New Technology Could Make Heart Transplants More Accessible

Heart transplants in Canada could soon become more accessible as hospitals are getting the equipment and training to reanimate hearts for transplant after they stop beating. Robbie Sherren, a beloved 40-year-old who tragically passed away, became the first Canadian adult to donate his heart after cardiac death, thanks to innovative technology. Dr. Vivek Rao is working to bring this life-saving technique to Ontario, aiming to expand the transplant program and save more lives through organ donation collaboration efforts across provinces.

Read More

Colorado Completes Nation’s Largest Wildlife Overpass to Protect Animals and Drivers

Colorado has officially completed construction on the nation’s largest wildlife overpass, giving elk, pronghorn, and other animals a safer way to cross Interstate 25 in Douglas County. The new 200-foot-wide structure — known as the Greenland Wildlife Overpass — spans six lanes of highway between the towns of Larkspur and Monument. It’s the final piece in an 18-mile wildlife crossing system that’s been under development for nearly a decade. “Wildlife now can kind of go on a little bit of an adventure that they weren’t able to before,” said Kara Van Hoose with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The overpass reconnects nearly 40,000 acres of fragmented habitat on both sides of I-25. It’s designed to accommodate a wide variety of species, although it primarily targets large mammals like elk and pronghorn, which are especially vulnerable to traffic collisions. Because animals can’t read signs, the overpass relies on an open line of sight and natural landscaping to help guide wildlife across safely. “Unfortunately, wildlife can’t read,” Van Hoose said. “So it’s not like we could put signs up saying, this is safe here, go here.” The structure is part of a larger network that includes underpasses and miles of fencing meant to funnel animals toward safe crossings. The full system is expected to reduce wildlife-vehicle crashes in the area by up to 90 percent. “The I-25 Greenland Wildlife Overpass is critical to the safety of both wildlife and motorists,” said Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “The overpass is an essential component of the wildlife crossing system in this area.” Construction on the overpass began earlier this year and cost $15 million. The project was primarily funded by a federal grant, with additional support from state and local agencies and several nonprofit conservation groups. Colorado is one of several Western states investing in wildlife crossings as a way to reduce accidents, protect animal populations, and restore habitat connectivity disrupted by roads and development. With the overpass now complete, wildlife advocates and transportation officials are optimistic that both animals and drivers will benefit — and that other regions will follow suit.

Read More

Remarkable Animals Capture Global Attention In 2025

From record-breaking donkeys to a flamingo with international ambitions, 2025 proved once again that animals make some of the most unexpected headlines. Here's a look back at the creatures who made us laugh, gasp, and cheer over the past year. Mal the Malamute: A Gentle Giant with Local Fame In Bourne, Lincolnshire, Mal the Alaskan Malamute has become something of a celebrity. While his breed typically tops out around 38kg (six stone), Mal has more than doubled expectations — weighing in at 82.5kg (13 stone). Owner Amy Sharp says the size crept up on them. “He just got bigger and bigger,” she said. “I’m always being asked, ‘Who’s walking who?’” Despite his size, Mal is a laid-back companion. “It’s Mal’s world and we’re all just living in it.” Donkey Duo Set Guinness Records At the Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary in Lincolnshire, two long-eared residents now hold world records. Derrick, measuring 5ft 5in (1.6m), was officially named the world’s tallest donkey. His pal Bambou took the title for longest ears on a living donkey — each one stretching to 33cm (1ft 1in). “Derrick doesn’t know he’s big,” said sanctuary owner Tracy Garton. “He’s very affectionate.” As for Bambou, she’s all about those “very, very long fluffy ears.” Volunteers joked that if Guinness ever adds a “world’s loudest donkey” category, they’d have a few contenders. Blessings for Hamsters and Hounds at Salisbury Cathedral Over 60 animals received blessings at a pet service held in September at Salisbury Cathedral — including dogs, hamsters, tortoises, and more. The event, which included hymns and readings, aimed to celebrate the role of pets in people's lives. Even outdoor animals like horses were welcome to participate from the cathedral grounds. Rescued Spaniels Become Crime-Fighting Heroes In South Yorkshire, a group of spaniels rescued from a filthy home in Tickhill earlier this year have since been trained as police dogs. Now part of Greater Manchester Police’s expanded dog unit, these pups have helped boost arrest rates by 33% since 2024. Trained to sniff out drugs, guns, and cash, the dogs have already located a stolen £10,000 watch and found a suspect hiding in a bin. Not bad for a team that started in tough conditions. Late-Night eBay Purchase Leads to Surprise Emu Adoption Rhi Evans from Gloucestershire had no memory of buying a fertilised emu egg during a late-night scroll — until the £37 order arrived in her inbox. With no refund available, she decided to hatch it herself. Three years later, the result is Jonathan — a six-foot female emu who now lives with Evans full-time. “They require a huge amount of commitment,” she said. “Their lifespan is 35–40 years. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul.” Guide Dogs’ 'Baker’s Dozen' Brings Joy (and Biscuits) Guide Dogs HQ in Leamington Spa welcomed its largest litter in three years: 13 puppies, lovingly dubbed the “baker’s dozen.” Inspired by sweet and savoury treats, the pups include Biscuit, Crumble, Crumpet, Custard, and Rye. “We didn’t know mum Yori had quite so many buns in the oven,” said Janine Dixon, head of breeding and welfare operations. Frankie the Flamingo’s Great Escape Perhaps the year’s most surprising escape artist was Frankie, a young flamingo from Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Cornwall. Despite having clipped wings, Frankie managed to catch just enough lift during a flapping session to escape — and was later spotted across the Channel in northern France. Staff were “devastated” at first but have since expressed relief that Frankie appears to be thriving. “She showed the resilience and skills needed to survive,” said curator David Woolcock. “Then she was on her way.”

