Freddie Mercury was known for many things—his dramatic showmanship, his larger-than-life personality, and his untimely death during the peak of the AIDS epidemic—but he is most remembered for his clear, powerful voice, ranging from rich bass notes to impressive soprano coloratura.
It’s hard to do Freddie’s voice justice, but Marc Martel has managed to wow millions with his impersonations of the Queen lead singer. If you close your eyes and listen, there are seconds when you might swear you were hearing Freddie himself singing again. Martel’s cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” has been viewed 56 million times on YouTube. And another of his videos showcases Martel’s ability to captivate an audience with his—or Freddie’s—voice.
At a concert in Santiago, Chile, in 2022, Martel began playing the piano intro to “Love of My Life,” one of Queen’s simplest and most sentimental ballads. As soon as he opened his mouth to sing, the audience did the same—10,000 people all singing along in unison—and it’s just beautiful.
Watch:
Love Of My Life – Live from Santiago, Chile (Marc Martel)
Queen fans not only loved the sing-a-long but they were also blown away by how close Martel came to channeling Freddie Mercury with his vocals:
“I’m 63. Heard Queen from the start. This man is unbelievable. Why Queen didn’t grab him is unbelievable, beyond belief.”
“For those of us who love the Mercury timbre, Martel is a blessing.”
“The part “you’ve hurt me” sounds exactly like Freddie. I also love the fact that people are singing too, it gives me Queen concerts vibes :)”
“When the crowd started singing, it genuinely gave me goosebumps. It was like he was singing with a choir. Some great voices in the audience! Well mixed too. Incredible as always!”
“Never mind the vocal inflections, he plays piano outstandingly. Freddie’s voice was so unique and original, it’s unbelievable how close Marc is.”
And if you want to see Martel’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” video with 56 million views, here it is. Enjoy:
Find more of Marc Martel’s Freddie Mercury magic on YouTube.
An Operation Smile volunteer reverses an oxygen mask so a child with a cleft condition can blow a bubble for the first time in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Operation Smile Photos)
For thousands of children born with cleft conditions, Operation Smile provides simple, playful tools—like bubbles—to strengthen the skills they need to speak and thrive.
While a bottle of bubbles might seem out of place in a hospital setting, you might be surprised to learn that, for thousands of children around the world born with cleft lip and palate, they can be a helpful tool in comprehensive cleft care. Lilia, who was born with cleft lip and palate in 2020, is one of the many patients who received this care.
As a toddler, Lilia underwent two surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate with Operation Smile’s surgical program in Puebla, Mexico. Because of Operation Smile’s comprehensive care, it wasn’t long before her personality transformed: Lilia went from a quiet and withdrawn toddler to an exuberant, curious explorer, babbling, expressing herself with a variety of sounds, and engaging with others like any child her age.
Lilia is now a healthy five-year-old, with the same cheerful attitude and boundless energy. Her progress is the result of care at every level, from surgery to speech therapy to ongoing support at home—but it’s also evidence that small, sustained interventions throughout it all can make a meaningful difference.
Lilia at age 1, before surgery, and at age 5, 4 years post-surgery
Cleft Conditions: A Global Problem
Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more than 500,000 patients worldwide with the help of generous volunteers and donors. Cleft conditions are congenital conditions, meaning they are present at birth. With cleft lip and palate, the lip or the roof of the mouth do not form fully during fetal development. Cleft conditions put children at risk for malnutrition and poor weight gain, since their facial structure can make feeding challenging. But cleft conditions can have an enormous social impact as well: Common difficulties with speech can leave kids socially isolated and unable to meet the same developmental milestones as their peers.
Surgery is a vital step in treating cleft conditions, but it’s also just one part of a much larger solution. Organizations like Operation Smile emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, long-term care to patients across many years. This approach, which includes oral care, speech therapy, nutritional support, and psychosocial care, not only aids in physical recovery from surgery but also helps children develop the skills and confidence to eat easily, speak clearly, and engage in everyday life. This ensures that each patient receives the full range of support they need to thrive.
