Krista Bo
00:00:00
'Hey there. Here's your weekly dose of feelgood stories. You'll hear how excited a six-year-old boy from Ohio and his mom were when they learned he was getting a new heart.
Sarah Lee
00:00:10
I broke down in instant tears. I hugged everybody that was there. Everyone had tears in their eyes, you know, because it's been such an emotional journey.
Krista Bo
00:00:21
Plus, a new brain cancer research lab opened up this week in North Carolina that's working on treatments tailored to each patient. From CNN, I'm Krista Bo, and this is 5 Good Things.
00:00:35
The Paralympic Games in Paris wrap up this weekend, and these incredible athletes show us just how powerful, determined and resilient the human body can be. Matt Stutzman, also known as the Armless Archer, won the gold earlier this week in the para archery competition, using his feet to hold the arrow and his jaw to release the bow. His final score was a record 149. The maximum is 150, by the way, so pretty close to perfect. Before Matt came onto the scene, an athlete with no arms competing in para archery seemed impossible. But the American has redefined the sport, and he says he wouldn't be where he is now without his parents.
Matt Stutzman
00:01:16
They taught me to learn to look at the world, to adapt to it versus the world adapting to me. And with that mindset of being able to think like that, like I can do anything that everybody else can in the world. It got me thinking, like even though I have no arms, I can still do what everybody else can do, which is normal, right? And it's all in how you look at it.
Krista Bo
00:01:40
'He's also paved the way for other athletes to make history. One of Matt's proteges, 17-year-old Sheetal Devi from India won bronze in the mixed team compound open competition. She's now the first female archer without arms to medal at the Paralympics. Another Paralympian kicking butt in Paris is Oksana Masters from team USA, winning two gold medals in para cycling races this week. At the time we recorded, Oksana now has 19 Paralympic medals to her name across four sports and seven summer and Winter games combined.
Oksana Masters
00:02:13
Honestly, I just feel like I'm on cloud nine. My cheeks have never burnt so much just from smiling and cheesing like a kid. I'm just. I'm just in shock.
Krista Bo
00:02:23
Oksana was born in Ukraine with significant birth defects that were believed to be linked to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. After being adopted by her American mother and moving to the US, Oksana's legs were amputated when she was nine and 14. Oksana told CNN she's donating some of her gold medal prize money to an orphanage in Ukraine, and wants to leave a lasting legacy in her homeland.
Oksana Masters
00:02:45
I was one of those kids in Ukraine that was forgotten in time and with a disability, and resources aren't there. And if I can do one small part to help, I feel like that's one of the reasons why I was so lucky to make it out of there, to be here right now, to do my part.
'John-Henry Lee
00:03:10
Phyllis, I'm getting a new heart!
Phyllis
00:03:10
'What?! Oh my goodness, John-Henry, John-Henry!
Krista Bo
00:03:15
'That's six-year-old John-Henry Lee spreading the news he'd been waiting six months for. He couldn't wait to share his excitement about getting a new heart with his caregivers and the hospital staff at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital in Ohio.
'John-Henry Lee
00:03:30
I'm getting a new heart!
Hospital staff
00:03:36
I know!!!
Krista Bo
00:03:36
The Cleveland Clinic and TMX captured John Henry proudly walking the hospital halls back in May. His mom, Sarah, said it was an emotional moment for everyone.
Sarah Lee
00:03:44
I broke down in instant tears. I hugged everybody that was there. Everyone had tears in their eyes, you know, because it's been such an emotional journey. We lived in the hospital for six months. You know, the staff becomes your family and your friends.
Krista Bo
00:04:01
'John-Henry was born with a rare congenital heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, where the left side of the heart is very underdeveloped. After several surgeries and health issues over the years, doctors told Sarah back in December that a heart transplant was her son's only option for survival.
Sarah Lee
00:04:19
'He has a six-year-old mind and he's just happy go lucky as he is, you know, he's just like, 'okay, let's go. This is what's happening. This is what we're going to do.' And that's how he was through the whole process.
Krista Bo
00:04:32
He had the transplant surgery just hours after he told everyone he was getting a new heart. And Sarah says he's home now feeling great. She told me she wishes she could meet the donor's family to show how grateful she is.
