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News reader turned firefighter dies at just 46

<p>BBC presenter turned firefighter Beccy Barr has passed away at the age of 46 after a battle with cancer. </p> <p>Barr's family confirmed the sad news on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Beccy passed away peacefully this morning”.</p> <p>“She spent her last few days at @SJHospice who provided the most dignified and compassionate care to Beccy and her whole family. Donations to the hospice can be made in Beccy’s memory.”</p> <p>After 20 years at the British public broadcaster, Barr shocked her loyal viewers announcing she would be leaving her media career behind to follow in her father's footsteps by becoming a firefighter. </p> <p>In February 2022, she updated her fans on social media, explaining she had received distinction marks in all her training assessments for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue team. </p> <p>Then in December 2023, Barr revealed that she was diagnosed with “incurable cancer”, writing to her followers at the time, “Two lessons I’ve learned from this distinctly sub-optimal experience: 1) Life is wild. 2) People have an utterly astounding and boundless capacity for love, care and friendship.”</p> <p>BBC presenter Roger Johnson was one of many who paid tribute to his former colleague, saying, “Beccy was courageous in so many ways.”</p> <p>“In the way she faced her illness, of course, but she also had the courage to walk away from a successful TV career to retrain as a firefighter."</p> <p>“She wanted to make a difference and she excelled at that, too.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: BBC / X (Twitter) </em></p>

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Firefighter praised for sweet interaction with three-year-old

<p>A cooking mishap for one Aussie family ended with a heartwarming moment shared between a firefighter and a young girl meeting her hero for the first time. </p> <p>Firefighters were called to a home at Blue Haven on the NSW Central Coast on Saturday, after a fire broke out on a kitchen stove top and spread to the range hood. </p> <p>They were quick to put out the blaze and just as they were about to leave, three-year-old Mia was too excited to meet her heroes that she couldn't let them leave just yet. </p> <p>"Once we got there and ascertained that there was no fire spread to the roof and other areas... their daughter decided to take me away into the room to see the new books she got," Doyalson Fire and Rescue Station Manager Dirk Ziekenheiner told Yahoo News.  </p> <p>"Which I then obviously took the opportunity to read," he added.</p> <p>A picture of the sweet moment was shared on social media, with the firefighter sat on one of Mia's pink chairs and the three-year-old keenly listening to him read the story. </p> <p>Mia also impressed the firefighter with her own safety knowledge, as she shared her understanding of calling Triple-Zero in an emergency, how to escape a fire and the importance staying outside after evacuating. </p> <p>"Obviously her parents did really well and schools pass on the message, and you know that safety messages are key to surviving a house fire, especially these days," Ziekenheiner said.</p> <p>"If you don't know what to do, and you never plan for it, then you're probably behind the eight ball... this girl was amazing, she knew all those key messages which is really important."</p> <p>Aussies praised the firefighter in the comments of the post, with many of them commenting on how "cute" the moment was. </p> <p>Mia's father, James, also added that his daughter was very excited to meet her heroes despite the circumstances. </p> <p>"Mia watches a lot of children's TV shows which feature firefighters so she already knows they're heroes and they rescue people," James said.</p> <p>"Having now seen first-hand the great work they do, we'll continue to spread the word about fire safety and we encourage others to do the same.</p> <p>"Our family never thought we'd come this close to losing our home to fire, so the key is to not be complacent about the risks."</p> <p><em>Image: Fire and Rescue NSW / Facebook</em></p> <p> </p>

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Disabled woman dies after firefighters go to wrong address

<p>A disabled woman has tragically died after being trapped in a burning home while firefighters went to the wrong address in an attempt to save her. </p> <p>Vivianne Rodger, who relies on using a wheelchair, called emergency services after her home in Victoria sparked a fire. </p> <p>She was then left for over two hours as firefighters, who were relying on a paper map, went to the wrong house trying to find her. </p> <p>When they eventually reached Ms Rodger, she was dead. </p> <p>According to a Victorian coroner, the blaze was "clearly avoidable" and she may have survived if they had arrived sooner, with their delayed response being directly linked to her death. </p> <p>The 54-year-old lived alone and was unable to move around independently after suffering a stroke and acquired brain injury, meaning she relied on a wheelchair and needed assistance to get in and out of bed.</p> <p>In the early hours of the morning on January 17th 2019, a service coordinator received a distressed call from the woman who said "my blanket is on fire", but the call was disconnected before more information was taken.</p> <p>Firefighters initially went to the wrong house on Ms Rodger's street, after becoming confused with the street numbers and using Melways, a printed street directory of Melbourne, to find the property.</p> <p>The process at the time was to send the fire station an A4 printout of the fire call with the address and a Melways reference.</p> <p>Fire crews didn't arrive at Ms Rodger's home until 5am, when smoke was billowing out of her home, and the woman was found dead in her bedroom. </p> <p>Coroner Paul Lawrie said the failure to find the correct address was "a missed opportunity to try to rescue Ms Rodger" and she would have had an "improved" chance of surviving if they found her sooner.</p> <p>He found the delays were "significant", "clearly avoidable" and questioned the fire brigade's reliance on Melways maps over a GPS map application.</p> <p>"It is also concerning that reliance on a Melway map may have contributed to the failure to identify the correct property," he wrote.</p> <p>The coroner urged for firetrucks to be equipped with modern navigation technology, and to implement policies, procedures and training to ensure firefighters can better identify the location of a call to prevent further deaths. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Firefighter adopts baby girl found in drop-off baby box

