Latest news with #Ann
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lurie Children's encouraging skin-to-skin contact for ICU babies
The Brief Lurie Children's is promoting skin-to-skin contact for babies with heart defects. New research shows it's safe and beneficial, even in intensive care. A new initiative, "Camp Cuddles," aims to increase parent-baby bonding in the ICU. CHICAGO - Bringing a baby into this world is a beautiful experience for new parents, but that feeling can quickly turn terrifying when the baby has a congenital heart defect. What we know One percent of babies born in the U.S. end up in the Cardiac Care Unit, and it's long been thought that holding those babies isn't safe. However, a new campaign by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is encouraging more cuddles. "That's one thing I was worried about." Tori and Jarett Austin are the new parents of Elijah Austin, who was born on May 5 with a congenital heart defect. "Not being able to do as much skin to skin with him, because I absolutely loved doing it with my first two," said Tori. What she is referring to is an intervention where babies are held primarily just wearing a diaper to a parent's bare chest. Dig deeper Skin to skin hasn't always been standard practice for sick infants in the Cardiac Care Unit. But now, Lurie Children's is spreading awareness about new research that not only says "kangaroo care" is safe for these babies, but it's encouraged. "There's a lot's of benefits," said Tiffany DeVries, who is the Manager of Patient Care Operations in the Cardiac Care Unit at Lurie Children's. "It helps with immunity. It helps with bonding. It helps with lactation for our moms. It helps with temperature regulation and postpartum changes for mom and baby." Lurie Children's is hosting the first multicenter Skin-to-Skin-A-Thon for infants in the Cardiac ICU. It's affectionately called Camp Cuddles. "A lot of our families are new parents, so not only is it their first time being a parent… they're scared of their newborn baby like every parent is," said DeVries. "But they also have the additional layer of having a baby in the ICU. So encouraging them that this is safe and not only safe but encouraged. We want new parents to pick up their babies and spend time holding them. This creates some semblance of being at home and not so out of their element in the ICU." Skin to skin isn't just for new moms either. The warmth of dad also helps temperature regulation for the baby. What's next Lurie Children's has set a goal for every baby in the Cardiac Care Unit to get 40-hours of skins to skin per week. The Source FOX 32's Brian Jackson reported on this story.
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
The Last Of Us Season 2 Costumes Behind The Scenes Facts Ann Foley
To celebrate The Last of Us Season 2, BuzzFeed sat down with costume designer Ann Foley to chat about creating the costumes for this season, including the subtle change to Joel's look from Season 1 to Season 2, Ellie's "Take On Me" look, Dina's iconic bracelet, dressing hordes of infected, and much more. Here's everything she revealed: First, since clothing is such an important piece of how actors get into character, Ann said she considers the cast her "closest collaborators in creating these characters." Speaking about working with Pedro Pascal specifically, Ann added, "I love that Pedro has such great insight into who Joel is, and I relied on that wonderful knowledge from him to help him create the look for Joel in Season 2." She continued, saying, "They have such a great understanding of these characters, so it's always important to me to hear what they have to say and give them a voice in the fitting room. There's always wonderful conversations to be had with the cast." One change in Joel's costume design from Season 1 to Season 2 is that he tucks his shirts in now "like a dad would." Ann explained, "When Pedro and I were doing his fittings, we talked about this subtle change, like maybe Joel's tucking his shirts in to sort of be a dad, and he's also a pillar of the community. So it's trying to be a little more respectful and dressed up a little bit more." The tucked-in shirts are also meant to mirror Tommy, who is also a dad and leader in Jackson. Ann explained, "Tommy is the pillar of the community now, and sort of in charge with Maria, and Tommy's always got his shirts tucked in." The only costume piece that carried over between Season 1 and Season 2 was Joel's signature jacket because it became so important to his character. Ann said, "We needed the audience to connect with a piece of clothing, knowing what was going to be coming up in Episode 3. So I had a conversation with Pedro about it in the fitting." Ann explained, "The jacket was really the only piece from Season 1 that made it. I felt like that was an iconic character piece to Joel, and it's something that the audience was going to remember." Speaking more about the moment in Episode 3, when Ellie finds Joel's jacket in his closet following his death, Ann said, "We needed to match that moment in the game as closely as possible. And even for people who didn't play the game, they recognized that jacket. When Ellie went and grabbed it, it broke everyone. I mean, I worked on the show, and it broke me. That's what serves the story. And