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Terminally ill 5-year-old dies in Santa's arms
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When Santa Claus got a call from the hospital with a request to visit a terminally ill boy, he didnt realize hed be the one to hold the child when he passed. - photo by Jessica Ivins
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. When Santa Claus got a call from the hospital with a request to visit a terminally ill boy, he didnt realize hed be the one holding the child when he passed.

With his long white beard, jolly red cheeks, round soft belly and signature suspenders Eric Schmitt-Matzen embodies the Saint Nick he becomes each December, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Schmitt-Matzen stays busy during the holiday season working about 80 gigs a year.

So when he received a call from a nurse at a Knoxville, Tennessee, hospital a few weeks ago as he was leaving his civilian job as a mechanical engineer, he jumped at the chance to change into his big red suit. But the 5-year-old child who wanted to see him didnt have time for a costume change, the News Sentinel reported.

(The nurse) said, There isnt time for that, Schmitt-Matzen said. Your Santa suspenders are good enough. Come right now.

Schmitt-Matzen arrived at the hospital to find the devastated family in tears. The boys mother handed Santa a PAW Patrol toy to give her son, struggling to keep her composure. Thats when Schmitt-Matzen realized the gravity of the situation, according to the News Sentinel.

(I) told everyone, If you think youre going to lose it, please leave the room. If I see you crying, Ill break down and cant do my job, he said.

With that, he entered the room alone.

He was laying there, so weak it looked like he was ready to fall asleep, Schmitt-Matzen told the News Sentinel. I sat down on his bed and asked, Say, whats this I hear about youre gonna miss Christmas? Theres no way you can miss Christmas! Why, youre my Number One elf!

The boy lit up with the news, then struggled to open the gift in front of him. After flashing a smile, he looked up at Schmitt-Matzen and asked a heartbreaking question, the News Sentinel reported.

They say Im gonna die, he told me. How can I tell when I get to where Im going? Schmitt-Matzen said.

Old Saint Nick told the boy all he needed to do was mention he was Santas No. 1 elf, and hed surely be let in.

He kinda sat up and gave me a big hug and asked one more question: Santa, can you help me? Schmitt-Matzen told the News Sentinel. I wrapped my arms around him. Before I could say anything, he died right there. I let him stay, just kept hugging and holding on to him.

When the family realized what had happened, they ran in to hold the boy. Thats when Schmitt-Matzen dashed out of the room, holding back sobs.

I cried all the way home, he told the News Sentinel. I was crying so hard, I had a tough time seeing good enough to drive.

The News Sentinel columnist who spoke to Schmitt-Matzen, Sam Venable, has been overwhelmed by the response the tragic yet beautiful story has received in the days since it was published in the paper Sunday.

People have told me that they were crying when they read it, and I tell them that I was crying when I wrote it, he told CNN.

Schmitt-Matzen found it difficult to remain jolly after the experience. He struggled to find hope in the season for a time even skipping out on a visit to his grandchildren in Nashville, Tennessee.

It took me a week or two to stop thinking about it all the time, he told the News Sentinel. Actually, I thought I might crack up and never be able to play the part again.

But then the messages of love began flooding his Facebook page.

Such an amazing thing to have done, one commenter wrote. You are a saint among men.

Grant peace to your heart for the joy you brought him even for only a moment, wrote another.

Eventually, Schmitt-Matzen found the strength to slip on the red suit once more.

When I saw all those children laughing, it brought me back into the fold, he told the News Sentinel. It made me realize the role I have to play. For them and for me.

The ultimate gift, indeed.
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.