A space engineer has built her own cell phone with a ROTARY DIAL because she hates smartphones and texting
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
A space engineer has built her own cell phone with a ROTARY DIAL because she despises smartphones and texting.
Justine Haupt, 34, spent three years creating the old school device which fits into her pocket with a battery that lasts up to 30 hours.
When she wrote about the retro cell phone on her website, so many people visited the post that her site crashed.
Justine has since been inundated with requests from fellow smartphone haters begging for their own version of the phone and she is now offering build-it-yourself kits.
The astronomy instrumentation engineer, at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, was inspired to make the phone because she dislikes the culture of smartphones and has never even owned one.
“I work in technology but I don’t like the culture around smartphones,” she said.
“I don’t like the hyper connected thing.
“I don’t like the idea of being at someone’s beck and call every moment and I don’t need to have that level of access to the internet.
“Whenever I want to look something up, I’m more than happy to do so when I am at my computer.
“I’ve never texted and building this phone was in part so that I would have a good excuse for not texting.
“Now I can hold up this phone and say, ‘No, I can’t text.’”
While Justine did once buy a Samsung Galaxy smartphone for her mother and played around on it herself, she said she got rid of the device after a month.
“I thought I would give it a try but I lasted less than a month with it.
“I went back to my flip phone.
“I’m an engineer, I love technology, but the phone is not the way I want to do it.”
She is also not a fan of the interface on a smartphone or the touch screen.
“The interface is absolutely horrible,” she said.
“When you open an application and then you want it to go away but you don’t know if it is closed - that grates against the fibre of my being.”
Justine’s appreciation of rotary dials inspired her project.
“Rotary dials are neat and I wanted to include them in a project.
“I had had a flip phone for a long time and it can technically text so I wanted an even more dumbed down phone.
“I thought: ‘why not make a rotary dial phone?’
“I wanted it to fit in my pocket, be sleek, something I could actually use.”
The project was stop-start until two months ago when she decided to finally finish the device.
“I had the idea three years ago.
“I started putting it together and then I lost interest and it was in a box in the closet for a while.
“It was only about two months ago that I said: ‘I’m going to finish this thing’.”
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Justine sourced a rotary dial from an old Trimline telephone, making sure the dial was small enough to fit on a phone which would slip into her pocket.
“I was particular about getting one that could be as compact as possible.”
She bought a cell phone radio development board from hardware company Adafruit and the first cell phone prototype was very basic with wires showing.
“I did it just to prove it could work,” she said.
“I then designed my own circuitry.”
Justine used a 3D printer to create the cell phone case and added speed dialing buttons so she could call her husband, David Van Popering, 57, and her mother, Lorraine Labate, 60, at the click of a button.
The button for David is labelled ‘Da’ and Lorraine’s button is ‘La’, an abbreviation of Llama, Justine’s nickname for her mother.
“If I want to call my husband, I can call him by pushing a single button. I can call people more quickly on this phone than on my old phone.
“In rare cases when I want to call a new number, I do use the rotary dial and it is a fun, tactile experience.”
Justine added an e-paper display to the phone so that she could see messages and missed calls.
“It’s actual e-paper, the same material that you find on Kindles.
“Those kinds of displays are cool and are under utilised in technology.”
The phone takes an AT&T prepaid sim card which is compatible with the cell phone radio.
The device is 4 inches tall, 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick - easily fitting into Justine’s pocket.
“The battery lasts for a solid 24 hours, maybe 30 hours.
“It is actually my phone - I don’t carry my flip phone with me anymore.
“It fits into my pocket and, in total bulk, I don’t think it is much bigger than a large smartphone with a protective case on it.”
Justine published a post about the cell phone on her website on February 10 and so many people visited her site that it crashed under the demand.
“I never expected to go viral with this,” Justine said.
“There was so much demand.
“I didn’t want to sell it at first but everyone was clamoring and I got so many emails from people begging to buy a phone.
“Finally someone suggested I should at least make a kit.
“I very quickly put together a new version of the circuit that would be a little more robust.”
Justine created another version of the cell phone with a turquoise case.
Customers can buy the kit, which includes the circuit board and the 3D printed parts, from Justine’s company Sky’s Edge for $170, but they will have to source their own rotary dial.
