Month: October 2025

By Erin Rosas

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    LEXINGTON, Kentucky (WLEX) — LEX 18 has been following Malia’s journey as she waited for a new heart amid her battle with cardiomyopathy. Now, she is set to receive a new heart, according to the Facebook page “Malia’s heart journey.”

The page read, “It’s hard to put into words what this moment means. After months of praying, waiting, and holding on through some of the hardest days, Malia has been given the gift of a second chance at life.”

“We ask for your continued prayers as she heads into surgery tomorrow, and we want to thank everyone who has been here with us on this long journey — every message, prayer, and bit of love has helped carry us through,” the post added.

Malia’s mother, Jerrica Croley told LEX 18 in August, “She gets about 100,000 views on her videos, but I feel like every last one of those is a prayer, and it helps. It helps me every single day.”

In September, students at William Wells Brown Elementary in Lexington showed their support for Malia by creating colorful cards full of drawings and inspiration for Malia. The cards included phrases like “Keep Fighting Malia,” “We Miss You” and “Get Well Soon.”

The post on Monday concluded, “A huge thank you to God, who has held us through every single day and made this moment possible.”

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By Neal Augenstein

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    MONTGOMERY OCUNTY, Maryland (WTOP) — The mother of a Montgomery County Public Schools middle schooler says her son suffered brain injuries after being struck by a thrown “metal object” during gym class last Wednesday.

Emily Diaz, who said her son’s name is Lenny, established a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised more than $30,000 as of Monday morning.

The boy was hit in the head “by what was described as a metal object thrown by another student,” according to an email to the Odessa Shannon Middle School community from Natasha Booms, principal of the school, located on Monticello Avenue, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Diaz said her son’s injury “was an open skull injury and the bone fragments went into his brain,” she wrote. “He’s currently in PICU and on a breathing tube to help him breathe and recover.”

“Our thoughts and hearts are with the student and their family, and we are staying in contact to offer support and receive updates on their condition,” wrote the principal. “Our staff will continue to reinforce expectations for safety and appropriate behavior, and additional supports are available for students or staff who may need to talk about what happened.”

Diaz described her son as “a very smart, loving, adventurous young boy,” but “we are unsure of how he will be after recovery, but the possibilities of him being impaired are there,” in terms of speech, mobility and memory.

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By Neal Riley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital have removed a pig kidney from a New Hampshire man 271 days after the innovative transplant.

Tim Andrews was 66 years old and suffering from end-stage renal failure when he received the genetically edited organ on Jan. 25. He holds the world record for longest time living with a pig kidney.

Mass General said Andrews has been experiencing “a period of decreasing kidney function.” He will go back on dialysis and is still on the list to receive a human kidney.

Upon receiving the transplant in January, Andrews said, “I believe this is the start of something that’s going to be fantastic.”

“It’s going to be the option for people that don’t want to be on dialysis, they want to be able to be with their kids and loved ones,” he said.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, there are more than 101,000 Americans on a waiting list for a kidney, but only 17,000 people receive one each year.

“Tim has been a selfless medical pioneer and an inspiration to patients with kidney failure around the world, and we extend to Tim our most heartfelt thanks for trusting the transplant clinical team with his care throughout this journey,” the hospital said in a statement.

Mass General surgeons performed the first successful pig kidney transplant into a living human in March of 2024. That patient, a 62-year-old from Weymouth, died two months later due to health reasons that were unrelated to the transplant, doctors said.

Mass General said it expects to perform a third pig kidney transplant later this year.

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By Nicky Zizaza

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A 66-year-old Baltimore woman is preparing to take on the world’s largest marathon even though she can no longer see the road ahead.

King was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare inherited disease that causes progressive vision loss. It began with trouble adjusting to dim light, then slowly narrowed her field of vision until, in 2024, she was declared legally blind.

But for Jackie King, seeing clearly has nothing to do with sight.

“I’m gradually losing my sight,” King said. “At first I didn’t understand what was happening. The movie theater would seem darker, and my eyes wouldn’t adjust.”

