To Speak Again

A woman in Alexandria has been without a voice for 30 years. Jan Christian was in an accident when she was a teenager in high school. She had been riding in a car with friends when a car was going to hit them. The driver swerved to miss the car and went into a head on collision with a pole. Jan flew forward and her neck hit the dashboard enough to crush her neck and the dash. They ran to get help and while in the bathroom, Jan tried to speak. It sounded like the girl from the exorcist, according to Jan. She started to panic. Jan was misdiagnosed my doctors and has had to live without a voice for 30 years. It had gotten worse overtime, and family members had to speak for Jan. Then Jan found out about a procedure that might be able to save her voice. Several surgeries later, Jan is relearned to use her vocal chords. She is still trying to figure out if having her voice back is real or not.

This story is amazing! I can't even imagine to be without a voice! Especially if it were for 30 years.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/alexandria-woman-finds-her-voice-after-30-years/1d0ra2c70?q=Voice&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=msnrll&gt1=42010

http://www.wlwt.com/r/29598330/detail.html#.TqommvA-O3Q.blogger

Blind Running

Sami Stoner is a legally blind 16-year-old. Sami began running cross-country in eighth grade but her vision had deteriorated by the end of that school year. She was diagnosed with having untreatable Stargardt which is a similar condition that is sight-robbing macular degeneration that affects older adults. Sami has only some peripheral vision. She loves to run and was able to with her friend Hannah. They ran along side each other and Hannah helped her watch out for things, but when Hannah graduated Sami's sophmore year, she couldn't find another way of doing what she loves. That is, until her mobility teacher decided that she was a good candidate for a guide dog. The family trained over the summer for a month and welcomed Chloe into their home. When running together, Chloe watches out for roots and tries to choose the clearest one for Sami. When she moves, Sami can feel it in her harness, so Chloe has ways to signal to Sami.

I think that this is a great story of overcoming difficulties in life. This girl is blind, but she found a way to do what she loves. 


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45034031/ns/today-today_health/#.TqofRbKwN8Ehttp://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45034031/ns/today-today_health/#.TqofRbKwN8E

Four Killings

In Charleston, South Carolina, Susan Diane Hendricks, 48, wanted her life insurance money. In order to get this money, she killed her two sons, Matthew, 23, and Marshall, 20, her ex-husband Mark Hendricks, 52, and her step mother Linda Burns, mid-60s and told the police that it was her son who killed them and then himself. Authorities found that her version of what happened was false based on observation of the scene, forensic evidence and interviews with the family. Susan killed her family with a handgun that she kept in her night stand. Susan had shot Doyle "Brian" Teague dead in 2006, and told the police that he had come in uninvited and threatened someone. Police had determined that it was self-defense. Evelyn Burns, Susan's sister, is the one who called that police saying that she was worried about her family that lived nearby. Police were told by family members that Susan's motive was life insurance money. Susan was the beneficiary of multiple life insurance policies taken out by the victims.

I can't even comprehend how this woman could raise her two children and have a loving family, and then kill them for life insurance money! I wonder if killing Doyle "Brian" Teague wasn't actually self-defense.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45039821/ns/us_news/

A Shooting

In Winston-Salem, North Carolina two teens were arrested on Wednesday after a handgun was found in their possession on the campus of a North Carolina high school. Deputies became suspicious after seeing the two boys Canaan Maliek Wynder, 19, and Tristen Gibbs, 18, and arrested them. The two were charged with the possession of a firearm on school property. Canaan told the police that they had been dropping off his girlfriend. Both of the boys were graduates of Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, N.C. Police say that the school remains secure and that no one is in danger. This was only two days after two other teens were arrested for having a rifle on campus and shooting a 15 year-old-girl in the neck. Authorities do not think that they intended to shoot the girl, only that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The girl was in stable condition at the hospital as of Monday night, with a bullet lodged in her neck. On Tuesday, her condition changed to critical and she was put on a ventilator. The shooter, a 15 year-old, was charge with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. His partner, 18 year-old Ta'Von McLaurin, was arrested on a felony aid and abetting charge. Authorities think that the shooting was possibly gang related. The high school reopened on Tuesday, but fewer than half of the 1,500 students attended.

