"Woman goes viral after hiding cash inside baby formula packets in divisive ‘She Deserved the Purse’ trend"/ "Utah mother diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung cancer, given 3 months to live"

Sept. 26, 2024 "Woman goes viral after hiding cash inside baby formula packets in divisive ‘She Deserved the Purse’ trend": Today I found this article by Ellie Muir on the Independent.  I like this article because it's about charity and good deeds.  

However, there were unintended consequences.  You should donate directly to the charities like the Food Bank.

A woman has gone viral after filming herself secretly hiding cash inside baby formula packets at supermarkets.

TikTok creator Tabitha Swatosh is just one of the influencers who have gone viral after taking part in the divisive viral online trend called “She deserved the purse”, which sees big-name creators secretly hide cash inside baby products in the hope that struggling parents will find it.

In a recent video, Swatosh filmed herself visiting her local Target and stuffing up to $50 inside packaging for items like nappies, detergent and formula.

Swatosh said online she wanted to “pay it forward” and “leave a couple of little things” in her local grocery store in the hope that a “mother or father who are struggling right now gets them”.

While creators taking part in the trend have been praised for their “heartwarming” acts of kindness, 

the trend has been widely criticised after reports of people visiting the stores identified in the videos in search of the hidden money.

One TikTok user said online they had visited their local Walmart and “formula cans were literally torn open”. The Independent has contacted Walmart and other supermarkets pictured in these videos for comment.

“Went to Walmart today and ALL of the boxes were open. I asked for an unopened box from the back. The worker said they have been watching the cameras on who has been opening stuff and not buying it.”

Others have been critical of influencers who document their acts of kindness for likes or “clout”.

“If people wouldn’t have posted on TikTok for the clout, it would have worked,” they said of the trend. 

“But these people need others to see them ‘helping.’”

Another chimed: “That’s why its good to do good deeds quietly.”

“The trend was a good idea until big creators started posting about it for clout. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one’s watching.”

The “She deserved the purse” trend began with a viral photo shared by TikTok user Danesha Gonzalez, which showed a discarded purse in a supermarket’s baby section.

Gonzalez captioned it “she deserved the purse” to point towards that sacrifices that mothers make for their children, and people interpreted the storyline behind the picture as being about a mother who sacrificed a luxury for herself – a new purse – for her child. 

The photo gained over 20 million views and has been turned into the wider video trend.

Speaking online, Swatosh told her followers that she was inspired to take part in the trend to help parents in need of extra support.

“I felt inspired to do this because when I was little my parents divorced. They were single young parents trying to raise three kids and my little brother wasn’t even one year’s old yet,” she said.

Creator Abbie Herbert, who has 15.6 million followers on the platform, told followers she visited Walmart and other stores after seeing influencers doing the same.

“Thank u to all the other creators starting this trend. I’ll be doing this every time I shop,” she said, sharing a video of her hiding cash underneath boxes of nappies.

When followers raised the issue of people rifling through packaging to find the cash, she wrote: “I kept the $ visibly seen. Nothing was hidden. No one needs to open anything. I hope the $ makes it to a parent in need.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/she-deserved-the-purse-tiktok-meaning-b2619334.html

Sept. 27, 2024 "Utah mother diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung cancer, given 3 months to live": Today I found this article by Ryan Bittan on Yahoo:

UPDATE 9/29 — Over the weekend, Erika Carr’s GoFundMe broke $1 million, even though her original goal for the fundraiser was $5,000.

ORIGINAL STORY

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — An Ogden mother who has been fighting for life after being diagnosed with a rare terminal cancer has now been given three months to live, and she’s decided to spend it with her kids. People across the country have rallied around her, donating over $750,000 to her GoFundMe, which had an original goal of only $5,000.

Erika Carr, 30, is a single mother of two children — Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5. She calls them her “whole life, light and soul … and what keeps [her] going.”

On May 7, 2022, Carr was diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung carcinoma, a “high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma,” she stated on her GoFundMe. Her diagnosis came the day before Mother’s Day, and she’s been battling for her life for over two years now.

Doctors told her, “I hope you have a good support system at home because you’re going to need it, you have a long and hard journey ahead of you.”

Her condition had improved — positive scans giving her the opportunity to stop treatment and see how she progressed. During this time, on Jan. 17, 2024, she developed Cushing’s syndrome — a rare hormonal disorder that occurs when the body is exposed to too much cortisol for an extended period. 

It has had a multitude of difficult impacts on her body, including rapid weight gain and swelling, muscle and bone deterioration, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

Though she restarted treatment, on Sept. 18, 2024, doctors told her that she had three months to live. She’s chosen to discontinue treatment and spend that time cherishing her two children.

