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Two lifesaving heart medicines added to the PBS

<p>Two lifesaving heart medicines have been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).</p> <p>Previous treatments for the two kinds of heart disorder cardiomyopathy, which affect around 4800 Australians, previously cost patients up to $122,000.</p> <p>Now, with the addition of it to the PBS, patients will only have to pay $31.60 per script, or just $7.70 with a concession card.</p> <p>One of the medications added to the list is Tafamadis (also known as Vyndamax), which is used to treat transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy - a rare heart disease that can present as shortness of breath and fatigue.</p> <p>The newly listed treatment slows the progression of the disease and prevents the build-up of thickened heart muscles, and is the most expensive medication costing patients around $122,000 for a year of treatment without the government subsidy. </p> <p>Camzyos, the treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which affects around 3600 Australians and previously cost around $30,000 per year of treatment, will also be subsidised.</p> <p>"It's vitally important that Australians have ready and affordable access to the latest treatments," Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said.</p> <p>"By listing Vyndamax and Camzyos on the PBS we're giving patients and their doctors new options for treatment at an affordable price.</p> <p>"It's part of the Albanese Government's commitment to keep medicines cheaper for Australians."</p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Teen lifesaver's heroic rescue after cliff jump

<p>A teen lifesaver has been praised for her heroic effort to rescue three boys stranded in a cave, after a cliff jump went wrong. </p> <p>With temperatures soaring up to 37C near the coast in Sydney, many locals decided to go to the beach to escape the heat. One group of teenage boys decided to go cliff jumping over the Warriewood Blowhole, north of Manly. </p> <p>But, things started to go wrong when one 15-year-old boy slammed his head on the water after diving from the cliff, leaving him semi-unconscious. </p> <p>As his two friends clambered over rocks to move him into a cave below the cliff, the trio quickly became stranded as waves pounded the rocks. </p> <p>Lifesaver Saskia Rundle Towbridge, 16, was quick to jump into action, hopping into the rubber duck and bravely manoeuvring her way through rough waves to rescue the boys. </p> <p>“The waves were pretty big, especially when I was coming in,” she told <em>Nine</em>. </p> <p>“I got thrown up against them, and the cord of my rescue tube was stuck on the rocks, so I was being battered for about two minutes.”</p> <p>She eventually made it onto the rocks and was able to swim the boys back to the boat.</p> <p>The injured teen was treated by lifesavers before an ambulance was called, as he was disoriented and couldn't remember where he was. </p> <p>The 15-year-old was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital and is in a stable condition. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Beloved Bondi Surf Club lifesaver dies at just 54

<p>A close-knit Bondi Beach community is coming to terms with the unexpected death of Louise Santos, who was a devoted mother, a surf lifesaver, and an acclaimed athlete.</p> <p>Santos tragically passed away during a family vacation in France at just 54 years old, leaving behind her husband, Stuart, and her young son, Josh, to grapple with the sudden loss.</p> <p>The impact of this loss is also felt by the Bondi Surf Club, where she devoted over twenty years of her life as a longstanding employee and volunteer.</p> <p>“The entire club stands in profound shock, grappling with the void left by Louise’s passing," Brent Jackson, President of the Bondi Surf Club said in a statement. </p> <p>“She recently became our newest Life member," he added. </p> <p>“Our deepest sympathies and support are extended to her beloved husband, Stuart, and her son, Josh, who is also an active Nipper.</p> <p>“Our thoughts are with them as they navigate this unfathomable loss.”</p> <p>Jackson also paid tribute to Santos' unwavering dedication to their club. </p> <p>“For those who had the privilege of attending our last Annual General Meeting, you understand the pivotal role Louise quietly played within our club for decades," he shared. </p> <p>“Her commitment knew no bounds, and she continued to champion our cause diligently, currently serving as the Registrar and meticulously planning the upcoming season for our surf sports team.</p> <p>“Personally, I will deeply miss Louise’s straightforward, pragmatic approach and her resolute ‘can-do’ attitude that inspired us all.</p> <p>“Louise’s legacy is one of unwavering dedication and the profound impact she had on our club’s journey,” he concluded. </p> <p>Santos was a a gifted athlete winning over 40 medals in Australian Masters and World Masters Surf Life Saving competitions.</p> <p>She also became the first female individual Australian gold medallist in the Ironwoman category for ages 35 to 39 in 2005. </p> <p>In 2018 she secured a second-place finish in her age group at the Coolangatta Gold Long Course endurance event. </p> <p>Santos had only just celebrated her 54th birthday ten days prior to the tragedy, although her cause of death remains undisclosed. </p> <p>Former Director of Lifesaving at Bondi Surf Club Damon Somerfield, also paid tribute to Santos in a post shared on Facebook. </p> <p>“As you go through life, there are people around you who inspire you the most, to make a difference, to become a better person. She was a friend, an incredible support to us as new parents, and one of the best clubmates you could ask for," he wrote. </p> <p>“To become the first female life member of the oldest Surf Lifesaving Club was one of hers and our proudest moments as club mates.</p> <p>“As we move forward and come to terms with this terrible news, we will celebrate all that you stood for, Louise, and for all you have done for those who loved you.”</p> <p>In a heartwarming display on Wednesday morning, the Bondi Surf Club members held a gathering to lower the flag together and light a candle in her memory.</p> <p>The board section also held a minute's silence on the beach to mark her passing before catching some waves together. </p> <p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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Update after 6-year-old’s lifesaving transplant was left on tarmac

