A ten-year-old girl has become one of the first girl scouts to get every single Beaver and Cub activity badge
Image by: Beth Shaw
A ten-year-old girl has become one of the first to get every single Beaver and Cub activity badge.
Willow Woolhouse completed every activity badge possible when she was in the Beavers, and last week received her final Cub achievement.
But getting all 57 badges - proudly sewn down the arms of her green sweater - was far from easy.
She had to learn to horse ride, become proficient in Morse code, teach herself to cook the perfect omelette and master the martial art of Tang Soo Do - from scratch.
School prefect Willow also had to impress her cub Akela - leader - with her stargazing skills and make her own bird box to get her DIY badge.
The only girl in her cub pack, Willow picked up her final badge last week - a photography patch - awarded for her series of snaps of her proud mum Beth Shaw, 42.
Willow is one of very few girls to get every Beaver and Cub activity badge - Rebecca Hooper, 10, did the same in 2009, when there were fewer cub badges available.
Cub 'sixer' Willow moves up to the Scouts after Christmas - and has her sights set firmly on achieving all 62 badges there.
Willow, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: "I feel really happy about getting them all. When I look back on my life I can't picture myself not being a cub or a beaver.
"It's just that friendship with everyone there that's really got me."
Willow joined the 3rd Bramhall beavers when she was five-years-old because she lives opposite the scout hut with mum Beth, and scientist teacher dad Robert, 39.
It took her three years to get all 20 Beavers activity badges she could achieve - plus the Chief Scout Bronze award.
Her first badge - her favourite - was gained for cooking, and was achieved by mastering a series of culinary skills, including making an omelette for her mum.
Willow said: "It was the first time I'd used a frying pan. Since then though eggs are my speciality and I've even invented some original recipes."
She then got 19 more - including ones for cycling, disability awareness and collecting.
Image by: Beth Shaw
Image by: Beth Shaw
Image by: Beth Shaw
Image by: Beth Shaw
Image by: Beth Shaw
Some were completed at her weekly session, and others at school or home, but documented with photographs she could submit to her leaders.
Willow graduated to cubs aged eight-and-a-half, and began to work through all 37 available badges.
Her favourite was fire safety, which involved an exciting visit to the local station.
She said she only recently realised she'd got all available badges.
Willow added: "Because it was so long ago that I started beavers and I was so young.
"My mum probably told me I had all my beaver badges but I'm not the type of person who remembers that kind of thing.
"Of course, I will be involved with scouts when I am an adult, even thought I have ambitions to be a cosmologist."
She got into star gazing thanks to a scout badge, which prompted her to get a telescope for her birthday.
But despite all the badges, it's the friendship that keeps Willow going back to her weekly club.
She wrote a novel called 'Survival Girls' about her pals' camp adventures, which she hopes will be published one day.
Her proud mum Beth, an operations manager, volunteers with the pack.
She said: "I'm really pleased and proud of her, because these badges are quite difficult to get.
"And she never doesn't want to do them. She's so enthusiastic about putting the work in to get them.
"Sometimes you can submit school work in order to achieve them - sometimes you have to put a lot of new effort into it.
"One of the harder ones she had to learn how to horse ride - but she did it. For her communication badge she needed to learn morse code. They all have to put in a lot of effort.
"At school they say she's very interesting to talk to. She's got a lot of different aspects to her. She doesn't play on computer games, and she's not into TV. She knows about the outdoors and nature and DIY though!
"Her leaders have given her so much support and guidance. They are fantastic role models."
A spokesman for The Scout Association said: “Well done Willow - it’s a real achievement to develop all the skills required to achieve all the Beaver Scout Badges and the Cub Scout Badges.
"To achieve this feat Willow much have shown grit determination and resilience.
"She joins an exclusive and very small group of other Cub Scouts who have gained all their badges and in doing so have develop the skills they will need to make their way in life.
"We are very proud of Willow and of the volunteer Leaders from 3rd Bramhall Cubs that have supported her on her journey. Well done"
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A brother and sister have become the first mixed sibling duo to row across any ocean - covering more than 3,000 miles in an incredible 43 days
Image by: Jon Mills
A brother and sister have become the first mixed sibling duo to row across any ocean - covering more than 3,000 miles in an incredible 43 days.
