Health

(NEW YORK) — Tucked away from the main roads in Twentynine Palms, California, is a desert oasis. It’s at The Campbell House that the palm trees and greenery thrive amid the hot, unrelenting sun. It’s also where some 30 men have gathered for a weekend retreat.

The men come from different races, socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. They’ve joined the men’s group Evryman, to do what most of them have never done before: to open up and be vulnerable with themselves, and one another.

The retreat is intense, emotional, peer to peer work that’s aided by the Evryman facilitators. They’re there to help these men in their emotional journey; to tell them that it’s okay to feel anger, to feel shame and to cry.

For most of the day, the men are put into groups, varying in size. They are given prompts to ask each other things like, “When is a time something didn’t go your way?” and “How did it make you feel?”

Each man takes a turn answering the question. The other men in the group then analyze the responder’s emotion as he gives his answer. The purpose of this is to make these men feel seen and heard.

Kyle Somersall of Brooklyn, New York, is a soft-spoken 32-year-old man. He said he joined Evryman because it was an opportunity to better himself and to create stronger bonds with other men.

“I was pretty numb to my loneliness,” he told ABC News.

Somersall said that growing up, he wasn’t given the space to express himself.

“What I learned about what it means to be a man was really neglecting my emotions and feeling shame about crying or feeling shame about having emotions,” he said.

It’s precisely why Evryman co-founder Owen Marcus said he started the group.

“There’s an emotional pandemic of men just giving up and being lonely,” he told ABC News.

He hopes that men’s groups like his will help men realize that they are not alone.

“One of the things that these men get to do at these retreats, is they get to be in an emotionally safe space with other men, and whatever way they want…to allow themselves to feel what they have never felt before,” he said.

Throughout the weekend, guttural cries and screams echoed in the desert oasis.

One of those cries came from Scott Wright of Everett, Washington. He said it was important for him to come to this retreat because of patterns he wanted to change.

“These patterns cost me my first marriage. And my second marriage is nearly done because of that. And I just wanted to learn how to connect with myself better,” he said.

Somersall also had an emotional breakthrough.

“Stop!” he continuously yelled as he was being held by a group of men. His sobs eventually took over. They came from a place of pain.

“I was feeling a lot of emotion in my throat and in my heart. It was feeling neglected emotionally, just feeling really alone,” he said. “There is just a feeling of being broken feeling down and feeling unworthy of love.”

Somersall said the experience changed him.

“I’ve never fully let myself go in front of others in this capacity,” he said. “Being able to be held by a group of men and seen and understood by them and have it resonate for them as well- that felt really, really powerful.”

As the weekend drew to a close, a lot of these men seemed lighter, and more chipper than when we first met them. As the men prepared to leave the retreat, they hugged and expressed their love and gratitude for one another.

“I got even more than I expected. I was really able go deeper than I could have gone on my own and just release a ton of emotion,” Somersall said. “I feel closer to some of these people than I do with people that I’ve known for decades.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Heavy blankets of smoke billowing over the U.S. from the wildfires burning in Canada are threatening the health of millions of people — even non-vulnerable populations with no preexisting conditions.

But what about the smoke makes it so hazardous for humans to be around?

Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are microscopic solid or liquid droplets — often 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides — pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

But wildfires likely contain PM2.5 that is up to 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, according to a 2021 study conducted in California.

“The top offender here is these fine particles,” Dr. Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, told ABC News. “That size is really important because it can penetrate really deeply and wreak havoc on the body.”

PM2.5 is considered unhealthy for “Code Orange” and sensitive groups once the Air Quality Index surpasses 100, according to AirNow, a website that publishes air quality data. Once the AQI surpasses 150, it is considered “Code Red,” unhealthy for some members of the general public who may experience health effects, with sensitive groups experiencing more severe effects.

The AQI is at “Code Purple” once it surpasses 200, considered “very unhealthy” with increased health risk for all populations. “Code Maroon” is labeled as “hazardous” and a health warning for emergency conditions once the AQI reaches 300 and higher.

At Code Maroon, “everyone is more likely to be affected,” according to AirNow.