<p>A devastated mother has shared an update after her son’s lifesaving bone marrow transplant was mistakenly left on the tarmac at a US airport.</p> <p>Shalyn Eggleton’s son Mateoh suffers from a rare genetic disorder known as chronic granulomatous disease, which leaves his white blood cells unable to fight off certain types of bacteria.</p> <p>The six-year-old boy has trialled nine experimental treatments in the last year alone, all of which failed to cure his condition.</p> <p>Mateo’s final option was to undergo a bone marrow transplant which is very difficult to find a perfect biological match.</p> <p>After an anxious three-and-a-half-year wait, Mateoh was finally paired with a matching donor from the US and was set to have the procedure.</p> <p>In a catastrophic ordeal, the anxiously awaited transplant was mistakenly left on the tarmac at a US airport instead of being loaded onto the plane bound for Australia.</p> <p>On a Facebook group dedicated to her son’s health journey, Ms Eggleton wrote, “Absolutely shocked, disappointed, furious and angry at the health system in the news we received today,”</p> <p>“Unfortunately the donor cells from America have been ‘forgotten’ to be put on the courier plane to Australia, ultimately having to be sent back to where they were harvested to have more dry ice put in with them and stored.</p> <p>“When they will arrive in Australia, we don’t know. For transplant we don’t know a date now.”</p> <p>Thankfully, Mateoh’s mum was able to share positive news about her son’s health journey.</p> <p>“The cells have arrived in Brisbane, they have been tested,” his mum wrote.</p> <p>“They are viable. Transplant is a go ahead.”</p> <p>Mateoh will soon be admitted to hospital for his procedure, which will take place on March 13.</p> <p>“You give me the strength to smile through each day,” Ms Eggleton added.</p> <p>“Even though I’m not ready to see you suffer and deteriorate the next few weeks.</p> <p>“My boy this is your biggest fight, and I’ll be by your side every minute, hour, day, night, weeks and months. I’ll be fighting with you.”</p> <p>Prior to the happy update, Mateoh’s mum expressed her anger and disappointment over the transplant debacle.</p> <p>“This is totally unacceptable and a further investigation should be carried out and someone held responsible,” she had said.</p> <p>“They honestly won’t know the condition of the cells until they arrive in Australia and the labs test them.</p> <p>“This is our last option to trial. Mateoh isn’t getting any better, let’s make that clear.”</p> <p>The Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is responsible for organising and transporting bone marrow and blood stem cell donations for patients in Australia, working closely with hospitals to ensure transplants run smoothly.</p> <p>A spokeswoman for Queensland Children’s Hospital said Mateoh has been a long-term patient at Queensland Children’s Hospital, and his care team shared the family’s disappointment at the delivery delay of his transplant.</p> <p>“Mateoh’s donor cells are currently in transit to Australia and their delayed arrival will not adversely impact Mateoh’s care,” she said.</p> <p>“At all times our priority has been ensuring the donation remains viable so Mateoh’s bone-marrow transplant can safely proceed.”</p> <p>According to The Courier Mail, the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry CEO Lisa Smith stated that the registry were aware of the situation and that an urgent investigation is underway to determine the cause.</p> <p>Mateoh’s family have also created a GoFundMe to help with the medical expenses.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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New inhalable device could be lifesaving for new mums