Anna and Cameron McLean battled isolation, technical difficulties and were even tailed by a shark during their grueling journey across the perilous Atlantic Ocean.
The team - dubbed 'The Seablings' - set off from the island of La Gomera, Canary Islands, before Christmas in their 24ft boat.
They reached Antigua on Saturday (Jan 25) after exactly 43 days, 15 hours and 22 minutes at sea - beating the previous record for a mixed pair by ten days.
The brutal expedition saw them experience extreme dehydration, fatigue and seasickness - which became so bad it was described as "totally incapacitating".
The pair, from Icomb, Glos., are hoping to enjoy some relaxing Caribbean hospitality for a week before they fly to the UK and their normal jobs.
Anna, 25, said: "Absolutely nothing can prepare you for the extremity of the Atlantic Ocean and just what it can bring. It is completely unpredictable.
"Our goal initially was to simply survive on our 24ft rowing boat.
"But as soon as the waves grew larger so did our confidence to overcome them and before we knew it our competitiveness to start racing.
"For me the toughest part was battling seasickness. It was totally incapacitating, as soon as I stopped rowing I was being sick.
"This meant I had to sleep on deck through the freezing nights as [being] in the claustrophobic cabin sloshing around in the waves made the sickness even worse.
"I couldn’t have asked for a better crew mate, best friend, and brother.
"Some of the highlights of the trip were when we were rowing together, laughing, singing at the top of our lungs and embracing being at one with nature.
"Now, safe in the arms of friends and family, a few hot showers and fresh meals later I look back on what this great voyage has taught me."
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
The pair completed the impressive challenge unsupported, eating from a bag and having foods like peanut butter for breakfast.
Dangers included other, larger vessels and the ever-present threat of capsizing due to the weather.
Their watermaker - which turns saltwater into drinkable freshwater - also broke at one point, which posed its own problem.
But they also got to see some incredible sights, including beautiful sunsets and pods of dolphins swimming alongside their boat.
Apart from each other, their only human interaction was with the captains of passing ships - and on social media.
Cameron, known as Cam, 32, said: "This epic challenge has changed me in so many positive ways.
"One being [that] I now have a much greater appreciation for our forefathers and grandparents who during the war had to ration everything they had.
"Realising our society today is way too disposable I will now make every effort back on land to reduce waste and to live a resourceful life style."
Their efforts in the Talisker Whisky Challenge 2019 have so far raised more than £25,000 for charity - and counting.
They are collecting money for UN Women UK, which supports projects around the world which empowers women.
Anna works as a consultant for AlfaPeople, a partner of Microsoft. She previously rowed at a collegiate level, at university in Clemson, South Carolina, USA.
Cam began rowing at school in Cheltenham, Glos., at the aged of 13. He is now training to be a commercial pilot.
Video by: Ellis Wylam
A British teenager has become the UK's youngest qualified commercial pilot - after his mum sold the family home to help fund his dreams
Image by: Seth Van Beek
An 18-year old has become the UK's youngest qualified commercial pilot - after his mum sold the family home to help fund his dreams.
Seth Van Beek got his licence to fly passenger airliners after he completed 18 months training and clocked up 150 hours in the air before he passed with flying colours.
He set his sights on being a pilot since the age of eight, and selfless single mum Frances, 42, sold their three-bed home to fund his dream.
Seth, from Preston, London, is now the UK's youngest licensed commercial aviator, a record previously held by Luke Elsworth, who passed aged 19.
He had to move to Greece for the intensive £85,000 flight school course and is now looking for a job - and hopes to one day fly for British Airways.
Seth said: "Flying has always been my dream. There was nothing else that I had ever wanted to do, and there is nothing I would contemplate doing.
"You don't have a single epiphany where you realise that you want to be something or do something, it comes from experience.
"My mum was an avid traveller when she was younger, and when I was a boy she'd take us on holidays to see the world.
"I loved everything about flying - even the fact that a 300-tonne tube of metal can basically be shot up into the air and fly for up to 12 hours.
