'We need to get up stream': AFL flag hero's mental health message
Former Kangaroo and Swan Wayne Schwass, a leading mental health advocate, speaks to Nine's Today following the tragic deaths of Adam and Troy Selwood.
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Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Brit Selwood's heartwarming post weeks after Adam's death
Brit Selwood, the wife of former AFL star Joel Selwood, is finding happiness in the aftermath of immense tragedy. The 32-year-old — who is navigating the loss of her two brothers-in-law and grandmother — said her young sons Alfie and Joey had been bringing her 'laughter, light and love'. 'I love you boys, you are magic right now 🤍,' she captioned a series of Instagram photos and videos. Her post was inundated with love from her friends and followers, with many people — including Bec Judd, Lana Wilkinson and Brooke Warne — posting heart emojis. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. 'Hold them tight honey ❤️ so much love to you and your family xx,' one person said. Another commented: 'Children get us through the toughest of times. 💙 sending so much love to your family.' The Selwood family has been hit by unimaginable tragedy in the last few months following the death of three family members. The AFL community was rocked when Troy Selwood took his own life on February 4. The 40-year-old died at a property in Geelong, leaving his family shattered. Just three months later, Troy's identical twin brother Adam passed away. The 41-year-old former West Coast Eagles premiership player died in Perth on May 17. Only three weeks after Adam's unfathomable death, Brit announced the death of her grandmother, writing: 'Rest peacefully Grandma. You were a great grandma'.
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- News.com.au
Shock footage of a kangaroo in a Chinese zoo has sparked concern
A Chinese zoo has been accused of 'sedating' kangaroos after footage emerged of one seemingly passed out in the dirt. In footage shared to social media, the Aussie native can be seen lying on its back as visitors gather around, petting and even attempting to hold its hand. The red kangaroo keeps its eyes completely closed and only manages to pull its hand away once before another person goes to hold it. In a second clip, what appears to be the same kangaroo is seen lying on its back unresponsive with its eyes closed as people hover over it. One person offers the marsupial some food that it attempts to eat before dropping its head to the side. The clips, which were filmed on May 18, saw many branding the scenes 'amusing' and 'entertaining.' Viewers were quick to praise the 'calm and sleepy' animal for remaining calm and being so good around people. However, others expressed their concerns, suggesting the kangaroo may have been sedated in order to keep it docile around visitors. Prominent Victorian wildlife carer, Helen Round, has been working with kangaroos for over a decade. The 56-year-old from East Trentham is a fierce defender of the native animal and works tirelessly to raise, rehabilitate and release them. Speaking to Ms Round revealed that the animal 'very well could be' under sedation. 'It wouldn't be the first time that an animal in an Asian zoo was sedated,' she said. Although red kangaroos have a habit on lying on their backs to 'sun themselves', Ms Round believes this is likely not the case with this footage. She further revealed that it's hardly unheard of for kangaroos and other wild Australian animals to end up in foreign zoos or ownership. 'They are shipped all over the world, all you need is a license to sell,' she said. Just last month, a frazzled runaway kangaroo temporarily shut down an interstate highway in Alabama before it was shot and sedated. The owner, Patrick Starr, told the Associated Press that his family runs a petting zoo but Sheila (the kangaroo) is just a pet. 'People fancy the idea of having a pet kangaroo but they're not an animal that is meant for domesticity. Very few of them are suitable to be kept as pets,' said Ms Round. Concerns around the sedation of wild animals at zoos first came into the spotlight in 2016 when a clip of a heavily sedated lion being used as a photo prop in Thailand went viral. In the footage, a park worker repeatedly pushed a drugged lion cub's head up while visitors draped their arms over it and urged it to say 'cheese' for the camera. In 2018, a kangaroo was viciously stoned to death by visitors at a Chinese zoo because it didn't display its signature hop. The 12-year-old female kangaroo suffered a severely injured foot when it was struck by bricks and concrete chunks and died just days later from a reported ruptured kidney as a result. In 2020, a woman sparked outrage after taking photos of herself holding the testicles of a presumed sedated tiger at a Chiang Mai wildlife park. Animal sedation raises serious ethical concerns about the treatment and wellbeing of animals. They may experience health risks or distress from sedation such as unnatural behaviour that misrepresents their true nature. Under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the maximum penalty for a wildlife trade offence is 10 years imprisonment or a fine of up to $210,000 for an individual. Despite these penalties, wildlife trafficking remains a significant issue, with reports of increased illegal activity in recent years. Wildlife trafficking reports in Queensland alone have doubled over the past two years, with the scale of the problem potentially reaching 'catastrophic' levels. It is estimated that wildlife trafficking is the fourth-largest organised crime globally, worth over $450 billion a year.