Read More

Utah Mom Brings Holiday Comfort to NICU Families After Her Own Scary Birth Experience

Three years after delivering her son prematurely while in a coma, McKenzie McCombs is returning to the NICU—not as a patient, but as a source of hope. The Utah mom, who gave birth at just 28 weeks in November 2021 while battling COVID-19 complications, has turned her family’s trauma into a yearly tradition of giving. Each holiday season, McCombs and her husband, Brycen, return to St. Marks Hospital in Millcreek to deliver care baskets to families spending Christmas in the neonatal intensive care unit. At the time of Coleman’s birth, McCombs was unconscious. Her son, weighing just 2 pounds, 6 ounces, spent nearly three months in the NICU. Small gestures during that time—like a onesie that read “My First Christmas”—made a big difference. “When you’re in here for the holidays, that’s the last thing on your mind is buying a ‘My First Christmas’ onesie for your baby,” McCombs told KSL-TV. “It meant so much to us.” Now parents of three, the McCombs family fills their holiday baskets with things they wish they’d had during those tough months: chapstick, bath bombs, notebooks for jotting down baby stats, and even voice recorders that allow parents to leave messages or lullabies when they can’t be at the hospital. “On the days that we weren’t able to make it in, [nurses] would play the recorder for him, and then they would tell us, like his stats were good, his oxygen stayed up,” she said. For NICU nurse Rebecca Cobb, McCombs’ visits offer more than just comfort — they offer perspective. “They’re able to see, ‘Hey, that’s going to be my baby in a couple of years. They got through this really scary time, and I’ll be able to do that too,’” Cobb said. Beyond the gift baskets, McCombs uses social media to share other NICU stories, amplifying voices of families going through similar journeys and helping build a sense of community. The care packages may be small, but the message behind them is big: you’re not alone. And, as McCombs proves with each return visit, there’s light on the other side of even the most difficult starts.