Marie, 11 months, with her mother at Operation Smile Madagascar before her cleft surgery (Operation Smile Photos)
A Playful (and Powerful) Solution
Throughout a patient’s care, simple tools like bubbles can play a meaningful role from start to finish.
Immediately before surgery, children are often in a new and unfamiliar environment far from home, some of them experiencing a hospital setting for the first time. When care providers or loved ones blow bubbles, it’s a simple yet effective technique: Not only are the children soothed and distracted, the bubbles also help create a sense of joy and playfulness that eases their anxiety.
Milagros Rojas, a volunteer speech therapist in Peru, using bubbles in a screening with a patient. (Operation Smile Photos)
In speech therapy, bubbles can take on an even more important role. Blowing bubbles requires controlled airflow, as well as the ability to form a rounded “O” shape with the lips, which are skills that children with cleft conditions may struggle to develop. Practicing these skills with bubbles allows children to gently strengthen their facial muscles, improve breath control, and support the motor skills needed for speech development. Beyond that, blowing bubbles can help kids connect with their parents or providers in a way that’s playful, comforting, and accessible even for very young patients.
Finally, bubbles often follow patients with cleft conditions home in the “smile bags” that each patient receives when the surgical procedure is finished. Smile bags, which help continue speech therapy outside of the hospital setting, can contain language enrichment booklets, a mirror, oxygen tubing, and bubbles. While regular practice with motor skills can help with physical recovery, small acts of play help as well, giving kids space to simply enjoy themselves and join in on what peers are able to do.
Bubbles at Home and Beyond
Today, because of Operation Smile’s dedication to comprehensive cleft care, Lilia is now able to make friends and speak clearly, all things that could have been difficult or impossible before. Instead of a childhood defined by limitation, Lilia—and others around the world—can look forward to a childhood filled with joy, learning, discovery, friends, and new possibilities.
CTA: Lilia’s life was changed for the better with the care she received through Operation Smile. Find out how you can make an impact in other children’s lives by visiting operationsmile.org today.
Eleanor Roosevelt lived a one-of-a-kind life that included her role as first lady of the United States. Born in 1884, she became a prominent figure in American politics and culture.
In it, she shared the wisdom and advice she had gathered throughout her life. In one column from 1943, Roosevelt offered her confidence-building advice:
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Roosevelt’s insightful wisdom centers on separating self-worth from the opinions and perceptions of others and instead turning inward to find value and confidence. Her advice came years after surviving a traumatic childhood and undergoing her own self-discovery.
Roosevelt’s personal struggle with confidence
Roosevelt had a tumultuous upbringing. Her mother died of diphtheria when she was only eight years old, and less than two years later, her father died due to depression and alcoholism. She was orphaned by age 10, and Roosevelt’s grandmother, Mary Hall, became her guardian.
Roosevelt also grew up feeling self-conscious about her appearance and serious demeanor, according to a short biography published by The George Washington University’s Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project.
She was given many nicknames, including “Granny,” “very plain,” and “old-fashioned.” Roosevelt once wrote, “I was a solemn child without beauty. I seemed like a little old woman entirely lacking in the spontaneous joy and mirth of youth.”
Despite these challenges, Roosevelt found her sense of worth and confidence through education. Her grandmother sent her overseas in 1899, when she was 15, to attend Allenswood Academy in London. It was there that she discovered her gift for forming friendships and her love of learning.
In her autobiography, Roosevelt wrote that she developed “confidence and independence,” adding that she was “totally without fear in this new phase of my life.”
Roosevelt also wrote about battling people-pleasing.“I was always afraid of something: of the dark, of displeasing people, of failure. Anything I accomplished had to be done across a barrier of fear,” she wrote.
Building confidence and self-worth is a difficult process that may require intentional effort. Zack Goldman, a psychotherapist and founder of Solid Ground Psychotherapy, shares three helpful tips for anyone struggling with feelings of inferiority:
Stop treating confidence like a prerequisite for action
Goldman explains that one of the biggest misconceptions about confidence is that people think they need to feel confident before doing something difficult.
