A 13-year-old boy is credited with saving the lives of his mother and two younger siblings with an hourslong swim after the family was swept out to sea off the Australian coast.
Austin Appelbee swam 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) to shore to raise the alarm after he got into difficulties on Friday with his mother Joanne Appelbee, 47, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, police said.
“I think, at one point, I was thinking of ‘Thomas the Tank Engine,’ you know, trying to get the happiest things in my head, trying to make it through, like, not the bad things that’ll distract me,” Austin said Tuesday.
“He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on,” Bresland said. “And the brave fella thought he’s not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket.”
Austin said he initially set off for help on an inflatable kayak that was taking water. He abandoned the kayak then took off his life jacket because it impeded his swimming.
He said he tried to focus on positive thoughts as he swam for around four hours through rough seas for shore, raising the alarm at 6 p.m.
“The waves are massive and I have no life jacket on. … I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming,'” Austin said. “And then I finally I made it to shore and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed.”
Austin Appelbee poses for a photo in Gidgegannup, Australia, Feb. 3, 2026, after the 13-year-old made an hourslong swim to raise an alarm after his family was swept out to sea off the Australian coast.
Briana Shepherd/AP
“I didn’t think I was a hero,” Austin told the BBC. “I just did what I did.”
The family, from the state capital Perth, was on vacation and using kayaks and paddle boards hired from their hotel around noon when rough ocean and wind conditions started dragging them out to sea.
A search helicopter found the mom and two children wearing life jackets and clinging to a paddleboard at 8:30 p.m., police said. They had drifted 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Quindalup in Western Australia state, after spending up to 10 hours in the water.
“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough — his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” Police Inspector James Bradley said in a statement.
Joanne Appelbee told reporters on Tuesday she sent her oldest child for help because she could not leave the three children.
“One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin: ‘Try and get to shore and get some help. This could get really serious really quickly,'” she told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
She said she was confident he would reach shore but was filled with doubt as the sun set and help had not arrived.
“We kept positive, we were singing and we were joking and … we were treating it as a bit of a game until the sun started to go down and that’s when it was getting very choppy. Very big waves,” she said.
“Physically, she just said, ‘I’m struggling, I can’t,’ but she just said they’re looking her in the eye, and she just kept going and kept them together,” Bresland told the ABC.
The three were all shivering and Beau had lost sensation in his legs because of the cold by the time they were rescued, the mom said.
“We made it, we’re alive, and that’s the most important thing, and I have all three babies,” Joanne said. “…All three of them made it. That was all that mattered.”
All four family members were medically assessed but none required hospital admission.
This image taken from video shows Austin Appelbee, right, posing with his family in Gidgegannup, Australia, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026.
ABC/AP
In a social media post, Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue Group praised the family, especially Austin.
“The bravery, strength, and courage shown by this family were extraordinary, especially the young fella who swam 4km to raise the alarm and set everything into motion,” the group wrote on Facebook.
Motionless In White have officially entered a new era. The band have dropped their blistering new single and video, “Afraid of the Dark,” a track that doubles down on their signature blend of dark hard rock, gothic atmosphere, and stadium-sized hooks — while teasing what’s to come on their upcoming album.
Alongside the release, Motionless In White have announced The Sweat and Blood Tour, a major North American headlining run featuring an equally stacked support lineup with Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress.
The tour marks the band’s first American headlining tour in nearly three years, kicking off July 14 in Bridgeport, CT. From there, the trek will cut a wide path across the country with stops in Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and more, before wrapping up on August 15 in Sterling Heights, MI. Get your tickets here.
One of the most notable moments of the run arrives with a stop at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, marking Motionless In White‘s first-ever time headlining the iconic venue — a career milestone for the band.
“By the time this tour begins, it will have been just under three years since our last U.S. headliner, and we are absolutely shooting for the moon to celebrate our return,” the band shared in a statement. “We could not be more excited to visit our American fans who have been incredibly patient with us, and can’t wait to give them the first performances of new material from our upcoming album.”
They added simply: “See you this summer!”
