The Amazing Stuff

Prosthetic technology is improving every day. But recently, it’s also gotten a lot more stylish. Open Bionics, which works to create and distribute low-cost prosthetics to people worldwide, just teamed up with Disney to create character-themed prosthetics for kids.

And the best part? All of the designs were given to the company royalty-free by Disney, so kids can channel their favorite characters for a more affordable price.

Designs include characters from the Avengers and Star Wars franchises, as well as from Frozen.

Facebook / Open Bionics

Open Bionics hopes to make prosthetic limbs accessible to all, and they also hope to remove the stigma attached to missing limbs. In an interview with The Independent, CEO Joel Gibbard said, “The power of these prosthetics is that the public perception is completely different. All of a sudden, they’re not being asked how they lost their hand. They’re being asked where they got their cool robot hand, how does it feel, and how does it work?”

The company, a startup, was granted $120,000 by Disney, and their specialists worked in Disney’s labs while creating the pieces.

Facebook / Open Bionics

They might look like toys, but they’re actually very advanced prosthetics.

Open Bionics

Their movements are controlled by the electrical signals given off by the wearer’s muscles. What’s more, the lights and motors that make the hands seem so appealing to kids are actually feedback systems that let doctors and specialists know about how the kids and their prosthesis are interacting.

According to Gibbard, the kids who tested them out really liked them, and they picked up on how to use them very quickly.

Facebook / Open Bionics

The Star Wars models can also be personalized, so they light up with the user’s favorite colors.

Open Bionics

Gibbard also hopes that the stylish nature of these prosthetics will remove the stigma that comes with having a missing limb, especially for children.

Facebook / Open Bionics

Facebook / Open Bionics

(via My Modern Met, The Independent)

In the future, Open Bionics hopes to be able to produce prosthetics that cost less than $500, which would make them more accessible to a greater number of patients in need. You can see their other work on their website, and on Facebook.

A photo of a tiny baby surrounded by hundreds of syringes has started making the rounds online. That description makes the situation sound a bit scary, but you can rest assured that there’s nothing creepy going on here.

It’s actually a photo that honors the struggle that many women go through when they want to start a family.

This photo was submitted to Sher Institutes’ Facebook page by a client named Angela.

Facebook / Sher Institutes

That’s because she went through hundreds of needles before she finally got pregnant. Now, she has a beautiful baby girl.

(via ABC)

Conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) as Angela did can require hundreds of hormone injections. Angela underwent the IVF process multiple times over the course of a year, and she says that her doctors had to use a crazy amount of needles throughout the process.

It’s a tough and painful endeavor for women, both physically and emotionally.

When Sher Institutes shared her photo, more mothers came forward.

Facebook / Ravda Dickard

This sense of solidarity helped them share all of their painful, nerve-wracking, and triumphant stories. The women found solace in knowing that they weren’t alone in this fight.

They also shared photos of their beautiful children, all of whom were conceived with the help of IVF therapy.

Facebook / Lynette Collins-Barrett

Facebook / Maureen Kotecki Lemmer

Facebook / Danisha Diaz

Facebook / Megan Bonner Hauze

Eventually, Angela’s IVF treatments worked, and she had a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She encourages other women who are going through this process to “hang in there.” Judging by these stories, all of that risk is worth the reward.

When Brandon and Brittany Buell’s son was born last year, there was immediate cause for concern. In fact, no one was sure if he would live at all. That’s because little Jaxon was born with an extreme cranial and brain deformity, making it appear as though part of his head is missing. The condition is so rare that there wasn’t even a name for it at the time of Jaxon’s diagnosis. It’s now called microhydranencephaly, but even though it has a name, it still doesn’t have a cure.

Brittany and Brandon never lost hope, even though the odds were against them. Because of their dedication, Jaxon celebrated his first birthday on August 28 of this year. It was a huge milestone for the little boy and his family.

Jaxon’s skull and brain are not fully formed.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

Even though things looked grim when he was born, Jaxon and his family continue to fight for his survival.

His parents have even named his story “Jaxon Strong.”

Facebook / Brandon Buell

Despite his appearance, Jaxon is doing well, and he’s not much different than other babies.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

He really loves a good nap.

He sometimes gets fussy.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

But he gets over it.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

All in all, he’s doing very well. The Buells say that he’s growing and learning more every day.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

On Jaxon’s birthday, his father wrote on Facebook, “He is still here, strong as ever, only dependent on a feeding tube, and he can hear, see, talk, smile, laugh. He’s learning more every day — even how to say ‘Mama’ and ‘Dadda’ directly to us.”

His family couldn’t be happier.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

And they’re thrilled that they got to reach this milestone in Jaxon’s life.

Facebook / Brandon Buell

(via WetPaint)

Because of the extremity of his condition, Jaxon will need medical care throughout his life. The miracle that has gotten him this far will have to be a long-term one. Thanks to Jaxon’s GoFundMe page, kind supporters have already helped the family raise over $100,000. Check it out if you’d like to help them, too.