“In reality, confidence is usually built afterward through repeated experiences of taking action despite discomfort,” he told Upworthy. “Start with small, manageable risks because every time you prove to yourself that you can tolerate uncertainty, rejection, or imperfection, yourself trust grows.”
Pay attention to how you speak to yourself during difficult moments
“Many people unknowingly reinforce low self-worth through constant self-criticism, especially when they make mistakes or feel emotionally overwhelmed,” Goldman said.
He explains that instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” try asking, “What would I say to someone I care about in this situation?”
“Learning to respond to yourself with more fairness and compassion helps create a more stable sense of worth that is not dependent on constant achievement or external validation,” he added.
Build a life that reflects your values, not just other people’s expectations
According to Goldman, people often lose confidence when they spend too much time trying to meet standards that do not actually align with who they are.
“Self-worth becomes much stronger when your decisions, relationships, and goals reflect your own values rather than approval seeking,” he said. “Even small choices that move you toward a more authentic version of yourself can create a deeper sense of confidence and internal stability over time.”
The video—in which Goma showed up for a job interview at the BBC and was mistaken for, quite literally, another Guy (technology journalist Guy Kewney)—has gone viral time and time again, thanks in no small part to how well Goma handled the situation after being thrust into a live on-air interview.
Now, two decades after the wholesome snafu, Goma has decided to impart some wisdom about turning a potentially catastrophic moment into one of pure grace.
To be fair, Goma admits he wasn’t stoic the entire time
Speaking to This Morning, Goma said his initial thoughts were, “God help me. I’m lost completely.”
However, he remembered the words of his mother, who taught him to quietly fix a problem without embarrassing anyone.
“My mom always says to us, ‘If you notice something, your brother made a mistake anywhere, correct the mistake first before talking to the person,’” he said.
Not wanting to make anyone else feel uncomfortable, Goma held onto his composure. That was all the fuel he needed to carry on, answering the questions placed before him with such admirable self-possession that viewers still revisit the clip time and time again. Sure, it’s partly for a good laugh, but also because Goma’s chutzpah is undeniably inspiring.
The hidden Zen wisdom behind all this
Nearly all of us have experienced a situation where we felt unprepared, overwhelmed, or suddenly put on the spot (if you haven’t, your time is coming). Goma’s response offers a blueprint for surviving those moments with dignity intact. In similarly anxiety-inducing situations, we can direct our attention outside ourselves and aim to simply be of service in whatever way we can muster in the moment, rather than laser-focusing on what we’re experiencing internally. When that happens—when we forego our concept of “I,” as Buddhists say—what once felt insurmountable often suddenly shrinks to its proper size.
There’s also something to be said for the fact that Goma never appeared bitter about the misunderstanding that made him Internet-famous. Even not getting the job he originally came to interview for, which he shared was heartbreaking at the time, didn’t ultimately defeat his spirit. Over the years, he has retained his humor and warmth, which has only deepened people’s affection for him.
Life after becoming Internet-famous
According to Newstalk, Goma now works with people who have learning disabilities. It might not be the job he planned for all those years ago, but it sounds like he’s found work with purpose nonetheless. He also teamed up with Elliott Gotkine, the BBC producer who put him on the air, to release their story in book form as The Wrong Guy: The Inside Story of TV’s Greatest Cock-Up.
Though we may never find ourselves accidentally talking shop on live television, may we all handle our own unexpected blunders with that same humility and humor. Who’s to say what surprising blessings might come as a result?
British singer-songwriter Dylan Holloway, who performs as Dylan and the Moon, has been wowing audiences with his voice for quite some time. But what makes Holloway especially unique is that he also charmed crowds before identifying as male. While Holloway had long wrestled with his gender identity, he transitioned from female to male during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some might say they never look back, Holloway chooses to look back with love and gratitude for his former self.
In a recent clip posted to Holloway’s Instagram page, he shows his followers a split screen. On the left is Dylan presenting as female, with blonde curls and soprano notes. That side is labeled “2018.” On the right is modern-day Dylan, now presenting as male, shirtless and tattooed, marked “2026.” To the song “Kiss Me,” he harmonizes with his former self, and it’s absolutely pitch-perfect.