“Now I’m looking at making a more inclusive kit that will come with everything you need,” Justine added.
“In a week, I’ve had around 30 orders.”
Justine admitted that the phone’s popularity has baffled her.
“I’m not totally sure why people responded to it the way they did.
“Maybe they see it as a hipster gadget which I hate because to me, it’s an actual phone.
“But there’s a surprising number of people who have identified with my philosophy of not liking smartphone culture - I’m pleasantly surprised that those people are out there.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A mother lost both FEET after a life-threatening labour ordeal which left her bleeding heavily and infected with sepsis
Image by: Callie Colwick
A mother lost both her FEET after a life-threatening labour ordeal which left her bleeding heavily and infected with sepsis.
Callie Colwick, 30, suffered from a rare condition called placenta accreta while pregnant with her son Quinn.
The serious complication occurs when the placenta detaches from the uterine wall after delivery and causes severe blood loss.
She tragically lost her newborn son and contracted sepsis which left her fighting for her life as her organs failed.
Doctors had no choice but to amputate both of Callie’s legs, her left thumb and forefinger and remove her uterus as the tissue had ‘died’ due to the loss of blood.
The graphic designer, from McKinney, Texas, said: “My limbs started to die.
“My legs were black and shriveled up, my toes looked like raisins.”
When Callie finally returned home after spending over a year in the ICU, her health insurance refused to cover the $11,000 custom wheelchair she needed to move around freely.
The mother of Kenzi, four, couldn’t push herself around in a standard wheelchair and was forced to wear diapers as she wasn’t able to go to the bathroom alone.
Callie was astounded to receive an Instagram message on December 31 2019 from a kindhearted stranger offering to raise the funds to buy her the special wheelchair.
Amy Bernhard, 32, set up a GoFundMe campaign and within just one day she had raised a staggering $20,980 for Callie’s chair with the extra money going towards installing ramps in her home.
Callie and husband Kevin, 30, a web developer, were delighted to discover that Callie was pregnant with Quinn, their second child, in November 2016.
But when Callie began experiencing heavy bleeding at work when she was 15 weeks pregnant, she went to hospital.
“I’d had light bleeding from day one,” Callie said.
“But what made me go to the doctor was the heavy abdominal bleeding.
“I was passing blood clots.
“I was at work about to go into a meeting and I felt this gush of liquid - my pants were soaked in blood.
“I went straight to hospital and called Kevin.”
Image by: Callie Colwick
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Callie Colwick
Doctors told Callie that Quinn could be born at any time and that tragically he would not survive the birth.
“They put me in the pregnancy wing.
“Here we were in this room, surrounded by women giving birth and babies crying and we were told that Quinn had no chance of survival and we were just waiting to give birth to him.
“It was a solemn few weeks.”
Callie lay in the Trandelenberg Position with her feet elevated above her head in a last ditch attempt to help her baby survive.
“I hung like a bat trying to keep him inside through gravity,” she said.
“I was afraid of sneezing or going to the restroom in case my waters broke and he was born.
“It was a terrifying few weeks with nothing to do in the hospital but just wait.”
Doctors induced labour on December 26 2016 and little Quinn was stillborn, weighing just half a pound.
“I was fading in and out of consciousness,” Callie said.
“I wasn’t responsive, my eyes would roll to the back of my head and I was burning up.
“My fever had spiked way too high and they were packing ice onto me.
“They broke my waters and he was born.
“Quinn was too tiny to survive; he went straight to heaven.
“My husband was stuck between mourning the loss of his son and making all these medical decisions.”
During the delivery Callie lost so much blood that a trauma doctor was flown in from Dallas.
“My uterus was hemorrhaging blood.
“Doctors were pumping blood into me as soon as it was flowing out.”
But Callie developed septic shock in her uterus and the infection soon spread leaving doctors no choice but to remove her uterus.
She said: “My world went black.
“That infection overrode my entire body.
“They had to take out my uterus.
“The sepsis shut down my kidneys and my lungs so I was on a breathing machine.”
Two months later, doctors decided that they would have to amputate Callie’s legs below the knee and part of her left hand as the tissue was so damaged due to lack of blood.
