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When you think of border conflict, you might think of war — but these countries are showing a more peaceful way to solve problems. Today, Canada and Denmark reached a deal to resolve their longest-standing border conflict. The dispute was over Hans Island, a tiny uninhabited Arctic island located in the Nares Strait, which is a body of water shared between Canada and Danish territory Greenland.

When you think of border conflict, you might think of war — but these countries are showing a more peaceful way to solve problems. Today, Canada and Denmark reached a deal to resolve their longest-standing border conflict and it only took over 50 years and a few bottles of whisky. The dispute was over Hans Island, a tiny uninhabited Arctic island located in the Nares Strait, which is a body of water shared between Canada and Danish territory Greenland.
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Both Canada and Denmark have politely made claims to the rock since the 1900s. 

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FVKdOVlXEAM7nHg?format=jpg&amp;name=medium">

More recently, Canadian troops visited the island in 1984 and left a flag with a note that said “Welcome to Canada” — alongside a bottle of Canadian whisky.

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FVKdY97WYAMhfiE?format=png&amp;name=900x900">

The gift war continued and Denmark's Minister of Greenland Affairs visited the island shortly after with a Danish flag, a note saying “Welcome to Denmark” and a bottle of Danish schnapps.

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FVKdoZwXoAYepf7?format=jpg&amp;name=medium">

The tradition continued for years, and this week, the dispute was resolved when both countries decided to take half of the island.
The agreement, announced on Monday by the Canadian Minister of Northern Affairs, will divide the territory between Ellesmere Island, in Nunavut, and Greenland and mark the first time Canada and Denmark have shared a land border. No fighting — just kindness, diplomacy, and goodwill. It’s not yet known if the flag and liquor tradition will continue.

Canada Just Resolved a Major Land Dispute - With a Few Bottles of Whiskey

Good News Network

Dark chocolate and honey already make a great pair. Now scientists say the combination might also reduce food waste.

Researchers in Brazil have shown that ultrasonic waves can extract beneficial nutrients from leftover cocoa bean husks when the plant material is mixed with honey. The process turns what is normally agricultural waste into a nutritionally enriched honey product.

Cocoa beans are prized for making chocolate, but most of the cocoa plant ends up discarded. The husks and surrounding material make up the majority of the harvest’s biomass. Despite being thrown away, those parts still contain many of the same plant nutrients found in cocoa beans.

Among them are polyphenols linked to heart health, alkaloids such as theobromine and stimulants like caffeine.

If producers could recover those compounds from the waste, they could reduce discarded material while creating new products. That idea led researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo to experiment with a method based on “green chemistry.”

Instead of using chemical solvents often found in food processing, the team used honey itself as the extracting medium.

Solvents such as hexane are commonly used in food production to draw compounds from ingredients. For example, hexane helps extract polyunsaturated fats from cotton seeds to produce cottonseed oil.

In the Brazilian experiment, honey played that role instead.

The researchers mixed cocoa husks and shells into honey and inserted an ultrasonic wave emitter into the mixture. The sound waves broke down the plant material and helped release its nutrients into the honey.

“Of course, the biggest appeal to the public is the flavor, but our analyses have shown that it has a number of bioactive compounds that make it quite interesting from a nutritional and cosmetic point of view,” Felipe Sanchez Bragagnolo, the study’s first author, told Agência FAPESP.

The ultrasonic process may offer another benefit. The researchers believe the sound waves also reduced microbes already present in the honey. That could make the product easier to store and sell without relying on pasteurization or refrigeration.

The team tested honey from five species of native Brazilian stingless bees. These honeys tend to contain more liquid and have lower viscosity than the honey produced by the European honeybee used in most commercial production.

The researchers ultimately selected honey from the mandaguari bee, known scientifically as Scaptotrigona postica. However, they say cocoa plantations could use honey from whatever native species lives nearby.

For producers that already work with cocoa and beekeeping, the technique could offer a new product made from materials that would otherwise be discarded.

