By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
The Clean Cut: Video of paralyzed football player walking with fianc for graduation goes viral
4f684602c7451f5f51650a67737dbead3af7720f60b0dec17bc2be6bfaff988d
Chris Norton walks across the stage at his graduation with the help of his fianc, Emily Summers. - photo by Brooke Facer
Brooke Facer
Deseret News
Published: Mar 20, 2017, 3:42 PM
Chris Norton injured his spinal cord while playing football in 2010, but despite doctors giving him a 3 percent chance of regaining any movement from the neck down, Norton pushed forward.

A video from his college graduation, which appears to have taken place in 2014, went viral on Wednesday after being shared by several large Facebook accounts.

In a comment on a Facebook post of the video, Norton said At that moment I was forced to make the choice to either give up and let my life be determined by my circumstances or fight and create something positive out of my circumstances! I believed that I could turn that tragedy into an opportunity to do more, to be better, to inspire others and be stronger.

After months of rehabilitation and physical therapy, some of Nortons strength returned. On graduation day, with the help of his fianc, Emily Summers, whom he had just proposed to the previous day, he walked across the stage to receive his diploma.

Norton told NBC News that he equated his walk to a game day. My full focus was to take the best steps I could possibly take and not worry about the audience or anything else," Norton said.

Norton has now started a foundation for other people with spinal cord injuries, and also co-authored a book with his father.

Watch the video of his proposal to Summers here.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
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.