7/14 Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater 7/16 Gilford, NH BankNH Pavilion 7/18 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live 7/21 Charlotte, NC Truliant Amphitheater 7/22 Alpharetta, GA Ameris Bank Amphitheatre 7/24 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 7/25 Houston, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 7/26 Austin, TX Germania Insurance Amphitheater 7/28 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater 7/29 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre 7/31 Los Angeles, CA The Kia Forum 8/1 Wheatland, CA Toyota Amphitheatre 8/4 Portland, OR Theater of the Clouds 8/5 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre 8/7 Sandy, UT Beddys Plaza at America First Field 8/9 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre 8/11 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre 8/12 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP 8/14 Indianapolis, IN Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park 8/15 Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
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It is hard to deny the advantages that Manchester City carry into the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinals – a two-goal lead is a healthy cushion to take into Wednesday’s match against Newcastle United, and playing at home can’t hurt. City, though, have more than clichés about 2-0 leads to worry about with a cup final within touching distance. Few things seem to be going right for Pep Guardiola’s side these days, victory on Wednesday no sure thing for a team that was once the definition of utter dominance.
The skid that essentially began with a weeks-long losing streak in the fall of 2024 has not exactly dissipated in the year-plus since, despite City’s attempts to change things up. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent on transfer fees and some stylistic changes from Guardiola have not stopped the bleeding just yet, victories slipping out of reach in surprising ways. Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, a game in which they boasted a 2-0 lead at halftime, leaves them with just four wins in their last 10 and a wide range of questions as to why this keeps happening, questions Guardiola does not exactly have answers to.
The weirdest thing about City’s slump is that it is hard to explain at times, in part because the reimagining of the squad makes sense in a lot of ways. A handful of the players they have signed in the last year address genuine issues like Marc Guehi, the ex-Crystal Palace defender who should help shore up a vulnerable defense. The headlining acts of City’s refreshed roster, though, are in attack – summer addition Rayan Cherki and January signing Antonie Semenyo, each of whom have quickly become dependable during an unexpected rough patch.
How to watch Manchester City vs. Newcastle United, odds
Odds: Manchester City -135; Draw +285; Newcastle United +310
City are still the Premier League’s best attacking side but their offense is overly reliant on Erling Haaland, who runs hot and cold like many strikers do. He still has 20 goals in the league but has just two across all competitions in his last 11, It is not exactly down to a lack of productivity on City’s part – the team’s expected goals per game average has slipped during Haaland’s cold streak to 1.6, but only slightly from their overall season average of 1.8, and they score at roughly the same frequency they always have. Haaland himself, though, is more absent than he was at the start of the season – he has averaged 0.4 expected goals per game in his last 11, down from his season average of 0.7.
Cherki and Semenyo have done their best to fill in the gaps, alongside academy product Phil Foden and another summer signing in Tijjani Reijnders. The quartet have jointly scored 29 goals across all competitions – just two more as a group than Haaland on his own, a reminder that an overreliance on a player of his caliber sometimes papers over the cracks. Cherki, Reijnders and Semenyo have picked up the slack during Haaland’s cold streak. France international Cherki has quickly become the star of City’s show with five goals and three assists in the team’s last 11 games, filling in as a dependable goalscorer when Haaland cannot and ensuring his first season with City is off to a strong start despite being sidelined with an injury at the beginning of the season. Semenyo, too, has hit the ground running since joining last month with four goals and one assist to start his City tenure.
“I think it stems from the players,” Semenyo told CBS Sports Golazo Network‘s Morning Footy this week. “The players made me feel very comfortable. They helped me make it feel easier for myself and then you’ve obviously got the coaches, as well. They’re guiding me every day, giving me little tips on improving my game and obviously getting used to the system but it’s been very, very easy. Everyone’s made it very easy for me to settle in and you have to learn on the go. I mean, I’ve had to do that practically all my life – my football career, I should say so it’s not anything new to me.”
That includes Haaland, even if he joked upon Semenyo’s arrival that the ex-Bournemouth player was “coming for my golden boot.” The newcomer said his new teammate has been very welcoming, even as a sense of friendly competition begins to define their relationship.
“He’s made me feel so comfortable,” Semenyo said. “He’s a loud character in the changing room, very vocal but he’s made me feel the most comfortable, I should say, from day one. Before that clip even came out, he was just saying, ‘It’s great to have you here’ … [We’ll] compete for top goalscorer as well so it’s nice, friendly competition but I’m glad he’s my teammate.”
Even as things go sideways for City in the Premier League, Semenyo is quickly proving his worth while he and Cherki add much-needed dimension to an attack that is sometimes one-note when Haaland does all the work. It is not exactly a foolproof strategy to survive Haaland’s slump – they have gone goalless twice in their last 11, their 2-0 loss to Manchester United the most clear example of the Norway international’s oversized presence in City’s attack.
