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Doctors tell mother to 'terminate' her baby's life. She refuses and must be taken off of her own bre
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What would you do in this situation? - photo by Melinda Fox
Melinda Fox
FamilyShare
Published: Sep 23, 2017, 3:09 AM
If you had to choose between attempting to save your own life or your child's, which would you choose? This is the choice that Carrie DeKlyen faced.

DeKlyen was battling glioblastomic brain cancer while pregnant with her sixth child. Doctors recommended chemotherapy treatments to prolong her life. However, in order to receive these treatments, DeKlyen would have to terminate her pregnancy.

DeKlyen's husband, Nick, told People, "The doctor said, 'If you dont terminate this baby, Carrie, you will die.' But it was Carries decision, and I said, What do you want to do? She said, Were keeping it.

So DeKlyen forewent the treatments that could save her life in order to save the life of her unborn baby. And on September 6, 2017, at 24 weeks, DeKlyen gave birth via cesarean section to a baby girl. DeKlyen and her husband aptly named their little one "Life Lynn."

Nick said, [Life's] birth meant that this wasnt all for nothing, my wife will pass on and my baby will live."

And that's exactly what happened. The day after giving life to her daughter, doctors removed DeKlyen's feeding and breathing tubes. She died surrounded by her family.

"We stayed by her until she took her last breath," Nick told the Associated Press. "It's in God's hands now."

Through tears, Nick said, When our daughter gets old enough, Ill tell her the story about her brave mommy. Ill tell her that God gave her the gift of life with an awesome plan in mind and were not sure why mommy had to be sick and pass away to do so, but its all a special plan and we must trust it."
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
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
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.