Disabled teen to become runway model

A teenager who was born with one hand, four kidneys and a debilitating stomach condition is fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a catwalk model.

Maryelen Loughran, 15, eats through a tube and has crippling arthritis but beat thousands of other girls to win a place in the final of a national modelling contest.

Maryelen – who weighed under 2lbs at birth – suffers from Motility Syndrome, a rare condition that prevents her stomach digesting food correctly.

She must drag the specialist feeding equipment everywhere she goes.

But despite her physical disabilities, Maryelen is now in the final heat of Teen Princess UK after being spotted by a fashion scout at the Clothes Show.

Maryelen, who lives in Birmingham, said: ‘I’m a real girly girl and I love my clothes so I decided to go to the Clothes Show and have a look around when I was approached by a photographer from Teen Princess.

‘He took some photos and then he posted them to us and I though why not give it a go – you have to have a positive outlook on life and can’t be scared to try new things.’

The teen, who will undergo major surgery in May to repair her gastric tubes, added: ‘To be honest the idea of becoming a model had never crossed my mind but now I took the plunge and went for it – I reckon it it would be great to win.

Read more and see more pictures: Teenager born with one hand and four kidneys set to become catwalk model 

10-year-old golf prodigy [Video]

 

Here is a story from my buddy, sports reporter, Scott Eisberg.

Kyle Spencer is flat out good. 

He’s shot a 71 on 18 holes, something most golfers can never say they’ll do.  Kyle has done it, by age 10. 

 He started at age 2. By 4-years-old, he was taking lessons and soon after playing competitively. 

 His coach says he’s one of the top 300 kids in the entire world. 

For such an established golfer, one of the most important decisions in his life is picking a caddy.  Kyle’s decision, his grandma and Mary Ann Snyder–who is also a pro at Charleston National. 

 It’s a unique bond the two have, but every weekend, grandma follows grandson 18 holes.

Read more and watch the 10-year-old in action: Kyle Spencer–An Aged Golfer at 10

Photo: Flickr user JLMitch

Teen hero pulls victim from firey crash [Video]

When it comes to faith, Chase Duffell’s life is a testament.  But even years of believing could not have prepared the 17-year-old for what he faced one afternoon. 

 A truck pulled out in front of a school bus, just feet in front of him.  The teen knew he had to help.  “I jumped out, parked it at the church, and I came back and the whole driver’s side was in flames.  I couldn’t get to the driver’s door to unlock it,“ he says.  “So I went around to passenger’s side, he was unconscious laying down.“

  With the car on fire, and the victim bleeding inside, Duffell had to act quickly.  He used every inch of his six foot frame to pull the man to safety.

The rescue is all the more rewarding, because this is one teen who knows too much about life and death.  Less than two years ago, Chase was diagnosed with cancer. 

Now, Duffell’s family believes his dramatic rescue was meant to be.  “I thought, God you saved him.  You saved him so he could be used for somebody else’s life today.  That’s overwhelming,“ his mother Muffin says. 

Read more and watch that story: Teen Hero Pulls Victim From Firey Crash

Photo: Nathan Gray [IndependentMail.com]

Chasing a championship for Kody [Video]

When the high school wrestling season began, Kody Neill of Holly had one simple goal. He wanted to qualify for the state high school wrestling tournament.

He never got that chance.

An auto accident on Dec. 27, 2008 claimed his life, but it couldn’t take his memory from his teammates and coach.

“Everyday at practice I still look for him to walk through the doors with that smile on his face,” Lyndon Wagner, coach of the Holly wrestling team, said.

“Oh, I know he’s with me,” Hayden Nordyke, a teammate of Kody’s, said. “I’ve even said sometimes I feel him with me when I get a little boost. I know that’s him, that he’s pushing me.”

Six wrestlers on the Holly team qualified for the state high school wrestling tournament. They will have the support of many from the town, including Kody’s family. As the individual wrestlers competed on the mat, Kyle and Gale Neill cheered them on.

“His dad will even come into the wrestling room and sit there and watch because there’s a piece of Kody in every single one of those wrestlers and he sees that,” Wagner said.

The loss of Kody has also driven the team to exceed expectation.

“I’ve never seen this team wrestle like this in my life,” Kyle Neill said. “You can tell they’ve go Kody in their hearts.”

Read more and watch this very well-done and touching story: Chasing championships and memories