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The important cause that brought Ally Langdon to tears

<p>Ally Langdon teared up on Thursday's episode of <em>A Current Affair </em>during a heartfelt segment on organ donation. </p> <p>The host was discussing Jersey Day with Michael Gremmo, a father who had lost his 13-year-old son Nathan after he was critically injured when crossing the road in 2014. </p> <p>Nathan went on to become an organ donor  - a decision that saved six lives, including a baby. </p> <p>Now his father is honouring his son's legacy by encouraging others to have the important conversation about organ and tissue donation with loved ones. </p> <p>"Nathan, as most organ donors are, are healthy, fit, young people and their lives are just taken from them," Michael said.</p> <p>"Dealing with Nathan not coming back, that's the hardest, but we wanted something positive to come out of a horrible situation."</p> <p>The <em>A Current Affair</em> host fought back tears as she recalled how her own sister's life was saved after receiving a pancreas-kidney  transplant in 2014. </p> <p>"My sister is alive because of someone as special as Nathan and there’s not a day goes by that we don’t as a family think about them and think about their grief." </p> <p>“Thank you,” Langtold told Michael tearfully.</p> <p>Michael replied: “Nathan hasn’t died in vain. He’s given life. And you’ve got your sister here because of a generous donor. And it’s not just the donor, it’s their family too. When you’re in that situation it’s hard.”</p> <p>Langdon then encouraged viewers to "have the conversation" about organ donation with loved ones of all ages. </p> <p>"Tell your family your wishes, because the final decision is theirs," she said.</p> <p>Michael said despite his son's young age, Nathan had talked about organ donation and expressed his desire to be one before his passing. </p> <p>“It’s not a conversation you usually have or want to have with young children,” Michael said.</p> <p>"Nathan had actually had a conversation with us, he watched a program on TV and it was about organ recipients ... he sat us down and spoke to us about that.</p> <p>"And yeah, we just talked about what a wonderful gift that would be."</p> <p>Jersey Day falls on Friday August 30, during which students and employees at schools and workplaces across the country are encouraged to wear their favourite jersey and have the important conversation about organ donation with their loved ones.</p> <p>"It's not just the lives of the organ recipient [you save], it's the families behind that too that, you know, you don't realise how many people are affected," Michael said.</p> <p>"I suppose that's why Jersey Day is so special as it's about awareness and getting it out there and having that important conversation."</p> <p><em>To register as an organ and tissue donor, visit <a href="http://donatelife.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donatelife.gov.au.</a></em></p> <p><em>Images: A Current Affair/ Nine</em></p>

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“We need a donor”: Parents' desperate plea to save young daughter

<p>The heartbroken parents of five-year-old Addison Kemp have made a desperate plea to save their young daughter. </p> <p>Addison suffers from a rare health condition called severe Aplastic anaemia, which means that her body’s bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells to carry out vital tasks like carry oxygen, control infections or heal after an injury.</p> <p>This means that even a simple nosebleed can be catastrophic for the young girl, as she's forced to spend days in hospital getting blood transfusions to stay alive. </p> <p>Her parents Bianca and Daniel have spoken about her condition in an interview with<em> A Current Affair </em>and explained how without a bone-marrow transplant, the condition could mean death for their young daughter. </p> <p>“She wouldn’t live,” Ms Kemp said.</p> <p>“We need a donor.”</p> <p>The couple first found out about their daughter's condition after she returned home from school with bruises all over her body. </p> <p>Addison was taken to the doctor for a blood test, and they found out about the devastating condition a day later and were told to immediately take her to Queensland Children’s Hospital. </p> <p>“I was gutted, I was devastated. Getting a phone call from the doctor saying you need to rush your little girl to the hospital. That wasn’t a phone call that I wanted,” Mr Kemp said. </p> <p>Addison now has to stay in hospital until she can be matched with a donor. </p> <p>Her little sister Crimson, misses her every day that they are apart. </p> <p>“She gets a bit upset every day that they are not home,” Mr Kemp said. </p> <p>The family said that their bone-marrow did not match up with Addison, and no registered Australian donors had matched up with her either.</p> <p>However, not all hope is lost as any regular Australian could help save a life. </p> <p>Lisa Smith, from bone marrow donation charity Strength to Give, said that the donation process is similar to donating blood which involves a short course of injections before the operation. </p> <p>“The vast majority of time, it is you sitting in a chair, having your blood filtered, while you are watching Netflix," Smith said. </p> <p>Ms Kemp begged Australians to sign up as donors. </p> <p>“I really want to put the message out there that if you can, do,” she said.</p> <p>“You could be saving a life, that’s the biggest thing you could do in the world.”</p> <p><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p> <p> </p>

