Goodable

How do the world's most advanced countries offer free post-secondary education for students? Let's take a closer look.&nbsp; <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9OeEtWAAAjyU8?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 50%;"> In Norway, public universities are free for all students - even ones from out of the country. The country has the 6th highest GDP per capita in the world. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9OuljXEAAiseL?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 50%;"> In Sweden, university tuition is free for any students from the European Union. The country has the 14th highest GDP per capita in the world, and 7th highest in Europe. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9PlpqXkAACC5F?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 25%;"> In Luxembourg, courses at public universities taught in French, German, or Luxembourgish (yes, that’s a language) are free for all European students. It’s the wealthiest country in the world by GDP. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9P1NbX0AAe-ul?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 25%;"> Most public universities in Germany are free for domestic and international students who are getting their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. The only thing students have to pay is a small administrative fee. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9P_8aWQAAO0Ip?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 25%;"> In Greece, they take it a step further. Their constitution stipulates that all Greek citizens have the right to free education. As a result, post secondary education is free for all students living in Greece and the European Union. Socrates would be proud. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9QTnEWAAA2e0G?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 25%;"> Finland offers free university education for all students coming from the EU. International students who take university courses in Finnish or Swedish are also eligible for free tuition.
If you’re wondering whether all this is just a European phenomenon, it’s not.Let’s take a look at South America. Even though it’s home to some of the least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere, they still prioritize education as a fundamental right. Here’s a sample. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9QvN6XkAAv1MT?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 25%;"> In Uruguay, public education is free in Uruguay for all citizens, from childhood up until the university level.
In Brazil, public universities are free for all domestic and international students. The only thing students pay is a small registration fee. Argentina and Panama? Yup, they offer free education for students at public universities too. Let’s go to Africa and the Middle East next. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9RLnNXEAAHPNw?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 25%;"> In Morocco, 11 out of 13 public universities are free for all Moroccan students. Fun fact: The first university in the world was the University of Karaouine, established by Fatima Al Fihri in Morocco. In Egypt, public universities are free for all Egyptian students too. <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fa9RjxhXwAMqJeg?format=jpg&amp;name=large" style="width: 50%;"> Some other countries that offer free or nearly free post-secondary education for students at some of their universities:

Denmark,&nbsp;Austria,&nbsp;Malaysia,&nbsp;Iceland,&nbsp;Malta and Czech Republic.

Which Countries Offer University Education For Free?

The Guardian

Germany’s deep affection for potatoes just met its match — in the form of a historic surplus that’s turned into a citywide giveaway.

Dubbed the Kartoffel-Flut (potato flood), the country’s biggest crop in 25 years has left farmers, charities and everyday Berliners scrambling to put the unexpected abundance to use. One farmer alone found himself sitting on 4,000 tonnes of unsold spuds after a buyer backed out in December. Rather than let them rot or be turned into biogas, he offered them up for free.

That kicked off a grassroots effort with the Berlin newspaper Berliner Zeitung and the non-profit search engine Ecosia leading the charge. They launched “4000 Tonnes,” a distribution campaign that has since transformed Berlin into a potato pickup zone. At last count, 174 impromptu distribution sites have popped up around the city.

At one of those locations in Kaulsdorf, on Berlin’s eastern edge, Astrid Marz showed up with an old rucksack and loaded it with more than 150 potatoes. “I think I’ve got enough to keep me and my neighbours going until the end of the year,” she said.

Like many others, Marz had trouble believing it was real. “At first I thought it was some AI-generated fake news when I saw it on social media,” she said. “There were pictures of huge mountains of ‘earth apples,’ with the instruction to come and get them for free!”

But the appeal was no joke. Volunteers, soup kitchens, schools, kindergartens, churches and even the Berlin Zoo answered the call. The zoo took tonnes for animal feed. Two truckloads were sent to Ukraine. And for thousands of Berliners facing rising food prices, the giveaway arrived as both relief and community spectacle.

“There was a really party-like atmosphere,” said Ronald, who picked up a load for his family at Tempelhofer Feld. “People helped each other carry sacks and exchanged recipes.”

The timing helped. Berlin has been locked in an arctic freeze, with icy sidewalks and stalled public transit. The warm mood at the potato dumps offered a rare bright spot.

