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For decades, scientists have been puzzled by a simple question: Why can’t you remember being a baby? Even though infants learn rapidly in their early years, most people can’t recall anything from before age three. This common phenomenon, known as infantile amnesia, has led researchers to debate whether babies fail to form memories or if they simply forget them over time.
Recent research challenges the idea that early memories don’t exist. A groundbreaking study from Yale University suggests that infants’ brains do encode experiences, but these memories might become inaccessible as the brain matures. The findings reshape our understanding of memory formation and could provide clues about how memory retrieval works later in life.
The hippocampus, a small seahorse-shaped structure deep in the brain, plays a major role in forming and retrieving episodic memories—those tied to specific events, places, and people. In adults, damage to the hippocampus leads to severe memory loss, making it difficult to recall personal experiences. Scientists have long debated whether an infant’s hippocampus is developed enough to encode these types of memories.
Earlier theories suggested that the infant hippocampus was too immature to store episodic memories. This idea was based on the fact that the brain’s memory circuits, known as the trisynaptic pathway, are still developing in early life.
Some studies also compared infant memory capabilities to adults with hippocampal damage, reinforcing the belief that young brains couldn’t encode experiences properly.
However, newer research suggests otherwise. Behavioral studies have shown that infants can remember specific events for days, weeks, or even months, contradicting the idea that their brains can’t store memories. But until now, direct evidence from the brain itself was lacking.
In the latest study, published in the journal Science, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity in infants aged four to 25 months as they viewed images of faces, objects, and scenes. By analyzing how long infants later looked at familiar images compared to new ones, scientists could determine whether a memory had been encoded.
The results showed that when the hippocampus was more active during an image’s first appearance, the baby was more likely to recognize it later.
The findings suggest that infants as young as 12 months can encode episodic memories in the same region of the hippocampus that adults use for memory storage. Specifically, activity in the posterior hippocampus—the part closer to the back of the head—was linked to stronger memory encoding. This region is also crucial for adult episodic memory, reinforcing the idea that infants’ brains use a similar mechanism.
However, younger infants showed a different pattern. Babies under 12 months didn’t display the same memory-related brain activity, suggesting their hippocampal circuits were still developing.
These findings align with past research on statistical learning, another type of memory that helps infants recognize patterns in their environment. This form of learning, linked to a different hippocampal pathway, emerges earlier than episodic memory and helps babies understand language, objects, and social cues.
“The hallmark of these types of memories, which we call episodic memories, is that you can describe them to others, but that’s off the table when you’re dealing with pre-verbal infants,” explained Nick Turk-Browne, senior author of the study and professor of psychology at Yale.
By showing that the infant hippocampus can encode memories, the study shifts the focus from whether babies can store memories to why they forget them.
If infants can encode memories, why don’t you remember being a baby? Researchers believe the answer lies in how memories are stored and retrieved over time.
One possibility is that early memories never transfer to long-term storage, fading before they can be solidified. Another explanation is that these memories remain in the brain but become inaccessible as it develops.
Animal studies provide intriguing clues. Research on rodents shows that memories formed in infancy leave lasting cellular traces, called memory engrams, in the hippocampus. Even when young animals appear to forget, these traces remain intact. In some cases, memory recall can be restored through specific cues or direct stimulation of these engrams.
Interestingly, the rapid neurogenesis (growth of new neurons) that occurs in infancy may interfere with memory retrieval. Some scientists believe that as new neurons integrate into the hippocampus, they disrupt existing memory circuits, making earlier memories harder to access. This could explain why memories from early childhood fade even though the brain is still capable of storing them.
Turk-Browne and his team are now testing whether infants, toddlers, and preschoolers can remember experiences from their own babyhood. Preliminary results suggest that some of these memories might persist into early childhood before eventually becoming inaccessible.
“Tristan’s work in humans is remarkably compatible with recent animal evidence that infantile amnesia is a retrieval problem,” Turk-Browne noted, referring to lead researcher Tristan Yates.
The new findings challenge the traditional view that infantile amnesia occurs because the brain is too immature to form memories. Instead, they suggest that early memories are encoded but become difficult to retrieve as the brain develops. This could have broader implications for understanding memory disorders, childhood development, and even memory enhancement techniques.
