The unnamed mum-to-be – a teacher – is said to be defying medical advice by vowing to give birth to ALL six girls and six boys.

If she succeeds, her brood – conceived after fertility treatment – will smash the world record for multiple births.

The tots’ father, identified only as Marwan, is backing her. He beamed: “In the beginning we thought that my wife would give birth to twins.

“But more foetuses were discovered. Our joy increased with the growing number.”

He said his wife was determined to have a natural birth – but doctors had told her it was IMPOSSIBLE.

British fertility experts warned the pregnancy in the Tunisian oasis town of Gafsa carried “colossal” risks. All nine babies born to the current record-holder – an Australian mum in 1971 – died in Sydney.

Shocked Dr Mark Hamilton, of the British Fertility Society, said: “Twelve babies seems extraordinary.” The mum-to-be, who is being constantly monitored by experts in her home country, is said to have insisted she is “feeling fine”.

She was also “looking forward to hugging her six boys and six girls”. The wife had sought help after previously suffering the anguish of several miscarriages.

It was not clear if she had IVF treatment or an alternative procedure called ovulation induction treatment.

IVF would have meant several eggs being fertilised outside the womb then implanted. OIT uses hormones to stimulate the ovaries so they produce eggs that can be fertilised the natural way.

When multiple eggs are involved, UK women opting for either procedure are offered the option of “selective reduction”.

Some of the foetuses are aborted, so those left have a better chance of survival.

This also reduces the risk to the mother.

The Tunisian government is said to have pledged to do all it can to care for the mother and her babies.

Her pregnancy comes seven months after Californian mum Nadya Suleman stunned the world by delivering eight healthy tots.

And in May Nuala Conway, 26, from Dunamore in Co Tyrone, gave birth to sextuplets – four girls and two boys.

Sadly one of the girls later died.

SUN

If it’s a medical emergency, Erie County 911 will respond, but there is one address many of its dispatchers know by heart.

They find Scott Graham usually waiting at that Buffalo address for his ambulance several times a week.

“Sometimes two times a day,” Graham told 2 On Your Side. He suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia, a blood disorder. If left untreated, it can block blood flow to limbs and organs.

“It feels like somebody shooting me with battery acid, and I’m stepping on razor blades, and I’m having a heart attack at once,” he said talking about the pain the disorder causes.

Graham doesn’t have a job, insurance or car. So, when he feels bad, he doesn’t call a cab. He calls 911 to have an ambulance drive him to the hospital.

A 2 On Your Side investigation found that from January 2006 to May of this year, Rural Metro Ambulance picked him up 603 times.

Medicaid picked up the tab for each ride, costing taxpayers at least $118,158.

Graham estimates he’s requested even more rides. “I’d say about a thousand times.”

Rural Metro and Erie County chose not to respond on camera about Graham’s case. The county follows the same rules most emergency systems follow across the country. If you call, they must haul you to the hospital, no matter what your call is about.

Graham says he requests an ambulance because he can’t see his doctor as much as he needs. He also says he gets help quicker by arriving in an ambulance rather than by cab.

2 On Your Side contacted Medicaid to have them look into the number of times Graham used an ambulance. Medicaid appeared more interested in how we got the information, rather than how much it cost taxpayers to pick him up.

Medicaid fraud and abuse costs $60 billion each year nationwide.

2 On Your Side contacted our lawmakers to discuss how to lower that number.

“As we look at health care reform,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said, “we should also look at oversight and accountability for those programs to make sure that people aren’t abusing the system.”

Gillibrand says cracking down on abuse should be part of the major health care reform going through Congress to force more oversight.

Take Mr. Graham’s case. His trips cost Medicaid $118,000, but the government reimbursements are low. In fact, most ambulance companies lose money, up to 30% or more, when they transport Medicaid patients, because the government simply does not pay the full cost. Therefore, Mr. Graham’s actual cost to the ambulance company and to the health care system in general, is much more, as high as $360,000.

Erie County Executive Chris Collins, a Republican, says government is not the answer to limiting that type of alleged abuse and waste.

“Fundamentally, inherently I think the private sector is better able to do anything and everything compared to government,” Collins said.

Instead, Collins said the solution is insurance that is private and not public.

“Would the type of reform that you’re suggesting here be able to crack down more on this type of fraud?” asked 2 On Your Side’s Michael Wooten.

