Survivors In The News

Mike Tyson's Sorrow: Hidden Cord Dangers and How to Protect Your Kids

By TSC Staff

It's a tragedy that boggles the mind.  This week, Boxer Mike Tyson's four-year-old daughter Exodus was found hanging from a cord connected to a treadmill.  She had been playing near the exercise equipment while her mother was cleaning in a separate room.  Her seven-year-old-brother found her body entangled in the cord.

Exodus's death is another reminder that there really are no true baby-proof cords connected to the things we use every day.  Indeed, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says there were about 200 strangulations involving window coverings between 1991 and 2004.  Almost all of these deaths involved children in cribs or playpens placed next to windows.  The industry has since redesigned window coverings to protect against deadly looping, but older coverings still pose a danger.

Tyson's death is also a reminder that machinery we take for granted can pose a real danger to children. An estimated 25,000 children are hurt on exercise equipment every year and some 2,600 kids are treated for treadmill-related injures, according to ABC News.  Most of the injuries involve friction burns.

So, what can you do to protect your kids?

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Judge Sotomayor: Surviving and Thriving with Diabetes

By TSC Staff

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was diagnosed at age 8 with Type 1 diabetes, an incurable disease in which the body fails to produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. Some 23.6 million children and adults in the US -- 7.8 percent of the population - have diabetes.  Of that total, between 5 to 10 percent have Type 1 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Already, the Internet is buzzing with debate over whether the 54-year-old judge's chronic disease should be considered in the Senate confirmation process.  It's true that Judge Sotomayor's s condition puts her at greater risk of serious medical complications including heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and kidney damage.  Indeed, studies show that adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die of heart disease, according to Time.com. "The latest data suggest that patients can successfully manage the disease for four or five decades with no serious health complications," says Time.

"In the days leading up to this nomination, there were several media reports suggesting that Judge Sotomayor should not be considered for this position simply because she has Type 1 diabetes," said Dr. R. Paul Robertson, president of the American Diabetes Association.  "The advancements in the management of Type 1 diabetes have been just amazing over the last two decades and the ability of people to manage their diabetes successfully has been proven. People with diabetes can function and live a long and healthy life."

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Angels Watching Over Us: 13 Survive High Speed Boat Accident

A high-speed boating trip on the Mississippi almost turned into disaster on Sunday.  Thirteen passengers, most not wearing life jackets, were ejected into the river.  All survived.  "We had angels watching over us, we did. That's a miracle out there, we should not be alive," survivor Kristin Pruitt told KARE11 TV news.

Goodhue County Sheriff Deputies say all 13 people on board were thrown into the river; some were thrown through the windshield after the driver tried to either stop or turn the boat at a high rate of speed. Authorities say alcohol was not a factor in the incident and luckily, no one was seriously injured.

"To be honest with you it happened so fast, I don't... I remember being in the air for a few seconds and after that it was just coming up from the water," Stacy Hallas recalls.

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Making Memorial Day Matter: Remember America's Heroes

By TSC Staff

On this Memorial Day weekend, let's remember and pay tribute to all the American heroes who have given their lives for this country.  According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, some 41.8 million men and women have served in uniform in all of America's wars.  Of that number, some 651,000 died in battle and another 538,000 lost their lives in theater and non-theater.

On this weekend, let's also remember that 2.2 million Americans have volunteered to serve our nation in uniform.  More than 1.65 million U.S. service members have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq since September 11, 2001.  More than 35,000 service members have been physically wounded.  It is estimated that more than 320,000 have sustained traumatic brain injuries.  More than 300,000 have psychological wounds.

What can we do about it?

The Bob Woodruff Foundation works to support all injured service members with a special emphasis on the Hidden Injuries of War - Traumatic Brain Injury and Combat Stress. While the wounds of these injuries may not always be visible, their impact is felt long after a service member returns and their treatment is often the most costly and difficult to attain.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised over $6 million for injured service members.  In 2008, BWF funded $3.4 million in program spending which is estimated to impact approximately 516,000 service members, veterans, family members, and support personnel.  Through 52 grants to charitable organizations around the country, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has funded programs to reintegrate injured service members and assist their families with the transition.


