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Viral photo captures coffee stand employees praying with grieving widow
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A grieving woman went out for a cup of coffee over the weekend, but ended up with so much more. - photo by Jessica Ivins
VANCOUVER, Wash. A grieving woman went out for a cup of coffee over the weekend but ended up with so much more.

Evan Freeman was working the window at the Dutch Bros. drive-thru Saturday when he noticed that the woman placing her order was struggling to fight back tears, according to KPTV News. When Freeman asked her if she was OK, she fell apart explaining that her 37-year-old husband had passed away the night before.

As soon as she said that, I was like, Theres nothing more you need to say. We got this, Freeman said. Were going to do what we do every time we get someone whos in pain or hurt. Were going to give them our love.

Freeman offered the woman a free cup of coffee, then gathered several of his coworkers and reached out for her hand as the group prayed together, Seattles Q13 News reports.

Barbara Danner who happened to be behind the woman in line snapped a photo of the moving encounter and posted it to the Dutch Bros. Facebook page. Its since been shared more than 115,000 times.

When the (Dutch Bros) guys and gals noticed she was falling apart, they stopped everything and prayed with her for several minutes, invited her to come back for prayer and support as well as anything else that she might need, Danner wrote in her post.

Freemans boss, Jessica Chudek, noticed the photo on social media and was shocked when she realized her employees were responsible for the act of kindness.

It just brought me to tears right then, she told KPTV.

Pierce Dunn, Freemans co-worker, said he wasnt expecting their experience to be shared by so many people. He told KPTV he hopes it will inspire others to look for opportunities to help where they can.

If every single person did an act of kindness or just had a smile on their face, the world would be a completely different place, he said.
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.