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King Charles' special tribute to Holocaust survivor

<p>King Charles has paid tribute to Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, who has died aged 100. </p> <p>The Hungarian-born British writer died peacefully at home in north London. She was the eldest of six children and was freed from Auschwitz at the age of 20, almost 80 years ago, as her mother and two younger siblings were killed in the gas chambers.</p> <p>She migrated to the UK in 1967 with her husband and began educating the world about the horrors of the Holocaust. </p> <p>Since then, her story and resilience has touched millions worldwide, including King Charles, who met her in 2015 when she joined him to light one of six remembrance candles in London for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. </p> <p>Last year, he made her an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her services to Holocaust education. </p> <p>In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the monarch said  "it was with the greatest sadness" that he had heard of her death.</p> <p>"As a survivor of the unmentionable horrors of the Holocaust, I am so proud that she later found a home in Britain where she continued to tell the world of the horrendous atrocities she had witnessed, as a permanent reminder for our generation – and, indeed, for future generations – of the depths of depravity and evil to which humankind can fall, when reason, compassion and truth are abandoned," he said.</p> <p>"Alongside other Holocaust survivors, she became an integral part of the fabric of our nation; her extraordinary resilience and courage an example to us all, which will never be forgotten."</p> <p>In 2021, Charles, who was the Prince of Wales described how he had been personally inspired throughout his own life by the stories of survivors and their bravery and personal sacrifice. </p> <p>At the unveiling of the Queen's Gallery in London, Ebert told him:  "Meeting you, it is for everyone who lost their lives." </p> <p>To which the King replied:  "But it is a greater privilege for me."</p> <p>Ebert's great-grandson Dov Forman, who helped co-write her book<em> How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live, </em>paid tribute to the family's "beloved matriarch", known as Safta on social media. </p> <p>"Over the years, Safta's story touched hundreds of millions worldwide, reminding us of the resilience of the human spirit and the dangers of unchecked hatred," he began.</p> <p>"She taught us the power of tolerance and faith, the importance of speaking out, and the need to stand against prejudice.</p> <p>"Safta was the queen of our large, loving family. With a surviving daughter and son – remembering a daughter who pre-deceased her – 10 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, her legacy lives on in each of us.</p> <p>"She rebuilt her life with faith and love, never asking, 'Why me?'. Instead, she focused on what could be rebuilt from the ashes, and her positivity continues to guide us through these difficult times.</p> <p>"As we mourn our beloved Mummy, Safta, we also celebrate her extraordinary life.</p> <p>"A light that shone so brightly has gone dark. She was our hero, and her absence leaves an unimaginable void in our lives."</p> <p><em>Images: </em><em>Arthur Edwards/WPA Pool/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

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Cancer survivor becomes world's strongest great-grandmother

<p>An Australian great-grandmother has become a world-record holder for an impressive feat in the gym. </p> <p>Heather Maddern, 80, found a new love of weightlifting after she decided to hit the gym to regain strength after beating cancer three times. </p> <p>Now, she is officially the world's strongest great-grandmother. </p> <p>"I hold the Australian and world record for an 80-year-old lady. It's amazing," she told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/great-grandmother-strongest-powerlifting-world-records/ffe9aa0e-9fc9-40b5-b8ff-d8744b37de0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>"I just absolutely love the life I am living and I put it all down to powerlifting."</p> <p>Maddern, who suffers from Parkinsons, lifted the record-breaking 80kgs in Brisbane at a powerlifting competition, saying she is "absolutely chuffed" to break the world record for her age group. </p> <p>Reflecting on the moment she broke the record, Maddern said, "I just put it [the bar] down and went through the crowd with a big smile on my face, I was absolutely chuffed."</p> <p>Before the great-grandmother discovered her love for lifting weights, she was barely able to walk up and down stairs due to extensive chemotherapy and radiation to treat her cancer, and decided to make a change.</p> <p>"I was very weak, my posture wasn't very good. I was extremely tired. I knew I had to do something to change it, otherwise it would keep getting worse and worse," she said. </p> <p>Her coach, Jill Cox, said, "We had to help Heather walk down the stairs to get into the gym. She is inspirational. what she can do, anybody can do."</p> <p>Heather's life has changed drastically since she regularly started going to the gym, and despite being 80 years old, she has never felt better. </p> <p>"My son six months ago thought I was totally crazy, now they are all so very proud of me," she said. </p> <p>"I just feel so fit. Mentally I feel clearer headed and happy all of the time."</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

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"Where's mum?" Sea World helicopter crash survivor's heart-breaking question

<p dir="ltr">The husband of a mother who tragically died in the Sea World helicopter crash has shared the heart-breaking question his son Nicholas asked him when he awoke from his coma. </p> <p dir="ltr">Vanessa Tadros and her 10-year-old son were on the aircraft when it collided with another on January 2nd, as the crash claimed the life of Vanessa and three others. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nicholas miraculously survived the accident, and has spent the last seven weeks in intensive care recovering from life-altering injuries. </p> <p dir="ltr">After being in an induced coma, Nicholas awoke and asked his father Simon a question he had been dreading.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said, ‘Where’s mum?’” Simon told Ally Langdon during an emotional interview on <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/ally-langdon-speaks-about-her-emotional-interview-with-father-simon-tadros-about-sea-world-chopper-crash/af847866-bb2f-42be-8a15-d20d06a0c685">A Current Affair</a></em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I said she was in the crash with you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said, ‘Yeah, I know, but where’s mum?’ I said, ‘Baby boy, mum had to go to Jesus.’”</p> <p dir="ltr">“And he just turned his head and closed his eyes,” bringing Ally Langdon to tears.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HelpingNicky?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HelpingNicky</a>: A heartbroken father recalls the final moments before his wife was killed and son was critically injured in the Gold Coast helicopter crash.</p> <p>See the full story, TONIGHT on A Current Affair.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9ACA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9ACA</a> | Watch LIVE 7pm <a href="https://t.co/cH1TElSUnM">pic.twitter.com/cH1TElSUnM</a></p> <p>— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACurrentAffair9/status/1627570052957605889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Nicholas suffered extensive injuries in the crash breaking multiple bones, his kidneys are still not functioning unaided and his lungs collapsed from inhaling jet fuel.</p> <p dir="ltr">Doctors expect he will need to remain in hospital for at least another five months after deciding he will need to have his right foot amputated.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He said I’m not going to give up, Dad. I’m not going to leave you alone,” Simon recalled. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s a strong-willed boy. He’s a good kid.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Simon also recalled the final conversation he had with his wife before she boarded the helicopter with Nicholas. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I remember saying to my wife, I was thinking it’s amazing how quick they turn over these helicopters,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My wife just turned around to me and said, “Babe, I’m sure they know what they’re doing””.</p> <p dir="ltr">Simon shared that he hasn’t been able to properly grieve the loss of his wife as he spends every minute at Nicholas’ bedside. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s been hard, it’s a daily struggle … I don’t leave his bedside until 12, 1 in the morning,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even leaving to go lay my wife to rest … it was just hard to keep my mind focused on the one thing, I didn’t want to leave him… but we gotta do what we gotta do.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4354fcc6-7fff-a400-4ab6-5881ff20d5a6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Nine News / Instagram </em></p>

