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Mom to Mom: South Florida organization helps students get ready for school with new supplies

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Mom to Mom: South Florida organization helps students get ready for school with new supplies


MIAMI – One South Florida organization is making an effort to meet the needs of students getting ready to go back to school.

The Embrace Girls Foundation gave a group of Miami girls a “superhero” welcome as they walked into the media center at Arcola Lake Elementary school in Miami.

“We have it built as a superhero day. Learning is our superpower. So, they are going to get the beginning of their superpower being able to select a backpack and items from this room as many items as they’d like,” said Velma Lawrence, CEO, founder of The Embrace Girls Foundation.

The girls took the message to heart that day and happily chose their new backpacks and other items to start the new school year.

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“I got a lot of stuff. I got highlighters, I got notebooks. I got lotion,” said Faith Antrobus.

Since 2000, the foundation has provided after school and mentoring services to girls at several South Florida school sites.

The nonprofit organizes a special “shopping experience” to cap its summer program.

“We’ve done this for the fourth year in partnership with Interiors by Steven G., Crazy Art and Rose Art,” said Lawrence.

This year, Local 10 donated 1,000 new books and teamed up with Five Below to give the organization all types of back-to-school essentials including undergarments, socks and personal hygiene items.

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“A child wants to feel good head-to-toe, so we start with the bows to the sneakers. That’s important that they be able to start out school empowered with the things that they need, and they feel good about themselves,” said Lawrence.

Feeling good leads to good grades for both the students and the school.

“We were a C school. We moved to a B, and this year, we are finally an A school. Ms. Lawrence and The Embrace Girls plays a huge part,” said Yolanda Ellis, Principal of Arcola Lake Elementary.

Along with the supplies, the girls went home confident, inspired and ready to realize their dreams. For third grader Fernara Nolton, it very well may be a career in television.

“I am just so happy to be in Embrace Girls,” said Fernara.

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The Embrace Girls Foundation shared several emails from parents expressing gratitude for the back-to-school supplies. One parent wrote ” Your help has relieved a considerable burden and ensured they are all well-prepared for their academic journey”.

Local 10 wants to give a special thanks to the viewers and all the sponsors for donating the supplies.

Local 10 wishes all South Florida students the best for the 2024-2025 school year.

For more information about the Embrace Girls Foundation, click on this link.

If you would like to highlight a mom who makes a difference in our community, send us an email at MomToMom@wplg.com.

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Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Florida couple in alleged embryo mix-up have identified biological parents of ‘non-caucasian’ baby

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Florida couple in alleged embryo mix-up have identified biological parents of ‘non-caucasian’ baby


A Florida couple who claimed a fertility clinic error led the woman giving birth to a “non-Caucasian child” who was not related to them said they have identified their child’s biological parents, according to reports.

“The results of testing delivered to us today confirm that our baby’s genetic parents have been identified,” Tiffany Score and Steven Mills said in a statement obtained by People on Wednesday.

A Florida couple who claimed a fertility clinic error led to the birth of a “non-Caucasian child” who was not related to them said they have identified their child’s biological parents. Mara Hatfield

Score and Mills filed a lawsuit in January against Fertility Center of Orlando and its head reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol, alleging that another patient’s embryo was implanted in Score’s uterus in April 2025.

The mix-up led to the birth of their now 4-month-old daughter, Shea, who is not biologically related to them, the filing alleged.

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“This ends one chapter in our heartbreaking journey, but it raises new issues that will have to be resolved,” the statement continued. “In addition, questions about the disposition of our own embryos are still unanswered and are even more unlikely to ever be answered.”

“Only one thing is as absolutely certain today as it was on the day our daughter was born —we will love and will be this child’s parents forever.”

The couple added that they will respect the privacy of Shea’s biological parents and will keep their identities “confidential.”

Score and Mills filed a lawsuit in January against Fertility Center of Orlando and its head reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol, alleging that another patient’s embryo was implanted in Score’s uterus. WESH2

Score and Mills, who are both white, stored three viable embryos at the Longwood clinic in 2020 for in vitro fertilization, a process that creates embryos and stores them until pregnancy.

Five years later, after an embryo was implanted, the couple gave birth to a “beautiful, healthy female child” on Dec. 11, 2025, according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 22 in Orange County Circuit Court and obtained by Law & Crime.

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“Tragically, while both Jane Doe and John Doe are racially Caucasian, Baby Doe displayed the physical appearance of a racially non-Caucasian child,” the lawsuit said.

Further genetic testing confirmed that baby Shea had no biological relationship to either parent — raising questions about where their embryos had gone or whether another woman was impregnated with their biological child.

The new parents had an “intensely strong emotional bond” with their child during pregnancy and wished to keep the girl, but recognized she “should legally and morally be united with her genetic parents so long as they are fit, able and willing to take her,” the lawsuit stated.

The Fertility Clinic of Orlando announced earlier this month that it would close by May 20. WESH2

Scarola told People, following Wednesday’s development, that Shea’s biological parents have not made any requests to take her into custody.

“Remaining questions about the fate of Tiffany and Steven’s unaccounted for embryos…are still pending,” Scarola said.

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“The current legal proceeding will remain open to address those matters,” the attorney added. “However, we expect that we will now also begin to focus on the need for our clients to be compensated for the expenses they have incurred and the severe emotional trauma that they endured and will continue to experience.”

The Fertility Clinic of Orlando announced earlier this month that it would close by May 20 — a decision leadership said was made after “thoughtful consideration.”

Neither Scarola nor the clinic immediately responded to The Post’s request for comment.



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Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida

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Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida


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    Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida

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Crews in Florida and Georgia are battling multiple fast-moving wildfires, stoked by dry and windy conditions. Local officials in Georgia said people in the path of the flames should be ready to evacuate. 

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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university

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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university


Florida on Tuesday announced a criminal probe into whether artificial intelligence played a role in a deadly mass shooting at a university in the US state.

The decision to launch an investigation came after prosecutors reviewed exchanges between OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT and the suspected gunman, who opened fire at Florida State University last year, according to state Attorney General James Uthmeier.

“If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said.

Florida law allows anyone who assists or counsels someone in the commission of a crime to be treated as an “aider and abettor” bearing the same responsibility as the perpetrator, according to Uthmeier.

In exchanges with ChatGPT, the accused shooter sought advice on what type of gun and ammunition to use, as well as where and when on campus a lot of people would likely be found, the state attorney general said during a press briefing.

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“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.



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