The South Korean pop group, Girls’ Generation, is making waves. One of its members, Sooyoung, has donated 300 million KRW, or around $223,975, to an organization working to find a cure for blindness.
Sooyoung has a particular interest in helping the blind due to her father’s retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disorder that eventually causes vision loss as cells in the retina break down slowly over time. Her father, Choi Jeong Nam has been a massive proponent of blindness research, even founding the Korean Foundation Fighting Blindness in the early 2000s.
Sooyoung’s donation was sent to Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, helping establish a “patient investment fund” called Retina 1.
“We appreciate the efforts made by Korean research teams developing treatment for rare diseases,” Sooyoung said in a statement. “I’m truly excited to contribute to a worthwhile cause that will bring about meaningful change for patients.”
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Life You Can Save. They work to help end malaria around the world. Consider donating.
TB A!ert. They are working towards a future without tuberculosis. Support them here.
Doctors Without Borders. Medical workers supporting people through crises. Find out more.
Across the world, people are following the situation in Ukraine with bated breath – and there’s no question that those on the front line in Ukraine have been fighting incredibly hard to defend their country.
But in war there are casualties – and many soldiers fighting in Ukraine, and civilians caught up in attacks, have lost limbs in this war. That’s where US-based company OneStepcomes in, with their incredible partnership with the Protez Foundation.
OneStep is a healthcare technology app that came out of Tel Aviv, Israel, currently dealing in the United States. Incredibly, their app is capable of measuring your gait – that is, analysing how you walk.
This might not seem like it has the most groundbreaking implications – but when it comes to a number of health conditions, including for those who have lower limb prosthetics, the technology essentially offers a doctor’s practice in a smartphone.
OneStep has partnered up with the Protez Foundation – a non-profit organisation based in the US that provides prosthetics to those who have lost a limb.
“So when we started, we were thinking to fly to Ukraine and go and try to help wounded people who are running away from war zone,” explains Yakov, a Ukrainian ex-pat who is living in the US and working at the Protez Foundation.
Despite their desire to be on the ground, helping those wounded, Yakov and the team didn’t want to be a burden – that’s when they came up with the idea to bring those wounded people to them.
So far, the Protez Foundation has helped 64 patients – including two children and one adult civilian. Thanks to the collaboration with OneStep, 15 of those soldiers are back, fighting on the front line.
It’s worth noting that this is completely funded by donors – and that prosthetics can cost tens of thousands of dollars, depending on how large the prosthesis is. Donations to the Protez Foundation help rehabilitate those who are desperately in need, and couldn’t otherwise afford a prosthetic themselves – plus, it is helping to take pressure off an incredibly stressed medical system back in Ukraine.
“Yakov and I met in the clinic when we were working with some patients together and he saw the power of the technology that we brought forward,” explains Patrick Tarnowski, the Chief Commercial Officer for OneStep. “He put his arm around me, pulled me aside and said ‘Are you familiar with the Protez Foundation?’ I said ‘no, tell me about it.’ And when he got deeper into what they’re doing, and asked the question the answer was immediately yes.”
While the OneStep technology is by no means restricted to those with prosthetics – in fact it has had incredible results for those who have had knee replacements, hip replacements and even back surgery – there is no doubt that it has had a hugely positive impact on those who have had limb amputations.
“First and foremost; it’s just the right thing to do. There are people in need,” says Patrick. “And we have a technology that can help not only those who have incurred an amputation but also the providers because the providers are also volunteering their time.”
OneStep’s technology helps to provide continuous care to those treated by the Protez Foundation even when they return to Ukraine. For patients who have received prosthetics, it is hugely important that their care continues long after they have their first prosthesis, to ensure that their injuries are healing correctly, that the adaptation fits comfortably, and to keep them from causing themselves further injury.
“I think that [with] this war going on, [the] system is very overwhelmed,” explains Yakov. “Sometimes they are waiting for three, four weeks to be able to get to see a prosthetist or doctor in Ukraine because it’s literally thousands and thousands [of dollars].”
The great thing about the OneStep app is that the patient can see the result of their gait analysis, as well as it being shared with their doctor and prosthetic team. According to Yakov, who works closely with those receiving treatment at the Protez Foundation, this can be a huge moral boost to many of the patients.