<p dir="ltr">When a US firefighter answered an alarm from within his own station, he could never have predicted the outcome. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man - who has chosen to remain anonymous - was working an overnight shift at his Florida station, Ocala Fire Rescue Station 1, when he was woken around 2am on January 2 by the noise.</p> <p dir="ltr">He recognised it straightaway as the alarm designed to notify first responders that a baby had been placed in their station’s Safe Haven Baby Box - a drop-off point specifically designed to allow someone to both safely and anonymously surrender a child.</p> <p dir="ltr">But as he confessed to <em>Today</em>, he “thought it was a false alarm” until he opened the box and discovered who was inside: a healthy baby girl swaddled in a pink blanket.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She had a little bottle with her and she was just chilling,” he said. “I picked her up and held her. We locked eyes, and that was it. I’ve loved her ever since that moment.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And he meant every word of it, with he and his wife going on to welcome her into their family, and to adopt her as their own. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to the firefighter, who is also a trained paramedic, he and his wife had been having trouble conceiving for more than a decade, and immediately he had started connecting the pieces. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, he hadn’t called his wife the second he found their future-daughter, hoping to avoid waking her, but that he’d known “she’d be on board” with his plan to take the baby to the hospital and ask about the likelihood of adopting her.</p> <p dir="ltr">He’d then gone through with that plan, writing a note to leave with the baby that “explained that my wife and I had been trying for 10 years to have a baby. I told them we’d completed all of our classes in the state of Florida and were registered to adopt.</p> <p dir="ltr">"All we needed was a child."</p> <p dir="ltr">It was then that he got in touch with his wife, filling her in on what had transpired that evening, and requesting that she not get too excited, as he himself was afraid the note might have been separated from the baby, and that “she’d be gone.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The days to follow were stressful for the hopeful couple, but just two days later on January 4, their dreams came true, and baby Zoey went home with her forever family. </p> <p dir="ltr">Three months later, they adopted her. </p> <p dir="ltr">The firefighter revealed that it was difficult not to become emotional when sharing their stories, and that he believed a higher power had been “helping us out” with the way she’d come into their lives. </p> <p dir="ltr">And as for why they’d chosen to share their story, he said it was in the hope that it would give young Zoey’s biological mother “some closure”, as they just wanted her to know that Zoey was “taken care of and that she’s loved beyond words.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: CBS News</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Kiwi firefighters receive rare Aussie honour for heroic efforts

<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand firefighter has been awarded one of Australia’s special service awards for his efforts in fighting bushfires during the summer of 2019 and 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">Phil Muldoon, Lake Ōkāreka’s chief rural fire officer, was one of 53 firefighters awarded the Australia National Emergency Medal during a recent awards ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">Muldoon, who worked 16-hour days fighting fires, said the honour was very humbling.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not what we do it for but it is nice to be recognised, especially from the Australian Government,” Muldoon told <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/australia-bush-fires-nz-firefighter-given-rare-and-special-honour/4K7KKB2WRVEHXJKJ7IC5WBFY4I/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was among a 208-strong contingent of New Zealanders sent to help their Aussie neighbours, including personnel from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the Department of Conservation, forestry company partners, and the New Zealand Defence Force.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We were proud to see 27 Department of Conservation firefighters awarded the Australia National Emergency Medal last week for their efforts fighting the devastating Australian wildfires during the 2019/2020 black summer. 🎖️<a href="https://t.co/Wh7xVdZQ8g">https://t.co/Wh7xVdZQ8g</a> <a href="https://t.co/vl8iEC9acs">pic.twitter.com/vl8iEC9acs</a></p> <p>— Department of Conservation (@docgovtnz) <a href="https://twitter.com/docgovtnz/status/1591974150008377344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The majority of those who took part received the award during recent official ceremonies hosted in New Zealand by Australian High Commissioner HE Harinder Sidhu.</p> <p dir="ltr">Muldoon received his award along with 38 firefighters from FENZ, two members of the NZ Army, eight NZ Air Force members, two from the Department of Conservation, and three from forestry company partners.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having been a firefighter for 25 years, Muldoon said fighting the bushfires was his 16th deployment and that firefighters were chosen to deploy based on their skillset.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We went to help their firefighters in Australia who had a tough season. We’re fresh feet on the ground and give them a break,” Muldoon said, adding that the contingent brought New Zealand’s “can-do” attitude with them.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A great honour to present the Australian National Emergency Medal at Ohakea <a href="https://twitter.com/NZAirForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZAirForce</a> base, and to personally thank members of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NZDefenceForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZDefenceForce</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FireEmergencyNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FireEmergencyNZ</a> for their service to Australia in support of the 2019-20 Australian Bushfires response. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZAirForce?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZAirForce</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Force4NZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Force4NZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/GtTUay8VY6">pic.twitter.com/GtTUay8VY6</a></p> <p>— Harinder Sidhu (@AusHCNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/AusHCNZ/status/1580682019985854464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Earlier this month, nine firefighters from Northland received the award, including wildfire specialist Rory Renwick.</p> <p dir="ltr">After spending 14 days fighting blazes in remote Australian bush, Renwick said the gratitude expressed through the medal was just “icing on the cake”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"People stopped you on the street to shake your hand and say thank you. It's humbling and pretty amazing," he told <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northland-firefighters-awarded-medal-for-efforts-during-australian-bushfires/FIMYEOSD5QQGEYTVSFHIRP34WI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Renwick explained that New Zealand crews were often working in remote areas and tackling large fires.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We were trying to put out the edge of the fire to stop it spreading," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We did anything from patrolling edges [and] dealing with small hotspots to working with aircraft and heavy machinery to slow the fire down and stop it."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was presented with a national emergency <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/medal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#medal</a> Monday night for the 19/20 bushfires here in Australia. <a href="https://t.co/L8il9Eob7P">pic.twitter.com/L8il9Eob7P</a></p> <p>— Craig Chiffers (@cchiffers) <a href="https://twitter.com/cchiffers/status/1569818214888263681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The award, which was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, is given to those who performed significant or sustained service during “nationally-significant emergencies”, according to the Governor-General’s <a href="https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awardsnational-emergency-medal/bushfires-2019-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Muldoon, Renwick, and the many others recognised for their efforts during the bushfires will receive a medal with a clasp that reads, “BUSHFIRES 19-20”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russell Wood, the national commander of FENZ, said the award had never been given to any member of the organisation before.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a rare and special honour that the Australian Government has extended to us,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The bushfires in Australia in 2019/20 were catastrophic and we were glad we could be there to help them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am immensely proud of our people, who responded to the call so selflessly and put their time and energy into fighting one of the biggest wildfire disasters of our time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a dangerous environment for everyone to be in, and they showed true Kiwi spirit in their sustained efforts under challenging conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As a nation, we are very proud of our fine firefighters.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Fire and Emergency NZ (Facebook)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Want to lend a hand to flood victims? Here are five ways you can help