The pair, though, ensure City have a chance in most of their outings, with or without Haaland. Defensive resilience – or a lack thereof – is emerging as the next major area of improvement for Guardiola’s side, Guehi merely one step in addressing an issue exacerbated by a batch of injuries. Newcastle will like their chances against a vulnerable City, who are undoubtedly in a funk but in Semenyo and Cherki have the type the players to snap out of this run, at least in the short term.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Rail Runner service was disrupted Tuesday evening after officials said a train hit a trespasser on the tracks. Details are limited, but it happened in an area north of Bernalillo. New Mexico State Police have not identified the person, and they have not determined if it was a suicide. Passengers were bused […]
QAMISHLI, Syria — Security forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry continued Tuesday to deploy in Kurdish-dominated areas in northeastern Syria as part of an agreement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
A convoy of security forces entered the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli, in the countryside of al-Hasakah province — where they entered on Monday.
Under the deal, small contingents of security forces reporting to the Interior Ministry will enter Kurdish-majority areas. Their mandate is limited to securing state-affiliated institutions, including civil registry offices, passport departments and the airport, and to restart work at those facilities.
Security was visibly tightened on Amuda Street, the main road leading into Qamishli, ahead of the deployment. Streets were largely empty since the SDF imposed a curfew, with shops shuttered and heavily armed SDF personnel and local Kurdish security forces spread across major roads and intersections.
Some fighters had their faces covered, and several women were among the forces deployed. Yellow flags of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units were seen alongside Kurdish flags lining closed storefronts.
“We are coordinating with the other side inside Qamishli for our forces to deploy inside the city,” said the spokesperson for the Syrian Interior Ministry, Nour al-Din al-Baba.
“There is a program and a time frame to finalize all of the deal’s clauses, among them is taking over the vital facilities, including the crossings, the Qamishli airport and oil facilities, managing them and making them operational in the service of the Syrian people,” he added.
Samer Ahmad, a member of the local Kurdish security forces, told the AP that Kurdish forces remain in control of security in the city as he held his rifle and monitored the situation in Qamishli.
“All necessary measures have been taken, and our forces are ready to confront sleeper cells and those seeking to carry out acts of sabotage,” Ahmad said.
“The incoming (government) forces will be deployed at four points in the city of Qamishli, and their presence here will be temporary. God willing, in the coming period, once integration is completed, they will withdraw,” he added.
Before arriving in Qamishli, convoys of security force vehicles bearing Syrian flags entered Tell Brak, east of Hasakah — a focal area between Qamishli and Hasakah — as crowds lined the roads, waving Syrian flags and cheering their arrival. People chanted through megaphones, “The Syrian people are one.”
Some men fired celebratory gunfire into the air while women ululated.
“We hope that the Arab Syrian army becomes the one in control, and we hope this happiness is spread across Syria, north to south to east to west,” said Adel al-Ahmad, who was among those welcoming the convoy.
He expressed contentment over what he described as “the liberation of Al-Hasakah from the SDF as well as Qamishli, where the SDF is still present, in addition to Al-Jawaliyeh and Kahtaniyeh and Al-Malikiyah.”
Arab residents in SDF‑controlled areas have long complained of political and economic marginalization, while many Kurdish communities fear reprisals from government‑affiliated fighters — concerns sharpened by the widespread sectarian killings and retaliatory attacks that erupted across Syria in 2025, especially in coastal and southern regions.
“We are happy with the entry of the internal security to Al-Hasakeh on the way to Qamishli,” said Wissam al-Motlak, another spectator.
Country music legend Marty Stuart is recovering from a winter accident that’s temporarily sidelined his touring plans.
The Grand Ole Opry member revealed on Tuesday (Feb. 3) that he slipped on a patch of ice while walking outdoors, resulting in a sprained wrist, a hand injury, and what he jokingly called a “state-of-the-art hairline fracture.”
“Good job, Marty!” the 67-year-old wrote in his update to fans, proving that his sense of humor is still fully intact — even if his picking hand isn’t.
No Guitar, No Mandolin — For Now
While the injury isn’t serious enough to require surgery, it’s significant enough to keep Stuart from doing what he loves most: playing.
“It’s getting better by the day,” he shared, “but I can’t play the guitar or the mandolin at the moment.”
As a result, several upcoming concerts have been postponed. Fans are encouraged to keep an eye on social media and email for updates. Refunds are available at the original point of purchase.
A Pause, Not a Goodbye
Despite the setback, Stuart assured fans that he and his band, The Fabulous Superlatives, will be back soon.