at the end of the day, that's what I do as a costume designer is I have to help tell the story of what's happening." "When we saw in the script that it was going to be a jacket, we knew it had to be THAT jacket," Ann added. Episode 6, which features all the flashbacks between Joel and Ellie, was a perfect example of how costumes helped age Bella Ramsey up and down as Ellie. Ann explained, "At the beginning of that progression, you see Ellie in lighter colors and prints and baggier clothing, because we wanted to sort of show that 14-year-old silhouette in a way that helped physically." As Ellie gets older, the clothing gets shorter and more form-fitting. "Seeing that progression in one episode from Ellie as a 14-year-old turning 15-year-old teenager to a 19-year-old young woman," she continued. "So the pants are baggier, the T-shirts are longer and a little bit baggier. Then, as Ellie starts to grow up and become an adult, the jeans are a little slimmer in shape, the T-shirts are shorter in the body, even the hem on the T-shirt is a little bit shorter, and the silhouette of the shirts that she wears is also a little bit slimmer. So it's little things like that that help to show that age progression." In terms of dressing present-day Ellie, her style intentionally mirrors Joel's style in terms of the pieces of clothing she wears, but also the colors. Ann explained, "You'll see Ellie in more plaid like Joel, but also in this bluer palette, to sort of show this emotional place that they're both in that's a little bit darker. I kept that color palette for Ellie throughout the season. Very sort of blue and muted." She added, "I felt it was really important to show, like, the similarity between Joel and Ellie in their clothes and the things that they choose." Ellie and Dina's color palettes were also intentionally meant to be very different, but complement each other. Dina wears much brighter colors, which Ann describes as "more fun and effervescent and full of life," and she wears patterns, which Ellie doesn't. Ann added, "I wanted there to be a sharp contrast between the two." Ellie's signature black Converse were decorated by Bella. "I just gave Bella a pair of Converse and I said, 'I want you to doodle like Ellie would doodle in her journal, and do with these what you will,'" Ann explained. "Bella took them, and a month later, I got them back." Ann added, "When we knew it was going to be the Converse, that's when I went to Craig Mazin [the show's co-creator], and I said, 'I would really love to have some doodles on the shoes, and I would love to give a pair to Bella, see what they would do with them.' And he was also on board with that idea." And, Ann never asked Bella what any of the doodles on Ellie's Converse meant. She said, "I never even asked Bella what it meant, because I felt like it was between Bella and Ellie. Those are Ellie's doodles, and that's just one of the small details that help inform the actors as to who the character is, and maybe the audience doesn't pick it up, but Bella knew was there." She continued, saying, "I felt like it wasn't really, in a weird way, I know this is going to sound strange, but it kind of didn't feel like it was my business. It felt like as long as it was true to who Ellie was for Bella, then I was fine with it. It became something very personalized that Bella got to do with their costume." Dina teasing Ellie about her Converse was a running joke that lent itself to the practicality of getting Ellie out of those sneakers for boots, which helped Bella while they were on location, filming stunts, and more. Ann said, "Ellie's a rebel, and she doesn't care, and she's going to do whatever she wants to, and she's always going to go against the norm. So it actually works in a really cool way with her wearing them and Dina calling her out." Ann also joked, "I mean, listen, as a costume designer, when I see that in the script that Ellie is wearing Converse in the snow, I'm like, this is just me as a costume designer, I'm like, 'Really?!'" Certain outfits from The Last of Us Part II were necessary to recreate as closely as possible. One of which is Ellie's outfit when she sings "Take On Me" to Dina in Episode 4. Ann said, "I felt it was important. Craig and Neil [Druckmann, who created the games and co-created the series] felt it was important, and so did Bella." She continued, saying, "That scene is so gorgeous, and it's right out of the game. I really felt it was important to try to stay as true to not only the colors that the characters were wearing in the game, but also the silhouette. This is an iconic look for Ellie, and we want it to stay as true to that iconic look as possible." Meanwhile, the rust-colored shirt that Dina wears while in Seattle, notably in the "Take On Me" scene, is meant to be a nod to Dina's backpack color from the video game. Ann specifically took the color and put it into the shirt because it stays "true to the essence of the character." Dina's bracelet, which she gives to Ellie in the game and also in the Season 2 finale, was a collaboration between the costume and props departments. The bracelet was custom-made, based on references from the game, and then the costume team "broke it down, aged it, and made it look like it could have been a vintage piece," because they wanted the