“I remember coming to, in extreme pain and confusion.
“My husband had to explain what happened.
“I had everything minus my uterus and my feet.”
Image by: Callie Colwick
Image by: Callie Colwick
Image by: Callie Colwick
Callie spent more than a year in the ICU and finally in March 2018 she was able to return home.
She had been refused prosthetics by her health insurance and struggled to adjust to life as an amputee in a bulky wheelchair that she could not push herself in.
“The wheelchair they sent me home in was a basic chair off of Amazon.
“Kevin had to dress my wounds every day.”
Callie was finally able to stand on her knees for the first time on January 15 2019.
“Until then, Kevin had been picking me up and putting me in my chair.”
In April 2019 she was finally approved for prosthetics and she applied for a custom chair in October.
“My doctor put in the order and they denied my chair.
“It is just insane.
“I don’t have feet and I can’t put my prosthetics on by myself.”
She shared her frustration on Instagram where Amy, a business coach, from Lafayette, Louisiana, came across her story.
“I glanced at Callie’s page and as I watched her videos, I had tears come down my face,” Amy said.
“I had trouble sleeping because I could not stop thinking about what this woman had gone through.”
She reached out to Callie and offered to start a GoFundMe campaign for her chair, but Callie at first turned down the offer.
Callie explained: “I messaged her back and said: ‘No thanks’.
“I was still hoping that my insurance would approve it.
“But she just kept messaging me and then when my request was declined again for the chair, I agreed.
“I said: ‘Yes, do what you think is best’.”
The next morning Amy launched the fundraising campaign and Callie was amazed to see how quickly people donated.
“It was shared like wild fire,” she said.
“This generous gift from a complete stranger gives me the ability to make my home completely accessible.
“It’s a lightweight custom built chair so I can pick it up by myself.
“I can actually wheel myself around in it.
“Imagine being trapped in a chair - for me, this chair is the difference between a chair that has wheels and one that doesn’t.”
The two women met in person for the first time on January 24 when Amy flew to Dallas for work.
They bonded over a sushi dinner where Callie told Amy just how big a difference the baby pink chair had made to her life.
“She shared with me what that wheelchair would actually do for her,” Amy said.
“She told me that it was the first time in three years that she was able to go to the bathroom herself.”
Callie added: “I felt like I had known Amy my whole life.”
Despite all her health struggles, Callie says she is keen to make the most of her life.
She said: “My hope is to help and inspire others.
“I was 27 when this happened - no one expects a 27-year-old mom to die.
“I truly feel like I am living on borrowed time now.”
Video by: Callie Colwick
Adorable pictures show a cat dubbed “catopotamus” after a shave left her resembling a hippo
Image by: Simon Galloway
A stray cat which was dubbed “catopotamus” by the RSPCA after a close shave left her resembling a HIPPO is looking for a new home.
Animal charity staff had to shave off Holly's fur due to painful knots which developed after she lived on the streets without an owner.
Comical photos show the startled puss with most of her body shaved down to the skin leaving her "looking like a hippopotamus".
Staff at RSPCA East Norfolk are now trying to find her a home and describe her as a gentle-natured, friendly cat who would be happiest in a quiet environment.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Her coat, once fully grown back, will need to be brushed each week to prevent it getting matted again.
She has undergone a dental and a spay check she is now ready to find a home - after spending over a month recovering at the charity's Great Yarmouth branch.
Anyone who thinks they could provide a loving home for Holly is asked to call the RSPCA's rehoming line on 07867 972870 or visit the branch.
All of the RSPCA's cats, dogs and rabbits are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and on a flea and worm programme.
This hilarious video shows a dog pestering a giant STATUE to throw its ball - after mistaking the artwork for its owner
Image by: Lorraine Courty
This hilarious video shows a dog pestering a giant STATUE to throw its ball - after mistaking the artwork for its owner.
The cute clip shows rescue dog Ozzy wagging its tail and jumping around in anticipation of 'Big Fella' joining in with his game.
The six-year-old spaniel repeatedly barks at the 12-foot installation expecting a throw - but ends up disappointed.
