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Six nurses in North Carolina who are all expecting within months of each showed off their “baby bumps” in a photo shared by the medical center where they work.

The nurses — Nina Day, Bethany Stringer, Emily Johnson, Nikki Huth, Sabrina Hudson and Katie Carlton — all work at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Health, according to WFMY-TV.

All six women are between 18 and 37 weeks pregnant.

The news station reported that Day is due on July 31, while Stringer is due in early September. Johnson is expecting to deliver on September 25, while Huth is due October 11. Hudson is due November 13, while Carlton is due in December.

“It’s been wonderful leaning on one another and comparing stories and getting and sharing advice,” Carlton, an assistant nurse manager at the cancer center, said.

The timing has been a “truly a remarkable experience,” she added.

A 31-year-old mother is reportedly recovering in a Turkish hospital after undergoing two major operations this week to repair several internal organs that were damaged in a jet ski accident on her last day of vacation.

Ashleigh Donnelly said she was “split in two like a banana” on Monday after she fell off the water vehicle she was riding as a passenger and was blasted by the powerful jet.

Donnelly, who was vacationing with her husband and teenage son, was reportedly sucked underneath the jet ski while it was being driven by her son’s friend.

She said the blast “ripped her insides out.” In an interview with The Sun, family members claim they are unsure as to whether Donnelly will need a colostomy bag or if she will be able to have more children. They are also raising money to transfer the mother of five back to the U.K. for further medical treatment.

“Ashleigh is really in agony,” Stacie Kelley, Donnelly’s sister, told the news outlet. “She just wants to get back now for the children. She was joking about it to make people feel better but it’s horrendous what happened to her. Ashleigh is so lovely. She’s full of life and bubbly.”

CONNECTICUT MOM DIES DAYS AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO THIRD BABY

Donnelly reportedly suffered an seven-inch tear from the blast that required hundreds of stitches.

“Hundreds of stitches later I am in intensive care but I’m stable,” she reportedly told family members. “I have another operation today… it’s going to be a very long road to recovery for me but I am alive and that’s all that matters, my babies still have a mom and my husband has his wife.”

Authorities with the foreign office in Marmaris told The Sun that they are investigating the incident.

A California woman claims she was denied a manicure at a local nail salon due to the inflamed skin on her hands and arms, a symptom of lupus.

Jeniffer Dreyer Brown, 47, posted an emotional testimony detailing the incident on Facebook on July 6. That day, Brown said temperatures reached over 100 degrees, causing scars from her lupus – an autoimmune disease Brown said she’s lived with for 15 years – to flare. The sun’s ultraviolet rays have been known to worsen symptoms for those with the condition, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.

In the video, Brown claimed a manicurist at Happy Nails salon in Laguna Niguel refused to perform a manicure. When Brown asked why, the manicurist, who has not been identified, allegedly commented on her inflamed skin.

PARALYZED HOCKEY PLAYER JACK JABLONSKI WIGGLES TOES FOR FIRST TIME IN 7 YEARS, SHARES ‘SHOCKING’ VIDEO

Humiliated, Brown left, later recording her emotional response to the incident.

“People judge me because I have lupus and my skin is broken out,” she said through tears. “I’ve never felt more like a leper or more judged in Orange County.”

As of Thursday morning, Brown’s video had more than 1,400 reactions, nearly 100,000 views and hundreds of comments.

“My heart is broken. I will never set foot in Happy Nails again,” one Facebook user wrote.

“You are a strong, beautiful woman, Jeniffer! Keep wearing those sundresses and showing off your battle scars!” another commented.

Brown told Fox News on Thursday she’s received “an outpouring of love and support” from friends and strangers alike, and has also received “tons of messages from other people who have lupus asking about the disease.”

There is no cure for lupus, “an autoimmune disease – in which your immune system attacks healthy cells by mistake – that can potentially damage many parts of the body,” according to the Lupus Research Alliance.

The Lupus Foundation of America estimates roughly 1.5 million Americans have the condition, which can cause skin rashes, lesions, joint pain and fatigue, among other symptoms.

The disease is not contagious – rather, it’s a result of a person’s hormones, genetics and environment, the foundation said.

LEGIONNAIRES’ OUTBREAK SICKENS 8 IN NYC

Brown specifically has “discoid lupus,” which, to put it simply, means she is “allergic to the sun,” she said.

“I was born and raised in Laguna Beach – there is no amount of sunblock or umbrellas [to prevent the flares],” she said, adding that she proudly sports her scars “rather than covering up my life.”