A “good” AQI is measured at 50 and below, and a “moderate” air quality index ranks between 51 and 100.

New York City shattered its record for the highest AQI since records began in 1999, measuring in at 413 on Wednesday afternoon.

Philadelphia ranked at 233 on Wednesday afternoon, while Washington, D.C., measured at 168 and Baltimore at 153, according to AirNow.

Because the particles are microscopic, they can easily enter the nose and throat and can travel to the lungs, with some of the smallest particles even circulating in the bloodstream, according to the EPA.

Inhaling toxic smoke and ash from wildfires could weaken the immune system and cause damage to the body, including the lungs and heart, for anyone regardless of their health status.

Exposure to concentrated amounts of PM2.5 can cause short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, and long-term effects such as worsening of conditions including asthma and heart disease, according to the EPA.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — It’s not just sensitive populations who are at risk in the current poor air quality conditions covering a large swath of the U.S. due to the wildfires burning in Canada.

Inhaling toxic smoke and ash from wildfires could weaken the immune system and cause damage to the body, including the lungs and heart, for anyone regardless of their health status.

Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, is 30 times smaller in diameter than a human hair and cannot be seen by the naked eye. Exposure to concentrated amounts of PM2.5 can cause both short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing; and shortness of breath, and long-term effects such as worsening of conditions such as asthma and heart disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Fine particles are able to enter the body through the eyes and lungs. Not everyone feels the same symptoms, and the pollution can exacerbate existing health issues, such as asthma and allergies, Peter DeCarlo, associate professor of environmental health and engineering, told ABC News.

Prolonged length of time and amount of exposure could lead to lung inflammation and impaired lung function that lasts long after the wildfire has ended. Studies have also shown a link between poor air quality and cardiovascular disease, including strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

The smoke — and fine particulate matter within it — has billowed south from more than 100 fires burning in Quebec, bringing hazy skies and dangerous conditions that could affect the health of millions of residents in much of the Northeast, Midwest and even as far south as Georgia and Alabama.

PM2.5 particles found in wildfires are 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity, a 2021 study conducted in California found.

Typically when air quality is poor, alerts are issued for sensitive groups, including very young children, the elderly, pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised or have pre-existing conditions. But there is currently so much particulate matter in the air that the air quality is deemed unhealthy for the entire population in affected areas.

“Breathing high levels of air pollution affects everyone but it affects some groups disproportionately,” DeCarlo said. “Like children with growing bodies and developing lungs, you definitely want to avoid their exposure — and elderly people, whose bodies are in decline.”

All populations should limit their time outdoors and limit exercise — even indoors, because the fine particulate matter is able to filter inside as well. If it is necessary to venture outside, everyone — especially vulnerable populations — should wear a mask, ideally an N95, health experts advise.

“Minimize exercise and any activity that makes you breathe harder,” DeCarlo said. “Obviously, the harder you breed the more air you’re you’re taking into your body with wildfire smoke to get in.”

Residents currently under air quality advisories should also run their air conditioner or air filters, if they have them, to filter out as many particles as possible, DeCarlo said. Make sure to keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent bringing additional smoke inside.

Leaving the area may also be advisable for vulnerable populations to avoid heavy smoke for a prolonged period of time, health experts say.

Those who have asthma or other lung diseases should follow their doctor’s directions about taking their medication and their management plans. Patients are also instructed to call their doctor should their symptoms worsen.

Lower socioeconomic neighborhoods are at a higher risk as well because they often do not have ability to get away from the smoke — for both financial and social reasons, Kimberly Humphrey, a climate change and human health fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told ABC News.

Climate change and the role warming temperatures is playing in lengthening the annual fire season will likely make wildfire smoke a more prominent public health concern in the near future, Dr. Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, told ABC News.

ABC News’ Mary Kekatos and Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Smoke from wildfires in Canada has spread across most of the U.S. Northeast, triggering air quality alerts in 13 states. The poor air quality extends as far south as the Carolinas.

