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Entertainment

Hunted viewers smoke over ‘wildly unfair’ twist

Hunted viewers smoke over 'wildly unfair' twist

With just two more episodes to go this season, the investigative team on Ten’s hit reality show Hunted is going to extreme lengths to try to capture the last remaining fugitives in the game.

But some measures taken in Sunday night’s episode didn’t go down well with viewers, who accused the Hunters of playing dirty.

Sunday’s episode focused heavily on Bondi couple Lavinia and Nick, who had lasted two weeks in the game without detection because they had largely remained off-grid.

The couple had been staying at remote campsites, not contacting friends or family, and had not touched the bank card given to them at the start of the game to access any of the funds contestants were given to survive.

But they were getting tired, hungry and desperate, so decided to head into a nearby town to grab some money from an ATM.

At the same time the Hunters, frustrated by their lack of leads, decided to freeze the couple’s ATM card. Cut to “CCTV” footage from the ATM, as Lavinia tried and tried to get some money out, only to be told her card wouldn’t work. The Hunters cheered and laughed as she struggled to work out why one of their few lifelines in the game could be taken away before they’d even used it.

Elsewhere in Sunday’s episode, the heavy-handed tactics of the hunted ground crew continued to have viewers siding with the fugitives and those helping to hide them.

Friends Puneet and Kris dropped by the remote country property of one of their contacts, but soon sensed that the Hunters might have been on to them and quickly fled.

Their intuition proved correct: Two Hunters weren’t far behind, and told property owner Graham and his wife – who looked visibly rattled at the intrusion – that it was “in their best interests” to tell them the truth, while filming them with their phones, searching the property and demanding information.

In the end, the hunted team managed to capture three more fugitives last night: teammates Puneet and Kris, as well as Nick, leaving his fiance Lavinia on the run by herself with no money.

That leaves only two complete teams in the race for the $100,000 prize money: Stathi and Matt, and Jake and Rob, two pairs of friends who have both gone to extreme lengths to evade detection, with elaborate disguises and undercover aliases.

The penultimate episode of hunted airs on Ten at 7.30pm tonight, before Tuesday night’s season finale.

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Categories
Sports

Tolu Latu returns to Australia, Tom Horton joins Leicester Tigers, Rugby World Cup 2023, Rugby Championship

Tolu Latu (C) has signed a one-year deal with the Waratahs, while Tom Horton is heading to England. Photo: Getty Images

Tolu Latu is once again a Waratah, and the hooker could yet emerge as a player of national interest should he keep on the straight and narrow over the next 16 months.

After weeks of negotiations with the Waratahs, the 21-Test hooker signed a one-year deal with the Super Rugby franchise last week.

By doing so, Darren Coleman has opted for the immense capability of Latu over rising hooker Tom Horton to compete with Wallabies incumbent hooker Dave Porecki and Mahe Vailanu.

It can be revealed Horton, 25, will instead join up with England Premiership champions Leicester, who are coached by Eddie Jones’ former right-hand man Steve Borthwick.

Tom Horton is heading to Leicester and won’t return to the Waratahs for 2023 after Tolu Latu signed with Darren Coleman’s men. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

With Argentine international Julian Montoya unavailable, Tom Youngs retired and Sydney-born England squad member Nic Dolly injured, Borthwick needs a hooker and Horton will compete for the role once his visa is approved and he touches down in the region.

The short-term deal is the perfect opportunity for Horton to grow after a frustrating few years where injuries have slowed his development.

But the Sydney Uni hooker need only look at his former teammate Porecki for inspiration, with the 29-year-old plying his trade in England for years before an opening popped up back at the Waratahs last year. Porecki’s Wallabies debut was delayed by a year because of an injury, but the experienced rake was one of Dave Rennie’s best players against England in July.

Latu’s return is hardly surprising.

He has been linked to a return with the Waratahs ever since he was let go by Stade Francais earlier in the year.

The Waratahs will have two Test hookers at the franchise with Tolu Latu joining Dave Porecki. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

His departure from the Paris-based Top 14 outfit came after more ill-discipline off the pitch and reckless moments on it, which ultimately saw the 21-Test hooker farewelled.

But his incredible potential, where he is one of the best in Australian rugby over the ball and at the scrum, has seen Australian rugby give the cat with nine lives another chance.

It shapes as his last, with Latu to be shown the door if he puts one foot wrong given his history.

