One month old Macie Hope McCartney was found to have a huge tumour attached to her, whilst she grew in her mother’s womb.

The tumour, which was the same size as her and attached to her tailbone, was stealing her blood supply and putting her in mortal danger.

Surgeons decided to carry out a very rare and difficult operation to save the girl’s life. Macie’s mother, Keri McCartney was anaesthetised heavily and her womb was cut open taking great care not to damage the placenta. Macie was then pulled out of the womb and the tumour was safely removed before popping the nipper back inside her mother and sewing her up.

Macie was then born, in the usual manner, ten weeks later.

Dr. Darrell Cass, who performed the surgery reports that after a month in hospital for continued treatment both mother and baby are now fit to go home.

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Filed under: Health, Offbeat News, People by Earl Morningstarr Copyright © 2008 The Morningstarr*

A Minnesota woman appeared in court yesterday, charged with violating a restraining order preventing her and her autistic son from attending their local catholic church.

The Church of St Joseph in Bertha, Minnesota took out the restraining order after 13 year old Adam Race, who suffers from autism, assaulted another child, spat at worshipers and urinated in the church font. Daniel Walz, the church pastor says he was forced to take action to protect the congregation from the six foot, sixteen stone teenager.

Adam’s mother Carol Race is defying the court order, saying that mass is very important to her son and no one has the right to refuse him access to church.

The Races have been offered a closed circuit television link-up so they can watch the mass live from the church basement, but they have declined the offer saying it has no spiritual value.

Mrs Race has admitted that Adam is sometimes difficult to control in church. On previous occasions she and her husband, Mr Race, have had to kneel or sit on the boy as he lies on the church floor flailing his arms and legs around. Sometimes it is necessary to tie his arms and legs together with a strip of fleece until he calms down, Mrs Race confesses.

During one church ceremony Adam ran from the church into the car park, leapt into a car, started it up and sat revving the engine.

“Adam’s continued presence on parish grounds not only endangers the parishioners, it is disruptive to the devout celebration of the Eucharist,” said Mr Walz. “I have repeatedly asked John and Carol to keep Adam from church; they have refused to do so.”

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Filed under: Crime, Health, Offbeat News, People by Earl Morningstarr Copyright © 2008 The Morningstarr*

James O’Neal from Redmond, Washington suffers from the rare genetic condition neurofibromatosis which leaves him horribly disfigured.

O’Neal, who compares himself to the legendary Elephant Man doesn’t let his condition hold him back. He has worked for a leading American supermarket chain, and become a popular member of staff with customers and colleagues.

Now one regular shopper has started a campaign to raise funds for James so he can have life altering reconstructive surgery to save his face.

Huang Chuncai also suffers from the same condition, and recently underwent radical facial surgery to improve his quality of life.

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Filed under: Health, Offbeat News, People by Earl Morningstarr Copyright © 2008 The Morningstarr*

A Wisconsin couple who relied on the power of prayer to save their 11 year daughter will now face homicide charges.

Dale and Leilani Neumann didn’t bother to seek medical assistance for their 11 year old daughter Kara until she eventually stopped breathing. The couple explained to authorities that they didn’t call for help sooner because they believed the power of prayer would save their daughter.

Mr Neumann, a former policeman, told reporters that he attempted CPR “as soon as the breath of life left.”

An autopsy has shown that Kara died from undiagnosed diabetes, her parents have connections to a religious sect called the Unleavened Bread Ministries. The sect shun modern medicine in favour of using prayer.

The call to emergency services was made by the child’s aunt, Ariel Gomez, who lives in California. Mrs Gomez had learned of her niece’s health problems after Kara had been ill and in a coma for several days. Gomez called 911 asking for medical help, and warning the operator that Mr and Mrs Neumann would try to prevent any medical intervention.

The Neumanns have been charged with second-degree reckless homicide, the Marathon County medical examiner has stated that the condition was treatable and Kara Neumann’s death could have been prevented.

In a statement to the press Mrs Neumann said she wasn’t worried by the police investigation, saying her and her husband’s lives were “in God’s hands”.

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Filed under: Crime, Health, Offbeat News, People by Earl Morningstarr Copyright © 2008 The Morningstarr*

If you’re looking for a cheap kidney then the Philippines is the place to go.

According to figures released this week by Asia Against Child Trafficking, poor Filipinos are being shortchanged when it comes to living non-related organ donation.

Compare these figures:

United States: £15,000

Israel: £8,000

Turkey: £4,000

Brazil: £3,000

Moldova: £1,400

Romania: £1,400

Philippines: £750

Saudi Arabian and Japanese hospitals have been taking advantage of these bargain prices for some time now, often sending their renal patients to the Philippines to bag themselves a cheap organ from a living donor.

The Filipino donors themselves are complaining, one man from a Manila slum said:

“The money is long gone now, and I am still poor,”

And there are risks involved too, the donor continued his story saying that a friend of his who also donated a kidney died seven years later from complications and another donor accidentally killed his pregnant wife due to donating. He used the money he raised from the sale to buy a handgun and accidentally shot her.

Filipino surgeons and consultants however are making a good profit from these transactions, the parts are as low as £750 but when you include labour the cost of a transplant in the Philippines will be around £15,000.

You may have to move fast though, new legislation is being draughted that might see a complete ban on kidney transplants being performed on foreigners.

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Filed under: Health, Offbeat News, People by Earl Morningstarr Copyright © 2008 The Morningstarr*