The girl who must eat every 15 minutes to stay alive

Lizzie Velasquez weighs just four stone and has almost zero per cent body fat but she is not anorexic. In fact, the 21-year-old from Austin, Texas, must eat every 15 minutes to stay healthy. Miss Velasquez has a rare condition which prevents her from gaining weight even though she eats up to 60 small meals a day.

Despite consuming between 5,000 and 8,000 calories daily, the communications student, has never tipped over 4st 3lbs. "I weigh myself regularly and if I gain even one pound I get really excited," said 5ft 2 ins Miss Velasquez, who wears size triple zero clothes. "I eat every 15-20 minutes to keep my energy levels up.

"I eat small portions of crisps, sweets, chocolate, pizza, chicken, cake, doughnuts, ice cream, noodles and pop tarts all day long, so I get pretty upset when people accuse me of being anorexic." She was born four weeks prematurely weighing just 2lb 10oz. Doctors found there was minimal amniotic fluid protecting her in the womb. "They told us they had no idea how she could have survived," said Miss Velasquez's mother Rita, 45, a church secretary.

Doctors speculated Lizzie might have the genetic disorder De Barsy syndrome but soon ruled it out as it became clear she did not have learning difficulties. "They kept on trying to figure out what was wrong with her but we treated her like any other child," said Mrs Velasquez, who charted her daughter's health in dozens of notebooks. She was taken to see genetic experts but they still could not diagnose her.

Miss Velasquez's case has fascinated doctors all over the world and she is part of a genetic study run by Professor Abhimanyu Garg, MD, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Professor Garg and his team now believe Lizzie may have a form of Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome (NPS) which causes accelerated ageing, fat loss from the face and body, and tissue degeneration. People with PRS often have triangular and prematurely aged faces with a pointy nose.

He said: "I am aware of a small number of people that have similar conditions to Lizzie but each case is slightly different. We cannot predict what will happen to Lizzie in the future as the medical community are yet to document older people with NPS. However Lizzie is lucky to have healthy teeth, organs and bones so the outlook is good. We will continue to study her case and learn from her."

Woman on oxygen dies after power cut by utility company

This reminds me of the horrible incident when an elderly man in Michigan died over the winter when his power (and heating) system was shut down.
What is the matter with a system that can't help someone like this?

A woman who needed powered oxygen equipment to breathe died after she did not pay the power bill and a utility shut off her electricity, police said Friday. State officials were investigating whether any regulations were broken.

Kay Phaneuf, 53, died Thursday at Caritas Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass. She had been in critical condition since her husband found her unconscious Monday about an hour after power was cut to their home in Salem.

"She can't survive without it," Salem Police Capt. Shawn Patten said of the oxygen equipment. "They cut the power to the house, the power to whatever machine she had went out, and that was it."

B.C.

Rare white elephant captured

White elephants have been revered for centuries

In this image made off MRTV video footage, a rare white elephant is caught in the jungles in Maungdaw township in northwestern Rakhine state, Burma.

Rare white elephant captured

 A rare white elephant has been captured in the jungles of northwestern Burma, a mostly Buddhist country where the animals are considered good omens, state media reported Tuesday.

Great white shark spotted off Massachusetts coast

State officials and shark experts say beach-goers don't need to worry after the summer's first confirmed great white shark sighting in Massachusetts waters.

Full story

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Infuse your home with some new, stylish additions.
Even if you aren't a big believer in feng shui, there are some principles that anyone can follow and make sense of.
For example, a clean, pleasant and orderly space is generally more pleasant to come home to, and makes getting ready in the morning much easier.
Even a quick paint job or mail stand can make a major difference.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil

Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Bad Homburg, Hessen, Germany

Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia

Lille, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

London, England, United Kingdom

as well as Scotland, Spain, and the United States in such cities as Silver Spring, Curryville, Nantucket, Vashon and more

Today is Monday, June 28, the 177th day of 2010.

There are 186 days left in the year.

