Heart transplant recipient gives back to children facing medical challenges

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Ellisyn Sanders

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    WICHITA, Kansas (KAKE) — Growing up with a serious heart condition, Ella Morrissey often felt alone.

Diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as a child, Morrissey spent years navigating medical challenges before receiving a life-saving heart transplant at 17 years old.

Now 21, she’s using her experience to help children facing similar journeys.

On Tuesday, Morrissey partnered with Make-A-Wish to deliver Build-A-Bear stuffed animals and copies of her children’s book, Ella’s New Beat, to pediatric patients at Wesley Children’s Hospital.

The book, inspired by her own medical journey, was created through a Make-A-Wish experience and is designed to help children and families facing serious illnesses.

Morrissey said one of the most difficult parts of her illness was feeling different from the other children her age. That’s one reason she wanted to spend time with patients at Wesley, to help them know they are not alone.

“My friends and family would sympathize with me, but there was no one to really understand it, so it was very isolating, and I felt like I didn’t have anyone to talk to and no one to relate to,” said Morrissey.

Several children received the surprise gifts and had the opportunity to meet Morrissey, whose story of resilience and recovery resonated.

One patient, Ava Thibodeau, said meeting Morrissey was especially meaningful because she could relate to someone who had faced similar challenges and came out stronger on the other side.

“It definitely makes it feel a little bit easier, less overwhelming, because the hospital gets really scary sometimes,” Thibodeau said. “So, it’s just nice getting to talk with someone that’s been through that before and is recovered now”

Morrissey is now pursuing a career as a child life specialist, hoping to support children in hospitals much like those who supported her.

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Jeweler prevents $47,000 scam targeting elderly woman

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Nick Bohr

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — A Waukesha jeweler is being credited with preventing a scam targeting an elderly Brookfield woman who was pressured to buy gold and hand over the gold and cash to a thief.

According to Waukesha police, Costa’s Fine Jewelry and Coins co-owner Yianni Roupas called authorities last week after an 84-year-old woman came into the store saying she urgently needed $30,000 worth of gold.

“And was literally almost writing a check for exactly $30,000, and we haven’t even picked out an ounce of gold yet; we don’t know what type of gold, we don’t know the premium,” Roupas said.

“We just kind of felt like it was weird,” he added.

Roupas suspected someone was pressuring the woman to buy the gold as part of a scam when she couldn’t explain what she wanted or why.

“It just felt skeptical that she’d never done it; she’s in her mid-to-late 80s,” Roupas said. “Just kind of put two and two together that something fishy is going on, something not right, doesn’t feel right, so we just contacted Waukesha Police Department and gave them the story.”

While waiting for the woman’s check to clear, police determined she was being conned, preventing her from handing over any gold or the $17,000 in cash she had also planned to give the con artist who had been speaking to her on the phone.

Roupas emphasized the importance of being cautious when a person is asked to buy gold for someone else.

“Do not give your gold away. Because once you give it away, it’s gone. They’re not holding it for you. They’re taking it and they’re stealing it,” he said.

Waukesha police praised Costa’s Fine Jewelry and Coins for protecting the woman.

“They did a great job of protecting her,” police said.

Roupas said the woman returned to the store over the weekend to thank them for looking out for her.

“She came in and just thanked everybody and was so happy that we chose to do something because I think she was so fearful of the people on the phone, that she didn’t feel she could do anything for herself,” Roupas said.

Authorities also reminded the public to be skeptical of any calls asking for personal or financial information and advised, “When in doubt, hang up and call a trusted family member or the organization directly.”

The Town of Brookfield police, where the woman lives, are investigating the attempted theft.

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Match day ticket issue puts Missouri family on the brink of missing World Cup match

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Andy Alcock

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — The trip of a lifetime for one St. Louis-area family to see a World Cup game in Kansas City took a stressful and potentially heartbreaking twist on Tuesday.

Nearly seven months after buying four tickets on StubHub, Dacy Gillespie received an email from StubHub on Tuesday morning informing her the tickets were no longer available.

Gillespie shared a video her husband, David DeRiso, took of the couple’s sons on Christmas morning after they found out they were going.

“Oh my God, World Cup tickets,” Matteo DeRiso, 12, exclaimed in the video.

The video also shows his brother Luca, 7, crumpled in a heap in tears after learning they were coming to Kansas City for the World Cup.

“It was going to be a once in a lifetime experience,” Gillespie said.

She provided the email StubHub sent her dated Nov. 25, 2025, nearly seven months ago and before the game schedule was released.

It shows Gillespie ordered four tickets and would have them by June 16.