Wildfire smoke and ash can irritate eyes, nose, throat and lungs, making you cough or wheeze and can make it hard to breathe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most effective way to protect yourself during wildfire emergencies is to stay indoors or limit time outdoors when there is smoke in the air, according to the CDC. This is especially important for those with heart or lung conditions who are at higher risk for adverse health effects.

“People who are most at risk are [the] elderly, immunocompromised, young children and people who already have respiratory problems, people with asthma and things like that,” said Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a member of ABC News’ Medical Unit.

Kids with asthma should avoid playing outside and going to playgrounds until the air quality improves, Widmer said. It is best to stay inside and wear masks in the meantime.

If you can, try to avoid exercising outdoors until the air quality improves, especially those with underlying lung disease.

“People with asthma and people who already have lung disease or underlying lung problems, it can exacerbate that, it can irritate that. And if the air quality is bad enough, it can even cause some symptoms of feeling unwell and respiratory symptoms in people who are healthy,” Widmer said.

“Some people are more vulnerable than others, some people can be outside for longer than others. Try to limit your time outside as best as you can and if you can’t and if you’re not sure how long you’d be outside, throw on a mask,” Widmer said.

Pregnant people should also try to avoid spending time outdoors, especially those who are further along, Widmer said.

“A lot of times, very pregnant people are carrying almost a large weight that sometimes can compromise their respiratory ability. And sometimes they feel short of breath at baseline. So very poor air quality could worsen that,” Widmer said.

You should wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, fits tightly to your face and can filter out smoke or ash particles before you breathe them in, according to the CDC. N95 or P100 masks can help protect your lungs from smoke or ash.

Those spending extensive time outdoors in smoky air or an ash-covered area should use a tight-fitting N95 or P100 mask to reduce exposure. Make sure the mask fits over your nose, under your chin and seals tightly to your face. Any leakage around your face will cause unfiltered air to enter and be inhaled, according to the CDC.

Because the particles are so small, Widmer said P100 masks may be more effective in filtering out the smoke particles. But an N95 mask is also a good option.

Wearing a mask while it is hot outside or you are physically active can increase the risk of heat-related illness. Make sure to take breaks often and drink water, according to the CDC.

When inside your house, choose a room closed off from outside air. You could set up a portable air cleaner or a filter to keep the air in this room clean even when it’s smoky in the rest of the building and outdoors, according to the CDC.

Keep an eye out for any signs of illness in pets too, including trouble breathing, fatigue, coughing or gagging, red or watery eyes, nasal discharge, inflammation of throat or mouth or reluctance to eat hard foods. Call your veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms develop.

The CDC advises people avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products or vacuum.

Be on the lookout for coughing, wheezing, general shortness of breath and a general sense of not feeling well, Widmer said.

“If you don’t feel right, call your doctor,” Widmer said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A beauty influencer and new mother remains in a coma a week after she suffered a brain aneurysm while nine months pregnant, spotlighting the potential risk of stroke during pregnancy.

Jackie Miller James simultaneously underwent an emergency C-section and brain surgery last week after suffering an aneurysm rupture, which led to severe brain bleeding and injury, ABC News confirmed with a spokesperson for her family. Since the rupture, James has undergone five brain surgeries since being put in a medically induced coma, according to a GoFundMe set up by her family on May 30. However, her newborn baby has just recently been released from the NICU, according to an Instagram posted by James’ sister.

“If Jackie and the baby arrived a few minutes later at the hospital, we likely would have lost both of them,” the GoFundMe said. “But instead, Jackie is continuing to fight for her life each day and we are optimistic she can beat the odds by surrounding her with the right specialists and methods of therapy.”

James, who is based in California, posts skin care and beauty tips to more than 63,000 followers on Instagram and over 4,000 followers on TikTok. In one recent video, she documented the different stages of her pregnancy.

Through a spokesperson, James’ family told ABC News that they think James will be in the hospital for months but are committed to bringing both James and her daughter home.

ABC News’ Good Morning America medical contributor and stroke specialist Dr. Leah Croll said strokes are uncommon during pregnancy but being pregnant does put a woman at higher risk for stroke, especially those with high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and blood clots.

