Many Birth Defects are Preventable
What could be worse than being informed as an expectant parent that your child may be born with a birth defect that could cripple them or remain with them the rest of their natural lives. Experts say there’s a lot an expectant mother can do nowadays to do to reduce a child’s risk for developing a birth defect, and that being pro-active and preventive-minded will give them an early edge. "Women of reproductive age should be cognizant of the fact they need to be healthy," said Dr. Michael Katz, senior vice president for research and global programs at the [...]
Reggae Legend Misdiagnosed with Soccer Injury
If the undisputed ‘King of Reggae’ were still alive today, Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley would be 71 years old. The legendary singer, songwriter, musician, and family man died on May 11, 1981 at the unlikely age of 36 of a rare melanoma. There’s some discrepancy how Marley contracted his acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) cancer. A professional level-soccer player, Marley thought it came about as a result of an injury from a rusty soccer cleat. Unbeknownst to Marley, the spot was in fact an aggressive form of skin cancer. Marley was the picture of perfect health: an avid soccer player, [...]
6 Celebrities Who Had Misdiagnosed Medical Cases
Getting misdiagnosed with a condition that you don’t have is more common than you might think. According to one study, diagnostic errors occur in as many as 12 million people – or 1-in-20 American adults to be more exact.1 The fact is, many of our favorite celebrities have been misdiagnosed with a condition that was incorrectly diagnosed. In this blog, we’ll take a look at six celebrities who were wrongly diagnosed with a medical condition. 6 Celebrities Misdiagnosed with The Wrong Medical Condition Author Rebecca Wells – “The Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood” author Rebecca Wells saw 12 [...]
Crown Seeks 17 Years, Defense Argues for 7 at Philip Chicoine Child Pornography Hearing
Warning: Graphic content The Crown is seeking the longest prison sentence in Saskatchewan history for child pornography charges to be handed to Philip Michael Chicoine. Crown prosecutor Lana Morelli argued at the conclusion of Chicoine’s sentencing hearing Thursday the Saskatoon man should be given a 17-year sentence with no chance of parole for seven and a half years. The 27-year-old Chicoine pleaded guilty in April to 40 child pornography-related charges, including possessing and distributing child pornography, child luring and agreeing to make child pornography. While none of his charges included hands-on offences, Morelli argued his crimes are on par with hands-on [...]
Are There Risks Associated with Using Midwives?
In recent years, families have sought more alternative, non-hospital locations for giving birth, such as at home and at birthing centers using midwives. The complications of giving birth outside of the hospitals can be a reason for concern, but a lot of times women feel more compelled to give birth at a place that suits their values and preferences more than their personal care and safety are concerned. A study released in The New England Journal of Medicine indicated that in recent year’s babies rarely die in any given setting; however most, if any, newborn deaths generally occur in [...]
Message to Child Pornography Survivors: Survey Seeks Your Input to Enhance Support Services for Survivors
We at the Savage Law Firm are proud to support the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (Canadian Centre), an advocacy and charitable organization dedicated to helping child pornography survivors. While a great deal is being accomplished around the world to support those who have been victimized by child pornography, the working advocacy group at the Canadian Centre believes there is an urgent need to enhance the fight against child sexual abuse material on the Internet. In order to better understand the impacts of this crime and the unique needs of the survivors of child sexual abuse whose images of [...]
Former Professor Convicted of Possessing Child Porn, Ordered to pay $78,900 in Restitution to Victims
Restitution awarded to the survivors of child pornography, following the conviction of a former college professor A former college professor who was recently convicted of possessing child pornography will now have to pay $78,900 in restitution to some of the victims – those who were featured in the images and videos that the man collected and shared. The man, who was also sentenced to serve six years and four months in federal prison, will reportedly be paying $32,500 to one victim known as “Vicky,” and $26,500 to another victim who is portrayed in the Marineland series of [...]
International Advocacy Group Launches New Initiative, Survey to Help Victims of Child Sex Abuse
An international working group co-chaired by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has just rolled out a new initiative to investigate the effects of child sex abuse and enhance recovery services for victims. As part of this initiative, the group has developed a survey for child sex abuse survivors in order to better “understand the experiences of victims” and “the unique challenges” they face. Although this survey is still being finalized, the hope is that, when it is ready, survivors will agree to participate in at least part of it. Highlighting the potential impacts of sharing the victimization experience, [...]
‘Porn Dogs’ Find Electronic Devices Used to Hide Child Pornography
Dogs have long been used by law enforcement officials to sniff out contraband like bombs and drugs. A few working canines, however, have recently expanded this list to include the micro SD cards and thumb drives used by child pornographers to hide evidence. In fact, one of these so-called ‘porn dogs,’ a black Labrador named Bear, was pivotal in locating the hidden electronic evidence that brought down former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle. And now law enforcement officials and dog trainers are looking to get more canines trained to detect these devices so they can better target the peddlers and [...]
CPSC Focuses on Protecting Kids from Dangerous Toys this Holiday Season
As consumers across the nation do their holiday shopping, federal regulators at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are working to prevent dangerous and illegal toys from getting onto retailers’ shelves – and ending up under Americans’ Christmas trees. In fact, this is the third consecutive year that CPSC officials have joined forces with federal regulators from Canada and Mexico to block harmful and/or illegal toys from entering North American borders. And this year’s efforts, which were kicked off in November, have some specific goals, including (but not exclusive to): Educating the public about harmful toys Getting the word [...]
