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The man who saved the lives of 2.4 million babies by donating blood nearly every week for 60 years

Eighty-seven-year-old James Harrison from Australia is also fondly called the "Man with the Golden Arm" for a notable reason. Harrison wanted to give back to the cause that helped save his life as a 14-year-old boy but he never knew he'd end up saving around 2.4 million babies.

Harrison's history with blood donation started when he had surgery at 14 and one of his lungs was removed. He was able to live through that surgery in part because of the massive quantities of blood he received from donors. The legal age to donate blood at the time was 18, so he vowed he would also donate blood once he could. As soon as he turned 18, Harrison started donating blood regularly to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.

A man in Australia with a rare antibody in his blood has made his final blood donation after saving 2.4 million babies' lives.

81-year-old James Harrison started donating blood almost every week with the Australian Red Cross since 1951 after his own life was saved in a maj… pic.twitter.com/YjrJZACt8v
— GoodNewsAsia (@GoodNewsAsia) December 13, 2020

Even though Harrison was quite scared of needles, as per the Washington Post, he would donate blood with an orange stress ball in his hand and eyes shut tightly as the needle was inserted into his arm. Little did he know that he would continue to do that for the next sixty years before the doctors stopped him at 81, the maximum age to donate blood.

A decade after Harrison started donating blood, doctors found that his blood had a rare antibody that could be used to create a vaccine that would save the lives of millions of babies. The injection was called Anti-D and was created to protect children from Rhesus disease. If a mother develops this disease during pregnancy, it attacks her baby's red blood cells.

"Anti-D immunoglobulin neutralizes any RhD-positive antigens that may have entered the mother's blood during pregnancy," as per the NHS website.

James Harrison is the best advertisement for donating blood the Australian Red Cross will ever have https://t.co/6ZeRD3hxwK
— Bert (@MulberryBrett) June 12, 2015

The disease was becoming a leading cause of stillbirths and miscarriages around that time until doctors found that Harrison's blood had the life-saving antibodies necessary to neutralize the blood cells. Harrison was one of the founding donors of the Anti-D program, according to the outlet.

“They asked me to be a guinea pig, and I’ve been donating ever since,” the man told the Sydney Morning Herald. He began donating his plasma for the vaccine. Now, plasma could be donated more often than blood, so Harrison started donating more often. Scientists developed a vaccine called Anti-D from Harrison's blood in 1967.

The first dose of the vaccine was given to a woman at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1967, according to Robyn Barlow, the Rh program coordinator who recruited its first donor, Mr. Harrison.

Our Central Coast cover star is James Harrison, whose blood donations to @RedCrossAU have saved two million babies! pic.twitter.com/MhMod7W6FD
— White Pages (@Whitepages_au) June 1, 2013

Since then, Harrison has saved the lives of 2.4 million babies through his plasma, as per the Red Cross. About 17 percent of mothers in Australia need the vaccine and Harrison's plasma is behind all of them. He has helped many mothers have healthy babies through the plasma from his blood, including his daughter who needed the vaccine during both of her pregnancies.

His contribution has earned him a Guinness World Record. Even after this remarkable feat, the man is quite humble and doesn't feel that his donations are different than anybody else. He also shared that he would keep donating if he could.

However, doctors still don't know the reason why Harrison has the antibody in his blood and believe that it could be because of the blood transfusions he received. Harrison has donated blood a record 1,173 times and hopes that someone will one day surpass his record.

Every fortnight for sixty years, James Harrison has been making the trek to the Red Cross to donate blood. #9News | https://t.co/ZiY2jT1X46 pic.twitter.com/sivoQoKz5a
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) May 11, 2018

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Baby Blown Away in a Tornado Is Found Safe and Sound in a “Little Tree Cradle”

Even when all hope seems lost, miracles can still happen. Just ask the Moore family, whose 4-month-old baby Lord survived a tornado in extraordinary circumstances. The baby was inside his bassinet when a tornado ripped through the roof of his parents' mobile home in Tennessee, picking up the child. Despite the terrifying scene, Lord was later found safe and sound.

