Alabama teen donates afro for children with cancer
An Alabama 17-year-old donated 19 inches of hair to make wigs for children with cancer. Kieran Moise’s afro was a big part of his personality but he knew he would have to cut it before heading to the U.S. Air Force Academy. Moise donated his hair to the nonprofit Children With Hair Loss in memory of a friend who died from cancer. He spread word of his donation via flyers and social media to raise awareness of the need for hair donation. He also started a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the treatment center that helped his late friend Josh Quist, who died in middle school. Moise’s original goal was to raise $19,000: $1,000 for every inch of hair he cut off. His fundraiser has already raised nearly $35,000 as of June 24.
“I wanted to give back,” Moise said. “I knew I wanted to send a message.”
Blood test detects 50 types of cancer
A new blood test can detect 50 separate cancers at well above the average rate for test accuracy. The long-running research project developed by U.S. biotech company Grail is aimed at those 50 and older to catch cancer cells in their early stages of growth. Their technology uses artificial intelligence to find changes in DNA methylation that record the damage DNA experiences over its lifetime.
In a March 2020 trial of the blood test involving 3,000 patients, some cancers were detected with 63% accuracy. The false positive rate was less than .07%, compared to 10% for mammography. Results from the newest studies are expected in 2023. Clinic tests will begin soon, said UK National Health Service cancer chief Peter Johnson.
Buddhist monk dedicates life to rescuing stray dogs
A Chinese monk has dedicated his life to rescuing more than 8,000 dogs and finding them new homes around the world. Zhi Xiang, a Buddhist monk who lives in Shanghai, has worked on taking dogs off the street since 1994. Xiang is a Bodhisattva, considered the holiest of monks. This group focuses on helping people escape from the cycle of life rather than following the lifestyle of the traditional monk. 51-year-old Xiang cares for hundreds of cats and dogs, paying over $2.5 million every year for supplies and labor. Xiang reaches prospective pet owners overseas via social media.
“I have a dream that one day, when I have some free time, I want to go abroad and visit them, take photos with every dog that I rescued,” Xiang said. “So when I get old and can’t walk, I have these photos to look at.”