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14-year-old girl calls 911 on her mom when she starts acting very strange; what they discover leaves
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1 - photo by Lindsey Miller
Katie Murphy, a 14-year-old from Wisconsin, was going about her day when she started noticing her mom acting a bit strange.

Something was wrong

Murphys mom went to her for help after she was struggling to put toothpaste on her toothbrush, and Murphy told WISN, [My moms] speech was all mixed up...I was like, maybe shes having a stroke.

Two days before the incident, Murphy had learned about the signs of a stroke in her science class. She was paying close attention because it was a subject that piqued her interest. She said, I thought it was kind of cool and weird that peoples speech got mixed up [when they have a stroke].

The science lesson saved her mom

Murphy immediately recognized the symptoms she had learned about two days before and called 911. Doctors confirmed that her mom did, in fact, have a stroke.

Although she learned the symptoms of a stroke at school, there were other factors that played into the miracle of Murphys mom living to tell the tale. Murphy was planning on going to a sleepover the night the stroke happened, but she decided to stay home instead.

It wasnt a coincidence

Beth Tomlin, the teacher who gave the lesson that saved Murphys moms life, believes there were too many miracles involved for this ordeal to be a coincidence. She said to WISN, I believe that the Lord had it all in his hands. He knew how everything was going to turn out, and theres no other way to put it...was all Gods doing.

What to tell your kids

Luckily, Murphy had the knowledge to know what was going on and to call 911. However, many children and adults alike dont know the symptoms of a stroke. There is a trick to knowing the symptoms by remembering the acronym "FAST," which stands for:

  • Facial drooping
  • Arm weakness
  • Speech problems
  • Time (to call 911 ASAP)
Being familiar with the signs could save someones life (or your own).
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.