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Organ transplant recipients Dan Kobylka and Joan Dale share a special bond that remains connected through “cell memory” 25 years later We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentOn Jan met while they were being prepped for organ transplants was receiving his second heart transplant 11 years after his first heart was about to receive her first liver transplant and they were in an elevator in a London hospital on their way to get X-rays ‘I’m getting a new heart’ and that’s when it clicked that we were receiving organs from the same donor,” Kobylka said Noting they had a great connection from the beginning Although Dale underwent a second liver transplant about four years later the longtime friends credit their connection to the lasting “cell memory” of each receiving an organ from the same donor The Chatham Daily News spoke with Dale and Kobylka to talk about life as longtime organ donor recipients including how they have shared their experience to help promote organ donation Dale is one of three founding members of a support group for the liver disease primary biliary cholangitis previously known as primary biliary cirrhosis She says this has grown into a PBC support group with about 4,000 members Having spoken in many places many times over the years she proudly wears a bikini when at a beach to show the scars from her liver transplants “That’s a conversation starter,” Dale said If someone comments she has some nasty scars that’s my new lifelines and it goes from there.” Kobylka chose to be active in the community as a founder of the Challenger Baseball program along with doing ministry work in local nursing homes and helping the homeless “What I’m trying to show is there is life after transplant You can affect other peoples’ lives too,” he said Kobylka said if it wasn’t for their organ donor they wouldn’t have been able to have a positive impact on others Dale said there is no question receiving the incredible gift of organ donation has changed her life “You can’t dwell on the little things anymore,” she says Although Kobylka has lived about 36 years with two heart transplants “I still have a really hard time thinking long-term future.” Kobylka has experienced severe depression at times which he calls part of the deal many transplant recipients experience that shouldn’t be denied It doesn’t mean you’re not happy,” he said An important message Kobylka gives to transplant recipients is “Don’t ignore your mental health because help is available.” Dale has lost transplant recipient friends over the years and it takes a toll It is also hard when you lose people who didn’t have the opportunity to receive a life-saving organ Not everybody gets a happy ending,” Kobylka said He said through that “act of grace called organ donation eshreve@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. * If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. The following form creates an appointment request only, not a confirmed appointment. Upon completion of this form, a representative will contact you within 48 hours to assist you with your appointment request. By submitting this form, you agree to receive health information through email from Orlando Health and its affiliates.* A representative will be in touch with you shortly to confirm your appointment. You should also receive an email confirming your appointment.  If you chose to be called, you may be asked for more information, so please have your insurance information ready. Do you need to speak with someone regarding your appointment request? Call us at (321) 843-2584 * If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. * Address: 60 Columbia Street4th FloorOrlando, FL 32806 Kara Kobylka-Russell is a certified physician assistant (PA-C) with the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, specializing in orthopedic traumatology and assisting in orthopedic surgery. Her expertise includes: Kara has been a PA in Orlando since 2010 and also has served as an exercise specialist and sports performance coach. She strives to treat every patient like a member of her own family. Kara received her bachelor’s degree in integrated health science from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. She earned her master’s in physician assistant studies from Nova Southeastern University in Orlando. Kara is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.   Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her children, participating in triathlons and ice hockey. This is a comprehensive list of insurances accepted at Orlando Health hospitals, outpatient services and physician groups. Be sure to contact your individual insurer to verify coverage. Not all providers accept the same insurance. If possible, check with your providers prior to your procedure or appointment to verify coverage. Information will update every 5 minutes. ER Wait Times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only. Estimated Wait Times as of: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 6:04 AM  COPYRIGHT © 2025 ORLANDO HEALTH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED We were standing in a six-thousand-square-foot climate-controlled outbuilding that housed some two thousand pythons, which were kept in individual plastic trays slotted into tall metal racks. The space, which cost nearly a million dollars to build and outfit, was immaculate and well lit, with corner-mounted industrial fans and glossy floors. A vague odor of musk and Clorox was all that hinted at the daily chores of snake husbandry. It was balmy in the outbuilding. Kobylka modulates the temperature to stagger the pythons’ breeding cycles throughout the year (wild females become fertile in response to seasonal cues), but his snakes still seem to intuit the weather outside. A rainstorm can spark mating—Kobylka said that he will sometimes rush to match receptive females to males ahead of a downpour. Cartoon by Roz ChastCopy link to cartoonCopy link to cartoonLink copied “My wife says I didn’t get as excited about our kids being born as when the eggs hatch,” Kobylka told me, “but I knew what to expect with our children.” (The Kobylkas have five children: two adopted, three biological.) “Actually,” he added, “our last son came out with red hair and blue eyes, so he was a double recessive.” YouTube. “We finally hit something really epic,” he announces in the video. Before leaving Kinova, I asked if I could hold a ball python. Kobylka selected a small lemon-yellow snake and placed its rolled-up body on my open palm. I had expected something cool to the touch, but the snake was warm, the temperature of its enclosure. When I shut my eyes, the impression of it on my hand seemed remarkably faint. “They tend to just sit still, and they’re handleable,” Kobylka said. “They’re just so packaged.” your friends start dropping like flies—and no one suspects you.”Cartoon by Zachary KaninCopy link to cartoonCopy link to cartoonLink copied household reptiles began to get a reputational makeover Children raised on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Jurassic Park” reimagined scaly pets as characterful and intriguing Retailers started to see an uptick in iguana sales believed extinct until 1994 and jeopardized today by wildfires and invasive predators Snakes were pitched to prospective buyers as perfect for cramped urban residences: undemanding Ball pythons—which were abundant in their natural habitats and highly transportable—were soon arriving in the U.S exports of ball pythons from West Africa to the United States tripled In “The Ultimate Ball Python,” an encyclopedic volume on morphs helmed by the breeder Kevin McCurley one early broker described them as a “junk” species imported brown-and-tan ball pythons sold for around thirty dollars discounted for being less alluring than other tropical reptiles and when he was in his mid-twenties McCurley now an exuberant figure in the snake world Speaking to me from what he called a “venomous room” in his breeding complex in New Hampshire McCurley said that one day he had a vision of what ball pythons could be: “I looked at the vehicle of the ball python But it needs a totally different paint job.’ ” an Oklahoma-based breeder named Bob Clark received a tip about a single albino ball python found in Africa “I got a letter from a friend in The Hague Clark had been successfully cultivating albino Burmese pythons costly novelties that can reach almost twenty feet But in the ball python’s small size he saw an opportunity On the strength of a photograph sent to him in the mail he bought the albino for seven thousand dollars a price that he said “seemed a little crazy” at the time It took Clark several years of linebreeding—mating snakes to their forebears or descendants—to produce a second albino ball python (Such ball pythons aren’t pure white: you might get a snake with carrot-orange daubs or pale-yellow streaks.) He began selling the hatchlings at seventy-five hundred dollars apiece The thief got away with his founding albino male as well as females that were heterozygous for the trait Clark retained a large enough colony to continue but he began hearing rumors of other albino ball pythons: his supply was no longer exclusive (The thief was eventually caught and ordered to pay a civil judgment of $2.5 million.) which features mottled brown spots on an ivory body and is considered scarce in the wild a pied ball python could sell for thirty thousand dollars who had been breeding reptiles while working a day job as an electronic technician he started buying imports with minor irregularities and mating them to determine whether a specific quirk could be passed on (a process known to breeders as “proving out”) Most anomalies were discreet—a bit of speckling who used to sort reptile shipments in South Florida noted in “The Ultimate Ball Python” that McCurley would study the snakes’ markings for hours “like he was a gemologist inspecting the Hope Diamond.” Mike Wilbanks “Some of the morphs turned into gold mines empty hole.” It is not possible to trademark a morph but breeders came to view the particular designs they were working toward as commercially sensitive information Many breeders believe that ball pythons’ history of living primarily belowground has preserved an array of mutations related to appearance The thinking is that eye-catching snakes living aboveground are more visible to predators making them more liable to be picked off before their genes get passed on are not thought to play a role in courtship.) By the early two-thousands and Benin had learned that American buyers were willing to spend top dollar for “odd balls”—snakes that diverged from the wild type in even minor ways What had been an amateur pursuit was fast becoming an industry Ball-python exports from West Africa peaked at around two hundred and fifty thousand a year in 2005 as domestic breeding replaced mass importation American captive-bred ball pythons seemed to better express buyers’ notion of the exotic snakes—and snakeskin—were having a moment in the broader culture as emblems of opulence and transgression Britney Spears sashayed across the stage with a seven-foot-long Burmese python slung around her shoulders Gleaming in the windows of high-end fashion boutiques were python-skin footwear and clothes the Python’s Sorrow,” one headline in the Times ran.) Ball pythons were too small to be profitable for the skin trade but the Zeitgeist’s embrace of surreally hued scales conferred an aura of glamour on collecting and breeding them His mother—who raised him and his younger brother on her own—sold handicrafts and moved the family to Nebraska “I always felt there’s a world within a spot,” he said centipedes and salamanders—creatures most people would walk right past and never see.” His mother encouraged Kobylka’s pursuits but insisted that no animal be brought home “That was the rule with my family: what’s wild is wild.” he began attending a small religious boarding school in Oklahoma where he became fascinated by scarlet king snakes which he kept in a homemade cage in his dorm room until he himself was caught and it was her mom who called and tattled on me,” Kobylka said with a laugh The school did offer him an empty room to accommodate the rest of his collection and a red-tailed boa he had bought at a pet store Kobylka had been trying to produce a “dreamsicle”—a white ball python with splotches of tangerine—but three of the circular markings on the snake looked like smiley faces His video of the “emoji python” went viral.Photograph courtesy Kinova ReptilesAt nineteen he visited a Vodun temple and saw ball pythons having no concept of: this is going to be my whole life,” he said What captivated him then were chameleons—reptiles that change color for camouflage or to indicate excitation He gave local children pocket change for any that they could catch and placed the animals on the boughs of a tree outside his lodgings He would sometimes climb the tree and be surrounded by the creatures Kobylka attended Southern Adventist University where he majored in communications and began keeping king snakes—which are banded and slender—caged in his dorm bathroom; he soon had fourteen of them He was reintroduced to ball pythons through the Web site of a Maryland-based breeder named Ralph Davis “He had this rock-star personality,” Kobylka told me “Ralph’s site was the only place you could see all these mutations and get a picture of what was possible Everyone else was stuck in the Stone Age.” On weekends “I was just talking about snakes constantly,” Kobylka said his uncle offered to invest in a pair of pastel ball pythons and to split the profits if they produced salable offspring They earned enough on the deal that Kobylka was able to persuade his uncle to buy a pied which he went to fetch from a dealer in Florida “I still remember driving home with that animal,” Kobylka told me “I would stop by the side of the road to look at it every hour ball pythons are sent between dealers and collectors using overnight mail carriers such as FedEx.) His uncle attached one condition to the purchase: the snake was too valuable to be left in Kobylka’s care so it would live in a tank next to his uncle’s bed The early two-thousands were a good time to get into the business McCurley had received a six-figure bid for three golden snakelets with webbing patterns The breeder Mike Wilbanks sold a “black-eyed Lucy”—a leucistic ball python—to a Belgian collector for two hundred thousand dollars People were taking on debt to finance their ball-python purchases “I had second mortgages on my house so I could have a hundred thousand dollars ready to go if that next new thing came out,” Wilbanks told me a morph might be faddish and expensive at first but as it was sold widely its value would slide to an entry-level price point Those rare ball-python traits first discovered in the wild and now known as base morphs had followed this trajectory “They all became accessible,” Kobylka said there’s infinite possibilities if we just stack genes together.” He told me “That’s where I got my jump on the industry.” In 2003 aiming for “combos,” mutations layered together in order to produce singular dazzlers that could appeal to connoisseur breeders in the U.S and internationally rather than to big-box pet stores “I wanted