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Emotional moment father discovers his daughter's ultimate act of selflessness

<p>A woman has shared the emotional moment her father discovered she was the one who anonymously donated her kidney to help him fight kidney disease.</p> <p>John Ivanowski, a 60-year-old man from Missouri in the US, was diagnosed with an immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency, which saw his immune system attack his kidneys, more than a year ago.</p> <p>John was placed on dialysis for his condition, and ended up on the transplant list to replace his kidney. </p> <p>When the Ivanowski family began discussing the transplant options, his 25-year-old daughter Delayne was determined to help give her father a better quality of life by donating her kidney. </p> <p>John had lost his son and Delayne's only sibling to cancer 16 years ago, and was resistant to his daughter becoming his kidney donor.</p> <p>"I thought, I lost my boy and if anything happened to Delayne, I don't know what I would do," he told <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/daughter-surprises-dad-kidney-donor-97494470" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">ABC News</a>, adding, "It was a big concern."</p> <p>Despite her father's protests, Delayne, who works as a nurse, knew John would remain on the transplant list if she did not volunteer her kidney. </p> <p>Delayne said, "I don't think that's any way that anybody should have to live."</p> <p>She added, "I was like, 'I'm going to do it. I don't care how mad he is at me. I don't care if he kicks me out of the house or hates me or doesn't say a word to me for the rest of my life.'"</p> <p>"At least he'll be living a good life and not hooked up to a machine."</p> <p>Delayne then secretly went through the months-long approval process to become her dad's kidney donor, which meant getting endless medical tests, and fielding dozens of calls with social workers and medical staff, all while living under her parents' roof.</p> <p>John then underwent his surgery at Washington University And Barnes-Jewish Transplant Center in St Louis, with hospital staff working hard to keep Delayne's secret.</p> <p>Jason Wellen, who is the centre's kidney and pancreas transplant surgical director and John's doctor, said the staff had to do a lot of "behind-the-scenes" work to make sure the father and daughter were kept in separate pre-op areas, and had to ensure they didn't spot each other in post-op as well to maintain secrecy until Delayne was ready to break the news to John.</p> <p>And when she did, the emotional moment was captured on video. </p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7203398361297440046&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40hoperisesnews%2Fvideo%2F7203398361297440046%3Fq%3Ddelayne%26t%3D1677630976317&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F63835bef2c2c4873aace09811331bf14%3Fx-expires%3D1677650400%26x-signature%3DNEPi6l8%252FIQn4tNRL%252FGqtrGDpkcw%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>Filming the emotional moment she walked into her dad's hospital room hooked up to an IV drip after the surgery, John immediately knew what had happened without Delayne saying a word.</p> <p>"Oh my God. Are you kidding me?" he says in the video, which was posted to TikTok and has been viewed more than four million times. </p> <p>An emotional John then tells his daughter, "I knew you were up to something," to which she cheekily responds, "I'm always up to something."</p> <p>Despite initially being "upset", John said he was grateful for his daughter's selfless act and it was a "big relief" not to be "hooked up to the machine anymore".</p> <p>"I can't stop crying," he added.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

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Anne Heche to be taken off life support