feeling that it had maybe been in Dina's family for a long time. Speaking about working with the props department on creating the iconic bracelet, Ann said, "I knew Nevin [Swain, prop master for Season 2] was a genius when it came to creating these props. So he had somebody who built the bracelet for us. I loved this bracelet. When I was starting prep on the show early, early on, I remember having a conversation with my friend's 16-year-old daughter, and she said, 'You have to promise me, Aunt Ann, that Dina's bracelet is going to make it into the show. Just please promise me.' And I was like, 'Okay, I promise it will.'"She continued, saying, "So it was really important to me to make sure I got that right for Noah because she was so passionate about it. Of course, it's a big part of the story as well, so there was no way it wasn't going to make it into the game, but the fact that Noah brought that to my attention made it even more special to me." Another costume piece that is a replica from the game is Ellie's striped shirt that she wears to the museum with Joel in Episode 6. Ann recalled, "I knew that T-shirt had to be that because that's such an important part of the game. I wanted that down to every last detail to be exactly like it was in the game. The only thing that I changed was that I changed it from a tank top to a T-shirt because I felt the tank top was too adult, and I felt the T-shirt would make her look more like a kid." She added, "My team, my breakdown team, who are all incredible artists, hand-screened the stripes onto a T-shirt." Dina's jacket was not custom-made but rather a jacket from Aviator Nation that Ann had on her mood board for Dina very early on when she started to think about costumes for Season 2. She said, "There is an air of effervescence and fun and just everything that Dina is, which is full of life, which is why I love that rainbow. Neil Druckmann was immediately drawn to it. He felt like this would be a very iconic Dina jacket, sort of like the jacket that Joel wore last season. When I put it on Isabela [Merced] in fitting, it just made sense." She said there were discussions about the fact that Aviator Nation didn't exist prior to the outbreak in The Last of Us. She said, "We discussed the fact that the Aviator Nation did not exist in our timeline. But as Craig and Neil have always said, it's all about serving the story, and what serves the story best, just like the Pearl Jam song 'Future Days.' That serves the story, doesn't matter if it was in our timeline or not. We had similar discussions about this jacket. It just felt like Dina." Ellie's green jacket that she wears in Seattle involved numerous conversations between Ann, Craig Mazin, and Ksenia Sereda, who was the director of photography for Episode 3, because Ellie needed to stand out enough but also blend in with the forest and Seattle's landscape. "We went and looked at all of these different shades of green," Ann said. She continued, saying, "We wanted to try to find that perfect green that would look great in the forest, that would separate her enough so that you can see her. But also, so she kind of blends in a little bit, because that makes sense for who Ellie is." Meanwhile, Joel, Ellie, Tommy, and Abby's parkas for Episodes 1 and 2 were all custom-made by the costume department on The Last of Us. Ann explained, "We needed so many, and there was no way that we were going to find vintage parkas with a '90s kind of vibe, in multiples of six." Joel and Ellie's parkas intentionally have "very similar style lines," with one being blue with a green tint, and the other being blue with a deep purple. Explaining how the costume department made the jackets, Ann said, "We found the fabric. We stripped the fabric, overdyed the fabric, splayed into the fabric, and then the fabric goes to the workroom. They build the shell. Then, when the shell is done, it goes back to breakdown, where they wash it down to get those really great faded edges."She continued, saying, "Then it goes back to the workroom, where it's waterproofed, and then all the other things are added, like the fake fur that we used on the hood. Then once it's built completely, it goes back into breakdown for its final aged look, where they add dirt and grime and anything else that might need to go on there to make it look 20 years old." There was also a big conversation about changing the jackets that Joel, Ellie, and others wear in the Jackson winter scenes from lightweight jackets to parkas, considering the actors were going to actually be out in the snow and needed to stay warm, etc. Ann recalled, "In the game, everybody's wearing lightweight jackets. I remember having this conversation with Ashley Swidowski, who's one of the game designers at Naughty Dog, and we talked about it, and we were like, 'This is great for the game, but not great in real life. So we're going to have to make these changes.' So everybody got parkas." Ellie's Seattle look is one of the most iconic from the game, so this costume was recreated for the show as closely as possible. The only differences in the show are that Ellie's shirt is a chambray fabric instead of denim because it has a better "drape" on camera, and she wears a short-sleeved T-shirt instead of a tank top. Ann elaborated, saying, "We chose to go with a T-shirt