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5 Earthquake Myths (and What You Should Do When the Ground Shakes)

By TSC Staff

The ground has shaken a few times this past week in Los Angeles.  Fortunately, the temblors and aftershocks have been relatively mild, registering 4.7, 4.0 and below on the Richter Scale.

If you’re inclined to skip this article because you think only folks in California need to worry earthquakes, you might want to stick around for a few more paragraphs.  The Golden State isn’t the only place that’s shaking.  On Wednesday, May 20th, there were 26 quakes identified around the world registering 2.5 or greater on the Richter Scale, according to the US Geological Survey.  On Thursday, May 21st, there were 36, including a 5.7 shaker in Mindanao, Philippines.  So far today, there have been 13 of quakes and that number will grow as the day goes on.

Some spot on earth is almost always rattling and rolling.  Seismologists estimate there are several million quakes and most go undetected.  The National Earthquake Information Center locates just a fraction of them every year (roughly 20,000 total or 50 per day).  Seismologists expect around 18 major quakes (7.0 to 7.9) per year and one great quake (8.0 or above).

Chances are pretty good that you live in a place (or will visit a place) where quakes happen.  So what should you know about surviving a quake?  For starters, let’s explode five myths and then let's look at what you should do when the ground shakes:

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Just a Kid: A Ten-Year-Old Battles Breast Cancer

By Ben Sherwood
The Survivors Club

On May 7th, Hannah Powell-Auslam of La Mirada, Calif. had a mastectomy to remove her left breast, the kind of surgery that takes place around 137 times per day in the US. Some 185,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and around 50,000 will have mastectomies. But Hannah's story is different.

She's only 10 years old.

According to her family's Website - Hannah is a "typical 10 year old girl. She loves to play sports, ride her bike, watch Hannah Montana and just be a kid."

In March, the fifth-grader at Escalona Elementary School complained about an itchy breast. After her mom noticed a lump, doctors biopsied the tissue, never imagining it would be cancer. The risk for children and adolescent girls is estimated at around 0.1 percent.

"They told me it was not breast cancer, because breast cancer does not happen to children," Hannah's mother said in an interview with The San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

But the doctors were wrong. Lab results in April showed that Hannah's lump was invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), a type that accounts for around 70 percent of breast cancers. Later, doctors determined it was invasive secretory ductal carcinoma, a subtype with a more favorable prognosis.

"I didn't really know what cancer was," Hannah told the San Gabriel newspaper. "I just kept crying and couldn't stop."

Today, Hannah is recovering from her mastectomy. "She is doing wonderful," her parents wrote on their Website. "She is in great spirit[s] and barely complaining at all." Naturally, some days are very tough: Seeing her incision for the first time was upsetting. Hannah also faces more treatments, including chemo and the possibility of additional surgery and radiation because doctors found cancer cells in the sentinel lymph node under her arm. Over all, the prognosis is excellent: The 5-year survival rate for younger patients with secretory ductal carcinoma is 100 percent.

"God chose me because he knows I'm a strong girl and I can get through it," Hannah says.

Hannah's story reminds us that the doors of The Survivors Club swing open and shut every hour of the day without regard to age, gender, race or geography. Everyone joins, sooner or later. Whether you're 10 or 90, there's no escaping adversity.

With each new membership in the Survivors Club, there are lessons to be learned. While Hannah's case is extremely rare, it reminds us of some of the myths of breast cancer:

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Wing and a Prayer: How Safe is My Next Regional Airplane Flight?

By Ben Sherwood
The Survivors Club

I just flew on a regional jet from Los Angeles to Monterey, California. After watching the National Transportation Safety Board hearings in Washington this week investigating the crash of the Continental commuter plane near Buffalo, I confess that I was very focused on the pilots and the airplane.

When I poked my head into the cockpit, I was relieved to learn that the captain had more than 18,000 hours in the air, including military service, while the First Officer had more than 7,000 hours. I only had a few moments up front, so I ran through my checklist: Did the two men look awake? (Yes). Did they seem focused on their work? (Yes). Did they flunk any previous flying proficiency tests? (Couldn't tell). Did they pull all-nighters to get to their job? (Couldn't tell).

