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4-year-old wakes up from heart surgery and bursts into rendition of "I'm Still Standing"

Louis Hood is the hero we need.

Jodie Hood

Louis Hood making an OR bed look good!

Just an hour after a critical heart surgery, Louis Hood lifted his voice to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” a fitting anthem for the resilient young boy born with a rare heart condition. The moving performance brought tears to the eyes of his mother, Jodie Hood, who shared that this small act was a reminder of Louis' strength and spirit.

Louis, who lives in Redruth, Cornwall, was born with a condition that left him with half a functioning heart. Since birth, he has undergone three open-heart surgeries, starting when he was just nine days old. As he approached his fourth birthday, Louis needed another operation to insert a stent into his pulmonary artery, a procedure that brought the family to Bristol Children’s Hospital.

"We call him our mountain-mover as he loves to defy the odds."

— Jodie Hood

Jodie, overwhelmed with emotion, explained the impact of Louis' spontaneous song. “He started singing from the movie Sing on his iPad—it was incredibly moving,” she said.

A dream trip to Disneyland Paris

With Louis’ condition demanding continuous medical care, his family lives with the daily uncertainty of what the future holds. But amid the challenges, they are hoping to create joyful memories. Louis dreams of a magical trip to Disneyland Paris, and with his love for all things Disney, his family is dedicated to making this happen.

To fund this dream, Louis’ grandmother, Sharon Van Beusekom, started a JustGiving fundraiser to help cover the expenses for Louis and his family. The goal of £8,000 would not only pay for the trip but also account for the costs associated with Louis' special medical needs during travel.

"Louis has one big dream: to visit Disneyland Paris... memories that will bring comfort and happiness no matter what the future holds."

— Sharon Van Beusekom

“Whether we have a few months or a few precious years, we’re living with the constant fear of losing him,” Sharon shared. “Louis is such an amazing little boy with a zest for life and a smile that lights up every room. He deserves this chance to make happy memories with his family.”

The Hood family has been through incredible challenges, especially with the recent loss of a young friend, Faith, who had the same condition as Louis but sadly passed away at just 22 months old. This heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of life has further motivated them to fulfill Louis' wish, despite the challenges ahead.

Support began pouring in, with friends, family, and well-wishers rallying around Louis. The family’s story gained traction online as well, with more than 2,000 Reddit users expressing their admiration and support. One commenter, @u/Hayes4prez, noted, "Pretty tough kid, I hope he’s up playing again soon." Another user, @u/masteremrald, commented, "Four open heart surgeries at such a young age is crazy. Amazing to see how he is able to stay positive after all that!"

Jodie even participated in sponsored runs to help boost the fund. "This is our way of giving him something to look forward to," she said, "and we are so grateful to everyone who has helped make this possible.”

In a wonderful update, Louis and his family were able to make their Disneyland dream come true on December 16, 2024, a date that serendipitously marked four years since his second heart surgery at just three weeks old. "Today 4 years on you got to realise your dream of being at Disney," his mother wrote in an Instagram caption. "Thank you for making this happen everyone. Dreams do come true. For us our little miracle started to weave his magic each time he survived against the odds and this is just a magical way for us to celebrate his heartaversary ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Jodie shared more photos of their trip in a follow-up Instagram post recapping their visit and reflecting on their 2024.


A legacy of resilience and joy

Louis Hood, child, heart condition, heart surgery, resilientLouis Hood and his contagious smileSharon Van Beusekom via Just Giving

According to Jodie's Instagram, Louis turned four and a half on May 25, 2025. "I am so grateful we were brave enough to fight against their 5% chances of survival," she wrote in a caption. "4 and a half years of magic and it's a real honour to be your mummy. Big few months coming up."

This summer, Louis is set to have his fourth open heart surgery, one that Jodie and their family worry for the most. Louis will be undergoing the Fontan Procedure, an extremely high risk operation. Though they are "bloody scared" as Jodie shares in an Instagram post, the family is also hopeful for another miracle and a good long summer full of recovery and strengthening before Louis starts school in September.

If the past three surgeries are any indication, Louis has got this in the bag. Jodie and the family better prepare his mic for an encore performance of "I'm Still Standing" when the time comes. We just hope he knows the entire Internet will be singing along with him.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Joy

Woman has a funny reaction to waking up under anesthesia: ‘They took my tonsils and my hat!’

She also had a rather embarrassing wardrobe problem.

via ABC7NY/TikTok

Skye wants to see her tonsils after having them removed.

It’s pretty common for people to exhibit some strange behaviors after coming out of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists call it “postoperative delirium.” It can happen after major surgery and after dental work. Dentists say it’s common for patients to weep uncontrollably after waking up from having their wisdom teeth removed.

A Utah woman named Skye is going viral after a video taken by her mother, Shani Jensen, shows her crying while saying some hilarious things after having her tonsils removed. Skye is upset because the nurses didn't let her see her tonsils, and her mom let them dispose of the cap she wore, which she refers to as "her hat."

“They keep taking my stuff here. They took my tonsils, they took my hat!" Skye says in the video with tears streaming down her face. “It’s going to be OK, though, because I got a new one … When I put it on, I just feel much better,” she said while putting on a new disposable surgical cap.”

@abc7ny

'They took my tonsils': A woman is going viral after video captured her hysterical reaction while under anesthesia for a tonsillectomy. #fyp #viralvideo #funny

During the video, Skye pushes back against her mother, who says that she shouldn’t post anything on social media while under the influence of anesthesia, which makes a lot of sense. But Skye isn't having it.

