Ashton Kutcher experienced a pretty huge scare 

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Monica Pop
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Different people face different struggles when it comes to their health, and sometimes, speaking openly of the issues they experience is hard but when celebrities do it they help raise awareness and encourage others to seek help as they remind them they are not alone.

In an episode of National Geographic’s Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, actor Ashton Kutcher opened up about a condition that left him unable to see, hear, or walk. He described it as a “weird, super-rare form of vasculitis” he experienced around two years ago.

“You don’t really appreciate it until it’s gone, until you go, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to see again; I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to hear again; I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to walk again,’” the actor said.

First published by Access Hollywood, a clip of the episode shows Kutcher saying “Lucky to be alive,” as he goes on to explain that his recovery lasted around a year.

Mayo Clinic describes vasculitis as inflammation of the blood vessels that can cause the walls of the blood vessels to thicken, which reduces the width of the passageway through the vessel. If blood flow is restricted, it can result in organ and tissue damage.

The types are many and most of them are rare. The treatment depends on the type, but large number of them require medications to control the inflammation and prevent flare-ups. This condition, which may affect a single organ or more, can be either short term or long lasting.

In most cases, the reasons that cause this condition are unknown but they are certainly related to the immune system that sees body’s parts as foreign and attacks them.

Possible triggers for this immune system reaction include infections, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, blood cancers, reaction to certain drugs, and conditions related to the immune system such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma.

Kutcher didn’t go into details about which type exactly he was diagnosed with nor what treatment he received. He, however, said that the disease gave him some perspective on life.

“The minute you start seeing your obstacles as things that are made for you to give you what you need, then life starts to get fun,” Kutcher says in the clip. “You start surfing on top of your problems instead of living underneath them.”

We are glad this great actor and awesome human being was able to overcome his health issues.

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Mom of baby with Down Syndrome mails letter to doctor who suggested abortion

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Monica Pop
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From the moment they learn they are expecting, mothers pray for their pregnancy to go according to plan. They all wish their babies to be born healthy, but sometimes, things don’t turn out as expected.

When Courtney Williams Baker learned she was pregnant, she and her husband were over the moon. She went through every ultrasound and never missed an appointment. In fact, she was looking forward every doctor’s visit because she knew she would hear her baby’s heartbeat.

Sadly, one particular visit crushed Courtney’s world, and it wasn’t because she learned her baby would be born with Down Syndrome, something she embraced with arms wide open, but because of her doctor’s reaction who advised them to terminate the pregnancy.

Of course, neither Courtney nor her husband ever considered anything like that. Their answer to the doctor’s suggestion was a resound no.

Some two years after baby girl Emersyn was born, Courtney still couldn’t get over the fact that the doctor believed she should have kill her baby only because she had Down Syndrome so she decided to send him a letter, expressing her feelings.

“A friend recently told me of when her prenatal specialist would see her child during her sonograms, he would comment, ‘He’s perfect’,” this mom wrote. “Once her son was born with Down syndrome, she visited that same doctor. He looked at her little boy and said, ‘I told you. He’s perfect’. Her story tore me apart. While I was so grateful for my friend’s experience, it filled me with such sorrow because of what I should have had.”

She further wrote how she wished she was treated the way her friend was.

“I wish you would have been that doctor. I came to you during the most difficult time in my life, I was terrified, anxious and in complete despair. I didn’t know the truth yet about my baby, and that’s what I desperately needed from you. But instead of support and encouragement, you suggested we terminate our child. I told you her name, and you asked us again if we understood how low our quality of life would be with a child with Down syndrome. You suggested we reconsider our decision to continue the pregnancy.

“From that first visit, we dreaded our appointments,” Courtney continued. “The most difficult time in my life was made nearly unbearable because you never told me the truth. My child was perfect.”

Courtney said that having Emersyn gave new meaning to her life.

“You see, Emersyn has not only added to our quality of life, but she’s also touched the hearts of thousands. She’s given us a purpose and a joy that is impossible to express, and she’s given us bigger smiles, more laughter and sweeter kisses than we’ve ever known. She’s opened our eyes to true beauty and pure love,” she concluded.

We are so happy Courtney didn’t follow her doctor’s advice and did the right thing.