“We’ll return in full force just as soon as possible,” he promised. “Meanwhile, stay safe, everybody.”
As one of country music’s most respected performers, Marty Stuart’s return to the stage will no doubt be worth the wait.
14 Country Stars Who’ve Quit Touring + 4 Tried But Couldn’t
Life on the road was just too much for these 17 country stars.
You’ll find several legends in perfectly good health as well as at least two young (relatively) hitmakers on this list of stars who quit touring. You’ll also find four artists who pulled a Tom Brady — they tried to retire, but life at home just wasn’t what they longed for.
Harden, who has missed the past two games for personal reasons, according to the team, helped lead the Clippers back into the playoff picture after a 6-21 start. They are 23-26 and in ninth in the Western Conference.
Harden, 36, has been traded four times in his career, three of which came after trade requests: from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets (2021); Nets to Philadelphia 76ers (2022); and then 76ers to Clippers (2023). Harden is averaging 25.4 points per game this season, his highest since his final full season in Houston in 2020-21. He has played 44 games and is averaging 35.4 minutes.
Why did Harden and the Clippers part ways? And what does Harden’s potential departure mean for LA’s future? Our NBA insiders answer the biggest lingering questions:
So what’s next for the Clippers?
As recently as two weeks ago, Harden was talking about how “blessed” he felt to be able to play in his hometown at this stage of his career. By all accounts, the feeling was mutual with the organization.
Harden was well-liked in LA and more productive than anyone would’ve expected after how his time in Philadelphia ended. The problem is, he’s 36 and due to make the kind of salary the best player on a contender makes, not that of an aging superstar on a team that has probably missed its championship window.
Moving Harden, and getting Darius Garland, gives the Clippers something of a future.
Which is saying something considering how bereft of draft picks and promising younger players the Clippers are.
It’s not clear where this would leave Kawhi Leonard, 34, who has helped lead the Clippers back to the playoff chase after their horrible start. — Ramona Shelburne
And what’s next for the Cavaliers?
In two trades that pierced the second apron’s attempted lock on high-spending teams, the Cavs totally renovated their backcourt in an attempt to better support franchise player Donovan Mitchell.
The Harden acquisition is truly an unexpected twist, Harden choosing to leave his hometown team amid an inspiring season-turning hot streak — and the Cavs moving on from a decade younger, multi-time All-Star who is under contract for multiple seasons.
But the Cavs clearly didn’t think they’ve been good enough this season and Harden, despite his age, has demonstrated he is reliable and can put up big numbers in big minutes while Garland has battled numerous injuries. Figuring out how to share the ball with Mitchell is going to take time, but Harden has plenty of experience navigating midseason trades.
The Cavs are making two things clear:
1. They are all-in on 2026, which makes some sense considering they need Mitchell to sign an extension this summer and the East is perceived as being wide open (apologies to Detroit).
2. They are no longer precious about their “core four” (RIP). That means they might not be done, and seeing as they have at least had some conversations about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, sources said, they should be considered motivated to keep looking at moves.
They are still second-apron restricted, so such a big deal would require money-dumping machinations, likely including moving off the salary of Lonzo Ball, but the Cavs’ aggression should not be underestimated at this juncture. — Brian Windhorst
What was the scene inside Intuit Dome on Monday night?
Harden was nowhere to be found, missing his second consecutive game for what the team called personal reasons. That he had perhaps played his last game for the Clippers, though, was not a secret on the floor.
Players from both teams, the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers, whispered about the situation before the game and even chatted before tip about the concept of him ending up in Cleveland. With a handful of Clippers players wearing Harden’s signature shoes (which is normal), LA fell down 16-2, looking flat out of the gate.
It was the second night of a back-to-back, and that happens, but Harden’s tenure in LA was marked by him carrying the team through tough times. It felt as if the team was expressing itself knowing what was taking place. — Windhorst
What’s the early chatter across the NBA?
The main reaction around the league is wondering what’s next for Cleveland.
That the Cavaliers moved on from one of their “core four” players is a sharp departure from how they have operated the past few years, when they’ve constructed everything with the mindset of building around Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
This move is a recognition of their disappointing season, which has seen them hovering in the lower half of the East playoff picture for virtually all of it – after entering the season being, at worst, co-favorites to win the East.
From a talent standpoint, though, the reaction is almost universally in Cleveland’s favor. Harden might be a decade older, but he’s been unequivocally better – and healthier – this season.
