WFAA-TV

Dr. Roy Fleischmann examines Jennifer Spears (pictured).

Turning a magazine page, standing up and opening a door was all a painful effort for 27-year-old Jennifer Spears. So, was finding medical care without insurance. "We just felt strapped," Spears said. "I had to move in with my mom and stay there."

Collin County is home to one of the fastest growing community colleges in Texas. There's little debate the campus needs to be bigger. Four new science labs, 20 additional classrooms and a new library are all part of a $42 million central campus project in McKinney.

Unrest has spread throughout the Fort Worth Independent School District after more than 500 teachers received letters telling them they were terminated from their jobs.

WFAA-TV

Dusty Stephen watches as his mom, Cindy Stephens, talks about his surprise visit.

While the military may not be known for working fast, it did in the case of one sick North Texas mother. Since her son Dustin Stephens left for Iraq to serve as an Army paratrooper, Cindy Stephens used a web camera to catch up on his daily life.

While eating leafy greens is good for you, there is also a flip side to that as well according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

WFAA-TV

As thousands of children across North Texas dream of a permanent home, the state is looking for a few good families who want to adopt foster children. But some looking to adopt say the system itself discourages people from taking in unwanted children.

WFAA-TV

Who says the milkman doesn't deliver, anymore? He does, and he did. Bob Hilton, a milkman, found himself delivering a baby in a Frisco parking lot early Tuesday.

WFAA-TV

According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, resales are up 52 percent nationwide.

Not all businesses are suffering from a depressed economy. In fact, one aspect of retail appears to be recession proof - resale.

WFAA-TV

Maudine and Sam Sherber traveled to India to save money on medical care.

According to some estimates, in 2006, half a million Americans traveled to India, Thialand, Singapore, and other far-off places for treatments they couldn't afford in the U.S. It's part of a trend called medical tourism. Maudine and Sam Sherber said they saved thousands of dollars on surgery and dental work by traveling halfway around the world.

File / WFAA-TV

Last year, more than 200,000 people lost weight with surgery, and in many cases, the weight loss is dramatic. But what happens when the pounds come back? A recent study found that more than 30 percent of gastric bypass surgeries fail within a decade.

Famous Mineral Water Co.

There are four varieties of Crazy Water.

According to legend, Crazy Water could heal everything from arthritis to acid reflux. After a WFAA-TV report in October put Crazy Water to the test, viewers responded by the hundreds. And users say it works to remedy a variety of ailments.

WFAA-TV

A growing number of studies show a periodic fast can do as much for the body as it does for religious beliefs. After years of being told to eat many small meals a day to rev up the metabolism, research shows giving it a one day rest, once a week or once a month -- may also be beneficial.

WFAA-TV

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a health warning on the prescription medication Chantix used to help patients stop smoking. The warning follows reports of changes in behavior, agitation, depression and suicidal behavior of those taking the medication. News 8 uncovered thousands of reports of adverse reactions, including suicide, in an ongoing investigation.

File 2007 / AP

Everson Walls, left, and Ron Springs are honored before the Sept. 9 Cowboys game.

While the Ron Springs' lawsuit has spurred questions in relation to the specific anesthesiologist that is being sued by Springs' wife, questions concerning anesthesiologist in general have also sprung up. A former Dallas Cowboy that once rushed for Super Bowl glory, Ron Springs slipped into a coma after routine surgery.

WFAA-TV

News 8 has been investigating the potential side effects of the anti-smoking prescription drug drug since the bizarre death of Dallas musician Carter Albrecht.

WFAA-TV

City workers are trying to keep up with replacing the vanishing warning systems.

Thieves in Fort Worth may be blamed for high water deaths during future flash flooding. What they're stealing this time is endangering public safety in a very real, very expensive way.

WFAA-TV

Sariah Burrell, born 10 weeks early, benefits from the bubble therapy.

For years, blowing bubbles has been a favorite pastime for children. Now, doctors have harnessed the power of bubbles to help the tiniest of babies. It's something that might one day find its way into all hospital nurseries.

WFAA-TV

Some people say they have had good results from the procedure.

The popular 'fat melting' procedure is now getting some unpopular reports. Fig, a major chain of lipodissolve clinics, closed nationwide, after investors apparently pulled out, causing the company to say they may file for bankruptcy. Health and business organizations say they tried to warn the public.

WFAA-TV

Reese Harding is happy to see her guardian angels.

The ring at the door had the Harding family excited. It was Cathie and Kelly Nolen calling. The last time they had seen little Reese Harding was last July under very different circumstances: The infant was lifeless, in the arms of her panicked mother parked on the side of the road.

WFAA-TV

A six-month-old North Texas girl's parents are on a manhunt for a couple they call heroes. Kristina and Erik Harding said their child, Reese, almost died this past summer during a routine trip to a store.

Courtesy

Ryann Rathbone (pictured with her boyfriend Carter Albrecht) said she believes Chantix contributed to Albrecht "changing."

Complaints about the drug Chantix continue to mount. The Food and Drug Administration announced last week that they are now investigating whether the stop-smoking medication is safe. Now News 8 has learned the number and type of side effects might be far greater and more deadly than previously reported.

WFAA-TV

Another red flag has arisen for people who use certain denture adhesives after a North Texas researcher has found more evidence of possible long-term poisoning. Not much has changed for Gerald Elliott, who suffers a permanent effect of nerve damage caused by zinc toxicity, since News 8 interviewed him in May.

WFAA-TV

Body Bugg contains sensors that monitor activity.

Billed as one of the hottest weapons in the battle of the bulge, the "Body Bugg" is worn by dieters on the popular television show "The Biggest Loser" and sold at 24 Hour Fitness clubs across North Texas. Jassy Bigelow, who has worn one for the last year, said before giving the Bugg a try, she wouldn't have been caught dead in skimpy workout clothes.

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Ryann Rathbone (pictured with her boyfriend Carter Albrecht) said she believes Chantix contributed to Albrecht "changing."

The Food and Drug Administration announced an official safety review of the popular stop-smoking drug Chantix, which is the same drug many said may have contributed to a Dallas musician's violent outburst preceding his death. Even before the violent rampage that led to the end of the Carter Albrecht's life, friends said he had been behaving strangely and placed the blame on the combination of alcohol and Pfizer-made Chantix.

WFAA-TV

Last year, Americans spent about one and a half billion dollars on low-calorie frozen dinners. Many of those meals were high in preservatives and salt. For those who value fresh over frozen, there is "Diet Gourmet." The Texas-based company provides a completely fresh and often organic alternative to the ice-cube fare dieters can buy in any grocery store.

WFAA-TV

With everyone from Al Gore to the Environmental Protection Agency pushing the switch, new energy-efficient, money-saving light bulbs seem like a brilliant idea. However, there are potential health risks with the bulbs that most consumers don't know about. Every one of the compact fluorescent bulbs contain an environmentally hostile heavy metal, mercury.

WFAA-TV

As North Texas counties have begun reporting cases of influenza, more and more schools are stamping down against staph. Now, there may be a protection from the illnesses, eating bacteria. There is a growing science that says eating germs can actually protect people from them.

WFAA-TV

Tree Yoga inventor Hall Pruessler enjoys dangling with his face just inches from the ground.

Studies link it to lower stress, greater flexibility and better overall health. Now, there's a new twist that takes the ancient exercise of yoga to all new heights. It's called "Tree Yoga."

WFAA-TV

New cellulite treatment may melt away trouble spots in less than 30 days.

Four out of five women have it. All of them hate it. Now, there is new technology in the fight against those pits and bulges known as cellulite. Kim Reebes, a former flight attendant, is happy with her results. "My stomach area is tighter,” said Reebes. “My pants are looser after just one treatment."

WFAA-TV

According to a recent study, downing an energy drink may do more than just boost one's activity level; it could also boost their blood pressure to an unhealthy level. The American Heart Association study concluded that people with high blood pressure or other heart conditions may want to completely avoid the drinks.

WFAA-TV

Cosmetic surgery is one of the most profitable ways to make money in medicine; and with profit, sometimes comes a price for patients who find themselves paying for botched surgeries.

Famous Mineral Water Co.

Famous Mineral Water Co. sells four different types of bottled "Crazy Water."

In the early 1900s, thousands from all over the world came to drink the healing waters of Mineral Wells. The Palo Pinto town, an hour west of Fort Worth, was one of the biggest health resort towns in the country. Over 200 water pavillions boasted cures for whatever ailed you.

WFAA-TV

Becky Giles said one of the most important things she teaches her students is honesty. So, while she didn't have to tell anyone she was battling her fourth MRSA infection in recent years, she did. "Because I'm the only teacher in a classroom here, I want to make sure that the parents are aware of it," she said

File / DMN

A sample of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

Three-year-old Dalton is in agony, from an MRSA staph infection that has attacked the tiniest cells of his body.

WFAA-TV

Samantha Collins was born without ears.

A News 8 report this past summer about a little girl with a facial deformity sparked so much community outrage, an insurance company changed their policy. This week, that child got what you all demanded.

WFAA-TV

Focusing attention on lifesaving ways to stop the second leading cancer killer of women, October is breast cancer awareness month. Thousands of women are leery of screening, afraid they may be misdiagnosed, which was exactly what happened to Darrie Eason.

A new study revealed just how widespread and deadly antibiotic-resistant staph infections have become. The new research shows skin infections caused by antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria have become a growing threat in the United States.

Millions of parents send their children to school, expecting they'll be able to learn in a safe environment. But for more than two million kids with food allergies, potential danger lurks in every cafeteria and classroom.

WFAA-TV

Children's Medical Center to study brain cooling in kids.

Children's Medical Center Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center announced the country's first hypothermia clinical trial for pediatrics. But parents may not be the ones to give consent for their child to participate.
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WFAA-TV

Ahmed Ibrahim (far right), who was separated from his twin brother, sits with conjoined twins Anastasia and Tatiana Dogaru.