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Joe Massa's parents demand NSW Government acquires Northern Beaches Hospital after Healthscope enters receivership
The parents of a toddler who died hours after entering the emergency department of a Healthscope hospital has called on the NSW government to purchase it after the company was forced into receivership on Monday. Joe Massa, two, was taken to the public-private Northern Beaches Hospital in September after he began vomiting. His parents, Elouise and Danny, said they waited in the emergency room for two hours as the toddler was deemed a lower priority patient. He was then taken to Sydney Children's Hospital and suffered cardiac arrest and died due to brain damage. The toddler's death sparked an inquiry that led the NSW government to implement 'Joe's Law', which will ban public-private hospital partnerships. Joe's parents spoke out after Healthscope entered receivership on Monday and tore into the hospital operator's former owner, the Canadian asset management firm Brookfield. 'We are pleased that Brookfield is now finally out of the way,' Ms Massa said on Nine's Today. 'Brookfield has a lot of answers to provide us, including its company directors.' Healthscope had accrued $1.6 billion of debt and had defaulted on lease payments. Brookfield handed control of the health company to the lenders earlier this month, who appointed McGrathNicol Restructuring to find a buyer. Mr Massa said the state government should purchase Northern Beaches Hospital and echoed his wife's criticism of private-public ownership of hospitals. 'Private equity shouldn't be involved in running critical health infrastructure in Australia," he said. 'Their modus operandi is to fatten up the bottom line and to sell the business for a profit. 'At the essence, there's a conflict between the values of public hospitals and private equity and that's where disastrous outcomes occur. 'The Northern Beaches Hospital needs to change and that will only occur when the Northern Beaches hospital returns to public hands as soon as possible.' He called for an overhaul of the culture at the hospital and within the Northern Beaches community and stressed this would 'only occur when the hospital returns to public hands'. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park on Tuesday morning said the state government is continuing its discussions and negotiations with the hospital to take over the facility. "What we will continue to do is work with the current operators and those involved behind the scene. We will be continuing our discussions... with them about what we hope to do and that is bring the hospital back in public hands," Mr Park said on ABC Radio National. "We're working through that. That's been an intense process that's been going on for a couple of weeks now." Local state member Jacqui Scruby said Healthscope's receivership was an opportunity for the NSW government to purchase the hospital. 'It is now crunch time. With hedge fund backers pushing for Healthscope's' assets to be sold, the NSW Government must seize this opportunity to buy not just the public beds, but the entire Northern Beaches Hospital,' Ms Scruby said in a statement. 'Northern Beaches residents deserve a hospital with enough beds and services to meet the needs of our growing community, now and into the future.' Federal Health Minister Mark Butler stressed that while the staff and patients were assured the hospitals will continue to operate, 'this will still be difficult for the hospital's employees and their patients'. 'As Healthscope have today stated, if you have a planned procedure in one of their hospitals, it will go ahead,' Mr Butler told reporters on Monday. He also noted the government had met with KordaMentha, Healthscope's administrator, and the receiver and expects the hospitals to 'remain a critical part of our healthcare system'. 'The government does not want any of these important assets to be put in jeopardy to satisfy international investors,' Mr Butler said. However, Labor will not bail out the embattled healthcare group. 'We remain steadfast in our view that an orderly sales process that maintains the integrity of the entire hospital group will provide the best outcome for patients, staff, landlords and lenders,' Mr Butler said. Healthscope's CEO Tino La Spina told reporters he is confident there will be a buyer to take over the business. 'I think we're confident that there is interest in taking the Healthscope business as a whole. We have 10 non-binding indicative offers,' Mr La Spina said. 'Some are for the whole (business) and others potentially could include the whole (business) under certain circumstances. That is the focus.' It has received a $100 million lifeline from Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which comes in addition to its current cash balance of $110 million and 'substantial additional asset backing across the group', according to Healthscope. Westpac has also agreed to provide the receivers with capital to facilitate the sale.