The artwork is located in Silloth, Cumbria and was erected as request of a dying businessman who loved the scenic spot.
Ironically, it also depicts a pet dog - and a ball.
Owner Lorraine Courty, 60, said: "Ozzy always does that with benches. My sister taught him to do it.
"But he had never done it with the massive bench next to Big Fella before, and he hasn't done it since.
"The statue is enormous in real life. We were there a week after and he didn't even look at it. It was just one of those things.
"But that day I eventually took the ball away and he just took it back!
"Everyone has been going crazy about [the video]. Even the sculptor has seen it - he think it's fantastic."
Image by: Newsquest News and Star
Image by: Newsquest News and Star
The work of art was commissioned by businessman Peter Richardson and arranged to be positioned overlooking the sea close to where he lived in the event of his death.
Mr Richardson, who died in 2017 at the age 72, bequeathed the sculpture in his will as a gift to his hometown and the area where he would walk his own beloved dog.
Steel artist Ray Lonsdale took four months to assemble the sculpture, which was then unveiled on August 1, 2019.
The video was shot on December 22, 2019.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Meet the world's best-travelled BABY - after his mum and dad split their parental leave and used it to travel the globe
Image by: Samantha Farr
Meet the world's best-travelled BABY - after his mum and dad split their parental leave and used it to travel the globe.
Samantha Farr, 31, and husband Jonathan, 37, decided they were going to embark on their adventure when pregnant with George, now one.
The teachers started planning just two weeks after he arrived in January 2019 and saved up, before splitting Samantha's maternity leave.
Alongside older kids Archie, seven, and Teddy, three, they embarked on a three-month backpacking trip across eight countries and through twelve cities.
They walked parts of the Great Wall of China and paddled over the Great Barrier Reef, surfed the Gold Coast and roamed the deserts of Dubai.
They abandoned hopes of any sort of newborn routine, dealing with the sleepless nights in 19 different places, from hotels and tents to camper vans and hotels, rather than their home in Louth, Lincolnshire.
Now back in the UK, the adventurous family are already missing the freedom and would urge others to follow in their footsteps next year.
Samantha said: "It was the most amazing experience and the kids absolutely loved it, I don't regret it for one minute and we're already talking about planning another adventure.
"Even though the kids are so small, they honestly threw themselves into every adventure and loved every minute.
"They were climbing mountains, riding elephants, running around local markets, racing in tuk tuks - it was amazing and just the most rewarding experience.
"Our eldest son Archie started filming bits from our trips - he said he now wants to be like David Attenborough when he grows up.
"We did a lot of backpacking and stayed in all different kinds of accommodation, from a hotel one day, to a camper van the next and then sleeping in tents as well.
"We wanted to tick off a few bucket list places in our travels too, so we visited the Great Wall of China and showed the kids the Great Barrier Reef which was incredible."
Teachers Samantha and Jonathan have shared their passion for travel over the years and enjoyed many holidays before having children to Mexico, France and Majorca.
They married in 2009 before welcoming son Archie in October 2012, son Teddy in June 2016 and son George in January 2019.
After saving up money together, they split Samantha's maternity leave between them and embark on a three month adventure travelling the world with their children.
Mum Samantha said: "We'd been talking about travelling as a family for ages, and using our maternity leave to do so seemed the most logical decision.
"We saved up money to go travelling and actually thought about doing it with our second child Teddy but he was quite poorly when he was born so we decided not to.
"When I fell pregnant with George, we discussed it again and thought if we don't do it now, then we'll never do it!
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Image by: Samantha Farr
Despite their youngest only being five and a half months old when they departed from Stansted Airport in July 2019, the parents weren't worried.
The young family started their travels in Sri Lanka, then went on to Beijing, Tokyo, Bali, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and ending their three month holiday in Dubai.
Over their three month journey, the family travelled across eight different countries and snapped photographs at every opportunity.
From surfing in Australia to roaming the deserts of Dubai, Samantha and Jonathan's children have certainly experienced more than the average British child.
Returning to the UK in October 2019 with treasured memories and photographs to look back on, the family are already missing the freedom and itching to go travelling again.
The trip has made the family realise they are more suited to this way of living than the traditional life.