<p dir="ltr">US actress Anne Heche will be taken off life support days after she was reported to be brain dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision comes after the 53-year-old was matched with an organ recipient, per CNN, in line with her wishes, after Heche was pulled out of her burning car, which she had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/actress-fighting-for-her-life-after-horror-car-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">driven into an LA home</a> while driving 104 km/h on August 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heche's publicist broke the news that the <em>Six Days, Seven Nights</em> star was "not expected to survive" on Friday, revealing that Heche had "suffered a severe anoxic brain injury".</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” her spokesperson told <em>Page Six</em> at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-02f14bcd-7fff-85ab-3ecc-d0d822147ddc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anne Heche (@anneheche)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The following day, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement that the investigation into the crash would not move forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case," the LAPD said in a statement to <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/08/14/anne-heche-police-investigation-dismissed-following-stars-death/?_ga=2.230917663.184706205.1660479883-1122528718.1567945808" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the results for Heche’s blood test following the crash <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/anne-heche-s-blood-test-results-revealed-after-horror-smash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detected “the presence of drugs” in her system</a>, police investigations escalated to a “preliminary” felony DUI.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gossip magazine <em>TMZ </em>reported on August 10 that the investigation was escalated after a woman claimed she was injured and needed medical assistance due to Heche crashing into her home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a45620a-7fff-a523-348f-68564680d4f2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">However, an LAPD public information officer told <em>Page Six</em> that the felony was preliminary due to pending further toxicology testing.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Tupper (@mrjamestupper)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Heche, who never regained consciousness after the crash, is survived by her 13-year-old son Atlas, who she shares with actor James Trupper, as well as her 20-year-old son Homer, shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-661f6c10-7fff-c097-316a-6f5c947cb84c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">On Saturday, Tupper shared a sweet tribute to his late wife to Instagram, posting a single photo of Heche along with the caption: “love you forever 💔”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Coley Laffoon (@coleylaffoon)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Laffoon took to social media to wish his ex-wife peace on her journey, sharing a throwback photo of Heche with their son as a baby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s important to remember the real love in the best times. Thank you Anne. Peace on your journey,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd5ef628-7fff-d8e9-c738-71dae7ec97e9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @anneheche (Instagram)</em></p>

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Why one man donated 600 litres of blood

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bob Goninon, a Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer firefighter, has donated enough blood to fill a 600-litre tanker.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Individuals can only donate plasma and platelets every fortnight, and blood every 12 weeks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It has taken Mr Goninon 51 years and 700 donations of blood and plasma to reach the milestone.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Originally I had a personal problem where on a regular basis I would have nosebleeds that would run for anywhere up to three hours,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One particular day, one just didn’t want to abate, and I was going through towels and an ambulance was called and I was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital … where a doctor could start plugging my nose.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At the end of that process he strongly advised that I bottled this product, preferably not straight from my nose, so the blood bank is where I went.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Mr Goninon said donating blood helped stem the nosebleeds for quite some time, he decided to continue donating through a desire to help others.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think any emergency services worker will agree that from time to time you see a lot of situations such as road trauma, house fires, emergency in the home, cancer patients – all of these people who unfortunately during a certain time in their life require blood,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And the only way that they can get that product to enhance their quality of life is via a donor.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, a third of Aussies will need blood or blood products in their lifetime.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But only one in 30 donate each year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We need more donors, I’m not getting any younger, so we need the younger brigade to start stepping up,” Mr Goninon said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though he recently made his 703rd donation, Mr Goninon said it wasn’t about achieving milestones, but about doing his part for the community.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: cfavic / Instagram</span></em></p>

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The new way you could save your dog or cat’s life