Future studies aim to track memory development across early childhood, identifying the key factors that influence long-term memory retention. If scientists can determine why early memories become inaccessible, they may uncover ways to improve memory retrieval later in life.
The study also raises a fascinating question: Could forgotten infant memories still exist somewhere in the brain? While retrieving them remains a challenge, ongoing research may one day reveal whether these lost memories are truly gone—or simply hidden away, waiting to be unlocked.
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SINGAPORE – After the birth of their fourth child, Mr Linus Koh noticed that his wife was unable to do simple household chores, and she often cried.
Mrs Anne Marie Koh, 37, would tell him: “I’m not good enough, I should just go and die.”
Affected by postpartum depression, Mrs Koh was unhappy even when their newborn baby smiled.
As suicidal thoughts plagued her, Mr Koh, 39, knew they needed help.
The Ministry of Health told The Straits Times that public healthcare institutions saw an average of 338 postpartum depression cases per year between 2015 and 2019.
This number has dropped to 248 cases a year between 2020 and 2024.
Among patients in the last five years, there was an average of fewer than one suicide per year.
On Dec 3, 2023, a 33-year-old woman and her three-week-old baby were found dead at the foot of the Housing Board block where they lived.
In February, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said in his findings that the woman likely had undiagnosed postpartum depression.
Her suicide shocked her husband and family, who the coroner said were supportive and loving.
As for Mr Koh, he realised the future of his family depended on his wife feeling happy again.
He said: “It (postnatal depression) could destroy my family. As a husband and father, I needed to provide my family with some sense of security against the dark thoughts she had.”
Mr Koh said that as a husband and father, he needed to provide his family with a sense of security during his wife’s postpartum depression.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
The couple, who have been married for 11 years, run media company Saint Max Media – which helped the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore record online masses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The couple discussed counselling and made childcare arrangements so that Mrs Koh could rest.
They are now happy parents of five children aged three, five, seven, nine and 11.
The Kohs spoke to ST in March to encourage others struggling with postpartum depression, which affects about one in 10 mothers in Singapore.
During her depression, the couple realised that Mrs Koh’s lack of sleep was exacerbating the situation.
Her children demanded her attention day and night. On some nights, she was able to sleep only for half an hour.
To help, Mr Koh did the housework, took the children out and booked a hotel room for her so she could have uninterrupted rest.
The Koh family with their children aged three, five, seven, nine and 11.PHOTO: COURTESY OF LINUS KOH
The couple decided against going for counselling when Mrs Koh’s mood improved.
Mr Koh said: “I had to be a good listener, so she didn’t feel alone. I needed to protect her from her own voices in her head.”
The National University Hospital’s (NUH) Women’s Emotional Health Service saw 43 cases of depression disorders in 2024, up from 38 in 2023 and 31 in 2022.
Clarity Singapore, a Catholic mental health charity that specialises in maternal well-being, saw such cases in 2024 rise by about 15 per cent compared with 2022.
Doctors and counsellors said husbands play a crucial role in supporting mothers.
Dr Cornelia Chee, senior consultant and head of NUH’s department of psychological medicine, said some husbands could be adept at noticing that things are not right.
“We (have had) couples where the woman says: ‘My husband made the appointment for me, he’s worried,’” she said.
Dr Elizabeth Siak, a consultant who heads the Women’s Mental Wellness Service at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), said that with increasing awareness of postnatal depression, husbands have encouraged their wives to seek support.
Dr Siak said that warning signs include low mood, poor concentration, changes in sleep patterns and experiencing these symptoms for two weeks or more.
Help can be found at hospitals, including NUH and KKH, or through general practitioners at polyclinics.
Dr Chee noted that cases referred from polyclinics rose in 2024 after the National University Polyclinics (NUP) started screening for postpartum depression during regular postnatal visits.
Dr Liow Yiyang, an NUP family physician at Queenstown Polyclinic, said husbands need to be the anchor for their wives during the stressful period after childbirth.
A father of two, Dr Liow said: “Sometimes mothers may not find the will to turn up at the clinic. So (husbands), you need to be that important link person to track (her well-being).”
When Mr Ken, 40, and his wife, 41, welcomed their only son after two rounds of in-vitro fertilisation, he thought it was the start of happier days.
But his wife cried continuously and was withdrawn. She became more stressed when she stopped breastfeeding after a month, as she felt she was not doing enough.
