Home for Christmas: After months in intensive care, little fighters give their parents a perfect present

By ALISON SMITH SQUIRE and TAMARA COHEN

Finley Burton: Survived after his body was 'frozen' by surgeons to slow down his heart beat


After you’ve beaten the toughest odds simply to survive, every day is Christmas.

But tomorrow will be extra special for these babies, at home with their parents for the first time after months in intensive care.

Born prematurely or facing serious complications, nearly every day of their short lives has been a battle.

But as Christmas Day dawns, they will be snuggled up at home where they belong, for a day of celebration their parents hardly dared dream of.

FINLEY BURTON
Just a few months ago, Finley burton lay paralysed on a hospital bed, his life hanging in the balance.

At ten weeks, he suffered complications after an operation to repair a large hole in his heart.


Wired up: Finley in his hospital bed wired up to lots of machines


His body went into ectopic tachycardia, a rapid heart beat of up to 200 beats a minute that can be fatal.

Desperate to save him, doctors used a pioneering technique, ‘freezing’ him to slow down his out-of-control heart rate.

Yesterday, Finley, now ten months, was enjoying the snow with his parents Aaron, 32, and Donna, 28, at their home in Easington, Co. Durham.


‘We really thought we were going to lose him,’ said his mother. ‘It’s a miracle that he survived and we can now enjoy our first family Christmas.’

BURDEN TWINS
Dressed in matching red outfits, the six-month-old Burden twins have made it home in time for their first Christmas too.

Parents Lee Burden, 35, and Amanda Staplehurst, 31, feared the worst when Amelia-Hope was born at 23 weeks, weighing a mere 1lb 2oz.


Amelia-Hope Burden and her brother, Arthur, who weighed 1lb 2oz and 1lb 4oz respectively with their mother, Amanda


Tiny: When she was born, Amelia-Hope weighed just 1lb 2oz. Her twin brother came ten days later and weighed 1lb 4oz


Arthur followed ten days later, at 1lb 4oz, and their battle for life began.

Somehow, their fighting spirit won through and they became the youngest premature twins to survive in the UK.

They were allowed to leave hospital only last month.

‘Bringing them home is the best gift we could have asked for,’ said their mother at the family home in Bournemouth.

JENKINSON TRIPLETS


Three times the fun: Rebecca and Iain Jenkinson with Gabriella, Alexander and Zachary


Happiness is trebled in the Jenkinson household this Christmas. triplets gabriella, zachary and alex were born two months premature after being conceived naturally in a 750,000-to-one chance.

While the first two arrived safely, Alex had a serious heart condition that needed surgery and mother Rebecca had to have a life-saving blood transfusion.

After the drama of last December’s birth, Rebecca and husband Iain are relishing every moment together at their home in Warrington.

‘All three of them are happy and healthy,’ Mrs Jenkinson said. ‘They’re my Christmas miracle babies.’


Merry Christmas 2010 !



source: dailymail

Looking fabulous at 50: Carol Vorderman shows why she refuses to fret about her body

By EMILY ANDREWS

Birthday girl: Carol Vorderman is fabulous at 50


In her younger days she sometimes counted her imperfections. Today, as she turns 50, Carol Vorderman prefers to count her blessings.

And as her elegant red gown shows, she is a woman who has been very blessed indeed.

‘When you’re in your 20s and 30s you often think “I don’t like this bit, I don’t like that bit, I wish I could shave a few inches off here”,’ she said.

‘But when you’re older you’re just blooming grateful for what you’ve got!

‘For instance, I’ve learned that women spend lots of time worrying about cellulite but men just don’t see it, particularly as they get older themselves and their eyesight goes too!

‘At this age you don’t beat yourself up any more - what’s the point?

‘I’m comfortable in my skin, I’m really happy and that’s all that counts.’

The mother of two, who co-hosted Channel Four’s Countdown for 26 years, has been busy concentrating on figures other than her own since she left the show.


She is chairman of a Conservative Party Task Force that will report in the new year on improving maths education.

And she is running an online maths school for children up to age 12, www.themathsfactor.com, which operates with a team of 12 from Bristol.

Then there is the delight of family life in Somerset with her daughter Katie, 18, son Cameron, 13, and mother Jean, 82.

Christmas, coinciding with her birthday, is always a favourite time.

‘I was called Carol because I was born on Christmas Eve... no surprises there...and I just love this time of year,’ she said.

The year ahead, it seems, will be Carol’s year of living dangerously. She wants to use her 51st year to do 50 things she’s always dreamed of, such as learning to ski, completing a scuba diving course and getting her pilot’s licence.

‘I’m actually a real daredevil and I love engines, as I read engineering at Cambridge, so I want to learn to fly and go wing-walking and do some aerobatics,’ she said.

‘This will be an aviation year - I want to go ballooning in Switzerland and to see the final space shuttle go up.