Read More

Italians Celebrate Birth Of Village's First Baby In 30 Years

In the mountain village of Pagliara dei Marsi, where the hum of cats fills the empty streets and the population hovers around 20, the birth of a baby is not just news — it's an event of national significance. Lara Bussi Trabucco, born in March, is the first baby to arrive in the village in nearly 30 years. Her christening brought together every resident in the community — and, reportedly, many of the cats — for a celebration that briefly turned the quiet Abruzzo hamlet into a destination. “At just nine months old, she’s famous,” said her mother, Cinzia Trabucco. But while Lara’s arrival has brought joy to her village, it also throws a stark spotlight on a much larger problem: Italy’s accelerating demographic decline. In 2024, births in Italy dropped to a historic low of 369,944, continuing a 16-year slide. The national fertility rate fell to 1.18 children per woman — one of the lowest in Europe. In the sparsely populated region of Abruzzo, where Pagliara dei Marsi is located, the crisis is especially acute. Between January and July 2025, births fell another 10.2% compared to the same period the year before. Pagliara dei Marsi may be small, but it mirrors a nationwide pattern: ageing populations, vanishing schools, shuttering maternity wards, and shrinking towns with little generational renewal. “Pagliara dei Marsi has been suffering from drastic depopulation, exacerbated by the loss of many elderly people, without any generational turnover,” said the village’s mayor, Giuseppina Perozzi. She lives just a few doors away from baby Lara, and sees her as a symbol of hope. She also sees her as rare. Trabucco, 42, a music teacher from Frascati near Rome, moved to the village — her grandfather’s birthplace — in hopes of raising a family far from the chaos of the capital. She met her partner, 56-year-old construction worker Paolo Bussi, and together they became the only family in the village with a newborn. Their decision to settle and have a child in a village like Pagliara dei Marsi is not typical — and not easy. They received a €1,000 “baby bonus” from the government, introduced in January 2025 by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right administration as part of its effort to address the so-called “demographic winter.” The couple also receives about €370 per month in child benefits. But they’re clear: money isn’t the problem. “The entire system needs to be revolutionised,” Trabucco said. “We’re a country of high taxes but this does not translate into a good quality of life or good social services.” One of their biggest challenges is childcare. Italy’s public support for working parents remains inadequate, and many women drop out of the workforce when they have children. Re-entering is often difficult, and childcare infrastructure is patchy — especially in rural areas like this. Then there’s schooling. The last time Pagliara dei Marsi had a teacher, she taught out of her own home. The closest infant and primary school is in nearby Castellafiume, but its future is uncertain amid a wave of school closures due to declining enrolment. About an hour’s drive away, in the once-bustling city of Sulmona, residents are fighting to save the maternity unit at Annunziata Hospital. It delivered just 120 babies in 2024 — well below the national minimum of 500 required to keep funding. Midwife Berta Gambina, who has worked in the unit for nearly four decades, says that benchmark is outdated. “Even in the best of times, we averaged about 380 births a year. But I will do all I can to keep it open – my biggest fear is abandoning pregnant women.” Those fears aren’t hypothetical. Gianluca Di Luigi, a gynaecologist at the hospital, recalled a woman who got stuck in a snowstorm while in labour. She didn’t reach the hospital for eight hours and needed an emergency caesarean. “She was traumatised by the whole experience,” he said. While the government’s financial incentives are welcomed, critics argue they don’t go far enough — especially when hospitals and schools are closing. “How can you give women money to have babies but not guarantee them a safe and secure place to give birth?” asked city councillor Ornella La Civita. Di Luigi believes one critical piece of the puzzle is still missing from public discourse: fertility preservation. “Ideological thinking in Italy has always been a block,” he said. “But if we want newborns, then we need enlightenment too. Yes, provide young people with dignified jobs — but let’s start teaching them about preserving fertility.” For now, in Pagliara dei Marsi, Lara remains a living, breathing symbol of the future — as rare as she is beloved. But the question hanging over the village, and the country, is whether more babies like her will follow — or whether Lara will grow up as alone as the cats.

Read More

Alien Comets, Black Hole Births, and a Faint Glimmer of Martian Life: The 8 Biggest Space Discoveries of 2025