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Thai cave rescue survivor dies aged just 17

<p>Duangphet Promthep, one of 12 boys who was rescued along with their soccer coach from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system in northern Thailand, has died. </p> <p>Duangphet was found unconscious in his dormitory on Sunday, and sadly passed away two days later. While the exact cause of death is unknown at this time, reports from the United Kingdom suggest he had suffered a head injury. </p> <p>Duangphet had only been enrolled in Leicester’s Brooke House College Football Academy since late 2022. </p> <p>Thai non-profit organisation Zico Foundation, which had assisted him in getting a scholarship to study in England, shared its condolences on Facebook. </p> <p>“Zico Foundation would like to express its condolences and condolence for the passing away of Little Dom Duangphet Phromthep,” they wrote of Duangphet, who also went by the name ‘Dom’, “a student of Zico Foundation.”</p> <p>When Duangphet was only 13 years old, he was trapped with his soccer team - the Wild Boars soccer team of which he was captain - and their squad’s assistant coach for over two weeks in a cave system known as the ‘Great Cave of the Sleeping Lady'. </p> <p>The twelve boys were between the ages 11 and 16, and 4 kilometres into their fateful adventure, when rising floodwaters prevented their escape from Thailand’s fourth-largest cave system. </p> <p>It was an international effort to save the boys and their coach, with a search and rescue mission that spanned over two weeks, with divers from Thailand and from overseas stepping in to help. </p> <p>Some of the boys who were with him in those terrifying times shared their condolences on social media as news of his passing broke around the world. </p> <p>“Brother, you told me that we would be achieving our football dream,” wrote Titan Chanin Viboonrungruan. “If the next world is real, I want us to play football together again, my brother Dom.”</p> <p>“You told me to wait and see you play for the national team, I always believed that you would do it," Prachak Sutham said. "When we met the last time before you left for England, I even jokingly told you that when you come back, I would have to ask for your autograph.</p> <p>"Sleep well, my dear friend. We will always have 13 of us together."</p> <p>In a statement, Duangphet’s school principal Ian Smith said, “this event has left our college community deeply saddened and shaken.</p> <p>“We unite in grief with all of Dom's family, friends, former teammates and those involved in all parts of his life, as well as everyone affected in any way by this loss in Thailand and throughout the college's global family."</p> <p>Dom’s mother joined an online news conference and shared her hope that a Buddhist monk in England would be able to conduct rites for Duangphet.</p> <p>In that same conference, former Thai national soccer team coach and the Zico Foundation’s chairman Kiatisuk Senamuang, described his shock at the news of Duangphet’s passing. </p> <p>“My thoughts are with his family and friends,' he said, fighting tears. 'I think back to his dream of becoming a professional footballer, representing his country and his voice keeps speaking in my head.”</p> <p>He went on to explain that as far as he knew, Duangphet had been healthy, as a full health check had been performed in order for Duangphet to obtain his student visa. While his cause of death is currently unknown, an investigation into the cause will likely take place, and hopefully provide his loved ones with closure in this tragic time. </p> <p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p> <p> </p>

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Sea World helicopter crash survivors speak out

<p>Survivors of the deadly Sea World helicopter crash that killed four people have spoken out about the tragedy. </p> <p>Elmarie and Riaan Steenberg and Marle and Edward Swart, two couples from New Zealand, were holidaying in Queensland when the helicopter they were travelling in collided with another on January 2nd. </p> <p>Now, weeks after the incident occurred, the couples spoke with <em>60 Minutes</em> and revealed they are still picking glass out of their bodies.</p> <p>“I just want it out of my body because it reminds (me) of the day,” Ms Steenberg said.</p> <p>Ms Steenberg also shared how she knew they were in “serious trouble” when she saw the other helicopter underneath her.</p> <p>“We thought it’s just a five-minute flight, that’ll be fun,” Mrs Swart said.</p> <p>Her husband added, “What can go wrong?”</p> <p>“I saw the helicopter underneath me, and I knew we were in serious trouble and I actually said, ‘Please, God, help us’,”</p> <p>“And then I heard the explosion,” Ms Steenberg said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">When two helicopters collided mid-air at Sea World on the Gold Coast, four friends from NZ never expected their new year's holiday to turn into a disastrous crash. They reflect on the joy of surviving, as well as the guilt and sorrow they have for the lives lost on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/60Mins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#60Mins</a>. <a href="https://t.co/MkKFfV6mTW">pic.twitter.com/MkKFfV6mTW</a></p> <p>— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Mins/status/1622172822960226307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The couples’ pilot Michael James was at the controls of the other vehicle and managed to land it safely on the sandbank.</p> <p>They were taken to hospital and treated for their injuries and have since returned home to Auckland. </p> <p>Since returning to normal life, Ms Swart said the hardest part of the ordeal is knowing others died and being weighed down by the guilt of survival. </p> <p>"It's the hardest part and it's very real. The question everyday is: why?"</p> <p>“Why did we survive? We’re just ordinary, boring people. Why us, you know? We’re nothing special.”</p> <p>"So yeah, you think about that every day."</p> <p>The pilot of the other helicopter Ash Jenkinson, British tourists Ron and Diane Hughes and Sydney woman Vanessa Tadros were killed in the tragedy.</p> <p>Mrs Tadros’s son Nicholas, 10, was critically injured while Geelong woman Winnie de Silva and her son Leon, nine, suffered serious injuries.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>Image credits: 60 Minutes</em></p>

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"Mateship in action": NZ survivors of helicopter crash praise Aussie compassion

<p>Two couples from New Zealand who survived the deadly helicopter collision on the Gold Coast have shared their condolences for those who died during the accident.</p> <p>Edward and Marle Swart along with Riaan and Elmarie Steenberg spoke of how the "fun five-minute joy ride on vacation to Australia turned into a nightmare" and said their "hearts are so heavy" for those who died in the other aircraft that fell to the ground.</p> <p>"Our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the injured and the deceased and their families," they said in a joint statement released on Wednesday night.</p> <p>"We are grateful and blessed to have been spared but very sad for the people who lost loved ones and the little ones and mum fighting for their lives in hospital.</p> <p>"Our hearts are so heavy for them."</p> <p>The couples also praised the 52-year-old pilot who managed to land their damaged helicopter safely "through all the chaos", while also commending the actions of witnesses who rushed to help on the scene. </p> <p>"Our gratitude goes out to every bystander who ran to help, every police officer and emergency services personnel who helped us with our immediate needs keeping us calm and making us comfortable," they said.</p> <p>"We saw mateship in action. Australians come together to help in time of need."</p> <p>"We would like to extend our great thanks to the hospital staff taking care of us for their kindness and compassion during this traumatic experience."</p> <p>The New Zealand couples, all in their 40s, were among the six people in the second helicopter who all survived the crash with minor injuries.</p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/helicopter-crash-victims-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four people</a> on the first helicopter died while the remaining three survivors remain in hospital.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

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Plane crash survivors take “selfie of the year”

