(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration approved the first birth control pill in the United States that can be sold without a prescription Thursday.
The progestin-only pill, called Opill, is made by French drugmaker HRA Pharma and its parent company Perrigo and the approval is a first-of-its-kind move by federal regulators.
It comes after an independent advisory panel agreed this spring that the drug was safe for most patients. Doctors say progestin-only pills, also known as the “mini pill,” pose fewer medical risks than combination pills that rely on estrogen.
“Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States,” said Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement. “When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.”
One concern raised by FDA advisers had been whether consumers, particularly young teens, will adequately screen themselves for potential medical risks.
But FDA advisers agreed those risks were minimal compared to the significant benefits in removing hurdles to prevent unwanted pregnancies, particularly for younger women or those facing financial or child care constraints.
More than a dozen states have already passed laws expanding access to hormonal birth control by allowing pharmacists to dispense the drugs themselves or rely on a standing order from a doctor.
(NEW YORK) — During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most misunderstood complications children were experiencing was MIS-C.
MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, is a condition in which different body parts can become inflamed — such as the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys — and is often seen in children after they are diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over the course of the pandemic, there have been 9,499 reported cases of MIS-C and 79 deaths, CDC data shows. Cases especially skyrocketed during the first year of the pandemic.
Since then, however, MIS-C cases have dropped dramatically and have almost disappeared entirely. Experts told ABC News they are not sure why this is but there are probably multiple reasons, including more children being immune to COVID-19, as well as newer variants causing less severe complications.
“It is definitely a medical mystery,” Dr. Elizabeth Schlaudecker, medical director of Cincinnati Children’s division of infectious diseases, told ABC News. “We haven’t figured it out yet. We’re still working on it.”
What is MIS-C and how is it treated?
MIS-C is an inflammatory condition that is caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically occurs between two to six weeks after infection and presents a combination of symptoms, including inflammation of various parts of the body along with gastrointestinal symptoms, rash and fever.
Doctors are unclear about what causes some children to develop MIS-C but believe it may involve a genetic predisposition for inflammation in response to respiratory diseases.
Most children with MIS-C end up hospitalized and, if they are sick enough, can spend time in intensive care units.
“It’s reassuring that for the most part kids do much, much better than adults when it comes to SARS-CoV-2 infection,” Dr. Samuel Dominguez, associate professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado, told ABC News. “But there are a subset of kids who can have serious disease related to SARS-CoV-2, and probably the most severe for that is MIS-C.”
“These kids are gonna be very sick. Half of the kids that we saw ended up in our ICU and so I think that’s an important point that MIS-C definitely is not a benign disease,” Dr. Dominguez added.
There are several treatments for MIS-C including anti-inflammatory medications, as well as intravenous immunoglobulin, a therapy made up of antibodies to help fight infections and reduce inflammation.
Why MIS-C cases have gone up and down
During the first two years of the pandemic, doctors said cases of MIS-C were rising rapidly around the country. During the week of Jan. 21, 2021, there were 261 diagnosed MIS-C cases, CDC data shows.
As of the week ending Feb. 15, 2023 — the latest period for which data is available — there were just 10 cases across the U.S.
“We had a protocol and an algorithm that we followed at our hospital, like many other hospitals, and if there was concern that a patient had MIS-C, back in the early days from 2020 through 2021, we would get a phone call on our infectious disease service,” said Dr. Schlaudecker.
“And we were receiving many phone calls a week evaluating children’s MIS-C and treating children for MIS-C,” Dr. Schlaudecker continued. “And now, it’s almost unheard of. I can’t remember the last time we got a call with any concerns for of MIS-C. So, that’s really good news.”
Experts told ABC News that a combination of immunity from infection and vaccination has probably lowered the MIS-C risk among children.
“The majority of children at this point in the United States have some immunity to COVID-19,” Dr. Schlaudecker said. “Many have been infected and others have been vaccinated, and some have been infected and vaccinated and are therefore immune. So, I’m imagining that that has something to do with it.”
CDC data shows an estimated 91.9% of Americans between ages 6 months and 17 years have antibodies due to previous COVID-19 infection. From infection and vaccination, the percentage increases to 96.3%.
