time.
"I've worked in many other countries doing work like this and never has it gone as far as this, I couldn't believe it."
Adam had been heading down 13st near Union Square on Saturday 30 May after filing Manhattan protest photos by Astor Place.
During his arrest, police claimed that they had made several orders for people to leave the area before Adam had arrived on the street.
Adam said: "I walked down the street taking photos as I went and then the cops rushed the crowd.
"I photographed the pandemonium that ensued of them pushing and grabbing protesters before one big cop came at me and pushed me to the ground with his truncheon to my chest.
"I smashed into the floor with my three cameras as three or four cops then got on top of me, restraining me and putting me in handcuffs as I shouted repeatedly that I was press."
Adam was put into a police van with about 20 other protesters and waited for half an hour inside before being driven down to 1 Police Plaza, Manhattan.
HE claims police were removing masks from the protesters and not returning them as they sat in close proximity to other people in holding.
Adam said: "I was explaining that I was accredited press at every opportunity.
"I got searched, processed, had my photo taken and then put into a large holding cell of 50-70 people at its fullest with zero social distancing.
"Police had removed masks from some protestors for their photo but then refused to give them back and did not offer any extra masks."
Adam was held in custody for eight hours until approximately 9:15AM on Sunday 31 May when he had his fingerprints and photos taken.
He was given a Desk Appearance ticket for a court date on 10 September 2020 for an offence charged of PL 240.10.
This offence means that 'a person is guilty of unlawful assembly when he assembles with four or more other persons for the purpose of engaging or preparing to engage with them in tumultuous and violent conduct likely to cause public alarm, or when, being present at an assembly which either has or develops such purpose, he remains there with intent to advance that purpose.
Adam was then released from the police station and is now back home in New York with a broken filter on his camera and a court date to wait for.
He said: "I was really shocked when they arrested me, I was just in total disbelief.
"We were held in such close proximity to other people in the holding cell and police weren't letting people have their masks.
"Considering there is a worldwide pandemic right now, it felt very irresponsible and dangerous of the police to do that.
"It was shocking to see how blase the police were about the risk of coronavirus and public health.
"Thankfully, I do not have any injuries but I am in disbelief at what happened."
Jon Mills, SWNS Picture Editor, said: ''It is deeply concerning that the NYPD appear to be trying to shut down honest and objective reporting.
''Bringing charges against a working photojournalist just for doing his job is an utter outrage and we will fight this every step of the way.'
CORONA RECOVERY - This is the heartwarming moment a husband and wife left hospital on the same day after RECOVERING from COVID-19
Image by: Simon Galloway
This is the heartwarming moment a husband and wife left hospital on the same day after recovering from COVID-19 as doctors and nurses cheered them on.
Jeff and Cheryl Poole received an emotional send-off from the entire staff with medics lining the hallways cheering and clapping as the couple were discharged.
The pair had spent more than two weeks in the ICU at UnityPoint Health Meriter in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, battling the deadly virus.
Cheryl, 59, was admitted to the ICU on March 18 and became the hospital's first patient to require a ventilator due for COVID-19.
Husband Jeff, 60, was admitted several days later and also needed a ventilator.
Jeff, from Waunakee, Wisconsin, said: "People keep saying this is a fake, it's not a fake.
She almost died. I almost died."
When the couple left the ICU, nurses placed them in neighboring rooms and helped them speak to each other on the phone.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Later they were able to have their meals together before they were discharged last week.
ICU nurse Beth Woodford said: "It was just really wonderful to see them communicate again.
"Of course being the wonderful person he is, Jeff gave Cheryl lots of words of encouragement. They both talked about getting better."
Beth Woodford said that the couples' recovery brought medical staff to tears.
She added: "There were a lot of tears of happiness in the room.
"The fact that they both made it through and they can get home together, it's just fabulous."
The married couple were finally discharged on April 17 after spending almost a month in hospital.
Nurse Dawn Cloutier added: "The send-off we had for them was a bit of a surprise to them and to me too honestly.