At the top of the clip, he writes, “Singing with my past self…trans duet.” Holloway adds in the comments:
“A duet with my past self. I make these videos because it brings me joy to embrace my entire journey & it helps me spread love to others who may wish to do the same… I’m proud of who I am & the unique art I can make because of it … whoever you are, whatever your journey, you are wonderful & deserve love for your whole self too.”
Fans in the comment section were equally loving and seemingly in awe:
“You were and are a beautiful person, with a lot of charisma, musically and a beautiful voice. In both interpretations. Gifted! I’m impressed.”
“I see a talented musician who is proud of his story and who loves himself, as he should.”
Sixpence None the Richer
As for the song? The year was 1998. The band Sixpence None the Richer had taken American radio stations by storm with their sweet, melodic single “Kiss Me” from their self-titled album, released a year earlier. Its lyrics are pretty straightforward, though some could call them a tad bossy. The singer would like a gentleman to kiss her “behind the bearded barley. Nightly, behind the green, green grass. Swing, swing. Swing the spinning step. You’ll wear those shoes and I will wear that dress.” Holloway nails every note.
Back in 2012, Holloway became a sensation while competing on Britain’s The X Factor, where he ended up as a finalist in a band called MK1. More recently, he compiled clips from the show featuring his former self singing beautifully then and just as purely now as a man.
In an interview with DIVA Magazine, Holloway described his time on the show:
“MK1 ended up at the finals on national television, which was such a turning point in my life. Until then I had just been a little androgynous kid from Newquay with a secret inside me, and now I was a rapper in an urban band on telly. But everyone knew me as someone I wasn’t, and I felt like a caricature of myself. Eventually, after a few years, these feelings bubbled to the surface and I couldn’t continue to be this person everyone thought I was, so I drifted and started releasing my own music under the name Lots Holloway.”
When asked what it’s like singing with his former self, Holloway seemed to feel at peace:
“It’s actually such a wonderful experience to look at them now. I think a lot of transgender people find there’s a pressure, whether they put that on themselves or it is external pressure, to eliminate the person you once were when you become someone new. Now I’m the person I am today, I look back at old footage of myself with this new compassion and love. I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for that brave, resilient, and bold soul that was brave enough to come out.”
Alongside his career as a musician, Holloway also speaks professionally about mental health advocacy and LGBTQ rights. On the Raise the Bar website, where he is listed as one of its motivational speakers, the organization shares the importance of these side-by-side videos: “In posting these videos, he spreads the message that it is okay to accept your old self, as it is all part of the journey that makes you who you are now.”
Upworthy spoke with Holloway, who shared how he feels about transitioning and music in general.
“For awhile, I thought I had to leave that version of myself behind. But over time, I realised there was something really beautiful about letting both versions of me exist together,” he said. “So instead of erasing my past, I started creating duets with old vocal recordings and videos I had. Almost like having a conversation across time with younger me. So healing. How many people ever have that opportunity? I want other people to know it’s okay to embrace who you are – the whole story.”
He says his favorite duet so far is “Yellow” by Coldplay.
“This song came out when I was growing up and confused about myself,” he said. “I recorded it on a rooftop in 2018. Then went back to the same place in 2026 to film again, totally free and transitioned. And the merging of those two people together, to me, is beautiful. I love how the lyrics mean something totally different in this context. ‘Your skin and bones turn into something beautiful. I swam across. I jumped across for you. You know I love you so.’ All of it.”
He added, “My dream is that Coldplay will see it and see how much their song helped heal me. And one day, we will play it together with the old version of me projected behind us to sing it too. In a huge stadium, of course. I want to spread the message of acceptance and love as far as we can.”
“Traditional songwriting” is where he draws most of his influence: “People who tell stories. People who write to move others. Dolly Parton, David Bowie, Coldplay, Paul Simon, Tracy Chapman. Iconic.”
He plans to keep telling those stories.
“I’m a totally independent artist, and this year, I’m creating an album in public and allowing my fans to make decisions along the way,” he said. “I make one bit of content a day and release one song a month. Eventually, it will all come together into an album. And my fans will know they helped bring it to life. So everyone is welcome to come and get involved!”