Sarah Lee
00:04:43
'Without organ donation, John- Henry wouldn't have another chance at life. You know, I am so thankful that they made that selfless decision to donate their child's organs to save my child's life.
Krista Bo
00:05:02
Football season is well underway, and a new piece of equipment might make the sport a little safer. Guardian Sports has created headgear called the Guardian Cap – a padded shell that fits on the outside of a football helmet. The company says the model used by the NFL reduces head acceleration in a collision by up to 40%. This year, the NFL announced it would allow players to wear them during regular season games, and they're mandated for all players during practices. That's after the league did its own extensive testing of the caps. NFL MVP Jeff Miller says they work.
Jeff Miller
00:05:35
As a result of the last two seasons, we saw about a 50% decrease in concussions in the physicians that were mandated to wear them. So of course, we said, okay, all positions. We'll now wear them in this preseason.
Krista Bo
00:05:47
It's not just the pros. Guardian says nearly 4,000 high schools and youth programs currently use the caps. Middlebury Union High School's football team in Vermont is one of them. Coach Jed Malcolm said the decision to have his players wear the Guardian cap during practice was easy.
Coach Jed Malcom
00:06:02
For the most part, we've seen sort of good results during practice. We haven't had any concussions and anything that can help make the game safer is good.
Krista Bo
00:06:11
More independent research is needed to show how effective these caps are at preventing injury, and the caps cost around $70 a pop. But Coach Malcolm says parents and players are fully on board.
Coach Jed Malcom
00:06:21
We have not had a single bit of pushback now from a parent or a player, which is encouraging.
Krista Bo
00:06:34
The Glioblastoma Foundation opened a new research lab this week in Durham, North Carolina, offering hope for patients with the most common and deadly type of brain cancer. Right now, surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation is the protocol doctors follow. The side effects can be devastating. But a senior scientist at the foundation, Matt Regner, says new genomic testing could reveal targeted treatment options for glioblastoma that are far less grueling.
Matt Regner
00:07:01
What we hope to do is offer some molecular, detailed, molecular insights into that patient's teamwork, to hopefully obtain a more targeted therapeutic strategy rather than doing standard of care chemotherapy.
Krista Bo
00:07:14
The Foundation is also working on making genomic testing more affordable and accessible.
Gita Kwatra
00:07:19
We estimate only about 10% of all glioblastoma patients have access to genomic testing. It can cost right now anywhere from $5,000 up to $25,000 and higher.
Krista Bo
00:07:30
The nonprofit's CEO, Gita Kwatra, tells CNN affiliate WRAL that patients will have access to the testing at little to no cost, thanks to donations.
00:07:47
Up next, hear how a school in Wisconsin made their students feel like movie stars on their first day back. We all remember the first day of school jitters. Whether you were excited about a new year or nervous about change, it can be overwhelming.
Principal Thadeus Hillard
00:08:08
You ready?
Principal Thadeus Hillard
00:08:09
All right, let's go big girl!
Krista Bo
00:08:12
Well, Grand Tossa Drive School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, rolled out the red carpet for their 600 students from grades K through eight to give them a warm welcome.
Mr. Ky
00:08:25
Our kids are superstars. So when they when they come here, we want you to know that we want the best from you.
Krista Bo
00:08:31
That's Mr. Ky, a teacher's assistant at the school. CNN affiliate TMJ4's Gideon Verdin also caught up with the principal, Thaddeus Hillard. He greeted kids as they got off the bus. And right on to the Walk of Fame.
Principal Thadeus Hillard
00:08:48
Because the kids deserve it. Because if we don't go all out for them, then who else is going to do it again?
Principal Thadeus Hillard & school staff & kids
00:08:55
We, we are. Come on in! We are the mighty dragons!
Krista Bo
00:09:04
'All right, that's all for now. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of One Thing. Host David Rind speaks with CNN's Dianne Gallagher to discuss everything you need to know about mail-in ballots and early voting this election cycle. 5 Good Things is a production of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by me, Krista Bo. Our Senior Producers are Felicia Patinkin and Faiz Jamil. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our Technical Director and Steve Lickteig is Executive Producer of CNN Audio. We get support from Joey Salvia, Haley Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru, and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to Katie Hinman. And thank you for listening. If you like the show, please consider giving us a good rating and review on Apple Podcasts or sharing it with a friend. It helps us spread the good vibes. Take care – 'till next time.