As of May 10, 61.8% of those aged 12 to 17 have completed a primary series of vaccinations in addition to 32.9% of those aged 5 to 11, 6.1% of those aged 2 to 4, and 4.7% of those under age 2, according to CDC data. No age group has surpassed 10% vaccinated when it comes to completing an updated bivalent booster.
Additionally, experts said the COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the U.S. may be causing less severe disease than the variants that were more prevalent in the earlier months of the pandemic.
“The delta variant surged in the summer of 2021 and continued into the early fall of 2021, [and] clearly contributed to more MIS-C cases than we saw with any other variants,” Dr. James Versalovic, pathologist-in-chief and chair of Texas Children’s Hospital’s department of pathology, told ABC News. “Many of us are convinced that there’s something regarding the immunogenicity, or the way the human immune system responded to different variants, that put more children at risk for MIS-C with the delta variant than we saw before the delta variant and since the delta variant waned in late 2021.”
He added that even though the omicron variant led to the biggest surge of cases seen in the United States since the pandemic began, it didn’t translate into more MIS-C cases.
“At our peak at this hospital we were seeing up to two to three cases per day in 2021 with delta and MIS-C,” Dr. Versalovic said. “With omicron, it was really never more than one case per day and often times it will be several days between a single case of MIS-C.”
“What we’ve seen is, as the omicron subvariants have shifted, we’ve even seen cases drop even further and now, it may be three or four months between cases, and we’ve seen little to no MIS-C in 2023,” he continued.
Vaccination is the best form of protection
However, the doctors who spoke with ABC News warned that just because MIS-C cases have dropped noticeably doesn’t mean that the threat is gone. Another highly infectious subvariant could lead to a surge in cases.
“Parents need to continue to remain vigilant…and we continue to strongly recommend bivalent COVID vaccine for children six months of age and above,” Dr. Versalovic said.
He also recommended that parents consider other interventions, including masking in places such as airplanes, to lower the risk of COVID-19.
Ultimately, it’s also important to recognize the signs of MIS-C and to seek medical care if necessary.
“If kids have prolonged fever, or with sort of any of these other symptoms – severe abdominal pain, red eyes, rash, red lips – those would be indications to seek medical attention to try to find out what’s going on,” Dr. Dominguez said.
(NEW YORK) — Twin sisters who were born conjoined at the abdomen are now home, one month after a successful surgery to separate them.
Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller were discharged on Tuesday from Texas Children’s Hospital, where they had been cared for in the neo-natal intensive care unit since their birth in March.
“It’s hard to explain in words exactly how excited we are,” the twins’ dad Jesse Fuller said in a video shared by Texas Children’s Hospital. “It’s been 134 days, so the feelings are overwhelming.”
The twins’ mom Sandy Fuller said she was “completely shocked” when she found out she was pregnant with twins. She described it as a “hard and difficult” time when she and her husband found out their twin daughters were conjoined.
“[When] we found out they were conjoined, it was hard and difficult, but we trusted that God was going to work in the entire journey, so it was OK,” she said.
Sandy Fuller gave birth to Ella and Eliza on March 1 at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. The girls each weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces at birth.
In addition to sharing an abdomen, the sisters also shared liver tissues, according to the hospital.
As Ella and Eliza spent the next three months being cared for in the NICU, a team of 17 medical professionals, including seven surgeons and four anesthesiologists, prepared for their complex separation surgery.
“Our team began planning and preparing for this operation before these babies were even born,” Dr. Alice King, the lead surgeon on the operation and a pediatric surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital, said in a statement. “From conducting simulations of the procedure, to collaborating extensively with our colleagues in anesthesiology, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology and radiology, we have all been working together to achieve one common goal: the best outcome for Ella and Eliza.”
On June 14, Ella and Eliza were separated in a surgery that lasted around six hours, according to the hospital.
Three days after the surgery, Sandy and Jesse Fuller, who are also parents to an older daughter, were able to hold Ella and Eliza separately for the first time.
“I think you can look at them and just see God’s goodness and how kind he’s been to us, because they’re true miracles since day one,” said Sandy Fuller.
Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The Fullers said the only way so far to tell their daughters’ apart is by a “small flat spot” that Ella has on one ear.
They added that even with all they’ve been through, they’ve also seen their daughters grow their own personalities over their first six months of life.