That said, given Harden’s leverage to hold up a trade, there is curiosity around the league as to what a potential contract for Harden might look like this summer when he can become a free agent if he turns down his player option for next year. — Tim Bontemps
The first is that Harden will waive his one-year bird restriction. The de facto no-trade clause is a result of Harden signing a two-year contract with the Clippers in the offseason that contained a player option.
The second is Harding having a 15% trade bonus in his contract that is valued at $2.3M. Because the Cavaliers are a second-apron team and not allowed to take back additional salary in the trade, Harden will need to reduce the bonus to $266,397. — Bobby Marks
What does it mean for Harden’s legacy that he’s being traded for what would be the fifth time in his career?
Welcome to modern stardom. Through the 1990s, just two MVPs had played for more than three teams during their careers: Moses Malone (seven, plus two more in the ABA) and Bob McAdoo (seven). Since Shaquille O’Neal played for six teams, bouncing to four in as many seasons at the end of his career, that’s been as much the rule as the exception.
Harden’s former Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant has played for five teams, albeit with only two trades in the mix. And Russell Westbrook, his teammate with the Thunder, Houston Rockets and LA Clippers, is on team number seven. Although it’s easy to pin this to the so-called “player empowerment” era, the reality is also that teams are quicker to move on from aging stars with high salaries than they once were.
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Anthony Slater: Draymond Green is coming up in trade talks
Anthony Slater joins “NBA Today” to discuss why Draymond Green’s name is coming up in trade talks.
Having Harden come full circle to finish his career with the hometown Clippers was a nice storyline, and certainly a more romantic one than Harden going to the Cavaliers with no particular tie to the organization other than its history of serving as a late-era stop for itinerant former MVPs O’Neal and Derrick Rose.
Still, the difference between Harden (and Westbrook) and Durant is that he belongs to a specific franchise. No matter how many teams Harden ends up playing for, even if he wins an elusive championship elsewhere, he’ll always be remembered as a member of the Houston Rockets. Harden is the franchise leader in 3s, assists and triple-doubles while ranking second behind fellow MVP Hakeem Olajuwon in scoring.
The eight full seasons Harden spent in Houston, resulting in an MVP and two trips to the conference finals, will be his lasting legacy. — Kevin Pelton
What does Harden bring to Cleveland at age 36?
One irony of Harden’s trade request was that he’s playing his best basketball in years.
The 2017-18 NBA MVP is posting his highest scoring average and usage rate since he left Houston half a decade ago, and he’s one of just four players this season — along with Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Cade Cunningham — averaging at least 25 points and eight assists per game.
And while he’s not quite as efficient from the field as he was at his peak, he compensates by drawing a ton of fouls. Among high-usage stars, Harden has a higher true shooting percentage than Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown and Devin Booker.
In other words, Harden is still an offensive engine unto himself, with advanced stats that place him in the range of Kevin Durant — another veteran still excelling into his late 30s — in terms of offensive impact.
The Clippers are scoring 120.4 points per 100 possessions with Harden on the court, per databallr, versus just 109.5 without him; that’s the difference between a top-three offense and a bottom-three unit. Team Harden up with another star, and the results are even better: Harden and Kawhi Leonard have a scorching 125.1 offensive rating together.
However, part of Harden’s legacy is uncertainty over whether his statistical renaissance will translate to the postseason. Last season, he scored just seven points in a Game 7 as the Clippers were eliminated; in 2023-24, he scored 23 combined points over the Clippers’ last two losses; and in 2022-23, he scored just nine points in a Game 7 as the 76ers fell.