They are looking into how to incorporate their love for travelling into their daily lives more, and have just sold their home and are planning their next trip.
Samantha said: "It has been weird being back, I think we all miss travelling and we are thinking about giving up suburbia for life on the road permanently.
"We did make the decision for Archie to miss the first term of the school year to go travelling, which is controversial as we are teachers ourselves, but we did educate him as we travelled.
"We're looking at doing it for longer next time, possibly travelling around North and South America.
"Our boys absolutely loved it and Archie especially is totally up for more.
"We just wanted to show the kids that you don't have to follow the social norm of growing up, getting a job, moving into a house, settling down - there's so much more to do and see than that.
"We wanted our children to see that life is for the living and you can venture out of your comfort zone, and I think we've definitely done that."
Samantha shares her family's adventures on their Instagram account @wildandthreekids
Rock fan dad given surprise performance after unborn baby makes heavy metal sign during a baby scan
Image by: Tom Dowie
A rock fan dad was given a surprise performance after his unborn baby was seen making a heavy metal sign in the womb during a baby scan.
Tom Dowie, 29, and fiancée Caitlin Welsh, 28 were at their 19 week scan last month when their unborn baby gave them the 'sign of the horns'.
The cheeky baby appeared to be holding up its index and little finger while holding its other fingers - looking exactly like the heavy metal rock sign.
The couple said the sonographer allowed the couple to take a picture as she had not seen anything like it during her 20-year career.
The surprised pair from Glasgow, Scotland, are leaving the sex of their baby a surprise until the due date in March.
Self-employed businessman Tom, said: "The sonographer said she had been doing it for almost 20 years and had never seen anything like this.
"I'm an old school heavy metal fan so this really is quite something.
"I listen to old school bands like Slayer, Megadeth and Sylosis and Panthers.
"So I'm pretty chuffed he or she will take after their dad.
"At the last scan the baby was just flipping about.
"He or she was seemed very keen to just get out.
"We looked over at the screen and saw the hand.
"We were just really quite shocked."
Image by: Tom Dowie
Image by: Tom Dowie
The couple - who run beard grooming company Bedfordshire Beard Co together, had brought daughter Freya, 2, along with them at the scan on 2 November at private clinic Baby Stepps.
Caitlyn said: "Obviously when Tom blares out his heavy metal when we're working the baby seems to be enjoying it.
"We've shown Freya and she knows she's getting a little brother or sister.
"She doesn't really have much to say on the hand gesture but she knows we find it all rather funny.
"We were just so shocked when we saw it.
"We just had to get a photo as a keepsake.
"We're very excited to meet him or her."
Man in inflatable Zorb ball struggles to get to his feet for ten minutes after knockdown
Image by: Video Contributor
This is the hilarious moment a man was knocked to the floor and left unable to get up after he got trapped inside his inflatable zorb.
Onlookers captured the moment the man - said to be in his 20s - got stuck inside the blow-up ball, with his arms squished above his head.
He was barged to the floor and left unable to get up after he struggled to get to his feet, at Heatherton World of Activities, Pembrokeshire, in Wales.
Later the man can be seen re-positioning his legs in a bid to hoist himself back up.
A member of staff attempts to help the man by pulling up the Zorbing ball - but again fails miserably.
Moments later a member of the public races in to help tug on the inflatable ball and help the man up.
But as soon as he is helped back on his feet by the two men, he is barged into again and finds himself back on the floor.
An eyewitness said: "We were just in the queue and saw this guy who kept falling over.
"Because of his size he was unable to get his leg in the position to get himself back up.
"This happened for a good ten minutes.
"When he has his arms in the air he looked like a giraffe.
"It was just really funny."
Video by: Video Contributor 3982
Shocking pictures show 150-year-old church tower collapsed shortly before Sunday service
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Shocking pictures show the scale of devastation after a 150-year-old church was reduced to rubble when it suddenly collapsed on Sunday morning (19/1).
Emergency services were called to St John the Baptist Church in High Toynton, Lincs.,
after a historic tower, built in 1872, came down without warning.
Sniffer dogs were brought in by the fire service to search the rubble for bodies - but fortunately nobody was reported injured.