‘There are all these things I’ve always wanted to do, but in the past the kids have been too young or I’ve been working too hard.

‘Now we can do all these things together and I have a lot more time.

‘Katie’s on her gap year before university so hopefully she can come with me to the States to learn to fly and I’ve got lots more things planned.

‘I was the kid on free school meals from a single parent family in the 60s who managed to get to Cambridge and have made the most of everything I could by working hard since then.

‘And as this year ends, I could burst with excitement. I know that a new chapter is beginning.’

Hard work, she often says, has been the key to her success. And it seems that also applies to her fabulous fiftysomething figure. ‘I do have to watch what I eat,’ she admitted.


Carol & Katie Vorderman



Carol Vorderman - Daybreak 10Nov2010


source: dailymail

The City star banned from fashion website after shocked readers complain about her stick-thin frame

By MAYSA RAWI

Weighty issue: Allie Crandell models a black leather dress by BCBG on the Revolve website, but has been banned after readers complained she was too thin


The City star Allie Crandell has been banned from a popular American fashion retailer after readers complained about her skinny frame.

Revolve clothing featured Crandell on their online boutique looking painfully thin as she models a collection by BCBG Max Azria.

One image in particular showing her tiny waist and arms sparked outrage among shoppers.


Painfully thin: Allie has attracted attention in the past over her weight while she was on American show The City


One shopper wrote: 'As a normal, healthy woman with a healthy body type. How can I possibly imagine what this dress would look like on me when it is shown on an emaciated frame?'

Revolve have promised not to feature Crandell on their site until she puts on weight.

The spokesperson said: 'We are working closely with both the model and her agent to get her to a healthier size.



Doll-sized: Revolve have said they are working with both the model and her agent to get her to a healthier size


'She won't be appearing in any of our new product batches or in any of our fashion editorial photos moving forward until the issue is adequately addressed.

'We have been attempting to respect the privacy of the model in question while dealing with the issue on our end.'

In 2008, Crandell became a part of the MTV reality show The City.

In one episode, fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone accused her of being too thin before the model goes on to defend herself by insisting she eats healthily.

Although she played a major role in the first season, she has only appeared twice in the second half.

She also starred in Shayne Ward's 2006 No Promises video.

Crandell confirmed via her personal Twitter account that she will no longer be appearing on the show, stating, 'I'm done with the City forever.'

source: dailymail

Michael Douglas enjoys family dinner in New York as he awaits results of cancer treatment

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Smartly dressed: Michael looked fresher than in recent weeks and Catherine looked glamourous in a pair of black leather trousers and large black sunglasses


After being diagnosed with cancer four months ago, Michael Douglas has just seen the end of a difficult year.

But as the new year begins, the actor is now facing a tense wait to see if his treatment has been successful.

The Hollywood actor, 66, put his worries to one side to spend some quality time with wife Catherine Zeta Jones and their two children Dylan, 10, and seven year old Carys.


Waiting: Michael Douglas is awaiting news on his cancer treatment


The family enjoyed a meal out in New York together after arriving back in the city before the new year celebrations.

Michael was pictured outside the family home with his brood looking healthier than in recent weeks.

The actor was looking well-groomed with his hair brushed back, his face clean-shaven and colour flushed his cheeks.

While Catherine stepped out in a glamorous black outfit sporting large black shades.

On Friday the couple were seen at JFK Airport arriving back from a trip to San Francisco.

Michael was dressed causally in a zipped top, black trousers and a green cap.


Facing the music: Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta Jones arrived back in New York on Friday


Meanwhile Catherine, 42, went make-up free and covered her face with her hat and sunglasses as she sat in the back seat of their car.

It emerged Douglas was battling throat cancer back in August and he has been undergoing gruelling chemo and radiotherapy over the past few months.

He recently revealed he will discover in January whether the treatment has been successful.


Homeward bound: The veteran star was looking healthier than he has done in recent months. He'll discover the results of his cancer treatment this month


Douglas recently revealed in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter - his first since undergoing treatment - that he will learn in January if the cancer has been eliminated. Doctors have told him this type of cancer has an 80 per cent cure rate.

‘It certainly has put a little perspective on mortality, obviously,’ he said.
But as I looked through the stats, I didn’t think of this as life and death, I just saw it as an illness to get over.

‘So I didn’t dig into the bottom of my soul to see what I could see.


Fighting chance: Doctors have given Douglas an 80 per cent chance of beating the illness


'The level of chemo, the amount they’re giving you, combined with radiation, was the max they could do in that period of time. It’s amazing that they almost have to try and kill you to bring you back.’

Douglas has been spending lost of quality time with his family over the past month.

The veteran actor celebrated Thanksgiving in Florida with Catherine and their children where they visited Disney World as well as enjoying a magical day out at The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.


source: dailymail