<p dir="ltr">Survivors of a crash between an airplane and a firetruck have caused outrage after taking a selfie.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two passengers, still covered in firefighting foam, smiled for the camera and shared the snap online with the caption: “When life gives you a second chance #latam”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-702b43e8-7fff-a65b-efe6-63b406b369b0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While the plane’s crew and passengers all survived, what they didn’t know was that two of the firefighters in the truck that collided with the plane at Peru’s Jorge Chavez International Airport had died.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="es">Cuando la vida te da una segunda oportunidad <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/latam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#latam</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vd98Zu98Uo">pic.twitter.com/Vd98Zu98Uo</a></p> <p>— Enrique Varsi-Rospigliosi (@enriquevarsi) <a href="https://twitter.com/enriquevarsi/status/1593710356916051970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In light of this, the passengers sparked outrage online for smiling in the wake of the tragedy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve seen it all now. Crash selfie. End of the internet,” one person tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Nothing to be proud of, firefighters died,” another wrote in a popular aviation group on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Two firefighters die but sure, take a selfie and laugh,” a third commented.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a00f0788-7fff-4c81-44ae-b2fc0da02191"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Others shared memes criticising the photo, with one Twitter user sharing a photo of a woman posing in front of a wildfire and the caption, “Same vibes!”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="es">Cuando te convertis en un meme de 9gag <a href="https://t.co/br7L8fdXIG">pic.twitter.com/br7L8fdXIG</a></p> <p>— 𝕸𝖆𝖚𝖗𝖔 𝕳. 𝕷. (@mxmauro) <a href="https://twitter.com/mxmauro/status/1593936036819865600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">SAME VIBES! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LATAM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LATAM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/latamperu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#latamperu</a> <a href="https://t.co/lssuNyI3uv">https://t.co/lssuNyI3uv</a> <a href="https://t.co/8beWSTPWJn">pic.twitter.com/8beWSTPWJn</a></p> <p>— Alderson (@0Dweller) <a href="https://twitter.com/0Dweller/status/1593739808102227968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">But, some came to the defence of the passengers, noting that they would also be happy if they had walked away from a crash unscathed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I mean it is selfie of the year … they walked away from that,” one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I get it, they are happy they are alive,” another said. “People are just taking it the wrong way and getting offended for anything these days.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Think about it, you realised you’ve just survived an aeroplane crash, then suddenly it catches fire, and on top of it you are able to walk away from it unscratched? I’d be the happiest and most thankful person alive!”</p> <p dir="ltr">A third noted that at the time very few people would have known there had been fatalities resulting from the crash, particularly if they were on the plane.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the moment they took the picture, only a few people knew that two firefighters had died. They thought it was a problem with the aeroplane,” they explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Media took, at least, an hour and a half to report what really happened. Even firefighters from Lima didn’t know for the first hour. They just felt thankful for being alive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It also seems that the critics are in the minority, with the original post receiving more than 200,000 likes since it was posted on November 19, a day after the crash.</p> <p dir="ltr">None of the 102 passengers or crew on-board the LATAM Airbus 280 at the time lost their lives in the incident, the cause of which is currently being investigated according to Jorge Chavez International Airport.</p> <p dir="ltr">Footage taken by witnesses showed the plane taking off from the runway at full speed before colliding with the truck, also travelling at speed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7ce1be6b-7fff-6c54-db6b-98478293a3c0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">With damaged landing gear, the plane continued moving forward with its right side dragging along the runway and sending up a trail of sparks.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="es">Todos los videos que me han llegado del accidente en el aeropuerto Jorge Chavez.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Latam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Latam</a> <a href="https://t.co/uS2d82ls7S">pic.twitter.com/uS2d82ls7S</a></p> <p>— 2023 VUELVO (@himselfsv) <a href="https://twitter.com/himselfsv/status/1593722983943528448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">When it stopped, the rear of the plane was badly burned and a cloud of smoke escaped the aircraft.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to security official Aurelio Orellana, a rescuer in the truck was also injured during the incident and is “in critical condition due to head trauma”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Manuel van Oordt, the general manager of LATAM Peru, said he was surprised the firefighters were on the runway to begin with, given that the plane’s pilot hadn’t reported any anomalies.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No emergency was reported in the flight, it was a flight that was in optimal conditions to take off, he had permission to take off, and he found a truck on the runway and we do not know what this truck was doing there,” he said at a press conference.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-19377d4c-7fff-891d-9c63-a8e5c8ccdc6c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Train driving dream comes true for brain tumour survivor

<p dir="ltr">Three years after doctors found a large tumour growing in his brain, seven-year-old Broly Blackmore has seen his dream of becoming a train driver come true.</p> <p dir="ltr">The young boy from Hallett, South Australia, had the tumour removed when he was just four years old after he collapsed and was rushed to hospital by helicopter.</p> <p dir="ltr">If it wasn’t removed that night, doctors told his mother, Corrine Maidment, that he wouldn’t make it.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the years since, Broly’s life has become relatively normal, albeit with regular brain scans and physio trips - and he has had his wish of driving a train granted by the Starlight Foundation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The seven-year-old went on a trip on the Pichi Richi steam train, travelling from Quorn to Port Augusta as a “trainee train driver”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Ever since he was only a couple of months old everything has always been about trains … diesels aren't as good as steam trains apparently," Ms Maidment said, adding that he barely slept the night before the big day.</p> <p dir="ltr">"According to everyone in the train, they weren't allowed to do anything without his say so … at one point, he told the fireman, the guy who does the coal, 'That's my seat. I need to sit there'.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He was boss for the day." </p> <p dir="ltr">The Pichi Richi railway, an outback steam train experience that has been operating since 1973, later shared a sweet photo of Broly on the train.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Last Sunday, Pichi Richi Railway was able to grant a wish for a very special visitor, 7 year old Broly who was having his wish granted with help from Starlight Children's Foundation Australia’s ‘Wishgranting Program’,” the railway <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PichiRichiRailway/posts/pfbid032C45MeP339xWYPL321ZTFjXXsehYJh7pWe2xkX812DkCLCBZgZyp8UVNGVzF7ztvl">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Broly loves trains so Starlight contacted Pichi Richi Railway and Broly was lucky enough to ride in the cab of engine W934 for the day with our crew on the Pichi Richi Explorer service. </p> <p dir="ltr">“A very special day for our crew, Broly and his family.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Although Broly’s wish was given to him while he was in hospital, Ms Maidment said they had waited until he was old enough to decide how he wanted to spend it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He's had the wish sitting there since he was in the hospital ... but we wanted to wait until he was old enough to make a decision himself so he'd know what the wish was and he'd remember it," she said. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4354a857-7fff-0466-bb9f-4dd255b3ba47"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Blackmore family, Starlight Foundation, Pichi Richi Railway (Facebook)</em></p>

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New study to “give hope” to childhood trauma survivors with depression