The potato itself is enjoying a bit of a comeback too. While once sidelined by carb-averse diets, it’s being celebrated again for its nutritional punch — rich in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Even top chefs are joining in. Marco Müller, a Michelin-starred chef at Berlin’s Rutz restaurant, says he’s using potato peels to craft a luxurious broth and a tangy vinaigrette.

Angela Merkel’s Kartoffelsuppe recipe has resurfaced too. The former chancellor’s technique? Skip the food processor. “I always pound the potatoes myself with a potato masher,” she once told a magazine, insisting it gives the soup the proper lumpy texture.

But not everyone is cheering.

Some farmers in the region say the giveaway has further saturated the market and devalued their own harvest. Environmental groups have also weighed in, arguing the glut highlights deep inefficiencies in Europe’s food system. They likened the situation to the “butter mountains” and “milk lakes” of the 1970s, when EU policies led to overproduction and mass stockpiling.

Last year, it was hops. Next year, they say, it might be milk.

For now, the focus remains on clearing the remaining surplus — an estimated 3,200 tonnes still waiting in storage. Organisers are urging Berliners to watch their site for the next drop locations.

And if you do get your hands on some of the free spuds, you might want to dust off your masher. There’s a lot of potato soup in Berlin’s future.

Berlin’s Spud Stampede: Germans Scoop Up Free Potatoes Amid Record Glut

Crowds lined the beach in Galveston, Texas, on Thursday, clapping and cheering as volunteers carried dozens of sea turtles back into the ocean. For many, it was a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

"It was amazing. It was really amazing," said Melodie Thompson, who traveled from Clear Lake just to witness it. “There was a lady next to me who was crying and they said, ‘Oh, are you OK?' She said, ‘I just love sea turtles so much. I wanted to see this.’”

The turtles—102 of them—had been rescued days earlier during a sudden winter storm that hit the Houston area. The drop in temperatures had left them cold-stunned, a life-threatening condition that renders sea turtles immobile and vulnerable.

“When water temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, turtles can go into a coma-like state,” said Christopher Marshall, director of the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research. “They stop feeding and swimming, float to the surface, and become vulnerable to boats and other predators.”

Marshall explained that turtles often try to swim from the cold bay waters to the warmer Gulf, but some don’t make it in time. Others get trapped or pushed into marshes by strong north winds, where they risk frostbite and pneumonia.

That’s where the volunteers stepped in.

Over several days, about 200 volunteers mobilized along the upper Texas coast, combing through shorelines and marshes to collect cold-stunned turtles. They carried them back using sleds, then transported them to a short-term turtle hospital on the Texas A&M Galveston campus.

Altogether, the team rescued 152 sea turtles.

Once warmed, the turtles were given a full health check by the Houston Zoo, including a swim test. On Thursday, after being cleared for release, 102 of them were returned to the sea.

“It’s a feel-good experience. You can hear people talk about it, but it’s nothing like experiencing it,” Marshall said.

The release drew families, children and turtle lovers from across the region, all eager to watch the animals return home. The Gulf waters, Marshall added, are warmer than the bays and should keep the turtles safe, even with another cold snap expected this weekend.

He also reminded beachgoers to avoid touching any cold-stunned turtles they may encounter in the future. Instead, he urged them to call the sea turtle hotline so trained responders can assist.

The event was led by the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research, which oversees sea turtle rescue and rehab efforts across the upper and middle Texas coast. For volunteers and onlookers alike, it was more than just a release. It was a moment of hope.

‘nothing Like Experiencing It’: More Than 100 Sea Turtles Released Into Gulf After Winter Rescue Efforts

Officer Freddy Cerpa wasn’t looking to be a hero. But in the span of just a few weeks, he saved two babies from choking — once while off duty, and again while responding to a 911 call in the Bronx.

His most recent lifesaving moment happened on January 16, when Cerpa sprinted three blocks to help fellow officer Megan Ficken respond to a panicked call about a 2-year-old boy who was unconscious and choking on mucus.

Officer Ficken, who happened to be just across the street when the call came in, had already started giving back slaps when Cerpa arrived. Drawing on a nearly identical emergency from the month before, Cerpa stepped in to help.

“I kind of used my past experience from a month ago to try to kind of give her an idea of what I did last time,” Cerpa said.

Body camera footage captured the tense scene as Cerpa continued administering back slaps until the toddler began to show signs of life. The boy was taken to Jacobi Hospital for evaluation and is now doing well.