It’s been a blockbuster year for astronomy. From the arrival of a new interstellar visitor to a potential sign of past life on Mars, 2025 delivered some of the most exciting discoveries in years. Here's a look at eight of the most jaw-dropping space stories from the past 12 months. 1. A Speeding Visitor From Beyond Our Solar System Comet 3I/ATLAS burst onto the scene in July, when Chilean telescopes caught it racing through the constellation Sagittarius at a blistering 58 kilometers per second. It’s only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system, and scientists quickly confirmed it wasn’t native to our sun’s orbit. What made it even more fascinating was its unusual tail. Alongside the traditional trailing tail of dust and gas, 3I/ATLAS had a real, physical "anti-tail" pointing toward the sun — not just an optical illusion. Chemical analysis revealed a composition similar to solar system comets, though with a slightly different carbon dioxide and nickel profile, hinting at its distant galactic origin. 2. Witnessing the Birth of Supermassive Black Holes When the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) started imaging the far reaches of the universe, astronomers noticed something odd: tiny, bright red dots scattered across the early cosmos. By 2025, researchers proposed that these weren't galaxies or clusters — they were "black hole stars," a new class of objects forming gigantic black holes inside dense gas clouds less than a billion years after the Big Bang. These findings could rewrite our understanding of how galaxies and their massive central black holes formed, offering a fresh path for cosmic evolution. 3. Dark Energy Might Be Changing The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) stunned the scientific world this year with evidence that dark energy — the mysterious force accelerating the universe’s expansion — might not be constant after all. Based on a three-year survey mapping over 13 million galaxies and quasars, the DESI team found that dark energy appeared unusually strong up to 4.5 billion years ago, then began to weaken. That shift throws a wrench into current models of the universe, sparking speculation about “phantom” forms of dark energy and unknown physics still at play. 4. Biosignatures — From Mars to a Watery World In September, NASA’s Perseverance rover found its strongest hint yet of past microbial life on Mars. The evidence came from “leopard spots” — light-red patches surrounded by darker rock — that resemble patterns formed on Earth either by extreme heat or biological processes. Organic molecules were also found in the same area, but not yet definitively identified. Farther out, the JWST found stronger evidence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b. On Earth, DMS is only produced by life. While the signal remains weak and highly debated, it adds to growing intrigue around "hycean" planets — potential ocean worlds with thick hydrogen-rich atmospheres that could host life in unfamiliar ways. 5. A Planet Next Door? After years of false starts, astronomers confirmed four rocky exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s Star, just six light-years away. The largest of the group is only one-third the mass of Earth, with the smallest about a fifth. None of them lie in the star’s habitable zone, but the door remains open for other, more temperate planets nearby. Meanwhile, JWST found its most convincing signs yet of a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A. The potential gas giant has a mass similar to Saturn and an eccentric orbit — likely a side effect of its binary-star environment. At just over four light-years away, this would be one of the closest exoplanets ever detected. 6. Milky Way and Andromeda May Miss Each Other New simulations based on gravitational interactions with nearby galaxies suggest there’s a 50% chance the Milky Way won’t collide with Andromeda after all. If their closest approach is more than 650,000 light-years, the galaxies will pass each other without merging. That’s a far cry from the previous assumption of a guaranteed smash-up in about 4 billion years. 7. The Biggest Black Hole on Record? At the center of a galaxy nicknamed the Cosmic Horseshoe, astronomers found what may be the most massive black hole ever directly measured. Weighing in at 36 billion solar masses, it dwarfs our Milky Way’s own black hole, Sagittarius A*, by a factor of nearly 9,000. What makes this find especially important is how the mass was calculated. Instead of relying on indirect guesses, researchers tracked the motion of stars near the black hole — a more precise method that could help confirm or debunk earlier, disputed “largest black hole” claims. 8. A New Era Begins: Vera C. Rubin Observatory Sees First Light After decades of planning, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile finally turned its massive 3.2-gigapixel eye to the sky. In its first images, it captured the Virgo Cluster in unprecedented detail, along with star-forming regions like the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas. Designed to scan the sky every few nights, the observatory will issue 10 million alerts daily for celestial events and collect 60,000 terabytes of data over its first decade. It’s expected to vastly accelerate discoveries in dark matter, dark energy, and the changing night sky.

Read More

Fiona, Once Britain’s Loneliest Sheep, Is Now Pregnant with Twins

Fiona the sheep went from total isolation to internet stardom — and now, motherhood. After spending two years stranded alone at the base of a cliff in the Scottish Highlands, Fiona is not just thriving at her new home, she’s expecting twins. Her story first captured hearts in 2021, when kayaker Jill Turner spotted her near Balintore, Easter Ross. Turner was shocked to find Fiona still stuck in the same spot two years later. What followed was a viral rescue campaign that drew global attention — and support. Over 55,000 people signed a petition, and donations poured in from the UK, Canada, the US, and Australia, raising four times the initial £2,500 goal. Fiona’s dramatic rescue involved expert climbers, 200 meters of rope, a winch truck, and a makeshift sling. She was found in a sea cave 250 meters down a cliff, significantly overweight from grazing alone. “She has kind of forgotten how to be a sheep,” said Ben Best, manager of Dalscone Farm, where Fiona was brought after her rescue in November 2023. The transition wasn’t easy. Fiona struggled to bond with other sheep and needed treatment for arthritis, along with a strict diet to reduce her weight to a healthy 90 kilograms. But now, just over a year later, Fiona is part of the flock — and pregnant. In a recent Facebook video, Best shared the unexpected news. “Fiona’s having twins. What have we done? We have actually got her in lamb. The pressure is on.” He explained that Fiona was given hormones to help her conceive and was paired with a Suffolk ram. It worked. She’s due to give birth in early February. “She’s doing really well,” Best said. “She is the world’s most famous sheep.” Fiona’s transformation from abandoned and overlooked to loved and looked after has captivated people around the world. Now, her next chapter begins — this time, as a mother.