The Grade II-listed church would usually have been packed with parishioners but there was not a service on Sunday.
The remains of the church have been cordoned off by police while an online fundraiser has been set up to help raise £100,000 towards the cost of the repairs.
A structural engineer was inspecting the site this morning (Mon) with the Reverend Charles Patrick.
He said: "It’s obviously a great shock to see the devastation and a great gaping hole.
"The fire service did a thorough job and brought in dogs just to ensure nobody was found."
Horncastle Police tweeted: “We have been supporting the community of High Toynton with Horncastle firefighters after the collapse of the church tower.
“No injuries to report thankfully and we will be supporting the community with regular 24 hours checks of the site.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, Marc Jones, also tweeted: “What a terrible shock for the whole community.
“Glad that everyone is safe but what a sad sight to see.”
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
There has been a parish church at the site since the 13th century and the current building was constructed using mainly greenstone in 1872 by Ewan Christian.
The architect, who also restored Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, reused 12th-century fragments and Norman stone from the previous church erected in 1779.
High Toynton is known as a "doubly thankful" village - it is one of only 14 in the UK where all the men came back from both World Wars.
Included in the church is a bank of Living Memories, which includes a resident’s diary of 1939 to 1941.
Group administrator of Horncastle churches Debbie Knight said: “The Reverend is there this morning with the structural engineer.
“There was not a service yesterday and we believe the collapse happened in the morning.”
A JustGiving page has been set up by Robert Tomkinson, a villager who got married in the church, to raise money to rebuild the church tower.
Robert said: “On Sunday, January 19, the tower of St John the Baptist church in High Toynton collapsed, taking down almost 150 years of history.
"Thankfully no one was hurt.
“The rest of the building is still standing - but the challenge of rebuilding starts now and the village will need all the help it can get!
“We don’t know how much we will need at this stage but the final figure will no doubt be very high - all money raised here will go to the High Toynton Village Fund.
“The church is the heart of village life (and the only community building left after the bus stop!). It hosts church services and music nights throughout the year.
“If you have any connection to High Toynton - we need your help.
“There is so much history behind this wonderful building.
"There has been a church on this site since the 13th century and High Toynton is one of only 14 villages in the UK to be ‘doubly thankful’ - with everyone who fought in both World Wars returning home.
“This fundraising target will be updated once the full costs of rebuilding are known - but any money you can give will help.”
A Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "Crews from Horncastle, Spilsby and Woodhall Spa went out to St John the Baptist's church following a call to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue at 12.42pm.
"They used thermal imaging cameras to search for possible trapped people.
"Our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and search dog from Sleaford then attended and carried out a full search, and no people were found. Crews left about 3.30pm."
Video by: Ashley Moran
Incredible video shows super rare volcanic lightning caused by the eruption of volcano in the Philippines
Image by: Karima Dhalani
This is the moment a killer volcano caused ultra rare volcanic lightning to fork across the sky in the Philippines.
More than 8,000 people were ordered to leave their homes last night (Sunday) after Taal volcano started to spew giant ash clouds, accompanied by rumbling and tremors.
The volcano has erupted more than 30 times over past 300 years, killing 6,000 people, and started become volatile again this weekend.
A 17-year-old local resident, whose family decided to stay in their home, shot this video from his balcony in Tagaytay city on Sunday.
It shows rare volcanic lightening - a long debated phenomenon which typically occurs at the start of an eruption.
Image by: Karima Dhalani
Image by: Karima Dhalani
He said: "It was around 6pm and me and my family just arrived home.
"We had a plan to leave but we decided to just return home.
"When we arrived I went to balcony to get a better view.
"I wanted to take a photo but instead took a video and that’s when the thunder struck."
The exact cause of volcanic lightning has been long has been debated.
Volcanic lightning is an electrical discharge caused by a volcanic eruption, rather than from an ordinary thunderstorm.
It is thought to be caused by colliding ash - and sometimes ice - which generating static energy in the volcanic plume, when the particles rub together.
Taal is the Philippines' second most active volcano and situated on an island in the middle of a lake.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A fitness fanatic who nearly died in a horror car crash has found love with the woman he was meant to go on a date with on the day he lost his limbs
Image by: Craig Towler
A fitness fanatic who nearly died in a horror car crash has found love with the woman he was meant to go on a date with - on the day he lost his limbs.