<p dir="ltr">As Aussies begin the lengthy process of cleaning up and recovering following the recent floods in Victoria and NSW, many of us watching on will want to lend a helping hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">Whether you are hoping to volunteer your time or donate, there are plenty of ways to pitch in to help, including these five.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Donate money</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Donating money is usually the most effective way to help, with the Community Enterprise Foundation, <a href="https://www.bendigobank.com.au/media-centre/victoria-flood-appeal-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bendigo Bank</a>’s charitable arm, calling for donations for flood victims which will be passed on to local charitable areas.</p> <p dir="ltr">You can also make financial donations to flood appeals that have been started by charities, including the <a href="https://www.redcross.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Cross</a>, <a href="https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Find_Help/Flood_appeal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St Vincent de Paul</a>, <a href="https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/donate/make-a-donation/donate-online/?appeal=2022floodappealhp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salvation Army</a>, <a href="https://foodbank.raisely.com/helpnswfloodvictims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food Bank NSW</a>, and <a href="https://events.ozharvest.org/flexischools-ozharvest?utm_campaign=flexi_schools&amp;utm_medium=edm&amp;utm_source=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OzHarvest Victoria</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Victorian Farmers Federation has also started a <a href="https://www.vff.org.au/donations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disaster Relief Fund</a> to assist farmers affected by floods, with donations able to be taken over the phone on 1800 882 833 or by mailing through a cheque.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Volunteer with SES</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you want to get your hands dirty, you can apply to be a volunteer with the State Emergency Service (SES) in NSW or a regular volunteer with SES Victoria.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a spontaneous volunteer, members of the community can assist NSW SES during emergencies in a range of ways without a long-term commitment. These can include helping people prepare for flooding, answering phones and providing administrative support, clearing debris, or in a logistical role providing support to crews in the field, among others.</p> <p dir="ltr">By becoming a volunteer with SES Victoria, you can assist with emergency response to storms and floods and other duties. Unlike being a spontaneous volunteer, joining as a regular volunteer is a longer-term commitment.</p> <p dir="ltr">To find out more about volunteering with SES NSW or Victoria, head <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/spontaneousvolunteering" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> or <a href="https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Lend a hand how you can with Emergency Support Volunteering or Blaze Aid</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Whether you’re handy with tools or are happy to provide social support, there’s a way you can help as a volunteer with Emergency Support Volunteering in NSW.</p> <p dir="ltr">After signing up and nominating how you want to help, the organisation passes your details to verified organisations near you.</p> <p dir="ltr">To sign up or find out more, head <a href="https://emergency.volunteer.org.au/volunteer-registration/4/nsw-floods#register" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">For Victorians looking to volunteer, <a href="https://blazeaid.com.au/donations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blaze Aid</a> is currently recruiting and assembling teams of volunteers in central Victoria. The organisation will be setting up camps from next week.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Donate clothes and essentials</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">With many victims losing their possessions, donating clothes and household items can also be a big help.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.givit.org.au/storms-and-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GIVIT</a>, a crowd-sourced website, is open to donations of clothing, furniture, money for fuel, and vouchers for other essentials, with 11,000 items that are needed being listed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Donations of food, emergency housing and clothing can also be made through St Vincent de Paul, either as one-off or ongoing donations.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Fundraise</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you want to set up a fundraiser or appeal to help victims, the best way to do it is through an existing charity, which can be found through the <a href="https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACNC</a>, <a href="https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/charitable-fundraising/fundraising-for-a-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Service NSW</a>, or <a href="https://registers.consumer.vic.gov.au/frsearch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consumer Affairs Victoria</a> websites.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Fairtrading NSW, if you are allowed to fundraise on behalf of an authorised fundraiser, such as a charity, you won’t need to get approval. </p> <p dir="ltr">If you decide to raise funds through crowdfunding, such as using websites such as GoFundMe, you may need to apply for an authority to raise money.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-426ec798-7fff-969f-cd9c-3a34110fee5a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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"It's really special": Grandmother volunteers as surrogate for her son's child

<p>The Hauck family is looking forward to welcoming another child into their family later this year, but under very unusual circumstances </p> <p>Jeff and Cambria are parents to four children, who they had through IVF, and wanted one more baby to complete their family. </p> <p>But after Cambria needed a hysterectomy after their last child was born, they had to contemplate using a surrogate. </p> <p>“Cambria needed an emergency hysterectomy after having our boys,” her husband Jeff Hauck told NBC.</p> <p>“We knew if we were going to be able to have any more of our embryos we would have to use a gestational carrier,” he said.</p> <p>Enter: Jeff's mum Nancy. </p> <p>The 56-year-old grandmother stepped up and offered to carry the couple's last embryo, as she became pregnant with her own granddaughter after several appointments with a fertility specialist and a complicated embryo transfer.</p> <p>“Bringing another strong baby girl to our family, it’s just really special,” she said.</p> <p>Despite not being pregnant in 26 years, Nancy said the pregnancy is going well and her body is handling the symptoms with ease. </p> <p>“I am feeling great, surprisingly, and just like I did when I was younger and expecting,” she said.</p> <p>The couple said the experience of getting their daughter here has been an incredible journey, and are eternally grateful to Nancy for her selflessness in carrying their child. </p> <p>“It’s been so incredible to be part of this experience with her. I am eternally grateful,” Cambria said.</p> <p>Just a couple of days after the embryo transfer, Nancy said she woke up in the middle of the night and heard a sweet voice clearly say, “Hi, my name is Hannah.”</p> <p>Because of that experience, the couple has decided to name their daughter Hannah.</p> <p>“Hannah means favour or grace which sums up the whole experience perfectly in every definition of the words! Nancy is doing this eternal ‘favour’ for our family. The way it all came to be has been through the grace of God,” Cambria said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: NBC</em></p>

