World Leaks

THE parents of little battler Mercy Cuthbertson have spoken of their pride now her legacy will live on with a charity set up in her memory.

Before the six-year-old died in May from a rare and inoperable brain tumour, she captured the hearts of the nation.

Glen Minikin

Mercy Cuthbertson’s parents have spoken of their pride now her legacy will live on[/caption]

Glen Minikin

Mercy with her parents Lorraine and Paul, who set up Mercy’s Mighty Foundation after she died[/caption]

Supplied

Esme, nine, who had surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, received a Dream Box from the charity[/caption]

Generous Sun on Sunday readers helped smash a £100,000 fundraising target for her medical treatment, care and specialist equipment.

Mum and dad Paul and Lorraine set up Mercy’s Mighty Foundation after she died, and it has now been officially recognised by the Charity Commission.

Lorraine, 44, from North Tyneside, said: “Mercy was very emotionally intelligent. Even when she was being treated at the hospital, she would share her craft materials with the other kids.

“Mercy would have loved the thought she was helping other children and that her face was on stickers and banners. She’d have been in her element.

“We are delighted the foundation has been officially recognised. We are creating a legacy that’s going to help other children like Mercy.”

In the summer of 2023, Mercy’s parents, who are both officers with Northumbria Police noticed she had suddenly stopped “racing” around the family home, suffering dizzy spells and and feeling tired.

Chief Inspector Lorraine and Paul, 52, a constable, took their daughter to the GP.

Mercy was referred for tests, which revealed she had an aggressive diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma tumour. It affects 20 to 30 children in Britain a year.

While undergoing three surgeries, 28 radiotherapy sessions and intense physiotherapy, Mercy remained positive and would still light up the room with her infectious laugh.

But Mercy died in her parents’ arms on May 19.

Grief-stricken Lorraine and Paul vowed to help other young brain tumour patients.

They now run Mercy’s Mighty Foundation with a trustee and lead fundraiser Elizabeth Biggins.

Through fun days, sponsored runs and JustGiving donations, they have raised a further £12,500 since Mercy died.

Among the children who have already benefited is five-year-old Teddy, who was diagnosed with a DIPG brain tumour in April.

The charity sent the little boy a Dream Box filled with Mercy’s favourite crafts, Smyths vouchers, and a teddy bear to reward his courage during radiotherapy.

Esme, nine, who has had surgery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour on June 10, has also received a box.

Lorraine thanked Sun on Sunday readers for their generous donations.

She said: “Every penny donated by readers makes a difference and will go to the foundation.”

See mercysmightyfoundation.org/ to donate.

DR Zoe Williams, our resident specialist and NHS GP, shares her expert advice with our readers.

Here she helps a reader who has noticed redenning on the side of their nose.

Olivia West

Q) FOR around four years I have noticed reddening on the side of my nose.

My GP says it is sunburn –  yet I use factor 50 sun lotion.

A) Persistent redness on the side of your nose can be frustrating, especially if it is not improving despite using sunscreen.

Sunburn can cause skin redness but it tends to be short-lived. If the skin scars, this can leave it altered longer term.

Given that the reddening has lasted for this long, it might be a ­different issue.

For example, rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels, and it can be triggered or exacerbated by sun exposure.

Another condition is seborrhoeic dermatitis which is caused by a yeast organism that lives on the skin.

This can be treated quite easily with cream that can be bought from a ­pharmacist.

I would suggest going back to the GP, maybe asking reception if there is a doctor that has a ­special interest in dermatology.

Sometimes your GP may take pictures, with your permission, to ask a dermatologist at the hospital for their opinion.

In the meantime keep using SPF 50 all over your face to protect your skin from sun damage.

TIP: WHY not use Stoptober to quit ­smoking this coming month?

Or use Sober October to reduce drinking, perhaps with a loved one so you can support each other and find new hobbies to fill the time.

E-mail Dr Zoe: health@thesun.co.uk

FARES ZIAM delivered one of UFC’s most “insane” knockouts ever.

The “Smile Killer” left Matt Frevola out cold – and MMA fans almost as stunned.

Getty

Fares Ziam left Matt Frevola out cold in their lightweight contest[/caption]

Considering how chilling the finale was, it’s incredible Ziam has never triumphed inside the distance before.

One UFC fan labelled it “one of the most brutal knockouts I’ve ever seen”.

After 13 minutes of their lightweight contest, home favourite Ziam suddenly put his forearm around Frevola’s head in the Paris octagon – and produced a crushing knee to the face.

The American crumpled immediately.

And although Ziam went in to finish the 34-year-old off there was never any doubt it was already over.

The referee darted in to keep him off the New Yorker.

 “Frevola was out, holy *** that’s scary,” responded one viewer.

 Another posted: “KO of the year contender?”

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Ziam won 10 of his 12 MMA bouts before switching to UFC five years ago.

Since then the 27-year-old has come out on top in five of his seven fights.

That includes a remarkable success back seven months ago, in his last bout before taking on Frevola.

Peruvian fighter Claudio Puelles put him down SEVEN times but Ziam notched a split-decision victory – due to landing more strikes.

He was then into the third and final round against Frevola when he produced his first “finish” – namely winning without needing to go all the way.

Frevola graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in Criminology.

But he won’t need his academic background for him to agree with one fan’s verdict that Ziam is a “bad man” – at least in fighting parlance for a mean machine.

However, some viewers were unhappy at Ziam still trying to land quick blows after Frevola was clearly spark out.

One fan even suggested: “He should be disqualified for those two punches afterwards. It was clearly a knockout.”

Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has mocked supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Peoples Party (APP) ahead of the October 5 local government election. After Wike’s loyalists took control of the PDP in Rivers following the congress that held last month, Fubara […]

A STREET has scooped £1million on the Postcode Lottery with one neighbour doubling their winnings due to a crafty trick.

11 lucky winners in Nantymoel, Bridgend secured the jackpot on Saturday 28 September.

People's Postcode Lottery

A selection of the winners in Nantymoel[/caption]

People's Postcode Lottery

Each ticket was worth a juicy £83,333[/caption]

People's Postcode Lottery

Grant and wife Katrina hope to treat themselves to a flight in first class with their winnings[/caption]

One winner, Grant Williams, hopes to take his first-ever flight in first class after winning his share of the prize.

He said he’s now dreaming of adventures abroad with his wife Katrina as a result.

Born and bred in Nantymoel, Grant has never wandered too far from his beloved home, but now he’s set to see the world.

And the dad-of-two, who was born in the front bedroom of his family house, thanked his late mum for ‘playing a part’ in his cash windfall.

Grant said: “This win means the world.

“I’ve never dreamt of winning this much money, it’s hard to process.

“I’ve never been abroad, I’ve never been on a plane.

“I’m going to have to sort that out now and first class is even an option now.

“It’s unbelievable. Life-changing.”

Grant landed the windfall with 10 neighbours in Nantymoel after CF32 7SU won the lottery’s weekly £1M Millionaire Street prize.

Every ticket was worth a whopping £83,333 with one winner doubling their prize to £166,666, thanks to playing with two tickets.

The Nantymoel neighbours’ £1M win comes one year after players in the nearby village of Tonypandy won the same prize.

There, three people each won £333,333 on 23 September 2023.

Another lucky winner, Michaela Jones, now says a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia for the British & Irish Lions Tour is now possible.

The mum-of-two said: “It’s felt like a dream. I was waiting for the rug to be pulled from underneath me, to be honest. Until I saw the camera crew, I didn’t believe it.

“We were planning on going to Australia next year for the rugby, that might be back on the cards.”

Michaela, who makes parachutes for a living, has fibromyalgia and made the decision to cut her hours to part-time recently.

She said: “Fibromyalgia affects my whole body and because the parachutes are heavy and I stand most of the day, I cut my hours back. Thankfully, my company have been brilliant with me, I can’t wait to tell them.

“My work family at the factory will be over the moon. They’ve been checking on the Postcode Lottery website all week to try and suss out how much I might win.”

Michaela and her groundworker husband Rob are planning on helping their 24-year daughter with house renovations and will all go to a Liverpool FC match.

SINGLE Montell Douglas says she has no intention of finding a new man — and admits she struggles to think of herself as sexy.

But the 38-year-old, best known as Fire from the BBC Gladiators reboot, said pro partner Johannes Radebe has helped to bring out her confident side.

BBC

Montell Douglas, pictured with Johannes Radebe, says she has no intention of finding a new man[/caption]

PA

Montell said pro partner Johannes has helped to bring out her confident side[/caption]

Team GB sprinter Montell said: “I don’t know if I have a sexy side — I am quite awkward in myself but I am bubbly and I like to have a good time.

“I love to joke around. I have great banter with Johannes so that is the sexy side if there was one there.”

Montell also said she battled with body confidence as she grew to 5ft 8ins with size eight feet — and never went out in a skirt until she was 18.

She said: “I just felt I wasn’t a girly girl. I was always in trousers, jeans, running around with all my friends.

“Now I wear all kinds of things. That is who I am.”

Montell split from her boyfriend nine months ago — but is not expecting the “Strictly curse” to turn into a blessing.

She said: “I am single and very much not mingling because I don’t have the time.

“There are so many things to think about with dancing.

“Johannes is the only man in my life and he ticks every box that I could want anyway.”

Redwood City police responded to reports of gunshots heard around the 1600 block of El Camino Real on Sept. 27.

At the scene, officials reported finding a man with gunshot wounds. Preliminary reports show that the victim's vehicle had external bullet holes, and was in motion during the shooting.

THE NATIONAL Lottery results are in and it’s time to find out who has won a life-changing amount of money tonight (September 28, 2024).

Could tonight’s jackpot of £11.3million see you handing in your notice, jetting off to the Bahamas or driving a new Porsche off a garage forecourt?

You can find out by checking your ticket against tonight’s numbers below. Good luck!

Tonight’s National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 18, 23, 36, 38, 39, 54 and the Bonus Ball is 12.

Tonight’s National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 09, 11, 12, 22, 36 and the Thunderball is 05.

The first National Lottery draw was held on November 19 1994 when seven winners shared a jackpot of £5,874,778.

The largest amount ever to be won by a single ticket holder was £42million, won in 1996.

Gareth Bull, a 49-year-old builder, won £41million in November, 2020 and ended up knocking down his bungalow to make way for a luxury manor house with a pool.

Sue Davies, 64, bought a lottery ticket to celebrate ending five months of shielding during the pandemic — and won £500,000.

Sandra Devine, 36, accidentally won £300k – she intended to buy her usual £100 National Lottery Scratchcard, but came home with a much bigger prize.

The biggest jackpot ever to be up for grabs was £66million in January last year, which was won by two lucky ticket holders.

Another winner, Karl managed to bag £11million aged just 23 in 1996.

The odds of winning the lottery are estimated to be about one in 14million – BUT you’ve got to be in it to win it.

Hezbollah has given no immediate indication of who might succeed Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah after he was killed in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon.