A police officer makes a profound statement after pulling over a Black teen

“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”

In October 2016, that was a quote from Albert Einstein that sat atop the Facebook page of Tim McMillan, a police officer in Georgia.

McMillan become a sensation after a post he wrote on his Facebook wall went viral in 2016. In his post, he explains how he pulled over a Black teen for texting while driving:

“I pulled a car over last night for texting and driving. When I went to talk to the driver, I found a young black male, who was looking at me like he was absolutely terrified with his hands up. He said, ‘What do you want me to do officer?’ His voice was quivering. He was genuinely scared,” McMillan wrote.

Police officer Facebook post

But McMillan said he wasn’t interested in harassing or arresting the young man, let alone inflicting violence upon him. Nonetheless, the teen’s emotional response hit McMillan like a punch to the gut.

“I just looked at him for a moment, because what I was seeing made me sad. I said, ‘I just don’t want you to get hurt.’ In which he replied, with his voice still shaking, ‘Do you want me to get out of the car.’ I said, ‘No, I don’t want you to text and drive. I don’t want you to get in a wreck. I want your mom to always have her baby boy. I want you to grow up and be somebody. I don’t even want to write you a ticket. Just please pay attention, and put the phone down. I just don’t want you to get hurt,'” he wrote.

McMillan said the interaction made him reflect on a deeply personal level about the national attention being paid to acts of police violence against Black Americans, particularly young Black men.

“I truly don’t even care who’s fault it is that young man was so scared to have a police officer at his window. Blame the media, blame bad cops, blame protestors, or Colin Kaepernick if you want. It doesn’t matter to me who’s to blame. I just wish somebody would fix it.”

This story originally appeared on GOOD.

This article originally appeared on 08.31.18

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/a-police-officer-makes-a-profound-statement-after-pulling-over-a-black-teen-rp6

Feeling angry? Venting won't make you feel better, but this will.

When most people get angry they feel the only cure for the intense emotion is to blow off some steam. That could mean venting by yelling and screaming at the source of their anger, speeding down the freeway or punching a wall.

However, new research shows that this type of destructive behavior only intensifies the feeling.

“I think it’s really important to bust the myth that if you’re angry you should blow off steam – get it off your chest,” said senior author Brad Bushman, professor of communication at The Ohio State University. “Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there’s not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory.”

Catharsis theory is the idea that by venting one’s anger people will eventually arrive at a relaxed, anger-free state.

To determine if venting is effective at reducing anger and, if not, find effective ways for people to reduce their rage, researchers at The Ohio State University analyzed 154 studies on anger. The meta-analysis found little evidence that venting helps and that in many cases, it increases people’s arousal levels and makes the episode last longer.

So, the guy who screams in his car after someone cuts him off in traffic is essentially only harming himself by intensifying his state of hyperarousal. Or the woman who wants to give the waiter a “piece of her mind” after waiting too long for the check should realize that she’s only making herself more upset.

“To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels,” Bushman said. “Despite what popular wisdom may suggest, even going for a run is not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive.”

“I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it,” study’s first author Sophie Kjærvik said. “We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important.”

The researchers found that arousal-decreasing activities are effective at lowering anger included deep breathing, relaxation, mindfulness, meditation, slow flow yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmic breathing and taking a timeout.

“It was really interesting to see that progressive muscle relaxation and just relaxation in general might be as effective as approaches such as mindfulness and meditation,” Kjærvik continued. “And yoga, which can be more arousing than meditation and mindfulness, is still a way of calming and focusing on your breath that has the similar effect in reducing anger.

The study found that if you’re angry, some forms of physical activity can be helpful while others may prolong the episode. Jogging was found to intensify feelings of anger; however, physical education classes and games involving a ball were found to decrease it. Feelings have two componments, physical and mental, so it’s believed that physical activity with a sense of play involved, may increase positive emotions and diminish feelings of anger.

“Certain physical activities that increase arousal may be good for your heart, but they’re definitely not the best way to reduce anger,” Bushman said. “It’s really a battle because angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression.”

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/feeling-angry-venting-won-t-make-you-feel-better-but-this-will

TLC’s Take My Tumor: Meet the Doctors

Dr. Dalal, Dr. Cohen, and Dr. Osborne are taking on some of the most challenging surgeries of their career in TLC’s ‘Take My Tumor.’

