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Disabled veteran leans on superhero dog with 'Batman' markings for support, companionship

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Disabled veteran leans on superhero dog with 'Batman' markings for support, companionship

Move over, Batman — there’s a new caped crusader in town, and she’s got four legs, floppy ears and a heart of gold.

William Bottger, 66, an Army National Guard veteran from Bellevue, Ohio, found an unlikely hero in his beagle, Roxie, who has fur markings in the shape of the superhero’s logo on her left side, news agency SWNS reported.

Despite suffering from PTSD, memory loss and the loss of his right eye, Bottger said he finds comfort in his dog’s unwavering presence and support.

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The devoted dog stays by its owner’s side, sensing his pain and providing him with companionship and stability, according to the SWNS report. 

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For Bottger, Roxie is much more than a curiosity; she’s a lifeline.

“I’ve had Roxie for seven months now,” said William Bottger, pictured with his pup. The dog was given to him as a birthday gift by a friend. (SWNS)

“I’ve had Roxie for seven months now,” Bottger said. “She was just a 2-month-old pup when I got her from a friend as a birthday gift.”

“Right away, I noticed the bat wings, and it reminded me of Batman,” he said, noting that the original 1989 film with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson is his favorite of the franchise.

Bottger, who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, retired from the military in 2012.

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“Overall, the military was good to me,” he said, according to SWNS. “I did 22 years.”

Yet his time overseas left him with permanent injuries, including PTSD, short-term memory loss, hearing loss in his right ear, and the devastating loss of his right eye due to a disease called histoplasmosis, a fungal infection caused by inhaling airborne spores from contaminated soil.

“She knows what I need without me even saying it.”

Some of those injuries have made daily life difficult — and that’s where Roxie comes in.

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“She’s right there with me all the time,” Bottger said, according to SWNS. “She knows what I need without me even saying it.”

He added, “Roxie is everything to me. She’s my companion. She knows when I’m hurting, and she’ll [lie] down beside me and stay by my side.”

Bottger said of Roxie, “She’s my companion. She knows when I’m hurting, and she’ll come lay down beside me and stay by my side.” (William Bottger / SWNS)

There is a long history of friendship between veterans and canine companions.

The official website for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a page dedicated to how service dogs help veterans with PTSD.

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“Service dogs have allowed many veterans a chance to reunite with their families, head back to school, find renewed enjoyment in life and significantly reduce their medications,” the site says.

In an article on the K9s for Warriors website, an organization connecting veterans with dogs, the science is explained a bit more.

Bottger served in the military for 22 years. “Overall, the military was good to me,” he said.  (William Bottger / SWNS)

“When humans who have some sort of familial or emotional bond look into each other’s eyes, their bodies release a chemical called oxytocin,” says the site.

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Studies have shown that this hormone — which can slow heart rate and breathing, reduce blood pressure and inhibit the production of stress hormones — is also excreted when an owner and their dog look into each other’s eyes, according to the same article.

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Unlike most beagles, Roxie is quiet, her owner noted.

Roxie has fur markings in the shape of the Batman logo on her left side. (William Bottger / SWNS)

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“She doesn’t bark or get aggressive,” Bottger said. “She only gets in my face when she knows she has to go outside.”

Bottger said he trained the dog himself using treats and patience, their bond forged through trust and loyalty. 

Roxie accompanies the veteran on long walks, always remaining close to him.

While a dog with bat wings on its fur might sound like something out of a comic book, for one disabled veteran, Roxie is as real as it gets.

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Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode

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Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode

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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.

In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.

“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.

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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.

“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.

Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)

John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.

After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”

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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.

An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.

John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)

“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”

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Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.

“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”

It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.

“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.

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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.

As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”

As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)

Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.

The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.

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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”

Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.

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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.

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“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.

Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)

“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”

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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”

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Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.

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One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say

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One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say

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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.

That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.

Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.

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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.

The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.

Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)

“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”

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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.

In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.

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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”

As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.

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Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)

“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.

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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”

“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”

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“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”

Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.

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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.

“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.

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Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.

Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)

This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.

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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.

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“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”

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I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take

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I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take


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