When she later found out Argentina was playing in the match, in addition to surprising her boys with tickets, she bought them Lionel Messi jerseys as Christmas presents.

“I get to go see Messi play. It’s the best day of my life,” Matteo said in the video.

From that joy Christmas morning, fast forward to an email Gillespie received from StubHub at 7:05 a.m. Tuesday on game day at her Kansas City-area hotel, priced at $400 a night.

The email states, “We need to replace your tickets. But we’ve got you covered with our FanProtect guarantee. We found you new tickets at no extra cost.”

But when Gillespie clicked the link “Review New Tickets,” it states, “Sorry, there are currently no replacement tickets available.”

At Gillespie’s request, KMBC 9 News called StubHub.

A representative said the case would be escalated.

The bottom line for Gillespie is she couldn’t disappoint her boys.

“I’m just going to do everything I can up until the game starts to try to get them what I promised them. Sorry,” she said as she wiped away tears.

When asked if she felt cheated, Gillespie replied, “Yeah, definitely.”

A StubHub representative called Gillespie Tuesday afternoon with the promise of new tickets just hours before game time. But that call came after Gillespie bought four other tickets on another site at more than four times the price of her StubHub purchase in November.

Late Tuesday afternoon, after a second KMBC 9 News call to StubHub, a representative said replacement tickets were on the way to Gillespie.

It’s not the first time there’s been a similar issue with StubHub replacing World Cup tickets shortly before game time after being contacted by journalists.

KMBC 9 News Hearst affiliate station WBAL-TV 11 News in Baltimore reports it happened to another family going to a World Cup game at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

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Hundreds of England fans kicked out of Dallas bar after reportedly drinking 5,000 beers ahead of World Cup match

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Steven Rosenbaum

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    Texas (KTVT) — Hundreds of supporters of the English National team were kicked out of a Dallas bar Tuesday night ahead of the Three Lions’ first match this Wednesday against Croatia in the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Photos from The Londoner Pub at Mockingbird Station in Dallas show the bar and an outdoor patio and balcony packed with England fans and the building draped in the red and white St. George’s Cross flag.

Dallas police officers can also be seen speaking with fans amid bar tables covered in empty beer cans and bottles.

British media outlets reported that the England fans drank 5,000 beers at The Londoner on Tuesday, spending £30,000, or more than $40,200.

London-based The Independent reported that the pub had advertised later closing times, but DPD was called to closed it down at 10 p.m. because it reached maximum capacity and had only two security guards on duty. The bar was eventually cleared, but many attendees remained outside the building for another couple of hours, The Independent said.

The Dallas Police Department told CBS News Texas that it received a 911 call due to the large crowd, but officers did not arrest anyone or ask people to leave.

England vs. Croatia in the FIFA World Cup England will face off against Croatia Wednesday afternoon at Dallas Stadium in Arlington to open group play. The match will kick off at 3 p.m. CT.

Croatia fans spent Tuesday evening in Downtown Dallas, taking to the streets for a parade of spirit. Hundreds of fans carried a massive checkerboard Croatian flag, larger than a football field, through the streets, as the parade made its way from Civic Garden to Ferris Plaza.

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Woman, who is allergic to sun, to run Grandma’s Marathon thanks to clinical trial

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — Emily Pearson is a lifelong athlete. When she aged out of the pool, she started on a new path.

“I knew I wanted to get into running,” she said.

But for years, running required her to cover up.

“If we did this interview a year ago, I would have been now covered head to toe just to avoid the sunlight exposure,” Pearson said. “It would cause really painful reactions in my hands, feet, face, everything.”

Pearson has a rare genetic disorder that causes severe, painful reactions to sunlight.

“I felt like my hands were on fire in an oven with pins and needles, burning, itching, just anything we could do to cool them off,” she said.

So her goal to run long races was complicated.

“I would run at 4 or 5 in the morning, covered up outside. If it was afternoon, I would be head to toe in gear, or I would run at 9 or 10 at night after dusk,” Pearson said.

But she made it happen. So far, she’s run eight half marathons and one full marathon.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could and wanted to prove to myself I can do anything I put my mind to and make younger me proud,” Pearson said.

She’s now training for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, but this race is different. Through Mayo Clinic, she’s on a clinical trial for bitopertin.

“Now I can run at 8 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon. I can run at 4 in the afternoon. I can run whenever I want and I don’t have to worry about getting a reaction from EPP because it’s in the sun,” Pearson said.

Pearson says she’s shed the anxiety of trying to always hide from the sun. She’s shed the bulky clothing too.

“A lot of people can’t say they’ve run a marathon and I can say that I did it while allergic to the sun,” she said.