It is really sad and terrible, what happened. If I had children, it would make me not want to send them to school.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45047392/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Animals Killed

In Zanesville, Ohio Terry Thompson was the owner of the private Muskingum County Animal Farm housing more than 50 animals. Terry left the cage doors open on Tuesday and then committed suicide. Sheriff's deputies shot and killed 48 of those animals, including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions. Also killed were six black bears, two grizzlies, a baboon, a wolf and three mountain lions. Autopsy shows that Terry had a bite on his head the seems to have come from a large cat, such as a Bengal tiger. It appears that the bite was inflicted quickly after Thompson shot himself. Only six animals (three leopards, a grizzly bear, and two monkeys) were captured alive. A monkey that had been unaccounted for (infected with herpes B virus) was believed to have been eaten by one of the large cats. The survivors were taken to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Officers had been ordered to kill the animals instead of bringing them down with tranquilizers for fear that they would disappear into the night and wake up later.

This is another example of human stupidity and what it does to others. Those poor animals had to die because of that selfish man. Whoever ordered those officers to kill all of the innocent animals annoys me. Maybe they were right, but they could have taken search dogs to look for the animals if they did disappear!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44970708/ns/us_news-life/

Giving Children Alcohol and Cocaine

In Bridgeport, Connecticut police officers were waved down by a neighbor in June complaining that a woman was feeding her children beer at a playground. Police spotted Juliette Dunn and Lisa Jefferson sitting in folding chairs as the children (10 months and 4 years) played. Police saw an empty beer bottle near the 4-year-old. They also had seen a baby bottle near the child that was filled with what appeared to be alcohol. Authorities took the children into custody and tested both children for drugs and alcohol. The 4-year-old son tested positive for alcohol and the 10-month-old daughter tested positive for alcohol and cocaine. Dunn admitted to giving her son a bottle of beer everyday. Lisa Jefferson pleaded guilty to the same charges. When the boy was questioned by a social worker, he was able to list of brands that he like and ones that he didn't. The children were turned over to the Department of Children and Families after Dunn's arrest. When the judge sentences the women in December, they could both face up to two years each in prison.

This is an awful thing to do. This woman should have never had children! They should be facing way longer that JUST two years in prison!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44973079/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

A Mother Chooses Baby's Life Over Hers

Stacie Crimm,41,  was diagnosed with head and neck cancer just a few months after she found out that she had conceived a little girl. The doctors didn't treat her with chemotherapy by her request because she didn't want to harm her growing fetus. Crimm was told by doctors that she wouldn't be able to conceive, so she never thought she would be able to have a child. It was a shock to her when she found out, and she immediately called her brother after hearing the news. The happiness and excitement from learning about her pregnancy was short lived. She began experiencing crippling headaches, tunnel vision and tremors that shook her entire body. She went to the doctor and the diagnosed her with head and neck cancer. She hung on as long as she could but the cancer was aggressive. In August, she collapsed in her home. After she was rushed to the hospital the doctors performed a C-section to deliver her little girl. Dottie Mae was 10 weeks premature and weighed 2 pounds. Dottie was sent to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. Stacie eventually got to hold her little girl for the first, and last, time. Stacie died three days later. Dottie Mae was placed in Ray Phillips (Stacie's brother) and his wife Jennifer's care at the request of Stacie. Dottie will be taken care of and raised with the Phillips and their 6 children.

This story is amazing and touching. What this woman did so that her little girl could have a chance at life was unbelievable!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44973215/ns/today-today_health/

Pregnant Woman Runs a Marathon

A 27 year old pregnant woman (Amber Miller) ran a marathon in Chicago on Sunday. She gave birth to a healthy 7 pound 9 ounce girl just hours after finishing the eight marathon that she has ran. She was almost 39 weeks pregnant. Her labor and delivery made national news. "The race was definitely easier than labor," she said in a news conference the next day. Although she made this huge accomplishment, many people asked: Is that safe? Vigorous exercise during a pregnancy was seen as dangerous to the baby just a decade ago. As a pregnant woman, you were advised to keep your heart rates below 140 beats per minute. Those guidelines have been dropped because there has been no evidence to support them. Doctor's are now increasingly pushing pregnant women to become more active. It is advised to perform at least 30 minutes of exercise on most or all days of the week by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Exercise benefits pregnant women by reducing backaches and constipation, improve mood, energy and sleep, and it also helps women endure and recover from labor.

