Latest news with #Merriman
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Mormon Madoff's Wife Went from Riches to Rags After He Confessed to Running $20M Ponzi Scheme (Exclusive)
Andrea Merriman's then-husband turned himself in to federal agents in 2009 for running a $20 million Ponzi scheme Merriman and her family had to rebuild their lives and recover from financial hardship Now, Merriman is sharing her story on TikTok, where she's getting millions of views on her storytime videosAndrea Merriman's world came to a stop in 2009. Her ex-husband, Shawn Merriman, told her that he was living a double life, admitting he had been running a $20 million Ponzi scheme for over a decade. Shawn, the head of a successful investment company and a bishop at their church, turned himself in to federal agents and was imprisoned for fraud soon after. The government quickly seized and repossessed all of their assets, most of which were purchased with investors' money. Shawn, dubbed the "Mormon Madoff," was sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Meanwhile, Andrea was left nearly penniless to care for their four children, the youngest of whom was 3 at the time, and had to quickly figure out how the rest of her life would go. Andrea, 58, talks to PEOPLE exclusively about why she's sharing her story now and how she's healed over the past 16 years. "I remember thinking that, at the time, 'I'm humiliated to be married to a criminal. I'm humiliated getting divorced,'" she shares. "I'm humiliated to go from riches to rags, I'm humiliated, but to do it in the public eye compounded it and multiplied." Along with the humiliation, Andrea was also dealing with a "degree of guilt" knowing the man she loved had scammed people out of millions. "There was a lot of guilt around what if I hadn't been such a peacemaker, what if I hadn't been such a kind and supportive wife, what if I hadn't been so trusting," she says. "Would it have been possible for him to do it so long and then guilt all the people who probably trusted him because of the kind of life I lived and the kind of person I was? Yeah, but some of it has been because he was a criminal and I didn't know it." After her husband's conviction stripped them of everything, Andrea moved to Utah with her four children for a fresh start. Now, she's turning to TikTok to share her story of rebirth. Her first video, detailing the first 24 hours after her life was turned upside down, went viral, amassing over 10 million views. She's gained over 70,000 followers, with users eager to learn how she rebuilt her life. Andrea says she always knew she wanted to do something with her story. She was talking to a group of 20-somethings when one of them suggested she start a TikTok account. "When it happened to me, I felt like I was alone in the world, and there was no one who lived my experience," she explains. "I started my blog in 2010 to help at least one person by sharing my story and getting my name out there so they knew who to call or email if they needed advice." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "That was why I went to TikTok," she continues. "There's a whole new audience, a new generation. We need messages of hope and encouragement, and we need people to model how to survive and conquer adversity." She shares that her kids were a primary driving force in her recovery and journey, motivating her to forgive and build trust again. "Forgiveness has come with therapy. Faith and religion have helped me," she says. "Being a parent as well, because, as a parent, you cannot require from your kids what you're not willing to do yourself." "When we discovered what happened, my kids looked at me with tears and said, 'What has happened?'" she recalls. "I said, 'I don't know what we're going to do, but the one thing I know we're going to do is we're going to forgive, not for him, but for us.' " Despite everything she's been through, Andrea still "believes in trust" and that "people are good and kind." "Trust is a choice," she says. "Moving forward is a choice. Resilience... it's a skill, but it's a choice. We have more choices than we realize, but when we acknowledge that, we take control of our agency and choose to act rather than be acted upon." Years after the initial shock and heartbreak, Andrea remarried, and her family is doing well. Her youngest recently graduated from high school, and her three oldest kids all graduated from college and "are building careers." "They've grown up and become adults. They're good, kind, hard-working, and have empathy," she tells PEOPLE. "The 16 years of our recovery have been a lesson, a demonstration in resilience and trying new things," she adds. Andrea believes "we each have a life here" and "a mission to fulfill." "Every one of us has the gifts we need to succeed. We must find them and our hard times help us find them," she shares. "I dug deep and found them," she adds. "I got a lot of help along the way from kind people, and now I'm at the point where I can pay it back and share what I've learned and help others, which is a great place to be in." For those who find themselves in a similar situation, Andrea advises them to "focus on something other than your misery in the middle of your horror." "I didn't spend a day in bed. I don't know how, but I was afraid that if I did, I might never get out of bed again," she says. "I didn't let myself indulge in hatred of my ex-husband because I was afraid I would never be able to pull myself out if I did." She continues, telling those who need it to "focus on something other than your misery, have gratitude, [and try] to accomplish something every day." "Being a parent, focusing on my kids helped me," she says. "My worst nightmare in life was to be financially responsible for someone other than myself, and in the end, that's what I got, and I learned I could do it." "I survived, which is a huge thing I learned about myself because I didn't even realize I would be capable of that. We were poor, but we survived." Read the original article on People