“Pregnant women are three times as likely to have a stroke compared to non-pregnant women,” Croll told Good Morning America. “So pregnancy and the postpartum period are a higher risk time in a woman’s life in a lot of ways. And one of those ways is for her cardiovascular system.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of stroke can come suddenly and can include numbness, weakness especially on one side of the body, trouble speaking, walking or seeing, or a severe headache. Doctors said if someone is experiencing these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Croll said that for those who are pregnant, it’s important to be an advocate for their health care, as well as remain vigilant of worrisome symptoms.

“I think the bottom line here is for pregnant women to make sure that they’re keeping their doctors, their obstetricians in the loop about their personal medical history, their family history,” she said. “And keeping them up to date with any new or worrisome symptoms they might be experiencing.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Dr. Jennifer Ashton is a board-certified OBGYN and obesity medicine specialist who has worked with thousands of female patients over her decades-long career.

Ashton, also ABC News’ chief medical correspondent, said she had a “lightbulb moment” 10 years ago when she was working one-on-one with a patient.

“In fact, I had the lightbulb moment,” Ashton told ABC’s Good Morning America. “It was at that time that I realized that pretty much every significant hormonal stage in a woman’s life is associated with metabolic, or weight, changes.”

The realization pushed Ashton to go back to school to earn a degree in nutrition and become board-certified in obesity medicine.

It also transformed the way she practices medicine, she said, explaining that it taught her that patients struggling with their weight weren’t just eating too much or the wrong types of foods.

Ashton said she likes to talk about the connection between hormones and weight in order to normalize weight changes women see naturally throughout their lives.

“For a woman’s reproductive life, her entire life, actually, every single major hormonal stage is often-slash-almost always associated with changes in metabolism, cravings and actually bodyweight,” Ashton said, noting that the hormonal stages for women include puberty, peripregnancy, peripartum, perimenopause and menopause.

“The first thing that I like to remind people of is recognize, appreciate, acknowledge and normalize these changes. That is your body doing what it is supposed to do,” Ashton continued. “The key is, how can you help it and how can you strategize your way through these normal and important hormonal milestones so that you come out feeling good about the way that you look and feel and, more importantly, that you come out of them healthy.”

While women may notice weight fluctuations as they go through life changes like puberty and menopause, unfortunately for women, there is still little medical research in the field, according to Ashton.

“That’s where it gets a little frustrating,” Ashton said. “A lot of what we know is based on observation and association, and then safe trial-and-error, which I encourage women to do.”

Ashton wrote about the connection between women’s hormonal changes and their weight in her new magazine, Better With Dr. Jen Ashton, which is available now online and in newsstands across the country.

Ashton said she wants women to understand what their body is going through hormonally at each stage, so they can work appropriately to support those changes and not get frustrated.

“If you’ve just had a baby, or you’re thinking of becoming pregnant, or you know someone who is about to go through puberty or going through puberty, or if you or someone you know is perimenopausal or menopausal, that’s not a separate issue to your weight, to your metabolism, to the way you eat,” Ashton said. “Connecting the dots on those two is really going to help people get through these periods of time without kind of feeling like they’re a dog chasing its tail.”

Here are Ashton’s three tips to help women navigate hormonal changes in their lives:

1. Be observant of changes to your body, appetite and cravings.

Ashton said to pay attention to any changes in your appetite, your cravings for certain foods and your weight, and to see if those correspond to different stages in life, like certain times of a menstrual cycle or perimenopause, the time when ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen.

“At this time, weight gain is incredibly common,” Ashton said of perimenopause, which usually hits women in their 40s. “Typically, it’s midsection, midtorso weight gain that occurs despite a woman not changing what she’s eating or how she’s moving.”

2. Use trial and error to see what works.

“If you’ve noticed a change in your weight or your appetite, I recommend that you can try things, but give them one to two weeks at minimum to see how do you feel in terms of your energy level, your hunger, your satiety, and then your weight,” Ashton said, noting that the number on a scale is just one measure.

Ashton said another part of trial and error is testing whether certain foods make your symptoms better or worse. For example, she said that science shows carbohydrates help women during their menstrual cycle, but not all carbs are created equal.