Mr Ken, a human resources consultant who wanted to be known by only one name, took a month’s unpaid sabbatical to care for his wife and son.
He said: “At the end of the day, I work for my family. What is the point of me doing my job if I can’t even look after their well-being?”
He even asked artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT what to cook for his baby and had their domestic helper prepare the meals accordingly.
Every day, he searched the internet for ways to overcome depression and what to say to his spouse.
One night, while out on a stroll, she broke down and asked him: “What if I cannot recover?”
Mr Ken said: “I realised it was something that was out of her control. I knew we needed help.”
He contacted Clarity Singapore. His wife’s mood improved after fortnightly counselling sessions.
Mr Ken said it helped him as well, adding: “I didn’t want to keep relying on insights from Google. I wanted to speak to a real person.”
Ms Cindy Khong, a senior counsellor at Clarity Singapore, said postpartum depression is highly treatable with psychotherapy, medication, support groups or lifestyle changes. “A therapist can help to identify unhelpful thought patterns, process feelings of shame, guilt and inadequacy, and discuss practical ways to manage their stress,” she added.
Yoga teacher Ho Kin Ing (left) relied on her husband Tan Peng Yong to support her through postpartum depression. They have three daughters, including three-year-old Beatrice.ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
Sometimes, it takes time for mothers to be receptive to help.
Financial adviser Tan Peng Yong, 37, supported his wife Ho Kin Ing, 33, through six years of postpartum depression before she received therapy.
Ms Ho struggled with the condition after the births of their three daughters, now aged one, three and six.
She had sudden rage outbursts and was constantly anxious that one misstep would affect her children forever.
Ms Ho also experienced suicidal thoughts. She said: “It just kept coming. I had thoughts like: ‘You’re a bad mother’ and ‘Your children don’t need you’.”
Once, she broached the topic of divorce.
Mr Tan said: “She was in a state of darkness, fear and anxiety and could not feel that she still cared for me.
“But after we talked it out, she rediscovered her feelings, and it (the conversation) ended with a lot of tears.”
Mr Tan said he learnt to listen and acknowledge his wife feelings instead of trying to think of solutions.ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
Ms Ho said: “His patience to hold that conversation for me, instead of walking away, was what I needed.”
In 2024, Ms Ho started therapy sessions at Alliance Counselling. That year, she also started Kindle Space, a yoga studio focusing on maternal physical and emotional wellness.
Dr Silvia Wetherell, a psychotherapist with Alliance Counselling, said it is common for mothers to try to push through postpartum depression without seeking help.
“They feel ashamed for feeling depressed with the arrival of a baby, because they’ve been told by (everyone) that this is the happiest thing that can ever happen to a woman,” she said.
Dr Wetherell added that husbands are often the ones who can see through the facade.
“They are probably the one person in the world who knows this woman the best and are in a privileged position to get her to seek help and support.”
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A mum has claimed her one-year-old son was left with ‘a significant scar’ following an accident during a routine skin graft operation.
Troy Bedson was admitted to Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in February with a burn from hot tea spilling on his arm.
Furious mum, 21-year-old Talisha Brookshaw, was told the boy would need a skin graft, with skin taken from his leg and grafted onto his arm. She was reassured before that the operation at Alder Hey would be uneventful but afterwards she says she was told the surgical team had made a mistake, accidentally cutting the boy’s thigh.
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She claims she was initially told it was “just a nick” but when the bandages were removed she saw a deep cut across the width of Troy’s leg. Talisha, from Crewe, said: “Troy had a burn on his arm from a cup of tea, and we had to go to Leighton Hospital.
“We were then referred to Alder Hey, where we stayed for about three nights. We returned on the morning of February 17, and that’s when they decided he needed a skin graft.
“They took skin off his leg to put on his arm, and during that skin graft, they made a large incision across his leg – this wasn’t supposed to happen at all. They were supposed to shave a very thin piece of skin off his leg, but instead, they’ve sliced it and gone into his leg.”
“He’s got a scar there now, and he was meant to come out of that skin graft with no scars – it wasn’t meant to happen at all.”
Talisha continued: “When they [nurses] first came back and relayed that information to me, it just sounded like they’d nicked him a little with the blade. I didn’t see the scar until a week after, because by the time he’d come out, it was all bandaged up.