Cerpa’s first experience came in December, while he was off duty at home in Elmont. A neighbor suddenly rushed over with her 1-year-old daughter, who wasn’t breathing. Cerpa acted fast, delivering the same emergency technique — and saved her life.

Back slaps are the recommended method to help a choking infant, and both officers credit their NYPD academy training for preparing them.

Officer Ficken, a mother of two, said the stakes felt especially high.

“You want everything to work out perfect,” she said. “It amps the intensity, the urgency and the understanding of how impactful this situation is for parents.”

Despite being central to both rescues, Cerpa downplays the attention. “The first one was definitely surreal,” he said. “But in my opinion, this one is all Officer Ficken and she was there first. I was just glad I was able to assist her.”

Two babies saved, two families forever changed — and two rookie officers quietly proving that training, instinct, and heart can make all the difference.

NYPD Rookie Saves Two Babies from Choking in Just Weeks — On and Off Duty

People

At 16, Annika Malacinski discovered Nordic Combined — a punishing mix of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. It’s considered one of the toughest winter sports out there. But her biggest obstacle wasn’t the sport. It was the fact that girls weren’t welcome.

Now 24, Malacinski is one of the loudest voices pushing to change that. She shares her story — the wins, the setbacks, the behind-the-scenes grind — with millions of viewers across social media.

“Girls weren’t really encouraged to try Nordic Combined, and it wasn’t truly available to us,” Malacinski told PEOPLE. “But I just wanted to see if I could do it. Once I did, I fell in love with the challenge; it felt like the ultimate test of athleticism.”

Born to a Finnish mother and an American father, Malacinski grew up splitting her time between Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Rovaniemi, Finland. That gave her access to snow, training, and winter sports culture — but not necessarily the support she needed to pursue Nordic Combined as a female athlete.

Her early years in the sport were marked by a lot of self-starting: building her own training plans, covering her own travel costs, and stepping into competitions with far less institutional support than her male counterparts.

“The biggest challenge is being told ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ over and over again,” she said. “We train just as hard as the men. We travel, spend our time and money, compete internationally at the highest level — but we still don’t have the same funding, resources or visibility.”

“Sometimes it feels like we’re invisible in our own sport,” she added.

Despite all that, she kept going — and started documenting her journey online. The response has been staggering.

“I realized that if people don’t know our story, nothing will change,” she said. “Seeing my videos go viral has been overwhelming in the best way. I never expected that many people to care, and it showed me how powerful storytelling can be.”

That storytelling has helped shine a light on the massive gender gap in Nordic Combined, which still doesn’t offer Olympic competition for women, even as the men’s event remains a fixture.

Malacinski’s posts don’t just highlight the athletic demands of the sport — they also capture the emotional toll of pushing through barriers that shouldn't exist in the first place.

“It’s not always easy, but I remind myself why I’m doing this,” she said. “Most of the criticism comes from people who don’t understand the sport or the fight. I try to focus on the impact rather than the noise. And sometimes, I just log off and go train.”

What keeps her going are the messages from fans — especially girls.

“I get both love and criticism, but the messages from young girls and parents mean the most to me,” she said. “When someone says, ‘My daughter wants to try Nordic Combined because of you,’ I cry every time. And the messages from people who had never heard of the sport before, but now support our inclusion — that’s huge.”

Her goal isn't just personal success. It’s to open the door wider for the next generation.

“I fell in love with Nordic Combined because it challenged me,” she said. “And I’m not going to give that up — no matter what.”

She Was Told Girls Don’t Belong in Nordic Combined. Now Annika Malacinski Is Leading the Charge

Fox News

A snow-clearing routine in Providence, Rhode Island, took a wild turn last week when a man uncovered a large black-and-white tegu lizard buried beneath nearly 20 inches of snow.

The reptile — now nicknamed “Frankie” — was found alive, though barely, according to the New England Wildlife Center (NEWC), which is now overseeing his recovery.

“This is not something even the most snow-hardened New Englander would expect to find,” the center wrote in a Facebook post.

The man who found the reptile quickly wrapped it in a T-shirt and reached out to experts. ET Reptiles, a specialty reptile store in Warwick, responded immediately.

“It was an intense 24 hours,” the store wrote online. “We’re beyond thankful we were able to intervene and give the lizard care.”

Tegus are native to South America and are common in the exotic pet trade. While legal to own in Rhode Island, they are completely unequipped for cold weather. According to both the NEWC and ET Reptiles, tegus cannot survive outdoors in a New England winter.

