Good Morning 🌞

Happy Friday! You survived the week—now let’s celebrate with a little humor.

Why did the tomato turn red?
Because it saw the salad dressing! 🥗😆

Now, let’s dive into today’s stories—no blushing required! ⬇️

Innovation

First Titanium Heart

In early February, an Australian man in his 40s made medical history as the first person to leave the hospital with a titanium artificial heart. The fist-sized device kept him alive for 105 days by continuously pumping blood to his lungs. On March 6, when a donor heart became available, doctors successfully replaced the artificial heart with a real one—an intervention that ultimately saved his life.

Before the transplant, the man could barely walk 10 to 15 meters without losing his breath. Now, he’s regained his strength and mobility. Dr. Chris Hayward, the transplant cardiologist leading the team at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, hailed the procedure as a major breakthrough, while lead surgeon Paul Jansz called it a "game-changer." The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, in development for nearly 25 years, had previously been implanted in a 58-year-old American who lived with the device for eight days before receiving a transplant. This latest case marks the first successful use outside the U.S. and the sixth attempt overall, demonstrating its long-term viability.

The device’s journey began in 2001 when biomedical engineer Daniel Timms started designing an artificial heart after his father suffered a heart attack. Unlike traditional artificial hearts, BiVACOR’s titanium device has only one moving part—a magnetically levitating rotor that eliminates friction and wear. The battery, which exits through the abdomen, is the only component requiring replacement. Weighing just 650 grams, it’s compact enough for women and children as young as 12 yet powerful enough to sustain an adult during exercise. With fewer than 6,000 heart transplants performed globally each year, demand far exceeds supply. Currently, only one artificial heart is FDA-approved for commercial use, but BiVACOR’s success could soon change that. Four more implants are planned in Australia this year through Monash University’s Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, signaling a potential revolution in cardiac care.

Good News

The Funniest 911 Call

There’s an old saying about something being as easy as taking candy from a baby—but one 4-year-old in Wisconsin wasn’t about to let that slide when his mom took his ice cream. Last Tuesday, the Village of Mount Pleasant Police Department received an unexpected 911 call from the indignant child, demanding they “come get my mommy.”

“What’s the address of your emergency?” the dispatcher asked.

“My mommy’s been bad,” the boy replied.

After repeatedly insisting that officers come arrest his mother, she finally took the phone. “Oh, this little one got the phone, and he’s four,” she explained, admitting, “I ate his ice cream.” Then, before her son could escalate his case, she hung up. Standard protocol requires officers to check on any disconnected 911 call, so they showed up at the house to make sure everything was fine (ice cream theft included). The mother, amused by the situation, greeted them at the door.

“Oh, it’s the police. They actually came,” she said, impressed that her son had used Siri to make the call.

Meanwhile, the boy was sticking to his story, insisting his mother be taken away for her crime. The officers asked if he’d rather have ice cream instead of pressing charges—after some thought, he reluctantly agreed. Two days later, the officers returned with two scoops of ice cream and blue sprinkles, settling the case once and for all.

Environment

Record-Breaking Migration

Amid the usual grim news about species decline, one bird is defying the odds. Tasmania’s orange-bellied parrot, once teetering on the brink of extinction, has rebounded from just 17 individuals to the low hundreds, thanks to decades of dedicated conservation work.

Recently, 28 captive-bred juveniles were released in Melaleuca, southwest Tasmania, to join a breeding colony near Five-Mile Beach. This effort is crucial, as young parrots learn migration routes to Queensland from experienced adults—a skill essential for their survival. “We expect over 200 orange-bellied parrots to migrate north this breeding season, another record,” said Madeleine Ogilvie, Tasmania’s Natural Resources and Environment Secretary. This marks a dramatic improvement from 2015-16, when only 15 nestlings were produced and just 35 birds made the journey.

Last year, 92 parrots successfully returned from migration, and along with 15 released the previous spring, they produced 105 nestlings—the highest number since the recovery program began in 1994. While many of Tasmania’s bird species continue to struggle, this success story proves that with the right conservation strategies, species on the verge of extinction can make a remarkable comeback.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

William is a historian. He takes two from five and gets four. How does he do that?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I fancy you! — only Gerry Moore got this correct 🙌 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.