"As I grew up, my love became a passion, and I'm so grateful that the experience of training didn't discourage me, like training can.
"If anything, I knew there and then this would be what I did for my whole life. To be honest, I took very naturally to flying - there's no feeling like it.
"When you are flying manually, you are in charge. It's a big responsibility, but it's exhilarating, and that means flying's an honour.
"And I’ve always felt safer flying in a plane, or flying one, than travelling on a bus or driving a car - though I do have a driver's licence!
"People have to chase their dreams, and I’ve been so lucky, being able to make my dream my career because of my mum.
"None of this would have been possible without her - I love her to pieces!"
Seth left school in Zimbabwe after his GCSEs and attended Egnatia Aviation Training College after passing gruelling entrance exams in January 2018, aged 16.
In April 2018, having turned 17 on March 4, he then began 18 months' training at the prestigious Mediterranean flight academy.
Though he could have trained in the UK, Seth said he chose to learn in Greece so he could break the world record - and "because the weather was better".
Image by: Seth Van Beek
Image by: Seth Van Beek
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Seth Van Beek
One of 14 students, Seth sat 14 exams, alternating between learning theory and practical flying at Kavala International Airport every three months.
He took to the skies up five times-a-week during his practical stints, initially for just 60 minutes, but eventually flying for five hours over Greece.
Seth also completed three theory-based courses - the ATP Integration Course, Jet Orientation, and Multi Crew Cooperation
His total theory study time totalled 828 hours, often revising late into the night.
Seth's average exam score was 90.6% and he graduated in September at the top of his class, getting his licence from the European Aviation Safety Agency a month later.
He said: "Everything just made sense to me. I became known around the school for being a hard worker and people asking for advice.
"They were asking me - 'how would I prepare for this or that?'.
"But I would study extra outside of class, just to make sure that I had perfected my knowledge - I had top marks in sight.
"During exam season, I'd finish class at 9pm, and then work until around 4 or 5am the next day, right through."
Seth said he was inspired by his mother Frances, who had "always supported my dreams and told me that I could make it if I worked hard".
Frances, who also has a 14-year-old daughter, sold their home in Milton Keynes and downsized to a flat, to free up £85,000 for Seth's course, plus accommodation fees.
He added: "She made huge sacrifices for me, and I couldn't let her down. I had to achieve, and to succeed.
"I wanted to be top of my class, so that I could show her that it was worth everything.
"The hours of study, the stress - and her decision to sell the house so that she could set money aside to one day finance my training. And she's well and truly proud!"
Finance manager Frances, originally from Zimbabwe, said: "When I start to think about everything, I get so overwhelmed.
"I didn’t have a proper education, so I have always pushed Seth to make sure that he accomplishes what he really wants.
"For years I have told him that as long as he has faith and believes in himself, he will be able to achieve anything he sets his mind to.
"To think he's the youngest licensed commercial pilot in the UK - it blows me away."
Egnatia Aviation Training College said that of 1,500 former students to graduate with the Greek school since 2006, Seth was the youngest.
And the Civil Aviation Authority said the youngest qualified pilots from 2018 were two 21-year-old males - three years Seth's senior.
A letter of recommendation from instructor Captain Dionysios Kouris described Seth's manual flight skills as "smooth and effective".
The director of training at Egnatia Aviation Training College, said: "Exemplary student would be the characterization that best describes Seth Van Beek.
"His pre-entry assessment results led us to believe that Seth not only had great potentials but allowed us to have high expectations from him, too.
"And he certainly proved us right!
"Seth demonstrated all the qualities of character a successful airline pilot should possess: discipline, punctuality, commitment, will to evolve constantly, kindness, team spirit combined with leadership skills.
"These aspects of character combined with the advanced professional airline training he received by our Academy created a cadet who graduated among the top of his class and without delays.
"Graduates like Seth are certain to have a prosperous career ahead and make us proud of having been Egnatia Aviation students in the past."
Video by: Seth Van Beek
An 11-year-old schoolboy needed emergency surgery when he broke both his legs after jumping over a puddle into a road – only to be hit by an oncoming car
Image by: John Kent
A schoolboy needed emergency surgery when he broke both his legs after jumping over a puddle into a road – only to be hit by an oncoming car.