In two vastly different states, the once conjoined Egyptian twins and the currently conjoined Italian girls appeared at a fundraiser in Dallas Thursday night. While the Egyptian boys are a medical success, hope for separation appears to be slowly fading for the girls.

WFAA-TV

On the eve of the funeral for her twin boys, a young Dallas mother talked about about the circumstances that led to their deaths. Kanisha Turner's pictures of her twin sons show them tenderly posed after they died, but seeing them makes her question the events that led to their premature delivery.

WFAA-TV

While acupuncture has been used for years to treat disease, illness and pain, the ancient art has also been a method that—some say—can erase years from the face. Brooke Arnold credits her young and fresh face to the monthly acupuncture treatments she undergoes to ward off the wrinkles.

WFAA-TV

New science may completely change facelifts and fillers while helping people look younger and better than ever. What goes up must come down. Gravity, unfortunately, applies to the face too.

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Ryann Rathbone with Carter Albrecht

NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
Since the bizarre and tragic shooting death of Dallas musician Carter Albrecht earlier this month, concerns have surfaced about Chantix—the stop-smoking drug he was prescribed. Those closest to Alrbrecht believe it contributed to his death.

Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world - with an estimated 25 million sufferers. Yet only 5 million of those people wear hearing aids.

WFAA-TV

Waygu beef is served at some of Dallas's hottest restaurants. Some say it is better than prime, but its price is higher than prime, too; it sells for about $30 an ounce. Many who taste the mouthwatering, marble-laced delicacy—also called Kobe beef—say it's worth it.

WFAA-TV

The water washes away irritants.

Allergists predict this could be one of the worst years on record for fall allergies. But there is a treatment to wash away allergies. The best part about it - it's virtually free.

WFAA-TV

Gold is molded to fit the contours of the face.

In the stock market, its value rises and falls but gold is making a steady surge in the beauty industry and clients find its anti-aging properties precious. The 24-karat gold facial is now available in Dallas.

WFAA-TV

A thrown rock injured Daniel Stewart's right eye.

A Johnson County father says his son may be blinded as the result of a lack of supervision during a community service project. Daniel Stewart, 15, was injured during a rock-throwing incident. "There was no response," David Stewart charges.

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Stacy Ann Forbes posed with co-workers in Tennessee in this undated photo.

Now that amnesia patient Stacy Ann Forbes has been identified, News 8 learned this isn't the first time she has disappeared.

WFAA-TV

As police seek public help to identify a woman suffering from amnesia, one North Texas man who once disappeared for 25 days said he can relate with the 'Jane Doe' case. 'Jane Doe' was taken to the Terrell State Hospital after she was found July 18 in Dallas and diagnosed with transient global amnesia at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

While exercise balls are in nearly every health club and considered a great way to strengthen abdominal muscles, one ball turned out to be a bust, literally, for a North Texas man.

Whooping cough is a growing public health threat. State health officials recently re-launched a campaign in the fight against the coughing disease. Part of the problem, according to health experts and patients, is that many doctors aren't paying attention to the signs.

AP

An unidentified woman was in tears during the news conference.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts walked out of a Maine hospital Tuesday after the 52-year-old suffered a seizure and fall Monday at his vacation home.

According to the state medical board, more than 4,000 doctors applied to practice in Texas last year, an increase of more than 30 percent from 2005. However, some people now argue that sweeping malpractice reform laws are preventing patients who are hurt during healthcare from seeking justice.

Garland PD

Nathaniel G. Sandles

DART transit police today arrested a man wanted for sexually assaulting a juvenile at gunpoint. "We consider him very, very dangerous," said Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn. Investigators believe that Nathaniel Sandles is responsible for Tuesday's attack on a teenage boy at Audubon Park in Garland.

File 2003 / DMN

Philippe Padieu

A Frisco man remains behind bars for allegedly exposing women to the virus that causes AIDS. Now police want to make sure all the women that Philippe Padieu has dated in the past two years know what has happened.

WFAA-TV

Samantha Collins was born without ears.

A North Texas family found themselves surprised to be locked in a battle with their insurance company over a device you may think is covered under most policies. At stake is $15,000 and a little girl's hearing.

While traditional screening methods for skin cancer have been known to be time consuming and often painful, cutting edge technology is now making detecting and tracking skin cancer easier.

This year, Texas begins mandatory physical education testing for students to help combat the growing childhood obesity problem. Experts say kids can't get healthy without family support. News 8 has been following one North Texas family trying to do just that for more than a year.

North Texans exposed to asbestos, may have taken the contamination home to their families but there is now free help available.

WFAA-TV

Wildflowers now grow on the site of the vermiculite factory.

Parkland Memorial Hospital is offering free X-rays this weekend to people who spent time near a West Dallas factory. Health authorities say many people may have been exposed to asbestos, and they are working very hard now to find anyone who lived, worked, or went to school within a quarter mile of the plant during that time.