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new inhalable product more than a decade in the making could save the lives of tens of thousands of new mothers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The device, developed by Melbourne researchers, looks like a small whistle and allows oxytocin to be inhaled rather than injected, to prevent postpartum haemorrhages.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Postpartum haemorrhages happen when a new mother experiences excessive blood loss after giving birth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the leading cause of maternal mortality globally, these haemorrhages occur in up to 18 percent of births and result in an estimated 60,000 deaths each year across the world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oxytocin is the </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0315/p875.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">recommended first choice</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for preventing postpartum haemorrhage due to its greater effectiveness in comparison to other drugs and has fewer side effects, and is currently administered via an injection.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University partnered with Johnson &amp; Johnson have developed a new inhalable form of oxytocin that, unlike the injectable form, doesn’t need to be refrigerated, making it a less invasive and easier to distribute option for developing countries.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Many women in Australia will receive an oxytocin injection after every childbirth to prevent or lower risk of postpartum haemorrhages,” project leader Michelle McIntosh said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We needed something that was really low cost and simple to use, but just as effective.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The World Health Organisation recommends every woman in the world to be given an injection of oxytocin after they give birth, but Professor McIntosh said this isn’t always possible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Unfortunately, in a lot of low-resource settings, having access to someone present when you give birth, someone who is trained to give an injection and a product that has been maintained in cold storage, is very challenging.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even in Australia, Professor McIntosh said the rate of postpartum haemorrhages has been increasing significantly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While our focus has always been on low-resource settings, obstetricians in Australia and other developed countries [are] also quite keen to look at inhaled oxytocin,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That’s because it would take away the risk of needlestick injuries, it’s less invasive than a painful intramuscular injection and there are cohorts of patients we think would benefit from inhaled administration.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clinical trials of the device, which could still be several years away from commercial use, have been funded by the Victorian government’s Medical Research Acceleration Fund, which allows researchers to develop new healthcare solutions in partnership with experts from Johnson &amp; Johnson.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Research and innovation to address the leading cause of maternal mortality 💕<br /><br />Excited about our ongoing partnership <a href="https://twitter.com/JNJInnovation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JNJInnovation</a><br />Wonderful to visit <a href="https://twitter.com/MIPS_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MIPS_Australia</a> <br />Thanks to Delia for sharing her story with <a href="https://twitter.com/bridgerollo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bridgerollo</a> <a href="https://t.co/4lPRvIC8h7">https://t.co/4lPRvIC8h7</a></p> — Jaala Pulford MP (@JaalaPulford) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaalaPulford/status/1415507837925531651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When medtech, biotech, and pharmaceutical businesses innovate, they change lives,” said Victoria’s Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Jaala Pulford.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This new powder is going to be an extraordinary additional tool for women and their doctors and midwives and nurses [to deal] with something that comes on very suddenly and would be extremely terrifying.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Twitter</span></em></p>

Body

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Lifesaving advice that prevented the kidnapping of 4-year-old boy

