ASHLEY RENEE WILLIAMS

Multimedia Journalist & Digital Storyteller

HEALTH

Original reporting and interviews by Ashley R. Williams

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FAMILY RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA THAT CLAIMED 11-YEAR-OLD SON'S LIFE

On July 2, 2014, Jordan lost his battle with primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), an illness he contracted during a swim in a freshwater pool in Costa Rica, where he was infected with Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba. Now, five years after Jordan’s tragic death, the unexpected loss remains difficult to cope with for his parents, who were devastated by the loss of their only child. “We went from having a child who was 11-and-a-half, graduating elementary school and getting ready to go to middle school, and now, we’re empty nesters,” Jordan's father, Steve Smelski said. “We’ve missed out on the high school years, college years, graduation, seeing him have a girlfriend or learning to drive.”

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EFFINGHAM COUNTY 11-YEAR-OLD FIGHTING SECOND ROUND OF CANCER BEATS COVID-19

An Effingham County preteen has conquered COVID-19 amid her second battle with a rare form of cancer. “If I beat COVID-19, then I can beat cancer,” 11-year-old Nevaeh Williams told WSAV NOW. “I can beat anything that comes my way.”

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OPIOID OVERDOSES ARE DOWN IN FLORIDA. THAT’S GOOD, BUT MORE WORK REMAINS.

A recent report reveals some positive news in the battle against drug addiction taking place in many communities across the country and here, in our own backyard. In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released provisional data that revealed opioid overdoses are down in Florida and Georgia for the first time in more than two decades.

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PREMATURITY AWARENESS MONTH SHEDS LIGHT ON BABIES BORN TOO EARLY

“It was a very terrifying experience.” Jacquelyn Visscher told News 3 that not knowing what would happen to her newborn son, Carter, after he was born early at 27 weeks and five days worried her family.

Carter spent about seven weeks being cared for in Memorial Health’s neonatal intensive care unit. “He had a very low birth weight, he was one pound, 15 ounces,” Visscher told News 3 as she held her baby boy.

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SNOW BLINDNESS: HOW SNOW, THE SUN'S UV RAYS CAN TEMPORARILY DAMAGE YOUR VISION

When Krista Canfield McNish hiked up to Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit with her friends, she was already aware of most of the trek’s potential dangers. However, the threat that impacted McNish on the hike was one that she didn’t expect.

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JUST SAY NO: LOCAL RESOURCES ARE HELPING KIDS AND PARENTS WIN IN THE BATTLE AGAINST DRUG ADDICTION

Substance abuse: two words every parent hopes will never apply to their teens' lives. While any given child may never use drugs and alcohol, it's likely that they'll encounter them at some point.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING OUR MINDS AND HEARTS IN TIP-TOP SHAPE WELL INTO OUR LATER YEARS

We’ve discovered the long-sought secret to a healthy, lengthy and fulfilling life. The key to longevity? Positive thinking. That’s if you ask Jacksonville University Chancellor Emerita Dr. Frances Bartlett Kinne, an active resident at Jacksonville’s Fleet Landing Retirement Community who still leads talks and lectures, even early into her centennial years.

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CONSTANTLY COLD? THESE 5 MEDICAL CONDITIONS MIGHT BE BEHIND YOUR PERSISTENT CHILL

If you find yourself struggling to keep warm through the colder months, your problem might extend beyond the weather outside.

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IT'S NOT THE COMMON COLD: HOW RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS COULD THREATEN YOUR CHILD THIS WINTER

If your child is younger than 2 years old, he or she could be vulnerable to a potentially deadly virus disguised as the common cold this winter.

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