"It was just so cool to have people cheering them on as they left."
Jeff promised that once the threat of the virus has subsided, he and Cheryl will return to the hospital to see the staff who saved their lives.
"When everything is lifted, we can come back in here to see everybody."
Video by: Ashley Moran
WALL OF HONOUR - Window cleaner creates giant mural to NHS hero fundraiser Captain Tom Moore on the wall of his business
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
A company boss has paid tribute to Captain Tom Moore by having a giant mural of the NHS fundraising hero spray-painted on the side of his business.
The stunning graffiti artwork adorns the walls of Bradley Scott Windows in Tamworth, Staffs., after being unveiled on Monday (27/4).
Director Andy Farrington, 57, said he wanted to come up with a unique way to honour the 99-year-old war veteran who has captured the hearts of the nation.
The former army officer has raised more than £30 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Beds., ahead of his milestone 100th birthday.
The incredible artwork by Graffiti by Title took six hours to complete and covers the 140 sq ft wall at the side of the showroom with the words "Thank You NHS."
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Andy said: “I was just totally inspired by Captain Tom and the phenomenal amount of money he has raised.
“On his walks, he has just kept going and going and going. I wanted to do something to honour him.
“We have done murals before and we had the blank space so I thought it would be nice to do some artwork of Captain Tom.
“He is an old school gentleman with a never die attitude that helped make Britain great, that's why we have taken to him I think.
"We should learn off him. He is a wonderful man.
“At 99, he gets up and does that. It’s simply amazing. He just puts a smile on peoples places in these difficult times.
“I am struggling like hell with my business, but it is good to give back a bit."
Graffiti by Title only had a few pieces of paper with four pictures of the pensioner for reference and completed the piece in under a day.
Married dad-of three Andy added: “That’s all he had to work with. One picture with his head and shoulders and one with him on his zimmer frame.
“He had one with the NHS logo on it and then another of the soldiers in the background. That was it. It's absolutely amazing what he has been able to do. It looks incredible.
“He started at 10am and finished at about 4pm. He has made it so lifelike. It looks like it could be a print but it's not, it's done by spray paint.”
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Andy says the reaction to the display has been “absolutely crazy” with people flocking far and wide to come and take pictures.
He said: “I felt a bit bad with the number of people coming to see it, what with social distancing in place, but loads of people have come from everywhere to have a look at it.
“We've had cars stopping in the road and people getting out to take pictures. It has just been absolutely crazy how popular it has been.
“I thought it would get some local recognition but nothing like this scale.
“I have had messages from people in Belfast, one from Canada on social media. People have been so taken with the artwork.
"It's mad, I never expected this scale of reaction or how far it has spread."
Captain Tom, who served in World War Two, also recently topped the charts singing a duet of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ with musical theatre star Michael Ball.
He is the oldest person ever to get a UK number-one single and was honoured with a Pride of Britain award last Thursday (23/4).
Video by: Gabriella Petty
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT -This mesmerising footage shows a talented group of skydivers moving in a perfectly synchronised pattern that looks like a SPEEDING TRAIN
Image by: Matt Leonard
This mesmerising footage shows a talented group of skydivers moving in a perfectly synchronised pattern that looks like - a SPEEDING TRAIN.
The footage shows a skills training event known as ‘Flock and flow’ organised by ‘Momentum flight’.
Momentum Flight team members Matt Leonard, Max Manow and Tom Baker were on site at Skydive City, Zephyrhills, Florida, USA, to teach the participants necessary and safe piloting skills.
The footage shows skydivers performing 360 degree rolls in the air and lining themselves up in perfect patterns.
The highlight of the day comes when a perfectly timed ‘train’ of skydivers speeds through the middle of two other lines of their fellow Skydivers.
The footage was captured by Momentum Flight on March 12th and 14th 2020, just days before the national shutdown brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic
Full time momentum instructor Matt Leonard, 29, from Boston, Mass., said: “I’m the youngest of the team and currently a full time instructor.