<p>When 8-year-old “Singer”, a purebred Kelpie, was hit by a car on her farm in South Australia, her family rushed her to the emergency vet for a check-up.</p> <p>Although she had no broken bones or internal organ damage, it soon became apparent she was suffering from serious internal bleeding that couldn’t be stopped, with her belly swelling to twice the size.</p> <p>With her oxygen levels falling, it became clear she needed an urgent blood transfusion. If Singer didn’t get more blood in her, she would die. She needed a blood transfusion ASAP from a donor dog.</p> <p>With no blood supplies available at the emergency vet, her owner Jock had no choice but to post an urgent late-night call out to nearby family and friends on social media, hoping their pet could help.</p> <p><img style="width: 450px; height: 300px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822006/1-singr_2_450x300.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/22bb01e7735641f0a8d495dada6f9966" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>8-year-old purebred Kelpie, Singer, was in desperate need of donor blood from other dogs.</em></p> <p>His Facebook post read: “A bit of a call out to my Facebook friends. I know it’s late but I received a call tonight that my dog needs a blood transfusion tonight. Unfortunately vets don’t carry blood. Therefore if anyone has a healthy dog above 25 kgs and is willing have their dog give blood tonight it would be greatly appreciated. please send me a msg. I am at the emergency vet at 102 Magill rd. Pls msg me and I will send you my number. Thanks”</p> <p>Jock never guessed what would happen next. Within five minutes, Singer had received four offers of blood donations.</p> <p>Many more flowed in over the next few hours. The first donor, Marlowe, an 18-month-old Mastiff, stayed at the vet all night to help Singer through.</p> <p>The next day a second donor, George the Golden Retriever, stepped up.</p> <p>Their generosity and spirit saved Singer’s life and she returned to the farm and the family’s three children just five days later.</p> <p><img style="width: 450px; height: 300px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822007/2-singr_3_450x300.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ba38e55f1fdb48c9b91e2b3b312e4b61" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>A happy and fully recovered Singer with her owner, Jock. </em></p> <p>Realising the shortage of available blood donations available for pets at vets across Australia, <a href="http://www.singr.pet/">Singr</a> has been formed – a community platform for caring, like-minded, responsible dog and cat owners, where you can register your family’s pet as a blood donor for other dogs and cats that might be in need of a blood transfusion.  </p> <p>Veterinarians worldwide have limited access to sufficient quantities of blood for performing life-saving operations for our pets. <a href="http://www.singr.pet/">Singr</a> is a pet-to-pet blood service that allows pet owners to help each other and their pets in a time of need.</p> <p>It is free to register and is a world first. <a href="http://www.singr.pet/">Singr</a> hopes to be the service you never need but an added “life” insurance policy for your pet should that day arrive. Your pet will be under no obligation to donate blood should you be contacted.</p> <p>To find out more and register your pet, visit <a href="http://www.singr.pet/">http://www.singr.pet/</a>.</p>

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Little boy has the best reaction to news of his heart transplant

<p>For the past 211 days, five-year-old congestive heart failure sufferer Ari Schultz has anxiously awaited a heart transplant. Six days ago, he and his family finally got the news they had been desperate for – a donor had been found.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdangerschultz%2Fvideos%2F1268332169916698%2F&amp;show_text=1&amp;width=560" width="560" height="489" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p> <p>After spending almost two-thirds of the year at Boston Children’s Hospital, Ari finally underwent the life-saving surgery, and we’re happy to report he’s doing well.</p> <p>See his incredible reaction to the news above and to follow his journey to recovery, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dangerschultz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2017/03/dying-woman-writes-heartfelt-dating-profile-on-behalf-of-husband/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Dying woman writes heartfelt dating profile on behalf of husband</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2017/03/sisters-missing-for-30-years-found-alive/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Sisters missing for 30 years found alive</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2017/03/nurse-pulls-over-to-save-pregnant-woman-in-crash/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Nurse en-route to work saves pregnant woman in car crash</strong></em></span></a></p>

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Liver donor marries the woman whose life he saved

<p>When Chris Dempsey made the selfless decision to donate part of his liver to a complete stranger, he had no idea he would one day become her husband. The recipient, then-27-year-old Heather Krueger from Chicago, urgently required a donor after being diagnosed with stage four liver disease.</p> <p>“They immediately told me I was going to need a transplant,” Heather told <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-finds-perfect-stranger-to-donate-liver-which-ended-up-a-match-made-in-heaven/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">CBS News</span></strong></a>. “By that time I could really feel my body shutting down.”</p> <p>Chris, a code enforcement officer from just south of Chicago, overheard someone talking about Heather and her medical condition, and immediately decided he wanted to help. “I spent four years in the Marine Corps and learned there never to run away from anything,” he explained. “So I just said to myself, ‘Hey, if I can help, I’m going to help.’”</p> <p>Even though they were complete strangers, Chris had himself tested and discovered he was a match. “We had lunch together, discussed what the whole process was going to be,” Heather said of their first meeting.</p> <p>The operation went perfectly and the pair kept in touch during – and after – their recovery. A year and a half later, they were married.</p> <p>“You are the most incredible man I have ever known,” Heather told Chris in her vows. “You believe in me and you make me feel amazing every single day. Because of you, I laugh, smile and I dare to dream again.”</p> <p>What a beautiful story. Tell us in the comments below, did you meet your partner in an unconventional way?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/10/groom-carries-wife-down-the-aisle/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Groom carries his wheelchair-bound wife down the aisle</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/10/grandmother-finds-love-again-25-years-after-death-of-husband/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Grandmother finds love again 25 years after death of husband</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/10/stef-hayward-on-recreating-her-wedding-photo-30-years-later/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>We travelled to the UK to recreate our wedding photo</strong></em></span></a></p>