Max Kent was airlifted to hospital and rushed into theatre after breaking both his thigh bones in the horror accident as he got off a school bus just metres from his house.
The 11-year-old talented footballer and street dancer was getting off the bus with his sister Francesca, 14, when he noticed a pool of water in the road.
He leapt over the puddle to cross the road as the bus pulled away, but jumped into the path of an oncoming car that he did not see, causing the double bone break.
Max was whisked to hospital by helicopter, where surgeons carried out an emergency operation to insert metal plates in one leg and a pin in the other.
Despite the accident taking place near York, medics decided he needed specialist surgery that could only be carried out at Leeds General Infirmary's trauma centre.
He spent ten days in hospital before being allowed home in a wheelchair to continue his recovery.
A police investigation found that nobody was to blame for the accident as neither Max nor the car driver could see each other due to the bus.
Max's dad John Kent, 54, relived the horror of the phone call he received from his wife Karen telling him of the incident, which happened on October 24.
Mr Kent, of York, North Yorks., said: "Francesca called my wife who went to out to see Max on the floor.
“My wife called me at work and said I needed to get home immediately. I didn't know what I was going to see when I got there.
"All sorts go through your mind as a parent when you hear your son has been hit by a car.
“By the time I got there, the doctor was already on the scene and had called the Yorkshire Air Ambulance because of the severity of the injuries.
Image by: John Kent
Image by: John Kent
Image by: John Kent
“The paramedics treating Max covered him up with blankets. I could just see his legs.
“York was the nearest hospital, but Leeds was the best place for him to go.
“His life wasn't in danger, but in terms of what they were able to do, the air ambulance was critical to getting him the right care in the right place quickly.
“What we don't know is what could have happened if the air ambulance didn't take him to Leeds.
“We didn't know if there were any internal injuries or how badly broken his legs were.
“Both his thighs were broken and they needed to operate quickly. A plate was inserted in the left leg to restructure the bone and a pin down the other."
Keen footballer Max has been unable to play the sport he loves as he recovers from his injuries and has also been unable to take the family dog Pawthos for a walk near their house.
But he managed to take part in the family's traditional ice skating trip on Boxing Day and is hopeful that he can take the stage in an upcoming pantomime his dad has organised as part of his association with amateur dramatic club the Deadpan Players.
Half of the proceeds will be given to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which relies on charitable donations to fulfill more than 1,800 missions every year with two state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters.
John added: "It has had a huge impact on his life. He's a very active and mobile young lad usually.
“Football is his great love, but he can't do that for a while as he is stuck in a wheelchair.
"He is unable to take our dog Pawthos for a walk across the fields where we live as the fields are linked and surrounded by muddy farm tracks which are unpassable in the wheelchair.
"His recovery is going steady.
“We managed to go ice skating on Boxing Day as a family and the Winter Wonderland were extremely accommodating allowing Max to enjoy the session in his chair.
“We are hoping he will be up and about by spring or summer time."
Suspected Banksy artwork has appeared in his home city of Bristol
Image by: Paul Gillis
A new piece of Valentine's Day-inspired street art apparently created by Banksy has appeared in his home city of Bristol.
Residents in the Barton Hill area of the city woke up to the artwork on the side of a house this morning (Thurs).
It seems to show a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers - possibly in relation to February 14th.
The mysterious artist has yet to claim ownership - although the piece bears all of his hallmarks.
The Bristol Somali Community Association posted photos of the artwork on Twitter.
They said: "Today in Barton Hill, we woke up with this remarkable mural art painted on one of the houses of the area.
"We hope it’s Banksy’s work. Come and have a look yourself. Whoever painted, it’s worth admiring their creativity."
The Bristol-based graffitist is known to create his masterpieces under the cover of darkness - leaving the scene before anyone can spot him in action.
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Paul Gillis
The new Banksy appeared on the house owner's BIRTHDAY, family say.
The daughter of the landlord who owns the home has said she is "gobsmacked".