here, just for practical reasons on set and for everything that was happening. Those were also larger conversations that we all had about, okay, this is what it was in the game, but we might need to shift it a little bit just because of weather, locations, the practicality, what we happen to be shooting. But still trying to stay true to the essence of the original look in the game." When Jesse rescues Ellie and Dina in Seattle in Episode 5, his costume was intentionally created to mirror Joel's because Ellie is meant to think in that moment that maybe Joel came to save her. So, Jesse is wearing a plaid shirt that's tucked in, and his tape on his boots matches the tape on Joel's boots in Season 1. Ann explained, "I believe in the script, it even said as a note in there, 'When Ellie is trying to focus on who just came in, she thinks for a moment that that's Joel.' So we went down to even the tape on his boots, similar to the tape that Joel had on his boots in Season 1. Jesse had on a plaid shirt, and it was tucked in like Joel would tuck his shirts in. So it's little subtle, Easter eggs like that that trick the audience a little bit into going, Oh, my god. Could that be Joel? That was the point, wanting the audience to have the same reaction that Ellie is having." In Episode 2, in order to have Tommy stand out against the horde of infected infiltrating Jackson, he's the only person wearing a red jacket. "I wanted the audience to be able to track Tommy in all the chaos. So none of the infected, nobody else really has red on them in a significant way. It's just Tommy so that Maria can spot him from the rooftop and see him down there on the street, but so can the audience," Ann said. The color red for Tommy also carries through in his Seattle look, which we see in the Season 2 finale. Ann explained, "I wanted to follow through with that color palette, but it's a little bit darker for Seattle, and keep him in that red. So we found this really great wax canvas that we broke down that had a deep burgundy color to it, and then made this wonderful jacket that had a leather collar. So it's kind of waterproof, but it still stays true to his color palette that we sort of set at the beginning. Again, it was custom-made for him, and I loved this follow-through of his winter jacket had red in it, and I wanted the Seattle jacket to have red in it." Every infected extra comes in for a costume fitting, and they are all given different looks in order to give these characters a little bit of backstory. "We had one guy in a Seattle Loggers sweatshirt and a Clicker wearing this really great rocker band T-shirt with a striped shirt over it. It looks like the grunge from the late '90s. Maybe that's who this guy was when he got bit," Ann recalled. She explained, "Every single one of them has a different look to them, because it was important to give them a little backstory of who this person was before they got bitten. So you're gonna see a lot more color and texture in them. These were people before they got bitten. So we wanted to show that but specifically for Jackson." For Episode 2, the costume department did "close to 600 fittings" between the infected, the stunt team, and the citizens of Jackson. The horde in Jackson was given a lot more color so they could stand out against the snow, as opposed to the horde in the subway in Jackson, who are in a different, wetter environment. She continued, saying, "We needed them to stand out from the snow, so there is a lot more color and a lot more texture, so that they don't just disappear into the blizzard, and you do see them stand out a little bit more. But in Seattle, we're in a different environment as well." The costume department also worked closely with prosthetic designer Barrie Gower and his team. All of the cordyceps you see on the clothing were handmade by Barrie and his team. In fact, the color of the cordyceps even changes between Jackson and Seattle. Ann explained, "Barrie and his team are absolutely brilliant, and they create all of those cordyceps pieces for us that go into the clothes. Their shop was right next door to our shop, so there was a lot of conversation and a lot of working together to try to make all that happen and make it as seamless as possible."She continued, saying, "The color of the cordyceps changed a little bit from the cordyceps in the snow in Jackson. Also, it's a lot wetter in Seattle, so that part was really interesting as well. Like doing that integration of the cordyceps into the clothes, and seeing the cordyceps break down the weave of the cloth in the clothing." And finally, one of the best examples of the prosthetic and costume departments working so closely was in Episode 5, when Ellie chases Nora into the basement of the hospital, and we see the cordyceps and spores room with the infected W.L.F. soldiers trapped. Ann explained, "My team worked so closely with Barrie Gower and Paul Spateri, who ran the department for Barrie, in incorporating and helping them to get the costumes built directly into the set." "That was one of my favorite moments of the season, I think," Ann began. "It was stunningly beautiful. The workmanship and the craftsmanship that went into that were absolutely next level." What did you think of The Last of Us Season 2? Tell us everything in the comments below!