“We say Ella is just sassy with a little bit of drama,” said Sandy Fuller. “Eliza is just more laid-back, goes with the flow. But they’re both such sweet, happy babies”
The twins will continue their recovery at home. Doctors expect them to make a full recovery.
“I know it’s going to be another chaotic moment once we get home, but we’re excited about that chaotic moment,” Jesse Fuller said. “I’m kind of bracing myself because I know it’s going to be a wild house pretty soon, but I’m excited.”
(NEW YORK) — Regulators in Europe have launched a review after three people in Iceland experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm after taking popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Saxenda.
The review is being led by the European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee out of an abundance of caution.
The agency said Tuesday that its review will conclude by November 2023, and has expanded to review 150 cases.
At this point, it’s not clear if people experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm due to an underlying mental health condition, or whether these thoughts were related to starting drugs like Ozempic and Saxenda, which are called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
“The presence of a signal does not necessarily mean that a medicine caused the adverse event in question,” the agency said in a statement.
Still, experts say it important for regulators to diligently review any new possible health concern related to approved drugs.
Suicide is not currently listed as a side effect of Ozempic, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug label. That means it is not a safety problem that emerged during the large clinical trials that were done to test for safety and effectiveness.
Ozempic, Saxenda and others are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help people produce insulin and lower the amount of sugar in the blood.
The drugs, made from a compound called semaglutide, work by slowing down movement of food through the stomach and curbing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Ozempic was approved by the FDA in 2017 to treat Type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe it “off-label” for weight loss.
Saxenda and another drug, Wegovy, are both FDA approved for weight loss for people with obesity or who are overweight.
These drugs have not previously been associated with thoughts of self-harm.
However, prior weight loss medications have been associated with thoughts of self-harm. For that reason, Wegovy and Saxenda are not recommended for people with have previously had suicidal thoughts.
Known side effects of the drugs can include severe nausea and constipation.
Saxenda, Wegovy and Ozempic are all made by Novo Nordisk.
The pharmaceutical company told ABC News in a statement that it is “continuously performing surveillance” of the data and real-world uses of the drugs to ensure patient safety.
“Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously. GLP-1 receptor agonists have been used to treat type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years and for treatment of obesity for 8 years, including Novo Nordisk products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 10 years,” Novo Nordisk said in a statement. “In the US, FDA requires medications for chronic weight management that work on the central nervous system, including Wegovy® and Saxenda®, to carry a warning about suicidal behavior and ideation. This event had been reported in clinical trials with other weight management products.”
“Novo Nordisk is continuously performing surveillance of the data from ongoing clinical trials and real-world use of its products and collaborates closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety and adequate information to healthcare professionals,” the statement continued. “Novo Nordisk remains confident in the benefit risk profile of the products and remains committed to ensuring patient safety.”
The FDA also told ABC News it “routinely evaluates” approved drugs for safety.
The agency has so far not followed its European counterparts in announcing a review of GLP-1 RAs.
“The FDA routinely evaluates individual adverse event reports and adverse event reports from the published literature for all approved drugs,” the FDA said in a statement. “As a general matter, the FDA does not comment on third-party research or individual reports but may evaluate these as part of the body of evidence to further our understanding about a particular issue and assist in our mission to protect public health.”
“Clinical trials of Wegovy did not support an increased risk of suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, or other psychiatric adverse events with Wegovy; however, suicidal behavior and ideation have been reported in clinical trials of other weight management drugs. For this reason, the US prescribing information for Wegovy contains a Warning and Precaution for suicidal behavior and ideation,” the statement continued. “The FDA monitors the safety of a drug throughout its life cycle, including post-approval. In addition, the FDA maintains a system of postmarketing surveillance and risk assessment programs and if newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine what actions are appropriate after a thorough review of the body of evidence.”
Doctors say anyone experiencing thoughts of self-harm for any reason should quickly reach out to a professional.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide — free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.
(NEW YORK) — The month of July has seen the highest number of unintentional drowning deaths since 2018, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Provisional data shows that nearly 800 people died in 2022 from an accidental drowning. According to the CDC, in 2020, during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, it topped 839 accidental drownings. The U.S. sees over 4,000 deaths from drownings each year.
Drowning is also the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 and the second leading cause of death for kids between 5 and 14, according to the CDC.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in late June encouraging both parents and doctors to prioritize water safety, especially during the summer months when more families head to swimming pools, beaches and lakes.