Wallaby Tolu Latu has been handed a lifeline by the Waratahs. Photo: AAPSource: AAP

Latu has joined on a contract worth barely six figures, but if he manages to keep on the right side of the boot greater riches lay ahead.

He is unlikely to come into the reckoning for the Wallabies this year unless a number of injuries, but given his outstanding World Cup campaign in 2019 he is a bolter for next year’s tournament in France.

He will compete with Porecki, Folau Fainga’a and Lachlan Lonergan – all three of whom are in Argentina ahead of the Wallabies’ opening Rugby Championship fixture against Michael Cheika’s Los Pumas in Mendoza on Sunday (AEST).

Argentina’s Australian coach Michael Cheika looks on before the series-deciding international against Scotland at the Madre de Ciudades Stadium in Santiago del Estero. Photo: AFPSource: AFP

Sunday’s Test shapes as a season defining one, especially with the All Blacks fighting fires on a number of fronts.

Not only do the All Blacks have the immense challenge of taking on the Springboks twice in South Africa, they are likely playing for coach Ian Foster’s future.

Foster, unlike two of his assistants, might have been spared the ax following their first series loss on home soil since 1994, but New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson hardly filled him with confidence when he stopped short of saying he would lead the All Blacks through to next year’s World Cup.

“He’s certainly the person to lead the team to South Africa, and we’re making sure they’ve got everything possible in the way of resourcing and support to make sure that’s successful,” Robinson told Newstalk ZB from Birmingham.

Robinson’s comments came after former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said relations between the New Zealand Rugby board and the players were at their lowest ebb.

“The relationship between the board and the [executive] with the players at the moment is probably the worst it’s ever been,” he said on local radio.

“I don’t think they’re doing their job right at the moment.”

While former NZR boss David Moffett called for Robinson to stand down.

The rumblings in the front office, and the lingering feeling the All Blacks have the wrong man coaching with Scott Robertson waiting in the wings, have left the feeling the All Blacks are at their most vulnerable in two decades ahead of the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup .

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Categories
Australia

More than half of regional Australians are not seeking medical help for chronic pain due to isolation, survey finds

More than half of regional Australians are not seeking medical help for chronic pain due to isolation, survey finds

The 360-kilometre drive Paul Klotz has to make to get medical help for his chronic pain is “like torture”, according to the chronic pain sufferer.

He has issues with his back, which makes sitting in a car extremely difficult.

But it is just one part of his long and complicated medical history that means he regularly needs to travel from his home in Bundaberg, in Queensland, to get help.

He had a heart attack 20 years ago, a stroke seven years ago, he has epilepsy functional neurological disorder, and he had a bit of his bowel removed just before Christmas.

But getting treated for his chronic pain has been a long, slow and painful journey, as he said there were no appropriate medical services in his home town.

“To be honest, and to be blunt, they’re non-existent,” he said.

“The GPs do the best they can, but for cardiologists, oncologists, dermatologists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists, I have to get to Brisbane to see those.

A bearded man in a darkened room.
Paul Klotz says many chronic pain sufferers cannot work full time and do not have the money to pursue medical help.(ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)

“The expectation for me to sit in the car for six hours’ drive for a short appointment down there, and then have to face six hours coming back, it’s torture, pure torture.”

The ever-increasing cost of fuel and the regular need for accommodation is also a huge financial ask to cover for the disability pensioner.

Chronic pain sufferers going without food, medical treatment

Mr Klotz’s willingness to travel from regional Australia to a big city to seek medical help puts him in the minority, according to a new survey from the not-for-profit group Chronic Pain Australia.

President Fiona Hodson said the organisation’s annual survey showed that 53 per cent of chronic pain sufferers in regional Australia were not getting the medical help they needed due to their location.

Chronic Pain Australia president Fiona Hodson.
Fiona Hodson says it is alarming that regional pain sufferers are not getting the medical help they need.(Supplied)

“It is quite alarming that there are that many people who are unable to access these services,” she said.

Ms Hodson said the lack of services often led people to self-medicate, and the recent survey of 1,500 chronic pain sufferers showed 48 per cent used alcohol to self-medicate.

That figure was 28 per cent for cigarettes and 26 per cent for non-medically prescribed cannabis.

Ms Hodson said the survey also showed that 70 per cent of chronic pain sufferers had gone without food in order to continue treating their condition, and 55 per cent said they had not been able to see a specialist due to the cost.