to imagine a morph combo in the future and create it ten years later—that was what I was all about,” he said Kinova’s yield is around fifteen hundred pythons a year and Kobylka is seen as unrivalled in his artistry with genetic mutations “You will never ever be able to catch Justin Kobylka,” Antoine Hood That’s a better endeavor.” Brittney Gobble called Kobylka “a savant.” “He’s able to create a 3-D model combining five or six mutations in his mind and it looks like how he described it,” Gobble said I went to the North American Reptile Breeders Conference in Tinley Park where venders from around the country had set up booths With most transactions taking place online expos are seen as an opportunity to launch what Kobylka called “really cutting-edge things.” Many breeders showed their ball pythons in clear acrylic boxes on logo-printed paper; photographs of them would be automatically branded Kobylka had walked around the venue before it opened to the public but now he couldn’t get more than a few steps away from the Kinova booth without being accosted by neophyte breeders and reptile enthusiasts I saw a buyer lightly rap the top of one of Kinova’s display cases and announce “That’s the snake—that’s the showstopper.” It was the “sunset combo” morph which had the bittersweet-orange sheen of heirloom glassware “Justin would take this off my hands in a second if I let him,” a breeder who had brought a morph called “Cyborg” said A woman in a sleek blazer was deftly handling a lustrous slate-blue snake changing her grip the way a rappeller belays a top rope as the snake cascaded without progress in the direction of the floor “They can have quite a spicy temperament,” she declared “They’re not for beginners.” At the booth for Best Dressed Balls—an Iowa-based venture run by a breeder named Troy Schroeder—a girl of nine patted the box in front of her An estimated six million households in the U.S Millennials make up the largest group of reptile owners and turtles have become increasingly popular with Generation Z “One of our concerns is that technology will take kids away from this world,” a breeder observed “Why would a kid today want to peer at a snake through glass headset on and play with dinosaurs?” As much as the ball python seems to have been pulled into the technological infrastructure of the twenty-first century—featured in live streams traded via MorphMarket—snake ownership was frequently portrayed at the expo as an antidote to the anomie of feeling ourselves to be part of a big machine A 2015 poll of readers by Scientific American Mind found that snake owners were more likely than other pet owners to describe their animals as “part of the family.” Some reptile owners clearly felt that more was more buzzing from the recent sale of five “retics” (reticulated pythons) to a customer in the Middle East the matter of snake size could be divisive “One per cent of snake keepers are up to taking care of a snake that large and not the other ninety-nine,” Kobylka said He expressed unease at the rise of social-media accounts that sensationalize living with gigantic snakes misrepresenting snake keeping as an extreme sport rather than a serious responsibility The launch of a new morph is sometimes called a “reveal” or a “drop,” echoing the language of luxury-sneaker culture.Photograph by Delaney Allen for the New YorkerBut the majority of collectors were there for the ball pythons Although Python regius is not endangered in Africa the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) has designated it as near-threatened prohibits animals that aren’t captive-bred or “quality farm-raised” in the U.S As I wandered through aisle upon aisle of ball pythons I wondered if the line between the wild type and the captive-bred could be so easily demarcated who is in charge of juvenile animals at Kinova told me that he thought ball-python morphs took the pressure off wild-snake populations by satisfying people’s longing for exotic-looking reptiles as of a shopkeeper displaying his wares—“What color do you like with lightning slashes of electric yellow along its chocolate-brown sides Then there were the ball pythons that hadn’t yet been conjured Kobylka told me that he was hoping to make “a truly zebra-looking animal but the difficulty is that’d be a quadruple recessive That’s many years out.” I had already seen and there were also two much talked-about “gorilla” combos which were dark with tortoise-shell ripples: as on fashion runways there was a constant conflation of wildness with luxury Ball pythons have come to be seen as unnatural I frequently heard them described as “pet rocks”—that is to say “You can’t make a dog out of it.” I appreciated the fact that many breeders seemed to resist anthropomorphizing their stock But speaking of ball pythons as “pet rocks” seemed to ignore their fundamental creatureliness “I’ve had people who have had five-thousand-dollar who said they didn’t want to pay seventy-five dollars for an exam or treatment for that animal,” Mark Mitchell a professor of zoological medicine in Louisiana “People are much more apt to want to take care of an animal they view affectionately than those they consider commodities.” Yet evolving into eye candy for humans has meant that designer ball pythons enjoy some of the evolutionary advantages of domestic animals “There isn’t a single endangered species of domestic animal,” Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra told me “Many have worldwide distribution.” With natural habitats disappearing all the time finding a way to shelter within anthropic culture might be a good strategy “What is a better ticket to survival than being beautiful and rare?” Clark said “Those traits are going to be multiplied in future generations because that’s what people like not because that’s what kept you from getting eaten.” The evolutionary trade-offs borne by individual snakes in captivity Breeders once championed their field as a salve against the cruelties of shipping wild-foraged snakes breeders have discovered that several sought-after traits and specific gene-crossings also produce physical irregularities in which a snake’s rostrum is upturned and flattened such as the “caramel albino,” have a higher chance of producing young with spine kinks a condition that can prevent them from moving sinuously we won’t sell it as a breeder,” Courtney Capps told me because I don’t want the genetics to be passed on small eyes turn into no eyes.” Another condition that can be distressing is “wobblehead,” a tic that likely betrays neurological issues breeders have counselled against pairing morphs that are known to result in impairments (“We want mutations that are just skin-deep,” Kobylka told me “We don’t want the animal to be at all changed in any way that would hurt its ability to survive.”) But some unusual malformations can be profitable windfalls: early in the new year Clark sold a two-headed ball python for a hundred thousand dollars I had asked Kobylka which was the rarest snake in the room expecting to be shown something supremely expensive The morph was called “desert,” a snake the color of burnt butter with a toothlike pattern It was a variety that “everybody loved when it first came out,” he said many snake experts are skeptical of the whole morph-making enterprise “It’s ‘The Island of Doctor Moreau,’ ” the British herpetologist Neil D’Cruze told me D’Cruze is the head of research at World Animal Protection International and the senior co-author of “Snakes and Ladders,” a scientific paper on the ball-python trade it’s being pushed out of the desire to create a new product Not to help the snake cope better in captivity—to be a better pet for