Check out this awe-inspiring, inspirational story (Click here).

A smiling face of optimism and hope as she battles for every breath she takes...

"From the time she was born, [20-year-old] Hélène [Campbell] has been on the move. Moments after birth, she had her groove going -her hands would not keep still. Now at twenty, not only is she constantly on the go, but her joyful personality contagiously lifts the spirits of others. Whether at school, work, church, in hospital, or studying in Spain, people have easily joined with her and enjoyed her positive vibe.

Hélène has been famous for her kindness towards others and she received an award for this in grade six. At her high school graduation, she was given the Christine Proulx Award for her cooperation and perpetual willingness to help others. Someone commented “She has such a bubbly disposition; she should have a new soft drink named after her.”

Hélène loves music. People marvel at the variety she keeps on her iPod and how she integrates it with another passion of hers – film making. She loves capturing memorable moments, but her specialty seems to be creating them. Her mini musical dance documentary in Spain involving many friends and strangers is the perfect example of her ability to create joyful moments out of daily experiences. She believes life is worth living and sharing, a theme through many of her videos. With music in the background, camera in hand, smile on her face and not a minute to lose, she’s on the move…

In July 2011, Hélène was admitted to The Ottawa Hospital with collapsed lungs. It was discovered that she suffers from advanced Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. This means that her lungs have been permanently scarred by inflammation and the root cause of the inflammation is unknown. Treatment with Prednisone has not stopped the progression of the disease. Hélène requires oxygen to perform physical tasks. With twenty-four percent of remaining breathing capacity, a lung transplant is the next step. She has been referred to the Transplant Program in Toronto. She and some of her family must relocate from Ottawa to Toronto. 

This is a time of loss for Hélène - independence, physical strength, employment income, and savings for school. Despite this, she chooses to focus on the positives in her life like family, friends, new friends from her stay in hospital and creative media. We see her with her radiant smile, enjoying even the simplest things in life, like orange juice and Reese’s limited edition chocolate bars. Even though she must now pace herself, she is still always moving onward. 

-Hélène, you are an inspiration- 

If you wish to donate to Hélène's living expenses in Toronto, while she waits to receive new lungs and during her recovery, please visit alungstory.ca".

CBC: We disagree w/ Don Cherry's comments

"The CBC is skating away from Don Cherry's rant about fighting in hockey that has generated widespread criticism toward the outspoken commentator.

The CBC issued a statement Saturday saying it does not agree with the views Cherry expressed on a Hockey Night in Canadabroadcast Thursday.

Cherry called three former NHL tough guys "pukes" for speaking out against fighting in the sport. Those ex-players were Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan, and Jim Thomson.

In his popular "Coach's Corner" segment, he also lashed out at anti-fighting advocates in general.

He said they used the summer deaths of three former NHL enforcers as a soapbox for their arguments against fighting. Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak died within a matter of weeks this summer.

Kirstine Stewart, the CBC's executive vice-president of English services, says Cherry's comments reflect his own personal opinion.

"While we support his right to voice that opinion, we do not share his position," Stewart said in the statement.

"Player safety is a top priority for CBC, and we support the initiatives of the NHL and others in keeping players safe on and off the ice."

Stewart says she spoke Friday with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and delivered a similar message.

Cherry called Grimson, Nilan and Thomson "turncoats" and "hypocrites," accusing them of not wanting players to make the same living they did.

He also accused those who want to end violence in the sport of taking advantage of the three deaths to make points on fighting. " - CBC.ca

I agree with CBC. Cherry is just an *sshole with outfits that would make even a figure skater go blind.

R.I.P., Steve Jobs (Click here to see his top 10 most memorable moments).

Kids of Older Dads Face Brain Health Risks

"Children of older fathers are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, schizophrenia and a number of other neuropsychiatric or developmental disorders, and a new study reveals why this may be.

 The results show that older male mice are more likely than younger males to have offspring with mutations in genes that correspond to human genes associated with these neurological conditions. The genomes of mice and men are roughly 85 percent identical.

"Mice do not get schizophrenia or autism," said Dr. John McGrath, senior author of the study published today (Aug.30) in the journal Translational Psychiatry. "But, we have found previously that the offspring of older mice have subtle changes in brain structure and behavior."

The new study provides "a mechanism of action" that links the known genetic clues and the increased risk of human neurological disorders faced by children of older fathers, said McGrath, a professor at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Finding the genetic link

Researchers bred older and younger male mice with female mice of the same age. The researchers then sequenced the genomes of all the mice involved, and gave the 12 offspring mice behavioral tests and analyzed their brain structure.

When digging through the mice genomes, the researchers found new mutations in the baby mice that weren't present in either parent. Offspring of the older male mice showed six new mutations that, when matched to their human equivalent genes, have been linked to autism and schizophrenia in humans. The offspring of the young male mice had none of these genetic mutations.