<p>Children are constantly curious and have the urge to explore. Children can also wander off and get lost from time to time.</p> <p>Almost everyone has experienced the horror of losing sight of a child, although on this family outing, things took a terrifying turn.</p> <p>In June last year a UK woman recalled her actions when her 4-year-old nephew Jake went missing and published them on a now viral blog post.</p> <p>Vicky Hamilton-Ross recounted the events of the day when her sister Lucinda, her nephew Jake and herself attended a beach event in Bournemouth, England.</p> <p>Vicky’s sister Lucinda turned away from her 4-year-old son to pick something up and in less than minutes, Jake had vanished.</p> <p>Army cadets were chaperoning the event and quickly advised Vicky and Lucinda to start yelling descriptions of the boy, what he looked like and what he was wearing.</p> <p>“‘We are looking for a boy. He is four years old, blond and in a red t-shirt. Have you seen him?’ … they repeated this loudly and consistently as they covered areas nearby,” Hamilton-Ross wrote on the blog.</p> <p>After 15 minutes of searching, Jake was found on the beach.</p> <p>Hamilton-Ross explained that by loudly yelling a description, any perpetrator would have been scared off or identified.</p> <p>“It meant the guy couldn’t leave the beach without being spotted, so he just left Jake and walked away,” she explained.</p> <p>It was that advice that saved his life. Once safely reunited with his mother and aunty he told them, “There was a bald man in a white t-shirt, he said he would take me to see a real rocket ship.”</p> <p>Hamilton-Ross further praises the advice she was given.</p> <p>“I would urge every parent to do this immediately, even if you suspect they are just around the corner. What’s the worst that could happen, you are slightly embarrassed because they hadn’t gone anywhere? It’s well worth that risk.”</p>

Family & Pets

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Prince William's lifesaving lesson for Prince George

<p>He might only be four-years-old, but Prince George is now well-equipped to handle any emergency thanks to a lifesaving lesson from his father Prince William.</p> <p>We just hope he never has to use it.</p> <p>The Duke of Edinburgh has taught the young royal how to dial 999 (UK’s equivalent of triple zero) in an emergency, reportedly inspired by the bravery of Suzie McCash who saved her mother’s life when she did so earlier this year.</p> <p>Prince William met Suzie, who won the Child of Courage award, at a Pride of Britain ceremony, and said he would need to teach Prince George to do the same thing.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">October 30, 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge greets Suzie McCash as he attends the Pride Of Britain Awards at the Grosvenor House <a href="https://t.co/r2XDemdq8v">pic.twitter.com/r2XDemdq8v</a></p> — Royals_Cambridges (@the_Cambridges1) <a href="https://twitter.com/the_Cambridges1/status/925718293247352832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>“I have a four-year-old called George and if I gave him a telephone I do not know what he would do,” William said.</p> <p> “And do you know what I’m going to have a conversation with my George about what to do because of what you’ve done,” he continued.</p> <p>“It’s really important.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / Duchess Kate Blog </em></p>

Caring

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5 potentially lifesaving medication management tips

<p>As our age increases, chances are so will the number of medications and supplements we need to take just to stay in working order. However, if managed in correctly, you may experience complications from drug interactions or incorrect dosages. But if you’re treating multiple conditions, you’ll know just how difficult it can be to keep everything in check. So, to help you do just that, we’ve put together five simple tips for managing medications that could save your life.</p> <p><strong>1. Maintain an up-to-date medication list</strong> – Record (and update when necessary) the name of the medication, the dosage you take, how often/when you take it and why you take it. Bring this list with you wherever you go, but particularly whenever you visit the doctor or pharmacist.</p> <p><strong>2. Know your medications</strong> – In addition to a list, it never hurts to ask your doctor for a profile on each medication you take. This way, you can be aware of any potential side effects, so if you should experience one, you’ll have a good idea of which medication was the culprit.</p> <p><strong>3. Get organised</strong> – Medication organisers are cheap and easy to use, but if you don’t want to do it yourself, your pharmacist can fill out a weekly blister pack for a small fee, containing all the medications you need for each part of the day.</p> <p><strong>4. Store your medications properly</strong> – Heat and damp conditions can damage your medications, rendering them less effective. According to the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.nps.org.au/medical-info/consumer-info/managing-your-medicines?c=managing-multiple-medicines-7a48be14" target="_blank"><strong>NPS</strong></a></span>, you should “not store medicines in the bathroom or near a sink, or leave them in a car.” As always, ensure they’re kept far out of reach of children.</p> <p><strong>5. Keep it simple</strong> – You don’t want to have to run around from pharmacy to pharmacy all the time just to get what you need. Make it easy for yourself and find a chemist that stocks all your medications. If your pharmacist gets to know you and your dosages, there’s a much smaller chance of any errors. Also, chances are you can leave your prescriptions with them, meaning you don’t have to worry about forgetting any.</p> <p>Do you take medications for multiple conditions? How do you manage all your tablets? Share your tips with us in the comments below.</p>