Harden can still help Cleveland over the next couple of months, especially because he’s almost always available: He played in 44 of the Clippers’ first 47 games this season before missing the last two. But the Cavs had better be able to rely on other scorers once they reach the postseason. — Zach Kram
YOU’RE WATCHING KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. IN HONOR OF HEART MONTH, WE SHINE A LIGHT ON EIGHT YEAR OLD KATHERINE LANGE. SHE WAS BORN WITH HALF A HEART AND WASN’T EXPECTED TO LIVE. WE SHARED HER STORY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. TODAY, HER FATHER TELLS US SHE IS LIVING AND SHE IS THRIVING. HERE’S FAITH EGBUONU. HOW ARE YOU FEELING? GOOD. I WANT TO. MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FRIEND KATHERINE LANGE, EIGHT YEARS OLD NOW AND THRIVING. ARE YOU EXCITED? HOW DO YOU FEEL? GOOD. AWESOME. AND NOW I HEAR THAT YOU’RE CHEERLEADING NOW. HOW COOL. IT’S GOOD. YEAH, I’M A FLIER. YOU’RE A FLIER? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I DON’T KNOW, I STAND ON PEOPLE’S HANDS. YES. AWESOME. YEAH, THEY PICKED ME UP FROM CHEERLEADING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO’S JUNIOR LOBOS TO GYMNASTICS. YOUR GIRL IS A STAR. MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAYS WE HAVE TO COME TO YOUR SHOW AND SEE YOU ROCK OUT. YEAH. HOWEVER, A FAR CRY FROM KATHERINE’S JOURNEY THREE YEARS AGO. BORN WITH HALF A HEART. ONCE FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE AT JUST FIVE YEARS OLD. HYPOPLASTIC LEFT HEART SYNDROME, A HEART DEFECT THAT CAUSES THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HEART TO BE UNDERDEVELOPED. WE SPOKE WITH HER FATHER, GARY. BACK THEN. SHE’S HAD THREE, THREE, THREE SURGERIES, ONE AT FOUR DAYS OLD, ONE AT FOUR MONTHS OLD AND ONE AT TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF AGE. SHE’S HAD APPROXIMATELY TEN HEART CATHETERIZATIONS JUST IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, SHE’S HAD OVER 40 BLOOD DRAWS. GARY REMINISCING NOW ON HOW FAR HIS BABY GIRL HAS COME. I WASN’T SURE WHAT WAS GOING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE LOST HER. SHE COULD HAVE HAD A STROKE. YOU KNOW, THE DOCTORS ARE HAPPY WITH HOW SHE’S PROGRESSING. YOU KNOW, WE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER. FAITH EGBUONU KOAT. ACTION 7 NEWS. WE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER, EITHER. KATHERINE ALSO DID SUFFER FROM LIVER LEAKAGE. BUT THE GOOD NEWS HERE, HER FATHER TELLS US HER LIVER IS IN REMISSION. KATHERINE DID START A NONPROFIT IN SUPPORT OF OTHER KIDS THAT
Katherine Lange: New Mexico girl born with half a heart miraculously beats the odds
Meet Katherine. She’s a UNM Junior Lobo cheerleader and gymnast!
Katherine Lange, 8, was born with half a heart. According to her father, Gary Lange, she was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. On Sept. 19, 2022, KOAT spoke with Lange while his daughter, Katherine, was fighting to survive. MORE: 5 -year-old New Mexico girl born with a half a heart fights for her lifeThree years later, Katherine has defied the odds, according to her father, Gary. In honor of ‘Heart Month,’ KOAT shines a light on Katherine, as her father shares, she is now living and thriving. Currently, she is a cheerleader for the UNM Junior Lobos and a gymnast. Katherine has also started a nonprofit for children who have been diagnosed with heart defects. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. We could’ve lost her. She could have had a stroke. The doctors are happy with how she’s progressing. We couldn’t be happier. There’s hope,” Lange told KOAT. What is ‘Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome’?Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare heart condition that a child is born with. That means it’s a congenital heart defect. In this condition, the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.According to Lange, Katherine has had three open heart surgeries at four days old, four months old, and at 2 years of age. Katherine had approximately ten heart catheterizations and over 40 blood draws. Stay updated on the latest news with the KOAT app. You can download it here.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Katherine Lange, 8, was born with half a heart. According to her father, Gary Lange, she was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. On Sept. 19, 2022, KOAT spoke with Lange while his daughter, Katherine, was fighting to survive.
Three years later, Katherine has defied the odds, according to her father, Gary. In honor of ‘Heart Month,’ KOAT shines a light on Katherine, as her father shares, she is now living and thriving. Currently, she is a cheerleader for the UNM Junior Lobos and a gymnast. Katherine has also started a nonprofit for children who have been diagnosed with heart defects.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. We could’ve lost her. She could have had a stroke. The doctors are happy with how she’s progressing. We couldn’t be happier. There’s hope,” Lange told KOAT.
What is ‘Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome’?
Gary Lange
Katherine’s 3D Artwork
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare heart condition that a child is born with. That means it’s a congenital heart defect. In this condition, the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.
According to Lange, Katherine has had three open heart surgeries at four days old, four months old, and at 2 years of age. Katherine had approximately ten heart catheterizations and over 40 blood draws.
Gary Lange
Katherine Lange
Stay updated on the latest news with the KOAT app. You can download it here.