Holloway is also releasing a documentary later this year that shares more of his story. “It shows an up close and personal journey of my transition from the lens of being a singer who risked losing their voice,” he said.
Prom season is officially here, and the teens receiving care at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital dressed to the nines for the 2026 St. Jude Teen Formal. On May 1, more than 60 teen patients took part in a night of dancing, limo rides, and more at the Domino’s Event Center on the hospital’s campus in Memphis, Tennessee.
The night had a special theme: On Cloud 9. It was inspired by the hospital’s partner, country singer Megan Moroney, who recently released a new album titled Cloud 9.
“It gives us all a hope to just be normal and to just have an amazing time,” attendee and St. Jude patient Presli told Upworthy.
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital patients walk the red carpet for the the annual Teen Formal on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Memphis, Tenn. St. Jude helps their patient enjoy milestones such as the end of the school year tradition for high school students.
Patients get glammed up
Presli was one of many young women who had the opportunity to have their hair and makeup done for the event thanks to St. Jude volunteers. Attendees were also provided with wardrobes for the evening.
“It’s just overwhelming seeing her coming out of that limo and walking that red carpet,” Presli’s mom told Upworthy. “She had so much confidence.”
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital patients walk the red carpet for the the annual Teen Formal on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Memphis, Tenn. St. Jude helps their patient enjoy milestones such as the end of the school year tradition for high school students.
Guests invited by patients also got the star treatment. Moroney surprised attendees as they got ready with a special video dedicated to them, honoring their bravery and encouraging them to live it up.
No prom experience would be complete without a limo ride, and attendees got to roll up to the event in style. Once they arrived, a red carpet welcomed them alongside cheering volunteers.
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital patients walk the red carpet for the the annual Teen Formal on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Memphis, Tenn. St. Jude helps their patient enjoy milestones such as the end of the school year tradition for high school students.
Rolling out the red carpet
The teens each had their time to shine as they strolled down the red carpet. It was also a moment that reminded attendee Dalton not to lose hope during his health battle.
“No matter what you’re going through there’s always a way for you to push through,” Dalton told Upworthy.
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital patients walk the red carpet for the the annual Teen Formal on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Memphis, Tenn. St. Jude helps their patient enjoy milestones such as the end of the school year tradition for high school students.
For the teens’ families, the annual event is also a reminder of normalcy.
“To me, it represents hope,” Dalton’s mom told Upworthy. “It’s something that we can look forward to and know that each year they can forget about all their worries. They can just be children.”
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital patients walk the red carpet for the the annual Teen Formal on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Memphis, Tenn. St. Jude helps their patient enjoy milestones such as the end of the school year tradition for high school students.
Inside the venue, they stepped into a “Cloud 9” dream. Cloud-themed decor covered the entire space, complete with cotton-trimmed porticos and metallic streamers. Guests first enjoyed a sit-down dinner.
Afterwards, it was time to bust a move under a cloud-covered dance floor. Hits spun from the DJ, and the teens danced all night. The event’s coordinator, Kenny, shared some behind-the-scenes looks at the event on TikTok:
She explained that each attendee also got to visit a gifting suite, where they could personalize a bird keychain with their name. Once finished, they could take the keychain over to a wall where they were able to hang it on a dove that lifted it to the “sky” before returning with a swag bag full of goodies.
“I wanted to make the whole night a really memorable experience for our teens,” she shared in the video. “And I think they all loved it!”
Being on a plane can be a nuisance on its own, but when there is an unruly passenger, it goes from an annoyance to a potential danger. On a Jet2 flight, a passenger was so belligerently drunk and rude to the staff that the plane was going to be diverted. Then hope arrived in the form of an eight-year-old soccer fan.
Phoenix Rose and his father were cutting their vacation in Turkey short. They had to catch a flight home to Manchester due to a family emergency. During the flight, a passenger had too much to drink before boarding. She even had her open bottle of whiskey confiscated. This caused the irate passenger to disrupt the flight, shouting and swearing at the flight attendants. The passenger became so unruly that the flight attendants made an announcement: The flight would be diverted to remove her from the plane.