Family & Pets

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NYC firefighter killed in tragic holiday accident

<p dir="ltr">A US family experienced a tragic start to their family holiday, with shocking footage emerging of the moment a tree fell on their SUV, killing father-of-two Casey Skudin.</p> <p dir="ltr">Last month, Mr Skudin, from Long Beach, New York, was driving with his wife Angela and their two kids through the state of North Carolina at the start of the trip when a tree toppled over and crushed their car.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family were reportedly planning to celebrate Mr Skudin’s 46th birthday and Father’s Day that weekend at the Biltmore Estate, a popular tourist spot in Asheville.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a99234f-7fff-ff00-96ca-0484dcdb36d3">Phone footage taken from inside the car, shared by the <em>New York Post</em>, showed the car approaching a bend on a tree-lined road when, without warning, a huge tree branch appeared to snap off as the car passed beneath, shattering the windscreen.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/firefighter-death-damage.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The family’s car was crushed after a tree branch fell on it. </em></p> <p dir="ltr">The phone appeared to drop near the glove box, with Ms Skudin’s blonde hair visible in the frame.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Is everybody ok?” she asked, before looking at her husband and realising the extent of his injuries.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh my God! Casey!” she screamed, before the video was cut off.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their youngest son, 10-year-old Channing, was reportedly knocked unconscious and suffered broken bones, while their eldest, Benjamin, 19, was also knocked out.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both Benjamin and Ms Skudin walked away with minor injuries.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Skudin, a highly-decorated veteran firefighter, reportedly broke his neck. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a post shared to Facebook, Ms Skudin revealed that her husband had a pulse “for the entire hour it took to remove the 4,000lb tree that fell directly on him”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was crazy. I was the only one that wasn’t knocked out," Ms Skudin told the <em>New York Post</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Just watching your husband die and you can’t do anything is really insane."</p> <p dir="ltr">In a heartbreaking Facebook post, Ms Skudin said her husband’s death had left a “gaping hole” in her life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am left shattered while I navigate this new existence, one I never wanted to know. I have nothing left to do with my days but fight for you, for our family, for the hero they took," she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing a photo of her husband’s casket, Ms Skudin wrote: "Honoring you [sic] has been my absolute pleasure &amp; I will continue to do so until our souls meet again."</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/firefighter-death1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Angela Skudin shared images of her husband's casket after he was killed in a freak accident while driving.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The father-of-two is being remembered as an “adoring husband”, a “stellar father”, and a “courageous firefighter”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/casey-skudin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe page</a> set up for the family, his death is described as a “catastrophic loss” for his family, friends, and members of the Long Beach community.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Angela, Ben, and CJ have an overwhelming amount of healing ahead of them. We hope to support them by taking away any stress along the way," it reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Skudin is now suing Biltmore Estate for $AU 228 million for “grossly negligent conduct” and seeking compensation for medical costs, funeral expenses, lost wages and punitive damages, according to reports.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her lawsuit claims the fallen tree was rotten and had been held up with cables.</p> <p dir="ltr">It argues that Biltmore “knew it would cause great harm when it fell” and that the estate should have taken “appropriate measure of cutting the tree down and eliminating the potentially fatal risk”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the tragedy, Biltmore issued a statement admitting they were “deeply saddened by this news”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Our heartfelt thoughts are with the family and their loved ones, and we are offering assistance at this time," they reportedly wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">They have denied any wrongdoing in the statement.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7347f48c-7fff-200e-cdc4-315bb153d1ad"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Angela Skudin (Facebook)</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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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>

Caring

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For the love of Greys – retiree volunteers and retired ex-racers