<p dir="ltr">A new study has challenged our understanding of how to treat adults with a history of childhood trauma, revealing that using psychotherapy, medication or a combination of the two are effective treatments for those with depression.</p> <p dir="ltr">Childhood trauma, defined as abuse or neglect of a person before they are 18 years old, is a known risk factor for major depressive disorders in adulthood. It often results in symptoms that start earlier, last longer and are more frequent, and increases the risk of developing co-occurring diseases and conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">The study, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00227-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lancet Psychiatry</a></em>, found that adult survivors of childhood trauma who receive these common treatments experience improved symptoms at the same rate as those without childhood trauma.</p> <p dir="ltr">While previous studies have indicated that common treatments for major depressive disorders are less effective for people with childhood trauma, the team argues that these findings are inconsistent.</p> <p dir="ltr">The team then examined data from 29 clinical trials of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (the use of prescribed medications) among adults with major depressive disorders to determine whether those with trauma were more severely depressed before treatment, had more unfavourable outcomes after treatment, and whether they were less likely to benefit from treatment in comparison to those without trauma.</p> <p dir="ltr">Among the 46 percent of participants with childhood trauma, the team found that they showed more severe symptoms at the start of treatment and after treatment in comparison to the control group (those without trauma).</p> <p dir="ltr">But, they found that both groups experienced an improvement in symptoms at a similar rate.</p> <p dir="ltr">Erika Kuzminskaite, a PhD candidate and the first author of the study, said that this finding could be a source of hope.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Finding that patients with depression and childhood trauma experience similar treatment outcome when compared to patients without trauma can give hope to people who have experienced childhood trauma,” Kuzminskaite said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Nevertheless, residual symptoms following treatment in patients with childhood trauma warrant more clinical attention as additional interventions may still be needed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Antoine Yrondi, a professor at the University of Toulouse who wasn’t involved in the research, wrote that the study provides a message of hope for patients.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This meta-analysis could deliver a hopeful message to patients with childhood trauma that evidence-based psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy could improve depressive symptoms,” Dr Yrondi said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“However, physicians should keep in mind that childhood trauma could be associated with clinical features which may make it more difficult to reach complete symptomatic remission and, therefore, have an impact on daily functioning.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <a href="https://blueknot.org.au/resources/blue-knot-fact-sheets/trauma-classification/what-is-childhood-trauma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Knot</a>, childhood trauma can have a wider and more extreme impact than trauma we experience as adults because a child’s brain is still developing. If the trauma is unresolved, coping strategies developed during childhood can become risk factors for poorer psychological and physical health in adulthood.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, it is possible to recover from childhood trauma, with this latest study going to show that common treatments can be effective.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>If you’re in need of support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380.</em></p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-62551377-7fff-7a7f-9e23-d352d2c29923"></span></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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Damning footage filmed by Buxton crash survivor emerges in court

<p dir="ltr">Tyrell Edwards, the 18-year-old driver and sole survivor of a devastating car crash that killed five teens, filmed himself driving dangerously beforehand, according to court documents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards was driving a Nissan Navara ute when it crashed into two trees near the village of Wollondilly Shire in Buxton on Tuesday night, resulting in the deaths of three girls and two boys aged between 14 and 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing in local court on Thursday on five charges of dangerous driving occasioning death, Edwards was refused bail after prosecutors said a video allegedly filmed in the lead-up to the crash showed he had a high level of moral culpability and supported several aspects of the charges.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to a summary of police facts, Edwards filmed the video with his phone about an hour before the crash, with the clip showing him driving with two of the victims.</p> <p dir="ltr">He is seen holding his phone while aggressively turning the steering wheel, with loud music playing in the background.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re going to spin out cuz,” a male in the car can be heard saying.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police allege that, in the moments before the crash, Edwards drove at high speed, lost control, crossed onto the wrong side of the road and travelled for about 40 metres along a grassy road shoulder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Investigations suggest the car rotated for about 50 metres before hitting a tree then spun in the opposite direction before hitting a second tree.</p> <p dir="ltr">The force of the impact caused the ute cabin to be torn open, ripping the rear seat from the car and throwing the five victims out.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to court documents, witnesses overheard Edwards say, “I f***ed up, I’m going to jail.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards told police after the crash that the ute span out of control following a steering fault where the wheel was “shaking, going left to right”, and that braking failed to stop the vehicle.</p> <p dir="ltr">He appeared via video link in Picton Local Court after a crowd of family members and friends descended on the court, with the 18-year-old to remain in custody until his next court appearance on November 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court was told that Edwards finished Year 11 last year at Picton High School - the same school the five victims attended - and now works as a labourer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Picton Magistrate Mark Douglass concluded that Edwards posed a risk to the community and could tamper with witnesses due to his strong ties to the community.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not an easy decision - he is a young man who has never been in custody,” Douglass said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards had previously held a driving licence for a short period of time before he accumulated two speeding offences and had it suspended earlier this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside court, Exaven Desisto, the father of crash victim Antonio, told the media that he didn’t want to see anyone behind bars.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve got to visit my son at the f***ing morgue,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Superintendent Paul Fuller, the chief of Camden Police who has 38 years of experience in the force, described the crash site as “one of the worst accident scenes I have ever come across”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-17692387-7fff-2845-016e-9e05d3d8a8d5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News (Twitter)</em></p>

Legal

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"10 seconds left to live": Skydive survivor recalls horror moment

<p>Young Aussie Emma Carey has recalled the gut-wrenching moment she realised she only had “10 seconds left to live” during a freak skydiving accident that happened nine years ago.</p> <p>Emma Carey, now almost 29, is lucky to be alive after her parachute became tangled and then strangled her instructor during a tandem skydive. The pair fell 14,000ft out of the sky.</p> <p>The accident unfortunately went down on the fifth day of her three-month long overseas trip when she decided to skydive in Switzerland alongside her best friend. Emma realised something was seriously wrong when she spotted the parachute flapping out in front of her rather than in the air above. When the parachute was finally deployed it became tangled with the strings of the safety chute and choked her instructor, causing him to pass out almost instantly.</p> <p>“I remember thinking, oh my god Jemma will have to find me on the ground, I remember thinking about my family and the main thing I remember feeling is regret for not embracing myself fully up until that point” she shared.</p> <p>The then-20-year-old copped the brunt of the fall, landing facedown with the instructor on top of her. Quickly trying to roll him off, she became distraught realising she couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. Ms Carey was rushed to hospital where surgeons operated on her back and pelvis. Her spine was broken in two places, rendering her a paraplegic.</p> <p>After recovering from surgery, she was reunited with her family and friends in Australia where she started rehabilitation. By some miracle, she slowly but surely began to get the feeling back in her legs and eventually learned to walk, albeit with a small limp.</p> <p>However, Ms Carey has remained positive throughout the ordeal and now looks at the terrifying moment she felt sure she was going to die as a “rebirth”.</p> <p>“I know how it feels. To think I only have 10 seconds left to live and now I get the rest of my life, whatever that is, so I think it's actually really nice for me to have that memory because it helps to keep me grateful,” she said.</p> <p>Carey has written a book “the girl who fell from the sky” detailing the day her life was changed forever.<br />It has been nine years since the shocking incident and little did she know, nine years later she would be where she is today.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Olivia Newton-John gave a voice to those with cancer and shifted the focus to the life of survivors