And a child would lead them
Phoenix was desperate to get home to deal with his family emergency. He didn’t want the flight to be diverted and cause a delay. On a whim, he asked a flight attendant if he could sit next to the angry passenger. He asked for only 30 seconds.
The flight attendants gave Phoenix a chance. They switched his seat to one next to the unruly passenger. And it worked.
“He just took all the control,” James, Phoenix’s father, told BelfastLive. “Phoenix, he got his cards out, he started singing to her this Dance Monkey song.”
“She’s screaming, she’s shouting, she’s still being irate. And he starts singing to her, he starts talking about his football to her, talking about her family, asking her about her kids,” James told BBC News. “I’m sort of sat there in the end and I’m thinking to myself, thank god that Phoenix is with me because if he wasn’t, I don’t think I would have been able to handle it.”
Knowingly or instinctively, Phoenix practiced effective de-escalation techniques while talking to the passenger. This included finding common ground, listening to her talk about her family, and using several other strategies.
Phoenix even calmly reminded her of the consequences. He told the passenger that she could be arrested if she couldn’t calm down, but quickly encouraged her to talk about her kids.
For three and a half hours, Phoenix chatted with the passenger. They discussed his love of soccer, his YouTube channel, and their families. Phoenix also showed her his trading cards of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. An eight-year-old accomplished what a plane full of adults struggled to do.
After the plane landed at its destination, the pilot and flight attendants thanked Phoenix for preventing a forced flight diversion. That would have been costly for both the airline and the passengers in terms of time and money. The passenger was taken into custody by authorities.
A spokesperson for Jet2 thanked Phoenix and rewarded him and his dad with free flight vouchers.
A little bit of kindness and the wisdom of a young kid were all it took to ease an intense and volatile situation.
When we talk about someone having a “terminal illness,” we generally mean an incurable, progressive disease that will eventually end someone’s life. Advanced cancer, end-stage heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and many other diseases are widely accepted as terminal in modern medicine.
Most medical institutions don’t include mental illnesses in that category either, for understandable ethical reasons. But as actor Martin Short shares from firsthand experience, viewing treatment-resistant mental illness as “terminal” can help families process the loss of a loved one to suicide.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Short compared losing his 42-year-old daughter, Katherine, to suicide in 2026 with losing his wife, Nancy, to cancer in 2010.
“You know, it’s been a nightmare for the family,” Short said when asked what he wanted to share about Katherine’s death. “But the understanding that mental health and cancer, like my wife, are both diseases. And sometimes with diseases, they are terminal. And my daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder, other things, and did the best she could until she couldn’t. So Nan’s last words to me were, ‘Martin, let me go.’ And she was just saying, ‘Dad, let me go.’”
Adding nuance to the “suicide is preventable” conversation
Short is speaking a hard truth that goes against the unequivocal messaging that suicide is preventable. As with so many human realities, conversations about mental health and suicide require nuance. Those who have seen a loved one through every available treatment, medication, therapy, and program, only to lose them to suicide after trying everything, play an important role in that conversation.
We understand that many deaths from cancer and heart disease are preventable, but not all are. While mental illness may not be directly comparable to those diseases, the reality is that some illnesses, both physical and mental, resist even the best and most effective treatments.
So glad this is going viral, someone I knew in college lost his mental health battle and his parents described it as a terminal illness at his memorial and it really opened my eyes and helped me accept mental illness. https://t.co/nTs5bJpPNn
As Sophia Laurenzi shared in her Time essay, “The Problem With Saying Suicide Is Preventable,” the blanket message that suicide can be prevented places an unfair burden on individuals and families.
Acknowledging the complex reality of suicide prevention
“Though well-intentioned, the truth is that not all suicides can be stopped, even with the best efforts,” Laurenzi wrote. “But right after my father’s death, everywhere I looked I read that suicide is preventable. This instilled an immediate, unconscious conviction in me of a double failure: my father, who had not done enough to save himself, and those of us who loved him most, who had not done enough, either. Collectively we could have deterred his death. But we did not.”