<p>It’s an unexpected match made in heaven, but retirees hoping to give their time to a good cause could find one in a four-legged friend looking for a home.</p> <p>With National Volunteer Week (16 – 22 May 2022) soon upon us, it’s timely to recognise all volunteers. But there’s a very special group of retirees who go the extra mile for Greyhounds.</p> <p>Contrary to popular belief, Greyhounds are big goofy sooks and will swamp you with adoration and love. They’ll also adopt a place on your couch or bed as a loyal pet. This is why many volunteers and foster carers not only adopt a grey or two, but also actively want to save them from greyhound racing.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, the RSPCA <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-animal-welfare-issues-with-greyhound-racing/#what-needs-to-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">does not support greyhound racing</a> due to the many unresolved animal welfare concerns associated with the so-called sport. These concerns motivate rescue groups, as well as activists.</p> <p>CPG (the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds) is a dedicated group of volunteers across Australia who work together to inform the public about the cruelties of dog racing – <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CoalitionForTheProtectionOfGreyhounds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FB</a>,<a href="http://www.greyhoundcoalition.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a><a href="http://www.greyhoundcoalition.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">web</a>,<a href="https://www.instagram.com/coalitionprotectgreyhounds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/coalitionprotectgreyhounds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insta</a>,<a href="http://www.greyhoundcoalition.com/cpg-in-the-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a><a href="http://www.greyhoundcoalition.com/cpg-in-the-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media coverage</a></p> <p>Retired nurse Annie is one of CPG’s amazingly enthusiastic volunteers. She’s a media spokesperson for the group and is often busy doing radio and newspaper interviews. Her love affair with Greyhounds started long ago.</p> <p>“I saw an ad on Facebook by Gumtree Greys for foster carers, applied and was introduced to Holly. This beautiful black greyhound girl had been an Irish Champion and ‘Bitch of the year’ in 2012. She was bought by an Australian syndicate at two years old and kept to breed from,” said Annie.</p> <p>Holly whelped many litters until she was nine years old and had her last puppies by caesarean. When Annie took Holly to be desexed, the vet said she was a mess inside and had been sewn up with nylon non-dissolving sutures.</p> <p>“Holly taught me all about how gentle, quirky, dorky, loving and unintentionally hilarious greyhounds are, like the way their jaws quiver when they are happy. All of my future foster greyhounds learnt how to become great pets with guidance from gorgeous Holly,” said Annie.</p> <p>“I foster greyhounds because they deserve the chance of a good life as a dog and pet, not just a product or commodity. Greyhounds bring me so much joy. In return, I speak out for them because of what they suffer on Australia’s many racing tracks.”</p> <p>Annie says she’s appalled by the fact that in 2021, there were <a href="https://greyhoundcoalition.com/2021-australian-track-deaths-and-injuries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">212 greyhound deaths</a> on Australian dog tracks and over 10,000 injuries, according to statistics from official stewards’ reports. Because of this, she volunteers for CPG and other greyhound-related voluntary bodies. She’s also a motorbike enthusiast and uses her motorbike riding to raise money for greyhound welfare.</p> <p>Alicia – one of CPG’s newest volunteers – is semi-retired. She works part-time in journalism and interior design, but adores Greyhounds. Her male black Greyhound, Fluffy, is now nearly seven years old and has been retired from racing for four years.</p> <p>“Fluffy is one of the lucky survivors from the greyhound racing tracks, as he only won one race and is loving his retired life on the couch! He’s a soppy sook despite his size and the name suits him down to the ground as he is not an Anubis or Nero by nature,” said Alicia.</p> <p>“My lovely boy is very nervous due to his past racing days. He’s frightened of loud noises such as cars or motorbikes, as well as thunder and lightning. He absolutely loves children and babies, as he instinctively knows they won’t harm him.”</p> <p>She says greyhounds are ideal companions for retirees as they are lazy couch potatoes, love cuddles, are very affectionate and generally don’t need more than one walk of 20 minutes a day.</p> <p>“I volunteer with CPG by writing content for publication. They really need more people who have at least five years’ experience writing news releases and placing them with media outlets. Greyhounds are innocents with no voice, so we speak up for them,” said Alicia.</p> <p>She said CPG’s <a href="https://greyhoundcoalition.com/5-key-demands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five-point plan</a> is aimed at reforming the racing industry. As well as increased penalties for mistreatment, the plan includes tracking each dog from birth to death so they don’t ‘disappear’, reduced breeding, sanctuaries and safer tracks.</p> <p>Fran, previously a lecturer in Environmental Science, is spokesperson and leader of the Tasmanian activist group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Let-Greyhounds-Run-Free-425546354301519/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Let Greyhounds Run Free</a> (LGRF), which formed as a result of the ABC's Four Corners program on live baiting and the subsequent Parliamentary Inquiry into the Tasmanian Greyhound Industry. LGRF has held several rallies against greyhound racing, and continues to lobby for the end of this cruel, archaic industry. </p> <p>Fran began her greyhound journey back in 2000 when she came across a Greyhound Adoption stall at a local event. She was instantly hooked after meeting a few of these four-legged beauties and adopted the timid and scared Miss Ruby. It was Ruby who introduced Fran to the dark life of a racing greyhound. </p> <p>Ruby was soon joined by regal Jena. Ruby was terrified, and Jena was injured and a severe epileptic - why we may never know, and it was then that Fran vowed she would do whatever she could to end greyhound racing.</p> <p>All these years later, having had the joy of six hounds and several more foster hounds, she now has the privilege of living with Paddy and Jennifer Jane.</p> <p>Paddy became well known in promotions for Let Greyhounds Run Free's rallies. He is also a champion at helping timid and shy foster greyhounds come back to life after their traumas, and adjust to life as it should be, in a safe and loving home. </p> <p>“I have stories about all the beauties who have blessed my life. They are the most gentle, loving, soul-filled, quirky beings and I'm so very grateful I met ‘Miss Ruby Two Shoes’ way back then in 2000” says Fran. </p> <p>Meanwhile, retired lawyer Jeff is also a tireless campaigner, volunteer and lover of greyhounds. He’s been a supporter of the worldwide campaign to end greyhound racing for the last 15 years or so.</p> <p>“When my pet greyhound died in 2015, I promised myself to continue fighting for the cause. That was the year when the live baiting scandal broke in Australia,” he said.</p> <p>“I followed the news reports and the inquiries closely. When an opportunity arose to become an admin at the new Facebook group ‘<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1376102522706650/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ban Greyhound Racing – Australia Wide</a>’, it was an ideal way to support the growing anti-racing campaign.”</p> <p>Jeff said the group’s focus has always been on activism.</p> <p>“There are many other social media outlets where people can share pictures of their rescued greyhounds and discuss their care, behaviour and feeding. On our page, we try to be a resource for current information about the Australian racing industry.”</p> <p>Those interested in adopting or fostering a goofy hound, should contact one of the groups listed <a href="https://greyhoundcoalition.com/links-to-greyhound-rescue-groups/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, while anyone interested in volunteering with CPG, can find out more <a href="https://greyhoundcoalition.com/volunteering-with-cpg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. For further information about greyhound welfare issues, see CPG’s hot topics listed <a href="https://greyhoundcoalition.com/media-resource/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 7.95pt; line-height: 12.6pt;"><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The 2022 Australian Firefighters Calendar is back and better than ever