“We have to look at swimming as a basic life skill, like learning to read. Because it is,” pediatrician Dr. Andrew Kiragu said in the statement. “Swimming is a skill that can save your life or the life of your child. It’s something everyone needs to learn.”
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 2005, is dedicated to lowering the number of drownings and promoting water safety. Adam Katchmarchi, the group’s executive director, previously shared with ABC News’ Good Morning America the organization’s recommendations for staying safe near water.
“Oftentimes, parents think that they will see something or hear something when their child is drowning, and unfortunately, it’s very silent and very quick,” Katchmarchi said. “We recommend parents practice five simple layers of protection they can do to keep their child safe around the water.”
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance recommends these top five water safety tips:
Install and use alarms and fences
Barriers like proper fencing and alarms can “help restrict access to water and provide notification when someone enters the area where the water body is, such as a backyard pool,” Katchmarchi said.
Actively supervise swimmers and water activities
Katchmarchi emphasized the importance of active monitoring while swimming or recreating near water.
“We recommend that supervising adults do three things. We call them the three C’s: They are competent, capable and constant, so that they are capable of making a rescue and that supervision is constant at all times,” Katchmarchi said.
He added, “Part of the supervision element is … making sure that you can actively supervise your child anytime they’re around or in the water, and one of those ways is to make sure that they have a bright colored swimsuit.”
Learn how to swim
“We also recommend swimming lessons, making sure a child — and even adults — are water competent and have basic survival skills in the water,” Katchmarchi said.
Use life jackets
In addition, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance urges the use of U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets in, near or around bodies of water and while boating.
“Life jackets should be sized appropriately for the wearer. When other layers of protection may break down, life jackets can help prevent unintentional drowning,” the organization states on its website.
Prepare for any emergencies
“No one intends for these incidents to happen, but [by] taking simple steps, we can reduce the risk,” Katchmarchi said.
He added that, oftentimes, the difference between life and death is “only a few seconds,” and ensuring parents are able to “recognize that situation and provide care appropriately” is crucial.
Emergency preparedness also includes calling 911 if the situation calls for it, learning and practicing CPR, and learning how to use water safety and rescue equipment.
(NEW YORK) — Regulators in Europe have launched a review after three people in Iceland experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm after taking popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Saxenda.
The review is being led by the European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee out of an abundance of caution.
At this point, it’s not clear if the three people in Iceland experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm due to an underlying mental health condition, or whether these thoughts were related to starting drugs like Ozempic and Saxenda, which are called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
“There is a ‘background rate’ of suicidality that, of course, can then include people taking any drug,” said ABC Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton. “When more people take GLP1 agonists, there will therefore be crossover to some of those people exhibiting suicidality. As we always say, observation [does not mean] causality.”
Still, experts say it important for regulators to diligently review any new possible health concern related to approved drugs.
Suicide is not currently listed as a side effect of Ozempic, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug label. That means it is not a safety problem that emerged during the large clinical trials that were done to test for safety and effectiveness.
Ozempic, Saxenda and others are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help people produce insulin and lower the amount of sugar in the blood.
The drugs, made from a compound called semaglutide, work by slowing down movement of food through the stomach and curbing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Ozempic was approved by the FDA in 2017 to treat Type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe it “off-label” for weight loss.
Saxenda and another drug, Wegovy, are both FDA approved for weight loss for people with obesity or who are overweight.
These drugs have not previously been associated with thoughts of self-harm.
However, prior weight loss medications have been associated with thoughts of self-harm. For that reason, Wegovy and Saxenda are not recommended for people with have previously had suicidal thoughts.
Known side effects of the drugs can include severe nausea and constipation.
Saxenda, Wegovy and Ozempic are all made by Novo Nordisk.
The pharmaceutical company told ABC News in a statement that it is “continuously performing surveillance” of the data and real-world uses of the drugs to ensure patient safety.
“Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously. GLP-1 receptor agonists have been used to treat type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years and for treatment of obesity for 8 years, including Novo Nordisk products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 10 years,” Novo Nordisk said in a statement. “In the US, FDA requires medications for chronic weight management that work on the central nervous system, including Wegovy® and Saxenda®, to carry a warning about suicidal behavior and ideation. This event had been reported in clinical trials with other weight management products.”