Carr’s been given the seemingly impossible task of planning her own funeral, and she decided to create a GoFundMe to help cover the costs. She set a modest goal, asking for only $5,000, hoping that maybe she’d be able to leave some extra money behind for her children.

She has since received over $750,000.

There have been over 26,000 donations given to her cause. She’s now created a trust fund, and she’s thankful her children will be okay when they grow up.

“It happened overnight. I never expected that,” she told ABC4. “I never expected to have a big funeral service, or a lot of people reach out and help me. With the way it’s went, I’m just in shock … just very grateful for everybody and everything that’s been there.”

Carr’s GoFundMe can be found here.

Renisha Mall contributed to reporting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/utah-mother-diagnosed-stage-4-051354090.html

The other 2 blog posts of the week:

"Genetic testing firm 23andMe files for bankruptcy"/ "What happens to your DNA data now that 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy?"

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/06/genetic-testing-firm-23andme-files-for.html

"Bankrupt 23andMe’s DNA data gets nod for sale as concerns linger"/ "Bankrupt DNA testing company 23andMe to be bought by Regeneron"

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/06/bankrupt-23andmes-dna-data-gets-nod-for.html

My week:

Wed. Jun. 18 Leo poll:

Cindy S, Sainte barbe, Quebec, would like to know:

What kind of books do you like to read?

Novels    31.87% (1510)

Mystery    23.62% (1119)

Other    23.09% (1094)

Non-fiction    12.11% (574)

Sci-fi    9.31% (441)

My opinion: Non- fiction.

Thurs. Jun. 19, 2025:

Our Partner MoneySense would like to know:

What minimum household income do you need to be “comfortable” in Canada?

$100,000     37.33% (1658)

$74,200 (median Canadian salary, according to latest data from StatCan)    

25.06% (1113)

$150,000    24.74% (1099)

$200,000    8.22% (365)

$250,000+ (top tax bracket in Canada)    4.66% (207)

My opinion: $74,200.

Fri. Jun. 20, 2025:

Valerie L, Campbellton , New-Brunswick, would like to know:

What concerns you the most about the future?

The economy and cost of living    46.84% (2068)

International conflicts    20.07% (886)

Climate change    16.85% (744)

The future of younger generations    12.80% (565)

Other    3.44% (152)

My opinion: The economy and cost of living.

Wed. Jun. 18 Community League meeting: This will be the last one for a few months because we take a break during the summer.

This was held outdoors like last year.  It didn't rain, though it was cloudy.

We had pizza and salad from the Birch and Bear:

I like the chicken and potato one because of the sauce.

The Bear- Meat Lovers

Capicola and Sambal Pineapple

Caesar salad

https://birchandbearpizza.com/

I also talked to Elizabeth about a book swap.  We had a clothing swap and there were a lot of people attended that.  They said there was a game swap before.  

Thurs. Jun. 19, 2025 Trivia night: This was at my work from 6-8 pm.  There is a laptop and a big screen TV together.

We logged into https://jackbox.tv/ with our smartphones.

I borrowed a smartphone.

There are 8 players.

The questions are all topics:

School:

math

science

history

geography

English

mythology

Pop culture:

TV and movies

Actors

Singers

I won the first round with 20,000 points.  The 2nd place was Alisa with 400.

There was a 2nd round and it was written.  21 questions.  Jaswinder got 13 right.

I got 7.5 right.

The menu:

Vegetarian spring rolls with plum sauce

Spicy cactus cut chips with dill sauce

Nacho chips with hummus

Chocolate cake

Peach cake with strawberry sauce

People took leftovers of the cake slices.  I took the leftover cactus chips.

The others played 2 more rounds.

There were board games and free books and magazines.  I picked up this free book:

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto:

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It's the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—"Don't leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!"—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53310061-dial-a-for-aunties

"Bankrupt 23andMe’s DNA data gets nod for sale as concerns linger"/ "Bankrupt DNA testing company 23andMe to be bought by Regeneron"

Mar. 27, 2025 "Bankrupt 23andMe’s DNA data gets nod for sale as concerns linger": Today I found this article by Steven Church on BNN Bloomberg:

Bankrupt genetic testing firm 23andMe Holding Co. won permission from a judge to try to sell information about customers’ medical and ancestry-related data, a trove that is considered the most valuable asset in the insolvency case — and has become a source of privacy and safety concerns amid the company’s collapse.

Under the sale procedures, the company set quick deadlines for potential bidders, including May 7 when definitive offers are due, and a final hearing the following month. 