Kelly Woodruff, 37, helps with the management of the property on the junction of Marsh Road and Avonvale Road.
She said: "I'm literally gobsmacked. I'm so excited. It's given everyone a bit of a buzz.
"I haven't even spoken to my dad about it yet. I saw it on Facebook and immediately texted it to him. It's his birthday.
"I don't know what our plans are - but we're definitely keeping [the artwork].
"I was trying to get my dad to sell some property. It's a family-run business. I would say sell [the house] straight away!
"It's just incredibly exciting. I'm a born and bred Bristol girl. I follow Banksy all the time."
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Ashley Moran
The owner of the house has described his delight at finding out that the potential Banksy artwork had appeared on his property - and on his birthday.
Edwin Simons, 67, said: "I'm shocked, absolutely shocked. How do we protect it? That's all there is in my mind. I don't want it vandalised.
"We want to protect it. I will never take it down - if I can protect it. I don't know what I'm going to do. We need someone with some knowledge about it.
"I've always been fascinated by Banksy. I think he's brilliant, absolutely brilliant - and he's more brilliant now!
"We never thought this would happen to us.
"I think it needs to be covered in anti-vandal paint. But I don't know how you would protect the flowers. We need to get some advice."
Landlord Edwin, from Longwell Green, Bristol, has owned the property - currently valued at around £235,000 - for 15 years.
It is divided into three flats, with the Valentine's Day-inspired artwork on the exterior of the building's left side.
He said: "The price [of the house] doesn't come into it for me - it's just brightened my day.
"It looks like it's a Banksy. We might have to put a frame over it; I don't know how we will protect it otherwise.
"It's a good birthday present. It's brought me out of the dumps.
"If there's anyone who can help us - the door's open!"
Daughter Kelly Woodruff, 37, said: "It's just incredible. It's so exciting that it's happened on Dad's birthday - it's a real present.
"It's not bad being 67 and getting a Banksy!
"We'd cry if someone vandalised it - we love it.
"We've got another property in Easton - Banksy come and do some others for us!"
When asked if he was Banksy, Edwin added: "No, I wish I was - I wouldn't owe the money I owe!"
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A golden retriever born with deformed legs has new lease of life after getting custom-built wheelchair
Image by: Chad DuBose
A golden retriever born with deformed front legs has a new lease of life - thanks to a specially-designed wheelchair.
Pigpen the pup needed both legs amputated at eight months-old and could only move by pushing his body along the ground - earning him the nickname 'Street Sweeper'.
But now the 14-month-old has a custom-made set of wheels to replace his front legs - allowing him to scoot around and play with other dogs.
Owner Chad DuBose, 34, reckons that Pigpen's treatment has $20,000 so far.
He said: “It was worth it though - he’s so happy. If I could bottle that kind of happiness and sell it then I’d be a billionaire.”
Pigpen was one of 11 puppies born in Savannah, Georgia, USA, on November 14, 2018.
Four days later Chad, a charter captain, noticed something was wrong.
"We initially thought he was just going to be the runt of the litter, but as he continued to grow there was a noticeable developmental difference between him and his siblings," he said.
“He couldn’t use his front legs, he just used to slide along the ground like a street sweeper.
“He’d get super dirty all the time but he didn’t care, he was having a great time.
“My fiancée named him Pigpen after the keyboardist from the Grateful Dead [American rock band].
"But the name gathered new meaning, because he was so dirty all the time.
"He's a very messy eater too."
Chad consulted with a veterinarian who advised that both of Pigpen’s front legs needed to be amputated, in two separate operations.
“A lot of thoughts crossed my mind,” recalled Chad, who lives with Pigpen and his fiancée Gloria Mulvaney, a 34-year-old nurse and their two other dogs.
“We were worried about what his quality of life would be like after the amputations.
“But after talking to the vet, we decided that if Pigpen could fight the fight then we could too.
"As long as he is comfortable and not in pain we said we would do everything we can to keep him alive.”
Image by: Chad DuBose
Image by: Chad DuBose
Image by: Chad DuBose
Image by: Chad DuBose
In July 2019 Pigpen had both his front legs removed and by December 2019 he was having physical therapy at the Fetch Canine Rehab facility in Savannah.