Today In History June 28, 2010

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There is none.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns

Guinea holds 1st free election after army rule era

They've voted before - but never freely, and never fairly. On Sunday, junta-ruled Guinea cast ballots for a new president in the first democratic election this West African nation has ever known.

Guinea on Sunday held its first free election since independence more than half a century ago, a vote many hope will finally end decades of harsh military rule and launch a new democratic era.

World Cup Soccer

Goalie admits to fooling ref on bad call

Manuel Neuer's quick thinking leads to one of the most controversial moments in this World Cup.  

'Lucky for us' 

Also: 

• England team astonished
• Column: Add video replay
• Worst calls in sports

Referees' hilarious synchronized warm-up

These World Cup officials maintain near-perfect harmony as they prepare for a big game. 

Watch the video 

Also: 

• Soccer's fastest player
• World Cup photos
• How to become a ref

Celebration takes painful turn for player

Gabriel Heinze inadvertently slams his head into a camera after Argentina scores a goal.

See his angry reaction 

Also: 

• Missed call hurts Mexico
• Expert's take on replay
• More on Argentina

Landon Donovan's next move

U.S. soccer star's possible next move

Landon Donovan is being targeted by one of the world's richest soccer teams, sources say.

'Significant interest' 

Also: 

• U.S. soccer salaries
• Bittersweet end for U.S.
• Fans react to loss

Non Sequitur

An offer you cannot refuse

 

The Pigeon Mafia has been looking for you

Robert Byrd dies at 92

Senator Robert Byrd dies at 92

The West Virginia Democrat set the record as the longest-serving senator in U.S. history.

Details 

Also: 

• Search: Robert Byrd
• Images from his life
• Analyzing his legacy

Best swimming holes in America

Best swimming holes in America

Beat the summer heat at spots like Redfish Lake, Peekamoose Blue Hole, and Sliding Rock. 

10 to dive into 

Also: 

• Vacation hot spots
• Scenic summer drives
• Weirdest U.S. sights

Alex head into the Gulf

From the "This could be nasty" Department:

Alex, first named Atlantic storm, moves into Gulf

Tropical Storm Alex moved into the Gulf of Mexico Sunday after weakening to a depression as it swirled across Belize and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, dumping rains that left at least four people dead across the region.

The Ancient Law Code Of Hammurabi

image

The Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest known examples of human laws being defined and written down in an orderly way. Little is known about Hammurabi himself; he ruled Babylon nearly four millennia ago, from roughly 1792-1750 B.C.

The Code of Hammurabi has 282 entries covering all sorts of civil interactions, from inheritance to theft to slave ownership. Some of the laws are general and others quite specific. The code's best-known dictum is 'If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out' - commonly quoted as 'An eye for an eye.'

B.C.

On The Job

On The Job

Glaring resumé gaps you can't gloss over

If you don't explain some career moves in the resumé itself, there won't be any interview. 

Employment gaps, etc. 

Also: 

• Trickiest interview queries
• Phrases that sink resumés
• Job search mistakes

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Presumed extinct Scientists rediscover an ancient fern on one of Britain's overseas territories Waterlily saved from extinction

Earth's gravity pictured in 'HD' The Goce satellite returns a remarkable high-definition view of how gravity varies across the Earth.

LHC smashes beam collision record The Large Hadron Collider doubles its rate of particle collisions, paving the way for a new phase of operation.

3D mission returns first pictures Germany's TanDEM-X satellite, sent into orbit to make the most precise 3D map of the Earth's surface, acquires its first images.

Ageing Brains Retain Knowledge

The human brain improves as it gets older in some functions, according to scientific research that suggests age really does confer wisdom. A study by researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York has found that long-term memory remains unaffected with age and a person's vocabulary, emotional intelligence and social skills may all get better.

Short-term memory, learning skills and the ability to reason do decline with age, the research shows, but not all mental faculties reach their peak when a person is in their 20s as is commonly believed.

Beds are burning

 

Midnight Oil