But U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian C. Walsh required the company to slow the overall pace by two weeks, in part to accommodate his schedule and in part to give creditors a chance to weigh in before the court makes a final decision on a buyer.

“My overall reaction to the timeline is that it’s pretty tight,” Walsh said at the company’s first bankruptcy hearing, held in St. Louis. At his request, the company agreed to push back the final court hearing for possible sale from June 2 to June 17.

Walsh’s ruling didn’t resolve concerns raised by the looming auction of the sensitive data or complaints from shareholders about the months 23andMe spent trying to find a buyer before filing for court protection earlier this week.

23andMe hasn’t been profitable since going public in 2021 despite collecting DNA from saliva samples from more than 15 million customers. 

Now, those samples — and the genetic data they yielded — have become the bankrupt company’s most marketable asset, 

and the prospect of the sensitive information being put up for auction has sparked anxieties among customers worried about 

how 

and where 

of their material may be used. 

Bankruptcy officials have also raised concerns.

Walsh at the hearing said speed in the sale process is partly justified because the company spent so much time trying to find a buyer before it filed bankruptcy. But the goal, he added, should be to 

“balance the desire to move quickly 

with the desire to avoid collateral damage.”

Sale Oversight

Carole J. Ryczek, a lawyer with the U.S. Trustee’s office, which acts as a public watchdog in bankruptcy court, told Walsh that a privacy ombudsman is necessary to oversee the sale of customers’ private genetic information.

The bankruptcy case “needs a neutral third party” involved in the sale process to protect customers, Ryczek said. Company lawyers and company investment bankers declined to comment on the value of the customer data.

Walsh declined to say whether he would support a consumer privacy ombudsman, or how he would respond to a demand by two investors that he appoint an official committee to represent shareholders. Those shareholders complained about how the company tried to sell itself before filing for court protection.

23andMe lawyer Grace Hotz argued that an ombudsman was unnecessary because of the extensive privacy policies.

The company has said the Chapter 11 reorganization doesn’t change how it stores or protects personal data and that any buyer will be required to comply with applicable laws with regard to treatment of such information. 

The company allows customers to delete the genetic details and other information in their account and to have their saliva, blood or other bodily tissues removed from the company’s “biobank,” according to court documents.

In the wake of 23andMe’s bankruptcy, a handful of state attorneys general issued consumer alerts instructing customers about how to delete their data, prompting a rush of customers to the company’s website. 

23andMe said that its website “experienced some issues and delays due to increased traffic” on Monday as users sought to delete their data before it is sold.

23andMe filed for bankruptcy protection on March 23 after it was unable to find a buyer to rescue it from insolvency proceedings and the board of directors rejected a buyout offer from co-founder Anne Wojcicki.

Its first bankruptcy hearing Wednesday took place far from the company’s home in Silicon Valley, and was also well away from the courtrooms in New York, Delaware and Houston that have dominated the business of restructuring major corporations for more than a decade. 

The company will return next month to seek final approval of a loan to help fund the bankruptcy case.

First ‘Mega’ Case

The case is also designed to resolve legal troubles related to a data breach in 2023, according to a statement. That hack compromised information about roughly seven million customers, including giving a hacker direct access to about 14,000 user accounts. The company faces about 35,000 claims related to the incident.

Walsh is overseeing his first “mega” bankruptcy case, which is generally defined as any Chapter 11 filing involving more than $100 million in debt, according to court officials. 

During his career as a commercial lawyer, Walsh was involved in several such cases, including one bankruptcy dispute he argued in front of the US Supreme Court, lawyers who know Walsh said.

Sporting a bright blue bow tie, Walsh oversaw the hearing in an efficient, even-toned fashion. About three dozen people attended, most of whom were lawyers, including some who were merely curious.

“I just came to watch Brian,” said bankruptcy attorney David Unseth, who practiced with Walsh for more than a decade before the judge was appointed to the bench in 2023.

Walsh was appointed to the bankruptcy court in St. Louis in 2023, after working as lawyer for 25 years, including several years overseeing the restructuring practice of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in St. Louis.

The case is 23andMe Holding Co., 25-40976, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).

--With assistance from Jonathan Randles.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2025/03/27/bankrupt-23andmes-dna-data-gets-nod-for-sale-as-concerns-linger/

May 19, 2025 "Bankrupt DNA testing company 23andMe to be bought by Regeneron": Today I found this article on CBC:

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Monday it will buy genetic testing firm 23andMe Holding for $256 million USD through a bankruptcy auction, 

and promised to prioritize the ethical use of customers' DNA data.

Through the deal, Regeneron says it aims to bolster its capabilities in genomics-driven drug discovery by integrating 23andMe's trove of over 15 million customer DNA profiles, collected via its popular direct-to-consumer saliva testing kits.