Pearson says her strategy for this weekend’s marathon is to enjoy Lake Superior and running alongside family and friends.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Merrillville couple picks through tornado wreckage as they recount narrow escape

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Cate Cauguiran

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    MERRILLVILLE, Indiana (WLS) — Joe and Marlene Trevino returned to what was left of their home, picking through debris a week after a tornado tore through the area. Still shaken, they say surviving the storm has left them fearful of what could come next.

The aftermath of last week’s EF-2 tornado remains scattered across their yard, where the couple once built their life together.

“Every time we see it, we just can’t believe it,” Joe Trevino said. “I mean, this is where we made our life in our home.”

The destruction unfolded in minutes. As the storm approached, Trevino said the danger became clear almost instantly.

“Immediately like a five foot bush, full bush went flying by that tree, and I turned and ‘we got to go now’!” he said.

The couple grabbed their dog, Roger, and ran to the lowest level of their home, barely making it in time.

“As we were going down the stairs, we could see daylight in the home, so the roof was already coming on, so we’re lucky to be alive,” Trevino said.

“It was tough. We just wanted to be alive. We were just hugging each other, and you know, praying to God that we’re going to be alive,” he added.

After the storm passed, Marlene Trevino recorded their first look at the damage-capturing a home without a roof and a lifetime of memories gone.

“I came out of our garage, and all the debris are all over, and I can’t believe our house is gone just like that, you know? I’m just under three minutes– gone,” she said.

For the family, the loss is compounded by financial strain. Trevino, a BP refinery worker in Whiting, has been without a paycheck since March amid a labor dispute.

“Things were tough and tight as it was, and then now we got this,” he said.

Despite everything, the couple says they are focused on what remains.

“At the end of the day, it’s stuff. Me and her, and the dog are alive, so we’re blessed,” Trevino said.

Officials say the storm’s impact has also led to tragedy elsewhere. A couple from Palos Hills survived the storm while in Portage but later died from carbon monoxide poisoning after using a portable generator.

With more storms expected, officials urge residents to use generators safely-keeping them at least 20 feet from homes and ensuring carbon monoxide alarms are installed on every level.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Art installed in spot where passersby discovered burning cross in Grant Park

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Cate Cauguiran

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    CHICAGO (WLS) — The artist behind this piece, called “Resilient,” says this it stands in direct opposition to the burning cross seen in Grant Park last week.

When visual artist Damon Lamar Reed crafted this piece five years ago, his hope was to bring Chicagoans together. It reminds people that you can still rebuild after being broken.

“The sewing and the kind of patchwork is one of those things, like something may seem like it’s kind of broken, but you know, when you kind of re-stitch it, it’s actually stronger than before,” Reed said.

The artwork dubbed was originally part of a traveling art display in 2021, called “Parade of Hearts,” with the organization Luv Institute. It was featured in 12 different neighborhoods.

The Luv Institute brought back Reed’s work on Monday in Grant Park, a stark contrast to what someone left behind last week. A mother and daughter stopped in their tracks after spotting a burning cross leaning against a tree in Grant Park.

The burning cross is widely considered to be a symbol of racist hatred.

Reed says the message he hoped his art would send five years ago still stands today.

“What’s actually happening with the heart even today, was about kind of spreading that message of love throughout of all of Chicago neighborhoods,” Reed said.

Following the incident, Chicago police released images of a person of interest seen allegedly fleeing the area near Columbus and Balbo.

Father Michael Pfleger with Saint Sabina Church has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

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Some Kindbody patients say they weren’t notified about plans to ship frozen embryos to storage facility in Massachusetts

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Megan De Mar

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Patients at a Chicago-area IVF provider say there’s been massive confusion about whether their precious frozen embryos are being shipped to a storage facility more than 1,000 miles away.

It all started with an email that went to some patients last week.

The email said that Kindbody had entered into an agreement with a cryogenic storage facility in Massachusetts. The problem is that not everyone got it, and that’s when the panic set in for some patients.

“When you put your heart in somebody’s hands, and you trust them with your family and your future,” said patient Lauren Soyk.

She battled through 12 rounds of in vitro fertilization at Kindbody—a health-tech IVF start-up with several offices in the Chicago area, including West Loop and Wicker Park.

“So much of it was out of pocket. We ended up selling our house and living with my parents for a year, and every bit of it was worth it because we have our beautiful daughter,” Soyk said.

Another patient, Olivia Blackert, can sympathize with the daily injections, medications, and uncertainty that can come with IVF. She suffered a miscarriage and stillbirth before welcoming her son last year.

“I always said that I wasn’t gonna cry when I gave birth, and me and my husband both bawled like little babies,” Blackert said.