<h2 class="legacy">Olivia <span class="nobr">Newton-John</span> gave a voice to those with cancer and shifted the focus to the life of survivors</h2> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-broom-121063">Alex Broom</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Since news of Olivia Newton-John’s death this week, many have paid tribute to her character, humble nature and cultural significance.</p> <p>She also made a significant contribution to cancer survivorship and the ideal of treating the whole person, not just their disease.</p> <p>Newton-John was <a href="https://www.onjcancercentre.org/about/olivia-newton-john">diagnosed</a> with breast cancer in 1992 and underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction. Her cancer journey spanned three decades, and as she <a href="https://www.onjcancercentre.org/about/olivia-newton-john">explained</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>The whole experience has given me much understanding and compassion, so much so that I wanted to help others going through the same journey.</p> </blockquote> <p> </p> <h2>Bringing our attention to cancer</h2> <p>Getting the community mobilised around difficult topics like cancer can be tough. Celebrities – and their experience of illness and healing – have become one of the most powerful means for mobilising action.</p> <p>Olivia Newton-John was one of the first to share her experience of breast cancer with a wide audience and her advocacy opened the door for others such as Kylie Minogue and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13058-014-0442-6?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618">Angelina Jolie</a> to share theirs.</p> <p>Stories like theirs have mobilised cancer <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13058-014-0442-6?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618">screening</a> and <a href="https://www.onjcri.org.au/">research</a>, prompting reflection and normalised the experience of living with cancer.</p> <h2>The ‘alternative’ voices of cancer survivorship</h2> <p>The diverse approach Newton-John took to cancer treatment was a distinguishing part of <a href="https://www.womanandhome.com/life/olivia-newton-john-reveals-how-cannabis-has-helped-her-during-stage-4-cancer-battle/">her legacy</a>. As she explained when establishing the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness &amp; Research Centre:</p> <blockquote> <p>I did herbal formulas, meditation and focused on a vision of complete wellness.</p> </blockquote> <p>Explaining her “pro cannabis” stance on <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/olivia-newton-johhn-60-minutes-cancer-medicinal-cannabis-key-to-recovery/3fe1b1ce-f8dd-43fd-b534-d2f4000dfd1e">60 minutes in 2019</a>, she reflected a growing recognition of community interest in diverse approaches to pain and symptom management, and how such community views often rub up against legal and regulatory constraints. Australia only <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/prescribing-medicinal-cannabis#:%7E:text=The%20Australian%20Federal%20Government%20legalised,flower%20products%20are%20also%20available">legalised</a> medicinal cannabis in 2016, and many reservations persist among the Australian medical community.</p> <p>Being open about her experience, Newton-John gave voice to things which many Australian cancer patients try, and believe in, but many in the medical community continue to push back on. In Australia, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1743-7563.2010.01329.x">more than</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388118307679">half</a> of people living with cancer use alternative treatments over the course of their cancer journeys. Yet, alternative practices, including herbal products and medicinal cannabis, remain largely absent from mainstream cancer care. This risks putting mainstream medicine out of step with community beliefs.</p> <p>As regularly noted, managing patient interest in “alternative” cancer care is a tricky area, but what is clear is that openness and frank discussions serve everyone best. A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/114/1/25/6189098?login=true">harm-reduction</a> approach, which discusses and detects any dangerous side-effects or interactions, is safer than silencing what people living with cancer are doing or believe in.</p> <h2>Challenges to unhelpful cancer narratives</h2> <p>Cancer has suffered from a wide range of misconceptions and misrepresentations, ranging from ideas about cancer as a “death sentence”, or the idea that you either beat it or succumb to it. People often feel this does them a disservice.</p> <p>People with cancer are so much more than a “cancer patient”, and they don’t want to be trapped in that frame. They can live well with cancer, without focusing entirely on trying to be cancer-free to the exclusion of all else. Newton-John <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/26/olivia-newton-john-i-dont-wish-cancer-on-anyone-else-but-for-me-it-has-been-a-gift">emphasised this idea regularly</a>.</p> <p>Likewise, the expectation of “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0038038502036001006">cancer heroics</a>” is an all-consuming and unhelpful cultural ideal. Sometimes “fighting” works and is needed, but in many contexts and particularly for long-term survivors, focusing on quality of life and wellness is critical.</p> <p>This is likely why various alternative practices have gained traction, despite the slim evidence base for many. The world of “alternative therapies” has tended to present to the community a more person-centred approach, regardless of whether this is actually achieved by many practitioners in practice.</p> <h2>Towards ‘survivorship’</h2> <p>Cancer “<a href="https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/living-well/after-cancer-treatment/adjusting-to-life-after-treatment/who-is-a-cancer-survivor/">survivorship</a>”, in its broadest sense, denotes a broad focus, inclusive of the mind, body and the social life of the person living with cancer, not merely their disease, symptoms or treatment side-effects.</p> <p>Even two decades ago, the emphasis was almost exclusively placed on curative cancer treatment, treatment discovery, or post-curative experiences. This overly disease-centred focus tended to marginalise the many people who will continue to live on <em>with</em> cancer.</p> <p> </p> <p>Person-centred approaches, in their many forms, show <a href="https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-017-0206-6">considerable benefit</a>, although there continues to be a diverse set of understandings about what it <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959804921003403">actually means</a>. The broad principle of person-centredness is that we are much more than a disease and this matters throughout all aspects of care. Our care needs to be structured around our beliefs, psychological and social needs and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocn.14312">life experiences</a>. This may sound simple, but it is often not a central part of the picture.</p> <p>While we are making progress, as Newton-John was acutely aware, there is so much more to do in this realm. Based on our <a href="https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/impacted-cancer/what-cancer/cancer-australia-statistics">most recent estimates</a> more than one million Australians alive today are either currently living with cancer or have lived with it. Strategies which help all of us touched by cancer to <em>live well</em>, whether cured or not, should be the priority moving forward.</p> <p>While we must be careful not to push too far in the other direction – a <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780822394716/html">cruel optimism</a> which threatens to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1357034X15586240">sideline</a> the hard, sad and often difficult experiences of cancer – a balance is needed which we have not quite reached.</p> <p>Olivia Newton-John’s death will likely be difficult for some living with cancer. Important survivorship stories, when they come to a close, are difficult. So, let’s not pretend. Endings are hard, but a life well lived it also something to celebrate.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-broom-121063">Alex Broom</a>, Professor of Sociology &amp; Director, Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, The University of Sydney., <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation.</a> Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/olivia-newton-john-gave-a-voice-to-those-with-cancer-and-shifted-the-focus-to-the-life-of-survivors-188444">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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“Scary and painful”: Monkeypox survivors recall their experiences