Read More

Art Therapy Could Cut Burnout in Half, New Study Shows

Art therapy sessions may hold the key to reducing burnout among healthcare workers, according to a new study out of London. Researchers at Queen Mary University and Barts Health NHS Trust found that medics who participated in group art therapy sessions reported significantly lower levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. The study involved 129 doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff from across London. Half attended weekly art therapy sessions led by trained professionals; the other half were placed on a waitlist. After just six sessions, the group that received therapy showed “much lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation” compared to those who didn’t. Those who didn’t participate were nearly twice as likely to report feeling burnt out. The benefits weren’t short-lived either. Participants still reported improved mental well-being three months after the sessions ended. Megan Tjasink, principal art psychotherapist at Barts Health and one of the study’s leaders, said the approach helps staff process the emotional weight of their jobs — something many aren't given the space or tools to do. “While they're very good at solving problems in a rational way, they can be less well practised at processing feelings,” she said. “Using the art therapy method helps people to communicate with colleagues in a very different way and to share feelings that might otherwise be difficult to express.” Tjasink added that sessions are led by psychological professionals, which allows participants to explore difficult emotions in a safe, supported environment. The idea has since spread. Following the pilot, art therapy has been rolled out across five hospitals in the Barts Health NHS Trust, funded by Barts Charity. And researchers believe the benefits could extend well beyond the NHS. “Burnout is an issue across numerous professions such as teaching and social care, and in the corporate sector,” Tjasink said. “Group art therapy could make a difference there too.” Still, she cautioned it’s not a standalone solution. “Art therapy must go alongside other tools to deal with burnout and mental health pressures.” For many of those who participated, though, the impact was immediate and personal. “They definitely helped me,” said oncologist Dr Umur Guven, who attended sessions at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. “Our shifts are so busy, but this gives us time to pause, to remember we are human again and to express our feelings through art.” Dr Lani Walshaw, also in oncology, described the experience as “really therapeutic.” “Working in oncology is obviously quite emotionally challenging,” she said. “We see a lot of difficult disease and patients going through the hardest times of their lives. To take some time out from that to do these art sessions is really therapeutic.” Anaesthetist Dr Francesco Rosato said the group setting helped counter the isolation many feel on busy shifts. “In these sessions when you find out others share the same feelings as you, you don’t feel alone anymore.” For consultant anaesthetist Dr Giampaolo Martinelli, who helped conduct the study, the sessions offered a rare moment of calm. “The session is protected time where I come in here and I feel like I’m in a suspended space, completely different from the hospital, where nothing else matters apart from me,” he said. As the pressures on healthcare workers continue to grow, the research suggests that even a small creative outlet could be a powerful tool to protect staff from burnout. And if early results are any indication, it might be a model worth replicating far beyond hospital walls.