<p dir="ltr">If you’re running out of Christmas gift ideas, never fear: the Australian Firefighters Calendar is here. And they don’t just sell calendars to raise money for charities - with over $3.2 million raised since the first calendar was printed in 1993 - they also sell<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com/merchandise/pillowcase-dog-3" target="_blank">pillowcases</a><span> </span>and<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com/merchandise/daily-planner-2" target="_blank">planners</a>!</p> <p dir="ltr">Firefighters from the Urban, Rural, Aviation, Armed Forces and Corporate firefighting services have come together for yet another glorious series of calendars. After three weeks of photoshoots, the final products include a calendar with the firefighters on their own, as well as a ‘mixed animal’ calendar, specific animal calendars (cats, dogs, and horses), a summer calendar with numerous beach shots, and an animals only calendar. The summer edition, new for 2022, features the firies in swimming gear instead of their usual fire protection ‘fits.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWC6OJKjND1/?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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWC6OJKjND1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Aus Firefighter Calendar (@australianfirefighterscalendar)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In addition to the calendars, a daily planner is available for $10, and six different pillowcases featuring firefighters with and without animal companions are also for sale.</p> <p dir="ltr">As always, all proceeds will go to charity. Last year, charities supported included the Kids with Cancer Foundation, Rural Aid Australia, Pets of the Homeless, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Precious Paws Animal Rescue, RACQ, and Healing Hooves.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition, the calendar is teaming up with US-based Greater Good Charities to support their Rescue Rebuild program. The Rescue Rebuild program is dedicated to renovating animal shelters, domestic violence shelters, and homeless shelters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Director of Partnerships at Greater Good Charities Lesley McCave said, "The Greater Good Charities are so excited to be partnering with the Australian Firefighters Calendar, we have been a huge supporter of their work through our social media channels for years now. This will be the start of a long-lasting partnership on charity projects across the US.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Australian Firefighters Calendar team, the decision to begin supporting US charities was made, in part, as a thank you for the generosity shown by American animal lovers during Australia’s devastating bushfire season in 2019-20. Proceeds from calendar sales in the US helped support the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, which cared for numerous animals, particularly koalas, who were affected by the fires.<br />Australians and Kiwis can pick up a calendar<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.australianfirefighterscalendar.com/" target="_blank">here</a><span> </span>for $22, or buy all of them as a bundle for $175.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Australian Firefighters Calendar</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“Every shift is memorable”: One Ronald McDonald volunteer’s experience

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For sick and injured children, Ronald McDonald Houses provide a place for families to find support when they need it most.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trisha Crane, a mother of two, grandmother of three, and one of the charity’s longest-serving volunteers, started volunteering 26 years ago after responding to an ad in a local paper.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve always done volunteering and I saw something in the local paper for the (Ronald McDonald) house and decided to sign up,” Trisha told <em>OverSixty</em>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It seemed like a great idea as it was child-oriented and, as a school teacher, I liked that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though she now helps out with data entry, Trisha has spent much of her time at Westmead’s House and interacted closely with the families staying there.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s very obvious the difference having family close by has for a sick child,” she said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Families also benefit from talking with people who can relate to the challenges they’re facing.”</span></p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVzImrQl6as/?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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVzImrQl6as/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by RMHC Australia (@rmhcaustralia)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked about whether she had a memorable moment during her time as a volunteer, she said: “I don’t have a specific memory but every shift is memorable as I enjoy working with the other volunteers and staff.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McHappy Day, the fundraiser that supports the Ronald McDonald Houses, directs 100 percent of its funds towards the charity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the 30th McHappy Day fast approaching, McDonald’s has launched a new range of silly socks that people can purchase to support the cause.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">who’s ready to do good, feel good &amp; look good in these bad boys? <a href="https://t.co/qNSMQxXteX">pic.twitter.com/qNSMQxXteX</a></p> — McDonald's Australia (@maccas) <a href="https://twitter.com/maccas/status/1450597636910850048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“McHappy Day is crucial to enabling us to continue to help seriously ill and injured children and their families across Australia,” Trisha said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Funds raised by McDonald’s and its customers through the purchase of Silly Socks supports programs such as Ronald McDonald Houses, Family Rooms, Family Retreats and our National Learning Program, which make a real impact in the lives of families and children in their time of need.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For those considering volunteering their time, Trisha said to take the plunge.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Just come and give volunteering a go!”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Supplied</span></em></p>

Mind

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It’s Never Too Late: How I Ran Away With The Circus