“We believe that with a device like this, in a cooperative or small business that already works with both cocoa and native bee honey, it’d be possible to increase the portfolio with a value-added product, including for haute cuisine,” said Professor Mauricio Rostagno, a coordinator of the study.

By combining ultrasonic technology with natural ingredients, the researchers say cocoa waste could turn into something both useful and flavorful.

Brazilian Researchers Use Ultrasonic Waves To Transform Cocoa Waste Into Nutrient-Rich Honey

GoodGoodGood

If you ever needed proof that survival sometimes looks a little awkward, meet the kākāpō.

This large, moss-green bird from New Zealand is famous for a few unusual traits. It is the world’s only flightless parrot. It is also the heaviest parrot on Earth. And by most accounts, it may also be the clumsiest.

In the book Last Chance To See, British author Douglas Adams once described the bird’s famously ungainly behavior.

“Its wings are just about good for waggling a bit if it thinks it’s about to trip over something — but flying is out of the question. Sadly, however, it seems that not only has the kākāpō forgotten how to fly, but it has forgotten that it has forgotten how to fly,” Adams wrote.

“Apparently,” he added, “a seriously worried kākāpō will sometimes run up a tree and jump out of it, whereupon it flies like a brick and lands in a graceless heap on the ground.”

Endearing clumsiness aside, the species has long been on the brink of extinction.

The bird, roughly the size of a house cat, once faced a bleak future. By 1974, conservationists feared the species had vanished entirely. By 1995, only 51 kākāpōs were known to exist in the wild.

Today, that number has climbed to 236.

The comeback is the result of an intense conservation effort involving scientists and members of the Ngāi Tahu tribe, who view the bird as culturally and spiritually significant.

“It’s a taonga species, a treasure to us,” Tāne Davis, Ngāi Tahu’s representative of kākāpō conservation, told Scientific American.

Over the past decade, conservation teams have closely monitored the birds, giving them what some describe as routine “doctor’s visits.” At the same time, hand-reared chicks have been released into the wild while invasive predators are removed from sensitive habitats.

Ngāi Tahu members also focus on restoring the “mauri,” or life force, of the ecosystems where the birds live.

Even with that support, helping kākāpō populations grow requires some unusual matchmaking.

Deidre Vercoe, operations manager for New Zealand’s Department of Conservation kākāpō program, says scientists sometimes have to intervene to preserve genetic diversity among the small population.

“We do what we can to make sure we don’t lose any further genetic diversity,” Vercoe told the Associated Press. “We manage that carefully through having the best matches possible on each island.”

Some of the most prolific males are even relocated if they start dominating the gene pool.

In fact, conservationists created a tongue-in-cheek solution for particularly successful suitors: a nearby refuge known as “Bachelor Island.”

One famous resident is a male named Blades, who has fathered 22 chicks since 1982.

“He was a victim of his own success,” said Andrew Digby, science adviser for the Department of Conservation’s kākāpō team. “He was too popular.”

Even without intervention, kākāpō reproduction is unpredictable.

Unlike many birds, they do not breed every year. Instead, they tend to reproduce only when a native evergreen called the rimu tree produces an especially large crop of bright red berries.

This year, that rare event happened.

The abundant harvest has triggered what conservationists describe as a kākāpō baby boom.

According to Digby, nearly every female of breeding age has nested this season, laying a remarkable 240 eggs so far. Scientists expect roughly half of those eggs to be fertile, with fewer chicks surviving to adulthood.

Still, the early results are promising.

As of March 3, researchers have recorded 26 living chicks.

Right now, they resemble small, fuzzy puffballs. But Digby says that phase will not last long.

Within weeks, he joked, they start looking like “weird little dinosaurs with these huge, oversized feet.”

For many New Zealanders, the quirky bird has become something of a national symbol.

“We don’t have the Eiffel Tower or the pyramids, but we do have kākāpō and kiwi,” Vercoe said. “It’s a real New Zealand duty to save these birds.”