whoever owns it Are these animals part of a genuine conservation program to help save the species Some are concerned about the limits of our ability to envision what snakes need an Oxford professor of anthropology who has written about python-breeding communities in the U.S. believes that seeing “past the dollar value of a snake with particularly colorful skin” would mean offering more to the snakes than racking trays Breeders “talk about burrowing,” Kirksey said These are life-support technologies that people are cobbling together out of plastic invisible.” I had read that it was possible to gauge a python’s stress by measuring its blood cortisol but as I walked around the expo I found myself troubled by the question of what thriving or discomfort looked like in a snake the business of breeding rolls ever forward When ball pythons were first becoming investment pieces One individual purported to have the world’s first entirely red ball python and sold the python’s offspring—which were all black—to several U.S As clutches laid by those snakes failed to contain any crimson hatchlings vexed breeders agreed that they’d been conned New technology promises to change all of that A topic of fervent conversation at the expo was shed-testing “That’s where our industry is headed,” he said which requires the tiniest scrap of molted snakeskin offers designers a more rigorous way to verify traits Brittney Gobble told me she had heard that artificial insemination might soon be available for ball pythons which would expand the field exponentially I imagined a world where creating new morphs would be a matter of transporting little vials of snake sperm Kobylka had said that he wanted “to make something that is genuinely beautiful to an average person That’s my criteria—if the person on the street I didn’t know a snake could look like that.’ ” But it was also possible to go too far similar to a sphynx cat or a furless guinea pig Many will recognize it as “the pinnacle of ‘unnatural,’ ” the veterinarian H Kitt Hollister wrote in “The Ultimate Ball Python,” because it is “delicate and seemingly unable to survive without human intervention.” The breeder responsible for the morph marketed it as “smooth and soft,” a completely different texture to touch Kobylka told me that when he finally got to hold one he was perturbed The scaleless snake seemed to break the boundaries of what a snake is A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. The race for a single Millcreek Township supervisor seat is suddenly crowded on both the Republican and Democratic sides Two Republican candidates for supervisor have emerged as contenders for their party's nomination in the May 19 municipal primary -- George Hazuda a broadcast engineer and Millcreek School Board member who previously announced his candidacy on the GOP ticket Donna Reese and former Supervisor Jess Jiuliante III Reese is also a Millcreek School Board member while Morgan is a volunteer member of the Millcreek Planning Commission The six candidates are seeking the seat now held by Supervisor Richard Figaski Hazuda said he's been an independent businessman for 25 years and he's survived by "providing excellent service Hazuda said his campaign is based on a "back-to-basics approach I don't believe Millcreek should be involved in any new ventures until our township has a police department that is positioned to keep up with continuing growth along with any potential spillover of drug (crime) and gun crime from Erie -- and (until) our streets are in good condition." Hazuda also said the township has spent more than $1 million in legal fees over the past decade leading to financial losses to the township But Hazuda said Millcreek is a great place to live "I really look forward to working with Supervisors (Brian) McGrath and (John) Groh to make affordable decisions for the Millcreek taxpayers," he said but served about six months on the Millcreek Water Authority Board in 2014 a twice-elected member of the Millcreek School Board said he would be a financial watchdog for the township If they want to look at what I've done on the School Board over the last six years," he said adding that he's opposed to what he called unnecessary spending "This is a business and it has to be run as such," he said referring to the Millcreek School District said he would apply that same philosophy to township government "You must be accountable to the taxpayers," he said Kobylka said he was one of the founding members of "No New McDowell," the group that opposed the $94 million consolidation of McDowell High School Kobylka is an active reserve member of the Kearsarge Fire Department where he served as president in 2012 and 2013 kobylka sought proposals that could maximize the resistance of wood while minimizing its weaknesses orange and pink PK15 three-seat sofa all images by ana kobylka or in the construction design of wooden trusses sofa sockets refer to the ‘gusset plate’ normally applied to reinforce the knots of wooden trusses a truss is a structure formed by triangular shapes composed of straight elements with ends connected by points named knots the fitting ends can either be tightened by screws which is a metallic plate where the wood pieces are screwed in order to make the whole set more rigid paulo kobylka explored a reinterpretation of the gusset plate applied to furniture design the turned wooden legs are fitted into the tubular profiles and screwed to them the union of the metallic structure with solid pieces of wood results in a strong and robust collection the collection comprises includes a chair (PK12) every piece is handcrafted and produced by local workers the metallic structure is made of carbon steel and receives automotive paint the solid turned wood pieces are made of jequitibá a tree native to the brazilian atlantic forest in addition to the natural-looking finish of the wood with matte polyurethane varnish there is the ebonized version and upholstered options turned wood legs fit tightly into the tubular profile name: gusset collection design: paulo kobylka photography: ana kobylka designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style There are many possible reasons: the thrill of the hunt The Journal of Consumer Marketing estimates that 40 percent of U.S households engage in some form of collecting behavior.  The curios are wide-ranging: vinyl records the NFT market surpassed $40 billion in value in 2021 according to an estimate from analytics firm Chainalysis users are still stumbling over the complexity and lack of familiarity of digital collectibles In order to unleash the market’s full potential companies need to make engaging with NFTs feel uncomplicated and remove barriers to adoption “We are empathetic to folks who are confused. It’s become really obvious that it’s not that people don’t think it’s cool. It’s because they don’t understand it, so they are going to dunk on it,” said Steve Wall, Web3 product strategy and innovation manager at Sweet Sweet is making it simple to feel the rush of collecting without the crypto confusion The end-to-end NFT platform offers creative services Sweet is melting away a layer of misunderstanding around digital collectibles by replicating familiar Web2 experiences and transferring them to the Web3 world.  “It’s really about taking all the fluff out of the Web3 space and grounding ourselves in Web2 terminology,” said Senior Product Manager Bret Kobylka This strategy of simplification is attracting major logos Sweet has built successful partnerships with huge brands Sweet’s NFT campaigns help idols and entities with fandoms grow revenue and drive engagement through the thrill of collecting NFTs offer the dual benefit of letting brands repurpose existing material that has been picked up and dusted off from the cutting room floor.  “There is a wealth of exciting history and memories that sits in the closets of so many major enterprises leagues and brands that can be revealed digitally There are fascinating ways to bring undiscovered collector pieces into this space and unlock new revenue streams for these entities,” said Executive Vice President of Partnerships Betsy Proctor To identify and cut away the complexity of NFTs Sweet’s team is stacked with virtuosos from atypical backgrounds who previously worked with and managed musicians such as Keith Urban a two-time Grammy-nominated record producer who is equal parts philosopher and tech nerd these diverse perspectives give Sweet an edge against its competitors in the market as the company seeks to break down the walls around NFT collecting “We are a collective of diverse backgrounds great minds here and the way we think together is what makes the magic happen,” said Kobylka Whether a job seeker is a digital collector or wants to work on ambitious working at Sweet offers employees the chance to have a large impact at an emerging company as it strives to simplify the use of NFTs in everyday life EVP of Partnerships Betsy Proctor: We came at it from a consumer engagement standpoint we have sophisticated technology that lets users register for a wallet in a way that’s familiar we’re not asking them to go through an entirely new process It’s as simple as: enter your phone number put in your name and password and accept the terms and conditions — then you’re done Users don’t have to understand things that don’t matter to the consumer space Demystifying means taking all the complexity out of it and making buying an NFT as familiar as buying a T-shirt on Amazon Web3 Product Strategy and Innovation Manager Steve Wall: There’s a spectrum of crypto and blockchain education and there are hurdles to getting into it — some are financial but it’s also that people learn in different ways It’s part of our job to level up everybody here Senior Product Manager Bret Kobylka: It’s about taking out all the fluff We’re really concentrating on stripping away that complexity and making it super easy and frictionless for users to sign in you can now go on a journey with your favorite artist or brand instead of having a one-way relationship you’d consume the product and wait until the next drop and the way we dematerialize the collectible from the physical space to the digital Proctor: My husband has probably 20 folders of baseball cards that he never But every single day he’s showing me the new NFT he got — it’s on his phone we tap into the psychology and adrenaline of owning something and the benefits it can unlock “Demystifying means taking all the complexity out of it and making buying an NFT as familiar as buying a T-shirt on Amazon.” Wall: It may not matter to the client which blockchain they’re using but it matters very much that these tokens are authenticated on the blockchain Serious collectors don’t have to worry about authenticity issues Wall: A lot of the things we’re trying to hit with these brands are actually familiar things — senses of community and the progression of their connection to fans Users are wanting to go deeper and see what brands are willing to do to extend that relationship and brands are willing to dip their toe into trying new stuff Proctor: The properties we work with love our tech because we approach NFTs from a consumer engagement standpoint We don’t approach it from an NFT perspective — we consider brand strategy And then we use our innovation team and tech stack to put together a program that leverages NFTs to accomplish those goals for them Proctor: We’re innovating all the time — and seeing the number of people registering go up One of the things I’m excited about is that we’re going to have a way for consumers to keep a balance in their wallet so they can have their play money inside of this collecting space.  Kobylka: One of the ways we’re able to onboard the mainstream user successfully is that we have really good delivery and distribution models One of those is QR codes — we’re baking them into our NFT wallets the more people will realize that brands like Macy’s are in it for the right reasons so consumers can see that these brands aren’t going away — you can take a hammer to it and it’s going to be solid Responses have been edited for length and clarity The conference was attended byWang Weidong customer service manager at Nuctech Warsaw "The investment in Kobyłka is crucial for Nuctech's global development strategy," Wang said "The new plant increases our production and R&D potential and enables us to transfer unique and the most advanced technologies to Poland." "We have been steadily developing our business here for 14 years and we see it a great home base for us in Europe We are very happy to open our new plant and as an investor we hope to further contribute to economic growth of this region," Wang said honoured the guests of the briefing with his presence saying that "I am proud to open this new investment This is another proof of the development of our company in Poland." Nuctech Warsaw's long-term development strategy in Poland is in line with the Polish strategy of the development of innovative and competitive companies and brings tangible benefits to the Polish industry through a transfer of high tech technologies and know-how You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site 2023 at   the Canora Gateway Lodge Peter was born to Jeannie (Slowski) and Nick Kobylka on July 21, 1937 in the Gorlitz district.  He was the middle child of 5: Verna, Dan, Peter, Adel and Allen.  He is pre-deceased by his Mother Jeannie, Father Nick, brother Dan; brothers-in-law Joe (Verna) Todoyschuk and Eugene (Adel) Yakimoski; sister-in-law Evelyn (Dan) Kobylka and daughter-in-law Carlene (Jerry) Kobylka. He is survived by wife Irene; son Jerry (Carlene), Devin (Brittney) Isla, Emmerson and Azelyn; son Brian; son Layton (Lisa), Aiden and Karys; daughter Leanne (Darrell), Aurissa and Jenna. Peter attended Annak school that was located on their farm land then attended the Canora Composite school until grade 10.  He worked on the family farm and soon discovered his love and passion for music.  He got his first fiddle when he was about 7 or 8 years old from a good neighbour.  He would watch Tony Procyshyn play then go home and practice in the mirror.  He became an exceptional musician, self-taught violin player and only played by ear. Family and friends looked forward to the yearly phone call from Peter who would play Happy Birthday on the violin.  He had a dedicated calendar with all the birthdays to keep him on track. He was asked numerous times to play Amazing Grace at funerals or in the Church.  Lorne and Peter played quite frequently at the door for weddings or at nursing homes.  All the residents truly enjoyed listening and reminiscing of older times.  He was one of the original Country Lads members with Ernie Denysek, George Stanicki and Norm Werner.  There were so many other band members through the years. His brother Allen Kobylka, Lorne Procyshen, Allen Zatwarniski, Benny Lozinski, Russell Dorosh, Merv Gabora, Orville Drobot, Glen Haskewich, Bob German, Ron Rodoski, Bud Taylor, George Flunder, Les Pavlick, Glen Leson, Steve Ryzak, Al Benarchuk, John Drodz, just to name a few. He made lifelong friendships and treasured them all. He had many enjoyments in his life; fishing, helping others, singing in church, but family was number one. His grandchildren meant the world to him.  