“He recovered more quickly than anyone expected him to,” said Chad.
“He seemed a lot happier. His front legs were weighing him down and becoming very deformed.”
Pigpen has also received his first professionally-made wheelchair, to give him independence and mobility.
“We experimented with several prototypes while he was a puppy but we had to wait until he was fully developed to get the final model,” said Chad.
Pigpen can now play freely with his friend, a white golden retriever named Hank, who lives in the neighborhood.
"They have a great time rolling around together," said Chad
Chad estimates that the total cost of Pigpen’s treatments has amounted to over $20,000.
“We held a fundraiser and the vet was so kind, he gave us the operations for half price,” he said.
“But we’ve paid about $10,000 out of our own pocket, so you’re looking at a $10,000 dog right there.
“It was worth it though, he’s so happy. If I could bottle that kind of happiness and sell it then I’d be a billionaire.”
A public fundraiser on GoFundMe.com has been set up to help fund Pigpen's ongoing medical care:
https://uk.gofundme.com/f/learning-to-walkthe-adventures-of-pigpen
Video by: Chad DuBose
Funny video shows driver blasting "Pump It Up" song - as he drives past man pumping up his car tyres
Image by: Ellis Dimelow
This hilarious video shows the moment a driver blasted the song "Pump It Up" through his radio - as he drove past a man who was inflating up his car tyres.
Ellis Dimelow was a passenger in his friend Dom Zach's car when the pair drove past a man at the side of the road pumping air into his car tyres.
Cheeky Ellis, 27, quickly took advantage of the moment, and started playing 2004 dance hit, Pump It Up, through Dom's car radio, winding down the window as they drove past.
The man can be seen glancing up and laughing when he heard the song playing, and started pumping his car tyres in time to the beat.
And as Ellis and Dom laugh at the situation, the other driver can be seen crossing his arms and shaking his head in mock annoyance at the pair at Harrogate, N Yorks.
Ellis, who works at a housing company in Harrogate, said: "We just put the song on as we were driving up to him.
"He was loving it. All three of us had a good laugh about it," Ellis joked.
Video by: Ellis Dimelow
Firefighter needed open heart surgery after getting POPCORN stuck in his teeth which led to life-threatening infection
Image by: Adam Martin
A firefighter needed open heart surgery when he got a potentially-fatal blood infection -
after getting POPCORN stuck in his teeth.
Adam Martin, 41, was “on death’s door” after the deadly infection attacked his heart and left him fighting for life.
He contracted an infection called endocarditis after he struggled to dislodge the piece of popcorn stuck between his teeth.
Endocarditis occurs when germs from another part of your body, such as the mouth, spread through the bloodstream and damage areas of the heart.
Doctors quizzed him about a possible cause and the only thing Adam can think might have caused the infection is his constant wiggling and poking at the food lodged in his teeth.
Adam said he stuck everything from a pen lid, tooth pick, a piece of wire and even a metal nail in his mouth in a desperate attempt to remove the popcorn.
The constant playing around with his mouth caused toothache after he damaged his gum, but instead of going to the dentist, he did nothing.
A week later Adam developed night sweats, fatigue, headaches and eventually a heart murmur, which are all signs of the infection.
Father-of-three Adam, from Coverack, Cornwall, said: “The doctors told me if I hadn’t gone to the GP when I did then I could have been dead in three days.
“Most people die when they are at 350 on an infection scale and I was at 340. The infection had eaten my heart valves completely.
“If I had gone to the dentist in the first place then none of this would have happened. At one point it was quite touch and go. It was the worst experience of my life.
“I wasn’t far off death’s door and I am extremely lucky. The popcorn stuck in my teeth is the only possible cause I can think of. I am never eating popcorn again that’s for sure.”
Adam’s life-threatening ordeal started when he shared a bag of popcorn while watching a film with his wife, Helen, 38, at the end of September.
The popcorn stuck in a tooth in the back left of his mouth, drove him crazy for three days and no matter how hard he tried, could not dislodge it.
Adam admits he playing around with his gum with random things he found lying around to dislodge it.
