Honoring fallen soldiers at Memorial Day events across Southwest FloridaLehigh Acres neighbor accuses construction company of mistakenly tearing up lot
WINK NEWS Honoring fallen soldiers at Memorial Day events across Southwest Florida Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in the military, honors those who have served in the armed forces.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres neighbor accuses construction company of mistakenly tearing up lot Along 27th Street West in Lehigh Acres, neighbors knew it was only a matter of time before the lots next to them were developed.
FORT MYERS ECS softball celebrates first state championship Evangelical Christian School honors state champion softball team with parade on campus.
SANIBEL Sanibel hosts annual hurricane seminar to prepare for upcoming season With a very active Atlantic hurricane season ahead, they’re not taking anything for granted.
Teen’s killer out of jail after 8 months A teenager charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting and killing his girlfriend is now out of jail after serving less than a year.
Miles apart: local mother hopes to reunite brothers from Haiti to the U.S. The process of adopting a child is different for everyone, but Michelle Reed’s passion has always been to adopt children into her family.Â
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Downtown Fort Myers Richards Building goes in foreclosure An update on the historic Richards Building in downtown Fort Myers: it’s going into foreclosure.
PORT CHARLOTTE How is Sunseeker Resort impacting Port Charlotte? What is a resort that saw five years of delays, pushback and more doing to the community that it sits in?
FORT MYERS Construction takes over bus stops on Ortiz Avenue Construction workers, bull dozers and cars zipping by are what is found on Ortiz Avenue. Bus stops in construction can also be found.
Near crash reveals more about dangers of State Road 31 On Friday, we learned about how often deputies in Charlotte County catch people going way faster than they should.
Wireless pacemaker transforms heart care Traditional versions are bulky and need two long wire leads connected to an implanted battery.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Businesses beaten down by lack of downtown Fort Myers foot traffic Traffic is getting worse on Southwest Florida roads, and downtown Fort Myers, one of the most popular areas in the region, is having some issues with foot traffic.
CAPE CORAL Businesses evacuated due to propane leak in Cape Coral Police have shut down a busy road in Cape Coral due to a propane leak in the Nicholas Retail Center parking lot.
CAPE CORAL 28-year-old Cape Coral man accused of raping 15-year-old girl The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old.
fort myers beach Possible red tide appearing in SWFL may impact beachgoers Red tide, a harmful algae bloom that can infect people, animals, and ecosystems, has already begun to appear in Southwest Florida.
WINK NEWS Honoring fallen soldiers at Memorial Day events across Southwest Florida Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in the military, honors those who have served in the armed forces.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres neighbor accuses construction company of mistakenly tearing up lot Along 27th Street West in Lehigh Acres, neighbors knew it was only a matter of time before the lots next to them were developed.
FORT MYERS ECS softball celebrates first state championship Evangelical Christian School honors state champion softball team with parade on campus.
SANIBEL Sanibel hosts annual hurricane seminar to prepare for upcoming season With a very active Atlantic hurricane season ahead, they’re not taking anything for granted.
Teen’s killer out of jail after 8 months A teenager charged with manslaughter after accidentally shooting and killing his girlfriend is now out of jail after serving less than a year.
Miles apart: local mother hopes to reunite brothers from Haiti to the U.S. The process of adopting a child is different for everyone, but Michelle Reed’s passion has always been to adopt children into her family.Â
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Downtown Fort Myers Richards Building goes in foreclosure An update on the historic Richards Building in downtown Fort Myers: it’s going into foreclosure.
PORT CHARLOTTE How is Sunseeker Resort impacting Port Charlotte? What is a resort that saw five years of delays, pushback and more doing to the community that it sits in?
FORT MYERS Construction takes over bus stops on Ortiz Avenue Construction workers, bull dozers and cars zipping by are what is found on Ortiz Avenue. Bus stops in construction can also be found.
Near crash reveals more about dangers of State Road 31 On Friday, we learned about how often deputies in Charlotte County catch people going way faster than they should.
Wireless pacemaker transforms heart care Traditional versions are bulky and need two long wire leads connected to an implanted battery.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Businesses beaten down by lack of downtown Fort Myers foot traffic Traffic is getting worse on Southwest Florida roads, and downtown Fort Myers, one of the most popular areas in the region, is having some issues with foot traffic.
CAPE CORAL Businesses evacuated due to propane leak in Cape Coral Police have shut down a busy road in Cape Coral due to a propane leak in the Nicholas Retail Center parking lot.
CAPE CORAL 28-year-old Cape Coral man accused of raping 15-year-old girl The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old.
fort myers beach Possible red tide appearing in SWFL may impact beachgoers Red tide, a harmful algae bloom that can infect people, animals, and ecosystems, has already begun to appear in Southwest Florida.
Ivanhoe Newswire More than 200,000 Americans a year experience weight loss, or bariatric surgery, and tens of thousands go to Mexico to get it done. Medical tourism is big business, but is it safe? In most cases, yes, but when there are complications, fixing the problem can be costly and painful. Life is good for 32-year-old Isabel Torres and her family, but complications from bariatric surgery in Mexico nearly killed her. “Had this not worked, I don’t know where I’d be,” Torres said. Torres is here because of the innovative work of Steven Leeds, MD, a Gastrointestinal Surgeon from Baylor University Medical Center. Three and a half years ago, Torres weighed 365 pounds. She got bariatric surgery to remove part of her stomach in Mexico to save money, but there were complications, infections, and a leak that couldn’t be fixed. Several surgeries failed, she couldn’t eat, and she was depressed. “Reading the chart, I knew we only had one option to go, we had to go to surgery. And this stomach that had been tortured now for over a couple of years needed to come out,” said Dr. Leeds. In a procedure he had done many times before for cancer patients, Dr. Leeds removed the entire stomach and attached the small bowel directly to the esophagus. Dr. Leeds explained, “We take the stomach out and we leave this bowel, and this is where the small bowel comes up to attach it to the esophagus.” Since most of digestion actually takes place in the small intestine, a person can live without a stomach. “Following surgery and after everything I did to her, she is living probably the most normal life she could possibly have,” said Dr. Leeds. Torres is down to about 190 pounds and she plans to start working out. She says she regrets her decision to go to Mexico for surgery but is thankful Dr. Leeds was able to get her system back on track. Torres says she can eat almost anything, even without a stomach, although she says vegetables and fish are easiest. Dr. Leeds warns that bariatric surgery is not a silver bullet for weight loss, and complications can happen in the United States as well. He says insurance coverage varies on whether or not the insurance will cover corrective surgery, so the cost varies case by case. Contributors to this news report include: Don Wall, Field Producer; Mark Montgomery, Videographer; Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Hayley Hudson, Assistant Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.