Anderson, S.C., USA
Chuck Walz is in rough shape; he has a broken leg AND a broken pelvis. But, considering that his hot air balloon deflated at 9,000 feet an plummeted back to Earth with him still in it this week, he's not doing too badly. Apparently, the Michigan native owes his lucky breaks to the fact that his balloon's basket became entangled in tree branches about 10 feet from the ground. Though Walz tumbled out of the basket, his fall was slowed by the collision with the tree. He was concious when rescuers arrived, and has undergone surgery to repair his leg and pelvis. His recovery so far has been promising.
For more information, visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,414543,00.html
Monday, September 1, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Indiana Grandpa Loses Glasses, Wins the Lottery
ROANOKE, Ind.
Using his five children's birthdays as his lucky numbers every time, Bobby Guffey had played his fair share of lottery games since it started in 1989. He had won a few times over the years, but this time was different: Bobby had forgotten his bifocals at home and accidentally entered a 48 instead of a 46.
Turns out, his poor vision paid off: his Hoosier Lotto ticket bore the winning numbers for a $3 million jackpot.
Not to say that Bobby's strategy of playing his children's birthdays was bad luck. Upon discovering his error at home, Bobby went back to the Huntington service station and purchased a new lotto ticket with his usual numbers. The second won him a handy bonus prize of $1,000.
Using his 3,001,000 earnings, Bobby and his wife, Janell, plan to pay off their house, take a cruise to Hawaii, and set up a trust fund for their five children and 10 grandchildren.
"Christmas will be a lot nicer," Jannell reports.
Using his five children's birthdays as his lucky numbers every time, Bobby Guffey had played his fair share of lottery games since it started in 1989. He had won a few times over the years, but this time was different: Bobby had forgotten his bifocals at home and accidentally entered a 48 instead of a 46.
Turns out, his poor vision paid off: his Hoosier Lotto ticket bore the winning numbers for a $3 million jackpot.
Not to say that Bobby's strategy of playing his children's birthdays was bad luck. Upon discovering his error at home, Bobby went back to the Huntington service station and purchased a new lotto ticket with his usual numbers. The second won him a handy bonus prize of $1,000.
Using his 3,001,000 earnings, Bobby and his wife, Janell, plan to pay off their house, take a cruise to Hawaii, and set up a trust fund for their five children and 10 grandchildren.
"Christmas will be a lot nicer," Jannell reports.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Robotic Suit Helps Paraplegics Stand Tall and Proud
HAIFA, Israel
After two decades of having to look up to people around him, Radi Kaiof is now looking them straight in the eyes. He’s also standing, walking, and climbing stairs: no small feat for someone paralyzed from the waist down.
Radi, a former Israeli paratrooper who was paralyzed 20 years ago while serving in the military, has been participating in the trials of a new robotic suit called ReWalk. Motorized leg supports aided by crutches function as a sort of electronic exoskeleton, powering the 41-year-old's legs to move forward in stride. Body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries allow the wearer to chose a setting with a remote control wrist band -- stand, sit, walk, descend or climb.
"I never dreamed I would walk again. After I was wounded, I forgot what it's like," Radi beams.
"Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below."
ReWalk is the invention of Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli technology outfit. Goffer’s inspiration to help others comes in part from that fact that he himself is paralyzed, though he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms.
"It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight," Goffer said. "It's not just about health, it's also about dignity."
Kate Parkin, director of physical and occupational therapy at NYU Medical Centre, explains that the benefits to standing and walking are great not just for the body, but also for the mind:
"Physically, the body works differently when upright. You can challenge different muscles and allow full expansion of the lung. Psychologically, it lets people live at the upright level and make eye contact."
After our recent post regarding the new control system for quadriplegics, it's great to see even more good news in the arena of health innovations for those living with paralysis.
http://news.aol.com/health/article/robotic-suit-helps-paraplegics-walk/146700
After two decades of having to look up to people around him, Radi Kaiof is now looking them straight in the eyes. He’s also standing, walking, and climbing stairs: no small feat for someone paralyzed from the waist down.
Radi, a former Israeli paratrooper who was paralyzed 20 years ago while serving in the military, has been participating in the trials of a new robotic suit called ReWalk. Motorized leg supports aided by crutches function as a sort of electronic exoskeleton, powering the 41-year-old's legs to move forward in stride. Body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries allow the wearer to chose a setting with a remote control wrist band -- stand, sit, walk, descend or climb.