“Just be aware there are carbs that are probably better for those cravings than others when it comes to retaining water and gaining weight,” Ashton said. “And also remember that some carbs … tend to be calorie-rich, nutrient-poor, so proceed with caution when reaching for that, especially if it’s to address a craving.”

3. Know that no specific food is ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’

“There is no conclusive, good peer-reviewed nutritional science or medical science data that suggests or confirms that if you eat one thing, you will have a definite hormonal effect on the other side of the equation,” Ashton said of the medical research to date.

Ashton said the lack of data points women back to the trial-and-error method to see what works for them.

She pointed out as an example, that some research has shown that a plant-based diet can have a “plethora of benefits” for women in perimenopause and menopause. With that information, women can decide the risk versus benefit of trying for themselves.

“You always have to ask yourself risk versus benefit,” Ashton said. “What is the downside of eating, let’s say for example, a largely plant-based, low-processed food diet. Really, no downside. Is there a potential upside on getting you through these major hormonal stages in life, absolutely.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — For Eshanka Jayasinghe, or Eshi Jay, unwanted body hair negatively affected her self-esteem for years, so she decided to undergo laser hair removal treatments.

But the procedure left the YouTuber’s body in a worse state, she said, with scarring and damage from her neck down to her arms. Jay told “Nightline” that the damage was so bad she canceled her wedding plans, has to constantly put on sunscreen because her skin is now more sensitive to the sun and had to cover up her body to hide the scars.

“I mean, it was like 70-degree weather and I was wearing long-sleeved shirts,” she said.

Jay isn’t alone and dermatologists warn that some patients, particularly those with darker skin tones, are at a greater risk of getting burned by improperly trained laser technicians because of the increased melanin in their skin.

“There are a lot of people that will discount coupon their health and go to laser clinics that are staffed by people that learned how to use the laser the day before and burns happen,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jeanine Downie told “Nightline.” “These machines are strong and they can do permanent damage and cause permanent scarring when in the wrong individual’s hands.”

Over the last few decades, experts said laser hair removal services have been on the boom as more people are looking to shed their unwanted hair.

It’s estimated about a million people get laser hair removal annually, and the industry rakes in around $300 million a year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Downie believes that high demand for this hot venture has driven people to the industry who don’t have proper training or having medical knowledge about risks to darker skin. Additionally, some people may not be using the right equipment, Downie noted.

“There are many people that share lasers and they’re bounced around improperly on the backs of trucks,” she said.

Early lasers in the 1990s were made for lighter skin tones, Downie said, but she added there are now specific lasers for all skin tones including darker shades. She stressed that those machines need to be properly matched with the patients.

“In some cases, estheticians or laser people, not even necessarily doctors, they will use a laser that’s only intended for very light white skin, and use it on somebody that’s my skin tone or darker than me and burn them because there’s an increase in melanin,” she said.

Some laser hair removal specialists said they are working hard to counter this deep-seated issue and provide their darker-skinned patients with the proper care.

Keisha Wagner-Gaymon, a board-certified Nurse Practitioner and the owner of PeachFuzz Laser Studio in Brooklyn, told “Nightline” that she focuses on getting people with darker skin closer to their hair removal goals.

When done correctly, laser hair removal can provide life-changing positive results, Wagner-Gaymon added.

Wagner-Gaymon said she suffered burns from a laser procedure herself and knows all too well how far an improper laser removal can go.

“It really isn’t one size fits all, because dark skin can come in a variety of shades,” she said.

Downie said that patients need to be mindful of the nuances in the procedure and, more importantly, providers need to be clear about the physical and mental health challenges that can come from botched laser hair removal services.

Jay said the owner of the laser removal center she visited never warned her that the procedure shouldn’t be done on people who had a lot of recent sun exposure.

During her first few treatments, Jay said everything was going as expected, until one session when she broke out into hives.

“I told her, ‘Hey, is this normal?’ I like pointed at it. She was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s fine. Let’s keep going to the other arm,'” Jay recalled.

Jay said that the owner later asked about Jay’s tanning and exposure to the sun while on vacation the week before her treatment session.