After being retrieved, Frankie was rushed to veterinarians, who found him extremely weak, severely underweight, and barely moving. He had frostbite on his tongue and "significant muscle weakness due to prolonged exposure to the cold,” according to the NEWC.

A portion of his tongue had to be amputated, and he was given steroids to reduce inflammation and support his recovery. Now, the wildlife center says he’s “resting comfortably and finally warm, which makes all the difference!”

It’s still unclear how Frankie ended up in the snow. No owners have come forward, and local animal control said they had not received any reports of a missing tegu.

“I contacted animal control,” said Taylor Faria, co-owner of ET Reptiles. “They stated that they have not received any calls.”

The NEWC is asking anyone who may be missing a tegu or who has information about the lizard’s origins to get in touch.

For now, Frankie is safe, warm, and under close watch — a lucky outcome for an animal that had no business being out in a blizzard.

Tegu in the Snow: Exotic Lizard Found Alive Under Nearly 20 Inches of Snow in Rhode Island

BBC News

Tired of seeing the same potholes dotting the streets of Newark, Dave Fargher decided to do something different — something that would get people to stop, smile, and maybe think a little harder about why the town’s roads are still crumbling.

Using tiny figurines and a big dose of creativity, Fargher turned several potholes into miniature mountain-climbing scenes, staging playful dioramas on some of the town’s busiest routes: London Road, Great North Road, and Northgate.

But the message isn’t just for laughs.

“The joke only exists because the problem does,” Fargher said.

Like many residents, he had tried the usual route — reporting potholes through the official channels, sending photos, writing up descriptions, and waiting. But after months passed with little to no visible progress, Fargher said the silence became its own kind of noise.

“It felt like the conversation had become invisible,” he told the BBC. “People have seen countless images of damaged roads and angry locals pointing at holes, and eventually their brains just slide past them — it’s a classic case of outrage fatigue.”

His goal was to cut through that fatigue. The tiny climbers and mountaineering gear scattered inside potholes offer a visual jolt — funny at first glance, but frustrating when you realize how long some of the holes have been left untouched.

“The laughter draws people in, but it also carries an uncomfortable truth,” Fargher said. “These aren't isolated defects any more, they're features people plan their journeys around.”

Nottinghamshire County Council has taken notice. A spokesperson said all the potholes featured in Fargher’s displays will be considered for repair and are part of a broader maintenance plan.

“Highway officers are currently working to prepare a three-year resurfacing programme,” the council said in a statement. “All of the sites highlighted by the messages will be considered for maintenance. Funding is prioritised and allocated across the whole county, based on need and relative road condition.”

Last month, the leader of Reform UK on Nottinghamshire County Council, Mick Barton, said that around £500 million in additional funding would be needed to bring the roads “to a standard people would expect.” He also noted that emergency repairs are fixed within two hours and promised a “big change in the forthcoming months.”

Fargher, for his part, isn’t demanding miracles — just clearer communication and repairs that hold up over time.

“I’m not expecting every road in Newark to be resurfaced overnight,” he said. “And I don’t think most residents are either. What people want, and what feels entirely reasonable, is transparency, prioritisation, and fixes that actually last.”

Frustrated by Potholes, This Resident Turned Newark’s Roads Into Miniature Mountaineering Scenes

When Irvin Garcia got a phone call in October 2025, he thought it would be a typical birthday message. Instead, it was his mother, in a panic. His father had collapsed. He couldn’t move the left side of his body.

Doctors diagnosed a hemorrhagic stroke — the kind that can be fatal or permanently disabling.

Garcia, a UCLA medical student, rushed home. His father had survived, but the road ahead was steep. There was no health insurance. The family was suddenly drowning in medical bills. And Garcia’s dad, who had worked his whole life without ever taking much time for himself, was now facing one of the biggest challenges of his life.

That’s when football came back into the picture.

“We would just throw the football,” Garcia told Seattle’s King5. “And he progressively got better and better and better. The first time he ever ran was actually at the beach, us throwing a football.”

It became their daily ritual — one that helped his father build strength, coordination, and confidence. It also gave Garcia perspective. His parents had spent decades working hard. Always focused on responsibilities. Rarely, if ever, doing something just for joy.

“I just wanted to try to give them cool experiences that I feel like they missed out on,” he said.

So when the Seattle Seahawks — their favorite team — advanced to the NFC Championship in January 2026, Garcia made a decision.