“I thought it would be a little nick, but it was quite a big cut. It wasn’t clear what had happened until I went back and they told me a bit more. The staff didn’t say much at first, they just said it would take a few more days to heal.
“I got someone to come over and tell me a bit more about what actually happened during the surgery. Two consultants and the surgeons had put the blade in the completely wrong way and sliced his leg.”
Talisha has since attempted to make a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) complaint, but says the complaint was cancelled in order for the hospital to do its own internal review.
Talisha continued: “I thought the person who actually made the mistake would have come and apologised. Maybe that’s not what they do, but I would have wanted to do that. I wish they’d given me an in depth explanation and told me exactly what happened.”
A spokesperson for Alder Hey said they could not comment on individual patients.
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Pune: The recent outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome has turbo-charged vaccine hesitancy among parents, paediatricians warned this week, saying that if left unaddressed the reluctance had the potential to put scores of children at risk.
The rumours, some of them even claiming vaccines led to GBS, appeared to have taken grip. “I’m not taking any chances,” said a 39-year-old mother who said she was part of a social media group “where the issue was discussed”.
“It made me reconsider. My daughter is 10 months old and I’ve now decided to postpone her MMR dose till I’ve finished my own research,” she said.
The MMR vaccine — against measles, mumps and rubella — is among the most important early inoculations for children. It comes in two doses: the first one at 9-12 months and the second at 15-18 months.
“But many parents are now completely avoiding it,” said Dr Pradeep Suryawanshi, from the department of paediatrics at Sahyadri Hospitals.
He said: “Social media posts wrongly linked the GBS outbreak to vaccination, even though we know it was caused by a waterborne infection. Parents linked two unrelated issues. Also, misinformation linking MMR vaccine to autism has resurfaced, despite research disproving a link.”
Paediatrician Dr Sanjay Lalwani, from Bharati Hospital, said certain vaccines have had a “rare association” with autoimmune disorders such as GBS. “Flu vaccine was shown to have a rare association with GBS, not other vaccines. But the benefits of vaccination far outweigh this extremely low risk and preventing serious diseases through immunization is a thousand times more important than the rare possibility of a side-effect,” Dr Lalwani said.
Another development that fuelled vaccine hesitancy, worldwide, was the US CDC’s recent announcement that it was set to launch a large-scale study of potential links between vaccines and autism. The US CDC maintains there’s no evidence supporting such claims, but that didn’t stop dangerous misinformation from resurfacing, mainly on social media forums.
Doctors in the city said the false claims spread widely after the GBS surge.
Dr Prateek Kataria, consultant paediatrician and neonatologist from Sahyadri hospital, said: “We noticed significant hesitancy among parents after the GBS outbreak. Several parents approached me with questions about the influenza and MMR vaccines, fearing they might be linked to GBS in the near or distant future. And despite telling them that the risk of GBS from vaccination was extremely low, many went on to skip vaccination for their children.”
Dr Deepali Ambike, head of paediatrics at Pimpri’s YCM Hospital said certain live vaccines have rare side-effects, including GBS. “But, again, the overall benefits of vaccination in preventing life-threatening diseases far outweigh any minimal risks,” Dr Ambike said.
She added: “Live vaccines, such as MMR and oral polio, contain weakened forms of the virus to stimulate immunity. Extensive research has shown that the association between the seasonal flu vaccine and GBS varies from season to season. In cases where an increased risk has been observed, it has consistently remained low, around 1-2 additional GBS cases per million flu vaccine doses administered.”
Dr Lalwani from Bharati Hospital called for counselling of parents, to combat hesitancy and misinformation, especially around Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
“It’s the responsibility of all doctors. We must now ensure people are told that the recent GBS outbreak was caused by contaminated water, not by past vaccination,” he said.
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The families of babies murdered by Lucy Letby have rallied to debunk claims that the child killer is innocent and accused her of trying to ‘defect attention’ from the heinous crimes.
Speaking in closing submissions for an application to suspend the Thirlwall Inquiry, representatives for the families of the babies killed blasted the nurse.
Richard Baker KC, representing families of Letby’s victims, said the applications to stop the inquiry were motivated by the desire from Britain’s most prolific child serial killer to ‘attempt to control the narrative’ and for the executives ‘to avoid criticism’.
He added that there was ‘nothing remarkable or new’ about recent medical evidence presented on her behalf.