Kelly Corbett - Author
Dr. Kimberly Moore Dalal, Dr. Jason Cohen, and Dr. Ryan F. Osborne
Source: TLC

TLC’s latest medical transformation series, Take My Tumor, focuses on the lives of patients living with problematic tumors that have drastically altered their lives. Think: A man with a tumor rapidly growing out of his neck and a woman covered in over a thousand tiny tumors on her body.

As noted in the show’s trailer, about one to five percent of the population develop soft tissue tumors, and by definition, a tumor means a growth, and some of these tumors have become so large and painful for patients that it’s made them afraid to go out in public.

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Real patients who will appear on Season 1 of TLC's 'Take My Tumor'
Source: TLC

Real patients who will appear on Season 1 of TLC’s ‘Take My Tumor’

In each episode, a new patient meets with the show’s three resident surgeons, Dr. Kimberly Moore Dalal, Dr. Jason Cohen, and Dr. Ryan F. Osborne, who will tackle their surgery, but it won’t be easy, and oftentimes these patients’ lives are on the line.

The series premiered on TLC on April 3. So, who are the medical experts? Here’s everything we know.

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Dr. Kimberly Moore Dalal

Dr. Kimberly Moore Dalal
Source: TLC

Dr. Kimberly Moore Dalal

Dr. Kimberly Moore Dalal is a fellowship-trained surgical oncologist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Burlingame, California, and has been in practice for over 20 years and previously worked as a surgeon in the armed forces. She graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Biology and then got her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

In 2019, she gave a TED Talk about women in surgery. In the comment section of the video, a former patient of Dr. Dalal praised her for her work, writing: “She is truly an incredibly passionate and caring person and you know that from the moment you meet her.”

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Dr. Jason Cohen

Dr. Jason Seth Cohen
Source: TLC

Dr. Jason Seth Cohen

Dr. Jason Cohen is the founder of The Surgery Group of Los Angeles and Co-Director of The Breast Center at the Surgery Group of Los Angeles. He is a leading expert in the surgical treatment of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. “I’m cautious, but I’m confident, and I’ve had, fortunately, some amazing outcomes,” he said in the trailer.

Dr. Ryan F. Osborne

Dr. Ryan F. Osborne
Source: TLC

Dr. Ryan F. Osborne

Dr. Ryan F. Osborne is the Director of Head and Neck Surgery at the Osborne Head and Neck Institute (OHNI) in Los Angeles, Calif., and is an internationally renowned expert surgeon. He takes his patients’ cases very seriously. “Once I make a human connection with a patient, I don’t have a choice. I’m going to do the case,” he said in the trailer. You can follow him on Instagram at @drryanosborne.

Watch Take My Tumor on TLC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST.

Source: https://www.distractify.com/p/take-my-tumor-cast-doctors

A new study found this flirting strategy to be the most effective, regardless of your looks

In the 1988 Disney classic “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” the titular character is in an unlikely relationship with his voluptuous wife Jessica. Roger is a frantic, anxious rabbit with a penchant for mischief, while Jessica is a quintessential ’40s bombshell who stands about a foot and a half taller and isn’t “bad,” just “drawn that way.”

When private investigator Eddie Valiant asked Jessica what she sees in “that guy?” she replies, “He makes me laugh.”

This type of couple may seem like something we only see in the movies, but don’t underestimate the power of humor when it comes to attractiveness. A new study published in Evolutionary Psychology found that being humorous is the most effective way to flirt for both men and women.

“People think that humour, or being able to make another person laugh, is most effective for men who are looking for a long-term relationship. It’s least effective for women who are looking for a one-night stand. But laughing or giggling at the other person’s jokes is an effective flirtation tactic for both sexes,” says Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Psychology.

“It is not only effective to be funny, but for women, it is very important that you show your potential partner that you think they are funny,” Rebecca Burch, a co-author from SUNY Oswego in New York, added.

Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on heterosexual couples.

For men, showing off their sense of humor was found to be the most effective way to flirt whether they were looking for a short-term or a long-term relationship. For women, being funny was the most effective tactic when looking for a long-term relationship. For people looking for a short-term fling, appearing available was the most effective tactic.

According to the study, humor is effective regardless of one’s attractiveness. “Individual differences in age, religiosity, extroversion, personal attractiveness and preferences for short-term sexual relationships had little or no effect on how effective respondents considered the various flirting tactics to be,” says study co-author Prof. Mons Bendixen.

If you see someone you like but don’t think you’re good-looking enough for them, give it a shot. You may still have a chance if you can make ’em laugh.