“I’ll put that on future Dr. Garcia’s tab,” he joked, buying two tickets to the game at Lumen Field.

He didn’t tell his dad the truth. Instead, he said they were going to a bar to watch the game. Then he drove them straight to the stadium.

“I just pointed the camera at him, and we were right outside of Lumen Field,” Garcia said. “And it was like, ‘Oh, we’re here. We’re really going to this game.’”

His dad’s reaction was pure disbelief. The video of the moment, captured by Garcia, quickly went viral. Viewers connected with the raw emotion — a father overwhelmed, a son giving back.

“In the household that he grew up in, and a lot of Latino men, being vulnerable like that isn’t something that he’s used to,” Garcia told King5. “And he’s happy that people are out here being super supportive.”

As the clip spread, people began urging Garcia to take it one step further: raise money to take his dad to the Super Bowl.

After all, the Seahawks had done it — they beat the Detroit Lions to advance and will face the New England Patriots on February 8.

Garcia did start a GoFundMe, but not to chase more tickets. Instead, he launched it to help cover the staggering medical debt his family still carries from the stroke.

“Although we are immensely grateful to see that many people [want] to make that happen,” Garcia wrote on Instagram, “we simply can’t do that knowing that we are currently drowning in medical debt from my dad’s recent stroke.”

He continued: “My parents raised me with the belief that nothing is handed to you. Asking for help was never part of that mindset. As difficult as it is for us to ask, we cannot do this alone.”

Now, the fundraiser is helping relieve the burden — and the story is inspiring others, too.

Football gave them a way back. But it’s love, and a little surprise, that brought them to the 50-yard line.

His Dad Survived a Stroke. Then Irvin Garcia Gave Him the Surprise of a Lifetime

Millie Butler turned 11 on the same day doctors told her she had an aggressive brain tumor.

The diagnosis, which came last September in England, was for primary intracranial sarcoma — a rare and fast-growing cancer that affects the largest part of the brain. According to the National Institutes of Health, the tumor is typically found in the supratentorial forebrain and requires intensive treatment.

Since that day, Millie's grandparents, Sue and Brian from Cambridgeshire, have taken the lead in updating the public on her condition through a GoFundMe page set up to support her care.

“Millie has now got to have a year of treatment: chemotherapy, radiotherapy and possibly proton therapy,” they wrote. “This is to make sure that the cancer does not come back.”

The journey hasn't been easy. In their words, the treatment will make Millie “very ill,” and she was “very upset” to learn she’d lose her hair. But despite everything, they said their granddaughter "is being extremely brave and has agreed to having ... tests for research purposes to help other people.”

That generosity of spirit — even in the middle of her own fight — is what’s been resonating with people.

Support for Millie has come not just in the form of donations. Comments, shares, and messages have poured in. One local newspaper, the Cambs Times, reported that part of the GoFundMe proceeds may also help fulfill a dream for Millie: visiting a close friend in New Zealand once her treatment is over.

There are signs the treatment is starting to work.

In a post from November 29, Sue said Millie had finished her first round of chemo and had handled it “extremely well.” Then on December 18, she shared a more personal update: “Millie is about to start her second round of chemo. She's had her head shaved now and is continuing to be the bravest, courageous little girl that we all love.”

She ended the post with a plea: “Please keep sharing Millie’s story to help raise awareness.”

On January 4, Sue shared that Millie had experienced a two-week delay in treatment due to low blood counts — but that her levels had recovered just in time for the next round of chemotherapy.

Then came a bit of good news. A brain scan on January 20 showed that the tumor had shrunk.

The most recent update, from January 28, brought another important development: Millie has been approved for proton therapy, a newer and more targeted form of radiation.

The Mayo Clinic notes that proton therapy uses energy from positively charged particles and has shown promise in treating several types of cancer. It’s also believed to reduce side effects compared to traditional radiation, especially in young patients.

Millie is scheduled to begin a six-week course of the therapy in March.

Until then, her family says she’ll continue her chemotherapy regimen — and continue to inspire others.

“Millie’s bravery is astounding,” one donor commented. “She’s already making a difference.”

She Was Diagnosed With Brain Cancer on Her 11th Birthday. Now, Millie Is Helping Others

Science Alert

A new study is exploring an unusual way to help the brain clean itself: making people breathe in more carbon dioxide.