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Larry Bird’s been happily married for more than 30 years – his wife cried when he decided to retire

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Monica Pop
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The arrival of legendary Larry Bird to the Boston Celtics in the fall of 1979 marked a new ear in the world of basketball.

Known as ‘the Hick from French Lick,’ Bird grew up in Indiana. When he was a youngster, he never really thought he would make a living out of basketball as he wasn’t that interested in that sport in particular, but as time passed by, he became aware of his talent.

As he and his siblings didn’t have a lot to do in their spare time, they would play street basketball, which later became their central source of entertainment.

Focus on Sport via Getty Images

In an interview with Landscape, Bird recalled, “Back then I would just try to develop my skills as a young player, and I got in games around there. But these guys were older. When you’re 9, 10, 11, you see somebody 20, you think they’re old. But it was a number of guys who would show up every day. In between games they’d smoke their Kool cigarettes and drink their beer, but great guys.”

He then added, “What was really great for me and made me happy is 30 years ago I ran into Slim, who was down in Atlanta out there cooking at one of the hotels we stayed in. And he’d come up and say, ‘Remember me?’ And I knew I’d seen that face before, but I didn’t know where. He was a little bit older. But he said he was so proud of how I turned out.”

Bird’s beginnings in the sport, at least his official career, were in a small Indiana town, where he led Springs Valley High School to the state sectional championship.

His excellent performance earned him scholarship to Indiana University, where he played for the Indiana Hoosiers. However, just a month later, he went back to French Lick where he found a job as a sanitation worker. During that time, Bird experienced heartbreak when his father tragically ended his own life.

“When I was at [Indiana] State, finishing to get my degree, they had me teaching special needs kids in a high school. That was tough. It gave me a lot of respect for people who do that,” Bird told Boston Globe.

“I thought I’d wind up being a construction worker, pouring concrete. I wasn’t very good at shop in school, but I’d been around construction. As far as basketball goes, I just wanted to be the best player on my high school team.”

Bird then led Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA national championship game, a turning point in basketball history.

Youtube/NBAHistory

“Larry Legend,” as many called him, was every coach’s dream.

In the 1978 NBA draft, Larry was selected 6th overall by the Boston Celtics. Both he and Magic Johnson helped propel basketball to new heights.

Over the course of his successful career, Bird won three NBA Titles, was voted league MVP twice, and averaged over 24 points per game. And that’s not it as the list of achievements in the world of basketball he has under his belt is a lot longer.

Shutterstock/levradin

Despite being under the spotlight his entire life, Bird has always kept his private life a secret. He even forbade reporters from asking him any personal questions, saying, “My private life is nobody’s business. Besides, it ain’t interesting.”

He was married to wife Janet Condra for a year. The couple later reconciled and welcomed a son together, Corrie Bird.

Bird wed his second wife in a very private and intimate ceremony. Reports were that the only people in attendance were Bird, wife Dinah Mattingly, Max Gibson, Max’s wife Jackie, and the Superior Court judge who performed the ceremony.

Bird and his second wife adopted two children together.

Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

It was reported that when she heard her husband retired from playing, Mattingly was at a hair salon having her hair done. She then broke down in tears.

According to reports, Bird earned $24 million during his career and has a net worth of $75 million. Knowing this one would assume that he leads a lavish lifestyle, which is in fact, far from reality.

“When I’m home in Boston, I want to go out and eat, pay my bill, and get the hell out. Back in French Lick, I don’t have those problems, and that’s why I go back there. It’s the same with nice cars, Mercedes and all that,” Bird told Boston Globe.

“I can’t see putting $50,000 or $60,000 into a car when our house growing up was worth $10,000, I just can’t buy that. And clothes never did catch my eye, I never really enjoyed ’em. I always wore what I felt comfortable in. I’ll wear pretty much anything if I get it for free.” 

Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Turner Sports

Larry Bird, 65, remains one of the greatest basketball players ever to play.

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Meghan turned down Kate’s ‘special gesture’ to take first pictures of newborn Archie, royal expert claims

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Monica Pop
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These past couple of years have been quite turbulent for the British royal family.

It seems that the problems arose when the Sussexes decided they had it enough with their life as working royals so they made a shocking decision to step down from their duties, something none of the family was happy about.