Read More

Boss Surprises Employees With $240M Bonuses After Selling Family Company

In an era when corporate buyouts often leave workers behind, one CEO decided to flip the script. Before selling his company earlier this year, Fibrebond CEO Graham Walker made sure 15% of the $1.7 billion deal would go to his 540 full-time employees. The result? A $240 million bonus pool — or an average of $443,000 per worker — spread out over five years for those who stay with the company. It’s one of the most generous employee payouts in recent corporate memory. And for many of the factory workers in Minden, Louisiana, where Fibrebond is based, it was life-changing. “Before, we were going paycheck to paycheck,” said longtime employee Lesia Key. “I can live now; I’m grateful.” Fibrebond, which manufactures complex electrical modules for data centers and industrial projects, was acquired by power management giant Eaton earlier this year. But Walker, 46, wasn’t willing to finalize the sale without ensuring that the people who built the company shared in the reward. “I hope I’m 80 years old and get an email about how it’s impacted someone,” he told The Wall Street Journal. Asked why he pushed for 15% of the sale price to go to staff, his response was blunt: “It’s more than 10%.” Founded by his father, Claud Walker, in 1982, Fibrebond has weathered more than its fair share of turmoil. A fire in 1998 nearly wiped out operations. During the recovery, the Walkers continued to pay employee salaries. The early 2000s were equally grim, with the dot-com crash shrinking Fibrebond’s customer base to just three companies and forcing layoffs that brought its workforce down from 900 to 320. Graham and his brother took over in the mid-2000s and began rebuilding. Over time, some of the laid-off workers were rehired. The company’s defining pivot came in 2020, when it invested $150 million into infrastructure for data centers — a gamble that paid off during the AI-fueled tech boom. Over the past five years, Fibrebond’s sales grew by 400%. As of this year, the company had deployed more than 51,000 modules across the U.S. and was recognized as a national leader in its field. It was that success that led to the acquisition by Eaton, finalized on April 1. The next day, Walker gathered the entire company to share the news — not just about the sale, but the surprise bonuses. “We shared the same humbling question, how did we build this?” he wrote in a letter. “Forty-three years of memories, failures, successes, and opportunities came forth as tears, hugs, and profound joy.” Inside the company, the mood was disbelief. “It was surreal, it was like telling people they won the lottery,” said Hector Moreno, a Fibrebond executive. “There was absolute shock. They said, ‘What’s the catch?’” There was no catch. Some used the money to pay off debt or send kids to college. Others put it toward retirement or took long-delayed vacations. A few still didn’t quite believe it. The bonuses are being paid out gradually over five years — a timeline designed to reward long-time staff and keep institutional knowledge within the company. Walker will formally step away from Fibrebond on December 31. “It’s time, for the good of the business and all involved,” he told The Journal. He may be leaving, but his impact is likely to linger for years — not just in bank accounts, but in the lives changed by a rare act of generosity.

Read More

The Joy of Fixing Things: How Repair Cafes Are Building Community and Saving Memories