And if the latest baby boom continues, the world’s most awkward parrot might just keep waddling its way back from the edge.

Meet The World’s Clumsiest Parrot Making A Comeback

euronews

A hot air balloon crashed and became tangled near the top of a communications tower over 900 feet tall in Longview, Texas, last week. 

Drone video and photos of the operation showed firefighters scaling the tower to secure and rescue the two balloonists about 900 feet above the ground.

In an interview with KLTV, the Longview Fire Department said its firefighters had trained for a hot air balloon incident, but the staggering height at which this balloon was stuck presented a particular challenge. 

Due to the height of the tower, six different rope systems had to be used, KLTV reported. A total of 35 firefighters responded, including 14 who were deployed at varying points on the tower and 21 who took positions on the ground.

Both occupants of the balloon were able to don harnesses and belay safely to the ground.

credit: Longview Fire Department via Storyful

Firefighters Rescue Balloonists Tangled in 900-Foot-Tall Tower

Science Daily

Sometimes, the body leaves clues in plain sight.

Researchers at Kobe University say a new artificial intelligence system can identify a rare hormonal disorder simply by analyzing photos of the back of a person’s hand and a clenched fist.

The goal is to help doctors detect acromegaly, an uncommon endocrine disease that often goes unnoticed for years.

The condition is caused by excessive growth hormone and usually appears in middle age. Over time, it can lead to enlarged hands and feet, changes in facial features and abnormal growth of bones and organs.

Because those changes happen slowly, diagnosis can take a long time.

“Because the condition progresses so slowly, and because it is a rare disease, it is not uncommon to take up to a decade for it to be diagnosed,” said Kobe University endocrinologist Hidenori Fukuoka.

If untreated, the disorder can lead to serious health problems and reduce life expectancy by about ten years.

Many experimental AI tools designed to detect diseases from photographs rely heavily on facial images. But researchers say that approach can raise privacy concerns for patients.

The Kobe team decided to take a different path.

Graduate student Yuka Ohmachi explained that the researchers focused on the hands, which doctors often examine when evaluating patients with suspected acromegaly.

“Trying to address this concern, we decided to focus on the hands, a body part we routinely examine alongside the face in clinical practice for diagnostic purposes, particularly because acromegaly often manifests changes in the hands,” Ohmachi said.

To further protect patient privacy, the scientists limited images to the back of the hand and a clenched fist. They deliberately avoided photographing palms because palm-line patterns can be unique enough to reveal someone’s identity.

The privacy-focused design helped researchers recruit a large group of participants.

In total, 725 patients from 15 medical institutions across Japan contributed more than 11,000 images used to train and test the system.

The results surprised even the scientists behind the project.

When researchers compared the AI’s performance with experienced endocrinologists who reviewed the same photos, the system showed higher diagnostic accuracy.

“Frankly, I was surprised that the diagnostic accuracy reached such a high level using only photographs of the back of the hand and the clenched fist,” Ohmachi said.

“What struck me as particularly significant was achieving this level of performance without facial features, which makes this approach a great deal more practical for disease screening.”

The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Researchers emphasize that the technology is not meant to replace doctors.

Instead, it could act as a screening tool that flags potential cases earlier, helping patients reach specialists sooner.

The team also believes the same approach could be expanded to detect other conditions that show physical signs in the hands.

Possible future applications include identifying rheumatoid arthritis, anemia and finger clubbing, which can be linked to lung or heart disease.

Ohmachi says the technology could open the door to a broader role for artificial intelligence in medicine.

“This result could be the entry point for expanding the potential of medical AI,” she said.

Lead researcher Fukuoka believes tools like this could eventually become part of routine health checkups.

“We believe that, by further developing this technology, it could lead to creating a medical infrastructure during comprehensive health check-ups to connect suspected cases of hand-related disorders to specialists,” he said.

He added that it may also help doctors working in rural or underserved areas.