So to them, their remaining embryos, possible siblings to their kids that are currently frozen at Kindbody, are priceless.

“We will do anything and move heaven and earth to protect our embryos,” Soyk said.

So when screenshots of emails started floating around online that Kindbody embryos were being shipped to the New England Cryogenic Center in Massachusetts, confusion sat in for Blackert. Soyk said she found out through a Facebook group.

Soyk called Kindbody and said an employee told her nothing was being moved. But when she called the Massachusetts facility, an employee said they were. Blackert was also in the dark.

“Maybe you know, I just missed the email, and they sent something on the portal, and I just didn’t see it. So I got on the portal—there’s nothing there,” Blackert said.

A KindBody spokesperson confirmed that the company entered into an agreement with the Massachusetts center to provide long-term cryogenic storage. They said all patients should have received both an email and a message in their patient portal. It’s unclear why some patients like Soyk and Blackert didn’t.

While experts in the field tell us long-term storage facilities are often used in IVF and can be more cost-effective, many of its patients are wondering why the facility has to be so far away.

“Is there’s not accountability, there’s not clear transparency, and it seems as though some people still don’t know what’s going on,” Soyk said.

Kindbody tells CBS News Chicago that patients with procedures through the end of August will keep their frozen tissues in Chicago, but those planning a transfer in more than 90 days will have their embryos transported back and forth at no charge.

Patients can opt out of the move to the east coast and send their embryos to another facility of their choosing.

Full Statement from New England Cryogenic Center spokesperson “New England Cryogenic Center (NECC) has entered into an agreement with Kindbody to provide long-term cryogenic storage for its reproductive patients. Through this agreement, Kindbody patients will benefit from access to NECC’s dedicated, state-of-the-art biorepository facilities.”

“This is a cryogenic storage agreement. NECC has entered into this agreement with Kindbody to provide dedicated long-term cryogenic storage for its reproductive patients; NECC did not acquire Kindbody’s clinics or clinical operations.”

“The transfer of reproductive tissue will take place over the next three months and will be carried out by a trusted, specialized transport partner, with meticulous attention to safety and integrity every step of the way. All transports will be GPS tracked and temperature monitored.”

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Revived ordinance would penalize parents for teen takeovers in Chicago

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Lauren Victory

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A group of Chicago aldermen says it is time to get serious about teen takeovers and youth violence in Chicago, and they say the way to do so is by punishing parents.

The City Council members are resurrecting an old proposal that would fine adults for their kids’ bad behavior.

Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) first introduced the Parental Accountability Ordinance in 2023. The full City Council never voted on it.

On Wednesday, Lopez plans to reintroduce the measure with tweaks that include much stiffer penalties.

Lopez said, “We must take action now.” He is worried that teen takeovers — like one at 88th and Loomis streets a week ago Saturday, and another in Hyde Park on Memorial Day night that led to three teens being shot and wounded — will become the norm, not the exception.

City leaders and police have struggled to keep large gatherings of minors in check this summer and in past years. Some street parties end with kids being killed.

The new version of the Parental Accountability Ordinance would:

Require up to 75 hours of community service for a child who breaks curfew rules, or hit that minor’s caregiver with a $1,000 fine — up from a $5,000 fine.

Impose a possible $10,000 penalty on the parents of anyone under 18 who flips a vehicle.

Also impose a $10,000 fine for parents of kids who climb on, jump on, or cling to other people’s cars.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was asked about the idea at a press briefing on Tuesday.

“We know what criminalization does particularly for more vulnerable communities,” the mayor said. “It has not led to creating safer spaces. We have to do what works.”

What works in the mayor’s eyes is investing in kids by giving them opportunities.

Mayor Johnson did say “people” who break the law should be held accountable.

The City Council will address the proposed ordinance at a meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall.

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Florida man found with 34 open White Claw cans on passenger seat during traffic stop, FHP says

CNN Newsource on June 17, 2026

By Steven Yablonski

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    PASCO COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — A Florida man was arrested and charged with DUI after troopers say he was found with dozens of open White Claw cans in his car during a traffic stop on Saturday, investigators say.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper was on patrol along Interstate 75 near mile marker 280 in Pasco County when he spotted a speeding driver.

That vehicle, a Honda Civic, was traveling at more than 90 mph when it passed the trooper, investigators said.

The trooper was able to perform a traffic stop and said that the driver was heavily intoxicated. In addition, 34 open White Claw cans were found on the passenger seat of his vehicle, the FHP said.

The driver, who was identified as Conor William Parady, 34, of San Antonio, was arrested and charged with DUI.

He was brought to Pasco County Jail with a blood alcohol level of 0.117, the FHP said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.