“What’s embarrassing about being a warrior, Mom?” Skye asks petulantly. “She doesn’t get it.”

Skye then recalled an embarrassing moment she had before surgery. “I forgot to wear underwear here," she said. I forgot, and they said: ‘You can take everything else off but leave your underwear.’ I said: ‘I’m not wearing any!’”

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Joy

A doctor in India stuck in traffic abandons his car and runs 45 minutes to perform surgery

That's what you call dedication!

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Doctor in India runs 45 minutes to hospital.

Usually when someone has to go into the hospital for surgery, they expect their surgeon to be on time and in place for their procedure. There's very little thought that goes into how the doctor's morning is going or what obstacles they faced to make it to your bedside. Dr. Govind Nandakumar from Bengaluru, India, was having a bit of a rough start due to increased traffic from bad weather. But the doctor didn't let standstill traffic stop him from going to work. Nandakumar hopped out of his car and ran to get to the operating room on time.

That's some pretty intense dedication. There are probably plenty of doctors that would've resigned themselves to the traffic and informed the hospital their patients would need to be rescheduled to later times. But Nandakumar, a gastroenterology surgeon, was having none of that. He told The Times of India, "I did not want to waste any more time waiting for the traffic to clear up as my patients aren't allowed to have their meals until surgery is over. I did not want to keep them waiting for long."

The area that Dr. Nandakumar spent more time than he cared for in his car is known for its traffic jams, according to The Times of India, but the doctor didn't have time to wait. He told his Twitter followers that the patient he was operating on was in pain and while she could've waited for a few hours, he wanted to get there as quickly as possible.

But if you ask Nandakumar, he didn't do anything special. He told his Twitter followers, "Most of us try and do our best for our patients. This run has got a lot of attention but there are so many hospital workers who go above and beyond every day."

The doctor told his followers that he didn't plan on his story blowing up and that he only recorded himself running to show to his kids at dinner. But it's not often that you find out that a doctor abandoned their car and took off running just to get to their scheduled surgery. Nandakumar has been a surgeon for 18 years according to The Times of India, and a pile-up due to heavy rains was holding up his commute.

Running through the city on your way to perform surgery is one way for him to make sure he got his cardio in. The doctor jokes about his cardio workout on his Twitter account but he continues to praise other doctors. "I would say that most doctors take care of patients. Most, if not all of us, wish the best for our patients. Like all professionals we need to earn a living. We never take decisions with money in mind. The run is nothing compared to the work I have seen many doctors and HCW do," he wrote.

Let's hope Dr. Nandakumar's subsequent commutes are much less eventful or at the very least, the run into work is planned so he can be prepared with proper footwear.

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Wellness

Man with world's first full double arm transplant is already making incredible progress

Felix Gretarsson/Instagram

Felix Gretarsson, 48, was an electrician working in his home country of Iceland 23 years ago when a miscommunication with coworkers led to him accidentally grabbing a live wire. The 11,000-volt shock threw Gretarsson to the frozen ground more than 30 feet below. Not only did he break his back and neck in three places, but his arms caught fire as well.

"I just remember lying there waiting for the ambulance and feeling pain in my belly because my body had shut out everything else," Gretarsson told Positive News. "I was put to sleep when I got to the hospital, and woke up three months later with no arms."

At first, his arms were amputated just above the elbow, but repeated infections resulted in losing the limbs all the way up to his shoulders. He ended up having 54 operations in the years immediately following the accident.

That's a lot of trauma and pain, and Gretarsson numbed it all with substance abuse. "My therapy was shutting it out with drugs and alcohol and general destruction for the next few years," he said. "I got to a place where they said: 'you are either going to be dead or you do something'."

After getting help from Alcoholics Anonymous and two liver transplants, Gretarsson got a glimmer of hope. A French doctor who had successfully transplanted a hand happened to be lecturing in Iceland in 2007. Gretarsson spoke with him and he agreed to review his case. Gretarrson moved to Lyon, France, to be closer to the transplant doctors who might be able to help him get his arms back.

In Lyon, he met a yoga teacher from Poland named Sylwia. They fell in love, got married, and began a life together with their two dogs as Gretarsson's hopes for an arm transplant sat waiting in the wings.

This January, the phone call came. A suitable donor had been found and the doctors wanted to go ahead with the surgery.

The procedure, the first double arm and shoulder transplant, was billed a success. It will be three years before they'll know exactly how successful the surgery really was, as it takes time—and rehabilitation work—for the nerves to grow and function.

However, Gretarsson's progress is looking incredibly promising. He posts updates on his new arms on Instagram, and in a recent video, he shared how he's able to flex his bicep far earlier than doctors anticipated. He said that doctors had told him before the surgery that nerves grow on average about one millimeter per day, which would mean that after about a year, his nerves would be reaching the elbow, and in two years, may reach his hands.

It's been less than six months since the transplant, and Gretarsoon says he already has some nerve feeling in the forearms. And his voluntary movement of his bicep is incredible, since the lead surgeon had talked about how life-changing just the possibility of being able to bend his elbow would be if the surgery and recovery went well.

Gretarsson keeps an upbeat attitude about his rehabilitation, often making jokes about the transformation his body has undergone. He is also grateful for the gift of modern science.

"I have a Danish liver, French arms – I'm a modern-day Frankenstein," he said to Positive News, adding: "No-one else has ever lost their arms and shoulders, and got them back. I consider myself to be very, very privileged."

Follow Felix Gretarsson on Instagram to see updates on his progress.

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