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Brave mum who beat cancer completes her first Race for Life for charity
Ann Binks, from Salsburgh, joined her brother Paul McKenna and Asda Coatbridge colleague Marie Miller as she took on the 5k course at Glasgow Green to collect vital funds for Cancer Research UK. A courageous mum and beloved member of the Monklands community has completed her first Race for Life - raising hundreds of pounds for charity as she marks an incredible six years of being cancer-free. Ann Binks, from Salsburgh, joined her brother Paul McKenna and Asda Coatbridge colleague Marie Miller as she took on the 5k course at Glasgow Green to collect vital funds for Cancer Research UK. Ann, 61, says taking part in the challenge was especially close to her heart as she recently celebrated marking six years cancer-free after she was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram in 2019. Mum-of-one Ann, who has worked in Asda Coatbridge for 23 years and is the store's Community Champion, said: "I had a run in with this disease six years ago. "I was lucky enough to have been caught at a very early stage at a mammogram visit and I had a mastectomy. "I was terrified when they told me I would need surgery, but I got through it and I'm so grateful to be here and cancer free six years later." As well as taking part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, Ann has also been a passionate supporter of Asda's Tickled Pink campaign, championing the work of breast cancer charities CoppaFeel! and Breast Cancer Now. She has volunteered consistently to raise funds for the cause and always encouraged others to check themselves regularly and to never miss a mammogram. Taking part in the walk was a deeply personal moment for Ann, as well as a tribute to her close friend Eileen, who passed away from cancer in February of this year, and a continuation of her advocacy for cancer awareness and research. Ann said: 'We all have our own reasons for walking the Race for Life. "As well as my own stint with the disease, I was walking for my dear friend Eileen. "After facing cancer three times with remarkable strength, we sadly lost her in February. 'The race was an emotional rollercoaster. Every year I've watched other people doing it in Glasgow. "Even being in the crowd is emotional - there's so much support and love in the atmosphere. "This year I finally just decided I was going to try it - and I'm so glad I did." Ann says, for her, the experience was a celebration of courage, remembrance and community. Surrounded by a sea of pink and united by a common cause, she found strength in the stories, faces and cheers of those around her. Ann added: "I'll be 62 in October and can't believe I've completed my first ever Race for Life. And, believe it or not, it was surprisingly easy. "People from all walks of life take part - it's just amazing; from older folks to people with disabilities and kids. "I was joined by Marie and Paul, who supported me and encouraged me all the way. "There's plenty of crowds and entertainment - pipe bands and choirs to cheer you on. The buzz is just incredible; I'd recommend it to anyone. 'Our fundraising total is now over £800 between us, with money still coming in. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Coatbridge Asda worker completes her first Race for Life
Ann Binks, community champion at Asda Coatbridge, joined her brother Paul McKenna and Asda colleague Marie Miller to tackle the 5K course at Glasgow Green, raising funds for Cancer Research UK. Ann said: "I had a run-in with this disease six years ago. "I was lucky enough to have been caught at a very early stage at a mammogram visit and I had a mastectomy. "I was terrified when they told me I would need surgery, but I got through it and I'm so grateful to be here and cancer-free six years later." (L-R) Marie, Paul, and Ann (Image: Supplied) Read more: Glasgow event celebrates £2.9m investment in STEM education In addition to honouring her own journey, Ann walked in memory of her close friend who sadly passed away this year. Ann said: "We all have our reasons for walking the Race for Life. "As well as my own stint with the disease, I was walking for my dear friend Eileen. "After facing cancer three times with remarkable strength, we sadly lost her in February. "The race was an emotional rollercoaster. "Every year I've watched other people doing it in Glasgow. "Even being in the crowd is emotional - there's so much support and love in the atmosphere. "This year I finally just decided I was going to try it - and I'm so glad I did." Ann walked in memory of her friend Eileen (Image: Supplied) As well as taking part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, Ann