He was blessed with 5; Devin, Aurissa, Jenna, Aiden and Karys and 3 great grandchildren, Isla, Emmerson and Azelyn.  The last couple of years, he enjoyed sitting on the deck, being in the sun, watching traffic and talking with neighbors.  He would rush to grab his violin when the daycare children would be outside and play “The Wheels on the Bus” for them.  Playing music for people brought him so much joy. He was a friend to many. A caring uncle and nephew, a thoughtful brother, a helpful son and brother-in-law, a devoted Gido, an amazing father and loving husband.        Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedIn(CNN) – S-s-s-say cheese. A snake was bred with three smiley faces on it. Justin Kobylka was trying to achieve a specific color pattern, but instead, the lavender albino piebald ball python’s markings ended up looking like emoji smiley faces Unique patterns on snakes can occur naturally due to recessive gene mutations, but snakes like Kobylka’s would not likely be found in nature. In the end, the breeder is the one with a big smile on his face. Kobylka’s “happy” accident sold for around $6,000. Copyright 2021 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. Local children and adults of all abilities have been able to enjoy playing baseball thanks to Dan Kobylka taking the initiative more than three decades ago We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe 68-year-old Chatham resident recalled watching a television program in 1991 about Challenger baseball for children “What caught my attention was when the players aged-out they had them back as volunteers,” Kobylka said He decided to figure out how the program could work in Chatham A long-time house league baseball coach with the Chatham Minor Baseball Association The third year saw 20 kids participate and it grew from there “Our greatest advertisement was word of mouth,” Kobylka said He said families who have kids with special needs are a tight-knit community and word got out through the parents it was a good program recently was honoured for his more than 30 years of involvement with local baseball during the annual Challenger baseball banquet Looking back on getting the program started “We had to adapt the game to the players.” The first rule was keeping score is not important “We didn’t care if they swung and missed the ball 20 times just stay up until you hit it.” He recalled an amusing play when a kid hit the ball and everyone was yelling for him to run to first base we didn’t say stop at first base and he ran out to the end of the fence,” Kobylka laughed who already was a heart transplant recipient so the program was turned over to the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent Kobylka said the treatment centre was running the program so well he stepped back but continued to watch the kids play a chance encounter with a former Challenger baseball player led to a discussion about staring an adult Challenger baseball program Having recently come through surgery for a brain tumor Kobylka is feeling confident about stepping aside because Schram and other players are running the program He said COVID-19 halted the program for a year the players were quickly into a routine and had it running smoothly Kobylka said a volunteer came up to him and said “I’ve done a lot of things with minor baseball over the years and this is probably the most fun I’ve ever had is working with Challenger baseball.” He credits Kobylka for making it clear to all involved the main reason for the program is to “have fun make friends and show good sportsmanship.” Warren said Kobylka is behind the adult Challenger players getting involved in the community Kobylka said some players volunteer with the Salvation Army Christmas kettle campaign and others volunteer at the local animal shelter Warren said Kobylka has “broadened the whole philosophy of the program to say He added six people are stepping up to take on Kobylka’s role with the program “That tells you how much work he has done with the program.” Warren has nominated Kobylka for the TD and Blue Jays MVP contest which includes throwing out the first pitch at the Blue Jays home game on Oct 1 and a VIP experience at the Rogers Centre accommodations for three nights and airfare Kobylka discovered baseball is just the platform for something bigger Kobylka shared a message from a player who told him: “I had a really great time That’s the first time I’ve actually felt like family and so involved and I made some new friends.” citing as an example of those involved in Challenger baseball recently celebrating a player getting her driver’s licence Kobylka said receiving an award was “humbling This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy WICU-TV and WSEE-TV; part-time chief engineer for Gannon University's WERG-FM Education: McDowell High School and Erie County Vo-Tech School earning a certificate in electronic technology Running because: "I want to look out for the taxpayers I'm going to stand by my record on the Millcreek School Board as being the one vote against eight to build a new McDowell I ended up winning because they did not build a new school." Note: Kobylka does not yet have a campaign website part of the Chinese high-tech enterprise Nuctech a global provider of technology services in the fields of security and inspection for customs opened a new office and production plant covering an area of 6,000 square meters in Kobyłka modernfacility is the only Nuctech plant in Europe and the fourth in the world after headquarters in China and the factories in Dubai and Brazil The company will manufacture X-ray cargo scanning devices including mobile railway and stationary types as well as luggage scanners based on the latest computed tomography scanning technology for customers from Europe The new plant is equipped with modern assembly stations offices and space for research and development activities Conditions in the new building enable the production of devices that had been impossible in previous years built according to high environmental standards and designed for the specific nature of the company's production process A news briefing was organized for Polish media which was attended by tier one national Polish media and local media outlets It aimed to emphasize the role of the new investment in strengthening the Chinese presence in Poland You've never seen a snake quite like this one Justin Kobylka spent eight years breeding pythons until he was finally able to create this mesmerizing one-of-a-kind white ball python with three orange-faced smiley emoji on its skin The emoji patterns are caused by recessive mutations Kobylka says the snake's worth at least $4,500, but he has no plans to sell it. To put that in perspective, you could head to PetSmart and buy a normal ball python for $40 If nothing else, Kobylka's emoji snake matches well with emoji PJs [H/T: Business Insider] Sign In Register The UBC Medical Alumni Association will be celebrating the achievements of several members of the UBC medical community at its upcoming AGM & Awards Ceremony each of this year’s award recipient has helped build a more dynamic and robust community through their service and actions The recipients will be recognized at a special in-person and virtual event on May 31 at the UBC Medical Student & Alumni Centre. For registration and event details, please visit the Medical Alumni Association website Biography recently reconnected and now have bond that will grow stronger for years to come childhood friends Jennifer Kobylka and Michelle Heinhuis now share a bond that will only grow stronger in the years to come We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentKobylka has become a first-time