No matter what time of year it is, if our dogs are outside, they’re sniffing things, eating things, and all-around being curious about Mother Nature. While summer is coming to a close, you should still be just as vigilant about keeping an eye on them because your pup, along with chasing squirrels, could also get themselves into a little trouble with a small, stinging threat: bees and wasps.

Say your furry friend is sniffing around the garden…

Reddit / Oles_Mironov_Mironov

What that really means is that he could be (unknowingly) irritating a bee or wasp.

When a bee or wasp stings, there is a little bit of poisonous venom released.

Reddit / skyline_kid

A bee’s stinger is barbed, and will tear apart from the body, killing the bee and preventing it from stinging more than once. A wasp, on the other hand, doesn’t have a barbed stinger, so your pup’s at more risk. Be careful not to lead her close to a nest!

If your dog IS stung…

Reddit / GlimmeringJem

First, remove the stinger if there is one. Try to scrape it away with a fingernail or cardboard. Squeezing it with tweezers might squirt more of the venom out.

Then, apply a weak mixture of water and baking soda onto the area to help with the pain.

Reddit / radiocleve

To keep the swelling down, you can also wrap an ice pack in a towel and hold it to the sting.

If your pooch is stung in the throat or inside of the mouth, you should call your vet.

Reddit / bounty10

Swelling in those areas is dangerous for obvious reasons — breathing being one of them.

Another reason to call the vet is if the swelling doesn’t go down within a few days.

Reddit / Jmunnny

You’ll also want to keep a close eye on your fur baby for the hours following the incident to make sure an allergic reaction doesn’t occur. If your pup is stung multiple times or is showing weakness or difficulty breathing, those are signs of a severe reaction and you should go to vet immediately.

If you follow these steps, your pup will soon be as good as new!

A photo posted by Aspen (@aspen_the_weim) on Sep 9, 2015 at 12:34pm PDT

And hopefully, they’ll learn to leave the tiny buzzy flying things alone. Now get out there with your pooch and enjoy the rest of the summer (safely)!

If you remember the old TV show House, you know that there are a lot of terrifying, obscure diseases floating around out there.The only good thing about them is that they’re pretty rare.

But sometimes, you’re the unlucky person who happens to catch one. That’s something Redditor gullibletrout and his wife learned the hard way back in 2010.

In 2010, these mysterious black spots began appearing on his wife’s hand.

Imgur / oestk

They started out small, but kept growing.

Imgur / oestk

At first, they thought that the growths were blood blisters.

They even started spreading to other parts of the hand.

Imgur / oestk

Wart remover didn’t do anything for them.

Imgur / oestk

Eventually, they decided to seek medical help from a plastic surgeon.

Imgur / oestk

The doctor promptly removed the growths.

Imgur / oestk

Here’s her hand after the procedure was done.

Imgur / oestk

The spots have not reappeared.

The physician believes that these were pyogenic granuloma.

Imgur / oestk

They can be caused by irritation, physical trauma, or hormonal imbalances. This woman’s case was likely caused by a switch in birth control pills. The good news is that they’re harmless, but in some cases, they have been known to grow back.

(via Reddit)

Even though they turned out to be nothing, can you imagine how scared she must have been when these things started taking over her hand? It’s amazing (and completely unsettling) to think about what our bodies are capable of.

Wearing contacts certainly has its perks — not the least of which is the fact that you actually have peripheral vision. However, with those privileges comes great responsibility. Any eye doctor worth their salt will tell you that wearing contacts overnight can lead to serious infection and even blindness.

But does anyone listen?

Just to warn you, some of this content is a bit graphic. If you’re squeamish, you might want to skip this one.

Meet Chad Groeschen. He’s an avid scuba diver and hiker — and he’s a contact wearer.

Facebook / Chad Groeschen

A user of “extended wear” contacts, Groeschen did as the packaging told him he could do, and left the contacts in for days at a time. He would wear them for up to a week straight, often bathing and sleeping in them.

One day, his eyes began itching, but he just chalked it up to allergies. But one night, he woke up to cloudy vision in his left eye, and a serious headache akin to sinus pressure. He decided to go to the doctor to see what was going on.

The news he got from the physician wasn’t what he expected.

Facebook / Chad Groeschen

Doctors discovered that the cause of this discomfort was Pseudomonas bacteria.

Facebook / Chad Groeschen

This bacteria usually accumulates underneath contacts if lenses are left in for extended periods of time.

While they were able to stop the infection, the damage was already done.

Facebook / Chad Groeschen

Groeschen is currently completely blind in his left eye.

Facebook / Chad Groeschen

A corneal transplant may be able to restore some of his vision, but that can’t happen until any open sores or wounds in the eye are healed.