Having private health insurance did not seem to help either, as 65 per cent of respondents with policies said they were still going without food and fuel to get treatment.

“Health services and treatment options, which are inaccessible due to remoteness and also unaffordable for many, can force people living with chronic pain to seek out unsafe ways to manage and cope with their pain,” Ms Hodson said.

“Many don’t feel like they have a choice.”

The Rural Doctors Association of Australia said more money was needed to attract doctors to regional Australia.

President Megan Belot urged the federal government to bring back a Medicare rebate for GP-facilitated specialist appointments, saying it was lost in a change from emergency COVID measures.

“In rural settings, the local doctor is usually the ongoing care provider, so we need these GP-facilitated consultations to help the local team manage the patient’s condition in accordance with the advice from the consultant specialist,” Dr Belot said.

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Categories
US

Doctor: Biden tests positive for COVID for 2nd day in a row

Doctor: Biden tests positive for COVID for 2nd day in a row

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for the second straight dayin what appears to be a rare case of “rebound” following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

In a letter noting the positive testDr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, said Sunday that the president “continues to feel well” and will keep on working from the executive residence while he isolates.

Biden tested positive on Saturday, requiring him to cancel travel and in-person events as he isolates for at least five days in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

After initially testing positive on July 21, Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid. He tested negative for the virus this past Tuesday and Wednesday, clearing him to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors.

Research suggests that a minority of those prescribed Paxlovid experience a rebound case of the virus. The fact that a rebound rather than a reinfection possibly occurred is a positive sign for Biden’s health once he’s clear of the disease.

“The fact that the president has cleared his illness and doesn’t have symptoms is a good sign and makes it less likely he will develop long COVID,” said Dr. Albert Ho, an infectious disease specialist at Yale University’s school of public health.

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Categories
Technology

Microsoft Reports Weak Gaming Numbers, Games Releases An Issue – channelnews

Microsoft Reports Weak Gaming Numbers, Games Releases An Issue – channelnews

As PC gaming and more so mobile gaming takes off console gaming is starting to feel the effects of a consumer switch to new gaming platforms with Microsoft reporting that in the last quarter 2022 sales of the Xbox were down 7% year-on-year, with declines in revenue from both hardware (down 11%) and content and services (down 6%).

Recently the big gaming Company cut a deal with Samsung to get their Game Pass games in front of millions of consumers who own a current model Samsung TV, this is expected to grow both PC and mobile gaming in Australia generating millions in revenue for Microsoft as users look for high performance TV and monitor display screens.

Currently both Microsoft and Sony’s consoles are in short supply partially due to global supply chain problems.

Game Industry Biz claims that the failure is largely attributable to economic and supply chain conditions that are global in nature.

The 11% decline in hardware revenues, in particular, is very specific to the current climate, rather than being indicative of a deeper problem.

They claim that Microsoft is a little more exposed to demand-side issues at this point simply because the Xbox Series S has much better availability.

On the software front God of War Ragnarok was one of only three major releases Sony delivered this year Microsoft has none.

While the supply chain issues remain a source of frustration the more concerning numbers, are the lower levels of engagement and monetization Microsoft reported.

While Game Pass, is continuing to grow its subscription numbers, the 6% dip in content and services revenue arguably stands as quantifiable evidence of the common claim that 2022 is simply a weak year for game releases.

This is something that many commentators and consumers have been saying since the start of the year and was amplified further when publisher showcases in late spring confirmed that several more major titles have slipped to 2023.

Elden Ring is the only real blockbuster we’ve had thus far.

Microsoft’s failure to release new games is a consequence of the firm’s ongoing struggle to bring its first party and platform exclusive development pipeline up to scratch after years of neglect claims GIB.

They claim that the problem is industry-wide, and this drop in engagement is likely to be reflected across 2022’s numbers from many of the industry’s biggest companies.

Microsoft’s numbers do carry a warning for how 2022 is going to shape up.

Many companies are going to post tough figures this year reports GIB.

About Post Author

David Richards has been writing about technology for more than 30 years. A former Fleet Street journalist, he wrote the Award Winning Series on the Federated Ships Painters + Dockers Union for the Bulletin that led to a Royal Commission. He is also a Logie Winner for Outstanding Contribution To TV Journalism with a story called The Werribee Affair. In 1997, he built the largest Australian technology media company and prior to that the third largest PR company that became the foundation company for Ogilvy PR. Today he writes about technology and the impact on both business and consumers.