“The scars on my skin get red when I go outside,” Brown said, explaining that she doesn’t currently have any new “eruptions,” nor did she at the time she went for a manicure.  

“I showed her my hands and she still denied me,” she said.

Attorney Scott Wellman said in a statement to Fox News on behalf of the salon that the business followed the California Board of Cosmetology’s code which states, in part, “No person … shall perform service upon a surface of the skin or scalp where such skin is inflamed, or broken … or where a skin infection or eruption is present.”

“We at Happy Nails feel bad for the customer that presented with Lupus disease. We do not discriminate at Happy Nails. The customer interpreted our inability to work on her nails as discrimination,” the statement reads.

“I’ve never been discriminated against or so humiliated in my life.”

– Jeniffer Dreyer Brown

Wellman added separately that “the workers are very hard working immigrants that would want nothing more than to provide the service.”

“However, they must follow the mandates of the law,” he continued.

Still, Brown doesn’t plan on returning to the salon, despite the fact she had been there “multiple times” before the incident. She also hopes her experience will raise awareness about lupus.

“I’ve never been discriminated against or so humiliated in my life,” Brown said. “There’s no reason that anyone should feel that way.”

Ticks are known for spreading a variety of different ailments, such as Lyme disease, tularemia, babesiosis and more. One type of tick – the Lone Star – has even been said to carry an infectious organism that can result in an allergy to red meat.

Others can infect humans with an ailment known as Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) – a potentially fatal disease reported under a category called “Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis,” or SFR.

More than 11 cases of SFR per million people were reported in the United States in 2014, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

LONE STAR TICKS BITES TRIGGERING RED MEAT ALLERGIES IN MORE PEOPLE ACROSS US, PHYSICIAN SAYS

In July, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced the first-ever documented death from RMSF in the state.

“We are saddened to learn of this death and encourage Wisconsin residents to take steps to protect themselves and their families from tick bites while enjoying the outdoors,” Karen McKeown, a state health officer, said in a statement after the department of health services announced the news.

In light of the RMSF death in Wisconsin, along with other reported cases of the disease this year, read on for a look at the tick-borne ailment.

How do you contract Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

A bacterial disease, RMSF is spread through the bite of an infected tick.

“Rocky Mountain spotted fever is one of several diseases caused by the spotted fever group rickettsia, which are a type of bacteria,” according to the CDC.

While RMSF has been reported across the country, it is most common in states such as North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri. The CDC reported that these states account for over half – 60 percent – of RMSF cases each year.

Certain species of tick are to blame for the disease as well.

The American dog tick in the Eastern, Central and Western part of the country, along with infected Rock Mountain wood ticks in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and other Rocky Mountain states can spread RMSF. The brown dog tick in the southwest, specifically along the U.S-Mexico border, can also spread the ailment.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of RMSF can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and muscle pain, among other symptoms. 

RMSF can also cause a nasty rash, which “usually develops 2-4 days after fever begins,” the CDC reported.

“The look of the rash can vary widely over the course of illness. Some rashes can look like red splotches and some look like pinpoint dots. While almost all patients with RMSF will develop a rash, it often does not appear early in illness, which can make RMSF difficult to diagnose,” the CDC continued.

(That’s exactly why one Georgia boy who was bitten by a RMSF-infected tick in June was misdiagnosed at first, his mother said).

GEORIGA MOM WARNS OTHERS AFTER SON, 5, CONTRACTS RARE DISEASE FROM TICK BITE

While most RSMF patients develop a rash, the CDC notes that a small percentage – roughly 10 percent – of people do not.

Is it treatable?

In short: Yes.

But to prevent serious complications, RMSF has to be treated quickly – specifically within the first 5 days symptoms appear. If not, the disease can be fatal. If can also lead to loss of limbs, the CDC warns.

“Some patients who recover from severe RMSF may be left with permanent damage, including amputation of arms, legs, fingers, or toes (from damage to blood vessels in these areas); hearing loss; paralysis; or mental disability,” according the health agency.

The good news: there’s an antibiotic available to treat RMSF, known as Doxycycline.

How do I prevent the disease?

There is no vaccine to prevent RMSF, according to the CDC.

Rather, it’s best to check yourself thoroughly for critters after being outside, especially in summer months when tick season is at its height.

In addition to checking clothing and showering after coming inside, the CDC suggests to check these areas specifically:

• Under the arm
• In and around the ears
• Inside belly button
• Back of the knees
• In and around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist

 If you find a tick, there are also tips on how to remove it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly
stated the number of SFR cases reported in the U.S. in 2014.