“Furthermore, it could support non-specialist physicians in regional healthcare settings, thus contributing to a reduction of healthcare disparities there.”

Sometimes, spotting a serious illness begins with something simple.

In this case, it may start with a photo of a hand.

New Technology Uses Hand Photos To Detect Serious Diseases

At some schools, the bell signals math, science or history.

In Philadelphia, it now signals something else too: the right to take a break.

The city’s school district has approved a new wellness policy that guarantees students access to recess and bathroom breaks, while also introducing regular movement breaks throughout the school day.

The decision came after an eight-hour school board meeting last week, where officials voted to fully adopt the program following advocacy from a grassroots parent group called Lift Every Voice.

Supporters say the changes protect basic needs that had sometimes been restricted in classrooms.

Under the new policy, teachers can no longer take away recess or bathroom access as a form of discipline. The rules also guarantee “movement breaks” for elementary school students after every 90 minutes of sitting.

Advocates say the policy addresses concerns parents have raised for years.

Members of Lift Every Voice told the Philadelphia Inquirer that some families had even begun sending children to school in diapers because bathroom breaks were not always guaranteed during class time.

The group, a Black-led parent organization, said that in some cases access to drinking water fountains could also be withheld during lessons.

Changing those practices took time. According to reporting from the Inquirer, it took nearly two years for the new rules to move through the process and become official school regulations.

When the vote finally passed, supporters celebrated.

The parent group marked the moment with music and dancing outside the meeting room.

Philadelphia schools superintendent Tony Watlington Jr. acknowledged the policy shift and said the district was glad to take the step.

“I wish we had done this much sooner. But I’m pleased that we’re doing it today,” he said.

The new rules go beyond breaks and recess.

They also prohibit certain forms of collective punishment in schools. One example is “silent lunch,” a disciplinary practice where entire groups of students must eat quietly because of one student’s behavior.

The updated policy also prevents schools from removing access to recess or bathroom breaks as punishment.

School board members say the goal is to treat students with dignity while creating a healthier learning environment.

“When we think about children holding their bodies because bathroom access is protected, or sitting for hours without movement, or rushing through silent lunches, that’s not discipline,” said Board of Education councilmember Kendra Brooks. “It’s actually dehumanizing.”

The same school board meeting included another change aimed at improving student attendance.

Philadelphia schools will also eliminate half-days, which district data linked to sharply declining attendance.

Supporters of the wellness policy say the changes mark a step toward classrooms that better support students’ physical and emotional well-being.

Philadelphia Schools Guarantee Daily Recess, Water And Bathroom Breaks; Ban Silent Lunches

Sunny Skyz

Some stories begin in the most unexpected places.

For Pearl Marshall, it started in a parking lot.

In August 1972, a newborn baby was discovered inside a paper bag in a shopping cart at Westgate Shopping Center in Fairview Park, Ohio. The infant, only hours old, had been dressed in yellow and wrapped in a blue blanket.

More than five decades later, the women who found her that night finally saw her again.

The reunion came after years of questions about Pearl’s origins. Adopted in Cleveland shortly after she was found, she grew up surrounded by family and built a life of her own. She joined the Girl Scouts, became a music teacher and eventually married her husband, Jack.

Still, one mystery lingered. Pearl never knew the full story of how her life began.

That changed when Ohio opened previously sealed adoption records. Hoping to learn more, Pearl requested her original birth certificate. Instead, she received something else.

“It was a foundling report,” she said. “A Jane Doe certificate. It says, ‘Jeanne Westgate.’”

The document listed her birthplace as Westgate Shopping Center.

The name sounded unusual, but it matched something Pearl had heard years earlier. Her adoptive mother once mentioned a newspaper story about a newborn discovered in a parking lot and wondered aloud if it might have been connected to Pearl.

Now the details seemed to line up.

Searching online, Pearl eventually found a short newspaper headline: “Abandoned Baby Found at Plaza.”

Determined to learn the full story, she contacted local police. Her request eventually reached Chris Gerrett, a historical researcher for the city of Fairview Park.