The families’ representatives said the Free Letby campaign is based on flawed reasoning and factual errors and said it is ‘fanciful’ to say alleged new evidence would have convinced the jury in the former nurse’s trial to reach a different verdict.
Mother D, whose baby daughter was murdered by Letby in June 2015, criticised ‘the noise from ill- and misinformed people’ in a separate statement.
The families also accused Letby’s barrister, Mark McDonald, of making ‘hyperbolic, very serious, publicity-grabbing statements’ without fact checking.
‘It causes the families to feel, with some justification, that evidence is presented by Letby’s team in order to create drama and headlines and that the proper basis for it is not being analysed or tested,’ they said.
Lucy Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole life sentences for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven more
Supporters of Letby at a rally outside the High Court in London last year
The families also accused Letby’s barrister, Mark McDonald (pictured), of making ‘hyperbolic, very serious, publicity-grabbing statements’ without fact checking
‘It suggests to them that Letby’s team are more concerned with publicity stunts than putting forward a properly reasoned or legally sound appeal.’
The lawyers added: ‘From Letby’s perspective she is keen to control the narrative and prevent the events that occurred between June 2015 and June 2016 being set out in a way that she cannot control.
‘It is… an attempt by Letby to use her own victimhood as a way of deflecting attention away from her actions.’
In response, the former nurse’s barrister McDonald said: ‘We now have reports from 24 internationally renowned neonatal, surgical and pathology experts, from eight different countries, who are all the very best in the world.
‘They have comprehensively destroyed the prosecution case and have all agreed that Lucy Letby is innocent. The experts are clear that the jury was misled on key evidence, and that this has led to a wrongful conviction.’
Since September the Thirlwall Inquiry has been examining how the former neonatal nurse was able to murder or attack 14 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Evidence was completed last month and the final report is due to be published in November.
But the hospital’s former executives and Letby requested a pause to the inquiry, pending the outcome of her latest challenge to her multiple convictions for murder and attempted murder.
On Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall refused the application from the senior managers.
Letby (pictured) had twice appealed and failed to overturn her convictions
Image taken from body worn camera footage issued by Cheshire Constabulary of the arrest of Letby
Lady Justice Thirlwall (pictured), overseeing the inquiry, refused to pause it after applications from both Letby’s lawyers and hospital executives
Kate Blackwell QC, representing former chief executive Tony Chambers, former medical director Ian Harvey, former director of nursing Alison Kelly and former HR director Sue Hodkinson, said there was a ‘real possibility’ that Letby’s convictions may be overturned, and to continue the report work would be unfair to her clients.
The former senior managers have also made a parallel request to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, to suspend the inquiry on similar grounds.
Letby’s solicitors wrote to Lady Justice Thirlwall on Monday to suggest her final report would be ‘redundant and likely unreliable’ unless proceedings were halted.
Last month, an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists, working pro bono for Letby’s defence team, told reporters that bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths attributed to Letby.
Those findings will be passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and the former nurse’s legal team hope her case will eventually be referred back to the Court of Appeal after two previous failed bids.
Sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, Lady Justice Thirlwall said: ‘I’m not satisfied that there is any unfairness in the current situation. I am satisfied that the process has been fair.
‘As I have said before, it is not the actions of Lucy Letby that I am scrutinising, it is the actions of all those who were in the hospital… and what they did at the time, in the light of what they knew at the time and in the light of what they should have known at the time.
‘There are already large numbers of concessions about what was not done and what should have been done. Those significant concessions come from the organisations and the hospital including the doctors and the managers.
‘Perhaps principle, and most obvious among the concessions made by just about everyone is the acknowledgement that there was a total failure of safeguarding at every level, and that will not change.
Protesters held signs labelling the killer a ‘whistleblower’ who is being ‘silenced’ outside the inquiry last week
‘It is a matter which has been debated at some length in the course of the inquiry and one that it seems to me will inevitably feature in any report.’
Lady Justice Thirlwall said she expressed no view on the merits of Letby’s application to the CCRC.
She said: ‘It is clear that this will be a very lengthy process for the CCRC… it is inevitable that the pause being sought is of a length which is entirely outside of my control but it appears on the face of it to be a very lengthy one.’
Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted across two trials at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.