A week later Adam developed what appeared to be a cold, which then turned into what was assumed to be flu, and on October 7 he went to his GP.
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
The doctors diagnosed a mild heart murmur and sent him for blood tests and x-rays, which came back showing nothing more significant than slightly raised inflammation markers.
Adam was sent home with medication to recover under his own steam, but a few days later, he was still experiencing flu-like symptoms.
He also developed a blood blister on his toe - which was later diagnosed as a Janeway lesion, an external indication of infective endocarditis.
Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, which is the inner lining of the heart chambers and heart valves.
It can lead to bacteria spreading through the bloodstream and damaging areas in the heart. If it's not treated quickly, endocarditis can damage or destroy heart valves.
Worried about his worsening current condition, Adam went to the Royal Cornwall Hospital on October 18.
He said: “I had a feeling there was something seriously wrong. I was sleeping an awful lot and I felt terrible.
“I had aches and pains in my legs and I just did not feel right at all. I was admitted to hospital the same day for tests. By this point I was very worried.
“I felt quite ill and I knew I was not right at all.”
The muscle ache in his leg turned out to be an infected clot, wedged in his femoral artery which required a five hour operation to clear.
Adam was being treated with medication to fight the infection but chest scans revealed his heart had been severely damaged - and would need an urgent operation.
He was transferred to Derriford Hospital on October 21 and had seven hour open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve and repair his mitral valve, damaged by the infection.
Adam said: “My heart was not properly working anymore. It was essentially wrecked. The infection had eaten the valves away.
“I should have just gone to the dentist in the first place. I don’t want anyone to go through what I have done.
“It all happened so quickly and it did get sketchy. I won’t be going near popcorn again, that’s for sure.
“It’s crazy to think all this happened because of that. It was something so trivial."
Adam made a quick recovery following surgery and returned home to his wife, Helen, and three children Megan, 15, Holly, 14 and George, seven, at the end of October.
Teaching assistant Helen said: “Any sign of toothache, bleeding gums, abscess - get it checked out!
“It is also well worth noting the date in case you get ‘flu like symptoms’. If Adam’s infection was caught earlier it could have been treated with antibiotics.
“Your gums are a bacterial highway to your heart.”
Meet Denzel the house duck - a lost and lonely duckling hand-reared by a cleaner who brought him in from the rain
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
A kind womans adopted a lost duckling which turned up on her front doorstep in a rain storm - and now it barely leaves her side.
Jessica Clewes, 24, hand-reared Denzel the duck after her dad Michael Clewes, 70, opened his front door when he heard chirping outside.
She nursed the tiny shivering bird back to health - warming him up under a heat lamp and feeding him worms.
But when he was big enough to fly the nest, pampered Denzel didn't want to leave, so she built him a duck pond and outdoor house, but he prefers to be indoors.
Four months since he waddled into their lives, Denzel loves watching TV from his favourite spot in front of the fire.
He follows Jessica and partner, Adam Oliver, 38, around the house in Smallwood, Cheshire, and even sits on their shoulders and nestles into her hair.
Cleaner Jessica, who has experience as a game keeper, said: "We love him to bits. He sees us as parents and we have hand-reared him since he was a baby.
"He sits on my knee at night whilst I watch TV and now it’s cold outside he likes to sit in front of the log burner.
“He’s never ever tried to fly away and he could do at any point really, but this is all he has ever known.
“I’m not sure he would survive in the wild now. I’m not even sure he knows how to be a proper duck.
“He must have only been a couple of days own when he turned up on my dad’s door in the rain.
“I want to keep him forever now. We both have an affection for him.
“He must be happy otherwise he would just fly off. He could do if he wanted to but has never even tried.
"'Gamekeepers, farmers and country people aren't all about killing animals. We are all massive conservationists too."
Denzel, a mallard drake, showed up at Jessica’s dad’s front door during a rainy day in the middle of July.
Former game-keeper, Michael Clewes, 70, opened the door to bring him inside and gave him some TLC.
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Jessica Clewes
Image by: Jessica Clewes
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Jessica lives next door and took over from her dad later that day and has fed, cared for and nurtured Denzel every day since.