Jay said she ended up downplaying would downplay the pain, thinking it was all in her head.

Still, she said she felt uneasy when others, including her now-husband, looked at her skin and were noticeably shocked.

Now after two years of recovery, Jay said she is doing better, but still has to take precautions while out in the sun.

“It sounds so bizarre, but like the privilege to be out in the sun and on the beach and not super worried for my health,” she said.

Jay encouraged other people who are considering laser hair removal to speak up for themselves and push their provider to be as clear and open about the risks involved.

“I think that one of the first things that I came to in that moment was blaming myself, when I was the one in excruciating pain,” she said. “I think a lot of people, especially women, women of color, feel that we shouldn’t be taking up space.

ABC News’ Lena Jakobsson and Patricia Guerra contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Parents were advised Tuesday to stop using recalled newborn loungers from The Boppy Company that have been linked to at least 10 infant deaths.

According to The Boppy Company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which issued a news release Tuesday, the newborn loungers may cause infants to “suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that obstructs breathing, or roll off the lounger onto an external surface, such as an adult pillow.”

The products were first recalled two years ago and impacted by the September 2021 recall include Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers, and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers.

Although the newborn loungers can no longer be sold legally, the CPSC noted that the recalled products have still been available online through social media sites such as Facebook Marketplace.

“It is unlawful to offer for sale a CPSC recalled product on an online marketplace or to sell or donate a recalled product in any other manner,” the federal agency said in its statement.

There have been at least eight infant deaths from a Boppy newborn lounger between December 2015 and June 2020, according to The Boppy Company. But after the 2021 recall, the CPSC said at least two more infants died after they were placed in Boppy newborn loungers.

“One death occurred in October 2021. In the incident, an infant was reportedly placed on the lounger for sleep and then rolled underneath a nearby adult pillow. The cause of death was positional asphyxia. In November 2021, an infant was placed on a Newborn Lounger in an adult bed with a parent and soft bedding and was later found deceased on the lounger. The cause of death was undetermined,” the CPSC said.

Both the CPSC and Boppy said anyone with Boppy newborn loungers should stop using the products immediately. Customers can request instructions on how to dispose of a recalled lounger and ask for a refund from The Boppy Company through their website.

To contact The Boppy Company, customers can call 800-416-1355 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on weekdays.

The CPSC also reminded parents to set up a safe sleep environment for children, which includes a firm and flat surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard for babies. Babies should always be placed on their backs for sleeping and soft items like blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers “should never” be added to an infant’s sleeping area, the CPSC added.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ATHENS, Ga.) — Some cats battling kidney disease are getting a second chance at life, thanks to a pioneering kidney transplant program at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Chad Schmiedt leads the initiative and is one of only a handful of surgeons who performs the procedure around the world.

“One particular thing about cats is that they are so good at hiding their disease. So, a lot of times, cats won’t start showing signs of illness and owners won’t pick up on signs of illness until it’s quite advanced,” Schmiedt told ABC News Live. “And so that’s one challenge we face in these animals, is trying to work with those very sick animals.”

It’s a type of advanced veterinary care growing in demand as pet ownership has surged over the last 30 years. As of 2023, 66% of U.S. households — 86.9 million homes — own a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association’s [APPA] annual survey. Millennials make up the largest percentage of current pet owners at 33%.

Around three-quarters of cat owners said they considered their pets to be a member of the family, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2018 and 2022 report on U.S. pet ownership, and that could lead to increased expenses for their care. Just last year, Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets, the APPA survey said.

“It’s considered absolutely normal behavior for people to love their animals, spend whatever it takes to fix their animals when they get sick. You have to go back to the fact that for many people, these animals are like their kids,” said Dr. James A. Serpell, professor of ethics and animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

That was the case five years ago for Franklin, Tennessee, resident Greg Norwicki, whose beloved cat Tucker was diagnosed with kidney failure after routine blood work showed slightly elevated creatinine and blood urea nitrogen – indicators for kidney disease. Tucker’s levels continued to rise over the following months, then Norwicki learned Tucker may be a candidate for a kidney transplant.