surrogate carrying a baby conceived by Heinhuis and her partner Brandon Babkirk While the bundle of joy isn’t slated to arrive until the third week of August it’s already been a long journey to get to this point The Chatham residents are sharing their story as part of Fertility Awareness Month helping shine a light on the fact one in six Canadian couples struggles with fertility a registered social worker with the Thamesview Family Health Team “The journey to parenthood can disrupt all aspects of one’s life including constantly battling between feelings of hope and grief and complicating the relationship with your partner all of which can feel isolating,” she said and the social work team at the Thamesview Family Health Team is here to offer counselling support for those that feel they would benefit from talking to someone.” who has an older son but has since lost her ability to conceive said the couple knew they would need to seek fertility services Heinhuis and Babkirk started a closed Facebook group as they reached out to family and friends for support while sharing details of their search for surrogate said she kept visiting their social media page to see if they had found somebody “I felt like my heart was just drawn to it,” she said Kobylka kept posting to the page that Heinhuis and Babkirk would soon find their special angel while realizing: “I think that’s me.” Heinhuis and Babkirk had already been on quite a journey which began with extensive discussions and counselling to make sure they were prepared The couple started the process at a London fertility clinic before signing up with a surrogacy agency in Exeter Babkirk compared the process of finding a surrogate to online dating “You don’t actually get to choose your surrogate technically … but the surrogates pick your profile,” he said While they connected with five potential surrogates so those were heartbreaking moments,” Ross said Kobylka continued to visit the couple’s Facebook group happened to be performing at Kobylka’s office Christmas party when they started chatting about the situation When Kobylka mentioned she was at a point in her life where she would be willing to be a surrogate “It totally caught me off-guard and I texted Michelle right away to tell her,” Babkirk said While the two were deciding who should call to see if Kobylka was serious Heinhuis said surrogacy doesn’t often happen among friends Some surrogates are willing to carry the baby but don’t want a close relationship The couple have been accompanying Kobylka to her ultrasounds and other big appointments Heinhuis is also able to attend almost every checkup While everyone was happy with the arrangement there were still a few outstanding practical issues Kobylka said some difficult questions were broached during this process that she hadn’t considered It was also made clear during this process that the surrogate could no longer want more children of her own Kobylka said it had been 10 years since the last of her two children were born a nurse at the Thamesview Family Health Team also had to have her doctor and the fertility doctor both agree she was healthy enough to be a surrogate they have kept the lines of communication open and have worked well together I love to tell it and Jen loves to tell it,” Heinhuis said (the) baby is in a wonderful home and being well taken care of “We couldn’t have asked for a better person.” Embryos were created using Heinhuis’s eggs and Babkirk’s sperm The first transfer was completed at a fertility clinic in Toronto at the beginning of the pandemic they learned Heinhuis and Babkirk couldn’t be present when the transfer took place due to COVID-19 restrictions “As much as it was a really cool thing to be a part of it didn’t feel good to me because they weren’t there,” Kobylka said they moved to a fertility clinic in Windsor for a second failed attempt “We were very happy there was one because this was our last shot,” Heinhuis said She said the process took its toll financially Kobylka also admitted she didn’t know if she would have been able to try another embryo transfer Babkirk said they discovered just how common infertility is He recently ran into three former classmates who are all experiencing fertility issues “I think it’s a great thing that you do be open about it and talk to people about it,” he said Now that surrogate mom and baby are doing well Babkirk said he was on the fence until he spoke to a friend who recently experienced the birth of their second child “It’s one of the most natural surprises you get to enjoy in life Don’t take it away from yourself,” his friend told him Another person the couple eventually plans to share their story with is their soon-to-be-born child “We want them to know a beautiful angel helped us bring you here.” claims that he spent eight years trying to create a snake specimen with detailed smiling emoji patterns and the result looks as unreal as you can imagine Kobylka specializes in taking relatively common reptile species and creating specimens with striking physical features which he then sells for a much higher price He has created a number of visually-impressive over the years but none as stunning as the Emoji Ball Python a Lavender Albino Piebald Ball Python with three orange smiley emojis on its skin The unique pattern is caused by recessive mutations the chances of them occurring in the wild are “astronomical” He claims his Piebald Ball Python is the world’s first to have three detailed smiley face emojis on its slithering body which makes them a very popular choice for snake lovers looking for a pet A standard specimen is usually priced between $40 and $150 his Emoji Ball Python could easily fetch $4,500 But if you’re even thinking of shelling out thousands of dollars for your very own emoji snake I have some bad news – Justin is not planning on selling his one-of-a-kind creature Since we’re talking about a live snake covered in smiling emojis simply posting some photos wouldn’t have convinced anyone that it’s actually real so Kobylka also posted a short video of it on his YouTube channel as the snake looks very rigid and doesn’t move around at all you can see its slithering tongue a couple of times so I’m fairly convince that it is in fact a real live snake via Business Insider COSBY is an electro-pop band based in Munich, Germany. Not too long ago, they released an attention-grabbing audiovisual for their “Let It Go” single “Don’t know if that’s really what I wanted Will you stick around ‘til the time runs out and I end up with nothing Am I reaching out while you’re already absent I let it go ‘cause I know what is gone isn’t lost It takes its toll but I’ll bear it and just have some trust.” – lyrics The attention-grabbing music video finds Marie Kobylka driving an old white Buick through the barren landscape of Death Valley she wants to get rid of something from her not-too-distant past she has to change into another person to do so she changes her outfit while driving and puts on a hair disguise before reaching her destination releases a hostage (representing her past) and blows up the vehicle in a stunning fashion and she walks away towards an independent future without any worries ‘Let It Go’ contains a relatable narrative, ear-pleasing vocals, and contagious melodies. The melancholy tune possesses dance-friendly instrumentation flavored with electro-pop, modern dance, and ‘80s-pop-rock elements. Furthermore, “Let it Go” follows mildly on the heels of COSBY’s previously released single, entitled, “Spaceship.” We recommend adding COSBY’s “Let It Go” single to your favorite playlist let us know how you feel in the comment section below “That’s All Folks!” Thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment This article was published more than 13 years ago Radoslaw Kobylka found a new job with Softchoice Corp in Toronto through his LinkedIn profile.