Reports were that Queen Elizabeth wasn’t glad with Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave the country, but she wished them well, which can’t be said for Charles and William, who were disappointed in their son and brother.

Things turned for the worse following Harry and Meghan’s all-tell interview with Oprah Winfrey during which they made several accusations. Among the rest, they claimed that a member of the family questioned then unborn Archie’s skin color.

“They were concerned that if he were too brown, that that would be a problem?” Oprah asked Meghan.

“I wasn’t able to follow up with why,” Meghan replied. “But that — if that’s the assumption you’re making, I think that feels like a pretty safe one.”

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Even today, Meghan’s relationship with certain members of the Firm remains strained.

It isn’t a secret that she and Kate Middleton didn’t get along, at least according to the media and various reports.

“Meghan would agree with the assessment that the duchesses were not the best of friends,” authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claim in their book Finding Freedom. “Their relationship hadn’t progressed much since [Markle] was Harry’s girlfriend.”

According to them, Kate wasn’t welcoming and didn’t take Meghan under her wing as most people expected. Out of everyone in the family, she knew best what it was like to be getting inside the Firm as a ‘newcomer.’

“Meghan was disappointed that she and Kate hadn’t bonded over the position they shared, but she wasn’t losing sleep over it,” Durand and Scobie wrote, adding that “Meghan would far rather have had Kate check in on her during the most difficult times with the press.”

Karwai Tang/WireImage

At the time Archie was welcomed into the family, everyone was over the moon. According to royal authors, it was then that Kate wanted to show her appreciation by asking about a very special assignment.

Royal expert Neil Sean reported that Kate offered to take the first photos of baby Archie but Meghan allegedly turned the offer down and decided to hire a professional photographer instead.

“This was a very special gesture from the now-Princess of Wales to Meghan Markle when she had her first child, Archie,” Sean said in a Youtube video, as reported by Express. He added that Kate offered to “take the personal picture of baby Archie” after other professional photographers had “commended” her portfolio.

“According to that good source, apparently, Meghan turned that opportunity down flat,” Sean continued. “And as ever, we have to say allegedly [but] we’re not quite sure why [Meghan turned Kate’s offer down].

“You didn’t need to hire a photographer, as Harry and Meghan did.”

Shutterstock/levradin

Kate and William are planning to take a trip to the States in December, and that includes New York and Boston, where they will attend the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, an independent charity founded by William.

Reports are that Kate will reach out to Meghan, although they will be staying at the east coast, while Harry and Meghan live on the west coast.

“Harry and Meghan are knee-deep with their hectic schedules, but Meghan is willing to put in the effort as long as dates don’t clash,” the source said.

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We truly hope Kate and Meghan would be able to finally repair what has already been broken regarding their relationship.

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Why you should never kill a house centipede if you find one inside your house

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Monica Pop
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Most people get creeped out by insects. Whether it is a lovely ladybug or a scary spider, insects can be terrifying for many. That is the reason why most of us freak out when we see one and feel the urge to smash them when we spot them inside our home.

Centipedes, or better known as “hundred-leggers” because of their many pairs of legs are widely distributed throughout most of United States and the world. However, they aren’t likely to be spotted by humans that often due to their nocturnal activity and the speed in which they move.

In general, these insects are not harmful for humans and the venom of most kinds of centipedes is not powerful enough to affect larger animals or people.

The good thing about these creepy insects is that they feed off far nastier bugs such as termites, spiders, silverfish, bedbugs, ants and cockroaches, which makes them the ‘good guys.’

This is definitely a reason enough for them not to be killed when spotted inside our homes. Instead of smashing them, we should make sure to either let them go their way or take them outside so they can feast on leaves and other insects. In fact, this is what we should do with every insect that gets into our home uninvited.

Of course, there are bugs and insects out there which are relatively lethal and need to be avoided by any means, such as bullet ants which make you feel like you’ve been shot after being bitten. 

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‘I was terrible’ – Kate Middleton shares one of her weaknesses

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Monica Pop
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Kate Middleton is an exceptional woman who seems to be carrying a lot of weight on her shoulders, especially now that she received the title Princess of Wales. Being a Princess, a mother, and a future Queen, or Queen Consort at least, she is loved by her people and millions others from every corner of the world.