“Novo Nordisk is continuously performing surveillance of the data from ongoing clinical trials and real-world use of its products and collaborates closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety and adequate information to healthcare professionals,” the statement continued. “Novo Nordisk remains confident in the benefit risk profile of the products and remains committed to ensuring patient safety.”
The FDA also told ABC News it “routinely evaluates” approved drugs for safety.
The agency has so far not followed its European counterparts in announcing a review of GLP-1 RAs.
“The FDA routinely evaluates individual adverse event reports and adverse event reports from the published literature for all approved drugs,” the FDA said in a statement. “As a general matter, the FDA does not comment on third-party research or individual reports but may evaluate these as part of the body of evidence to further our understanding about a particular issue and assist in our mission to protect public health.”
“Clinical trials of Wegovy did not support an increased risk of suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, or other psychiatric adverse events with Wegovy; however, suicidal behavior and ideation have been reported in clinical trials of other weight management drugs. For this reason, the US prescribing information for Wegovy contains a Warning and Precaution for suicidal behavior and ideation,” the statement continued. “The FDA monitors the safety of a drug throughout its life cycle, including post-approval. In addition, the FDA maintains a system of postmarketing surveillance and risk assessment programs and if newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine what actions are appropriate after a thorough review of the body of evidence.”
Doctors say anyone experiencing thoughts of self-harm for any reason should quickly reach out to a professional.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide — free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.
(NEW YORK) — Beaches in several states across the Northeast have recently been closed to swimmers due to high levels of bacteria in the water.
Numerous beaches in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island were closed by public health officials due to unsafe water quality.
“When the water quality is unsafe, the beach is required to be ‘posted’ with a sign that indicates swimming is unsafe and may cause illness,” the Massachusetts Department of Public Health wrote on its website.
More than 60 beaches were closed for swimming in Massachusetts after high levels of fecal bacteria were detected in the water, according to the department.
Heavy rainfall from recent storms that hit the Northeastern states may be one reason behind the high levels of human waste, experts said.
A large amount of water from rain or snow can run off the land and carry fecal matter into water at beaches, officials said. Additionally, it can lead to sewage systems overflowing, which can cause untreated sewage to reach nearby bodies of water.
“Water from rain or snowmelt can cause certain types of sewers to overflow if their capacity is exceeded,” the Environmental Protection Agency states on its website. “Discharges from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) contain a mixture of raw sewage, industrial wastewater and storm water, and have resulted in beach closings.”
In Rhode Island, officials have been testing levels of enterococci bacteria, which live in the intestinal tracts of humans and are a sign of water contamination by fecal waste, according to the EPA.
Eight beaches across Rhode Island have closed over the past month after levels of these bacteria exceeded more than 60 colony forming units — the number of bacteria cells viable to form a small colony — per 100 milliliters in saltwater and freshwater.
Three beaches remain closed in Rhode Island as of Monday. The state Department of Health said it plans to monitor all beaches through Labor Day.
Additionally, nine beaches in Massachusetts are being monitored for high levels of cyanobacteria.
Cyanobacteria, often referred to as blue-green algae, are a type of bacteria often found in freshwater but can appear in salt water or brackish water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bacteria itself doesn’t infect people but can produce toxins that make people sick.
The contaminated water can cause symptoms including headaches, stomach pain, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea. It can also cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
Cyanobacteria can multiply quickly in warm waters that become rich in nutrients including from fertilizers and septic tank overflows, the CDC said.
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, seven beaches were closed on Thursday due to “elevated bacteria levels” according to separate statements from the Wareham Board of Health and the town of Rye.
Health officials have not revealed what bacteria has contaminated the water or how widespread the contamination is.
As of Monday, three of the beaches have reopened but the others will remain closed with officials saying, “we want to ensure that the water quality is back to its pristine condition before we welcome you back.”
(WASHINGTON) — Every day, Andre Rush, a retired Army officer and former White House chef, does 2,222 pushups. And every day, he thinks about what that number symbolizes: a tribute to the military veterans who die daily from suicide.
Rush’s ritual is more than just a tribute, however.
“It’s a reminder to never become complacent, that we still have work to do and we still have to keep going,” Rush told ABC News. “And you can’t stop. You can never give up on something that you believe in, especially people.”