"I never dreamed I would walk again. After I was wounded, I forgot what it's like," Radi beams.
"Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below."
ReWalk is the invention of Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli technology outfit. Goffer’s inspiration to help others comes in part from that fact that he himself is paralyzed, though he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms.
"It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight," Goffer said. "It's not just about health, it's also about dignity."
Kate Parkin, director of physical and occupational therapy at NYU Medical Centre, explains that the benefits to standing and walking are great not just for the body, but also for the mind:
"Physically, the body works differently when upright. You can challenge different muscles and allow full expansion of the lung. Psychologically, it lets people live at the upright level and make eye contact."
After our recent post regarding the new control system for quadriplegics, it's great to see even more good news in the arena of health innovations for those living with paralysis.
http://news.aol.com/health/article/robotic-suit-helps-paraplegics-walk/146700
Monday, August 25, 2008
A Rare Happy Ending
Toronto, Canada
From an alarmingly long list of plane crash stories, the GNG would like to present this one for our favorite reason: It has a happy ending.
Ed Robertson flies his own Cessna 206 floatplane. He's also the lead singer of the Barenaked Ladies. Sunday afternoon, Robertson and three pass angers - reportedly his wife and two friends -took off from Baptiste Lake, Ontario. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed in a wooded area near Bancroft. Ontario Provincial police Sgt. Bruce Quigg reports that none of the plane's occupants were injured.
Robertson's friend Gord Peel has said that the plane stalled, but Robertson was able to set it down gently, netted by trees with its nose resting on the ground. The pilot and passengers, shaken but unhurt, were able to exit through the aircraft's windows.
Barenaked Ladies manager Adam Smith said "Everyone is fine and that is the important thing," . . . That's all the comment we have at this time."
Special thanks to the Gander for this story.
From an alarmingly long list of plane crash stories, the GNG would like to present this one for our favorite reason: It has a happy ending.
Ed Robertson flies his own Cessna 206 floatplane. He's also the lead singer of the Barenaked Ladies. Sunday afternoon, Robertson and three pass angers - reportedly his wife and two friends -took off from Baptiste Lake, Ontario. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft crashed in a wooded area near Bancroft. Ontario Provincial police Sgt. Bruce Quigg reports that none of the plane's occupants were injured.
Robertson's friend Gord Peel has said that the plane stalled, but Robertson was able to set it down gently, netted by trees with its nose resting on the ground. The pilot and passengers, shaken but unhurt, were able to exit through the aircraft's windows.
Barenaked Ladies manager Adam Smith said "Everyone is fine and that is the important thing," . . . That's all the comment we have at this time."
Special thanks to the Gander for this story.
Tongue Technology Gives Paralyzed a Big Hand
ATLANTA, Georgia
Researchers at Georgia Tech are in the process of turning the tongue into a joystick… but not just for video games, but for computers, household appliances, wheelchairs, and more. The new technology turns the inside of a persons mouth into a virtual computer keyboard, allowing those people paralyzed from the neck down to have unprecedented control over their environment. The tongue presents several advantages over the existing systems: the muscle is flexible, sensitive and tireless. It would benefit a large percentage of those disabled from the neck down due to spinal cord injury because it the tongue is controlled by the brain. There are a few versions of tongue controlled systems out there: one uses a nine-button keypad placed on the roof of the mouth to control electronics. Another uses a virtual keyboard manipulated by an extremely tiny magnet placed on the tip of the tongue and inside each cheek. Software picks up on the tongue’s movements translates them into controls for electronics.
"You could have full control over your environment by just being able to move your tongue," said Maysam Ghovanloo, a Georgia Tech assistant professor who leads the team's research.
Mike Jones, a vice president of research and technology at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta rehabilitation hospital adds that the new tongue tech has advantages over existing imprecise and expensive technologies:
"This could give you an almost infinite number of switches and options for communication… It's easy, and somebody could learn an entirely different language."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/08/25/tongue.computing.ap/index.html
Researchers at Georgia Tech are in the process of turning the tongue into a joystick… but not just for video games, but for computers, household appliances, wheelchairs, and more. The new technology turns the inside of a persons mouth into a virtual computer keyboard, allowing those people paralyzed from the neck down to have unprecedented control over their environment. The tongue presents several advantages over the existing systems: the muscle is flexible, sensitive and tireless. It would benefit a large percentage of those disabled from the neck down due to spinal cord injury because it the tongue is controlled by the brain. There are a few versions of tongue controlled systems out there: one uses a nine-button keypad placed on the roof of the mouth to control electronics. Another uses a virtual keyboard manipulated by an extremely tiny magnet placed on the tip of the tongue and inside each cheek. Software picks up on the tongue’s movements translates them into controls for electronics.
