Saltburn nannas knit jumpers for penguins hit by oil spills
Little jumpers knitted by grandmothers are being used to prevent penguins caught in oil spills from getting ill while trying to clean their feathers.
Dubbing themselves the Knitting Nannas, the group based at Hazelgrove Court Care Home in Saltburn, Teesside, have been sending their mini creations to a charity in Australia.
The woolly tops are used as a barrier to stop the birds ingesting toxic chemicals when they try to preen themselves after swimming through oil.
Joyce Baxtrem, 94, explained that she has knitted jumpers for both her children but she had "never knit for a penguin" before.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
James Magnussen on the huge mistake Aussie men make with their health
Aussie men are ticking time bombs, with Olympian James Magnussen revealing he made a mistake that is all too common and can lead to real health issues. Magnussen. 34, is a retired Australian sprinter who won gold in the men's 100 metre freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai and again in 2013 at Barcelona. He also earned a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre freestyle, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Nathan Adrian. He formally retired from competitive swimming on June 5, 2019 at the age of 28, concluding a career that yielded 15 or more major international medals . Magnussen announced in early 2024 that he would come out of retirement to compete in the Enhanced Games, aiming to break the 50‑metre freestyle world record for a $1million prize. He admitted using performance‑enhancing drugs to transform his physique in preparation for the event. But prior to that, he was required to undergo a full medical examination, something he described as 'scary' because he hadn't done one since he retired from professional swimming. 'I hadn't done a blood test in seven years to know what my testosterone levels were,' Magnussen told The 28 Year Old Male podcast. 'Turns out they were pretty normal before I did the thing, smack bang in what was normal for testosterone levels. 'But I hadn't tested them in seven years since I'd been an athlete. 'I actually had to do a full health screening before I started the games. Heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, all these things. 'There was a little bit of nervous energy from me when I got the test done because I was like 'oh I haven't been sick much, but I've definitely enjoyed life'. 'I was like 'how is my body holding up? What effects has sport or has life generally had on my body? And I healthy?'. 'Cause I actually don't know.' Magnussen is not alone. According to Australian Government statistics, approximately 60 per cent of Australian men do not regularly engage in health check-ups - particularly those aged 18-44. He said it was vital for Aussie men to buck that trend and get to the doctor, to detect and get ahead of underlying issues before they became a major problem. 'When you look at it, and it stares you back in the face of this is where your health is at, this is a full picture of your health,' he said. 'It's OK, now I know what I need to improve or change or do anything like that. 'But as guys, most of us wait until we're sick or wait until something goes wrong and then you go to the doc. 'They will go 'oh you know, you've got this underlying issue that's been there for years but you just never had a checkup'. 'It's a good lesson for all guys out there,' he said. 'I've actually said to a few of my mates since I got back, I'd never had any of this testing done, but you should probably go see a doctor and get this, just to know where you are at. 'It's probably not a bad point in your mid thirties or your late thirties to not know what's going on.'
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Prolonged hot weather may be fuelling rise in obesity rates, study suggests
BLAME your belly on the sunshine, say scientists - as hot weather makes us gain weight. A study in Australia estimated that someone's risk of being obese increases by 0.2 per cent for every day of the year that is warmer than 30C. Sweltering summer days might slow our metabolism by wrecking our sleep, put us off exercising, and have us reaching for fattening fizzy drinks to cool off. The UK has enjoyed an early start to summer this year, with eleven 30C days so far. The Met Office says 2025 is one of only three years on record to have had so many by July – with 2018 and 1976. Research led by the University of Adelaide compared rates of obesity and weather across eight Australian states between 2006 and 2022. It found citizens in the hottest areas were more likely to be obese and as an area's temperatures increased so did the number of fat people. Writing in the journal Economics & Human Biology, the study authors said: 'High temperatures can make outdoor activities and physical activities less appealing, leading to a sedentary lifestyle which has been shown to increase obesity. 'Further, extreme temperatures can cause heat-related sleep disturbances that influence metabolism. 'Temperature shocks can also affect the body's metabolism and appetite. 'High temperatures may suppress appetite in the short term, but can also lead to increased consumption of high-calorie, sugary beverages for cooling and hydration.' Two thirds of British adults are overweight and about 30 per cent are obese, raising their risk of cancer, dementia and heart diseases. I put my 11-year-old daughter on fat jabs after she got bullied for her weight - people judge me but I don't care The researchers suggested people in areas that are normally cold – such as the UK – might be more vulnerable. They added: 'We find that the effects of extreme temperature on obesity are more pronounced for people living in states with general cold climates and for older people compared to younger people.' 1
