ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
While on her honeymoon, doctors told Marissa Arvonio she was in kidney failure. She went from a happy newlywed to being on a survival mission, waiting for a match. (Photo courtesy of Marissa Arvonio) A Southwest Florida woman’s years-long journey to find a donor has come to an end. While on her honeymoon, doctors told Marissa Arvonio she was in kidney failure. She went from a happy newlywed to being on a survival mission, waiting for a match. 911 calls, feeding tubes and surgeries were regularities of Arvonio’s life for as long as she can remember. Then, it got worse. “Over a two- or three-week period very rapidly, I just began getting very weak and unable to use my lower extremities and then all the way up through my stomach and my arms.” After a rare autoimmune disorder damaged her nerves, Arvonio was told she’d never walk again – during what was supposed to be one of the happiest times of her life. “I actually got that call on my honeymoon from my last set of labs that my kidneys were in failure. So there is no longer medication to treat this – transplant should be looked into as soon as possible.” “As soon as possible” turned into years, until, “I was gifted with my kidney-pancreas transplant on my 35th birthday. Despite the pandemic and everything happening in the world, I received that miracle.” 2020 proved to be a record year for LifeLink, with 295 organ donors resulting in 913 organs transplanted. “We have about 11.5 million people registered to save lives through donation; that actually makes us the third largest registry in the country,” said Ashley Moore, chair of Donate Life Florida. Moore said even if everyone signs up to become an organ donor, there still wouldn’t be enough matches to save everyone in need, which is why stories like Arvonio’s are so important. “The more transparent we can be and talk about donation and educate people, the more likely somebody is going to register and sign up,” Moore said. “A lot of myths and misconceptions about donation is truly what holds people back. And so when we talk about it and bring it to the forefront, more people will register because it’s not so scary.” Arvonio is happy her wait has finally ended and she has her life back. “I am living my life for the first time and I’m about to be 36 years old. It’s a completely different feeling that I could never explain.” Since the transplant, she’s no longer diabetic, her autoimmune disorder is in remission, and she traded her wheelchair in for a new set of wheels. “The week after transplant, I began walking one mile, and as of today I biked 15 miles every single day.” All because someone here in Southwest Florida checked a box. Donate Life Florida said what holds people back from becoming donors are misconceptions, like the idea that you have to be perfectly healthy to donate. That isn’t true: Even if your kidneys only function at about 80%, that can help someone whose kidneys function at only 5%. There also isn’t an age limit for donors. Donate Life Florida said their oldest donor was 92. For more information on organ donation and how you can sign up, click here.