In behavioral tests — which included a swim test and observing how much the mice startled at loud noises — mice of older fathers showed unusual responses. And their brains showed physical differences from other mice.

There are several theories behind the connection between older dads and developmental disorders in their children, including a possible link between assisted reproductive therapy and cognitive disorders, said Rita M. Cantor, professor of human genetics and psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Since scientists sequenced the human genome in 2000, researchers around the world have tried to correlate mutations with diseases. Many disorders are linked to small mutations called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), which entail a single change of an A, T, C or G nucleotide in the DNA.

But other mutations, called copy number variations, or CNVs, are comprised of several duplicated or deleted genes. While studies of SNP mutations have not offered many clues to neurodevelopment and neuropsychiatric disorders, Cantor said research into CNVs has been more fruitful.

"We are putting a lot of effort into the CNV studies, and it would be nice to know that that risk [of having CNVs] would be increased with paternal age," Cantor said. "The study is consistent with the idea, but not a proof."

The new study, because it controlled the age of the parents and many environmental factors through a mouse model, was "a good first step" to revealing the connection between older fathers and disorders in their children, Cantor said.

Do mutations lead to disease?

Not all CNVs are harmful, so matching the CNVs in the mice to known harmful mutations in humans was a boon to the study, said Dr. John Csernansky, chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

"The homology between the mouse genome and the human genome is very, very strong. So when they say, this gene is equivalent to the human gene... I don't think there's any doubt about that," Csernansky said.

But Csernansky added that simply matching a harmful mutation in humans to a mutation in mice is "guilt by association." The researchers can't assume that a mutation that's harmful in humans is also harmful in mice.

So while the behavioral tests in the study couldn't diagnose mice with disorders, they did go further than previous work in proving that older fathers were more likely to have offspring with new, harmful mutations.

"As fathers grow older, there's a greater likelihood of having a child with many problems, including psychiatric problems," Csernansky said. "I think this [study] will help us piece together the story of how these illnesses come about."

Pass it on: The children of older fathers may be more likely to have mutations called CNVs in genes linked to neurodevelopmental disorders." - By Lauren Cox, MyHealthNewsDaily Contributor

Jack Layton puts on brave face despite cancer.

Photo credit: Globe & Mail

Ontario mayor decries ‘shameful’ Tory tactics toward asbestos widow

Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press

"The mayor of Sarnia, Ont., has written a letter to the Conservative Party of Canada, accusing it of “absolutely shameful” behaviour in its dispute with the widow of an asbestos victim.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley reacted to news that the woman, Michaela Keyserlingk, received a threatening email warning her to stop using the party's trademarked logo in her anti-asbestos ad campaign.

“Your actions on the asbestos issue ... with threatening a widow whose husband died of exposure to asbestos are absolutely shameful,” Mr. Bradley wrote in an email to Conservative Party executive director Dan Hilton.

“I invite you to come to Sarnia Lambton and see the devastating impact asbestos has had on countless lives of the people of this community and why it is morally wrong for Canada to support and promote the export of asbestos.

“I look forward to hearing from you.”

Mr. Bradley added in an interview Monday that many residents of his industrial city of 70,000 were exposed to the hazardous mineral and have since been struck by diseases linked to it.

This latest tussle in Canada's debate over its declining asbestos industry comes as the Quebec government mulls whether to help relaunch one of the country's only remaining mines.

Ms. Keyserlingk, whose husband Robert died in 2009 of a cancer linked to asbestos exposure, said Monday that she's received a wave of supportive emails since going public with the Tory warning.

Her banner ad reads, “Canada is the only western country that still exports deadly asbestos!” and features a Tory logo.

The Conservatives under Prime Minister Stephen Harper have been adamant defenders of Canada's declining asbestos-mining industry, despite growing concern from health experts around the world.

Proponents maintain the substance is safe when handled properly and argue that the asbestos being mined in Quebec, chrysotile, is far less dangerous than the notorious amphibole variety. But opponents reject the idea that the substance could be handled safely, according to the strictest standards, in the poor countries that import it.

The Canadian Cancer Society says close to 100,000 people die globally every year because of workplace exposure to asbestos fibres.

Ms. Keyserlingk acknowledges that she doesn't have permission to use the Tory logo, but insists she's not going to remove the ad until she meets with a senior member of the Conservatives to discuss the future of Canada's asbestos industry.

Coincidentally, Ms. Keyserlingk says her husband was the former president for the Ottawa-Centre Progressive Conservative riding association.

The Tories cast the dispute as a simple copyright issue.

They said Monday that they routinely send letters like the one forwarded to Keyserlingk when their logo is used without permission.