The prominent chef, TV host and advocate recently joined “Face the Fight,” a multimillion-dollar new initiative launched last month to halve the suicide rate among veterans by 2030.
When Rush began his pushups, the daily veteran suicide rate was thought to be approximately 22. Subsequent government reports have shown that over the last two decades, it went from 16.4 in 2001 to 16.8 in 2020, with a peak in 2018 of 18.6.
In 2020, the suicide rate for veterans was 57.3% higher than for non-veteran adults, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report.
Backed by USAA — a financial company for military members, veterans and their families — and $41 million in philanthropic grants, the “Face the Fight” campaign is designed to raise awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention.
A coalition of corporations, foundations, nonprofits and veteran-focused organizations are involved, such as the Humana Foundation and Reach Resilience, an Endeavors Foundation.
Rush knows firsthand how trauma can shadow someone’s life — and the hole suicide can leave behind.
“The last time I’ve cried was two days ago, and so my next cry will probably be tomorrow,” he said. “It doesn’t mean it’s a weakness, doesn’t mean that I’m sad. It can be from happy. But for me, it’s just a relief. I do this so much, and I take on so many people’s energies, but I remember my own struggles.”
After witnessing the 9/11 terrorist attack while working in Pentagon, Rush began speaking out about veteran suicide and mental health. He discusses his own history with post-traumatic stress disorder, saying he’s been “facing the fight for a long time.”
Rush is also grieving the recent death of his 11-year-old daughter, Ava.
“Unfortunately my daughter and her brothers, their lives were taken by [the brothers’] father, who was a military veteran and also in the law enforcement area, and he took another command sergeant major’s life as well. And he took his own life afterwards, and their mother gave me permission to talk about this because she can’t, and she won’t for a very long time,” Rush told “Muscle & Fitness.”
Ava, two other children and Sgt. Maj. Carlos Evans were killed in South Carolina in March by Charles Slacks Jr., who then killed himself, according to WLTX. The only survivor was Slacks’ ex-wife.
Slacks had been a civilian employee of the Defense Department and served in the Army, according to Military.com.
Katy Dondanville, a clinical psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has spent her career researching PTSD and suicide in veterans. She said the reasons why someone dies by suicide are complicated.
“What we know is that there is not one cause of suicide. It’s a complex interplay of risk factors and protective factors that impact every individual differently,” said Dondanville, whose program is getting money from “Face the Fight.”
Dondanville said that the new campaign is funding programs that will promote voluntary, safe and secure storage of firearms since the majority of veteran suicides involve guns.
“We cannot leave this problem only to the government, the [U.S. Veterans Affairs Department], the [Department of Defense] or our health care providers,” said Dondanville. “Over half of individuals who die by suicide, they haven’t gone to a health care provider in the last year, they haven’t gone to the VA. And so this is where there’s this opportunity for organizations like USAA, and other business leaders need to change the culture around suicide and talk about it.”
Rush said he hopes people will listen if a veteran asks for help, no matter if they “look like me, with 24-inch biceps, or [are] laughing on social media.”
“It’s a stigma,” he said. But suicide “can hit anybody, anytime.”
USAA CEO Wayne Peacock said “Face the Fight” hopes to connect with community leaders through a grassroots approach.
“I think we have a lot to learn, and we’ll continue to scale in areas where we have confidence and I think we’ll build new capabilities,” he said.
“By helping each other, we all get to a better place,” he said.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To contact the veterans’ crisis line, dial 988, then press 1 or text 838255.
(NEW YORK) — As federal data shows a rising mental health crisis among teens in the United States, one high school has decided to take a different approach to helping students.
Officials at Alta-Aurelia High School, a public high school in Alta, Iowa, created teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA), a program that not only helps teens create an action plan for coping with their mental health, but also teaches students to help each other.
The program is the brainchild of Belinda Shea, school counselor at Alta-Aurelia High, which serves around 200 students.
“The teen mental health program is designed to help teens respond appropriately to their peers,” Shea told ” Good Morning America.” “I think it gives them a way to talk about mental health, hopefully take away some of that stigma that we hear or that we know about mental health.”
The first step in the program is helping students identify the challenges they’re experiencing, and then identifying the tools they already have at their disposal to help.