"I used to be an engineering manager but gave it up to travel the world and teach canopy piloting.
“There was about three months of group preparation for planning the jumps, testing out some new ideas, and then trying them out before the camp.
"Myself and Max Manow have been jumping together for over four years and have hundreds of jumps together doing stunt work, exhibition projects, having fun and try out new things to teach the world.
"Between the three of us we have collectively amassed more than 23,000+ jumps in the sport and bring that knowledge to the camps.
“This footage not only reminds me of a time not in quarantine but more seriously it reminds me of the impact we had on so many students lives in four days.
"The skills they learned, the excitement. This is what I see when I watch the footage.”
Video by: Matt Leonard
A globetrotting dad who has travelled to over 100 countries has recreated 20 in is back garden for his kids
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A globetrotting dad who has travelled to over 100 countries has recreated 20 in is back garden for his kids.
David Nash, 41, has used a variety of props to make DIY versions of some of the planet's most beautiful places.
He has recreated the Nile River and Venezuela's Angel Falls as well as scenes from France and Cuba in his garden, shed and roof.
David has used his garden to build Peru, Japan, USA, Morocco, Thailand, Panama, Venezuela, Brazil Trinidad and Barbados.
His children have also enjoyed trips to Sri Lanka, China, The Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Bhutan, Russia, Egypt, Iceland, Australia and Italy.
The 41-year-old, from Sible Hedingham, Essex, got creative for partner Emma and their two daughters Rose, two, and Ruby, four months.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
David, assistant headteacher at Hedingham School, said: "I have tried to bring the essence of each country out while portraying it in a humorous way.
"I've recreated famous scenes from each country, just from using scraps around the house that I've collected from all the places I've been.
"I've made the Nile River and the Panama Canal from painting old cereal boxes."
He added: "We are all aware of how awful the situation is at the moment - but it has made us all slow down a bit.
"It's giving us time to make things like we used to do - from scraps and from boxes and things like that.
"The aim of this, more than anything, is to keep spirits up, and keep people smiling during a tough time."
David has travelled to 105 countries in his life, and has so far recreated 25 of them in his garden since the beginning of the lockdown.
He has created a Sri Lankan themed night, and a funny Australian scene where he fashioned himself an outfit out of Fosters boxes, and donned an Australian cork hat.
And David has also created a Caribbean beach scene, inspired by his honeymoon with wife Emma - during which the couple visited 11 Caribbean islands.
David said: "One thing you find when you travelling particular countries like India or Central America, is that you can’t rush things.
''There is a lot to take in and it takes time.
"We’ve turned into a very 'hurry-hurry' culture - if there is one silver lining in all of this is that people have realised the importance of spending time with each other."
He added that he has drawn inspiration for using household items from seeing children in some of the countries he has visited doing exactly the same thing.
David, who fashioned a rickshaw out of a large milk carton, said: "I remember in Ethiopia we saw exactly that, one of these Tuk Tuks made out of old oil cans.
"In South Africa, kids were using bricks as cars.
"The joy of doing this with my two-and-a-half year old daughter is that children tend to have that creative imagination, a willingness to believe anything can become anything."
David said that some of his favourite countries that he's visited include Bhutan, in south Asia, Japan, and Holland.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
He said: "We've done Bhutan as one of the countries in our garden.
"They measure wealth there in terms of happiness, rather than economic prosperity.
"They have famous funny signs at the side of the road, that say things like 'After drinking whiskey, driving is risky'.
"So we recreated some of those in our garden, but made them more topical to here.
"I did Holland last week, too - I put some clogs in the sink, and told my wife that the sink was clogged," David joked.
David added that he hopes bringing a taste of each country to his home can enrich his daughters’ lives during lockdown - as well as the lives of his followers on social media.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
He said: "We haven't been able to do as much travelling in the last couple of years, with two young children - especially with the younger one.
"But at least now they'll have some funny photos to look back on, and know about some of the countries their dad has been to."