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Erin is a gentle and beloved single mum in Melbourne. She's just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 29
At just 29, Melbourne mum Erin Kelly is facing the heartbreaking reality that she's living on borrowed time. A single parent to her eight-year-old daughter Evie, Erin has recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's - a devastating blow made even more cruel by its rare genetic cause. Now she's in a race against the clock to fund the one treatment that could slow it down. 'There's no chance of me reaching retirement age so I'm doing everything I can now, while I still can,' Erin told the Daily Mail. Alzheimer's typically strikes later in life, but for Erin, it's deeply personal, and terrifyingly genetic. In May 2024, the young mum discovered she carries a rare mutation of the PSEN1 gene, one that guarantees she will develop Alzheimer's earlier than normal. Only about 200 families worldwide carry it. 'With young onset Alzheimer's, they (the specialists) said only 1 per cent of young onset Alzheimer's cases are caused by a genetic mutation,' Erin said. 'I always knew there was a 50/50 chance I'd develop it later in life. But even with my family history, I never imagined it would happen to me this early.' Erin lost her mum to Alzheimer's when she was just 17. Her mum was only 50. After further digging, she's now found out that eight members of her extended family have battled the disease too. However, the PSEN1 mutation is what makes Erin's diagnosis so rare and so aggressive. Doctors can't say much without more tests, but have told Erin that her life expectacny is between another eight to 15 years. The official diagnosis came in July, following a year-long journey of MRIs, specialist consultations and anxious waiting. It was Erin's father who first urged her to get tested for the mutation in May 2024, after she began noticing small lapses and mixed-up words, which she initially dismissed. 'A year ago I contacted Alzheimer's Australia, but they originally said they couldn't help because I didn't have a confirmed diagnosis yet,' she said. 'So, I reached out to many others including neurologists, and they all said they didn't really know what to do with me. But then I ended up with a geriatrician [a doctor specialising in the care of the elderly], and he is helping.' Despite early symptoms and a clear family history, getting answers has been slow and costly. Specialists charged up to $500 a visit. Each scan costs her hundreds more. She has since been referred to a neuropsychologist, speech therapist and dietitian - but couldn't afford to see any of them. Even a medical drink called Souvenaid, formulated to support memory in Alzheimer's patients, was too expensive at $100 a month. 'I've had to pick and choose what I can pay for. I just can't justify that as well, given the position we're in,' she said. Despite her diagnosis, Erin was told she is too young to qualify for Australian clinical trials or subsidised treatment. 'It's like they don't know what to do with me,' she said. But there is a treatment that could help, which is a breakthrough infusion drug called Leqembi. Leqembi, which is administered as an infusion every two weeks, has been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's by up to 30 per cent. It works by targeting and removing the sticky amyloid plaques that kill brain cells and cause cognitive decline. There's just one problem - it's only available on a case-by-case basis for people aged 50 to 90, and at a staggering cost of $90,000. 'My doctor basically said that I don't cover a lot of the criteria. But if I can supply the money, then I've got a much higher chance of being accepted,' she said. Since Evie was six weeks old, it's been just the two of them. Erin has poured every ounce of her energy into raising her daughter and building a stable life. Now, she's fighting to hold onto that life and the precious time she has left. She's started creating photo books and writing letters for Evie, capturing memories and family stories she fears she won't be able to tell one day. 'I want her to remember who I was. Who her grandmother was, too, as I'm the only one who can tell her that,' she said. A breakthrough infusion drug called Leqembi could delay Erin's symptoms by up to 30 per cent, but she is too young to qualify for it - unless she can pay $90,000 Erin's family hopes to raise the full $90,000 to cover ongoing treatments and give her a fighting chance at slowing the disease in its tracks. If treatment becomes impossible, the funds will help create lasting memories with Evie too, as well as special time together, and the chance to simply live while she still can. 'She's not asking for a miracle,' her stepsister Jessica said. 'She's just asking for more time.'