"You could have full control over your environment by just being able to move your tongue," said Maysam Ghovanloo, a Georgia Tech assistant professor who leads the team's research.
Mike Jones, a vice president of research and technology at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta rehabilitation hospital adds that the new tongue tech has advantages over existing imprecise and expensive technologies:
"This could give you an almost infinite number of switches and options for communication… It's easy, and somebody could learn an entirely different language."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/08/25/tongue.computing.ap/index.html
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Man Rescued from Silo Recovering Well
Town of Oregon, Wisconsin
Wayne Ace noticed a big problem with the materials stored in one of his farm's silos. Silage, a mix of raw chopped materials like field corn, sorghum, grass, or clover, is put into silos to ferment and eventually be used as winter feed for livestock. Wayne noticed that his silage wasn't level, which would have meant wasted space inside the silo and less feed for his animals. Wanye, an experienced farmer, felt he could handle climbing into the 60 foot storage tower to fix the problem. Due to the tower's height and extremely limited access points, Wanye became stuck about halfway up the cylnder. The fumes and fibers from silage can prove toxic when inhaled over an extended period of time. Luckily, Wayne's family noticed what had happened almost immediately and called rescue workers to the scene. The rescue squad safely rappelled down the inside of the silo, and extracted Wanye through an opening no bigger than a foot and a half. He was taken by ambuleance to a local hospital where he has been recovering well. Wayne credits both the EMS and his family for his rescue, pointing out that it might have been much worse had he been stuck for much longer.
"It's my understanding that family members actually discovered the patient. Had they not been as alert and keeping track of what was going on with him, he could have been there for an extended period of time and could have expired," said Capt. Robin Powers of Oregon Fire and EMS.
Wayne Ace noticed a big problem with the materials stored in one of his farm's silos. Silage, a mix of raw chopped materials like field corn, sorghum, grass, or clover, is put into silos to ferment and eventually be used as winter feed for livestock. Wayne noticed that his silage wasn't level, which would have meant wasted space inside the silo and less feed for his animals. Wanye, an experienced farmer, felt he could handle climbing into the 60 foot storage tower to fix the problem. Due to the tower's height and extremely limited access points, Wanye became stuck about halfway up the cylnder. The fumes and fibers from silage can prove toxic when inhaled over an extended period of time. Luckily, Wayne's family noticed what had happened almost immediately and called rescue workers to the scene. The rescue squad safely rappelled down the inside of the silo, and extracted Wanye through an opening no bigger than a foot and a half. He was taken by ambuleance to a local hospital where he has been recovering well. Wayne credits both the EMS and his family for his rescue, pointing out that it might have been much worse had he been stuck for much longer.
"It's my understanding that family members actually discovered the patient. Had they not been as alert and keeping track of what was going on with him, he could have been there for an extended period of time and could have expired," said Capt. Robin Powers of Oregon Fire and EMS.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Dog and Puppies Care for Abandoned Baby Girl
La Plata, Argentina
Argentinian farmer Fabio Anze awoke to a huge surprise Thursday morning: a baby girl nestled among his dog China's litter. The baby, who was abandoned by her 14 year-old mother, was just hours old when she was found and rushed to the Melchor Romero hospital. Despite having spent the cold winder night outdoors, she was in good condition thanks to the snuggling warmth provided by Anze's dogs. It is unknown whether the baby's mother left her in the dog pen, or if perhaps China discovered the infant in the woods and carried her home to her own puppies. Regardless, she accepted the new addition into her own brood with exceptionally good nature.
To read more, visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080822/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_argentina_dog
Argentinian farmer Fabio Anze awoke to a huge surprise Thursday morning: a baby girl nestled among his dog China's litter. The baby, who was abandoned by her 14 year-old mother, was just hours old when she was found and rushed to the Melchor Romero hospital. Despite having spent the cold winder night outdoors, she was in good condition thanks to the snuggling warmth provided by Anze's dogs. It is unknown whether the baby's mother left her in the dog pen, or if perhaps China discovered the infant in the woods and carried her home to her own puppies. Regardless, she accepted the new addition into her own brood with exceptionally good nature.
To read more, visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080822/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_argentina_dog
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