<p>Volunteering his expertise to help isolated students led a delighted John Smyth into the lion’s den.</p> <p>As a kid in the bush, John Smyth didn’t have much chance to see the circus in person, but he had a treasured picture book about life under the Big Top. More than 60 years later, Smyth got to become part of the Stardust Circus world, not as a tumbler or lion tamer – but as a teacher.</p> <p>Back in 1999, the career high-school teacher decided it was time to retire and, together with his wife Helen, embark on an epic journey around Australia. They covered 33,000km in six months. When they returned, Smyth found he missed the classroom, so came out of retirement to spend ­another eight years doing casual teaching – but, eventually, his wanderlust returned and he and Helen headed back on the road.</p> <p>Today, the 75-year-old physics and mathematics teacher slots in time with his grandkids around a packed diary as a volunteer teacher to school students who live in remote locations, under a scheme known as Volunteers for Isolated Students’ Education (VISE).</p> <p>VISE pairs up energetic people with educational experience – usually retired teachers, such as John – with children whose schooling is largely done remotely, because they live too far away from towns and cities to attend regular school. With their classes conducted via satellite hook-ups, Skype or whatever other methods are available, the children have virtual contact with a paid teacher for several hours a day. The rest of the time they are given assignments to complete. VISE volunteers go and stay with these remote families for six weeks at a time to provide encouragement and practical help to the students.</p> <p>John grew up in the country and was immediately intrigued when he heard about the scheme. Helen was just as keen. “We love the bush,” he says. While the teacher’s partner isn’t required to contribute, they often help around the home, in the garden or around the property. Since volunteers typically stay for the full six weeks, it’s important for couples to agree on the locations they apply for.</p> <p>“We’d decided we wouldn’t take a placement where we lived in the house with the family,” John says. “We opted for ones where we could take our own caravan or we’d have a ‘donga’ hut or a cottage, so that we had somewhere we could get away.”</p> <p>After eight VISE postings, and encountering some challenging families and students, John is still keen to do more. “Occasionally I have had to take a stand and say, ‘If you want my help, here I am, otherwise I’ll pack up and go home – I’m too busy to be sitting around here if we’re not going to work.’ But it’s always turned out really well.” He remains in fond contact with a number of his former students.</p> <p>He’s racked up stints in some of Australia’s most remote locations, including a 38,000-ha sheep property where they had to meet the mail plane to get school materials, and an 80,000-ha National Park that was 500km from the nearest supermarket. Then John nabbed one of the most sought-after placements in the scheme: a travelling post with Stardust Circus. “It was just wonderful,” he says of the weeks he and Helen spent on the road last year, working with the children in a specially equipped mobile schoolroom.</p> <p>The lesson timetable was built around the kids’ performance schedules. “The eight-year-old I tutored was a fabulous gymnast who was part of the teeterboard act,” he explains. “A big bloke would jump on the other side, he would swing up in the air, do a couple of twirls and land on his uncle’s shoulders … and his uncle was standing on the boy’s father’s shoulders!”</p> <p>The circus still includes some animal acts, including lions, monkeys, horses, goats and pigs. John and Helen found it extraordinary enough to drift off to sleep to the sound of lions roaring, but then one day the lion-tamer, Matt, accorded them a very special privilege, inviting them in to meet four 13-month-old cubs in person.</p> <p>While it was understandably a little scary at first going into their enclosure, John says it was “an absolutely fantastic, never to be forgotten experience” which just goes to show it really is never too late: “In my 75th year I finally got to realise my boyhood dream of running away with the circus!”</p> <p><strong>If You’re Tempted</strong></p> <p>National Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O’Neill says John’s approach is increasingly common. “We’re seeing more and more people moving from full-time work into other areas of activity that are not traditionally associated with retirement or the later years of life.”</p> <p>In fact, he says, ‘retirement’ is “almost a dirty word now. People want to enter into new experiences, using previous life knowledge, rather than sitting back and ‘retiring’ as we came to know it in previous generations.”</p> <p>As in John’s case, many are keen to continue giving back to society, but O’Neill says the way we do this has also changed.</p> <p>“Many will now say, ‘I’m happy to volunteer and give my time for this particular cause, but let me be clear: I want to contribute my knowledge and skills to your organisation. Don’t think I’m going to be down the back making cups of tea.’?”</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/inspirational/never-too-late-to-run-away-with-the-circus"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a></p> <p><a href="mailto:https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/inspirational/never-too-late-to-run-away-with-the-circus"><em> </em></a></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><em> </em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Why one man donated 600 litres of blood

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bob Goninon, a Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer firefighter, has donated enough blood to fill a 600-litre tanker.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Individuals can only donate plasma and platelets every fortnight, and blood every 12 weeks. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It has taken Mr Goninon 51 years and 700 donations of blood and plasma to reach the milestone.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Originally I had a personal problem where on a regular basis I would have nosebleeds that would run for anywhere up to three hours,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One particular day, one just didn’t want to abate, and I was going through towels and an ambulance was called and I was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital … where a doctor could start plugging my nose.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At the end of that process he strongly advised that I bottled this product, preferably not straight from my nose, so the blood bank is where I went.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Mr Goninon said donating blood helped stem the nosebleeds for quite some time, he decided to continue donating through a desire to help others.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think any emergency services worker will agree that from time to time you see a lot of situations such as road trauma, house fires, emergency in the home, cancer patients – all of these people who unfortunately during a certain time in their life require blood,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And the only way that they can get that product to enhance their quality of life is via a donor.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, a third of Aussies will need blood or blood products in their lifetime.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But only one in 30 donate each year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We need more donors, I’m not getting any younger, so we need the younger brigade to start stepping up,” Mr Goninon said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though he recently made his 703rd donation, Mr Goninon said it wasn’t about achieving milestones, but about doing his part for the community.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: cfavic / Instagram</span></em></p>

Body

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Queen stuns with hilarious sword play

<p>On Friday, the Queen attended a reception with volunteers who are working to organise the Platinum Jubilee, which is a celebration to mark her 70th year on the throne.</p> <p>The event will take place next year, but the Queen attended the reception with daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and granddaughter-in-law, Kate Middleton.</p> <p>The volunteers surprised the Queen with a massive celebratory cake, which she decided to cut with a ceremonial sword.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA4mtul6Lz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA4mtul6Lz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>When someone at the event pointed out there was a smaller knife available, the Queen wasn't having any of it.</p> <p>"I know there is," she said politely. "This is something that is more unusual."</p> <p>She needed help cutting a slice from Camilla, but commented that it "looks very good".</p> <p>After cutting the first few slices, the Queen decided to use the knife that was available, but many were impressed by the decision to use a ceremonial sword.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Uninhabited island looks for new occupant