After two harrowing weeks trapped inside a dark, damp cave, the entire Thai soccer team — 12 players, ages 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach — has been successfully rescued from the Tham Luan Nang Non cave.

Thai Navy SEALS saved the remaining four boys and the team’s coach on Tuesday, completing their high-risk mission through rising floodwaters.

The conditions of those saved on Tuesday were unclear. However, health officials said the eight boys brought out by divers on Sunday and Monday were doing well — some even requesting treats. The players all appeared “healthy and smiling,” officials said.

The dangerous search and rescue mission is over, but the boys and their coach may have another potential battle ahead of them: “cave disease,” also known as histoplasmosis.

THAI CAVE RESCUE TIMELINE: THE DANGEROUS RACE TO BRING TRAPPED SOCCER TEAM HOME

Here’s what you need to know about “cave disease” and the journey the team has ahead of them as they recover.

What is “cave disease?”

“Cave disease,” also called histoplasmosis, is a lung infection caused by the fungus “Histoplasma,” which thrives in areas with high bird or bat populations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“People can get histoplasmosis after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air, often after participating in activities that disturb the soil,” the CDC explains in a blog post online. “Although most people who breathe in the spores don’t get sick, those who do may have a fever, cough, and fatigue.”

Most people who contract histoplasmosis just need time to recover, but those who have weakened immune systems could be at risk for serious, sometimes fatal, infections.

ENTIRE THAI SOCCER TEAM, COACH FREED FROM CAVE AFTER DARING RESCUE, NAVY SAYS

“In some people, such as those who have weakened immune systems, the infection can become severe, especially if it spreads from the lungs to other organs,” the CDC says.

There is medicine to treat the disease, however. According to the CDC, many doctors prescribe the antifungal medication Itraconazole, which may need to be taken anywhere from three months to a year in order to completely fight off the infection.

What is the health status of the Thai soccer team and their coach?

Thailand’s Navy SEALs confirmed that all 12 boys and their coach are safe and have been transported via helicopter to local hospitals.

Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said at least two of the boys have a lung infection.

“The kids are footballers so they have high immune systems,” Chokdumrongsuk said. “Everyone is in high spirits and are happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist to evaluate them.”

It could be at least seven days before they can be released from the hospital, Chokdumrongsuk said. Doctors are taking a cautious approach, placing the boys in isolation as they monitor their health and watch for infections.

THAI CAVE RESCUE MOVIE IN EARLY STAGES AS PRODUCERS ARRIVE ON THE SCENE

They are uncertain what type of infections the boys could face “because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave,” Chokdumrongsuk added.

If medical tests show no dangers after a period of a week parents will be able to enter the isolation area dressed in sterilized clothing and staying 2 yards away from the boys, public health official Tosthep Bunthong announced at a news conference this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Starbucks worker in Tacoma, Wash., is being praised for her quick thinking after she assisted in delivering a baby outside of the coffee shop early Friday morning.

Rashelle Rehms is a shift supervisor for the 24-hour drive-thru.  She says she has seen some pretty interesting things working the night shift, but never anything like this.

Rehms was working the night shift when she heard a knock on the window around 1 a.m.

Rehms recounts to Kiro7 News that a man told her a woman was laying on the ground about to have a baby.

EMOTIONAL MOMENT MOM MEETS HER BABY FOR FIRST TIME AFTER SHE WENT INTO SEPTIC SHOCK DURING LABOR

Rehms grabbed towels and ran outside to assist. Everything happened very quickly after that, she said.

“She said she needed her pants off,” said Rehms. “So I took those off for her and I noticed the baby was crowning.  So I asked her to lift her hips so I could put the towels underneath her hips, and as soon as she lifted her hips, the baby came right out.”

Paramedics arrived shortly after the baby was born.

Rehms said she went into “mom mode.” As a mother of two herself, she said she was not scared.  She saw what she needed to do and did it.

Rhems did say, though, that she broke company policy by leaving the store to help.

HORRIFYING PHOTO OF TODDLER’S LEG BREAKING WHILE ON SLIDE WITH MOM

Starbucks released a statement saying, “We’re proud of Rashelle for her quick thinking and actions until additional help could arrive, and appreciate their quick response as well.”

Later on Friday, Rhems visited the mother and baby in the hospital and was happy to see they were doing well.

“It’s an honor that I could be there,” Rhems said.

 

 

When you head outside this summer, don’t forget to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat to avoid getting a sunburn.

