Ping Pong Balls Save Toddler’s Life

2-year-old Mackenzie Argaet of Australia was born with biliary artresia. Her liver developed cirrhosis and she received a liver transplant. During surgery, doctors found the liver was too large and pressed on her arteries. So they held the liver back with ping pong balls! Mackenzie has made a remarkable recovery, and the doctor says that her liver will grow around the balls.

Airbag for Elderly Pedestrians

A new product unveiled at the International Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition in Tokyo resembles nothing more than a walking airbag. One bag inflates behind the head, the other behind the hips. Sensors in the gadget detect when the wearer is off-balance. The device weighs only 2.5 pounds. It is specifically designed for older people with epilepsy. There is a huge market for products for the elderly in Japan, which has 30 million residents over the age of 65.

Skydivers Over Everest

On October 2nd, around three dozen skydivers will attempt to parachute over Mount Everest. Participants from 14 countries will use larger-than-normal parachutes and will wear oxygen masks.

Hurtling past the 8,850-meter (29,035 feet) peak, the skydivers plan, weather permitting, to freefall for 1 minute before deploying their parachutes and cruising for 8-10 minutes to land in a flat drop zone at 12,350 feet.

A Case of Law and Odor

Jose Cruz was arrested after he failed a roadside sobriety test in Charleston, West Virginia. During fingerprinting, he passed gas and was hit with an additional charge of battery on an officer! The battery charge was dropped after a request by the Kanawha County prosecutor’s office. Cruz still faces charges for DUI and obstruction. See a video report here.

PETA Urges Ice Cream Be Made From Breast Milk

The founders of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream received a letter from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) asking them to stop using cow’s milk in their ice cream, and use human breast milk instead.

“The fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn’t make sense,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Everyone knows that ‘the breast is best,’ so Ben & Jerry’s could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk.”

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield responded by saying they believe a woman’s breast milk is “best used for her child.”

Fighting Sheep Get the Blues

A flock of blue sheep was spotted in North Tyneside in England. The farmer had sprayed blue dye on certain parts of the rams before letting his sheep out for mating. The idea was that the dye would transfer to the ewes, indicating which could possibly be pregnant. Instead, or in addition, the rams began fighting with each other, covering themselves completely with blue dye.

Man Sues Over Penis Amputation

61-year-old Philip Seaton of Louisville, Kentucky planned to have a circumcision last October. Instead, he woke up from general anesthesia to find his penis had been amputated! He filed a lawsuit last week against the surgeon, the anesthetist, and the clinic. The explanation he received was that the surgeon found cancer and made an emergency decision. Seaton’s attorney Kevin George says the surgeon should have closed the patient up and informed him of the options.