The transaction will, however, put the spotlight back on data privacy issues, especially in light of 23andMe's recent challenges.

The genomics company once a trailblazer in ancestry DNA testing 

had been struggling with weak demand for its testing kits 

and reputational damage from a data breach in 2023 that exposed millions of customers' genetic data. 

The company has collected genetic data from 15 million customers who ordered its DNA testing kits online and provided saliva samples.

The hack and subsequent bankruptcy filing has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers who warned that millions of customers' genetic data could be sold to unscrupulous buyers.

Regeneron said it will comply with 23andMe's privacy policies and applicable laws with respect to the use of customer data.

The drugmaker also committed to working transparently with a court-appointed independent overseer, who will assess the implications of the deal for consumer privacy and is expected to deliver a report to the court by June 10.

The court is scheduled to consider approval of the transaction on June 17.

The investments in genomics "make good strategic sense" for Regeneron,

but it might take a decade or more to see a return, 

Bernstein analyst William Pickering said.

"Given Regeneron's track record, we also believe 23andMe customers are in good hands from a privacy perspective," Pickering added.

As part of the agreement, Regeneron will acquire all units of 23andMe, except telehealth service Lemonaid Health, which the genetic testing firm plans to wind down.

After the transaction, expected to complete in the third quarter, 23andMe will operate as a wholly-owned unit of Regeneron.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/23andme-bought-by-regeneron-1.7538510

"Genetic testing firm 23andMe files for bankruptcy"/ "What happens to your DNA data now that 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy?"

Mar. 24, 2025 "Genetic testing firm 23andMe files for bankruptcy": Today I found this article on BNN Bloomberg:

Gene testing firm 23andMe said on Sunday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to facilitate its sale, after years of struggling to find a sustainable business model.

In a statement announcing the bankruptcy, the firm said its CEO, Anne Wojcicki, had resigned effective immediately. She will remain on the company’s board of directors.

“After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business,” Mark Jensen, chair and member of the Special Committee of the board of directors, said in the statement.

Late last year, the company said it was cutting about 40% of its workforce - around 200 employees 

- and discontinuing further development of all its therapies as part of a restructuring program, 

according to Reuters.

In September, all seven of the company’s independent directors resigned en masse, citing their frustration with the CEO’s “strategic direction” and efforts to take 23andMe private.

The company, which went public in 2021, had never made a profit. 

The stock shot up following the listing, briefly valuing the company at $6 billion. 

Wojcicki, who owned 49% of the company, became a billionaire.

Its core product, an at-home DNA testing kit, offers “personalized genetic insights” that the company says can flag potential health risks such as one’s likelihood of developing Alzheimers or certain cancers.

23andMe tried to convert one-time buyers into subscribers 

with the promise of continued feedback 

and personalized wellness plans 

but had reportedly fallen short of its goals.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2025/03/24/genetic-testing-firm-23andme-files-for-bankruptcy/

Mar. 25, 2025 "What happens to your DNA data now that 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy?": Today I found this article by Natalie Stechyson on CBC:

The struggling genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy, and its co-founder and CEO has resigned. Now, its millions of customers are wondering what happens to their genetic data — and whether it's secure.

CBC News heard from readers this week who had concerns about the security of their data, how they can delete their personal information, and what new ownership could mean for them. We've tried to answer as many as we can.

CBC News reached out to 23andMe. The company responded by pointing to its news release and its open letter to customers.

First, what happened?

San Francisco-based 23andMe announced on Sunday that it will look to sell "substantially all of its assets" through a court-approved reorganization plan. Co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who made multiple failed takeover bids, resigned as CEO. 23andMe did not say whether there are other interested bidders.

23andMe was founded in 2006, with a promise to revolutionize the future of genetics and health care. 

The company became known for its saliva-based DNA testing kits 

— purchased by millions of customers eager to learn more about their ancestry 

— and later dived further into health research and drug development.

But it has faced an uncertain future for some time. 

Beyond battles to go private, 

the company struggled to find a profitable business model since going public in 2021. 

Then in 2023, hackers exposed the personal data of nearly

seven million 23andMe customers over a five-month period, 

dealing a major blow to the company's reputation and compounding its growth problems.

In November, the company laid off 40 per cent of its workforce.

Is the company still in business?

Yes. 23andMe says it plans to continue operating. 

In an open letter to customers posted Sunday, the company wrote that "orders and subscriptions will continue as normal, and any purchases or genetic testing kits sent in for processing will be handled without disruption."

23andMe added that customers still have full access to their accounts, reports and stored data.

OK. So what happens to my data now?