“Slip-slop-slap is how you can enjoy the outdoors in a manner that’s healthy for your skin,” Dr. Martin Weinstock, a professor of dermatology and epidemiology at Brown University, told Healthline.

This advice was central to the Slip-Slop-Slap campaign, a sun-protection initiative launched in Australia in the 1980s. Its goal was to encourage people to protect themselves from the sun to lower their risk of skin cancer.

“It’s sound advice today, as it was back in 1980,” Weinstock said.

Even a single sunburn can increase a person’s risk of skin cancer. This is because when the skin absorbs ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, it can damage the genetic material in skin cells.

In the short term, this damage can cause sunburns.

In the long term, it builds up and raises the risk of skin cancer.

“This is a situation where if you get a few sunburns, that increases your risk of skin cancer a little. If you get lots of sunburns, that can increase your risk of skin cancer a lot,” Weinstock explained.

“One sunburn can make a difference, but it’s not as big a difference as if you have many sunburns,” he added.

Even if you never get burned, exposure to sunlight can damage your skin cells and increase your chances of developing skin cancer.

“It’s not the burn itself that affects the skin cancer risk, it’s the sun exposure that’s associated with that burn,” Weinstock said.

“The ultraviolet radiation that’s absorbed by the skin is what raises the risk,” he continued. “If you get a little bit, you may not get a burn. You may not get anything that feels painful at all, but you still have some damage that’s being accumulated.”

Early exposure is dangerous

Sunlight exposure can damage your skin cells and increase your skin cancer risk at any age.

But earlier exposure may be particularly dangerous.

For example, one study published by the American Association for Cancer Research found that sunburns earlier in life were linked to higher risk of melanoma skin cancer.

Women who experienced at least five blistering sunburns when they were 15 to 20 years old were 80 percent more likely than others to develop melanoma skin cancer later on.

 

“Early exposures in general are of greater concern than exposures later in life, because you have a longer period of time in which to get additional insults to your cells that can ultimately result in skin cancer or other adverse consequences,” Weinstock explained.  

 

That’s why it’s important for parents to take steps to protect their children from the sun, as well as themselves.

“Sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater and clothing with a tight weave will give you good protection for the areas that are covered,” Weinstock said.

“Sunscreen typically needs to be reapplied after you’re outside for a few hours or if you towel-dry after swimming,” he continued. “It generally sits on the surface of the skin, so if you’re swimming and then you use a towel to dry off, you need to put on more.”

Seeking shade under a shelter, umbrella, or tree can also help protect you from the sun.

Weinstock also emphasizes the importance of avoiding indoor tanning beds, which can damage skin cells and raise the risk of skin cancer, too.

He notes that many states have passed laws to prevent children under the age of 18 from using commercial tanning beds.

“My understanding is that New York state will be the 18th,” he added. “I don’t think that’s been signed into law yet, but we anticipate it will be.”

Skin cancer kills thousands of Americans

Currently, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.

Most people with skin cancer have basal cell or squamous cell cancers, which tend to be very curable but expensive to treat.

Other people develop melanoma skin cancer, which is responsible for most skin cancer-related deaths.

In 2018, the American Cancer Society estimates 91,270 people in the United States will develop melanoma skin cancer, and 9,320 people will die from it.

If you develop any new growths, patches, spots, or sores on your skin that don’t heal within several weeks, consider making an appointment with your doctor.

Similarly, watch out for changes in the color, shape, or size of any existing moles or other growths on your skin.

In some cases, new growths or changes to existing growths may be a sign of skin cancer.

Checking for signs of skin cancer can be annoying. But early diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

Despite the risk of skin cancer, staying safe doesn’t mean being a hermit during the summer months. Using the slip-slop-slap method can help keep you safe even as you enjoy the sun.

This article first appeared on HealthLine.com.

A 13-year-old boy from Frisco, Texas, who has autism received a perfect score on the math portion of a state-wide standardized test. 

Cabe Elias was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and was unable to speak full sentences until he was 4 years old, WFAA-TV reported. That’s partly why his mother, Renee Elias, was pleasantly surprised to learn that Cade answered every question correctly on the math portion of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test.

“I was upstairs playing my video games and she yelled ‘oh my gosh.’ And I ran down and said ‘what’s wrong?’” Cade, a seventh-grader, recalled to the news station.

That’s when Elias told him the news.

“She looked at the actual percentage and she almost fell out of her chair,” Cade said, adding that most of the math portion was “easy.”

“I didn’t expect to see that. I really didn’t,” Elias said.