Letby’s barrister Mark McDonald said: ‘It is a great shame that the inquiry has not taken on board the overwhelming evidence that Lucy Letby’s convictions are unsafe and paused proceedings. Sadly, despite the millions of pounds that have been spent, any report and recommendations will one day be seen as unreliable and redundant.
‘I will continue to represent Ms Letby without fear or favour and ensure the many flaws in the case are put before the Court of Appeal. If the numerous experts who have come forward are right, a young innocent woman is in prison for crimes she has not committed.’
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This is the fourth article in a 4-part series exploring heartbreak, healing, and the lessons we can all learn from life’s transitions, triumphs, and setbacks. The series will dive deep into how we grow through it all, leading up to our special coverage of Maria Shriver’s new book, I Am Maria, which you can preorder HERE.
Over the course of a decade, I met Dad’s care with grace, honor, and his infectious sense of humor. Celebrating his living and loving was the Leiner way. He’s been gone for two months, and my heart and car are still on auto-pilot. In that blissful split second, when I think I will visit him, I forget and then remember. There is joy-tinged grief in letting the “before” memories flood back into focus. I am realizing how I kept them at bay to be able to meet him in the moment.
Dad was a retired “Mad Man”, with nearly three decades at the same ad agency. He worked on breakthrough pharmaceutical launches with top docs around the world. His brilliant brain faded from Alzheimer’s before our eyes, as the research raged on.
When he forgot the familiar route from my sister’s house, my siblings and I knew it was time for an intervention. The neurologist who diagnosed his MCI (mild cognitive impairment) never shared any parting advice about best practices, dietary changes, Dad’s safety, or even a book or website with us. There was no whiff, word or single hint about what caretaking might look like.
We learned to live through each change, navigating the delicate balance of our own households and his growing needs. Each time we averted a crisis (and there were many), I felt the need to shout our learnings from the proverbial rooftop. “Quick, tell the others!” Books and websites are helpful, but much more felt particular to us, our family, and his ever-changing needs.
So, I compiled many learnings over those then years. I share some here in hopes they may be a comfort. As I look back, I find beauty—and the peace and hope to move forward.
Call in the Troops
First, we cobbled together a family team. Then we brought in someone who helped him tidy and asked if she would check in a few hours a day. Dad was prescribed a patch that was meant to slow the disease. It needed to be placed out of his reach and changed every 24 hours. He affectionately called them, “The Patchers”. Finding help is not easy and quite costly. Explore what insurance may cover, if there are local daycare and meal services programs. I wish we had known this sooner.
Think of New Systems
When his cell was left unanswered and the landline was our only connection, we swapped it for a photo phone. We programmed big buttons with our pics to autodial. We put outfits in a basket so he knew what to wear each day. These work, until they don’t and you then you create new systems.
Consider the Wishes
Dad wanted to stay in his home until he could not. While his memory was still sharp-ish, we had hard conversations. “The simplest pine box, please. Nothing fancy,” he said. He gave us permissions and passwords. We talked about his will and finances. We put a limit on the amount of cash he took from the bank for pocket money. Preserving his autonomy and dignity were non-negotiables.
We named a power of attorney and healthcare proxy. In New York, a MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) is co-created with a physician. This hot pink paperwork and meds list traveled with him everywhere. We updated it often and kept copies on all of our phones. Find out what works in your state. Shockingly, he was sent by ambulette alone, many times, arriving at the hospital before family.
Make It a Home
We moved Dad to an assisted living apartment and made it as warm and familiar as possible with his art, furniture and piano. We brought the party to Dad. From Fudgey The Whale birthdays to bagel bash holidays his life was a celebration, replete with balloons, Ray Charles playlists, grandkids and grand dogs. We read to him, created photo albums, and enjoyed picture books and stories.
Look to the Wipe Boards
The wipe board in his home and hospital room were headquarters for the shorthand we wanted him and others to know. We jotted down the critical: I have dementia. I am hard of hearing and wear hearing aids. Call me Neil.
Have a Hospital Action Plan
The hospital staff caring for Dad was not trained or savvy in caring for memory loss or elders. We took turns spending the night and communicated on his behalf. Everything from meal orders to advocating for his level of care and comfort was on us. Having someone living close by or a plan of action can be very helpful.