“I’m actually talking about the basic design of the program in New York,” Collins said. “where fraud is something we have to look at everyday. But the actual larger cost is the actual design of the program and the fact that we took the entire menu and said we’ll provide it all.”

Gillibrand disagrees.

“Bottom line then, expanded government-run health care can be efficient you believe?” 2 On Your Side’s Michael Wooten asked Gillibrand. “Absolutely,” she responded. “Talk to your mother. Talk to your father. Talk to someone who has Medicare. They’re pretty happy.”

Currently, New York has a dubious distinction of having the highest Medicaid costs in the entire country, about $2,300 per person. Collins said if we had a system similar the one in California, which does not provide as much care, we would save enough money to completely eliminate the county property tax.

WGRZ

Renee Ramsey is recovering from the surgery that she’s been dreaming of for decades.

“Since I was about 13, I always knew something was different,” said Renee.

She used to be Richard; a green beret specialist in Vietnam. A tough guy who privately dreamed of wearing dresses.

“It was weird cause as much as I wanted to dress like a lady, I didn’t say anything. I knew if I did I would be discharged,” said Renee.

She was in the military for over 20 years and married twice. She says Richard eventually started to dress like a woman, but switched back into the uniform for official duties.

“A lot of these transgender patients who try to be men, they take on masculine jobs they become labor struck, drivers, police men, soldiers,” said Dr. Sherman Leis, with The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery, says people with gender identity issues often try to over compensate.

“It was just a wonderful thing that I wanted for my whole life,” said Dr. Christine McGinn, who CBS 3 interviewed three years ago. She had once been a man in the Navy. A military man, like Richard, who’s now Renee.

Renee is 77, and while genital re-assignment surgery is complicated, age, as long as there are not medical problems, usually isn’t an issue.

“Renee happens to be in great medical shape. She was a very physical person for many years, and she went through the surgery very well,” said Dr. Leis.

Renee says she waited until her wife died to have the surgery, and finally feels normal.

“I’m happy good, as happy as any woman could be,” said Renee.

The surgery can be expensive, $20,000. It’s something that Renee has been saving for almost all her life. Transgender surgeries are not tracked, but Dr. Leis says his numbers are up.

CBS

A pattern of StumbleUpon use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:

1. Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
* A need for markedly increased amounts of time on StumbleUpon to achieve satisfaction.
* Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time on StumbleUpon.
2. Withdrawal, as manifested by either A or B below:
* (A) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome, 1, 2 and 3 below
1. Cessation of (or reduction in) StumbleUpon use that has been heavy and prolonged.
2. Two (or more) of the following, developing within several days to a month after Criterion:
o (a) psychomotor agitation
o (b) anxiety
o (c) obsessive thinking about what is happening on StumbleUpon
o (d) fantasies or dreams about StumbleUpon
o (e) voluntary or involuntary typing movements of the fingers
3. The symptoms in Criterion 2 cause distress or impairment in social, occupational or another important area of functioning
* (B) Use of StumbleUpon is engaged in to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
3. StumbleUpon is accessed more often or for longer periods of time than was intended, causing the untreated addict to neglect responsibilities at work and the needs of the family at home.
4. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control StumbleUpon use.
5. A great deal of time is spent in activities related to StumbleUpon use (for example, searching for new articles to submit, commenting on submitting articles).
6. Frequent talks about StumbleUpon in daily life.
7. Important family, social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced in duration and/or frequency because of StumbleUpon use.
8. StumbleUpon use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical, family, social, occupational, or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by StumbleUpon use (for example, sleep deprivation, marital difficulties, lateness for early morning appointments, neglect of occupational duties, or feelings of abandonment in significant others).

History of First Aid

The Knights Hospitaller were probably the first to specialize in battlefield care for the wounded. St. John Ambulance was formed in 1877 to teach first aid (a term devised by the order) in large railway centres and mining districts. The order and its training began to spread throughout the British Empire and Europe. As well, in 1859 Henry Dunant helped organize villagers in Switzerland to help victims of the Battle of Solferino. Four years later, four nations met in Geneva and formed the organization which has grown into the Red Cross. Developments in first aid and many other medical techniques have been fueled in large by wars: the American Civil War prompted Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross. Today, there are several groups that promote first aid, such as the military and the Scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today’s first aid simple and effective.