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Discovery of genes relevant to disease a ‘eureka moment'
University of Otago microbiologist and immunologist Dr Tony Merriman. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Treatment for calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease — more commonly known as inflammatory arthritis — may soon take a major step forward following a major discovery by a University of Otago researcher. There is an unmet need for treatment of CPPD disease, which focuses on the alleviation of inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. But University of Otago microbiologist and immunologist Dr Tony Merriman has led an analysis of the genes of 550,000 Americans with the disease, while based at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. It is a first-of-its-kind genome-wide association study into the disease and the research found two genes — RNF144B and ENPP1 — that cause the debilitating calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposits in joints. He said the genes were detected both in people of European ancestry and African ancestry. "The most significant result of our research was the discovery of one of the genes, ENPP1. "The protein encoded by this gene controls the production of chemicals — adenosine monophosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate — that, together with calcium ions, lead to the formation of the CPP crystals," Dr Merriman said. Little is known about the other gene — RNF144B — aside from the possibility it is involved in inflammation. More was known about ENPP1 and of its potential importance to people with CPPD disease. Drugs targeting the protein have been developed in the treatment of infectious disease and cancer and they could now be evaluated for the treatment of CPPD disease. Dr Merriman said the discovery opened up promising new avenues for targeted prevention and treatment of CPPD disease, which were lacking at present. Co-investigator and Brigham and Women's Hospital rheumatology, inflammation and immunity division researcher Dr Sara Tedeschi said the genome-wide association with ENPP1 was "particularly exciting" as a rheumatologist because "it makes sense". "ENPP1 generates inorganic pyrophosphate, one of the components of CPP crystals. "Patients with CPPD disease are desperate for an effective treatment and trials testing ENPP1 inhibitors in CPPD disease would be of great interest." Dr Merriman said the researchers were "thrilled" about the potential impact of their discovery and the possibility of new drugs being developed for the treatment of CPPD disease. "The findings of this study produced a 'eureka moment', which can be rare in a scientist's career."
West Australian
03-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Mixed injury update for Fremantle Dockers veterans Alex Pearce, Michael Walters and Jaeger O'Meara
Fremantle's resurgence as a finals contender has received another timely boost, with the news veteran pair Michael Walters and Jaeger O'Meara could be available after this week's bye. But the prognosis on Alex Pearce isn't as clear, with the Dockers skipper remaining under a cloud after missing last week's win over Gold Coast. Fremantle high performance manager Phil Merriman said Walters and O'Meara were in the frame to potentially be available for the club's round 14 clash with North Melbourne at Optus Stadium. 'It's exciting for those two to be back after a long stint on the sidelines,' Merriman said. 'Both are training fully this week with the bye and then we'll hopefully have them as a test to play the following week.' O'Meara has been battling hamstring and foot injuries and last appeared for the Dockers in Gather Round six weeks ago, while Walters is yet to play this season off knee surgery. Walters looks likely to come back through the WAFL, with spots at a premium in the Dockers' forward line. The prospect of Pearce returning after the bye from shin soreness is less certain. 'He's got a hotspot in his shin and we're just assessing that as we go,' Merriman said. The only casualty from Saturday's grinding win over Gold Coast at Carrara was Karl Worner with hamstring tightness. 'Karl just experienced some hamstring tightness during the game (on Saturday), we took a no-risk approach to that one,' Merriman said. 'He's just going to have a slow week this week at training and then we may look to test him to play the following week.' Off-season recruit Quinton Narkle is only one week away, while Sam Sturt had also turned the corner on knee injuries. 'Quinton's progressed really quickly over the last two weeks, so much like the other two we're hoping he'll be a test and be available to play in round 14,' Merriman said. 'He's (Sturt) been up and down a bit in this reconditioning program, but Sam is starting to look good. 'Hopefully all going to plan in the next two to three weeks we'll see Sam back out there.' Defender Brandon Walker is listed as three to four weeks away with a shoulder injury, with midfielder Hayden Young is listed as six to seven weeks off a return from a hamstring complaint. Both Fremantle and Peel Thunder have a bye this week, giving the players a chance to recover over four days coming out of the Gold Coast game. 'We'll get them in at the back of this week and then give them the weekend off and then it's into a normal training week next week preparing for North Melbourne,' Merriman said. Fremantle's round 14 clash with North Melbourne will be an away game, which means that tickets or premium hospitality are not included in any membership or premium season packages. The Dockers sit inside the eight heading into the bye and have an opportunity to consolidate their finals chances with games against the Roos, Essendon and St Kilda, all in Perth, before they take on struggling Sydney in the Harbour City.
Perth Now
03-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Mixed injury update for Dockers veterans
Fremantle's resurgence as a finals contender has received another timely boost, with the news veteran pair Michael Walters and Jaeger O'Meara could be available after this week's bye. But the prognosis on Alex Pearce isn't as clear, with the Dockers skipper remaining under a cloud after missing last week's win over Gold Coast. Fremantle high performance manager Phil Merriman said Walters and O'Meara were in the frame to potentially be available for the club's round 14 clash with North Melbourne at Optus Stadium. 'It's exciting for those two to be back after a long stint on the sidelines,' Merriman said. 'Both are training fully this week with the bye and then we'll hopefully have them as a test to play the following week.' O'Meara has been battling hamstring and foot injuries and last appeared for the Dockers in Gather Round six weeks ago, while Walters is yet to play this season off knee surgery. Walters looks likely to come back through the WAFL, with spots at a premium in the Dockers' forward line. The prospect of Pearce returning after the bye from shin soreness is less certain. 'He's got a hotspot in his shin and we're just assessing that as we go,' Merriman said. The only casualty from Saturday's grinding win over Gold Coast at Carrara was Karl Worner with hamstring tightness. 'Karl just experienced some hamstring tightness during the game (on Saturday), we took a no-risk approach to that one,' Merriman said. 'He's just going to have a slow week this week at training and then we may look to test him to play the following week.' Off-season recruit Quinton Narkle is only one week away, while Sam Sturt had also turned the corner on knee injuries. 'Quinton's progressed really quickly over the last two weeks, so much like the other two we're hoping he'll be a test and be available to play in round 14,' Merriman said. 'He's (Sturt) been up and down a bit in this reconditioning program, but Sam is starting to look good. 'Hopefully all going to plan in the next two to three weeks we'll see Sam back out there.' Defender Brandon Walker is listed as three to four weeks away with a shoulder injury, with midfielder Hayden Young is listed as six to seven weeks off a return from a hamstring complaint. Both Fremantle and Peel Thunder have a bye this week, giving the players a chance to recover over four days coming out of the Gold Coast game. 'We'll get them in at the back of this week and then give them the weekend off and then it's into a normal training week next week preparing for North Melbourne,' Merriman said. Fremantle's round 14 clash with North Melbourne will be an away game, which means that tickets or premium hospitality are not included in any membership or premium season packages. The Dockers sit inside the eight heading into the bye and have an opportunity to consolidate their finals chances with games against the Roos, Essendon and St Kilda, all in Perth, before they take on struggling Sydney in the Harbour City.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Huge Study Reveals Where Gout Comes From, And It's Not What We Thought
Gout is often associated with drinking too much or not eating healthily enough, but research suggests genetics play more of a factor in developing the arthritic condition than previously thought. A recent study, carried out by an international team of scientists, looked at genetic data collected from 2.6 million people across 13 different cohorts of DNA data. That number included 120,295 people with "prevalent gout". By comparing the genetic codes of the people with gout against the people without, the team found 377 specific DNA regions where there were variations specific to having the condition – 149 of which hadn't been previously linked to gout. While lifestyle and environmental factors are certainly still in play, the findings suggest genetics play a major role in determining whether or not someone gets gout – and the researchers think there may be more undiscovered genetic links still to be found, too. Watch the video below for a summary of the research; "Gout is a chronic disease with a genetic basis and is not the fault of the sufferer – the myth that gout is caused by lifestyle or diet needs to be busted," said epidemiologist Tony Merriman from the University of Otago in New Zealand, when the study was published last year. Gout takes hold when there are high levels of uric acid in the blood, which then form sharp crystal needles in the joints. When the body's immune system starts to attack those crystals, it leads to significant pain and discomfort. Genetics is important in every stage of that process, the researchers suggest. Particularly, it affects the likelihood of the body's immune system attacking the crystals, and in the way uric acid is transported around the body. Gout can come and go, but there are treatments available – and the authors behind the study think misconceptions can put people off getting those treatments. That's a real problem with cases of the condition rising and rising. "This widespread myth causes shame in people with gout, making some people more likely to suffer in silence and not go and see the doctor to get a preventive drug that lowers urate in the blood and will prevent their pain," said Merriman. On top of giving us a better understanding of the causes of gout, the study gives scientists more options to explore when it comes to treatments, particularly in terms of managing the body's immune response to the build up of uric acid. In fact, existing drugs could be repurposed for this job. There are some limitations to the study: the majority of the data was from people of European ancestry, and some records relied on the self-reporting of gout rather than a clinical diagnosis. Nevertheless, it gives us a much better sense of a health problem that's been afflicting people for centuries. "We hope that, in time, better and more accessible treatments will become available with the new targets we identified," said Merriman. "Gout deserves more health spend resource and greater prioritization in the health system." The research was published in Nature Genetics. An earlier version of this article was published in November 2024. Should You Shower in The Morning or Night? It Depends on One Crucial Factor. Your Voice Could Hide The Tell-Tale Signs of Parkinson's Disease World's First Bladder Transplant Gives Cancer Patient New Hope