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Miracle baby is “born twice” after lifesaving surgery

<p>Margaret Boemer first sensed something was wrong when her ultrasound technician stayed unusually quiet during a routine 16-week prenatal check-up.</p> <p>It had already been an arduous road to get to that point. Months earlier, Boemer had suffered a miscarriage. When she conceived again, she and her husband were delighted to discover it was with twins - but they lost one of the babies about six weeks into the pregnancy.</p> <p>Soon, doctors would approach Boemer with grimmer news: The child she was carrying had sacrococcygeal teratoma, a rare tumour that appeared at the base of baby's tailbone. It is estimated these types of tumours occur in about one of 40,000 pregnancies. If left unchecked, the tumour could continue taking her baby's blood supply and eventually cause heart failure.</p> <p>Boemer and her husband were crushed. Only two weeks ago, they had learned the baby would be a girl, and were excited about the possibility of naming her Lynlee, after both of her grandmothers.</p> <p>Now doctors were advising the couple from Lewisville, Texas, US, to visit two more specialised hospitals in Houston for additional opinions.</p> <p>"[My prenatal doctor] was very concerned about it because of the size of the tumour being that early along," Boemer said. "She felt like that there was a strong possibility that Lynlee would not make it to term."</p> <p>In Houston, one hospital "strongly recommended" the Boemers terminate the pregnancy. Performing open fetal surgery - essentially removing the baby before term in order to operate on the fetus - was too risky, doctors there said. But without such a surgery, Lynlee would likely die.</p> <p>Meanwhile, doctors at Texas Children's Hospital examined the tumour with cautious optimism. They agreed that in utero surgery would be required, and as it happened, two doctors there, Darrell Cass and Oluyinka Olutoye, had successfully done such a procedure seven years before.</p> <p>They explained to Boemer that it would indeed be extremely risky. But at 20 weeks into the pregnancy, the tumour was already almost as big as the fetus - and about four times larger than what would be considered the threshold for surgical intervention, Olutoye said.</p> <p>"[The tumour] was putting such strain on Lynlee's heart," Boemer said. According to Cass and Olutoye, "it wasn't really a matter of if I needed in utero surgery. It was kind of a matter of when. The goal was to get me to 24 weeks."</p> <p><strong>Nervous and scared</strong></p> <p>Boemer returned to her home and waited. Day by day, the tumour increased in size, until it appeared that Lynlee was sitting on a large balloon inside the womb. Unlike Boemer's first two pregnancies, she hardly felt Lynlee kicking or moving inside her, and she knew it was because the tumour was encroaching on her daughter's space.</p> <p>At 23 weeks, the tumour had grown large enough that doctors sent Boemer back to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.</p> <p>"I went down there thinking: 'I'll be here for check-ups all week,' " Boemer said. Instead, doctors told her Lynlee might not survive two more days without intervention. "I went into surgery that night."</p> <p>Before the procedure, Boemer and her husband met in a boardroom with more than a dozen doctors. They outlined the options, risks and possible outcomes of the surgery.</p> <p>Boemer was 23 weeks and 5 days into her pregnancy - if the surgery failed and Lynlee needed to be delivered, the baby would be just on the edge of viability, doctors said.</p> <p>They handed the Boemers a form.</p> <p>"If she's born, do you want us to do resuscitate if needed?" Boemer remembers them asking. "If she's not doing well, do you want us to allow her to pass?"</p> <p>Boemer had been doing OK up until that point, but it was then that she burst into tears.</p> <p>"To think we had come so far, to try to save her," she said. "I was very nervous and scared.... but my husband and I were focused on whatever we needed to do to try to save our baby."</p> <p><strong>Tricky surgery</strong></p> <p>It took Cass, Olutoye and a team of about 20 others to perform the surgery itself. The majority of the time was spent making meticulous incisions into the uterus, then carefully pulling out the lower half of Lynlee's body.</p> <p>In the middle of the procedure, Lynlee's heart stopped and needed to be restarted; she required a blood transfusion, as well.</p> <p>"These are babies that are essentially dying," Olutoye said. "You have a child who's already sick, and the operation itself can make her sicker."