Gerrett quickly became absorbed by the mystery.

“I don’t golf. I don’t travel. This is what I do for fun!” she said.

The official police report from that night no longer existed. But Gerrett began digging through archives and uncovered several newspaper articles describing the discovery.

The baby, they said, had been found late on the evening of August 20, 1972.

Gerrett then set out to locate the two women who had stumbled across the newborn that night.

Using property records, school information and probate documents, she eventually traced a phone number connected to one of their families.

“I called him… and told him I was looking for a couple women who found an abandoned baby at Westgate in the ’70s, and fingers crossed he didn’t think he was talking to some lunatic and hang up on me!” Gerrett said.

The response came after a long silence.

“It was dead silent, and after a very long pause, he said, ‘My mother told me that story years ago.’”

Gerrett had found them.

Back in 1972, Rita Marshall and Darlene Gilleland had simply been heading home after watching a movie at the shopping center theater.

As they approached their car, they noticed something unusual.

A shopping cart had been pushed against it. Inside sat a paper bag.

“The bag was rustling,” Gilleland remembered.

Marshall stepped closer to investigate.

“I had to get in close because it was dark,” she said. “And I saw her little face, and I said, ‘Darlene, it’s a baby, it’s a baby!’”

The two friends immediately called police and stayed with the infant until help arrived. They followed the baby to the hospital, where doctors examined her and confirmed she was healthy.

Hospital staff gave the newborn a name.

“Westgate” came from the place where she was found. “Jeanne” honored the nurse who cared for her.

Soon after, the child entered the foster system and was later adopted.

But Marshall and Gilleland never forgot that night.

“I’ve always thought about her,” Marshall said. “Wondered how she was. What she was doing.”

For decades, the story lingered in their memories.

Then, 53 years later, the past finally caught up with the present.

With Gerrett’s help, Pearl met the women who had discovered her as a newborn.

“There were a lot of tears, a lot of talking, a lot of laughing, and a lot of hugging,” Gerrett said.

Marshall was overwhelmed by the moment.

“I feel like our long-lost baby has come home,” she said.

The reunion did not end there.

Together, the three women visited the shopping center where the story began. The movie theater they once left that night is gone now, but the plaza still stands. The exact location where the baby was found sits behind a Lowe’s store.

Standing there decades later, Marshall and Gilleland shared something they had believed for years.

“We always felt like someone was watching to make sure we found you,” they told Pearl.

For Gilleland, the moment closed a circle that had remained open for half a century.

“I won’t forget the day that we found her,” she said. “And I won’t forget the day that we found her again!”

For Pearl Marshall, the reunion filled in the first chapter of a life story that once began with questions.

Now it begins with something else entirely: two strangers who noticed a rustling bag in a parking lot and chose to help.

Newborn Baby Found In Shopping Cart Reunites With Rescuers 53 Years Later

People

An eagle chick was returned to its nest in Doreen, Victoria, following a period of rehabilitation at the Healesville Sanctuary where it was treated for a wing fracture.

Zoos Victoria said the chick was found on the ground at a farm after falling 30 meters (99 feet) from its nest on a gum tree. The young bird could not yet fly and “completely dependent on its parents.”

Footage released by the sanctuary shows the chick being hoisted back up onto its large nest following four weeks of treatment.

“Carers, volunteers, an arborist, a farmer and a team of veterinary experts all coming together to make this epic rescue, rehab and release mission possible,” Zoos Victoria said in a press release.

Zoos Victoria via Storyful

This Rehabilitated Eagle Chick Finally Returned to the Wild Following Weeks of Recovery

BBC News

The newest face wandering the hallways at a Lincolnshire secondary school has four paws, a wagging tail and a growing fan club.

Her name is Florrie. She is nine weeks old. And her job is already making a difference.

When the school bell rings, Florrie bounds through the corridors greeting students and teachers like she has worked there for years. In reality, the border collie and bearded collie cross puppy only arrived a week ago.