“The tip of the tornado came down and picked up the bassinet with my baby, Lord, in it,” Sydney Moore, the boy's mother, told local news station WSMV. “He was the first thing to go up.” While Lord's father lunged to protect the baby in the bassinet, he ended up getting picked up by the tornado as well. “He was just holding onto the bassinet the whole time, and they went into circles, he said, and then they got thrown.”

As it all unfolded, the mom of two was holding onto her 1-year-old, Princeton. “Something in me just told me to run and jump on top of my son,” Moore explained. “Literally the moment I jumped on him, the walls collapsed.”

Once the tornado passed, they were able to escape the rubble, and immediately started looking for Lord, worried about what might have happened to him. Searching through the wreckage, they feared the worst. But then, they spotted a familiar sight—the bassinet, in what Moore described “like a little tree cradle.” Inside was baby Lord, with only minor cuts and bruises. “We are told that he looked like he was placed on the tree gently. Like an angel guided him safely to that spot,” wrote Moore's sister Caitlyn.

Once the family was reunited, it came time to make sense of their surroundings. Their home and car were completely destroyed. While the mom and her children only had minor injuries, the father had a broken arm and shoulder. While their renters have put them up in a hotel for a month, the family has lost everything. To get them on their feet again, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched by Moore's sister.

“Sydney and her family would like to purchase a home, as you can imagine this has been extremely traumatizing for everyone involved so they do not feel comfortable living in a trailer again,” she explains, adding that the family will need furnishings, vehicle insurance, and baby supplies. The fundraiser has happily met its goal, but you can still make a donation via GoFundMe.

Although the baby only had minor injuries, the family lost everything. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help them get back on their feet.
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After surviving abuse and over 450 days in the shelter, dog finally finds forever home

It’s heartbreaking how many dogs suffer from abuse and neglect. But even animals who have been through the worst circumstances can still find a happy ending and a loving home, thanks to kind rescuers. That was the inspiring story for one Arkansas dog, who went from an abusive home to a lengthy stay at a shelter to finally finding a perfect home.

In March 2022, a dog named Neo ended up in a North Little Rock shelter on an animal cruelty case, according to a Facebook group post. He was considered evidence in the case and not allowed to leave the shelter. After surviving severe abuse, the poor dog ended up staying in the shelter for well over a year. After 450 days, a shelter employee contacted Ali Paepke, program manager at the nearby Best Friends Pet Resource Center.

Ali was initially unsure if her rescue could do anything to help Neo. “When dogs have been locked up for that long they can have issues,” she told KENS 5. “And it can be really hard to rehabilitate them, especially if they’re in there because of abuse.”

However, Ali was “blown away” after meeting Neo. “To meet a dog who had been through all of that who just immediately trusted you and immediately wanted attention from you was just mind-blowing,” Ali said. The rescue provided Neo with a temporary foster home. Ali said that Neo’s story was a reminder of the difference they were making in animals’ lives.

Despite everything he had been through, it was evident that Neo was ready to be put up for adoption, and Best Friends Pet Resource Center began looking for a forever home for the sweet dog.

When Linda Songbird heard Neo’s story, she knew she could be the one to finally give Neo the home he deserves, calling it “love at first sight.” Linda adopted Neo on August 6, and it’s been a happy ending for both of them ever since.

“It makes your life worthwhile. And he’s wonderful,” Linda told KENS 5. “He’s there as soon as you come in. He’s right at the door. Happy to see you!” We’re so glad Neo finally has a home! Thank you to this rescue for taking him in and getting him adopted!
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Escaped cows and their ringleader now live at sanctuary where people visit for cow snuggles

Humans don't often think about where their food comes from. Most people head to the grocery store with their biggest concern being, "does it really matter if I get organic and free-range?" Unfortunately meat doesn't originate from the refrigerated aisle at your local grocery store. It comes from animals that are raised to eventually land on someone's dinner plate.