</p> <p>After removing about 90 per cent of the tumour, surgeons placed Lynlee back into the womb. Closing the uterus proved tricky, as well. The doctors needed to seal the membrane to the uterus, doing it in a watertight fashion that - even after 23 weeks - would continue stretching as the pregnancy progressed.</p> <p>After about five hours, the surgery was complete.</p> <p>"And then the real work really starts," Olutoye said, referring to the challenge of carrying the baby to term with a now-increased risk of the uterus rupturing.</p> <p>Boemer was ordered to stay in Houston, on bed rest, for the remainder of her pregnancy. To doctors' relief and surprise, Lynlee continued to grow.</p> <p>"Her heart got much better, now that it didn't have to work as hard pumping through this huge tumour," Olutoye noted.</p> <p><strong>“Born twice”</strong></p> <p>On June 6 - nearly 36 weeks into her pregnancy - Boemer underwent a C-section. The newborn infant who emerged "singing", weighing five pounds and five ounces, was nothing like the "small, little gelatinous baby" Olutoye had operated on weeks earlier, he said.</p> <p>"Watching Lynlee come out crying and kicking... was really very exciting to see," he said. "Her whole leg [during the surgery] was barely the size of my finger. They grow so much over such a short period of time."</p> <p>"You can say she's seen the world twice," he added.</p> <p>Filling out her birth certificate, the Boemers officially gave Lynlee her middle name: Hope.</p> <p>At eight days old, Lynlee underwent another surgery to remove the rest of the tumour from her tailbone. She may require an operation in the future to reconstruct some pelvic muscles but is otherwise recovering well.</p> <p>Lynlee will need to continue to return to Texas Children's Hospital for regular check-ups. "We're going to get very close," Olutoye tells all his patients, whom he says he often knows from "before they are born... all the way up into adulthood."</p> <p>The baby is nearing her five-month birthday and "hitting all her milestones", Boemer said. She giggles easily and enjoys being near her older sisters, she said.</p> <p>"It's been kind of overwhelming, how much attention her story's gotten, but we're very thankful," Boemer said.</p> <p>"I can tell you when we were told this very long name, we were scared and didn't know what that was and had never heard of it. So I'm glad that it's getting attention so that others who are diagnosed can know that they're not alone."</p> <p>Do you have an uplifting story of recovery like this one? Share them with us in the comments below.</p> <p><em> Written by Amy B Wang. First appeared on <strong><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></a></strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/tips-for-disagreeing-grandparents-and-parents/"><em>5 tips for disagreeing grandparents and parents</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/10-factors-that-influence-how-you-grandparent/">10 factors that influence how you grandparent</a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/anne-marr-tribute-to-dad-for-fathers-day/"><em>Thank you dad for everything you taught me</em></a></strong></span></p>

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Baby koala clings onto to mother as she undergoes lifesaving surgery

<p>Pictures of a tiny koala hugging his mother during her life-saving surgery have set the internet on fire because of their extreme cuteness and high levels of adorability (actual scientific terms).</p> <p>Phantom’s mum, Lizzy, was hit by a car on the Warrego Highway in Coominya. Luckily, Phantom escaped unscathed, but Lizzy suffered facial trauma and a collapsed lung. The pair were taken to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, where surgery was scheduled for Lizzy.</p> <p>At just six months old, Phantom is too young to be without his mum, so clung to Lizzy for the entire procedure, delivering healing hugs and lots of love. And it did the trick – Lizzy is on the road to recovery.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AustraliaZooWildlifeHospital?fref=photo" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>You can visit the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on Facebook here.</em></strong></span></a></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/tennis-ball-tug-of-war-between-dogs/">Watch this dog try to break up a tug-of-war between his two friends in the cutest way possible</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/dubai-robot-cops/">Dubai announces it will begin using robotic cops</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/film-couples-who-hated-each-other/">4 on-screen couples who couldn't stand each other</a></em></strong></span></p>

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