With Charles acceding to the throne, Kate and her husband William were handed much bigger and more meaningful responsibilities, but being versatile and charming as she is, Kate performs everything with excellence.

Recently, the couple left Kensington Palace in favor of Adelaide Cottage, just a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle, which marks another change since Queen Elizabeth’s passing. The children attend new school, and the last couple of months have truly been hectic for the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Unfortunately, this forced them to have to deal with a lot of stress and anxiety, something they spoke of themselves.

“They’ve said that themselves… that this hasn’t been the settling period that they had hoped for,” royal expert Katie Nichol revealed on TalkTV’s show The Royal Tea.

“Of course, they made that big move just after the summer holidays to move to Windsor. A significant and pretty bold move leaving Kensington Palace, enrolling the children in new schools, and setting up a new life for themselves in Windsor.”

Nichole further said, “Of course, no one could have expected that the Queen would have died just at the start of all of that. Very, very difficult times. I think behind the scenes there is a fair bit of stress and anxiety for all of the family.”

Shutterstock/Bart Lenoir

Other experts believe that the new title made Kate feel more powerful. Some say that once she became Princess of Wales, she no longer sees herself as William’s wife only, but as a leading member of the royal family.

“Kate’s body language has changed since she became Princess of Wales, but perhaps not in the way that people might have expected,” body language expert Judi James shared with Express.

“The pressure could have caused some signs of anxiety and even imposter syndrome, but instead her confidence signals have been on an upward trajectory recently.”

“She is now at something of a peak in terms of sending out signals, which suggests she now not only fully embraces and understands her role, but that she feels comfortable in it, too,” James continued.

She appears more confident and more independent than ever before.

Youtube/theprinceandprincessofwales

The Prince and Princess of Wales will be taking a trip to the US to attend the Earthshot Prize innovation summit in New York.

When it comes to Kate, who is a philanthropist, one of the causes which is closest to her heart is the children’s mental health charity Anna Freud National Centre For Children And Families.

Having in mind that she is torn between everyday commitments, Kate needs to find a way to relax herself, and apparently, she does that by playing the piano. Kate was a part of the Royal Carols: Together At Christmas television program, where she and Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Walker performed his song For Those Who Can’t Be Here together.

She’s also great at tennis, but as it turns out, she’s not that good at one thing.

Youtube/theprinceandprincessofwales

Recently, during the Rugby League World Cup quarter-finals which she attended, Kate was showered with gifts such as handmade soaps and knitted hats.

Speaking to the woman who handed her some of the gifts, Kate revealed that knitting wasn’t her best skill.

“I tried knitting once and I was terrible at it, so I’ll have to come for lessons,” Kate said, to what the woman replied, “It’s easy when you know how.”

Back in 2020, during a visit of an organization supporting the elderly, Kate told one of the women there that she once tried knitting Prince George a jumper, but her efforts didn’t go as planned.

“I tried knitting when I first had George. I tried to knit him a very special jumper, but I got halfway down and it splattered,” Kate explained. “It’s such an amazing skill.”

Kate Middleton is so special in so many ways, don’t you agree?

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Chuck Norris gave up his entire career to care for his sick wife – she will always be his ‘best friend’

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Monica Pop
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Being considered one of the most prominent martial artists there are, actor Chuck Norris has enjoyed enormous popularity over the years. Thanks to his successful career, he has become a synonym of strength and attracted millions of fans from all over the world.

He holds black belts in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo and is the founder of the discipline Chun Kuk Do, an American hybrid martial arts style based on Traditional Taekwondo styles such as Tang Soo Do/Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo.

Besides being a huge part of Hollywood, he is also a family man and a father of five. He and his wife Gena O’Kelley, a former model, a television host, and actress as well, have been together for over 22 years. What we love about Norris is that he never misses a chance to remind Gena, as well as all of us, how much she means to him.

Just like Chuck, Gina has also been married before. She was married to Gordon Hinschberger, with whom she had two kids, Kelley and Tim, but not much is known about their divorce.

Recently, the actor shared a photo of the two on their wedding day and wrote, “22 years ago I became the luckiest man in the world when Gena and I got married. Happy Anniversary my beautiful wife! There are no words to describe my love and appreciation for you. Thank you for sharing your life with me. I praise God for every day we are together.”

