Thursday, July 3rd, 2025

Good Morning! 🌞

It’s Thursday, and the long weekend is almost within reach. But before the fireworks and BBQs, let’s take a quiet moment to count the blessings we often rush past.

Be grateful—for the chance to celebrate, for the people waiting to share a meal or a laugh, and for the simple fact that we get to show up and be together at all.

As July 4th draws near, let’s carry that thankfulness with us—because at the end of the day, it’s not the plans or the party, but the people beside us who matter most. 🇺🇸✨

Health Science

Life-Changing Double Transplant

When 29-year-old Luka Kriszanac returned to University of Pennsylvania Medicine this June, he was greeted with smiles and handshakes—a remarkable moment, considering he received a double hand transplant from the very team welcoming him back. The procedure, called a vascularized composite allotransplantation, is one of the most complex in medicine. Kriszanac is just the fifth person to undergo it at Penn Medicine, which houses some of the world’s leading experts in hand transplantation.

An undiagnosed strep throat infection led to deadly sepsis when Kriszanac was 12, costing him both legs and hands. After learning about Penn’s program, he began evaluations in 2018. The pandemic delayed his search for a donor, but in 2024, the Gift of Life program matched him with one. “Regaining hands after 17 years, I don’t think there is a bigger dream than that,” he told CBS News. “They changed not just my life but my family’s life forever, and for that, we are deeply grateful.” The 10-hour surgery, led by Dr. L. Scott Levin and Dr. Benjamin Chang, required a perfect donor match—right down to blood type, bone structure, muscle density, skin tone, and age.

Post-surgery, Kriszanac can now perform daily tasks like typing on a phone, holding a cup, pushing up his glasses, and sensing heat and cold. While he’s returned home to Zurich with his family, he remains closely connected to the Penn team. “When we take this on, we are their doctors and caregivers forever,” says Levin. “If they have a problem with rejection or another medical problem, we’re the first to hear about it, and we spring into action.” That enduring commitment was clear when Kriszanac came back to visit this summer—the atmosphere was one of deep gratitude, quiet pride, and shared joy.

WATCH the story from CBS News…

US News

Hurricane Resistant Housing

In Tampa Bay, Florida, a village of compact, hurricane-resistant homes is redefining what affordable housing can look like. Built by U.S. company Escape, the development—called Escape Tampa Bay—now houses over 60 people in four small neighborhoods, featuring homes as narrow as 8.5 feet. Each of the 45 homes includes up to two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and laundry area, with prices starting at $156,000 to purchase or $1,400 per month to rent.

“Even though it’s a tiny house, you still have a large area where you can go outside and walk just like you’re in a normal neighborhood,” said Dan Dobrowolski, the 66-year-old founder who launched the project in 2020. “We intentionally designated the entire central part of the development as a large park, so it’s very green, very quiet, and you have space.” Unlike mobile home parks or RV sites, Escape Tampa Bay has permanent infrastructure like underground utilities, fiber-optic internet, a shared workspace, secure-entry doors, and a community pool. Last October, Hurricane Milton struck with winds over 115 mph and a once-in-1,000-year rain event—yet the homes sustained zero damage, with no leaks or broken windows.

Dobrowolski sees tiny homes as a powerful solution to the housing affordability crisis, especially in high-demand regions like Tampa. “People all talk about the affordability crisis in housing,” he said. “Especially if you’re a working person—cops, teachers, mechanics—they’re priced out.” The homes, ranging from 200 to 600 square feet (with some early models up to 800), offer long-term affordability without compromising quality. “Beauty is important, and we’ve shown that affordable housing doesn’t have to mean sacrificing neighborhood quality or design.” Most residents own their homes, but some are rented by the company or through private owners. “And the demand is off the Richter scale,” Dobrowolski added. “What we’ve created here isn’t just housing—it’s a real community where people can afford to live and thrive in today’s economy.”

Word News

Ghost Town No More…

Once written off as a ghost town, the southern Italian hamlet of Stornara is now drawing thousands of visitors each year—thanks to more than 140 vivid murals painted across its old shops and homes. It makes sense that in the country that birthed countless great artists, one town would turn to painting as a way to recover. As local artist Lino Lombardi put it, “Why should Rome and Florence get all the attention?”

Stornara, like many small towns in Italy, faced years of decline as younger generations left for cities and families had fewer children. “When I first returned it felt like a sacrifice, it was like walking into a ghost town,” said Rita Gensano, who moved back in 2017 to care for her parents after two decades in Turin. “I had left it full of life and laughter but when I returned it felt like it was dying.” That was the same year Lombardi launched Stramurales, an annual street art festival inviting artists from around the world. It began with just six murals in 2018; today, there are over 140—and the town’s transformation is unmistakable.

Tourism has surged by 25% since 2020, with eight new businesses—including restaurants, B&Bs, and even an art-supply shop—opening their doors. More importantly, locals say, the population is no longer shrinking. “Suddenly there were loads of people turning up with cameras and guidebooks,” said café owner Antonio Maglione. “I had to quickly learn to say ‘welcome’ in five different languages.” He added, “The murals saved my business, but more than that, they saved our community.” Murals span streets and squares, often themed around agriculture, migration, and portraits of residents—topics locals vote on each year. “Our community has painted itself back to life, one wall at a time,” said Lombardi. “At first people thought I was crazy, but I couldn’t just watch the town fade away.” This year’s Stramurales festival, set for July, will welcome artists from across Europe—proof that what started as one man’s dream has become a model for rebirth.

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Mind Stretchers

⁉️

I have hands but cannot hold, A face that never grows old. I mark each moment, night and noon, Yet chase a race I’ll never win. What am I?

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:

I have pages but I’m not a book,
I count the days but never look,
I’m thrown away when my job is done—
What am I? — a calendar! Chris Hostetler got this correct first! ☀️ 

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 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.