Still, staff say her impact was immediate.

"She's been absolutely amazing," says Amanda Cook, a maths teacher and assistant head who has taken on the role of Florrie’s handler.

Florrie spends her school days close to Cook, often resting in a large cage filled with dog toys and the occasional half-chewed fizzy drinks bottle. Barely bigger than a football, the fluffy puppy squeaks and wriggles with the kind of energy only a young dog can manage.

Cook admits bringing a puppy into a busy secondary school was a little nerve-racking at first.

"She's been here for a week so far, and I have to say even though we planned everything out I was a bit nervous that first day," she says.

Florrie technically belongs to Cook, but unlike the family dog waiting at home, this one now spends her days roaming the school.

The idea was simple. If Florrie started young, the school itself would become normal to her.

"We just thought that if she was in school from day one she'd get used to the environment better than introducing an older dog," Cook says. "I have another dog at home that I thought about introducing but she's quite nervous when she comes into school. Whereas for Florrie, from day one it was her home."

The puppy’s arrival may feel spontaneous to students. In reality, it took four years to make it happen.

Before bringing Florrie in, the school contacted parents and guardians to check for allergies, fears of dogs and other concerns. Only after that long process did the plan finally move forward.

And then came the challenge of managing a puppy in a building full of teenagers.

"Luckily, I've got lots of help because obviously she's very popular," Cook says, adding that the students have been "incredible" with their new four-legged classmate.

Florrie is not simply a hallway celebrity. She is part of a broader effort to support student well-being at a time when schools across the UK are seeing growing mental health pressures among teenagers.

"There are lots of pressures on young people at this particular point in time, and I include in that mobile phones and digital technology," says headteacher John McHenry.

The school is also still seeing the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted learning and social development for many students.

"Mental health has been something massively impacted by COVID," McHenry says.

Support services exist, but demand is high.

"Obviously the services are oversubscribed," Cook says. "We have a counsellor in school who works with our students, just having the dog there as well as an early intervention will be really, really useful."

McHenry describes Florrie as one more tool teachers can use to help students cope.

"Florrie is the most recent addition, if you like, in our toolbox," he says.

The concept itself is far from new.

Animals have been linked to mental health benefits for centuries. Reports from the 19th century even described animals living at Bethlehem Hospital in London, where observers said they had a calming influence on patients.

More recent research supports the idea as well. Birmingham University’s Dr Alison Broad wrote in her doctoral thesis that there is a "growing body of research which indicates the significant impact that animals can play in supporting well-being and mental health."

Teachers at the school say they are already seeing early signs of that effect.

"Her behaviour is impeccable! I wish we could say the same about all new joiners but certainly she has been absolutely brilliant,and the reality is she's already having a popular impact," McHenry says.

He has noticed something else too. Students who spend time with the puppy often seem calmer afterward.

"We're seeing students who've engaged with Florrie who are dysregulated, but who are then finding themselves much calmer and more capable of coping," he says.

The students themselves seem to agree.

Martynas, whose shoelaces quickly became Florrie’s favourite toy, believes the puppy will help students talk through difficult moments.

The dog could be "a very good outlet" for people who need to share something on their mind, he says.

Another student, Lukas, says Florrie helped him overcome a long-standing fear.

"I used to be afraid of dogs, but she's the cutest thing ever."

Sixth-form student Dawid also sees potential.

"I'm hoping it will help with mental health issues, especially people that need that extra support," he says.

Charlotte, another student, adds that the puppy may help with everyday pressures at school.

"Exam stress, things like that," she says. "Even making relationships with teachers, relationships with students, finding friendships that can be quite difficult. And she is very cute!"

For now, Florrie’s official training as a mental health support dog has not even begun.

But after a morning spent greeting students, chasing footballs, tugging at shoelaces and exploring new corners of the school, the tiny puppy eventually slows down.

Her paws stop tapping against the floor. Her eyes droop.