This might seem like a freak accident, but the American Academy of Ophthalmology says otherwise. Especially among “extended wear” users, infections brought on by careless maintenance are surprisingly common. Any lens, regardless of whether or not the company claims that it can be worn overnight, can cause similar damage if worn for too long.

You can check out Groeschen’s story below, but the content is a little disturbing. You’ve been warned.

If you’re a contact wearer, always remember to take good care of your lenses.

iStock

Here are a few tips:

• Never sleep in your lenses, even if they’re the “extended wear” kind. Take them out every night.


• Replace lenses regularly.


• Change contact solution before you store them every day.


• Never wear contacts in water (swimming, bathing, etc.)


• Never wear contacts while you’re sick.

These little things can pack a big, blinding punch.

iStock

You only get one set of eyes, so be sure to take care of them! If you feel like they’re acting up, see a doctor immediately. No amount of pride is worth risking blindness.

If you’ll excuse me, I need to go change my contacts.

The birth of Ward Miles was an occasion of mixed feelings. Sure, his parents welcomed him into the world, but they did so with trepidation. Born three and a half months premature, Ward only weighed a little over a pound, and his future was uncertain.

Still, his parents stood by him as a team of doctors and nurses monitored Ward, and his father decided to document the stressful first year of Ward’s life. The resulting video is incredibly moving — and a great testament to the amazing things done by medical science.

Watch Ward’s first year here, as documented by his dad.

Source: Dad Documents Premature Son’s First Year of Life by benjaminscot on Rumble

Today, Ward is a happy, energetic baby with a bright future. Watching his transformation, as well as the dedication of his parents and the medical staff, is nothing short of heartwarming.

Thanks to medical advancements, premature babies have some pretty awesome chances — and stories:

There’s a lot we could be doing better in the field of mental health, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about the brain and its functions. Yet there is one thing we can say: we have made some progress.

Don’t believe us? Then take a look at the barbaric practices that doctors with actual degrees used to do to people suffering from mental illness.

1. Hydrotherapy

Wikipedia

This is not the nice, relaxing bath you’re thinking of. Hydrotherapy in the old days could be pretty brutal, and included strong jets of water blasted at patients and ice-cold baths. Patients were often restrained in the tubs.

2. Sleep deprivation

iStock

Due to overcrowding in Camarillo Mental Hospital, patients had to sleep in shifts. Some doctors thought that the zombie-like state caused by sleep deprivation was a good thing and could help with depression. They were wrong; depression can actually be a symptom of sleep deprivation.

3. Malaria injections

Wikimedia Commons

Usually, malaria is something you inoculate against. For a while, however, it was used on people with neurosyphilis. The idea was that the malaria would cause a fever and burn out the syphilis bacteria.

4. Sterilization

iStock

Sterilization, usually without the patient’s consent, was used on schizophrenic patients and other people with mental illness. Dr. Julius Wagner-Jauregg thought excessive masturbation caused schizophrenia, so he administered this to some of his patients. Sterilization was also historically used on minority and poor women as a means of eugenics, also without their consent.

5. The Utica crib

Utica OD

So named for its development at the Utica Psychiatric Center, these coffin-like boxes were meant to restrain patients who couldn’t keep still. They usually caused more panic, and even shock.

6. Electroconvulsive therapy

Wikimedia Commons

Also known as electroshock therapy, this therapy saw patients restrained and then hit with surges of electricity, which was thought to cure a variety of mental illnesses. It’s still used today, but very rarely and in very specific circumstances. It’s known to cause some memory loss.

7. Insulin shock therapy

Wikipedia Commons

As a “treatment” for schizophrenia, patients would be injected with huge doses of insulin, which would cause them to fall into comas for days at a time. Its inventor, Dr. Manfred Sakel, believed that after waking from the coma, patients would be cured. They weren’t.

8. Transorbital lobotomy

Wikimedia Commons

For about 20 years in the 20th century, doctors thought that simply severing neural pathways in the brain would cure mental illness. A sharp object would be inserted into the eye socket or nose to achieve this. If you consider turning someone into a vegetable to be a cure, then they were right.

9. Organ removal

iStock

In the early 20th century (yes, that recently), one Dr. Henry Cotton thought that mental disorders stemmed from bacterial infections of the organs. The solution? To just take those organs out. Needless to say, the mortality rate was pretty high, and we’re still baffled that people went along with this.

10. Trepanning

Wikimedia Commons

Trepanning, which dates back to the Neolithic era, was literally when surgeons would drill a hole in a person’s skull to treat mental issues, as well as migraines and other head pain. It was believed to let out evil spirits. The crazy thing was that it actually sometimes worked, and people were known to survive, even 10,000 years ago. Ouch.

(via BuzzFeed)

All of these treatments are pretty terrible. Be happy that we’re continuing to make progress, and learning to be more compassionate, in the field of mental health.

Medicine wasn’t always sterile and nice. Actually, it’s still pretty gross: