Asking Eric: Parent worries past struggles caused daughter's body image issues
I felt sick all of the time. No one knew why, but as a teen my deformities spread, and I had to have two grueling surgeries for spinal abnormalities. Afterward, I came up with elaborate ways to make up my face, do my hair and dress to disguise my oddities
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
'Immense loss': High school football player dies from heat stroke
A high school football player in Tennessee has died after suffering complications from a heat stroke, according to his family. Joshua Henderson, 16, died on Saturday due to "complications from organ failure caused by a severe heat stroke," despite "bravely fighting for his life in the hospital," his family noted in their GoFundMe. His aunt, Kristen Henderson, told ABC News that he was hospitalized on July 6, when he passed out at football practice. Shortly after dropping Henderson off at practice, his mother received a call to say he was unresponsive, according to his aunt. When she got there, he was rushed to the hospital, his aunt said. Henderson, who was a student and football player for Bolton High School in Arlington, Tennessee, was described as as an "exceptional athlete and dedicated scholar," Memphis Shelby County Schools said in a statement on Monday. MORE: Heat stroke vs. heat exhaustion: Safety tips as dangerous temperatures hit US "His kindness, determination and positive spirit left a lasting impression on classmates, teachers and our entire BHS community," school officials said. "We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and all those grieving this immense loss." He was "deeply loved by his parents, siblings, extended family and all who knew him," his family noted in a statement. "His sudden loss has left our hearts shattered and our world forever changed. Joshua's life, though short, was meaningful and full of light," the family said. Kristen Henderson, who described her nephew as a "gentle giant," said he had been playing offensive and defense line on the football team and was being scouted by different universities "because he was so good." MORE: Heat indices could hit 120 as sweltering temperatures grip eastern half of US Henderson, who was about to be a senior in high school this fall, wanted to attend the University of Florida on a football scholarship and pursue a degree in engineering, his aunt said. School officials said grief counselors and support staff will be available at the high school "in the coming days for any student or staff member who needs them." Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S., claiming roughly 2,000 people annually, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest CDC statistics show that 150 heat-related deaths have already occurred in the United States in 2025. For tips on how to stay safe in a heat wave, click here.
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
Summer nights are getting warmer due to climate change, sparking health concerns
When you typically think about extreme heat, a sweltering, sunny day may come first to mind. But climate scientists are also sounding the alarm on warm summer nights, saying they are quietly becoming a worrisome consequence of climate change -- and a serious public health concern. When nighttime temperatures don't drop low enough relative to peak daytime heat, it is harder for people to cool off, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that analyzes and reports on climate science. Extreme heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States, with heat waves responsible for more deaths than other extreme weather events like tornadoes, flooding, or hurricanes, according to the National Weather Service. This week, more than 200 million people across the U.S. from South Dakota to Florida and up the East Coast to Boston, are on alert for widespread, dangerous heat. Extreme heat warnings have been issued for large cities from Iowa to Florida, including New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Omaha, Des Moines, Savannah, Raleigh, Charleston and Sioux Falls. In these areas, feels-like temperatures are forecast to soar into the triple digits during the afternoon hours, with the dangers remaining even after the sun sets. A dangerous temperature trend From 1970 to 2024, Climate Central analyzed average summer nighttime temperatures in 241 locations across the U.S. The organization found that these temperatures have warmed in nearly all locations, increasing by 3.1 degrees Fahrenheit on average. MORE: Heat indices could hit 120 as sweltering temperatures grip eastern half of US Looking to the future, warm summer nights are expected to become increasingly frequent in the coming decades, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In many regions across the country, the EPA reports nighttime temperatures are projected to remain above 70 degrees Fahrenheit more often. Health risks The most serious health impacts of a heat wave are often associated with warm overnight temperatures, the EPA warns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) echoes these warnings, saying if the air stays too warm at night, the body faces extra strain trying to regulate body temperature. Without this crucial drop in temperature, vulnerable populations -- including elderly people, children, and those with pre-existing conditions -- face heightened health risks, according to the agency. MORE: Heat stroke vs. heat exhaustion: Safety tips as dangerous temperatures hit US Prolonged exposure to high heat in the evenings has been linked to poorer sleep quality, which can impair immune function, exacerbate mental health issues, and increase the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, according to the CDC. While extreme heat and triple-digit temperatures frequently are the focus of attention and grab headlines, the lack of adequate overnight cooling is also a serious concern that amplifies the impacts of heat. Overnight cooling is essential for not just the human body, but infrastructure and ecosystems to recover after a hot day. Cities feel heightened temperatures Warmer overnight temperatures are also fueled by urban development. Cities with heat-retaining concrete and asphalt are particularly vulnerable to higher temperatures when vegetation is lost to more paved surfaces and buildings, according to the EPA. Compared with surrounding rural areas, urban locations have higher overall temperatures, especially at night. This is known as the "urban heat island" effect. Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases and increased atmospheric moisture are major contributors to the ongoing rise in nighttime temperatures seen in recent decades. As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more water vapor, which functions like an insulating layer, trapping heat and significantly limiting the amount of cooling that can occur at night, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
Baltimore leaders spar over health insurance for all DPW workers a year after an on-the-job death
The death of a Baltimore sanitation worker in the heat on the job one year ago this week exposed many alarming problems, including a lack of health insurance for more than 130 frontline solid waste workers. Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry proposed a simple fix: Enroll everyone. But the mayor's representatives voted it down, citing ongoing union contract negotiations. Ronald Silver II's family has been fighting to make things better for his colleagues since he collapsed and died after a day picking up trash in the sweltering heat in August 2024. His mother, Faith Johnson, told WJZ, "He was not replaceable." Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Cumming had been looking into problems within the Department of Public Works since before Silver's death. One of her reports uncovered a lack of awareness among some workers about health insurance. "Ron Silver did not have health insurance," Cumming told WJZ Investigates. "He did not have health insurance, and 135 other guys were also in that same condition, not having health insurance." Cumming said one co-worker only discovered he was uninsured after he was hospitalized. "When we talked to them, so many thought they had health insurance because they thought it was automatic," Cumming said. "It's not." Cumming also found that some workers were not even receiving the $2,500 stipends they are entitled to for not taking the insurance. She noted that is a significant amount of money for employees, some of whom make less than $40,000 annually. "Picking up the trash in Baltimore City is absolutely an essential part of keeping the city running the way it does," Cumming said. Comptroller Bill Henry's solution was to sign up every city employee for the least expensive health insurance plan automatically. If they chose to opt out, they could, but at least they would be covered. "We took that report. We came up with a solution," Henry said. Henry said the city already budgets roughly $14,000 per employee for those benefits, so it would not cost anything. He even proposed giving a $5,000 credit for those who opt out of insurance. "That is the city making the point—the point in its own policy—that we, the city, want you to be covered by health insurance," Henry said. "Frankly, I thought this would be easier than it turned out to be." The three members of the city's spending board appointed by the mayor voted against Henry's proposal. Some believed it would interfere with ongoing union negotiations and that the spending board may not be the appropriate venue to create city policy. Mayor Brandon Scott's administration noted they were able to enroll all but five of those flagged in the inspector general's report through intensive outreach. "This notion that nothing changed, I want to address that. That is not true," said the city's chief administrative officer, Faith Leach, during a lengthy discussion at the Board of Estimates. But the comptroller pushed back. Henry fears that, with the large turnover in DPW, tragedy on the job could happen again. "There is no good reason for them to oppose this. The only reason we can come up with is it wasn't their idea," Henry said. Inspector General Cumming said she was "very disappointed." She noted, "The fact is that it was proven that we have a problem." WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren asked Mayor Brandon Scott why the city does not automatically enroll all employees into a health insurance plan. "We have negotiations with our labor unions, and they come to the table with things they want to negotiate," Mayor Scott said. "This is one of the things that is a negotiable thing for them. But also even beyond that, I want to be very clear that our employees, including ones in public works, they're smart, and they make the decisions on what they believe is best for them and their families, right? And when you look at—even after the things that happened last year—we went back and offered, some folks still decided not to." Ronald Silver's family reacted through their lawyer, Thiru Vignarajah. "It is baffling that the mayor and the city of Baltimore would not want every one of its employees, especially those who face such difficult work conditions, to have health insurance," Vignarajah said. "Here is just another example of them dropping the ball when they could have easily done the right thing." Vignarajah recently announced that the Silver family intends to sue the city over civil rights violations. The comptroller still believes signing everyone up is the easiest solution, but he said it is pointless to bring it to a vote again because he would lose. "The idea that we would let anybody go out there without health benefits that they've earned just because we didn't feel like changing the rules to make it easier for them to get those benefits—that to me is kind of disappointing," Henry said. Of the Scott administration, Henry said, "They've made their point that they don't want to do it this way." It could still be brought up through the city council. The administration promised to continue with outreach efforts to make sure every employee is aware of their benefits.