Categories
Entertainment

Gordon Ramsay sparks outrage on TikTok teasing lambs to slaughter

Gordon Ramsay sparks outrage on TikTok teasing lambs to slaughter

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is no stranger to stirring up controversy.

The TV personality, 55, has sparked outrage after he posted a 28-second video on TikTok of him playfully picking out lambs to eat.

“Yummy, yum, yum, yum, yum,” he said in the clip, as he climbed over the fence into the yard.

“Which one’s going in the oven first?” he asked, before pointing at the lamb he wanted and proclaiming, “You.”

“The lamb sauce was still not found in the making of this video,” he jokingly captioned the video.

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The video has attracted 7.7 million views, with many furious that the MasterChef host would consider slaughtering those lambs.

“Ok I am not a vegan or vegetarian but that crosses the line,” one person wrote.

“Don’t play with your food, Gordon,” another jokily said.

“Alright I think Gordon has finally lost it. Someone do something before it’s too late,” a third said.

“Gordon please leave them alone,” a fourth person wrote. “Find the lamb sauce, not the lamb.”

Many fans wondered if the video was a response to a feud with a vegan TikTok user who had called Ramsay out for his love of meat.

Last year, the British chef was scolded by TikToker That Vegan Teacher who sang, “Eating animals is wrong, Gordon Ramsay. Hurting animals is wrong, Gordon Ramsay. Share this song, Gordon Ramsay.”

Ramsay responded by duetting the clip on the app — and paired it with footage of him eating a hamburger.

– with New York Post

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Categories
Sports

Greg Norman LIV golf mess could end in player boycott, Davis Love III says

Greg Norman LIV golf mess could end in player boycott, Davis Love III says

Davis Love III has a proposition to solve the divide that the LIV Golf Invitational Series has caused.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the World Golf Hall of Famer and captain of the US Presidents Cup team expressed frustration over how LIV is plucking players from the PGA Tour and disrupting the sport. So he suggested that he could see a scenario where players boycott a major championship to motivate golf’s governing bodies to ban LIV players from competing in them.

“Well, here’s the biggest lever; and it’s not the nice lever,” Love told Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated. “But if a group of veterans and a group of top current players align with 150 guys on the Tour, and we say, “Guess what? We’re not playing,’ that solves it, right? If LIV guys play in the US Open, we’re not playing. If they sue in court, and they win, well, we’re not playing. You know, there won’t be a US Open. It’s just like a baseball strike.”

The PGA Tour has issued indefinite suspensions to players who are participating in LIV, which in turn has made them ineligible to participate in this year’s Presidents Cup, which is run by the PGA Tour. It also hinders their ability to play in the Ryder Cup, since players need to earn qualifications through Tour events and be a PGA of America member.

While the PGA Championship, US Open and the British Open have all acknowledged the headache LIV Golf has caused, these major championships still allowed qualified players to play in their tournaments this year.

Back in April, Masters chairman Fred Ridley said Phil Mickelson was not prohibited from playing as a past champion despite the fact that the six-time major championship winner was clearly headed toward signing with LIV. Love said he exchanged several messages with Mickelson, who was ultimately one of the first players to go.

Love has tried to convince players they could be making a long-term mistake and has asked if they are comfortable with never playing in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup again.

“Some of them understood it,” Love said. “Some of them think they are going to court or whatever and are going to prevail, and they’re gonna get to come back. What they don’t seem to understand is that players make the rules. So we can strengthen the rules rather than loosening the rules, right?”

With the deadline to make his captain’s selections for the US President Cup team just a few weeks away, Love has to recognize that players for both teams could potentially leave prior to then and after the FedEx Cup playoffs. LIV is scheduled for two events in September before the Presidents Cup.

This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission

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Categories
Australia

Passenger fined after bringing undeclared McDonald’s products from Bali into Darwin

A traveler returning from Bali has been slapped with a hefty fine after trying to bring undeclared McDonald’s products into Australia.

The contraband Macca’s run included two egg and beef sausage McMuffins, hot cakes and a ham croissant.

It was detected at Darwin Airport by the facilities new detector dog Zinta last week, with the returning passenger issued a $2664 infringement notice.

Undeclared McDonald's products were found by a detection dog at Darwin Airport last week, stoking foot and mouth fears.
Undeclared McDonald’s products were found by a detection dog at Darwin Airport last week, stoking foot and mouth fears. (Supplied)

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said Australia is committed to staying “FMD-free”.