This feeling of failure and guilt prompted Laurenzi to dive deeply into suicide education and advocacy. That deep dive led her to the conclusion that while suicide prevention efforts are important, so is acknowledging the complex reality that a 100% success rate on that front is not currently possible.
“The crux of the issue with blanketing suicide as something that can be stopped is that it flattens one of the most confounding psychological, medical, and philosophical questions of being human into something simpler than its reality,” she wrote. “Perhaps one day we will be able to say that, with the right blueprint, suicide is preventable. But we do not have the knowledge, let alone the resources, to make that true now.”
“Maybe by sharing your pain, you will help other people’s pain”: After losing his daughter, Katherine, to suicide earlier this year, Martin Short told Tracy Smith about why he isn’t hiding his grief. pic.twitter.com/SQHvnEnt5u
To be clear, acknowledging that suicide isn’t always preventable is not the same as saying suicide is inevitable. Most suicides are preventable, and people should absolutely exhaust all preventative measures and possibilities. Knowing typical warning signs, having access to mental health treatment, limiting access to firearms and other highly lethal methods, and following other best practices are vital to giving someone the best chance of surviving a suicidal mental illness.
Keeping hope in the balance
Acknowledging that mental illness can be “terminal” also doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t have hope. Many illnesses that used to be terminal diagnoses—HIV, cholera, and more—are now totally survivable thanks to advances in medicine. Just because some people’s mental illness resists all known treatments now doesn’t mean we won’t find more effective treatments in the future. Most mental illnesses, even many serious ones, are currently treatable.
— Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (@HIPRC) November 18, 2020
But in some cases, for some people, having all the access in the world to resources, support, and treatment may not be enough. Just as doctors can exhaust all treatments for physical illnesses, people can also exhaust all treatments for mental illnesses. That doesn’t mean anyone should ever give up hope or stop trying. It means that families and friends who did everything they could, and who knew their loved one fought as long and hard as they were able to, can find peace in understanding that their loved one who died by suicide was dealing with a terminal, treatment-resistant illness that ultimately took their life.
Short shared that he’s gotten involved with Bring Change to Mind, an organization started by actress Glenn Close, which he said is “taking mental health out of the shadows.”
“Not being ashamed of it, not hiding from the word ‘suicide,’ but accepting that this can be the last stage of an illness,” said Short. “That’s my approach to this.”
Jackie Kirwan was understandably devastated when her 33-year-old daughter, Georgie Peterson, died from a fatal seizure. However, because Georgie was an organ donor, her hand was transplanted onto quadruple amputee Kim Smith. Now Jackie gets to hold her daughter’s hand every time Kim comes to visit.
When Jackie first met Kim and held the hand that once belonged to her daughter, she remarked to BBC News, “There’s a little piece of her still there.”
Georgie’s parting gift
In 2017, Kim contracted a urinary tract infection that led to sepsis. To survive, she was forced to have all four of her limbs amputated in 2018. After a failed double-hand transplant, Kim had to learn to live without hands or feet—until she got a call in 2025 about a possible donor. That donor was Jackie daughter, Georgie.
Ever since she was young, Georgie suffered from Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia (PVNH), a condition that causes uncontrolled epilepsy. Throughout her life, she treated PVNH with medication, but nothing truly worked. Although Georgie underwent brain surgery to address PVNH, the condition ultimately took her life.
While Georgie had signed up to be a donor, permission from the family was still needed for limb donation. Jackie knew that Georgie wouldn’t hesitate to donate a part of herself to help someone else, despite the two never having discussed donating hands, feet, or other limbs. In an interview with This Morning, Jackie said, “If you’re giving heart, liver, lungs, why not help somebody?”
Shortly after Georgie’s passing, Kim was prepped for the transplant. It was a success.
After the procedure, Kim reached out to Jackie. She wrote a letter thanking both Jackie and her daughter for the incredible gift of a hand. Kim also expressed interest in meeting Jackie in person to thank her if she was interested. Jackie accepted.
