A first-of-its-kind prosthetic paw

In North Carolina, more than 2.5 million people will soon have their medical debt — totaling over $6.5 billion — eliminated, thanks to a partnership between the state government and the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. That’s a financial burden relieved for nearly a quarter of North Carolina’s residents. And you can help lift that burden for others by contributing to Nice News’ ongoing fall fundraising campaign with Undue Medical Debt. We’re well on our way to $10,000 raised, which translates to $1 million of debt relief!

Must Reads

Scope out the quirky travel trends predicted for next year
Put down the leaf blowers and rakes — and read this

Science

Vasi the Sloth Bear Becomes First of His Species to Receive Prosthetic Paw

At the Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Center on the outskirts of Bengaluru in southern India, a sloth bear with a penchant for peanut butter and honey recently made history. Vasikaran first arrived at the facility in 2019 with an injured paw that had to be amputated — but now, he’s the first known sloth bear in the world to wear a prosthetic paw, allowing him to walk comfortably on all four legs.

That achievement is thanks in large part to Derrick Campana, a pioneer in veterinary orthotics and prosthetics. Campana’s company, Bionic Pets, has fitted more than 25,000 animals, including camels, raccoons, and elephants, with custom-made devices to help them move freely. Earlier this year, he took on the challenge of creating one for a wild bear for the first time.

But he was only able to do so because Vasikaran, nicknamed Vasi, had already received ample care after his injury. When nonprofit Wildlife SOS initially brought Vasi to the rescue center at around 10 years old, he was suffering from severe wounds and an infection caused by a poacher’s wire snare trap, resulting in the amputation of his left hind paw. Although he healed after a few months, he was forced to distribute his weight on three legs and deemed unfit for release back into the wild. So instead, Vasi took up permanent residence at the center, where he became a caretaker favorite. Watch him hanging out in his habitat pre-prosthetic.

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Health

How Lego’s MRI Sets Are Helping Kids Prepare for Medical Procedures

Getting an MRI can be intimidating for anyone, but it’s especially difficult for children who may not fully understand what to expect. That’s where Lego has stepped in. The world’s largest toymaker has designed a Lego MRI scanner kit to help familiarize young patients with the bulky machines and, hopefully, ease some of their fears before the procedure.

The thoughtful brick sets include a scanner, patient bed, medical instruments, staff figures, and even a waiting room. Each detail is designed not only to emulate a real MRI room but also to invite kids to interact with it. This approach epitomizes the power of hands-on play, as 96% of health care professionals reported that the model helps ease children’s anxiety and 46% said it has reduced the need for sedation, per new Lego research.

One of those kiddos is 5-year-old Ivy from Scotland, who needed an MRI to monitor prolonged seizures and played with the set in preparation for the scan. “It made me feel relaxed,” she said in a statement. “I didn’t like the loud noises in the real machine. But I knew what was happening. I wasn’t scared. I was brave.”

While these sets aren’t for sale, Lego has donated more than 10,000 to hospitals around the world in the last two years, helping over 1 million children prepare for medical procedures. See the Lego MRIs in action.

Environment

The Mediterranean Sea Is Home to a Newly Discovered Coral Reef

At a time when there’s no shortage of headlines about coral reefs disappearing, here’s a different story: A new-to-science reef was recently found alive and well in an unexpected place — deep in the Mediterranean Sea.

Spanning over 6 feet wide and 262 feet tall along a vertical wall, the large coral reef was discovered in the Dohrn Canyon off the coast of Naples, Italy, via a remotely operated submarine, Reuters reports. But unlike the bright colors people usually think of when they hear “coral reef,” this one is mainly made up of “white corals” (seen here) that flourish in cold, dark depths — not to be confused with bleached reefs.

Mission leader Giorgio Castellan called the reef “exceptional for Italian seas,” noting that structures of this scale had “never been observed in the Dohrn Canyon, and are rarely seen elsewhere in our Mediterranean.” Other notable findings at the rare site include black corals, solitary corals, and marine sponges, plus fossil traces of oysters and ancient corals.

In Other News

The FDA greenlit a blood test to aid in the initial diagnostic assessment for Alzheimer’s disease (read more)
California increased the minimum payouts insurers must provide to wildfire victims for damaged items (read more)
Instagram is launching new protections for teens, comparable to PG-13 movie rating guidelines (read more)
Thirsty? This 3D-printed device can produce enough daily drinking water for a family of four — out of thin air (read more)
Two seal pups named after pasta shapes are back in the ocean after being successfully rehabilitated (read more)

Inspiring Story

Talk about a career change

Mofida Majzoub went from capturing joyful moments as a wedding photographer to leading landmine removal operations in Syria for the Mines Advisory Group, which was recently honored with the prestigious 2025 Hilton Humanitarian Prize. Read her compelling interview with NPR about her humanitarian work.

Photo of the Day

Say hello to Jackie — short for Jack-o’-Lantern! This 1-in-30-million calico lobster made her debut at Northeastern University’s marine science center just in time for Halloween with her spook-tacular orange and black shell. Check out some more photos.

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