The last questions may sound strange, but they're entirely justified after what we learned this week about the Continental tragedy. Minutes before the fiery crash in Clarence Center on February 12, Capt. Marvin Renslow (47) and First Officer Rebecca Shaw (24) chatted about the icy weather. "You know, I'd have freaked out," Shaw said. "I'd have, like, seen this much ice and thought, oh my gosh, we were going to crash."

The crew kept yakking about their careers and non-flight-related matters (a violation of FAA rules below a certain altitude), unaware their plane had slowed to a dangerous speed. When the stick shaker alarm went off, warning of the airspeed problem, the pilot did all the wrong things, pulling up instead of pushing the nose down to gain speed and recover. Continental Connection Flight 3407 experienced a preventable aerodynamic stall and fifty people perished.

"I think this crew went from complacency to catastrophe in 20 seconds," said NTSB board member Debbie Hersman.

It turns out that Capt. Renslow had flunked three "check rides" - the flying equivalent of driver proficiency tests. It turns out Renslow worked stacking shelves in Tampa, Florida before being hired by Colgan Air, the regional carrier that operated Flight 3407 for Continental. Colgan says Renslow only disclosed one of his check ride failures and wouldn't have hired him if it had known about the other two. It turns out that both pilots were probably fatigued after commuting long distances, sleeping on couches or in staff lounges the night before their flight. Officer Shaw, who earned around $16,000 a year and once worked a second job in a coffee shop, had pulled an all-nighter to fly across country to her base in Newark.

When I took my seat in 4B this morning, I was left with the same question on the minds of air travelers this week: What are my chances on this flight? How safe are smaller, regional carriers. And what can I do to improve my chances in the unlikely event of a crash?

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Killer Storm Front Rips Through Midwest

By TSC Staff

The killer storm front moving across the central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley is pushing eastward after taking three lives in Missouri. The weather system has wreaked havoc across the Midwest this week, ripping through four states and leaving thousands without power.

Tales of survival are emerging from the wreckage.  The Kirksville Daily Express in Missouri offers a riveting, frightening wrap-up on what it was like when the tornadoes hit.

 

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Goodbye to an Angel: Farrah Fawcett's Final Days

By TSC Staff

Sometimes we pause to pay tribute to survivors and thrivers who face daunting challenges like cancer and who ultimately succumb to the disease.

Actress Farrah Fawcett is reportedly unconscious in a Los Angeles hospital, surrounded by her family and friends, including Ryan O'Neal and son Redmond.  Her 91-year-old father is reportedly rushing to her bedside to bid farewell.

The 62-year-old star of the hit TV show Charlie's Angels has battled anal cancer since 2006.  After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, Fawcett was declared cancer-free in February 2007. However, in May 2007, the cancer returned.  She recently returned from Germany where she received experimental stem cell treatments.  Apparently, the disease has spread to her liver and treatments have ended.

Anal cancer is quite rare.  Last year, there were approximately 5,000 new cases in the United States and around 700 deaths because of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, "while anal cancer is a serious disease, treatment is very effective. Most people with this cancer can be cured."

What follows are some questions and answers about anal cancer: 

 

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How a Three Year Old Survived 52 Hours in the Woods (and How You Can Too)

By Ben Sherwood
The Survivors Club

Earlier this week, three-year-old Joshua Childers wandered away from his home in southeast Missouri wearing only a T-shirt, sneakers and a pull-up diaper. After intensive searching for more than 52 agonizing hours, the 35-pound toddler was found alive three miles from his home in the wet, chilly and rough terrain of the Mark Twain National Forest, home to bears, mountain lions, and snakes.

"I went on a hike," the boy said after the ordeal. Then he asked for a glass of milk.

Searchers had been feeling pessimistic about finding Joshua alive. He had been lost in the wet, cold woods for almost three days. "It's a miracle," says Sheriff David Lewis. "I'm so happy, you can't believe it."

Without doubt, little Joshua's survival is a real cause for celebration. It also reveals the fascinating science of "lost person behavior" -- who gets lost, why, and who has the greatest chance of survival. And it presents an opportunity to revisit the most important survival rule if you lose your way in the woods (or anywhere else for that matter).

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