A group of cows in St. Louis, Missouri had been prepped to meet their final destination at the slaughterhouse when Chico, the apparent ringleader had bigger dreams than being a cheeseburger. The determined cow busted through three fences to leave the slaughterhouse, freeing five other cows.

Once the cows were outside of the fenced in area, they decided to play a game of "try to catch the cows" with the humans. The small group of cows ran through traffic, determined not to get caught while simultaneously catching the attention of the community. Imagine commuting to work and being stopped by runaway cows. Chico and his buddies even made it to the evening news with their unbelievably daring adventure.

Unfortunately, the group eventually were rounded up and taken back to whence they came to be slaughtered and processed. But the community was having none of it. They fell in love with those thousand pound mooing puppies and decided to save them from becoming food. A group of people started a GoFundMe to raise money for Chico and his band of merry mooers to be spared from. slaughter.

After raising the money and convincing the owner to not kill the cows, it became a race against time to find them a cow sanctuary. Sadly, none came forward and they were all about to get back in line with the others when The Gentle Barn decided to step in. The owners of The Gentle Barn live in California but were determined to save the cows, so they opened a Gentle Barn cow sanctuary in Missouri.

After a brief stay at a foster home while they got things worked out, Chico and friends went to their forever home. Ellie Laks, The Gentle Barn Founder explained to Almost 30 Podcast that she knew they needed to open the Missouri location after meeting Chico for the first time.

"I went to St. Louis. Went to the foster home, got out of the car, walked over to the pasture fence and about 150 feet away the cows were in a line looking at me. The leader, Chico, he crossed the 150 feet until he was standing in front of me and I dropped to my knees and I started weeping," Laks says.

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That was the moment she knew that The Gentle Barn would be expanding, "they’ve come with a message that we have to share with the world and we have to help them." Chico and his pals are now living their best lives playing at their sanctuary and giving "cow hug therapy." That's right, members of the public can take a ride to St. Louis to snuggle with the cows, which sounds a lot more uncomfortable than it is.

These gentle giant cows knew they had another purpose. When people come to see them, they come and lay their heads in the laps of humans and snuggle up like they're going to start purring. So a cow loving person can come get all of the cow hugs and kisses they'd like.
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Eddie Van Halen’s Son Gives $100,000 To Help Ensure “There Is An Instrument In The Hands Of Every Student”

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Jason Kelce, wife Kylie mourn the death of their beloved dog Winnie: “I lost part of my soul today”

No matter who you are, saying goodbye to a beloved pet can be one of the most difficult things to do. Now, NFL superstar Jason Kelce and his wife Kyle are mourning the death of their dog Winnie, and fans are grieving with them.

In an Instagram post today, Kylie announced that their beloved Irish Wolfhound, Winnie, had died. “I lost part of my soul today, but I know she is at peace,” Kyle wrote on Instagram.

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A post shared by Kylie (McDevitt) Kelce (@kykelce)

She did not specify a cause of death nor how old the dog was. In her post, Kyle wrote that Winnie was a great pet and fulfilled a longtime dream of having an Irish Wolfhound of her own.

“When I was in high school I had a folder on my desktop labeled ‘Gods gift to earth’. It was images of Irish [Wolfhounds] that I had collected from Google,” she wrote.

“I had fallen in love with the breed when I was a young and never let my fascination with them fade. It all lead me to Winnie and holy sh** did she live up to the hype. She was everything I had hoped for in a wolfie and more.” “I love you, Winn. You will always be my first born child.”

Kylie and Jason were doting dog parents to Winnie throughout her life. Photos in the Instagram post show them with the dog over the years — including the couple’s 2018 wedding, where Winnie was their “flower girl.”

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A post shared by Winnie and Baloo Kelce (@the.kelce.k9s)

The couple have another Irish Wolfhound named Baloo, and the Kelce dogs even have their on Instagram account. One photo for Father’s Day shows the retired Philadelphia Eagles center cuddling up with Winnie.