Cade, who goes to school in the Frisco Independent School District, is in the minority of students who received a perfect score, according to WFAA-TV. In total, 4,677 seventh-graders took the math portion of the STAAR test this spring. Out of that amount, however, only 235 — roughly 5 percent — received a perfect score.

“It’s hard for him to even get through the tests sometimes. To be able to maintain that amount of focus for that long and to have the attention to detail, that’s what surprised me,” Elias added.

Nagla Moussa, a board member of the National Autism Association of North Texas, echoed this sentiment.

“For someone like this child who started as non-verbal who went all the way up to acing the STAAR test in seventh grade – gives hope and lets people know our children can move along that spectrum and can start with low-functioning and go up to higher-functioning. It takes a lot of education, a lot of therapy, a lot of hard work on their part, but it’s possible,” Moussa told the WFAA-TV.

“I’m a very proud mom. I couldn’t be more proud. It’s a big accomplishment,” Elias said, adding that Cade is slated to take pre-advanced placement math when he begins eighth grade this fall.

“This is an indication that we’re gonna get there, and he’s gonna be fine,” she added.

Renee Elias was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fox News on Saturday.

And the World Cup goes to …

After surviving six weeks of radiotherapy treatment, a five-year-old British boy received his very own “World Cup” trophy and touching encouragement from soccer star Harry Kane.

Before receiving treatment for a brain tumor, Ben Williams was unable to walk or talk, but last week he made one request – his very own World Cup!

On July 5 the staff at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, England granted Ben’s wish by surprising him with a soccer-themed ceremony in honor of his bravery.

The heartwarming video of little Ben unwrapping the trophy went viral after Liam Herbert, a pediatric radiographer, shared the video on Twitter. “A week ago he asked for the World Cup,” Herbert wrote, “so we delivered.”

Sam Williams, Ben’s father, shared his gratitude with the Independent, saying, “They had already done more for Ben than we could ask for, so this was just such a kind and thoughtful gesture. As you can see from his face, he was just delighted with it.”

But if taking home his very own World Cup wasn’t enough, Kane retweeted the video later that day. He labeled Ben an “inspiration,” and encouraged him to “Carry on fighting and we’ll do everything we can on Saturday to keep a smile on your face #BensWorldCup.”

Ben’s father also told the news source that his son “really liked football before he got ill and has suddenly gone England crazy in the last couple of weeks, so much so that ‘England’ and ‘Harry Kane’ are some of the first words he learned to say again as his speech came back.”

An inspiring video of a 4-year-old girl beating the odds to take her first steps less than two months after a life-changing spinal surgery has reached the hearts of millions.

“I’m walking!” Maya Tisdale, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 2, said after her first steps. “I’m walking! Yes! I even took a big step.”

The Michigan girl traveled to St. Louis in March to undergo selective dorsal rhizotomy, which doctors predicted would allow her to walk independently for the first time after undergoing extensive physical therapy. The predicted timeline was around six months, but on July 1, about seven weeks post-surgery, Maya took her first steps.

POPULAR LIGHT-UP SNEAKERS LEFT BOY WITH SECOND-DEGREE BURNS ON FEET, MOM CLAIMS

“First steps – 4 years, 10 months I can’t even put into words how we are feeling,” a post on the “Mighty Miss Maya – Will to Walk” Facebook page said. “Nothing seems to fit the enormity of this moment for us. We are beyond proud of our Mighty Girl. #sdrchangeslives #beemighty #impossibleisnothing #firststeps.”

Maya was born several months early and weighed 1 lbs., 10 oz. According to the family’s YouCaring page, she spent the first 87 days of her life in the hospital’s NICU before being sent home. Her mother, Ann Tisdale, noticed that the youngest of the family’s three children had tightness in her legs and was skipping typical infant milestones.

Maya was diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy more than two years ago.

Spastic diplegia is one of nine different types of cerebral palsy and affects both the arms and legs, according to Cerebral Palsy Guidance. Physical therapy can help loosen muscles but, depending on the severity, some children may never walk and others may need a walker, braces or other forms of mobility assistance.

Despite needing a walker, the family said Maya continued to keep up with her older brothers and practiced her balance and other therapies on her own outside of the required therapies.

Her family raised funds for the March 27 surgery, which took place at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, with T-shirts and crowdfunding sites, and have kept supporters updated on her progress on their Facebook page.

“Maya still has CP,” Ann Tisdale told ABC News. “She still has the damage in her brain and she still has some tightness in her legs. … She’s going to continue with physical therapy five days a week, just like we’ve been doing, and get stronger and practice her skill of walking. But to just have those first steps and knowing that it’s possible is so great for her and our family.”

LAS VEGAS –  Americans will celebrate the nation’s 242nd birthday with July 4 trips to the beach, with barbecues and with celebratory fireworks.  

The rockets’ red glare is an Independence Day tradition. But for the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, the jarring noises can trigger symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Whether it’s a Roman candle, a traditional firecracker or small poppers, the sounds transport service men and women to the battlefield, conjuring up memories and images most have tried to forget.

“It depends on the state of mind I’m in. For some veterans it can be disturbing, it can make you angry,” said Benjamin Dupree, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Desert Storm. 

For others, it takes them back to specific areas of combat. 

“For me it’s the explosion…In my case, it puts you right back, especially if it’s unexpected …bang! … you jump, you duck…it’s what you were trained to do,” says John Ferron, who served during the Vietnam War in the Navy. 

There is something the public can do. A nonprofit charity called “Military with PTSD” sells yard signs to veterans to put in their front lawn. In large print they say,” VETERAN LIVES HERE…PLEASE BE COURTEOUS WITH FIREWORKS.” It’s a way for civilians to be mindful if they have a veteran living next door.

“The reaction is very real to them at that moment. And so they get very embarrassed because here they’re supposed to be these hardened warriors and a firework goes off that they’re not expecting. It’s always the unexpected fireworks. They always do fine at big firework shows, they can go and participate. A lot of veterans can set off their own fireworks and they’re fine, but when they’re not expecting them on the days leading up to and around Fourth of July, that’s where the problems come in,” says Shawn Gourley, executive director of “Military with PTSD.” 

In one tragic instance in 2015 in Georgia, a 27-year-old Army veteran committed suicide after going into a PTSD attack from an exploded firework on Fourth of July.

The number of veterans living with PTSD is growing, but experts say many cases still go undiagnosed or unreported.

“PTSD has increasingly been studied mostly related to war…The reliving of that trauma is so much more…we used to be able to come back from war and not be able to see it over and over again…even if you’re not at war you’re watching it happen somewhere else [on television],” says Sanam Hafeez, a Columbia University neuro-psychologist. 

Hafeez says veterans often self-medicate to deal with the prolonged effects and symptoms.

“There’s a certain integrity and toughness for war veterans…they like to say I’m tough and I defended our country. I’m this person who should be able to manage this and take care of this.”

For those veterans coming back from our most recent foreign conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says between 11 and 20 out of every 100 veterans have PTSD in a given year. 

And as the celebrations go on among civilian life, psychiatrists in the medical community suggest that veterans listen to music to avoid the loud sounds of the fireworks, stay around comfortable crowds like family or friends or even isolating themselves in order to stave off sudden attacks.

Still, the pain of war never dissipates.

“The war is never over…because your mind always brings it back to your recollection,” says Ferron. 

A Wisconsin father took baby-feeding duties to a new level after his wife suffered delivery complications. 

Maxamillian Neubauer was given the opportunity to breastfeed his newborn by a nurse at Door County Medical Center after his wife, April, had multiple seizures during an emergency C-section. 

The intimate father-daughter bonding moment was captured in photos that went viral. The Facebook post garnered more than 43,000 views and 30,000 shares as of Tuesday.

First-time mom April told WBAY that she thought she would never have children because she suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder that causes infrequent menstrual periods.

After learning she was pregnant, she developed a post-birth plan that included making immediate “skin-to-skin contact” with her newborn. But complications arose during delivery and sent the new mom to the intensive care unit.

Hospital nurse Cybil Martin-Dennehy offered new dad Neubauer an alternative “skin-to-skin” contact plan.

MOM WARNS ABOUT DANGERS OF HOT SLIDES AFTER 4-YEAR-OLD SUFFERS SECOND-DEGREE BURNS

“Due to complications during Aprils emergency c-section. This super rad nurse made a epically killer offer, and I was fortunate enough to slap on a suction cup fake nipple. Being the first to breast feed da baby!!!! ‘I did it for the moms’ Eat your heart out!!” Neubauer said in a Facebook post.

Martin-Dennehy said that when she has offered fathers the opportunity to breastfeed their children, she generally receives looks of confusion and disbelief. She said Neubauer’s eager response was a welcomed surprise.

“I love my job and am passionate about breastfeeding, and I hope it encourages other healthcare providers to recognize the role that dads play in the breastfeeding journey. Maybe even more so now!” Martin-Dennehy told CBS.