I think that it is a good idea to remain active during pregnancy. It would help all of the pregnancy symptoms that women have to endure.

http://news.discovery.com/adventure/amber-miller-pregnant-marathon-111011.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Kidnapped Child

Last week a 10-month old child named Lisa Irwin disappeared from her crib in Kansas City, Missouri. Detectives went door to door asking about a local handyman who has not been seen since the disappearance of Lisa. They also scoured the family's yard with metal detectors and also searched a local landfill looking for clues to the child's disappearance. On Sunday, investigators tried to recreate how the abductor took baby Lisa from her crib. They spent hours pushing in the window screen and entering the house through the window. Kansas City police say that they have no solid leads despite an extensive search of the family's quiet neighborhood, the family's house as well as the neighbor's and nearby sewers and woods. The Irwin's family members and friends handed out fliers and sold t-shirts trying to raise awareness of Lisa's disappearance. The money that they raise will go to the reward fund for finding Lisa.

This is a terrible thing for this family to go through. I know that I will be keeping my windows and doors locked at all times.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44843610/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Fugitives Caught

In early September, Chicago officials sent invites to 10,000 offenders welcoming them to make an appointment with C.W. Marketing to try out the appliances. They would receive $75 cash and get to keep the devices that they tested in exchange for their feedback. Even though thousands of letters came back as undeliverable, more than 50 wanted fugitives (ranging in age from 19 to 66) made appointments. When the offenders pulled up to the warehouse, undercover officers in bright t-shirts headed for their cars carrying empty boxes for plasma TVs and video game systems. When they went inside, officer's confirmed the offender's identities as they continued the fake celebrations. They took pictures of the offender's and went in for the arrest when they posed for the photograph.

First of all, these criminals are not the smartest people. Who in the world would just give away game systems and plasma TVs? The world is greedy! Those things would never be given away.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44786491/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Cliff Plunge

A 67-year-old man, David Lavau, went missing. After several days of radio silence from him, his kids reported him missing to the police. The Lavau set out to find their dad on their own, while rescue workers conducted an official search party. His daughter Lisa had began the search after authorities told her that her father had used his debit card at a nearby grocery store. Using his recent cell phone activity to triangulate his possible location, Lisa decided to search the area with her daughter and brother. They started in Oxnard, California, and ended in Castaic, a sparsely populated area nearly 50 miles away. They stopped at every ravine and didn't stop screaming for him. Finally, Sean shouted into a roadside ravine and heard a voice respond. He looked down and saw his father's mangled blue car. They located him at the bottom of the ravine in the Angeles National Forest in California on Thursday. Sean got to his father and asked how he made it. He told him that he drank water in the river, and ate bugs a leaves. David suffered multiple rib fractures, a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm and multiple fractures in his back. Surprisingly, none of his injuries were life threatening. Another wrecked vehicle had been found near David's from an unrelated accident, smashed at the bottom of the ravine. There was a decomposing body of a man inside the car who has not yet been identified.

This is an amazing story about someone who survived a horrible crash, that another man had not. Obviously, something needs to be done about that road and ravine.

http://thedaleygator.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/six-days-after-cliff-plunge-kids-find-dad/

A Deaf Woman Can Now Hear

Sarah Churman has been severely hearing impaired since birth. She was born missing the hair in her inner ear that transmits sound to the brain, a rare genetic deformity. At age 2, she acquired her first hearing aid, but she could only hear some vibrations and loud noises. She compensated not hearing by learning to reading people's lips. Her husband Sloan Churman, had heard a radio ad for the Esteem Inner Ear Stimulator, billed as the only full implantable hearing aid for his wife suffered from-sensorineural hearing loss. The implant cost them $30,000, a high price for a working class family. Although it was expensive, they saved and borrowed-Sloan's mother helped out greatly-and in July, Sarah had the procedure. No she can hear her own voice (not knowing she had an accent), the sounds of birds singing, her two daughters chattering and her husband snoring.

I think that this is an amazing story because this woman has been deaf her entire life, and at 29 years old, she can finally hear.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44756127/ns/today-good_news/