<p dir="ltr">Before suffering full-body chills, a fever and other intense flu-like symptoms, the first sign that Matt Ford had come down with monkeypox were several spots on his body.</p> <p dir="ltr">The US man noticed the lesions after receiving a call from a friend who he’d had skin-to-skin contact with in June.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Right after the call, I checked myself and noticed some lesions I hadn’t seen before,” the 30-year-old told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/human-interest/excruciating-lesions-and-a-40c-fever-i-had-monkeypox-and-this-is-what-its-like-c-7670514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The next few days saw him experience flu-like symptoms, including a fever, chills, sweats and fatigue.</p> <p dir="ltr">After those symptoms lessened, the number of lesions increased, with Ford counting 25 in total across his body, including his face, feet and scalp.</p> <p dir="ltr">The lesions quickly became itchy and painful, interfering with his sleep and resulting in him needing narcotics to fall asleep.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t think many people fully understand just how painful it can be, especially if lesions appear in the perianal or genital areas,” he said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b9fab0-7fff-8481-c059-b9b775472214"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“(The pain) was at least an eight or nine out of 10.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I have monkeypox currently and this shit is absolutely no joke.</p> <p>If you’re in New York and can get the vaccine, go do it.</p> <p>— Matt Ford (@JMatthiasFord) <a href="https://twitter.com/JMatthiasFord/status/1540049980253016064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Under local rules, Ford was required to isolate until “all lesions have resolved, the scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed”, ensuring he was no longer contagious.</p> <p dir="ltr">In total, he stayed home for three weeks and was “grateful” for his support network.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was pretty brutal towards the end of it, and I felt pretty stir crazy,” he recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I’m grateful to have had a strong support network checking in on me and sending care packages.”</p> <p dir="ltr">For UK man Harun Tulunay, catching monkeypox came with a slightly different experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 35-year-old primarily experienced flu-like symptoms, such as a fever of 40 C, swollen glands, a white and red rash, pain and chills.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ten days in, Tulunay had been hospitalised and finally received a diagnosis when he noticed a lesion on his nose.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though painful lesions in his throat made him unable to swallow, Tulunay said most didn’t cause him grief.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I had (lesions) on my back, in my hair, on my feet, on my hands, my legs,” he told <em>7News.com.au</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My whole throat was all covered in painful lesions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was the most scary and painful June of my 35 years of life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After about 35 days, Tulunay’s symptoms had all cleared up.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You really don’t expect it can happen to you until it happens to you,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ford and Tulunay’s experiences come as Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, declared monkeypox a communicable disease of national significance, with most cases occurring among people aged between 21 and 40 years old.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Although monkeypox is not usually considered a sexually transmissible infection, physical contact with an infected person during sexual intercourse carries a significant risk of transmission,” Kelly said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Intimate physical contact such as hugging, kissing and sexual activities represent a risk of infection, with infectious skin sores being the likely mode of transmission.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The World Health Organisation has also declared monkeypox a public health emergency, with more than 20,000 cases recorded across 71 countries since January.</p> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Body

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“My passion since I was a child”: White Island survivor looks to career plans

<p dir="ltr">A survivor of the 2019 White Island volcano eruption has opened up about what she hopes to do next as she continues on her recovery journey.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephanie Browitt was among the few survivors of the eruption on New Zealand’s Whakaari/White Island, which killed her younger sister, her father, and another 20 people, and left Stephanie with third-degree burns to 70 percent of her body.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since then, the 26-year-old has faced a difficult road to recovery which included the recent <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/it-s-emotional-and-scary-white-island-eruption-survivor-removes-her-face-mask" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removal of her final burns garment</a> during an interview with 60 Minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, she has turned an eye towards her potential career, hoping to land work in media - her passion since childhood - or as a motivational speaker.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m hoping that I can get a career in what I graduated in, which is media and arts, film and TV. That’s been my passion since I was a child,” she told the <em>Today Show</em> on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I’d also like to land a role in motivational speaking, because I hope that by sharing my experience I can give hope to others and show them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephanie, who has shared every step of her recovery with followers online, said she still “struggles quite a lot” but is grateful and doing “okay” overall.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I still struggle quite a lot, but I’m trying to make the most of every day because I’m very grateful for my second chance at life,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though removing her final burns garment, a compression mask that covered her face, felt “daunting”, she reflected that she has felt more like herself since.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was quite daunting at the beginning,” Stephanie said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But since taking all of my compression garments off I do feel a lot more free and feel like myself again.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were quite uncomfortable and hard to put up with and tight … they were very painful and caused a lot of horrible days.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m very glad that I can now express myself through my wardrobe and my make-up and I don’t feel like it’s holding me back anymore.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing on the<em> Today Show </em>to promote DonateLife Week, Stephanie urged Aussies to sign up as organ or tissue donors and spoke about her own experience receiving donated tissue.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I received skin tissue donations from multiple donors and I needed that … obviously when you have so many open wounds, you're at a higher risk of infection and you're also leaking bodily fluids. There was not enough of my own good skin to use to cover those areas,” she said</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are millions of Australians who want to sign up. People support it but tell themselves they will do it later.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ed2c14c5-7fff-424c-d71d-d5fac4a5a691"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It is quick. It takes one minute.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @stephaniecoral96 (Instagram)</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Beauty from ashes": The unlikely love story to emerge from devastating US shooting

<p>It's one of the most unlikely places for romance to blossom. </p> <p>But for Lasamoa Lanier, what was the most traumatic and devastating night of her life also became the night she met her future husband. </p> <p>On July 20th 2012, Lasamoa and her then fiancé AJ Boik attended the midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises in Colorado. </p> <p>Just after the opening scenes, a gunman opened fire in the cinema which claimed the lives of 12 people and wounded 70. </p> <p>Among the deceased was Lasamoa's 18-year-old fiancé, who died at the scene after sustaining two fatal gun shot injuries. </p> <p>Officer Cody Lanier, a resource officer at Lasamoa's high school, was one of the officers who rushed to the scene to try and assist on that horrifying day.</p> <p>Lasamoa was trying to cope with the grief of losing her fiancé, while Officer Lanier was reeling from the pain of not being able to save all those who perished. </p> <p>He also was the officer who had to break the tragic news to Boik's mother telling her that her son probably did not survive calling "it the absolutely the worst singular event I could imagine as a cop."</p> <p>For Lasamoa, she spent years trying to heal from the tragedy and found various ways to cope. </p> <p>Part of her healing included  writing letters to the police officers, who were also traumatised by the massacre, thanking them for risking their own lives while trying to save others.</p> <p>She delivered the letter to Officer Cody, and the pair decided to go out for lunch. </p> <p>What was supposed to be an hour long lunch turned into an entire evening and the beginning of a special relationship. </p> <p>"In a way, La kind of filled this gap," Cody said. "Beyond that it was just this connection. Every day since she turned into my best friend."</p> <p>"I am pretty sure there is not a thing that I want to do where she is not involved," he said.</p> <p>On October 3rd 2021, the pair made it offical and tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony which Lasamoa calls the "best day of her life".</p> <p>The couple are still swept up in their post wedding bliss, as they reflect on how they found love in the most unlikely circumstances. </p> <p>"It's like a sleepover with my best friend all the time. It's crazy. Beauty from ashes, man," Cody said. "I don't know what I would do without her."</p> <p>Lasamoa shares the same feelings, as she counts her blessings each day. </p> <p>"Sometimes I stop and think about it and I am like oh you are able to find love again," she said. </p> <p>"I have been through this and been through that but life is still happening."</p> <p>Lasamoa still journals to help her heal from the trauma, and shared a letter she wrote to her late fiancé AJ on Instagram. </p> <p>She wrote, "I don't know if you had any intentions of leading him [Cody] to me, but I really appreciate you sending him to me."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Could the Depp v. Heard case make other abuse survivors too scared to speak up?