Research Palliative and Hospice Care
It can be incredibly worthwhile to become familiar with healthcare services aimed at optimizing quality of life and reducing suffering. This is life giving, especially with a terminal illness, and these services also take care of caretakers too.
Find the Joy—for Now and Tomorrow
Finally, please care of you too! Find breaks and laughter. Befriend the anticipatory grief you’ll meet along the way. Most of all, love what is left. There is so much beauty and peace in looking back as I look forward. Folks remarked, “he must have been a great Dad” in witnessing his care. Caring for him alongside my sibs was the honor of my lifetime.
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A mother has been arrested after allegedly forcing her daughter to wear a shock collar that once belonged to the family’s dead dog.
Kimberly Cruz-Feliciano, 30, was taken into custody after her child arrived at the Cape May City Elementary School in New Jersey with ‘visible marks on their body’.
It is alleged that the pupil had to wear the collar while at home and would receive electric shocks when they misbehaved and upset their mother.
The victim reportedly told police the device was kept in the bedroom with items belonging to the deceased pet, 6 ABC reported.
The collar was charged regularly after the passing of the animal, according to court documents cited by the news website.
It remains unclear how severe the injuries were, but they would depend on the voltage, duration of use, and frequency of shocks.
The Prosecutor’s Office says Cruz-Feliciano would threaten more violence if the abuse was ever reported.
Police were previously called to the family home, but nothing came out of it.
One resident who lives near the property told 6 ABC: ‘It is just sad. I hate to hear something like that, I really do.
‘And it is right here in the neighborhood, and I did not know that.’
Cruz-Feliciano was arrested on Tuesday and was charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and other offenses.
Her mother, Sonia Feliciano, 59, was also detained and later charged with hindering and tampering with evidence.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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When you are set for greatness, challenges are a part of your life. And who stands for you in those days matters the most. But for Jimmy Butler? It is more than the hardships we face. A pain that no one wishes to get. It would have one think how blessed they are to have both parents with them, guiding them throughout their lives. For Butler’s life, support was a luxury, and a safe space to rest was a necessity back then. But today? He stands in the NBA with a proud smile. When he says, “My whole life, people have doubted me.” Some are self-made; Jimmy is probably one of them. So without wasting much time, let’s look at his story: a journey through pain where giving up was never the solution.
Jimmy Butler didn’t have a memory to cherish of his biological parents. Born on September 14, 1989, in Houston, Texas, he came into the world to his biological parents who could not provide the stability he needed. He has a story of his parents leaving him for reasons you could not even think of. His father, Jimmy Butler II, left the family when he was just an infant. The child was left alone with his mother then, only waiting for another heartbreak.
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His mother, Londa Butler, had to raise him alone in the quiet suburb of Tomball. But things were never easy. The 6xNBA All-Star had to face another heartbreak when he was just 13 years old. Her last words? “I don’t like the look of you. You gotta go.” These words, as brutal as they were, forced the teenager to leave his own home. No parent should ever say such a thing to their child. But Jimmy wasn’t those characters who would give up on himself.
Today he is here, winning millions of hearts all with his style. Well, though not a good start to his childhood, the star didn’t leave his parents. Over time, he would reconnect with his biological parents, especially when he and his father grew closer later in life. They bonded over small things like playing dominos together. This connection helped him find some peace, especially after his father’s passing.
After Jimmy’s father fell ill, he was by his side, trying to make the memories they couldn’t make in most of the earlier years. After one of his wins against the Spurs, the Warriors small forward went to gift him his game shoes while his dad was in the hospital. It’s hard not to feel the weight of that moment, knowing how much Jimmy had fought to make his father proud despite the traumatic childhood memories he had. But just as it started growing, his father passed away. The news again crushed him. The man who had been a distant figure in his life was now gone.
Despite his father’s passing, he never let the pain break him. He never holds grudges against his parents, even though they were far from perfect. That’s Jimmy Butler for you, a strong character, who didn’t let miseries come his way, neither did he believe in taking revenge against those who ditched him early.
But his escape? Basketball, for him, became an outlet—a way to process the pain and grief. While most athletes face the pressure of competition, the Houston native carried an extra weight: the loss of his father. On the court, he played with an intensity that reflected the struggles he had faced. And yet, he pushed through, aiming to honor his father’s memory.
