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Polish olympian auctions off medal to pay for toddler’s heart surgery

Aug 21 2021 Share

Beyond being an elite-level athlete, Polish javelin thrower Maria Andrejczyk has proven to be a hero after auctioning off her silver medal to pay for an 8-month old boy’s heart surgery.

Being a bone cancer survivor herself, Andrejczyk sought out to help the 8-month-old boy with the winning bid of $125,000, giving the boy a fighting chance of survival. Reports have stated that the boy’s conditions seems to be in a dire state, whose defect causes blood pressure to surge and damage arteries in his lungs and heart.

He is set to receive an operation at Stanford University Medical Center thanks to the Polish athlete’s gesture, with which she stated that “the true value of a medal always remains in the heart.”

#MaltaDaily

Pugs: A human’s best friend since 400 BC

Pugs: A human’s best friend since 400 BC
Aug 21 2021 Share

Curly-tailed and being famous for their snoring, the pug’s history has been defined by one particular purpose: keeping humans company. Many other dogs have been utilised for all manner of activities – hunting, sports, being service dogs and even finding drugs. The pug, however, has always been bred to address humanity’s longing for a friend. 

The pug is an ancient breed of dog (which comes to the surprise of many). Their origin comes at around 400 B.C. in ancient China as companion animals for wealthy people. They made a name for themselves as ideal lapdogs and companions, used even in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries as company to the self-isolating ascetics. 

Pugs also received royal treatment by Chinese emperors, who kept guards and servants around the dog to protect and care for them. The pug was not the only flat-faced dog bred by the Chinese. These include the Lion Dog, the Pekingese and, the star of today’s article, the ‘Lo-sze’ a.k.a the pug. 

Some historians think that the reason pugs were bred to have wrinkled faces was to create a pattern of wrinkles for the Chinese character for ‘prince’ (王). The name is also alleged to have come from marmoset monkeys which were known locally as pug monkeys. These monkeys were also kept as pets in the early 1700s. 

As their popularity spread from China to Japan and Russia and then eventually Europe, the dogs were perfectly suited as household pets due to their small size and minimal exercise requirements. The dogs were kept by Queen Victoria of England and taken to church by the aunt of Catherine the Great of Russia. 

The pug mania never really died down, only dimming and increasing over the ages. In 1981, the pug Dhandys Favourite Woodchuck won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the USA, making it the only pug to have won the competition since its start in 1877. 

Pugs are also unfortunately known for having serious health conditions. They suffer from everything from eye conditions, breathing issues and even getting overweight. They are a delicate dog to take care of but they have survived the test of time as some of the friendliest and cuddliest canines around. 

#MaltaDaily

Daniel Umanah touches base in Nigeria with 3,000 kilograms of food donations

Aug 21 2021 Share

After a national charity campaign to gather food and resources for his Nigerian hometown of Ikot Imo, local influencer Daniel Umanah has finally touched base in Africa with 3,000 kilograms of supplies for the village.

Umanah shared that the 6-hour job was more intense than a gym workout and it took a considerable amount of 500-metre journeys from the loading truck to the market.

 

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A post shared by Daniel Umanah (@danielumanahofficial)

The nurse highlighted that he needed to take a fraction of Maltese generosity and healthcare standards to Ikot Imo and with help from a number of local organisations like Happy Initiative along with donations from generous locals, Umanah’s dream became a reality.

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Demi Lovato says they may not always identify as non-binary

Aug 21 2021 Share

In a recent interview, Demi Lovato expressed that they may not always identify as non-binary as their fluid gender journey continues to evolve.

The singer posted the non-binary announcement back in May, with the term meaning that one does not subscribe to the traditional male & female gender constructs. Whether it is through fashion, lifestyle choices or behaviour, an individual identifying as non-binary is free to express themselves beyond the constructs of the traditional male and female identity.

“I was very nervous in the beginning to come out as non-binary because I didn’t want people to think it was inauthentic. I just wanted people to see what coming out as non-binary meant to my healing process.”

Check out this video of Demi discussing spirituality & non-binary identity with Bretman Rock:

 

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Tag a Demi Lovato fan!

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