He added: "I feel very lucky, I’m healthy and my family’s healthy, I’ve got a wage, whereas a lot of people out there have an uncertain future.
"Experiences you have while travelling help you to gain perspective. You miss the most basic things - and I think that's what this current situation has taught us.
"With panic buying, this is the first time in our lives we’ve thought 'are we going to have to do without these things we need'. It's woken us up slightly."
Incredible bond between a dog and a rhino captured on video
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
A "remarkable and unbreakable" friendship between a dog and a RHINO has been captured on video.
The sweet pairing can be seen doing everything together - with the rhino even giving the dog a kiss.
David is an Anatolian Shepherd and Esmé is a white rhino.
Despite their differences, the two are clearly fond of each other's company.
In one video, Esmé can be seen to kiss the head of David.
In another, David playfully chases Esmé across a field.
Both are resident to Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), a South African wildlife facility focused on conservation of rare and vulnerable species.
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
The founder and managing director of HESC Lente Roode, 72, says the unique bond the two animals share is important to her.
"Esmé was our first rhino calf that we decided to introduce to an anatolian shepherd dog as a companion.
"It took a few days but as soon as the two were used to each other the relationship was remarkable and unbreakable.
"Esmé and David have a very special relationship and are therefore very dear to me."
David the dog is nearly two years old and was donated to HESC by a friend to Lente.
Esmé upbringing was slightly more challenging.
"Her mother was a young and inexperienced cow and couldn’t produce milk for Esmé," Lente said.
"On Esmé’s arrival she was extremely malnourished and as a result pressure sores formed on her ankles and underneath her feet."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
This pet raccoon rides in a boat, uses a litter box and is best friends with a golden retriever
Image by: Caryn Williamson
Meet Rebel - the pet raccoon who rides in a boat, uses a litter box and is best friends with a golden retriever.
“For most people, a raccoon is not a good pet,” said Rebel’s owner, Caryn Williamson, 44, who lives in Hudson, Indiana.
“They require constant supervision and they are so much more intelligent than a dog or cat.
“They can literally unlock your front door and walk right out.”
Rebel’s full name is Rebel Raccoon the Bush Brat.
“But he also answers to Booby or Booby Baby or Boobear,” said Caryn, who is the manager of an HVAC company for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
“Most raccoons won’t answer to their owners but he will answer me and come when I call him, it’s pretty cool!”
Caryn says she adopted Rebel, who will be a year old in April, from a breeder in Ohio via the United States Department of Agriculture.
“I got him September 9th of 2019 and I’m currently on the list for a baby raccoon, from the breeder.
“We got him from a young couple when he was just under five months old.
“Exotic pets like raccoons can’t be brought to a shelter or humane society and they can never be released into the wild.
“They are euthanized unless you can find someone willing to adopt them. We took on the challenge!”
Rebel quickly settled into Caryn’s home and became firm friends with her eight-year-old golden retriever Remington.
“Rebel and our dog Remington get along great.
“They are best friends, so much so that when Remington goes outside, Rebel paces back and forth at the door chattering until his friend is back.”
Image by: Caryn Williamson
Image by: Caryn Williamson
Image by: Caryn Williamson
As for Rebel’s day-to-day care, Caryn confirmed that raising a raccoon comes with certain complications.
“Raccoons are pack animals so being alone is not good for them,” she said.
“They need either animal or human companionship at all times.
“Rebel lives indoors at all times unless he is outside under our supervision. We live on a lake, and he goes for boat rides all summer. He is neutered, and has all recommended vaccines, and regular veterinary check ups.
“In order to maintain our exotic pet permit we are required to have vet checks and home checks by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Raccoons can’t live in cages. They get too stressed. But we do have to have a safe place to put him away and secure him for our permit.
“He has a Critter Nation enclosure that has a hammock in it that he likes to sleep in, and he goes in there when he wants to be left alone.
“He also has a feeding cage. Raccoons are messy eaters so I stay a step ahead.