Chuck and Gina have two children together, Danielle and Dakota, and their marriage is a picture perfect one when it comes to the love they have for one another.

However, around a decade ago, their lives turned upside-down when Gina started experiencing health issues. According to the couple, it all started when Gena went for a routine MRI scan in 2013 and received an injection that is a standard process before someone enters MRI scan. At that same moment, she started experiencing tremors and burning all over her body. Her condition was hard to diagnose as doctors themselves have no idea what could have caused that awful burning sensation.

As time passed by, her condition only worsened. The pain spread to her ribs, and she started experiencing breathing problems, muscle weakness, and joint pain.

As doctors failed to diagnose her and treat her properly, Gina took matters in her own hands and did a thorough search of her symptoms. Eventually, it led her to a condition known as gadolinium toxicity.

After receiving a treatment, she started feeling a bit better, but the road to full recovery is still very distant.

“Within hours after the first jab, I felt like my whole body was on fire — as if acid had been passed through it. The burning was isolated at first, but it just kept spreading… I just lay in bed on an IV for five months and had to have round-the-clock nursing care. Chuck slept beside me on the couch and never left. I prayed that I would live to raise my children,” she explained.

During her battle with the illness, her devoted husband is always by her side. Chuck even left his film career in order to be able to take care of her.

“I’ve given up my film career to concentrate on Gena, my whole life right now is about keeping her alive,” Chuck said. “I believe this issue is so important.”

“It’s infuriating and heartbreaking,” Gena added. “It’s a vicious, ugly secret that has been kept hidden — something Chuck and I are determined to change.”

Since the start of her ordeal, Gena and Chuck have publicly sued 11 healthcare companies in a bid for justice.

Fans of the actor shared messages of support.

“Nobody knows how much time you have left with your loved ones. So go for it, Chuck Norris. Enjoy every moment and make unforgettable memories with your partner. God bless you,” one person wrote.

“My prayers are with you, your wife, and your family.  I’m hoping nothing gets in the way. Godspeed to everybody. Never give up. Please let her be okay, I beg God. Your wife is lucky to be with a man of such moral character. Good luck and take care,” another added.

“Chuck, I just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you and your gorgeous wife. I hope everything is going well for her and you! Realizing you are the good man you seem to be is amazing,” a third person commented.

We wish Chuck Norris and Gena all the best in the future. Hopefully, she will fully recover soon.

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Surrogate gives birth to two babies

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Monica Pop
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If you don’t believe in miracles, this story will change your perception.

A Chinese couple struggled to get pregnant, and as things didn’t turn out as planned, they turned to surrogacy. However, as surrogacy is still illegal in China, they sough an American woman to carry their child for them.

Eventually, they came across Jessica Allen, a mother of two.

Allen was paid $30,000 to be surrogate. She underwent a procedure, and after some waiting, they received great news, she fell pregnant with the couple’s baby.

Things seemed to be going great until an ultrasound that changed everything. During a doctor’s visit, Allen was told that she wasn’t carrying one baby, but two.

Hearing this, she was eager to share the news with the Chinese couple who agreed to pay Allen additional $5,000 for the second baby.

The pregnancy went well and at the 35th week, Allen gave birth to two healthy babies that she didn’t have a chance to meet.

With the money she received from the couple, she and her husband bough a house for them and their children.

But then, out of the blue, they were contacted by the Chinese couple. What they heard left them in complete shock.

Apparently, the babies, which doctors believed to be twins, weren’t related at all. One of them was clearly Chinese, while the other one wasn’t. After doing a DNA test, they learned that the second baby was in fact Allen’s.

This sounded impossible, but it turned out it was.

While carrying the couple’s baby, Allen was intimate with her husband and she got pregnant with his child. So she was carrying two babies at the same time, one of which was hers, and the other one wasn’t.

The couple said they wanted nothing to do with the baby which wasn’t theirs. What’s most, they told Allen that if she didn’t want it either, they would put it up for adoption. On top of that, they requested $22,000 in compensation because they were sending additional amount of money for the second baby.

Allen and her husband didn’t have the money and the couple wouldn’t give the little one to them unless they paid what they owed them.

After two months of struggling, the baby was finally home with his real parents. Allen needed to get a loan, but she now had her son with her.

She named the baby Malachai.

For more on this miraculous story go to the video below.

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