Though the company's privacy policies say that the data could be sold to other firms, 23andMe says customer data will remain protected.

In its recently updated privacy policies, the company writes that if it is involved in a

bankruptcy, 

merger, 

acquisition, 

reorganization 

or sale of assets, 

"your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction and this Privacy Statement will apply to your Personal Information as transferred to the new entity."

However, the company said the bankruptcy process will not affect how it 

stores, 

manages 

or protects customer data. 

Its open letter to customers stated that "any buyer of 23andMe will be required to comply with applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data."

John Bringardner, the executive editor of the newsletter Debtwire, notes that any new buyer of 23andMe will have to comply with regulatory approvals that ensure "customer data won't end up in unscrupulous hands."

But Toronto lawyer and cybersecurity expert Brent Arnold said his concern is that when a company is going bankrupt, privacy issues and compliance are sometimes the last thing on their minds.

"They're just thinking about getting through the restructuring, having the business survive," he told CBC. "So everything else becomes secondary, including properly protecting your data."

Is my data safe?

For those who are wondering, you're not alone. Officials, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, had questioned what would happen to the genetic data collected by 23andMe.

 Last week, Bonta issued a consumer alert urging customers to delete their accounts.

"Given 23andMe's reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company," he wrote Friday.

On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James also encouraged customers to delete their accounts and secure their data, calling 23andMe's bankruptcy announcement "concerning."

The Washington Post's tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler wrote Monday that "unless you take action, there is a risk your genetic information could end up in someone else's hands — and used in ways you had never considered."

Who will end up owning 23andMe down the road is unknown, and experts note that risks remain.

"Personal data collected by 23andme has always been at risk," Bringardner wrote in an emailed commentary to the Associated Press on Monday. He pointed to the 2023 data breach that compromised ancestral information for nearly seven million 23andMe customers.

He adds that litigation spanning from the aftermath of this breach helped drive up liabilities that eventually contributed to the current bankruptcy filing.

Arnold added that 23andMe may be particularly vulnerable to hackers right now. "They're probably not in as good a position to repel an attack as they would be when they were running with full funding."

How could my data potentially be used?

In November, when 23andMe announced it was laying off 40 per cent of its employees, University of Alberta professor Timothy Caulfield told CBC's The Current that there are "reasons to be concerned" about your personal data, especially given that not only have breaches happened in the past, but they could happen in the future — with any company.

Caulfield, a Canada research chair in health law and policy, noted it's possible that if you were predisposed to genetic conditions, and someone found out, the information could potentially be used for "nefarious purposes."

These nefarious purposes potentially could include discerning your relatives and ancestry, unearthing family secrets, or revealing clues about diseases you have or could be predisposed to, said Ginny Fahs, director of product research and development for Consumer Reports' Innovation Lab, in the Washington Post.

"If the data makes its way to certain insurers, they may deny you coverage or charge you more for life, disability or long-term care insurance because of your genetics," Fahs said.

There's also a risk that if the data is sold to a new company, they might want to use it in a different way, Fowler wrote in the Washington Post. He points to the company's privacy policy that says your data could be sold or transferred as part of a company transaction.

What protections are in place?

Earlier this month, researcher Sara Gerke, an associate professor of law at the University of Illinois, told the New England Journal of Medicine's podcast that the U.S. doesn't have comprehensive data privacy laws and that "the entire system itself has a lot of weaknesses and doesn't protect consumers' privacy properly."

However, bankruptcy laws can offer some protections to 23andMe customers, she added, especially given that it's a public process where regulators can step in or ombudsmen can investigate the sale. Still, there are weaknesses in the bankruptcy system, too, Gerke added.

"And ultimately it does not necessarily stop the sale of customer data to the highest bidder."

Arnold noted that, although Canadian customers will fall under Canadian privacy law, Canada hasn't had much luck in enforcing its privacy laws abroad.

"The bottom line is this — you don't have much control over where [your data] is going."

Can I delete my information?

Yes, with caveats.

Gerke said that people who are concerned can be proactive by deleting their accounts.

However, she notes this only provides "partial relief" because if you've already consented for your data to be used for research that's already published or included in a dataset, that can't be retracted 

(On its account closure page, 23andMe notes that your information will not be used for any future research).

Plus, 23andMe clearly states that even if you cancel your account, it "will retain limited information" about you.

In its privacy statement, the company writes, "23andMe and/or our contracted genotyping laboratory will retain your Genetic Information, date of birth, and sex as required for compliance with applicable legal obligations ... even if you chose to delete your account."

The company explains you can directly delete your account in your account settings. You can download your data to your personal device before deleting it.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/23andme-data-security-1.7492589