“Raccoons eat what we eat, it’s a balance of meat and protein and fruits and vegetables.
“He loves eggs, and eats one every day for breakfast. He also gets a raw chicken leg once a week and eats it bone and all.”
Caryn’s lifestyle in rural Indiana allows her to keep Rebel without incident, but she doesn’t believe the species is ready to be fully domesticated.
“Maybe in a few hundred years,” she said.
“Rebel uses a litter box just like a cat and they are trainable to an extent, but raccoons are very stubborn and will only listen to commands when they want to.
“To live with a raccoon you must live on their time and their schedule. I have a very flexible schedule, so it works…but it wouldn’t work for the average person.
“Living with a raccoon is learning their moods and body language. It’s a daily struggle to entertain them.
“But the cuteness and love they exude far outweighs the trouble and mischief they cause.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Meet the air hostess who gets asked if she is Meghan Markle by baffled passengers up to ten times A DAY
Image by: Christine Mathis
An American air hostess who looks like Meghan Markle has been confusing passengers - and says she gets mistaken for her ten times a DAY.
Christine Mathis, 32, is an air hostess for JetBlue airline and has been getting mistaken for Meghan Markle ever since she starred in the TV show 'Suits' in 2011.
As Meghan's fame grew and her relationship with Harry appeared in the press regularly, doppelganger Christine from New Jersey was stopped more and more.
Now, the mum of one claims she gets approached up to ten times A DAY by passengers and members of the public who are convinced that she's a celebrity.
After years of being mistaken for the famous actress, Christine has signed up with an agency to find work as a lookalike.
Christine said: "I started getting mistaken for Meghan years ago when I worked in first class - passengers would stop me and say I looked like 'that girl from Suits'.
"It happened a few times so I obviously googled Meghan and it was really flattering - she's absolutely stunning, so it's definitely a compliment.
"I do see the resemblance! Meghan and I are both mixed race - my dad is African American and Italian and her mom is African American, maybe they're related somehow!
"When she started dating Harry, I was getting stopped more and more, and when they got married, it became a daily occurrence of people asking me if I was Meghan.
"I flew from LA to New York for work one day and security thought that I was her until they checked my passport which was hilarious.
"I also had a mole removed and my dermatologist was convinced that I was Meghan and just using a fake name to get the work done secretly!
"Passengers always tell me I look like her and say to me 'You're married to a Prince, why are you working as an air hostess?'"
"It happens so often but I really don't mind it, she's an amazing woman so it's really flattering to be mistaken for being her."
Image by: Christine Mathis
Image by: Christine Mathis
Image by: Christine Mathis
Image by: Christine Mathis
Although looking exactly like Meghan, Christine found her own prince long before the actress, falling in love with warehouse supervisor Pablo Smith, 37, in 2012.
The couple also became parents before Meghan and Harry, welcoming their daughter Alana in February 2018.
After years of being mistaken for the famous actress, Christine has signed up with an agency to find work as a lookalike.
She's already done a photoshoot with a Harry lookalike for the agency so she can start getting work as Meghan.
Christine said: "I've wanted to be an actress ever since I was a little girl and people are so convinced that I am actually Meghan that I thought why not see if I can get some jobs pretending to be her.
"I want to do corporate and TV work, but my absolute dream would be to play Meghan in a Lifetime movie about her.
"I only just signed up to an agency, and have already done a shoot with a Prince Harry lookalike which was a lot of fun but also weird pretending to be with another guy!
"We did the shoot at the Terranea resort and we were stopped at least 20 times. People were even taking pictures with us, it was a really fun experience.
"A lot of men do stop me to tell me I look like Meghan and use it as a kind of chat up line, which is bizarre, but I'm very happy with my boyfriend.
"Pablo does see the resemblance between Meghan and I, he does get why people think we are the same person.
"He gets teased a lot by his friends who say that he's Prince Harry, but he actually looks nothing like him - he looks more like John Legend!"
Image by: Adam Gray SWNSVideo by: Ashley Moran
