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Parents praise kind flight attendant for making babys first flight sweet
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Traveling with young children can be notoriously stressful, but thanks to a kind flight attendant, a New York babys first flight was a happy one. - photo by Jessica Ivins
NEW YORK Traveling with young children can be notoriously stressful, but thanks to a kind flight attendant, a New York babys first flight was a happy one.

Heather Gooch and her husband were traveling back to New York from a Florida vacation last week and were anxious about how their 9-month-old son would do on his first flight, Today reports. But thanks to Southwest Airlines flight attendant Anissa Charles, what could have been a nightmare in the sky turned into the flight from heaven.

I have never had a flight attendant as kind and as helpful as she was, Gooch wrote on the airlines Facebook page, hoping to reach Charles and give her the recognition she deserved.

That post quickly went viral, with over 59,000 shares and nearly 500,000 likes thus far.

According to Gooch, Charles made it a point to smile, play and interact with the baby. So much so, in fact, that her son spent the majority of the flight watching the aisle, jumping at any chance to flirt with his new friend.

At one point, she saw that he was looking for her and getting antsy so she came and picked him up and walked up and down the aisle with him while my husband and I ate our lunch, Gooch wrote.

The adoration was mutual. Charles responded to Goochs post, reassuring the mother that the pleasure was most certainly hers.

He made MY day! I needed him more than he wanted me to hang out with, she wrote. I dont mind being used by the babies.

Charles took to her Facebook page to address the experience, in which she insisted that her actions on the flight were really no big deal.

I tell adults all the time on my flights, children are doing exactly what they are supposed to do make noise! she wrote. I would honestly rather hear them make noise and even cry than to hear an adult whine! They have so much to talk about and mom and dad deserve a break!

To the Gooch family, Charless kindness was something extraordinary.

Although this may not be a story that stands out from the rest, I wanted to thank her and let her know how appreciated she is, Gooch wrote. We so often hear about the negative things going on so I wanted to share this story of someone who made my trip a little brighter.
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.