When I Was Young

PREGNANCY PROBLEMS

Pregnant woman to return newborn to biological parents

Sylvania (Ohio) - A pregnant American woman, Ms Carolyn Savage, has decided to give up her baby after an IVF blunder meant she was mistakenly implanted with another couple's embryo.

The 40-year-old, who is 35 weeks pregnant, and her husband Sean, will have to give up the baby boy to his biological parents when he is born in about a fortnight.

The religious couple have decided not to terminate the pregnancy but return the baby boy to his parents, who have not been named.

The mother of three, from Sylvania, Ohio, described her anguish after being told the baby she was carrying was not actually hers.

"The hardest part is going to be the delivery," Mrs Savage told NBC's Today programme.

"We moved from a position of shock to a realisation that this was actually going to happen. It has just been difficult, but we feel we made the right decision on how to handle it," she said.

The couple has two sons, aged 15 and 12, and an 18-month-old daughter, who was also conceived through IVF.

Mrs Savage learned she was pregnant with a boy in February after deciding to have another child using the last of her frozen embryos.

She had been having trouble getting pregnant and she was told by doctors this was the last child she could have.

The boy's biological parents have expressed their gratitude to the couple. Mrs Savage said: "We will wonder about this child every day of our lives."

"We have hopes for him, but they're his parents and we'll defer to their judgment on when and if they tell him what happened, and any contact that's afforded us."

The couple's lawyers were working to ensure that the fertility clinic that made the mistake "will accept full responsibility for the consequences of their misconduct". THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 23-Sep-2009

Michael Jackson via last.fm

Image via Wikipedia

Michael Jackson via last.fm

Image via Wikipedia

Not everyone can be accommodated, and some have to go through unpleasant experiences of being driven away from their desire to pay tribute to Michael Jackson.

See the story here.

Catch Michael Jackson on this very last video before his death… he was preparing for his ‘Final Concert’, and he never made it.

By Melanie Yip, 938 LIVE | Posted: 23 June 2009 2135 hrs

SINGAPORE: More singles in Singapore are leaving it to fate to help find their other half, according to a recent survey conducted by local dating agency Lunch Actually.

While singles in Singapore cited more traditional methods of relying on peers or having family and relatives keep a lookout for that special someone, more have decided not to rush into things, and leaving it to chance.

In a survey conducted by the agency in 2005, only eight per cent said they left it to fate to decide who they will meet. This group has grown since.

Now, 14 per cent of singles surveyed said they do not mind leaving it to fate to find that someone who shares the same values and interests.

Lunch Actually's co-founder, Violet Lim, attributes this mindset change to media influence.

She said: "(This is due to) the movies that we watch, the books that we read. So we feel that it is only right that we meet someone by chance, as opposed to taking a more proactive approach to meeting someone.

"And because so many people are hoping to meet someone by chance, the probability of that happening is very low. So as a result, why many are still single is because they have not met anyone that they want to be involved with."

The same survey also found that single men and women in Singapore have different dating expectations. For example, almost 60 per cent of women say they are open to dating younger men. Half of the male respondents say they are not against dating older women.

In terms of assessing their partners on educational qualification, about 40 per cent of female respondents say they will not date men with lower educational levels, while more than 70 per cent of men say they are fine dating women with higher qualifications.

Men are also more receptive to dating women who earn more than them.

Three-quarters of the women polled say they will not date men who are shorter than them.

- 938 LIVE/yb

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Image via Wikipedia

06/15/2009 | 10:16 AM

GRIMENTZ, Switzerland – Furie and Cigale eye each other warily, take a step forward and lock horns.

It's an ancient ritual, one that plays out each summer high in the Swiss Alps, as cows battle to be queen and villagers come to watch.

Judges record every fight as spectators sit on the surrounding mountainside, sipping local wines and cheering their family herd. But it is the cows who choose who to fight and who will reign supreme at the end of the season.

"They've been doing this ever since my grandparents were young, and even before that," says Marthe Vianin, once the proud owner of several fighting cows. "It's hundreds of years old."

Vianin, in her sixties, has come to watch her son's two cows — Tzardon and Bamby — take on champions from other herds.

Down in the corral, Bergamote faces off a challenge from Berkane with a fierce stare and a tussle of horns. No harm done. Still, there are clearly some seasoned fighters in this contest, judging from the scars they bear from past battles.

Locals insist the bovine power-struggle is both humane and irrepressible.

"It's very rare for them to hurt themselves," says Vianin.

The fighting season starts in early June, when cows are taken up to pastures 9,000-feet (2,700-meters) high and encounter rival herds. What follows are a hundred days of grazing on lush Alpine meadows — and lots of fighting.

Black, with short legs and built more like bulls than cows, the Herens breed found in the southern canton (state) of Valais is naturally competitive and will always establish their own hierarchy. Natural leaders distinguish themselves in battle, where strength and determination are key.

In the fall, the herds' return to the valley is marked by a celebration. Owners decorate their cows with flowers and giant bells and they parade through the village, led, of course, by the queen.

"It's a beautiful thing to see," says Trisha Cochrane from London, who owns a vacation home in the village of Grimentz.

There is no prize money for the winner, but owners can fetch a handsome price — up to $30,000 (euro21,000) — if they choose to sell a queen.

Most important, says local Albert Salamin, is the respect.

The winner's owner is "king of the village for the year. He's more respected than the mayor," Salamin says to laughs from bystanders.

The Salamin brothers have several cows in competition, but Albert admits only his brother Armand's prize heifer Bolero stands a real chance this year.

Cow fighting is still taken seriously, but it's largely a hobby and a cherished tradition for most villagers, who have long since stopped living off the land.

Four-wheel drive cars and all-year tourism have changed life in these remote Alpine valleys, bringing prosperity and making cattle-rearing less appealing to a younger generation.

"Even 40 years ago, most families got much of what they needed from three or four cows," says Salamin. "Milk, cheese, meat, the cows provided it all." - AP

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 05-Jun-2008 edition

COURT YOUR SPOUSE
By Dr Bill Maier

How well do you build up your mate’s self-esteem? Drs Les and Leslie Parrott have written a great book called The Love List. In it, they outline some powerful ideas to make your spouse feel special.

For instance, try looking for ways to praise your husband or wife. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, just a simple word of encouragement.

Tell them, “You look really great today,” or “I really appreciate what a great Mum you are.”

When you’re with friends, make it a point of bringing up one of your spouse’s good qualities. Say something like, “Kelly is an amazing cook. You should try her lasagna.”

You’ll be surprised how many brownie points you score with a simple compliment.

When you’re alone, don’t forget to tell your spouse how much you love them.

All of us need to know that we’re loved and appreciated. Everyone likes to be courted, even if they’ve been married for 20 years.

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 04-Jun-2008 edition

A Bullied Child
By Dr Bill Maier

Would you know if your child was being bullied in school?

Most of us think we know our kids pretty well, but they don’t always give clear clues about what’s going on in their world.

When kids are bullied it’s embarrassing for them and they may not want their parents to know about it, even though they need someone to confide in.

There are some signs we can watch out for. Some kids may develop irrational fears that they didn’t have before.

When it comes time for school, they may complain of vague physical ailments, such as headaches or stomach pain.

Other kids may develop nightmares, or have trouble sleeping.

Any behaviour that seems out of the ordinary may mean your child is struggling with a bully at school.

Of course, it could also signal a more serious problem. Observant parents are quick to notice these changes and even quicker to step in and help.

Kids who are most reluctant to talk about their problems are usually the ones who need to talk about it most.