The transplant was a success, and Tucker is still alive — and thriving.

“We don’t realize how sick our animals are until you see an animal bounce back,” Norwicki said.

At the University of Georgia, the surgery costs around $20,000 for both the recipient and donor cat, Schmiedt said. There are also recurrent costs — it’s estimated owners can expect to spend anywhere between $1,500 to $4,000 per year on medication, tests and veterinary visits.

Donor cats come from a variety of places, including other cats owned by the family of the recipient. The donor cats are always adopted by the family of the recipient, Schmiedt said.

“To the best of our knowledge, they go on and live a normal life,” Schmiedt said.

Still, some have raised ethical concerns about the program, arguing that unlike humans, cats can’t give consent to have their organs donated.

“Those donor cats don’t come along and say, ‘Yes, please take my kidney.’ The argument that is used is that most of those donor cats are coming from shelters. They might not have found a home. They might have been euthanized in the shelter. So donating a kidney to another cat is preferable to that, especially if the recipient household of that new kidney is willing to adopt the donor,” Serpell said.

In Norwicki’s case, Charlie, the donor cat for Tucker, was previously used for research and was adopted by the family after the procedure.

“So as I say, you know, we saved [Charlie’s] life, too,” Norwicki said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Wildfires across the United States and Canada — fueled by record heat and dry conditions — could severely impact the health of millions of people.

Smoke from wildfires in several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, led to air quality alerts throughout several states in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Additionally, fires in Michigan and New Jersey have created dense fog and heavy smoke.

Inhaling toxic smoke and ash from wildfires could cause damage to the body — including the lungs and heart — and even weaken our immune systems, experts said.

“Wildfire smoke itself is quite a complex mixture and it’s made up of fine particles … and a number of other gases, which are toxic, mainly due to the fact that wildfires burn everything so more toxic than household fires because everything has been burned,” Dr. Kimberly Humphrey, a climate change and human health fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told ABC News.

Fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, which is 30 times smaller in diameter than a human hair, is of particular concern.

Because these particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye, they can easily enter the nose and throat and can travel to the lungs, with some of the smallest particles even circulating in the bloodstream, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The top offender here is these fine particles,” Dr. Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, told ABC News. “That size is really important because can penetrate really deeply and wreak havoc on the body.”

PM2.5 can cause both short-term health effects, even for healthy people, including irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing; and shortness of breath and long-term effects such as worsening of conditions such as asthma and heart disease.

This is especially concerning for vulnerable groups including children, pregnant people, older adults and those who are immunocompromised or having pre-existing conditions.

“Lower socioeconomic neighborhoods are at a higher risk as well,” Humphrey said. “Often they don’t have the ability for financial reasons, predominantly, and also social reasons to get away from wildfire smoke, they may not be able to shelter inside, they may not be able to afford the equipment to protect their lungs from the smoke.”

Not all PM2.5 particles are the same. One study from California in 2021 found that those from wildfires can be up to 10 times more harmful than the same type of air pollution coming from combustion activity.

Being exposed to smoke can cause lung inflammation and could make it harder to remove inhaled foreign materials and bacteria, potentially increasing the susceptibility to respiratory infections, including COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Depending upon the length and amount of exposure, prolonged lung inflammation could result in impaired lung function that lasts long after the wildfire has ended.

Additionally, studies have shown a link between poor air quality — which these fires have caused — and cardiovascular disease, including strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

Because of climate change, there will not only be more record-setting wildfires but also more people at risk of inhaling toxic smoke as well, the experts said.

“It’s clear that the climate change problem is essentially creating conditions that make the fire problem and the smoke problem worse,” Limaye said. “So, we’re talking about, hotter days, longer wildfire, seasons, drier conditions, spring snowmelt that essentially, put more wildfire fuel in play earlier — all these kinds of converging factors.”

He added, “And I think it’s reasonable to expect that wildfire smoke is going to grow as a public health concern in the coming years.”

Humphrey recommends that people stay aware of their local air quality and, if it reaches unhealthy levels, to wear a mask, ideally an N95.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.