There will be plenty of work ahead. For the moment, though, Florrie curls up for a nap.

Meet Florrie, The School Puppy With A Very Important Job

The Cool Down

A new study suggests drones could offer a safer way to check on dolphins without ever disturbing them in the water.

Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, tested how drone technology can be used to monitor dolphin health from above. Their findings show the flying devices can accurately measure key health indicators such as body temperature and breathing rates.

Using specialized thermal cameras mounted on drones, scientists analyzed more than 40,000 images of bottlenose dolphin populations. The study found that the most reliable measurements were taken when drones hovered about 10 metres (32.8 feet) directly above the animals.

“Monitoring the health of dolphins is important for assessing environmental impacts and supporting conservation,” said researcher Charlie White.

Because dolphins spend most of their lives underwater, traditional health checks can be difficult and sometimes stressful for the animals. In many cases, scientists must temporarily capture or restrain them to gather medical information.

Drones could change that.

By collecting thermal images from above, researchers can track body temperature and respiration patterns. Any unusual changes in those measurements may signal illness, injury or stress.

The method could also help protect marine ecosystems.

Dolphins are considered keystone species, meaning their health often reflects the overall condition of the ocean environment. Changes in dolphin populations can signal problems such as overfishing, pollution or habitat damage.

Senior researcher Guido Parra said the technology could become an important conservation tool as it continues to improve.

“With continued refinement and testing under a wider range of wild conditions, the approach has the potential to support safer and less intrusive health monitoring of marine mammals,” he said.

As drone technology advances, scientists hope these aerial checkups will help ensure dolphins — and the ecosystems they help support — continue to thrive.

Drones Are Helping Scientists Check Dolphins’ Health Without Touching Them

For months, one of the smallest patients at a Florida hospital was also one of its strongest.

Now he’s finally heading home.

Baby John Delancey III, born at just 22 weeks, has been discharged after spending 257 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.

When he arrived on June 6, 2025, John weighed only 1 pound and 0.2 ounces. Doctors classify babies born that early as micropreemies, a group that faces some of the most difficult medical challenges in neonatal care.

But over the months that followed, John steadily grew stronger.

By the time he left the hospital, he weighed 17 pounds and 3.5 ounces, surrounded by the nurses, physicians and therapists who had helped care for him since his earliest days.

Along the way, the tiny patient picked up several affectionate nicknames from staff and family members, including Johnboy, JJ, Johnny, Lil John and Big John.

Hospital staff said his determination became a source of inspiration across the entire NICU.

“It takes extraordinary teamwork to care for a baby born this early, and John reminded us every day why this work matters,” said Dr. Kiran Dwarakanath, medical director of the NICU.

“Micropremies face incredible challenges from the moment they arrive, yet John showed us time and again what a fighter he is,” Dwarakanath added. “Our team poured their hearts into helping him grow stronger and it has been a privilege to watch him reach this milestone.”

Before John left the hospital, the NICU team held a special celebration to mark the moment.

The unit hosted a graduation-style sendoff, complete with cheers, colorful pom-poms and a tiny blue cap and gown for the newest graduate.

Staff members who had spent months caring for him gathered to celebrate the milestone and say goodbye.

“We are so proud of John and the strength he has shown,” his care team said in a joint statement. “He has already made a lasting mark on all of us.”

The hospital later shared the moment on social media, reflecting on the long journey from fragile newborn to thriving infant.

“Wrapped up and supported at every turn, John grew from a micropremie to a thriving 17 pound 3.5 ounce, big boy with the help of our dedicated nurses, physicians and therapists who have been by his side for months,” the hospital wrote.

“It has been an honor to watch him grow and to be a part of his incredible journey.”

As the hospital team cheered him on one last time, they also shared a message for their former patient.

“John, we are so proud of you,” they wrote. “You have already made your mark on the hearts of the Brandon Hospital team and we know you will continue to make a mark on the world.”

After 257 days in the NICU, John’s biggest milestone has finally arrived. Home.

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