Zinta was placed at Darwin Airport as part of the Albanese Government's tough new biosecurity defences.
Zinta was placed at Darwin Airport as part of the Albanese Government’s tough new biosecurity defences. (Supplied)

“This will be the most expensive Macca’s meal this passenger ever has, this fine is twice the cost of an airfare to Bali,” he said.

“But I have no sympathy for people who choose to disobey Australia’s strict biosecurity measures, and recent detections show you will be caught.

“Australia is FMD-free, and we want it to stay that way.

“It’s excellent to see (Zinta) is already contributing to keeping the country safe.”

Foot and mouth disease causes blisters on the mouth, snout, tongue, lips and between and above the hooves on the feet.
Foot and mouth disease causes blisters on the mouth, snout, tongue, lips and between and above the hooves on the feet. (DAAF)

FMD is a highly-contagious virus that affects hooved animals.

An outbreak is currently spreading through Indonesia and Bali. If the virus reaches Australian shores it could cost as much as $80 billion over 10 years.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) says FMD can be carried in meat and dairy products, as well as in soil, bones, untreated hides, vehicles and equipment.

It can also survive in frozen, chilled and freeze-dried foods including meat and dairy products.

The worst 10 airports for flight delays around the world

Categories
US

Flashy NYC bishop robbed of $1M re-enacts jewelry heist at service

Flashy NYC bishop robbed of $1M re-enacts jewelry heist at service

The Gucci-loving Brooklyn bishop robbed during a livestreamed service bizarrely re-enacted the crime at his prayer meeting Sunday — including by hitting the floor as if taking cover again.

“I need you to get back in position when the three men came in here with them guns out. I gotta get back into position, ”flamboyant Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead said, addressing his congregation of him, including those watching him on Zoom, as he made a“ voosh ”sound and stepped behind his podium.

“As I began to preach, I saw the door open,” Miller-Whitehead, 44, recalled of last week’s million-dollar-plus jewelry heist. “And I looked, and I said, ‘OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK.’

The bishop — who denied Friday that the sensational crime was part of any purported insurance scam — added, “As I got down on the floor, I told my church, ‘Y’all get out.’ “

That’s when he splayed his body out on the floor for dramatic effect, according to video captured by The Post.

Miller-Whitehead, who has an alleged history of grifting and served time in prison for identity theft and grand larceny, lost more than an estimated $1 million in jewelry in the incident.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead, (pictured, re-enacting the robbery when he hit the ground) preaching one week after he was robbed during his sermon.
Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead re-enacted how he reacted when he was robbed during a sermon last week.
Gregory P Mango
Bishop Lamor Whitehead, (pictured) preaching one week after he was robbed during his sermon.
Miller-Whitehead denied that the sensational crime was part of any purported insurance scam.
Gregory P Mango
Whitehead gets on the ground during the robbery.
The robbers took a $75,000 Rolex watch, $75,000 Cavalier watch and several crosses worth tens of thousands of dollars each.

The bishop told his congregants Sunday that God would bring him back “double” what he lost, likening himself to the Bible’s King David when David faced off the Amalekites and saw his wives captured.

“Don’t think that God allows somebody to come here and steal something for him not to give us double. This is what the Bible says,” Miller-Whitehead said. “David recovered all.”

The gold-and-gem-dripping clergyman — who tools around in luxury vehicles such as a Rolls Royce — has battled back against critics who claim his high-flying lifestyle made him a ripe target for crooks.

Rolls Royce owned or leased by Bishop Lamor Whitehead.
Miller-Whitehead owns several luxurious items, including a Rolls Royce car.
Gregory P Mango

The bishop has blamed the caught-on-video robbery in part on media coverage of his cozy relationship with Mayor Eric Adams.

The robbers’ massive haul last week included a $75,000 Rolex watch, $75,000 Cavalier watch and several crosses worth tens of thousands of dollars each.

“Fendi, Louis, and Gucci, why can’t we wear that in church? What’s wrong with that? the pastor said at a press conference last week.

The burglar looks into the camera.
The robbery was caught on the live stream camera.

It also surfaced last week that Miller-Whitehead is the target of a lawsuit accusing him of bilking a parishioner out of her $90,000 life savings in 2020.

Mayor Adams has defended his relationship with the clergyman, with Hizzoner saying he has an “obligation to mentor other black men that had negative encounters in their lives and other people in general.”