The most effective tactics for those looking for a long-term relationship:

For women:

1. Makes him laugh

2. Shows interest in conversations

3. Spends time with him

4. Engages in deep conversations

5. Kisses on mouth

For men:

1. Makes her laugh

2. Spends time with her

3. Shows interest in conversations

4. Engages in deep conversations

5. Smiles

The study is proof that looks aren’t everything and shows that having a good sense of humor isn’t just about making someone laugh. A great sense of humor is evidence that someone is intelligent, wise, perceptive, confident, can see things from new perspectives and has good intuition. It also helps people quickly build bonds and share experiences, which is a great way to get close to someone in a fast and fun way.

So why wouldn’t Jessica be with Roger? The guy is hilarious.

This story originally appeared on 05.07.22

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/study-strategy-how-to-flirt-rp5

‘Suits: LA’ Season 1: All The Details You Need To Know For The Upcoming Spin Off (Update For April 2024)

Suits Cast
USA Network/NBCUniversal

The first eight seasons of Suits led Netflix’s streaming summer of 2023, which was enough to not only inspire a new rewatch podcast based upon the USA Network series but a brand new show, too. That is to say, the ninth season is also available to stream on Peacock, but that’s not enough for viewers. NBCUniversal saw the promising writing on the wall, which led to a recent greenlighting of Suits: LA.

That’s the power of Netflix resurrection, streaming, and curiosity about Meghan Markle (who of course portrayed Rachel) for you. The new series will arrive for NBC, however, and surely the show will also stream on Peacock. However, many questions remain to be answered before suiting-up time, and thus far, some answers are beginning to surface.

Plot

This spin off was perhaps inevitable, given the ongoing success of the Law & Order shows along with more on the way from the NCIS realm. As with the latter, Suits is swapping locations (NYC to LA). Will California-based Suits have a breezier vibe? We’ll have to wait and see, but the actual action will be filmed in Vancouver, which is fine because the New York-based series was filmed in Toronto.

The pilot episode has been fast tracked, and ideally, a full-season order will come soon. The really good news is that this “extension” will come from original Suits creator and writer Aaron Korsh. Let’s do the logline thing:

Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives. All of this is going on while events from years ago slowly unravel that led Ted to leave behind everything and everyone he loved.

Thus far, Ted Black will be portrayed by Stephen Amell (from Starz’ recently cancelled Heels), and Josh McDermitt (Eugene from The Walking Dead) will be on hand as Stuart Lane, the old pal that helps form Black Lane Law. Together, they will conquer the worlds of entertainment and criminal law. Obviously, Los Angeles will be a good place to do both.

NBCUniversal has not even slightly confirmed that any original characters will return for the new shot. However, the former cast did reunite for both a Super Bowl spot and the Golden Globes, so anything is possible. Harvey could always be on-call to mentor for crisis planning, and Patrick J. Adams — who might be busy with his new Netflix show before too long — has made it known that he is ready and willing to re-suit, no questions asked: “If I got the phone call, I’d be ready to suit up again. I loved the show, I loved the character and I loved working with all these people.” Make it happen.

Cast

We do know for sure that Meghan Markle won’t pop up as Rachel unless she somehow has a change of heart about revisiting acting. As mentioned already, Stephen Amell will portray Ted Black, and he will be joined as Josh McDermitt with Lex Scott Davis (The First Purge) as the leading lady.

The pilot has been held out as featuring an entirely new cast, although seriously, no one would be mad to see Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams (as well as Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty) make a cameo appearance.

Release Date

NBC will likely want to get this baby out the door as quick as possible, so look for a late 2024 debut if the pilot goes well.

Trailer

There’s no way that a trailer would exist without any footage, so please relive Mike deciding that he’s already in “love” with Rachel upon their first meeting.

Source: https://uproxx.com/tv/suits-la-season-1-details-update-april-2024/

Woman's plea on Nextdoor app after cancer diagnosis leads to life-changing friendship

Sometimes in life you need a little help. Going through any major life event can be scary but to have to go through it mostly alone can be downright terrifying. April Goodman found herself in that very situation over a year ago. Goodman was diagnosed with uterine cancer and would need assistance getting to and from her appointments for chemotherapy and radiation.

But Goodman didn’t have anyone she could call on for help, which left her reliant on attempting to seek assistance through the app Nextdoor. This app is often used for neighborly things like informing people of accidents, recommendations, and sometimes help with smaller things like food or lawn equipment. It essentially brings neighbors together in one spot to allow them to communicate and look out for one another.

