The Good News Edition [01/08/2020]

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Let’s face it, the news can be depressing at the best of times but all the more recently, and all the negativity can be overwhelming. It can take a bit of digging to find the goodness, so I’ve pulled out a few brighter stories to share with you to show there are some positive things happening in the world. Here’s the latest Good News Edition – Enjoy!

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Spine Fix For China’s ‘Folding Man’

A 46 year old Chinese man, referred to as the ‘folding man’, lived with a significantly deformed spine for more than 25 years. Li Hua was diagnosed age 19 with ankylosing spondylitis, which led to the spinal deformation that saw his face becoming pressed against his thighs. For over 25 years he’s ben unable to walk properly, eat or stand upright. He’s been through four high-risk surgeries to fix his back and he’s now finally recovering and starting to be able to walk again! 

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The Good News Goat Gets Prosthetic Limbs

Two goats Anna and Elsa, named after Disney’s Frozen characters, were not treated well by their owner. Years later, Anna was taken in by the Yourth family in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Poor Anna had lost her hind legs and much of her front legs in 2015 due to frostbite after she was born during an arctic freeze. She’s now been given four new prosthetic legs and a new lease of life with her new family. She’s now a surrogate mum to a triplet of goats that lost their mother, taking it upon herself to look after the little ones. You can read more about Anna here.

Africa Is Finally Free From Wild Polio

This isn’t just good news, this is potentially fantastic news. After decades of hard work and heartache, Africa has finally been declared to be free from wild polio, a virus that can kill or cause irreversible paralysis. Because it has been four years since the last known case was recorded, in northern Nigeria, the ARCC (Africa Regional Certification Commission) has declared the continent to be free of the virus.

The combined efforts and perseverance of healthcare workers, governments, residents, international health bodies, campaign groups, and community volunteers have paid off. Sadly too many have been affected by polio, with estimates suggesting that in 1996 alone 75,000 children were paralysed by the condition in Africa. Over the years, there has been a lot of political unrest and violence with the insurgency killing at least 67 frontline health workers in northern Nigeria alone. To make vaccination efforts more challenging were rumours of vaccinations being unsafe as strains of the virus spread across different regions of Africa. 

The focus now, says Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organisation regional director for Africa, is on improving the quality of life of the survivors.  You can read more about the virus eradication here.

Cocker Spaniel Becomes Quail Chick’s Surrogate Mamma

The Eyre family live in Northumberland, near Hadrian’s Wall. Izzy Eyre’s quail sadly died after laying its eggs, so she incubated the eggs. Only one hatched and would be motherless were it not for the family’s cocker spaniel Meg stepping in. Meg has become a sweet surrogate for the little bird, aptly known as ‘Little Chick’. You can read more about Meg & Little Chick here.

The Truth Behind Perfect Photos

Danae Mercer, an influencer from Dubai, shows the truth behind some of the perfect photos. 

With over 750,000 followers, Danae has thrown light on the ways in which perfect is produced, and how something as small as a little extra lighting or a different post can turn perfection into the reality of stretch marks, wobbly bits and cellulite.

In a time where we’re continually bombarded with pressures and idealistic versions of what we ‘should’ look like, I love this kind of honesty. We’re human, we’re not flawless mannequins living up to impossible expectations. It’s time we embrace every roll, stretch mark & all the cellulite! You can read more & check out some of Danae’s photos here.

Morrison’s Security Guard Holds Umbrella For Dog

A little kindness can be very heartwarming, as was the case with a security guard at Morrison’s supermarket was seen sheltering Freddie, a gorgeous golden retriever waiting for his owner, with his own umbrella in the rain.

Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated In 12 Hour Surgery

A pair of 13-month-old conjoined twins were successfully separated in an epic yet delicate operation that lasted half a day.

Truc Nhi and Dieu Nhi will face a long recovery process but the surgery appears to have been a great success and the girls are said to be doing as well as possible. Separating the twins required 100 medics working for around 12 hours at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. You can read more about the sisters here.

Elephants Receive CBD For Stress

I shared this recently on the InvisiblyMe Facebook page because this treatment is likely the first of its kind to be trialled in such a way. The Warsaw zoo has begun trialling their three African elephants on medical marijuana in a bid to help their stress levels. The herd’s alpha female died recently, so the bereaved elephants are getting the CBD at an optimal time. With CBD, there’s no euphoria and no side-effects have been noted. Unlike traditional pharmaceutical, CBD doesn’t appear to cause harmful effects on other organs either.

The zoo has said it will likely take around two years before they get conclusive findings, but if it helps, they could look at providing marijuana therapy to other animals in captivity. You can read more about the elephants receiving CBD here.

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Have you heard any good news lately?

Caz ♥