“[It] gives them a little win,” explains Yakov. “Yesterday, being a capable younger man who went to war to fight and suddenly ending up in a wheelchair, feeling like a burden for their family, country and themselves. Then they are up, they are walking, and they see [for] themselves how they are improving. And suddenly they see ‘oh, my gait changed five points!’ See that smile? [So] much more happens inside – there’s that positive emotion.”
This incredible partnership has so far helped a number of patients who have been injured in the war on Ukraine, including one young patient who clearly remains close to Yakov’s heart.
“[There was a] nine-year-old boy who [had a] rocket strike into their house and they were running to the shelter,” explains Yakov. “Dad was carrying the nine-year-old boy and 12-year-old brother was running next to them … a second rocket hit behind them and killed his father and brother. He lost his left hand that he was holding to his dad with … and we [were able to] restore that hand which is still holding to his dad.”
“This is our responsibility. So together we can make a difference and we can make a better world, better care for these people who shouldn’t be injured – who shouldn’t be suffering.”
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Ukraine Charity. This charity supports underprivileged children and other charitable initiatives in Ukraine.Learn more here.
BritishUkrainian Aid. They support people suffering from the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine by aligning UK and Ukrainian efforts. Find out more.
Protez Foundation. This non-profit provides care for Ukrainians who have lost limbs and need prosthetics: from submitting an application through full rehabilitation. Support them here.
As organizations and individuals continue to work to support Maui after the devastating wildfires, another area that’s stepping up is college football.
“In support of recovery efforts following the devastating wildfires on Maui, a portion of proceeds from each ticket sold to the Commodores’ season-opening football game against Hawai’i will be donated to Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund,” Vanderbilt wrote in a Tweet.
Vanderbilt will host Hawai’i on August 26 in their lone season matchup.
“The Maui Strong Fund is providing financial resources that can be deployed quickly, with a focus on rapid response and recovery for the devastating wildfires on Maui,” stated the Maui Strong Fund.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Women Invested to Save Earth Fund. This organization helps support underrepresented and underfunded Black, indigenous, and women of color-led organizations across the world. Find out more and support them here.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation. They help nonprofits protect and conserve giraffes. Check them out here.
The Life You Can Save. An organization that helps mobilize aid to regions affected by malaria. Find out more.
Hollywood has slowed down to a standstill following the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes where about 200,000 people in the entertainment industry, including actors, recording artists, radio personalities, writers, and other media professionals are striking for better pay and working conditions as well as contracts that include provisions on artificial intelligence.
“We stand in solidarity in unprecedented unity. Our union and our sister unions and the unions around the world are standing by us, as well as other labor unions. Because at some point, the jig is up. You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized, disrespected and dishonored,” SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said in a speech at a press conference.
While the strike persists, almost 200,000 entertainment professionals are without a sufficient source of income.
To help the striking union members a food bank on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, California is committing to feeding them for free.
“🛒 FREE GROCERIES FOR SAG- AFTRA actors and WGA writers until the end of the strike!🛒,” actor, comedian, writer, and self-described “food bank influencer” Kristina Wong posted on Instagram. “This is a totally real offer to get our union siblings through this historic fight for our livelihoods!”
Wong and Glen Curado, CEO and founder of the food bank World Harvest, came up with together in response to the first joint walkout of these two labor unions since 1960.
The food bank will provide up to $300 in groceries, all they need to do is show up Monday through Saturday and show staff their SAG-AFTRA or WGA card.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Women Invested to Save Earth Fund. This organization helps support underrepresented and underfunded Black, indigenous, and women of color-led organizations across the world. Find out more and support them here.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation. They help nonprofits protect and conserve giraffes. Check them out here.
The Life You Can Save. An organization that helps mobilize aid to regions affected by malaria. Find out more.
Scientists have been able to decipher a Pink Floyd song from people’s brainwaves.
Wait, what?
That’s right. Scientists analysed the brainwaves of 29 people as they listened to a three-minute segment of the song ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ by Pink Floyd, as they underwent surgery for epilepsy.
AI helped to decode the recording and create a reproduction of a portion of the song using the analysed brainwaves.
What does this mean?
The discovery has some great medical applications, including helping to replicate the musicality of natural speech in those with debilitating neurological conditions. If you think of people like Stephen Hawking, who relied on a speech simulator, this discovery could help to lend a more ‘human’ element to voices.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Brain Charity. The Brain Charity provides free support for carers, friends and family of people with any form of neurological condition.Support them here.