She built him an incubator and bought a heat-lamp for when he was young, which Denzel eventually grew out of at the end of August.
Jessica and plasterer Adam chose not to clip his wings and built Denzel a pond and shelter outside and let him roam around the garden for fun.
He spends his days outdoors - like every other duck - but unlike the rest of his breed sleeps in the warmth and comfort of a house.
Denzel typically snoozes wherever he likes at home but his two favourite places to take a nap are in front of the log burner or on the sofa.
Jessica said: “He has a duck house outside with a pen and a little pond. We feed him corn and occasionally give him meal worms as a treat.
“One of his favourite things to do with us is sit in the garden and dig up mealworms.
“He will sit on my shoulder too and I can walk around the house with him on there. When he was young he used to sit on my head. I think he might have seen it as a bird’s nest.
“My boyfriend is obsessed with him and they have a special connection for sure. He pecks me sometimes but follows Adam around wherever he goes.”
Unfortunately for Jessica and Adam, ducks are not the easiest animals to toilet train and they do find themselves cleaning up after Denzel around the house.
Jessica said the couple are now looking to adopt a female duck so Denzel can start a family.
She’s hopeful of one day having her very own duck nursery in her back garden.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A 'social' robot recently on the cover of Time Magazine held BINGO lessons for OAPs in a care home
Image by: Jon Mills
This is the hilarious moment a 'social' robot recently on the cover of Time Magazine held BINGO lessons for OAPs in a care home.
Stevie the robot was designed to keep people company and is so advanced he was named one of the inventions of 2019.
Now the robot designed by a team from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, has visited Reflections day centre in Camborne, Cornwall.
He has already been keeping the elderly company and hosting bingo sessions to keep the residents entertained.
Recently back from a visit to the States, Stevie has been placed into the care of experts from the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Health Technology.
Dr Conor McGinn, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, said: “This pilot is the start of an exciting new relationship with the University of Plymouth.
"Two things particularly excite me: a chance to link up with Plymouth in the field of robotics, and the potential to test Stevie in Plymouth and Cornwall for his very first UK pilot.”
"The aim with Stevie was to create something that empowers people to use it, whether that is service users or patients.
"We want people to like Stevie, and so he is deliberately not intimidating and non-judgmental. "
His creators describe Stevie as “the world's most advanced social robot”, and he has recently been named among Time’s 100 best inventions of 2019.
Dr McGinn continued: "People have a very subtle ability to pick up social clues, so he has to be really finely tuned.
"We haven’t had anyone who hates him yet, although some take longer than others to get used to him.
“Some older people actually find it easier to open up and talk to a robot than a person.
"Running a game of bingo might seem frivolous, but if he can increase happiness and reduce loneliness, both of which have significant health implications, Stevie will be proving his value.”
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
During the two weeks Stevie is spending at Reflections, he will carry out a range of activities - including leading a game of bingo.
He will also spend time with clients of the centre, and researchers will monitor his performance and gather feedback from staff.
And Stevie is already proving a hit.
A spokesperson for the care home said: "He has arrived at Reflections. His 1st shift was a success and we are all looking forward to having his help and company over next 2 weeks.
"He has been taking a group for musical bingo, dancing and falling in love. All in a days work for Stevie."
A key test will be whether Stevie can successfully keep people engaged.
It is hoped Stevie’s presence will boost wellbeing and social interaction, while freeing up human staff to work with individuals needing more attention.
Researchers from two EU-funded projects in the Centre for Health Technology are involved with the Stevie trial.
Professor Ray Jones leads the eHealth Productivity and Innovation in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (EPIC) project.
Professor Jones said: “It is an honour to have hosted Stevie at the University and to work with him in a care setting, and it shows the idea of ‘Testbed Cornwall’ already has the clout to attract world-leading technology.
“However, Conor and his team are only one of the many we are helping to test ideas, products and technology in Cornwall.
"EPIC aims to develop and use eHealth – things like websites and apps as well as robots – to improve health and wellbeing in Cornwall.
"In addition, we want to create highly skilled jobs in Cornwall to boost the economy.”
Video by: Ashley Moran