Goodman needed more than to borrow someone’s weed whacker, she needed a trustworthy friend to get her to and from appointments. She had no choice but to take a chance and ask a group of strangers to help her during an extremely vulnerable time in her life. Lyn Story answered the call without hesitation.

Story saw Goodman’s plea and immediately offered to get the woman to and from her appointments. Goodman tells CBS Mornings that at first she ignored the generous offer, “someone spoke up and said, ‘I’ll take you to your appointments’ and I kind of ignored it cause it was a stranger. What do you do? So she messaged me again and said, ‘I’ll take you. I mean it, I’m honest. I’m sincere.'”

That started a life-changing friendship between the two. Story has taken Goodman to over 25 appointments so far. She’s seen her graduate from chemotherapy before starting her radiation. But it turns out Story didn’t stop with answering Goodman’s call on the Nextdoor app. Another neighbor who is legally blind was forced out of retirement and needed rides to work, that’s where Story once again lended her help.

If no one else is doing it, Story is restoring people’s faith in humanity, one neighbor at a time. Watch the entire inspiring interview below.

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/womans-plea-on-nextdoor-app-after-cancer-diagnosis-leads-to-life-changing-friendship

A son's heartfelt LinkedIn post for his father who was laid off is getting a massive response

LinkedIn is primarily a platform for working professionals to connect and find employment that aligns with their skills and values. With company layoffs continuing (even increasing in some industries) people have also used the website to courageously share their layoff experiences.

While the main intent behind this is, of course, finding a new job, there have also been some lovely displays of humanity that not only challenge the stigma of being laid off but show the power of a supportive community.

Take this heartwarming story, for example.

Patrick McCarthy, Communications Management & Marketing Leader, recently posted about a layoff that quickly went viral on the platform. Not for himself—for his father.

“This is Pete. He’s my dad,” his post began. “My dad lost his job yesterday. I would tag him here, but he doesn’t have a LinkedIn.”

Pete, who has had a “starkly different professional journey” than his son, spent most of his life working in the service industry and absolutely loved interacting with customers. His empathy and knack for listening made him perfect for the role. Over his career, Pete had collected thousands of interactions from working at Walgreens, Fry’s, and (most recently) Winco, often being the reason folks came back.

And then, Pete was laid off. His job as a cashier, one that he loved and was good at, was gone.

“As anyone would be, he’s shocked. Overwhelmed. Scared. Emotional,” Patrick wrote.

linkedin

Knowing his dad didn’t have the same network to easily find a new job, Patrick reached out on his behalf, wholeheartedly believing in the “magic” of the LinkedIn Community. He implored that anyone looking for a candidate with “a LOT of customer-facing, customer service, and service industry experience” send him a message so that he could put them in touch with Pete.

Patrick’s faith paid off—way more than he thought it would. In less than a week, the post was shared over 500 times, with over 600 comments from people wanting to help.

A manager at a nearby Sprouts grocery store said Pete sounded like a perfect match for a clerk position that could even pay his daily wage ahead of time. Another suggested he could be an excellent outdoor tour guide for REI. Someone else referred them to a weekly meetup group led by a career coach.

Even LinkedIn responded, writing, “Pete sounds like a top-tier employee! 💙 Keep us posted as he progresses on his journey, as well as any tips or insights either of you learn along the way—it may help those in a similar situation.”

Truly, Pete’s story already provides some helpful insight. While he might still be in the job-seeking phase, things certainly look more optimistic. And all it took (besides Pete being a lovely human being) was one simple, honest post. As Patrick told Upworthy, “Clearly something about his story connected with others. Humanity. Vulnerability. Empathy.”

The words “social media” and “job market” can elicit some pretty negative visceral responses. Of course, this viewpoint has some merit, but it’s refreshing to see the power of human connection break through the disheartening headlines. Here’s to Patrick and his father Pete, for reminding us that even when things seem bleak or uncertain, the world is full of people trying to help out one another.

This article originally appeared on 2.28.23

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/son-whose-dad-got-laid-off-posts-on-linkedin-rp5

Vet techs in Hawaii break out the dance moves to distract a nervous dog during a blood draw

The fear of needles—technically known as trypanophobia—is an extremely common fear that can range from “Eh, I’m not so comfy with the idea a needle going into my body” to full-on fainting at the sight of a syringe. For some, the idea of having blood drawn adds another layer to the fear of needles (“Wait, you mean you’re taking some of the life-sustaining blood OUT of my body?”) and can the fear can be so strong that it leads to people avoiding lab work altogether.