<p>Johnny Depp has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-02/verdict-delivered-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial/101115246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won his defamation suit</a> against his ex-wife Amber Heard for her Washington Post op-ed article published in 2018, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/01/arts/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict">stated</a> she was a “public figure representing domestic abuse”.</p> <p>The facts in every case are unique, and the jury is always in a better position to judge these facts than commentators relying on media reports.</p> <p>Nevertheless in such a high profile case as this, the verdict has a ripple effect that can go beyond the facts. The unfortunate reality is the Depp Heard case is likely to reinforce the fear that women who come forward with claims of sexual and domestic abuse will encounter a system in which they are unlikely to be believed.</p> <p>Reform is needed to better balance the protection of men’s individual reputations with the rights of women to speak about their experiences.</p> <p><strong>Defamation a tool of elite men</strong></p> <p>Depp was awarded more than US$10 million in damages after convincing the jury Heard was a malicious liar.</p> <p>This is despite the fact a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/06/01/johnny-depp-libel-law-uk-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK judge determined</a> in 2020 that it was “substantially true” Depp had assaulted Heard repeatedly during their relationship.</p> <p>After the verdict, Heard commented she was “heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway” of her famous ex-husband.</p> <p>Historically, the common law of defamation was built to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09612025.2021.1949822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protect public men in their professions and trades</a>. It worked to both defend their reputations individually and shut down speech about them as a group.</p> <p><a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/comulp2&amp;div=6&amp;g_sent=1&amp;casa_token=fybEy5Ip_goAAAAA:mZwcFssrx7DMteRZh-2VpbadOiPG52vukVjaL_zAG2Rr-r9-GIbN1HpUADIArNrKIooONYOmpoKf&amp;collection=journals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data from the United States in the late 20th century</a> shows women comprise only 11% of plaintiffs bringing defamation suits.</p> <p>As legal scholar Diane Borden <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/comulp2&amp;div=6&amp;id=&amp;page=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has noted</a>, the majority of libel plaintiffs are “men engaged in corporate or public life who boast relatively elite standing in their communities”.</p> <p>Defamation trials – which run according to complex and idiosyncratic rules – are often lengthy and expensive, thus favouring those with the resources to instigate and pursue them.</p> <p>Various defences exist, including arguing that the comments are factually true, or that they were made on occasions of “qualified privilege”, where a person has a duty to communicate information and the recipient has a corresponding interest in receiving it.</p> <p>But in one way or another, disputes concerning allegations of sexual and domestic abuse usually come down to matters of credibility and believability that play on gendered stereotypes.</p> <p>It becomes another version of “he said, she said”, and as we’ve seen from the social media response to Amber Heard, women making these types of allegations are often positioned as vengeful or malicious liars before their cases even reach the courts. This is despite the fact <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/0375553f-0395-46cc-9574-d54c74fa601a/aihw-fdv-5.pdf.aspx?inline=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sexual assault</a> and <a href="https://www.safesteps.org.au/understanding-family-violence/who-experiences-family-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intimate partner violence</a> are common, and <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017-09/apo-nid107216_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">false reporting</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26679304/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is rare</a>.</p> <p>In fact, most victims don’t tell the police, their employer or others what happened to them due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-90-of-sexual-assault-victims-do-not-go-to-police-this-is-how-we-can-achieve-justice-for-survivors-157601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fears</a> of not being believed, facing professional consequences, or being subject to <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-online-hate-for-amber-heard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shaming and further abuse</a>.</p> <p>Heard has received thousands of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/amber-heard-says-she-receives-death-threats-every-day-over-depp-claims-2022-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death threats</a> and suffered relentless mockery on social media.</p> <p><strong>Time for reform</strong></p> <p>The global #MeToo movement and recent Australian campaigns, such as those instigated by Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins, encourage survivors to speak out and push collectively for change.</p> <p>But now, ruinous and humiliating defamation suits could further coerce and convince women to keeping their experiences quiet and private. Measures must be taken to better protect public speech on such matters.</p> <p>One potential way forward is for defamation trials involving imputations of gendered abuse to incorporate expert evidence about the nature of sexual and domestic violence in our society.</p> <p>For decades, <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/hwlj19&amp;div=8&amp;g_sent=1&amp;casa_token=&amp;collection=journals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feminist legal scholars</a> fought for the inclusion of such evidence in criminal trials, especially those relating to matters of self-defence in domestic homicides and issues of consent in rape proceedings.</p> <p>Expert sociological and psychological evidence can combat and discredit ingrained patriarchal assumptions and myths – comments and questions such as “what was she wearing?”; “why didn’t she fight back?”; “why didn’t she just leave him?”; “why was she nice to him afterwards?” or “why didn’t she tell people at the time?”</p> <p>Otherwise, pervasive gender bias – often held by both men and women, judge and jury – can undermine the voices and accounts of women before they even set foot in court, before they even open their mouths.</p> <p>Defamation trials have not traditionally included such expert evidence. But now that they have become a powerful forum for silencing speech about gendered harm, perhaps it’s time they did so.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184324/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-lake-126813" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jessica Lake</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-the-depp-v-heard-case-make-other-abuse-survivors-too-scared-to-speak-up-184324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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From cancer diagnosis to a shoulder to lean on: One volunteer shares her story

<p dir="ltr">Sharon Dreise was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 at the age of 58, when she finally got a mammogram following years of putting off breast screens.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having been successfully treated, Sharon now volunteers with the Cancer Council’s <a href="https://www.cancer.org.au/support-and-services/support-groups/cancer-connect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cancer Connect</a> program - an anonymous, confidential telephone peer support service for people diagnosed with localised cancer and those experiencing survivorship issues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I first heard of Cancer Connect, I thought it sounded like a fabulous service, now it is one of the most rewarding things I do with Cancer Council,” Sharon says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is a great way for people to share their own personal experiences with someone who understands. It gives people the freedom to react how they want to react with no judgement.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With her own experiences with cancer, Sharon speaks to people from when they are first diagnosed to their last days of treatment and helps them learn what to expect.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When you are told you have cancer, your whole world changes, so to be able to provide comfort and understanding to people is so rewarding,” she says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I first speak to someone at the beginning of their cancer experience, they are so worried and concerned. There is a big difference to our last call when they seem so happy and thankful, it gives you the warm and fuzzies.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Diagnosis of cancer can be a lonely experience, but Sharon says that volunteering with Cancer Council in programs like Cancer Connect can help provide support for those who need it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If I can help them, even just to listen to them, which is often the case, they often say they feel so much better,” she says.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>If you or anyone you know is affected by cancer and in need of support, call Cancer Council’s Information and Support Service on 13 11 20.</em></p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-7f4afc5f-7fff-c8b2-f12a-af1bcc827744"></span></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

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“It’s emotional and scary”: White Island eruption survivor removes her face mask