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Teacher donates kidney to her student

<p>A teacher in the US has gone above and beyond the call of duty, donating a kidney to her 8-year-old student in need.</p> <p>After suffering for years from prune belly syndrome (a group of birth defects which affects the kidneys), Natasha Fuller is finally on her way to living a normal life, after her teacher Jodi Schmidt donated one of her kidneys to the young girl.</p> <p>“She has been sick her whole life, so she feels like that’s normal for her, and I’m just excited to watch her actually feel good,” Schmidt told <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/teacher-volunteers-to-donate-her-kidney-to-first-grade-student-661200451862" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">NBC News</span></strong></a>. The teacher says that discovering she was a match was “the best day ever”.</p> <p>In a statement released on Facebook, the Fuller family said both donor and recipient were recovering well. “Thanks to Jodi’s amazing gift and support of her family, we are with Tasha as she recovers and gets stronger after the transplant,” they said. “Her doctors […] say that everything went well and that we could not have asked for a better organ.”</p> <p>Thanks to Schmidt’s selfless gift, Fuller no longer has to rely on dialysis and can finally be as healthy and happy as she always wanted to be.</p> <p>What’s the most generous gift you’ve ever received from someone? Tell us about it in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/supermarket-worker-random-act-of-kindness/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Supermarket worker’s random act of kindness goes viral</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/three-lifelong-friends-celebrate-100th-birthdays-together/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>3 lifelong friends celebrate 100th birthdays together</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/sports-team-helps-elderly-man/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Primary school sports team help elderly man move firewood</strong></em></span></a></p>

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Mothers emotional letter to baby’s organ donor

<p>Seven-month year old Lincoln Seay received a heart in the nick of time last month, thanks to the humility of an organ donor.</p> <p>The new born has a rare condition called Heterotaxy Syndrome, which means his organs developed on the opposite side of the body, including his heart. Since birth, Lincoln has undergone multiple surgeries, but his heart continued to fail him even putting him into cardiac arrest. </p> <p>Lincoln was on the organ donation waitlist for 89 days before something incredible happened. On February 19th, he was given a new heart from an anonymous donor.  Dr. Michael McMullan, told the Seattle Times that Lincoln was "He was right on the edge.”</p> <p>"We have a list of patients and he was the one we were most worried about," he added. </p> <p>Because of organ donation privacy regulations, all Lincoln's mother knows is that the heart was received from another child of similar size to her son. Unable to thank them herself, she wrote a touching, open latter on social media.</p> <p> <em>"You and I may never meet, may never speak, may never cross paths, but we will be connected on a divine, spiritual level. Your child and mine will be forever intertwined as the heart that grew in your womb now pumps the blood through the body of the child created in mine. They have merged in a way, and your child will forever live on in mine. When my child bleeds, I will think of you. When I bandage his scraped knee, I will think of you. When I hear his heart beat, I will remember you. When his eyes flutter closed as he falls asleep, I will remember your beautiful child. I will say prayers of gratitude and blessings over your family, often. I will treasure the gift you've given. I promise. </em></p> <p><em>"I am so very sorry that your child's journey ended so soon. I am so very sorry that you endured life's greatest grief. I am just, so very sorry. But I hope that in your sorrow you can take comfort in knowing that you gave life. You gave life to other children. You gave comfort to other families. Your sweet child can live on in the lives of others. That is the greatest gift anyone can ever give. And your child gave that to my beautiful boy. Your child gave that to me. To my family. Your selfless act kept our family whole and spared me, a mother you've never met, the same grief you had to endure."</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/vintage-photos-capture-pure-innocence-of-children/">Vintage photos capture the pure innocence of children</a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/how-to-bring-up-a-happy-child/">22 tips for bringing up a happy child</a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/heartwarming-photos-that-prove-every-child-needs-a-pet/">15 heartwarming photos that prove every child needs a pet</a></strong></span></p>

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