Mason Peck, a graduating senior at Alta-Aurelia, said tMHFA made a huge difference in his life.
“Doing the Mental Health First Aid program, we were thinking about negative thoughts, positive thoughts and how much, how often you’ll tell yourself a negative thought,” Peck told “GMA.” “I notice myself worrying less about uncertainty in my life.”
Lily Schulenberg, a sophomore, said the program has made her more confident in talking about mental health.
“During the class, we were told, ‘If you see something, say something,'” she said. “The one that really stuck out to me is ‘It’s OK to not be OK.'”
The high school’s focus on mental health comes amid concerning data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding teens’ mental health.
According to data released by the agency in April, the number of high school female students seriously considering suicide jumped from 24% in 2019 to 30% in 2021.
The percentage of those who made a suicide plan increased from 19.9% to 23.6% in that same time frame. There was also an increase in suicide attempts, from 11% to 13.3%, according to the CDC.
In 2021, a report from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy also warned of a growing mental health crisis among young people. The report, issued during the coronavirus pandemic, cited statistics including a 51% increase in emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts among girls and a doubling of anxiety and depression symptoms reported across genders.
At the same time, the nation is also experiencing a crisis of care, with a record number of kids in need of mental health care crashing up against a lack of access to care.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry estimates that when it comes to child and adolescent psychiatrists — medical doctors who are able to prescribe medicine — there are just over 10,000 currently practicing in the U.S., at an average ratio of 14 per 100,000 children.
Shea said at Alta-Aurelia High, the mental health program has helped not only the student body, but families too.
“I think that parents are definitely happy that we’re discussing some of these things and we’re having these open conversations,” Shea said. “A huge part of this program is not only examining or discovering some of the mental health challenges that we have, but talking so very much about the supports that are available and how people can feel better when they experience some of these challenges.”
(LOS ANGELES) — A hospital in California is experiencing a baby boom of multiples in its neonatal intensive care unit.
Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s hospital in Los Angeles is currently caring for one set of quadruplets in its NICU, as well as eight sets of twins.
The quadruplets were born on July 4, a hospital spokeswoman told ABC News’ Good Morning America.
Prior to that, the NICU had been caring for 10 sets of twins, but two sets were recently discharged, according to Bevin Merideth, R.N., the NICU’s associate director of nursing.
“We’re used to having multiples in the NICU. It’s not uncommon for multiples to not be able to carry to term,” Merideth told GMA. “It’s not something that’s uncommon in the NICU, but it was like four twins, five twins, six twins, and once we got to 10, we realized this is a record.”
“It’s almost half our unit,” Merideth added, noting the hospital’s NICU has 45 beds total.
Caring for a record number of twins in the NICU is especially poignant for Merideth, who was a teenager when her twin sisters were born at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s and cared for in the same NICU where she now works.
“They were my first preemie babies, I call them,” said Merideth, who noted seeing her twin sisters cared for so well helped inspire her career choice. “I immediately was like, ‘I want to be a NICU nurse,’ and have never left the NICU. I started in the NICU and have been here 25 years.”
Merideth said some of the twins currently in the NICU have been there for as long as six or seven weeks, while others entered more recently. She noted there is no explanation for the multiples baby boom, saying, “It just happened.”
Merideth said she’s watched as the newborns’ parents have bonded over being the new parents of multiples as they pass the time in the NICU.
“Just walking, you see them talking to each other,” Merideth said. “Just having something in common, they’ve bonded over it.”
Samantha Pearlman’s twin daughters have been in the NICU for six weeks, a time during which she said she’s connected with many of the other parents of twins.
“I love that there are multiple twins in the NICU with us. I found out just by being in the same bay with them or getting to know some of the parents and exchanging numbers,” Pearlman said in a video shared by Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. “We’ve been keeping in touch, which is really wonderful.”
“I was surprised there were two, let alone 10 sets of twins, but it’s been great to connect with other parents and see their journey,” added Jordan Edelstein, whose twin daughter and son are also being treated at the hospital. “It’s comforting to see so many other families experiencing the same thing.”
Merideth said she and her fellow nurses are already looking forward to keeping in touch with the record-breaking sets of twins as they get older.
“It’s always nice to see how they’re growing and thriving at home,” she said. “That’s why we do what we do, to see them being toddlers and kids and graduating. It’s very hopeful.”