Perhaps that’s one reason a video of vets and/or vet techs dancing for a dog who was nervous while getting a blood draw is resonating with so many people.

The video, shared by Hawaii Kai Vet Clinic on Instagram, is delightful on its face—the music, the dancing, the commitment, the random woman in the background, the good doggo, all of it. But it’s the desire to have that kind of distraction as a human in a phlebotomist’s chair that really got people.

I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy a blood draw with this kind of entertainment?

“Distraction team ready!” they wrote. “Treats, head pats and even dancing can help keep the nervous fur babies from focusing on the treatments being done, we love doing our best to keep things fear free as much as we can.”

“Do you have to own a pet to see this performance live and where can I purchase tickets?” wrote one commenter.

“I’m hoping these kind people are available for my next Dr appointment,” wrote another.

“Can you guys come with me to MY doctor’s appointment next week?” added another.

Here’s to the vets and vet techs who go the extra mile to make their patients as comfortable as possible. Check out Hawaii Kai Vet Clinic on Instagram for more veterinary joy.

This article originally appeared on 10.14.23

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/vet-techs-dance-for-nervous-dog-rp2

Grown-ups relive their childhoods in San Francisco's Bring Your Own Big Wheel race

If you grew up in the U.S. from 1968 on, you’re most likely familiar with the Big Wheel tricycle. There’s a good chance that you have your own visceral memories of riding one, whether you were lucky enough to have one or just mooched from a kid in the neighborhood.

The the sound of the wheels rolling over pavement. The invincibility you felt flying down the sidewalk peddling as hard as you could. The pain in your butt when you hit a rogue rock. The smell of plastic as you skidded to a stop. The impossibility of driving that thing over grass. The Big Wheel was a portal to grown-up driving—no shaky balancing required like a two-wheeler, just pure power and speed in a flash of bright red and yellow.

And every year, fully grown adults relive that 3-wheeler childhood thrill in San Francisco’s Bring Your Own Big Wheel race.

Bring Your Own Big Wheel (or BYOBW) has been delighting people in San Francisco for 24 years. The event takes place at 20th and Vermont Street on Easter Sunday afternoon. While some kids go hunting for eggs in their Sunday best, others are racing Big Wheels down San Francisco’s crookedest hill. Kids 12ish and under go first (this year, they had the 2:00 to 3:00 time slot) and then the adults get their turn. It’s quite an event to witness.

Watch:

The event is free, with participants being asked to make a small donation to cover the costs associated with putting on the event (permits, hay bales, port-a-potties etc.). And there is no advertising or corporate sponsorship allowed in the event—just pure, childlike fun—with helmets, gloves, knee pads and elbow pads recommended, of course.

Clearly, people take “Big Wheel” loosely, as people brought a whole range of tricycles, but the effect is still sheer delight. A former BYOBW participant called it “terrifyingly fun.” As one commenter wrote, “Ya know – society would be so much better if we just did a bunch of fun events like this. It’s certainly a lot more fun than the ‘red vs. blue’ routine we got going now.”

I mean, check out these dudes in suits up front:

And every video is more fun than the last.

Learn more about BYOBW at bringyourownbigwheel.com.

Source: https://www.upworthy.com/grown-ups-relive-their-childhoods-in-san-francisco-s-bring-your-own-big-wheel-race

Optical illusion that looks like a person with two dogs has people totally tripping

Optical illusions are wild. The way our brains perceive what our eyes see can be way off base, even when we’re sure about what we’re seeing.

Plenty of famous optical illusions have been created purposefully, from the Ames window that appears to be moving back and forth when it’s actually rotating 360 degrees to the spiral image that makes Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” look like it’s moving.

But sometimes optical illusions happen by accident. Those ones are even more fun because we know they aren’t a result of someone trying to trick our brains. Our brains do the tricking all by themselves.

The popular Massimo account on X shared a photo that appears to be a person and two dogs in the snow. The more you look at it, the more you see just that—two dogs and someone who is presumably their owner.

But there are not two dogs in this picture:

There are three dogs in this picture. Can you see the third?

Full confession time: I didn’t see it at first. Not even when someone explained that the “human” is actually a dog. My brain couldn’t see anything but a person with two legs, dressed all in black, with a furry hat and some kind of furry stole or jacket. My brain definitely did not see a black poodle, which is what the person actually is.