Beacon. Beacon (formerly known as Findacure) is a UK-based charity that is building a united rare disease community with patient groups at its heart. Support them here.
Sense. Sense helps thousands of people who have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential.Learn more here.
The world’s largest diving organization, PADI, is working to help those affected by the recent Maui wildfires. PADI has teamed up with the Ako’ako’a Foundation, to create a relief fund to help people in Maui to get back on their feet as soon as possible.
“100% of all donations to this relief fund will be distributed directly to dive professionals in Hawaii in need of recovery from the devastating fires,” the fund reads. “As fellow dive professionals, our hearts go out to our scuba ohana.”
This serves as an image of unity for the international diving community.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Drew.
“United above and below the surface of our shared blue planet, we stand together with the dive community to provide strength and speed in recovery efforts,” said Richardson, CEO and President of PADI Worldwide.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. This organization helps support the fauna throughout the Florida ocean and nature. Find out more and support them here.
Genesis Women’s Shelter. They help women escape dangerous situations in the Dallas area. Check them out here.
Florida Bicycle Association. An organization that helps mobilize people and promote greener living and safer biking. Find out more.
HIV has long had stigma attached. In the ’80s, when the illness was most prevalent, much of the population assumed something as innocuous as sharing a cup or touching someone with HIV could cause you to become infected.
In truth, HIV is an STI – meaning the only way to spread the infection is through anal, oral or vaginal sex, breast milk or through shared needles or other drug injection equipment.
Unfortunately, the stigma of the ’80s that so devastated those with HIV – particularly in the LGBTQ+ community – is still rife, and many people simply don’t understand how HIV works or how it is treated.
“Public awareness about the virus hasn’t quite caught up with the medical advancements – of which there have been many over the years,” explains Damian John, a representative of Wandsworth Oasis, a charity that helps to raise money and awareness to help those living with HIV in South London. “The fact that people on effective treatment can’t pass it on is one of the key messages that we try and get across in our shops.”
“That being said, HIV still remains a really important health challenge and anyone is at risk of catching HIV if they’re having unprotected sex or using and sharing needles.”
Wandsworth Oasis supports the HIV community in myriad different ways, principally through their nine charity shops across London. Here, they sell all sorts of donated clothing, bric-a-brac and furniture – even taking donations from companies – like the donation given by SmileyⓇ, the sponsor of Smiley News. Plus, they even have free HIV testing in-store, if you time it right.
“All of our shops give away free condoms,” adds Damian. Condoms, and other forms of making sex safer like dental dams, are a really important way of helping to prevent the spread of HIV. “I think in five years, we’ve given away something like 50,000 free condoms just across nine shops in London.”
“In the cost of living crisis that we’re experiencing now, people have to choose whether to buy condoms or food. It’s great that we’re able to offer that service and provide them [for] free.”
Wandsworth Oasis also helps signpost people to places where they can get medical assistance – or PReP and PEP, to those in the know. For those who aren’t – here’s a quick explainer:
PReP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis – it’s a treatment you take before being exposed to HIV, to help prevent infection. PReP is recommended for those who have an HIV positive partner, might share needles, or who regularly have sex without using a condom.
PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis – a treatment you take when you think, or know, you have been exposed to HIV. Think of it like the morning after pill, but instead of helping to prevent pregnancy, it helps to prevent HIV.
Wandsworth Oasis has so many initiatives to support people – whether they have just been diagnosed with HIV, or whether they have been living with it for a long time.
One of the initiatives they are most proud of is the Re:Assure Women’s Project that Wandsworth Oasis helps to fund, through the charity Positive East. Contrary to popular belief, HIV isn’t an illness that’s unique to the gay community, but something that can affect anyone of any sexuality.
The Re:Assure project is a specialist programme for HIV positive female refugees and asylum seekers and domestic violence survivors. The programme helps these women to overcome traumatic experiences, including trauma around their HIV status, using therapy.
“That’s our biggie that we’re really really proud of, because it’s really niche,” explains Damian. “It’s one of those things that you wouldn’t think is problem … [but] without us giving the funds to Positive East, they wouldn’t be able to signpost these women to the medical treatment that they need [for women] that will find themselves in a situation that they never dreamed of.”