In community halls across the West Midlands, a quiet revolution is underway. Armed with toolboxes, sewing kits, and a whole lot of patience, groups of volunteers are helping people fix what they once might have thrown away — and in the process, finding connection, comfort, and meaning. “It all came about because people started to get fed up with throwaway culture,” said Clare Beckhelling, who volunteers with Repair Cafe Redditch. “In this day and age, we shouldn't be throwing it all away, we should be repairing it and keeping it going.” That idea has taken root in places like Worcestershire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire, where repair cafes are cropping up as alternatives to both landfills and loneliness. Their mission is simple: keep things out of the bin and bring people together. Pam Beale runs two of them — the Lichfield Repair and Share Cafe at the Curborough Community Centre and another at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Burntwood. Together, they see around 60 visitors a month, bringing in everything from broken tools and appliances to deeply personal items. “Our oldest repairer is 96,” Beale said. “He was an expert in furniture and marquetry and he knows about how a lot of things are put together.” Some fixes are purely practical — a lamp that won’t light, a torn shirt. But many are deeply emotional. “We had two or three record turntables in particular,” Beale said. “One belonged to a woman whose husband had passed away and she really wanted to play their records again. She was in floods of tears [when it was fixed]. Another woman wanted hers mended because her husband had dementia and she wanted the records to bring back memories for him.” Over in Redditch, the local repair cafe has been running for eight years and now has 31 volunteers. It meets once a month at Webheath Village Hall and recently inspired a spin-off in the nearby town of Studley. The repairs range from vintage tech to toys from another era. A porcelain doll from 1947 was brought back to life, as was a 70-year-old teddy bear. “People are very attached to [dolls and bears] because it’s one of the things their parents gave to them when they were young,” Beckhelling said. One of the most unusual items they’ve seen recently was a set of fairy lights from the West Indies, wrapped in delicate skeleton leaves — brought to the UK by a woman who arrived as part of the Windrush generation. The lights had failed and the fragile leaves were in danger of falling apart. The team at Studley’s repair cafe removed each one, ironed them flat, and carefully reattached them to a new string of lights. “When he saw it glowing again, his face said everything,” the team recalled. “A moment of pure joy – shared by all of us.” In Shrewsbury, the local repair cafe has more than 45 volunteers and uses the festive season as an opportunity to encourage people to reuse and repair, rather than buy new. “We have all been faced with the situation of bringing down the storage box from the roof or out of the garage, getting the familiar decorations out and finding that the lights don’t flicker or that musical ornament doesn’t play,” said Pete Martin, a repairer and administrator for the group. “Instead of rushing out to replace them, at the repair cafe we may be able to repair them, either by checking the wiring or simply by cleaning the contacts as the batteries were left in all year.” Even a favourite Christmas jumper with a hole in it can be given new life — “we can patch or darn it so it can be worn again,” he added. Sustainability is at the heart of all of these efforts. Beckhelling and Beale both volunteered with environmental groups before joining the repair cafes, and their message is clear: it’s not just about fixing objects, it’s about rethinking consumption entirely. “It did come out of a need, a desire to improve, to be more environmental and ecological and less wasteful,” Beckhelling said. “Some things just need a fuse, for the sake of 50p. A Sony Walkman was put back to use for the sake of a very specific elasticated band that cost £6.87.” Beale added, “It’s about taking responsibility for all aspects of your life rather than just an impulse thing. Many of which are made out of something that might never biodegrade, that will last forever. Think of the supply chain and the creation of items – the mining of minerals for a phone or tech or disposable vapes. Everything is valuable and somewhere far away someone with not much money is at the bottom of all of this.” Beyond the repairs and the environmental impact, though, the cafes have also become social lifelines. Volunteers and visitors alike have found friendship and purpose in the process. “An ex-engineer said, ‘You’ve saved my weekend,’” Beckhelling recalled. “I was tearing my hair out after I retired and twiddling my thumbs and he was going bonkers at home. He loves it.” Not everyone comes with a broken toaster or a set of lights. Some just want a slice of cake and a chat. And that’s part of the magic too. In fixing the things we once thought were lost, people are also finding each other.

Read More

Family’s Surprise Sleepover for Grandparents Turns into Viral Christmas Moment

What started as a simple family tradition in California has turned into a viral celebration of love, time, and pizza. Daniel Miller and his cousins brought back their cherished “Grandparents Christmas” tradition this year with a surprise pre-Christmas sleepover at their grandparents’ home. A video posted on December 21 capturing the moment has since drawn more than 14 million views across social media. The video begins with Miller and his wife walking through the front door. “I’m here to spend the night,” Miller tells his unsuspecting grandmother, who responds warmly, “That’s fine. You can spend the night if you’d like to.” One by one, more cousins and family members begin trickling in. Miller said he was texting them cues from inside. At one point, his grandmother pauses and asks, “Are we doing Grandparents Christmas?” The realization hits her — and the tradition is reborn. The night included all the staples of their longtime family event: making homemade pizzas, crafting, and sharing stories. The moment that’s resonated with so many viewers comes later in the video, when Miller’s grandfather, Carroll Blackstock, addresses the family. “I do thank you for all coming,” he says. “I can tell you that this room has not felt this kind of love ever, and we appreciate it. Thank you so much.” Miller credits the idea to his wife, who recently lost her own grandparents and wanted to revive the tradition that had gone quiet in recent years. “She kind of brought up the idea of doing this old family tradition that we had that kind of hasn't happened,” Miller told Fox News Digital. “I was like, 'All right, I'm gonna go ahead and do it,' and so we did it.” The tradition stretches back 25 years, originally started by Miller’s grandmother, Toni Blackstock, who used to host regular pre-Christmas events at her home. Homemade pizza was always part of it — a nod to her Italian roots. Miller said his grandparents have always shown up for their family — at every birthday, every sports game, every milestone. “The greatest gift you can give someone is your time,” he said. “I think that's taught us that time is very valuable and that [we] should always come together as family.” As for their viral fame? Miller said his grandparents don’t quite know what “going viral” means, but they understand the impact. “We kind of put it in perspective,” he said. “This is touching a lot of people’s hearts, and this has created a lot of tears of joy. And so, it made them feel really good.”

Read More