Craig Towler, 32, of Boulder, Colorado, was grabbing a cooler out of his trunk on the Fourth of July in 2016.
A car veered into a parked car, trapping him between the two vehicles and crushing both of his legs irreparably.
In the hospital, while doctors discussed his double amputations, Craig asked a friend to let his new love interest Amanda, 30, know that he wouldn’t be able to make the date they had planned for that evening.
The pair had only been seeing each other for three weeks, but Amanda rushed to Craig’s bedside and, three-and-a-half-years later they are still together.
He said: ''I looked down and I saw both my legs were disconnected,” he said. ''They were pretty much broken off with just skin holding the ligaments together.”
Craig, an events coordinator, added: “I honestly didn’t know what to expect but she was there immediately, no questions asked and I knew she would be the one for me.”
In the following months he endured nine surgeries and intensive physical therapy.
“Amanda was with me more days than not,” he said.
Eight months after his release from the hospital the couple moved in together.
Craig said: “Amanda was a big part of everything. We are extremely happy.”
As devastating as Craig’s incident was, he believes it brought him closer to Amanda.
He said: “It 100 percent helped to have a partner there in such a hard time…with so many emotions going on.
“It shows a lot about that person, to be so comforting for someone who is in that much distress.
“In that short period of time I quickly learned how selfless and kind she is, especially considering the shape I was in.”
Remembering the day of the accident is still traumatic for Craig.
He said: ”I was bleeding out so badly from the impact of the car bumper The impact was extremely concentrated on my legs.
"They were crushed and they were hanging there, but not fully gone.
"I didn't realize at the time what had happened, but I knew something had happened that was major.
"Some people came by and helped lay me flat on the ground."
Image by: Craig Towler
Image by: Craig Towler
Image by: Craig Towler
Image by: Craig Towler
Shockingly, Craig was still conscious and was able to speak.
"I instructed them how to tie tourniquets around my legs with belts or whatever they had to stop the bleeding,” he said.
Craig’s injuries were so severe that he had to be airlifted in a helicopter to the trauma center at Denver Health Medical Center.
"I was conscious the entire time and I remember everything until being sedated for the surgeries,” he said.
"I still have those memories and sometimes things trigger them.
Doctors told Craig that if they did not amputate his legs from the knee down, he would bleed to death.
“It was either life or limb,” Craig said.
“I was bleeding out so badly that I could have died.
"I remember telling the doctor: ‘You know what, just do what you have to do.’"
His right leg was amputated at the knee and his left leg was amputated below the knee.
But Craig was determined that he would not let the tragic accident dominate his life.
"When I was in ICU I made a very conscious decision,” he said.
"I was talking to my mom and I said I need to accept what had happened and that it was real.
“Only once I had that acceptance could I move forward.
"Though my path was a different one and a lot more challenging, I was still alive, and I decided to live."
Craig spent his 29th birthday, on July 20 2016, getting 87 staples removed from his legs.
In September 2016, just a little over a month after being released from the hospital, he went back to work.
Before he lost his legs, Craig was a sports enthusiast and regularly took part in 10k runs.
He and Amanda first met at their local gym, where she worked as a fitness trainer.
“It took a while for me to get the guts to talk to her. I actually would schedule my workouts around the time when she was working,” he admitted.
“I would say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ and finally I walked up to her. It was a slow process for me.
“I’m really happy that I finally did it.”
Before his horrific injuries Craig aimed to participate in BOLDERBoulder, a popular race that takes place every Memorial Day in Colorado.
Just ten months after his amputation, he completed the race in his wheelchair.
He has now participated in the race three times. He also kayaks, skis, hand-cycles and rope climbs, as well as working-out regularly in the gym.
He said: ”What has happened is now part of me, but I don't lose sight of what I was before and I've found a happy balance.”
Craig has since founded Amputee Concierge, a program offering people who have lost limbs advice, support and information on life as amputees. More information can be found at www.amputeeconcierge.org.
As for his relationship with Amanda, Craig said: “I definitely see a future. As with everything else, we take things day by day.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