<p dir="ltr">A survivor of the 2019 White Island volcano eruption who suffered burns to 70 percent of her body has finally been able to remove her face mask.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephanie Browitt was visiting New Zealand’s northeastern Bay of Plenty region with her sister and father, who were both among the 22 people who died in the eruption.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her road to recovery has been a long and difficult one, which she has shared on social media with more than 1.6 million followers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing on Nine’s <em>60 Minutes</em>, Stephanie removed her compression mask for the first time, telling host Sarah Abo that it was a “big deal” and that it felt like “this day would never come”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s emotional and scary. It is actually quite daunting as much as it is exciting,” she said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-544c330b-7fff-ab83-7c65-728b0ded1b94"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Looking in the mirror, Stephanie said she saw a woman who was tougher than she ever thought she could be.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/steph8.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="721" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 60 Minutes</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“I see a person who has gone through so much more than I ever expected to go through in life. I see a very tormented person,” she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">As much as this is exciting, it has been a long, hard journey to get here. I am tougher than I ever thought I would be.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-009138d2-7fff-ca5c-152c-bf17a9b2f5ae"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I have learnt that the fight for survival is a real thing. I was literally fighting every day to survive, to just get back to being myself. I never knew that I had this in me.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CedLNM1vrna/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CedLNM1vrna/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Stephanie Coral Browitt (@stephaniecoral96)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Sunday’s episode also showed never-before-seen photos of Stephanie’s injuries, revealing the extent of the severe burns that covered almost her whole body.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephanie told the program that she remembers waking up for the first time since the incident, after she was in a coma for two weeks, in bits and pieces.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was full of tubes and surrounded by medical equipment and in a very small room with lots of noises. Those things will always stay with me, I don’t think they will ever leave. It’s just things you don’t forget,” the 26-year-old said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said her recovery had been extremely difficult, especially in the early stages.</p> <p dir="ltr">I had to start from scratch like a baby. Sitting upright, getting out of bed, taking my first few steps, even feeding myself – I had to relearn all of those skills from scratch and they didn’t come easy at all,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was incredibly difficult.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There have been plenty of moments where I have wanted to give up, or I have just been in tears not wanting to do anything. But I do feel I have come a long way from day one.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephanie is now in the process of suing Royal Caribbean, the company that ran the excursion to the island on the day of the eruption, over the physical and psychological injuries she has suffered.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her lawyer, Peter Gordan, claimed that data from the weeks prior showed that the island was a “ticking time bomb”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It makes me furious. They let down so many people … So many people died needlessly,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think Steph’s injuries are the worst I have ever seen. I don’t think I have ever met quite an exceptional person in the way she has battled on.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the hardship she has - and continues - to overcome, Stephanie is looking to the future, telling <em>60 Minutes</em> she hopes to “go back to as normal a life as possible” and plans to return to working full-time, travelling and her social life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know I have got the support of so many people, and that helps me realise that this isn’t as scary as I feel it is,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-128a9a3c-7fff-1315-2a8e-5a18eb83ed58"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @stephaniecoral96 (Instagram)</em></p>

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Art gallery investigates links to Holocaust

<p dir="ltr">The Wollongong Art Gallery in New South Wales is grappling with shocking new revelations that a major donor with a gallery named after him may have been a Nazi collaborator before emigrating to Australia from Lithuania. </p> <p dir="ltr">Bronius "Bob" Sredersas donated approximately 100 works by revered Australian artists to the gallery in 1976, just six years before he died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite working as a steelworker at Port Kembla, he saved his money to meticulously collect valuable paintings. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, after the gallery’s 40th birthday celebrations in 2018, which also celebrated the central role Sredersas played in its establishment, former councillor Michael Samaras noticed he was described as a policeman for the Lithuanian government's Department of Security.</p> <p dir="ltr">The councillor found the findings suspicious and decided to investigate further. </p> <p dir="ltr">"When all the publicity happened for the 40th anniversary of the gallery there was media, including on the ABC Illawarra webpage, about the fact that he was a policeman in Lithuania before the war," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And I just knew from general knowledge that a lot of the police from Lithuania ended up in what was called the Auxiliary Police Battalion, which actually did much of the killing in the Holocaust.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"The Wollongong City Library local studies section has a whole three boxes of material on him so I got his birth certificate."</p> <p dir="ltr">In uncovering these devastating claims, the Wollongong council, who owns the gallery, has been put on the back foot, with Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery receiving letters from the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies who have offered to help work with the council to investigate. </p> <p dir="ltr">"That has to be dealt with in a way that does not hide the past, recognises the allegations if they are proven and how we deal with the Sredersas Collection and how that's represented or interpreted," Mr Bradbery said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the investigation is ongoing, Dr Efraim Zuroff, director of the Jewish human rights organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, has suggested council remove the name of Bob Sredersas from the gallery in the meantime. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said, "I think it's important that a decision is made to remove his name as it's basically a statement that we do not want to honour people who participate in the crimes of the Holocaust."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Wollongong City Council </em></p>

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New Zealand mosque shooting survivor completes Walk for Peace

<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand man who was shot nine times completed a two-week walk and bike ride stretching across the country - all in the name of peace.</p> <p dir="ltr">Temel Atacocugu retraced the steps of the gunman who attacked two Christchurch mosques and took 51 lives on the <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/three-years-on-since-mosque-terrorist-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third anniversary</a> of the shooting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wanted to fix this damage,” Atacocugu told the <em><a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/15/1086599199/shot-9-times-at-new-zealand-mosque-survivor-walks-for-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a></em>. “Because three years ago, he started that journey with hate.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The 47-year-old said he wanted to bless the 360-kilometre route from Dunedin to the two Christchurch mosques and raise funds for charity along the way.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he initially intended to make the entire journey on foot, temperamental weather and the onset of severe blisters and blood poisoning saw him spend several days in a local hospital about halfway through.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The best point was meeting lots of beautiful people and getting great support from them,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The low point was being in the emergency room. But I was not going to give up. I got on my bike straight after discharge.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2423fe0d-7fff-3a03-4924-820c848f6e59"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Travelling by bike also helped him make up for lost time.</p> <p><iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fatacocugutemel%2Fphotos%2Fa.109136465031924%2F120754257203478%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="375" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday at 1.40pm - the exact time he was shot during Friday prayers in 2019 - Atacocugu entered the Al Noor mosque after walking the final stretch with about 50 supporters.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I made a speech, it was very emotional,” Atacocugu said. “I was so happy. It was a big relief to have completed my mission.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Having been shot in the mouth, his left arm and both legs during the attack, Atacocugu said he often felt pain from his injuries on his journey.</p> <p dir="ltr">Afterwards, he said he planned to recuperate with a long sleep and perhaps a sauna and spa.</p> <p dir="ltr">As his gruelling journey came to an end, an <a href="https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/temels-walk-for-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online donations page</a> showed that Atacocugu had raised $NZD 64,000 ($AUD 43,000) for three charities benefiting children: the Child Cancer Foundation, Save the Children New Zealand, and The Key to Life Charitable Trust.</p> <p dir="ltr">As of Wednesday afternoon, the sum came to a whopping $NZD 72,215 ($AUD 67,870).</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e1e544c-7fff-4eaf-80b5-5d5bdc146a3a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Temel’s Walk for Peace (Facebook)</em></p>

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