“”Happy Father’s Day to the best doggy dad out there, the post read. “He’s always good for a cuddle (and a paw hold).”

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A post shared by Winnie and Baloo Kelce (@the.kelce.k9s)

Many of the couple’s friends and fellow celebrities shared their condolences, including Jason’s brother, the NFL superstar Travis Kelce.

“🥺🥺 You [gave] Winn an amazing life Ky!!” he wrote in the comments. Rest in peace to sweet Winnie, who brought so much joy to the lives of Jason and Kylie 💔😢 Our hearts are with them during this difficult time.

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This Parrot Got A Second Chance At Life After Getting New Prosthetic Beak

A parrot with severely damaged beak was found and rescued in Brazil. But thankfully, a Brazil-based animal rehabilitation center was able to reconstruct a fully functioning prosthetic beak to give the poor bird a second chance at life.

A bird’s beak is the most important resource it has as it uses it to gather and break apart food. Furthermore, they also use it to collect materials for nesting and to protect their territory.

Hence, a bird cannot survive without its strong bill. But what happens if, due to some circumstances, a bird’s bill is damaged?

Vet Creates Prosthetic Beak To Save This Parrot With Severely Damaged Beak

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Anatomically, the bones in a bird’s bill are connected to the skull. So, when the bill is broken or amputated, it will not grow back. Without this essential body part, birds generally cannot adapt and would eventually die as they cannot properly eat, build a nest, and defend themselves in the wild.

For some unknown reason, this bright green parrot was found with its bill almost completely gone. The bird was brought to Renascer ACN, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center based in Planura, Brazil. Paulo Roberto Martins Nunziata, the founder of Renascer ACN, was the first to evaluate the condition of the hopeless bird.

With the upper bill entirely gone and the lower bill severely broken, Nunziata knew that the bird’s condition was beyond repair. But saving the bird is still possible by constructing a prosthetic beak that will be attached to the mouth in place of the one that got broken off. Nunziata worked with veterinarian Maria Ângela Panelli Marchió who specializes in animal orthopedics.

The vet rehabilitates injured animals with plastic resin prosthesis to reconstruct body parts that were lost. First, she repaired the lower bill by reconstructing it with a prosthetic beak handmade out of polymethylmethacrylate.

When she’s done with the lower bill, she proceeded with the upper bill by creating an entire bill out of polymethylmethacrylate material. She attached a couple of metal braces into the parrot’s upper beak to hold the prosthetic beak in place. After the binding, the parrot’s bill looked as good as new.

The Prosthetic Beak Was Handmade Of Plastic Resin Material To Replicate A Real Bird’s Bill

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Thanks to its prosthetic beak, the parrot can now return to its normal life. However, they cannot return it to the wild as this would put the bird at risk of breaking its bill again due to constant use.

The green parrot has fully recovered and is now living in a safe environment where it doesn’t need to hunt for food, build its nest, or defend itself from predators. Thus, it eliminates the risk of overusing its bill and breaking it in the process.

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Pages

The man who saved the lives of 2.4 million babies by donating blood nearly every week for 60 years

Baby Blown Away in a Tornado Is Found Safe and Sound in a “Little Tree Cradle”

After surviving abuse and over 450 days in the shelter, dog finally finds forever home

Escaped cows and their ringleader now live at sanctuary where people visit for cow snuggles

Eddie Van Halen’s Son Gives $100,000 To Help Ensure “There Is An Instrument In The Hands Of Every Student”

Jason Kelce, wife Kylie mourn the death of their beloved dog Winnie: “I lost part of my soul today”

This Parrot Got A Second Chance At Life After Getting New Prosthetic Beak

Boaters Find Unexpected Passenger Onboard, Ferry New Feathered Friend Back To Shore

Dog screams and jumps for joy when he meets again the owner he hadn’t seen in 10 days

Native man fishes 11,000 years old woolly mammoth bone out of Yukon's Crow River

Boy Was Saving To Buy Puppy, But Grandma Asks Him To Close His Eyes And Stretch His Arms

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