has also been a committed supporter of Asda's Tickled Pink campaign, championing the work of breast cancer charities CoppaFeel! and Breast Cancer Now. The mum-of-one who has worked in Asda Coatbridge for 23 years, frequently volunteered to raise funds for the campaign and is always encouraging others to check themselves regularly and never miss a mammogram. Read more: Two Glaswegians help create 'meaningful' change to future of Scottish Parliament Ann says for her, the experience was a celebration of courage, remembrance, and community. She said: "I'll be 62 in October and can't believe I've completed my first-ever Race for Life. "And believe it or not, it was surprisingly easy. "People from all walks of life take part, it's just amazing. "Our fundraising total is now over £800 between us, with money still coming in. "It's mind-blowing. "Thank you to everyone who donated, it's going towards a fantastic cause."
Daily Record
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Incredible West Lothian couple share their story of fostering children for almost 20 years
Ann and Alistair Walker, from Fauldhouse, have looked after nearly 50 children through a mixture of short break stays and over longer periods. An incredible West Lothian couple have shared their story of fostering children for almost 20 years. Ann and Alistair Walker have fostered with West Lothian Council for nearly two decades. In that time the couple from Fauldhouse have looked after nearly 50 children through a mixture of short break stays and over longer periods. Having had six children of their own, Ann and Alistair were well versed in family life and as their own children grew up and started to leave home, they spotted an advert that made them make the decision of a lifetime. Alistair said: 'Our journey into fostering was really by chance. We've always had a busy house and family life is just something we were used to. 'One day we were out in the car and we spotted an advert looking for foster carers. We were at a point in our life were our own children were starting to move out and we thought 'well we have plenty space and love to give. Why not?' and here we are nearly 20 years later.' Before welcoming their first ever foster child, the couple had a pretty good idea of the type of fostering they wanted to do but as time moved on, this changed with their family home being the perfect place to welcome then eight-year-old Morgan and her sister before being joined by their younger siblings. Morgan has now been part of Ann and Alistair's family for 14 years. Now 22, she is living independently and has undertaken a Modern Apprenticeship with Sky after achieving a degree in Business Management. Morgan said: 'I've always been made to feel part of the family from the very beginning. When you are young, you don't know that your life is any different to the next child. 'Being part of the family has given me so many amazing moments and given me experiences that will continue to influence the course of my life for the better, I can say that for certain. 'For anyone who has ever considered fostering even if it's just for short periods, you could potentially give a young person one moment that creates a positive memory that lasts a lifetime.' Ann and Alistair are both keen to let individuals that are considering fostering know that they shouldn't be worried. There is a whole process in place to match children who need a foster home, with the right families. Ann said: 'There is a good process in place with West Lothian Council guiding you through all the possibilities and scenarios that can come with fostering. You aren't left on your own and we've had excellent communication with the team over the years. She added: 'People often say to us that we must have big hearts. I say that you don't need a big heart, you just need a little room in your heart to give. 'I think this is something that we are all capable of. It can be challenging but the joy fostering has brought our family far outweighs it all. 'I would encourage anyone reading this to please get in touch with the family-based care service at the council today. One little conversation can end up being the best decision you've ever made.' Executive councillor for health and social care Anne McMillan met with the family and staff from the council's Family Based Care Service. Councillor McMillan said: 'I was delighted to meet with Ann, Alistair and Morgan and to hear their heart-warming story. 'If you think you could help care for a West Lothian child then please get in touch with the dedicated team at the Family Based Care Service today.' If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit the council's website or email FamilyBasedCareService@