“It is a step we are required to take whenever we discover there is an unauthorized use of our logo,” party spokesman Fred DeLorey said in an email Monday. “We have nothing further to add to this.”

Mr. Bradley said he took offence with how the Conservatives dealt with Ms. Keyserlingk.

“This woman was simply trying to bring to the attention of the Canadian public what many others have been trying to do in the last number of years,” Mr. Bradley said.

The mayor ran for the federal Liberals in 1984 but insists he has no ties with any party in Ottawa. He has long been critical of the asbestos industry, dating to back to well before the Tories took office.

Sarnia's council passed a resolution in 2001 calling for an end to Canadian asbestos exports, and the mayor suggests politicians focus on creating new jobs in another sector.

He said Monday that he hadn't yet received a response to his email from the Conservatives.

Meanwhile Monday, an attempt was afoot to breathe new life into one of Canada's last remaining asbestos mines.

The Quebec government has already agreed to guarantee a controversial $58-million bank loan to extend the life of Jeffrey Mine in the town of Asbestos for another 25 years, as long as the company can find enough private financing.

The deadline for the deal had been set by the provincial government for Monday, but the company has requested an extension.

The company says the mining project would create up to 500 jobs in the central Quebec region." - The Globe & Mail.

See "The Daily Show"'s aim at asbestos here.

See the full article with more articles here.

Michaela Keyserlingk holds up a picture of her husband who died from an asbestos-related cancer.

Artist protests food additives

Photo credit: Metro News

Teens, eat yummy, healthy food for a whole month! (Click here)

"Orgasm, Inc." (Click here for the website).

As a woman, you deserve to know the truth behind the lies people tell you about your own body...

Orgasm Inc., the movie, is NOT Porn - it's a documentary that demonstrates how big pharma is playing on the fears and ignorance of women to build a multi-billion dollar industry out of your supposed sexual insufficiency. 

Probably suitable for all women ages 12 and up...and for the men who actually care about them.

'I will beat this,' NDP leader Jack Layton says in vow to return to duties in September of 2011.

This was the scene yesterday on Monday, July 25th 2011:

"NDP Leader Jack Layton stunned Canada's political arena on Monday, announcing he is taking a temporary leave of absence to receive treatment after doctors discovered he has a new cancer.

The surprise announcement comes just over two months after Layton led his party to record gains in the federal election and Official Opposition status in the House of Commons.

Layton, speaking at times with a strained voice alongside his wife, NDP MP Olivia Chow, vowed to return to his position when Parliament resumes on Sept. 19.

[...]

Layton is considered the most popular federal leader among Canadians and is largely credited with his party's unprecedented success in May's general election, which saw the New Democrats become the second-largest party in the Commons, the Bloc Québécois decimated and the Liberals reduced to third-party status.

[...]

Layton, 61, who represents the Toronto-Danforth riding and has led the New Democrats since 2003, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late 2009 and went public with it in February 2010. He also underwent hip surgery earlier this year and used a cane during the recent federal election campaign." - CBC News.

"As NDP Leader Jack Layton announced he's facing his second bout of cancer in a year and a half, there are signs his party is rattled.

Layton said Monday he's taking time off to focus on treatment, though he wouldn't say what kind of cancer he now has. " - CBC News. (See the full article here).

'Don't let them tell you it can't be done'

Fighting words from Mr. Layton yesterday. The federal NDP leader was almost unrecognizable yesterday as the gaunt, strained-voiced man who appeared before the press to announce his temporarily leave  of caucus.

Personally, I fear, due to how he said he found about this new cancer and his reluctance to tell the public what it is (although he is well within his rights to do so), is that it may be bone cancer.

Our thoughts go out to you, Jack. Get well soon. Canada needs you.

See Mr Layton's announcement and a joint article here.

See a "get well" tribute here.

Controversy over ' Canada's exportation of death ' continues to grow... Especially around Harper. (Click here)

LADIES: The following makes it okay for you to eat chocolate!!!

Photo credit: "Ottawa Metro"

World Health Organization say cell phones cause brain cancer (Click here)

Photo credit: CTV.ca

Knees hurt? Read on.

Photo credit: "Metro Ottawa" May 24th 2011

New disgusting test could save you from cancer!

Photo credit: "Metro Ottawa" May 19th 2011

SYTYCD Judge Murphy back in her chair after cancer scare. (Click here)

Levine bares it all for fight against prostate and testicular cancer... (Click here and see!)

----

June 6th 2011

Since then, he has gotten new tattoos, as evidence of this photo (look at his neck):

Photo credit: @TheVoice

Reformative health care in U.S. under scrutiny... Again.

Photo credit: "24H Ottawa" May 11th 2011

Human whisperer

Photo credit: "Ottawa Metro"

Yes, men; you can get breast cancer, too.

Photo credit: "Ottawa Metro"