The experimental approach, called intermittent hypercapnia, involves giving participants short bursts of CO₂-rich air. It might sound uncomfortable, but early results suggest it helps boost the brain’s waste-clearing system — a key process that could play a role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The study, published in NPJ Parkinson’s and led by neuroscientists from the University of New Mexico and The Mind Research Network, builds on recent discoveries about the glymphatic system — the brain’s own “sewage” network that flushes out toxins during sleep.

"We brainstormed how we could boost this response," said neuropsychologist Sephira Ryman from UNM. "That is when we realized that we could reproduce, in the awake state, the glymphatic clearing response usually linked to deep sleep using intermittent CO₂."

In the trials, 63 older adults — including 30 people with Parkinson’s disease — were given cycles of CO₂-rich air for 35 seconds at a time, followed by normal air. Brain scans during this process showed changes in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord and supports the glymphatic system.

That’s important because cerebrospinal fluid movement is how the brain clears out potentially harmful waste, including misfolded proteins like amyloid-beta and alpha-synuclein. These proteins are linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, though scientists still debate whether they're a cause or a symptom of disease progression.

In a smaller group of 10 people, researchers ran blood tests after several 10-minute CO₂ sessions. They found higher levels of waste proteins in the blood — a sign those toxins had been flushed out of the brain.

One participant, who showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease, had a marked increase in amyloid-beta levels in their blood after the session. That raised an eyebrow for researchers, who now believe this method may help promote clearance of proteins implicated in both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Still, a lot remains unknown. It’s not clear how long these effects last, or if they meaningfully change the course of a disease. Scientists also haven’t determined whether the misfolded proteins are drivers of neurodegeneration or simply a byproduct.

Even so, the early evidence is promising.

CO₂ appears to work by causing blood vessels in the brain to expand and contract, which might help push cerebrospinal fluid along — and with it, the toxins it carries away. That’s especially relevant for people with Parkinson’s, who often have disrupted sleep and impaired blood flow in the brain, both of which hinder the glymphatic system’s ability to function.

The team is now looking into whether breathing-based practices like yoga, tai chi, and qigong — which emphasize deep abdominal breathing — might produce similar effects on CO₂ levels and brain clearance.

If they do, it could open the door to low-cost, non-invasive techniques to support brain health in aging populations.

For now, the idea that a few short puffs of CO₂ could give the brain’s cleanup crew a boost is still in its early stages — but it’s a development researchers will be watching closely.

Researchers Used CO₂ to Jumpstart the Brain’s ‘Sewage System’ — It Could Fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

David Lee was fixing the heel of a shoe when his life changed in an instant.

The cobbler from Sutton-in-Ashfield, England, accidentally sliced off his right thumb in a workplace accident in 2019. “I didn't realize how bad it was, and then my thumb just dropped to the floor,” he told the BBC. “I was like, ‘Right, that’s gone.’”

He was rushed to King’s Mill Hospital, then referred to specialists at the Pulvertaft Hand Centre at Royal Derby Hospital. There, he was given several options. The one he chose was drastic but effective: surgeons would remove his right big toe and use it to replace his missing thumb.

Now, more than five years later, Lee is back at work and says his life is more or less the same. With one exception.

“My thumb is a big toe, so I need a larger glove,” he said.

Lee shared his story during a recent interview on BBC Radio Derby, where he also reunited with the surgeon who performed the operation, Jill Arrowsmith. She spoke about how hand injuries often change more than just someone’s physical abilities.

“They’re how you make your living, they’re how you interact with other people, they’re how you show emotions,” Arrowsmith said. “Then when you have an injury and suddenly can’t do that, you lose everything. It’s a huge impact.”

The recovery wasn’t easy. Lee had to rely on his non-dominant hand while healing and re-learn basic tasks like using scissors and holding a spoon.

“Trying to just pick up a spoon and put coffee and sugar in a cup with your left hand when you’re not used to it was so challenging,” he said. “There was no power and no grip in the hand because obviously I’d had this major surgery and internally, your muscles have been ripped apart.”

Months of physical therapy followed as he worked to regain strength and coordination.

There were also moments of self-consciousness. “I’ve got to the stage where, you know what? It’s a part of me and I just don’t care,” he said.

The only lasting issue? His right foot still gets tired and tender after long days. “It’s kind of something that I’ve got to put up with and live with,” he added.

Still, Lee is grateful. Looking at his hand now, he said, “You wouldn’t know.”

Download the world's only news app designed to spread joy and happiness.

What's Good Now!