Upon first meeting, Jackie was afraid to ask if she could hold her daughter’s hand again. After all, her daughter’s hand now belonged to Kim. However, Kim wanted to meet Jackie for that very reason. Now, whenever the two visit, Jackie has permission to hold Georgie’s hand.
Thanks to Georgie, Kim is now able to hold her five-year-old granddaughter’s hand, along with performing several other day-to-day tasks and activities. Because of the mobility in Georgie’s hand, Kim is able to keep the fingers on her new hand straight, something that isn’t common with hand transplants.
A call for advocacy
Today, the two women have become advocates for organ donation and other causes. Jackie wants to raise awareness of PVNH and support further research into the condition that took Georgie’s life. Kim is also an advocate for sepsis research to improve early diagnosis and treatment.
While Georgie is no longer with us, her impact lives on—not just through the hand now attached to Kim’s wrist, but also through the example she set for how we can improve lives even after we are gone.
In 1971, a year after the break-up of the Beatles, John Lennon released his most important piece of music, his single “Imagine.” The song is an appeal to humanity’s goodness and urges the listener to “join us” in visualizing a world without war, hunger, or greed.
The song provides a glimmer of hope in that if we can visualize a perfect world, then maybe one day it will be achievable. Over the past 50 years, the song has become a secular hymn that can conjure hope in the aftermath of the most tragic events. The song was played by Queen at Wembley Arena the night after Lennon was murdered in December 1980. Stevie Wonder sang it at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics to honor the lives of those lost at the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Neil Young played it at the 9/11 Tribute to Heroes concert. And who could forget the infamous celebrity singalong to “Imagine” in 2020 barely a week into the initial COVID pandemic shutdown?
Why Julian Lennon vowed never to sing it
“Imagine” is widely seen as Lennon’s signature song that encapsulates his artistic persona, which is no small feat given the earth-shattering effect the songs he wrote with the Beatles have had on the world.
Given the song’s incredible power, Lennon’s son Julian vowed never to perform it in public. Julian has had success as a musician over the years, most notably with his 1984 hit, “Too Late for Goodbyes.” He’s also a philanthropist who has produced numerous documentaries.
The war in Ukraine pushed Julian to break his vow and he performed a beautiful rendition of “Imagine” as part of Global Citizen’s social media rally, “Stand Up For Ukraine” on April 8, 2022. The campaign worked to raise money for the war-torn country, a cause Julian still adamantly supports.
During the 2022 performance, Julian was accompanied by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who is best known as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme and a longtime guitarist for Rihanna’s world tours.
“The War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy… As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could,” Lennon wrote in the video’s description in 2022. “So today, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad’s song, IMAGINE. Why now, after all these years? — I had always said, that the only time I would ever consider singing ‘IMAGINE’ would be if it was the ‘End of the World’…But also because his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide.”
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Lennon went on to say he was influenced to sing the iconic song “because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time… The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for…
“As a result of the ongoing murderous violence, millions of innocent families, have been forced to leave the comfort of their homes, to seek asylum elsewhere,” Lennon concluded his message. “I’m calling on world leaders and everyone who believes in the sentiment of IMAGINE, to stand up for refugees everywhere! Please advocate and donate from the heart. #StandUpForUkraine.”
Lennon’s decision to never play “Imagine” was a wonderful way to honor his father’s legacy by respecting the power of his song, but John would probably be proud if he knew that he sang it at a time when we all need to imagine “all the people living life in peace.”
Julian Lennon keeps his father’s legacy alive
Julian Lennon continues to advocate for those suffering in the world by raising awareness and offering help through his charity, The White Feather Foundation, which was established in 2007 and exists “for the Conservation of Life” and provides aid for the environment, the preservation of Indigenous cultures, and access to clean water, education, and health.
In 2023, The White Feather Foundation launched an emergency campaign alongside World Central Kitchen to feed those in need in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. And in early 2025, Lennon and The White Feather Foundation donated a split $10,000 to MusiCares and FireAid in response to the Los Angeles wildfires.
Clearly in all that Lennon does to help the world and others, whether through his philanthropy or his music, he’s supporting the vision of “Imagine” and making his father proud.
This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.
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