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A remote and uninhabited Scottish island is looking for a live-in caretaker.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With no full-time residents, Isle Martin, near Ullapool, needs someone to keep the island in good condition for visitors in the summer months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The island’s community trust is inviting individuals and couples to register their interest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Isle Martin offers visitors several hours of things to do, with two beaches, a micro museum (in a hut) and a hill that serves as a top spot for birdwatching.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The island also hosts Scotland’s first seaweed festival from September 6-12, with volunteers sometimes running a pop-up café during the festivities.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height:434.9385245901639px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841538/_118713418_isle1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d1a8bf6d77a342d4b643c4c4d5f10919" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The chosen caretaker will be the first full-time resident living on the island in 30 years, as the trust looks to generate more interest in the island.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to the actual duties the caretaker will need to do, it amounts to about three hours a day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is a bit of housekeeping. They need to keep the three houses on the island prepared for guests, clean the public toilets, welcome visitors and make sure they are sticking to COVID safety measures,” Trust director Becky Thompson told the BBC.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In return, the volunteer caretaker will be provided accommodation, earn </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">£150 ($AUD 275) per week, and get to enjoy all the perks the island has to offer.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Isle Martin is located at the mouth of Loch Broom and about 1.5km away from the mainland.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The island is just 400 acres in size and sits below the cliffs of Beinn Mhor Coigach and opposite the Viking fort of Dunn Canna.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now recognised as a bird sanctuary, it has been home to a monastery, a herring curing station and a flour mill in the past.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 390.7125700560448px; height:500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841537/_118713426_isle5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/60cd17b68c404df383a11db1a720a1c4" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The position would suit someone who enjoys the outdoors and does not need creature comforts, with no running hot water and only a small electrical charger on the island.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trust is also looking for a candidate bringing specific skills they want to share to benefit the community while living on the island.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Becky Thomson said: “If someone enjoyed the land, they could revive our vegetable garden if they wanted.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She also explained why people are likely to fall in love with the place.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The sense of escape and peace and quiet,” she said. “It is so near the mainland but as soon as you land on the island it’s lovely and peaceful. There are no cars, no roads. Just quiet. That’s what people like - the feeling of restfulness.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Isle Martin Trust</span></em></p>

International Travel

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Final message from heroic firefighters lost to tragedy

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>One of the final messages from the three American firefighters who died on a water-bombing aircraft while fighting the Australian bushfires has been revealed.</p> <p>An interim report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau revealed the final moments before the aircraft crashed, which killed all on board instantly.</p> <p>First Officer Paul Hudson, flight engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr and Captain Ian McBeth died on January 23rd after completing a waterbombing mission on an out-of-control bushfire near the Snowy Mountains.</p> <p>“Don’t send anybody and we’re not going back,” their final message said.</p> <p>After the crew completed the retardant drop, they sent a text message to a spotter pilot saying that conditions were "horrible down there".</p> <p>“They also reported to the Cooma Fire Control Command that the conditions were unsuitable for firebombing operations,” the report read, according to APN.</p> <p>The report revealed there was “no appreciable change in the centre of gravity following a retardant drop” and that the voice recorder in the plane was not working.</p> <p>There was no distress call before the crash and as the plane began to descend, it hit the ground at around 280km/h and created another bushfire.</p> <p>The trio worked for the US charter company Coulson Aviation which had been contracted by the NSW Rural Fire Service to fight the bushfires.</p> <p>NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the men were dedicated to the "art" of aerial firefighting.</p> <p>"It's a body blow for everyone in the firefighting fraternity, in the community of NSW and further afield," he told reporters in Sydney at the time.</p> <p>"It's a confronting and sobering reminder of the enormity of the risk and challenge associated with this fire season."</p> <p><em>Photo credits: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/coulsonaviation" target="_blank">Coulson Aviation</a></em></p> </div> </div> </div>

Legal

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The sweet way Will Callaghan was finally found

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Spontaneous volunteer Ben Gibbs has described the moment he found a “really angelic” William Callaghan, ending a three-day search for the 14-year-old autistic child.</p> <p>Gibbs said he was singing when he came across a barefoot William just before noon on Wednesday.</p> <p>"I was just peacefully walking through the bush," he said.</p> <p>"I was singing because I thought maybe if he hears some noise [he might respond] but he's got autism so he's not going to respond to shouting and things like that."</p> <p>Gibbs lives in the area and knows the State park of Mount Disappointment well as he has been visiting the mountain since a child.</p> <p>There were fears that William would suffer from exposure as the temperatures plunged to around zero for both nights.</p> <p>"Exposure's a terrible thing, the cold, so I really felt for him," he said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">14-year-old William Callaghan is this morning safe and sound after spending 47 hours lost in the Victorian wilderness. <a href="https://twitter.com/IzaStaskowski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IzaStaskowski</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/jUmMweO4nz">pic.twitter.com/jUmMweO4nz</a></p> — Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1270804012510654467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Gibbs started his search by coming from the bottom of the mountain.</p> <p>"There's quite a bit of single track that goes through there that I know quite well so I just sort of followed that up and went off track once I got near the top," he said.</p> <p>"I saw where the guys had tagged where they did some searching previously so I dropped in a bit deeper than that."</p> <p>"It wasn't too far down in there. From the track [he was about] 20 minutes in.</p> <p>"I was just wandering through the bush, and it was quite thick, so I was breaking my way through, and then he was just like about 15 metres from me just standing there, just really angelic."</p> <p>Gibbs said that Will looked in reasonable health and after seeing barefoot William, Gibbs offered him socks, a jacket and a hat and gave him some chocolate.</p> <p>Gibbs was aware that William liked Thomas the Tank Engine, so he spoke to him about some of the characters.</p> <p>"He didn't seem bothered by me," he said.</p> <p>"He was happy to get the chocolate," he said.</p> <p>"I just took my time."</p> </div> </div> </div>

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