HIV can make some of society’s most vulnerable people even more so. This means that reaching out to refugees diagnosed with HIV and helping them navigate the medical care needed to manage HIV, is incredibly important work.
If you want to support Wandsworth Oasis and any of the amazing initiatives that they fund, you can do so by dropping off a donation to any of their nine London stores, or by getting in contact on their website.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Terrence Higgins Trust. The UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity that supports people living with HIV. Learn more here.
National Aids Trust. This is the UK’s HIV rights charity, working to stop HIV from standing in the way of health, dignity and equality, and to end new HIV transmissions. Support them here.
Wandsworth Oasis. This is a local charity raising money for people living with HIV, largely through its nine charity shops in and around the borough. Find out more here.
Hawaii was recently wracked with wildfires. Many of the homes on one of the state’s largest islands have burned to the ground displacing thousands of people.
The Pokémon Company, the company responsible for the highest-grossing media franchise in the world, was slated to have a tournament in Honolulu at the end of this year. To show support for those affected by wildfires the company donated $200k to a Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund after announcing Honolulu as the location of next year’s Pokémon World Championship.
“Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the devastating wildfires in Hawaii,” reads the social media post, explaining its donation of $200k would go to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund through GlobalGiving.
There were even Pokémon games based on Hawaii a few years ago called Sun and Moon set in the Alola region, so the connection to the island state goes deep.
In the meantime donate what you can to support the people affected by the wildfires and at the urging of Hawaii natives, don’t travel to the island.
“Do not travel to Maui,” Aquaman actor and native Hawaiian Jason Momoa said. “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.”
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Women Invested to Save Earth Fund. This organization helps support underrepresented and underfunded Black, indigenous, and women of color-led organizations across the world. Find out more and support them here.
Collective Sun. They help nonprofits get outfitted with solar power capabilities. Check them out here.
Florida Bicycle Association. An organization that helps mobilize people and promote greener living and safer biking. Find out more.
There may finally be a jab to prevent Multiple Sclerosis.
Amazing! Tell me more.
MS is a lifelong condition that affects more than 130,000 people in the UK. It’s a disease that harms your central nervous system and, though people don’t usually die from it, it can cause huge health problems including fatigue, problems walking, balance issues, and more.
Increasingly, MS is being linked to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – and a vaccine is emerging that may prevent MS from emerging.
How does it work?
Well, 95% of the world’s population carries EBV already, dormant inside our bodies, until it causes infections in adulthood like glandular fever. Last year, a study showed that the chances of developing MS after an EBV infection increases 32-fold.
A team of scientists at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute are creating a vaccine that works in two different ways to prevent the EBV infection – and therefore the illnesses, like MS and some types of cancers, that it can cause.
So far, the study has proved incredibly hopeful in mice, and will soon progress to the next stage of testing – including human trials!
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
MS Society UK. This charity helps to distribute multiple sclerosis news, information, research, and support for everyone affected by MS. Find out more.
Multiple Sclerosis Trust. This is a UK charity that helps make sense of MS, supporting those affected by MS for the last 30 years. Support them here.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The National MS Society is bringing the world together to cure MS for every single person — as fast as possible. Learn more here.
A new way to fight malaria has been discovered – completely by accident.
What’s the story?
A strain of naturally occurring bacteria been discovered – completely by chance. This bacteria could help to prevent the transmission of malaria from mosquitos to humans.
The bacteria is called TC1 – and scientists came across it when a colony of mosquitoes failed to develop the malaria parasite. They realised that the TC1 had helped to prevent malaria from developing in the mosquito’s gut by around 73%.
What does this mean?
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University, as well as the GSK scientists that made the initial discovery, are working to develop a way of transmitting the TC1 bacteria to mosquitos early enough to inhibit malaria.
This is an incredibly promising new development and one that means that we could see malaria cured within our lifetimes.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Against Malaria Foundation. This charity helps to protect people from malaria, and funds mosquito nets across the world.Learn more here.
Malaria No More. Malaria No More UK is part of a global effort to put an end to the suffering and death caused by malaria. Support them here.
United to Beat Malaria. This is the United Nations Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria campaign – the world’s largest grassroots campaign working together to save lives and end malaria. Find out more.