As the Golden State Warriors continue to count on him, we can’t help but wonder: Can his desire to win for his father drive him to an NBA title? He’s been through so much to get to this point, and he believes he has the strength to make it happen. But more than anything, his story reminds us that behind the athlete is a person who has lived through real, raw pain. So, now that you know his biological parents, let’s know about his guardian angel.
Jimmy Butler had a life-turning point when he met Jordan Leslie in high school. Jordan, a former professional football player, quickly saw Jimmy struggle and his kind heart made him offer Jimmy a place to stay. After a few weeks, Jordan convinced his mother, Michelle Lambert, to let Jimmy stay with them. Michelle already had seven children of her own, yet she opened her heart and home to Jimmy. And that’s another example of you do not need to have blood relations to be a mother.
For a kid like him, this was a lifeline. His previous years had been filled with uncertainty, moving from one friend’s house to another. So when Michelle came, she became the angel to Bulter, as it was more than a roof over his head. As someone said, “A mother is not someone who gives birth to a child. A mother is someone who is there for the child day after day.” Not only did she give him a safe roof but also she supported his dreams, pushing him to stick with basketball. When Jimmy felt homesick at Marquette University, he even considered leaving, but Michelle urged him to stay. Through thick and thin, shaped the Bulter we know today.
What strikes the most is Michelle’s selflessness. She didn’t have to take in another kid, yet she did. It wasn’t just a roof; it was genuine care that changed Jimmy’s life. Without her, who knows where Jimmy would have ended up? And once again, one act of kindness changed a person’s future. Now that you know his parents, let’s look at why he was told Michael Jordon’s relative.
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Jimmy Butler and Michael Jordan are related, a rumor that ran long. The comparisons between the two have mostly come from their similar physical traits and playing styles. Here’s how they both share African American heritage, have strong jawlines, and their noses bear a resemblance. It’s almost like looking at a mirror image, especially when Butler rocks a bald head, just like MJ.
There’s also their competitiveness and ability to perform under pressure that fuels these comparisons. Jimmy’s style, with his intensity and will to win, reminds fans of Jordan’s era-defining play. Some even point out how Butler’s 2011 rookie haircut resembled MJ’s 1984 look—it’s uncanny.
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via Imago
Image Credits: Imago
But, despite all the speculation, there’s no truth to the conspiracy theory that Jimmy is Michael’s secret son. So, let the rumors rest and enjoy all that he has to offer in the court for now, because even the best of the legends hang their boots after a point, and sadly, Jimmy is no different.
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Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright are over the moon as they navigate the joys of parenthood, with the new mum sharing an adorable update on social media. The couple, who tied the knot nearly a decade ago, recently welcomed their first child, a baby girl, into their lives.
The pair, who are set to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this May, revealed that they became parents to their daughter, Palma, on March 6.
However, they chose to keep the news under wraps for a few days before making the big announcement on March 12, complete with the first photo and their little one’s distinctive name.
Taking to Instagram with a touching black and white image of them holding their baby’s tiny hand, Michelle and Mark shared with their multitude of fans: “Together we have a new love to share…Our little girl. Palma Elizabeth Wright. 06.03.25.”
The day after the announcement, Michelle posted some heartwarming pictures on her Instagram. Among them was a picture showcasing ‘baby girl’ balloons positioned in front of a window, offering a glimpse of the stunning view from their Essex home, which she shares with ex-TOWIE star Mark, and featuring a rainbow in the backdrop.
Additionally, Michelle re-posted the snapshot of her newborn daughter Palma to her Instagram story, expressing gratitude for the flood of congratulatory messages.
She penned: “Thank you to everyone for your lovely messages,” and included a series of pink-themed emojis – ballet shoes, a bow, and bubbles, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Michelle, 37, melted hearts with a close-up shot of her baby girl’s tiny foot on Instagram stories, captioning the adorable image on Saturday (March 22) with: “Simply magic,” accompanied by a twinkling star emoji.
Meanwhile, Mark returned to Heart Radio alongside his mate Olly Murs, hinting at a challenging show ahead. On his story, before the new Saturday morning programme, Mark teased: “Get us on the radio, 9am ’til…” and then turned to his producers questioning when he was off-air.
Feeling the effects of the previous night, he said: “I’m a little bit tired today” and revealed “I had a couple of beers last night,” though the 38-year-old presenter kept mum on the evening’s details.
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