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Categories
Entertainment

Sydney girl’s swollen stomach turned out to be heart condition

Sydney girl's swollen stomach turned out to be heart condition

A Sydney mother has detailed how a seemingly insignificant symptom led to her eight-year-old’s daughter’s entire life changing in a terrifying instant.

When Leah’s daughter Jada developed a swollen, distended stomach, she took her to the GP thinking she was just constipated.

She came away from the appointment with a referral for an ultrasound and encouraged her daughter to drink more water.

But, during that time, Jada’s stomach grew larger and kids started to tease her, claiming she was pregnant.

When Jada’s ultrasound appointment finally came five days later, immediately, Leah knew she and her daughter were in for a lot more than she initially thought.

“The technician’s face practically went white and he told us that we needed to go straight to our GP,” Leah told news.com.au.

“It was late on a Friday afternoon and I remember saying to him the GP’s office was closing soon and I wouldn’t make it.

“He replied with, they are not waiting for you.”

Back at the doctor’s office, Leah was told her daughter had developed ascites – when fluid collects in spaces in your abdomen.

The pair were sent straight to hospital where a cardiologist and gastroenterologist met the pair and began conducting tests of Jada to determine if her heart or her liver were the issue.

The tests showed it was Jada’s heart, and she was placed in intensive care and given medication to drain 5-liters of fluid from her stomach.

“I remember thinking the whole time, why are we in the ICU,” Leah said.

“These other poor children are unconscious, one young teenager had been brought in via CareFlight with an aneurysm.”

After two days, Jada was briefly discharged with the family under strict instructions to return on Monday morning to speak with a specialist.

It was during that meeting Leah was told her little girl had a rare type of heart disease called restrictive cardiomyopathy, which is when the chambers of the heart become stiff over time and makes it harder for the heart to fill with blood.

Jada would need a heart transplant in order to have an active life.

Journey to a new heart

“We couldn’t wrap our own minds around reality,” Leah said.

“Jada was feeling the best she had ever felt after being placed on diuretics and aspirin.

“In her world, nothing was wrong with her.”

For the next six months, Jada was given medication to keep her stomach drained and every three weeks had to undergo echocardiograms and blood tests before meeting a pediatric hearts team in Melbourne to see when Jada would need a transplant.

Leah hoped it would be a few years but, within a week, Jada had to be added to the transplant list immediately.

It was a long six months before the family heard any updates on Jada’s new heart. Finally, one public holiday, when Leah was home with Jada, her three other children of her, a cousin and her parents of her, the call came.

Leah was told to get Jada to the airport as soon as possible and flight details would be worked out but the time they arrived.

“Within two hours we were in Melbourne sitting in the room and talking with Jada’s surgeon,” Leah said.

“We signed consent payments and before you knew it, I was kissing my daughter’s forehead as she fell unconscious on the operating table.”

While Jada was in surgery, Leah and her husband walked the cold streets of Melbourne in a daze unsure of what would happen.

When they could finally see Jada, Leah said she wasn’t prepared for the sight of her daughter laying on the bed with countless tubes attached.

After two long months in Melbourne, Jada was able to come home and the family was reunited.

“Since, Jada has had to endure three-monthly echocardiograms, six to 12-weekly blood tests, and just recently underwent her ninth heart biopsy where the results returned as zero rejection for the first time,” Leah said.

Wishing for a friend

For the last four years, the family has been thankful every day to Jada’s heart donor and their family.

But following her transplant, the now-12-year-old struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and immune issues.

During her order, Jada was eligible for Make-A-Wish, so that she had something positive to focus on.

Originally, she wanted to go to Queensland but Covid restrictions meant that it was nearly impossible.

As the family’s personal lives began to shift with Leah and her husband separating, Jada decided to make her wish for a best friend.

“She researched Sphinx cats and realized that they also can carry a gene responsible for cardiomyopathy and they have annual echocardiograms,” Leah said.

“When Jada asked Make-A-Wish they made the journey possible, it truly gave Jada something positive to focus on.”

So, Penny entered Jada’s life.

Leah attributes some of her daughter’s health successes to the cat.

“The experience allowed Jada to be a kid, to use her imagination and wish big – something sick kids just miss out on the majority of the time.”

Make-A-Wish is currently holding it’s Bake-A-Wish fundraiser

Read related topics:sydney

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