Dr. Stephen Pappas of the LifeBridge Health Eye Institute said there’s no cure for the disease, which damages the light sensitive cells of the retina. “Over time, the vision cells deteriorate and central vision can be affected,” Pappas said.

Instead of giving up, King found a new purpose. She started running.

“I saw other runners and said, ‘I want to run a marathon,’ even though I’d never run more than a mile,” she said.

King’s first race turned into a lifelong passion. But as her vision declined, she started missing obstacles, once tripping and falling during a half-marathon. That’s when she realized she needed help to keep running safely.

King connected with Achilles International, a group that pairs athletes with disabilities with volunteer running guides.

On Saturday mornings, she meets her guides, like Emmeline Leggett, and dozens of others at Patterson Park. Each runner and guide wears a bright yellow shirt, a symbol that no one runs alone.

“I’ve been with Achilles since the start of the Baltimore chapter,” Leggett said. “It’s about creating community and trust.”

With her guide by her side, King has regained her confidence. She’s spent 20 weeks training for the New York City Marathon after winning the lottery to run, she is set to run alongside other Achilles athletes from around the world.

Her daughter, Demerise, often cheers from the sidelines. “It’s awesome to see her run so well after everything she’s been through,” she said. “I’m so proud of her.”

For King, the race is about more than miles. It’s about perspective.

“I don’t want to be seen as a disabled athlete,” King said. “I’m an athlete with a disability. It’s a choice to keep going.”

When King crosses the finish line in New York, she may not see it clearly, but she’ll know she’s already won.

King will compete in this Sunday’s New York City Marathon with Achilles International by her side.

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a group of rare eye diseases that affect the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye). RP makes cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

According to the NIH the most common symptom is a loss of night vision that usually starts in childhood.

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By Shannon Becker

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    LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (KOAM) — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today announced that final DNA analysis from the Veterinary Forensic Science Laboratory at the University of Florida has confirmed that the DNA collected from the black bear killed in Newton County on Oct. 4 does not match the DNA of the bear responsible for the death of 60-year-old Max Thomas of Springfield, Missouri.

Thomas was found Oct. 2 in Sam’s Throne Campground of the Ozark National Forest. His body was discovered by a Newton County sheriff’s deputy during a welfare check at Thomas’ campsite requested by the man’s family.

A bear was euthanized by AGFC biologists three days after the incident, as size, physical characteristics and photographic evidence initially pointed to a high probability that it was the attacking animal.

The AGFC has had traps and game cameras in the area since shortly after the attack occurred. Only one bear has been seen on the game cameras and no bears have been caught in any of the traps deployed in the area.

Key Findings:

No Match: DNA samples collected from the victim of the fatal mauling at Sam’s Throne Campground in Ozark National Forest do not match the DNA profile of the male black bear killed in the immediate area. Concerns: Because the bear responsible for the attack is still at large, the AGFC is continuing efforts to locate and safely remove the animal from the vicinity. Safety Measures Remain: Sam’s Throne Campground and surrounding public areas remain closed to ensure public safety while the search and monitoring operations continue.

AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock says the agency will continue to be vigilant in its efforts to find the bear responsible for the attack.

“While we are disappointed that the initial search did not neutralize the threat, our commitment to public safety remains paramount,” AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock said. “We acted decisively based on the best evidence available at the time, and now that we have definitive forensic data, we are adjusting our strategy. Our teams will continue to work tirelessly to find the bear.”

The AGFC continues to urge all citizens and visitors in the Ozark National Forest area to remain bear aware:

Store all food, garbage and scented items in bear-resistant containers or secured inside a hard-sided vehicle. Never leave food unattended. Immediately report any aggressive or unafraid bear behavior to the AGFC radio room at 833-356-0824. Please respect the current closures of Sam’s Throne Campground and adjacent trails until further notice.

Additional information to help prevent bear conflicts is available at Bearwise.org

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