Are you looking at the photo and trying to see it, totally frustrated?

The big hint is that the poodle is looking toward the camera. The “hat” on the “person” is the poodle’s poofy tail, and the “scarf/stole” is the poodle’s head.

Once you see it, it fairly clear, but for many of us, our brains did not process it until it was explicitly drawn out.

As one person explained, the black fur hides the contours and shadows, so all our brains take in is the outline, which looks very much like a person facing away from us.

People’s reactions to the optical illusion were hilarious.

One person wrote, “10 years later: I still see two dogs and a man.”

Another person wrote, “I agree with ChatGPT :)” and shared a screenshot of the infamous AI chatbot describing the photo as having a person in the foreground. Even when asked, “Could the ‘person’ be another dog?” ChatGPT said it’s possible, but not likely. Ha.

One reason we love optical illusions is that they remind us just how very human we are. Unlike a machine that takes in and spits out data, our brains perceive and interpret what our senses bring in—a quality that has helped us through our evolution. But the way our brains piece things together isn’t perfect. Even ChatGPT’s response is merely a reflection of our human imperfections at perception being mirrored back at us.

Sure is fun to play with how our brains work, though.

This article originally appeared on 1.8.24


Source: https://www.upworthy.com/optical-illusion-two-dogs-one-person-rp

Where Are Jamie and Doug From Married at First Sight Now?

Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner, the iconic couple from Season 1 of ‘Married at First Sight’, are still happily married and expanding their family!

Allison DeGrushe - Author
Doug Hehner and Jamie Otis pose together at the 2019 A+E Upfront at Jazz on March 27, 2019, in NYC.
Source: Getty Images

This wild ride of a reality show known as Married at First Sight may seem like it’s aiming for heartbreak central, but guess what? Love is winning big time! Out of a dazzling 64 couples matched over 16 seasons, 12 pairs are still going strong. Who would’ve thought that true love could sprout from such wacky beginnings?!

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And guess what? Among those lovebirds soaring high are none other than the OGs themselves, Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner! If you’re curious to dive into their love story and see where they’re at now, stick around for the scoop.

Doug Hehner kisses Jamie Otis's cheek during the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square on Dec. 31, 2016 in NYC.
Source: Getty Images

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Where are Jamie and Doug from ‘Married at First Sight’ now?

Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner, the Season 1 power couple who tied the knot on March 23, 2014, are still together and head over heels in love! But their journey together has been anything but ordinary.

In July 2016, they shared the joyous news of expecting their first child, only to face heartbreak with a miscarriage just a week later — but they didn’t lose hope! They announced their second pregnancy in February 2017, and their daughter, Henley Grace, brought immeasurable joy when she arrived on Aug. 22, 2017.

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Their resilience was tested again when they shared the exciting news of another pregnancy on Christmas Day 2018, but sadly, Jamie experienced another miscarriage in January 2019. Undeterred, the pair bravely announced their third pregnancy on Sept. 6, 2019, and welcomed their son, Hendrix Douglas, into the world on May 13, 2020.

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But wait, there’s more! On Feb. 20, 2024, Jamie surprised everyone with the news of her fourth pregnancy, exclaiming her gratitude for the blessings despite the hurdles they’ve faced.

“I’M FINALLY PREGNANT!!! I wanna scream it from the rooftops!!!” she excitedly wrote on Instagram alongside a video of a positive pregnancy test. “I can’t thank YOU enough for praying for us! GOD IS GOOD!!!”

“It’s been over three years of trying,” Jamie added. “I’ve been diagnosed with secondary infertility, a blocked fallopian tube, MTHFR, hypothyroidism, ‘low-normal’ AMH, [and] advanced maternal age, and I’m probably missing something else that was thrown at us ….. BUT GOD WILL WORK MIRACLES IF YOU BELIEVE!”

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And if that wasn’t thrilling enough, they recently revealed in March 2024 that they’re expecting twins! Jamie expressed her delight with People, revealing, “I’ve always wanted to be a twin mommy. My little sister and brother are twins, but my mom said it’d skip my generation and go to my kiddos, so I never expected I’d end up with twins!”

So here’s to Jamie and Doug, the legendary Married at First Sight couple, as they embark on this next chapter of their incredible journey. Congratulations to this growing, vibrant family of soon-to-be six!

Source: https://www.distractify.com/p/jamie-and-doug-married-at-first-sight-now