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail Radoslaw Kobylka wasn't looking for a new job but as soon as he set up his professional profile on the social-media site LinkedIn employers started contacting him to see if he was interested in a move "I actually got contacted by five or six companies asking me if I was in the market," said Mr Within two weeks of replying to a message from software developer Softchoice Corp he was offered a job as assessment services developer Recruiting through social media is increasingly common so experts say it's essential to not only have a presence on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook but also to have profiles on those sites that highlight your professional skills and accomplishments with consistency The growth and global reach of social-media sites make it possible to find candidates for jobs at any level – not just executive positions human resources manager for Softchoice in Toronto Last year about 60 of the 400 software specialists Softchoice hired were identified by computer searches of LinkedIn profiles to find potential candidates who had the right qualifications and experience And about half of them were initially contacted by messages sent through LinkedIn 500 companies are doing at least some of their recruiting through LinkedIn a relationship manager for LinkedIn in Toronto Companies pay licence fees to search LinkedIn's full data base and to post openings on the site's job board Companies also buy LinkedIn services to find people whose profiles show they might be candidates for a new position even if they are not considering moving from their current jobs which do not mention the name of the employer sometimes serve a company's initial approach to potential candidates the survey asks general questions about people's opinions about the profession to get a feel of their interest in a job move In a second phase in Softchoice's strategy LinkedIn places pop-up ads about opportunities at the company that appear the next time a potential candidate looks at the site One ad puts the person's LinkedIn photo in a mock job announcement with the headline saying "picture yourself as the next employee of Softchoice," Ms the survey respondents receive an in-mail message asking if they would like to hear more about opportunities at the company Those who respond get another message asking if they'd like to schedule an interview This trend means that even if you aren't currently in the market for a new career opportunities can come to you if you have a professional presence on social-media sites you have to make sure that you include the key words that are relevant to the particular job you aspire to You also should be active in the LinkedIn groups and industry groups that employers are likely to be looking at," he said Describe your strengths and experiences in words that are relevant to your particular specialty "[The best profiles are]comprehensible to readers who are not up to speed with the jargon in your specialty area," Mr When potential employers look at your material there should be a lot of information they can pursue "Often times people forget to include things such as references from people you've worked with and volunteer work." he wasn't sure he wanted to make an immediate job change but hoped eventually to move into a broader role than he could find at his then-employer Doc.it He included words in his profile that indicated he was up on the latest technology and put an itemized list of projects he had been involved with that used his experience as well as hobbies that included programming Then he started participating in several discussion groups for software developers that are run on LinkedIn that discuss trends in the industry Kobylka also used LinkedIn to prepare for the interview "I looked at the profile of the person who would be interviewing me and it gave me a sense of his experience I found that he was a technical guy and would understand technical descriptions of what I've done," he said The discussion went well and he had a second interview with a senior manager I'd never thought to contact them," he said be careful that you don't disqualify yourself with your online behaviour or personal information there is this belief that what happens in the social-media world is not as important as in the real world posting unflattering photos or taking liberties with the facts will kill your chances," said Randall Craig president of Pinetree Advisors in Toronto and author of Social Media for Business "Employers are using social networks not only to [find]people but also to screen people and you have to be prepared for that It's reasonable to expect employers will check to verify statements and look for inconsistencies and experiences that don't match in what you've posted on other sites," he said "People who try to play games and stuff their profiles full of key words to show up on searches are only fooling themselves Online profiles can also highlight things that employers aren't allowed to ask about in interviews Facebook has a feature that can embarrassingly send out notes to remind all your connections that you're 58 this week You may not want potential employers to know this Your graduation year: Education is important but no matter how loyal a member of the class of '69 you may be Too many updates: Prospective employers will wonder how you have the time to Tweet or update your status several times each day they may see you as irrelevant or stupid as well Compromising photos: Photos of you chugging Coronas in Cozumel probably paint the wrong picture of your professional attributes When creating a professional profile online people often leave out information that can attract recruiters or prove helpful in a job search Volunteer work: Giving back to the community shows you are caring and multifaceted Recommendations: Include not only praise from former managers but also those you have worked with in the community Details of your successes: Some may feel shy about tooting their own horn but give yourself credit for major achievements in your field Links to your expertise: If you have a blog or personal website embed them directly within your LinkedIn profile Keywords: Sprinkle relevant keywords throughout your text to improve the chances of being found in a search Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Wallace Immen is a former staff reporter for The Globe and Mail His stories about workplace trends and career advice as well as cruising and travel destinations around the world appeared regularly in print and online Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. CHATHAM – More than 32 years ago Dan Kobylka received an incredible gift, when a Winnipeg-area couple donated their son’s heart following his death from a serious crash. The Chatham man, who received Lee St. Hilaire’s heart in May of 1989 while facing certain death due to congestive heart failure, was recently able to personally thank the family for thinking of others when faced with their own tragic loss. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Kobylka, 66, was invited to attend the Aug. 21 wedding of Lee’s sister, Susanne Hickey, after connecting with her mother Agnes St. Hilaire a few years back. Kobylka said he found St. Hilaire on Facebook and thought that after 30 years he’d send a message just to say he’s grateful for her donating Lee’s heart and that he’s doing well. About a week later, St. Hilaire replied with her phone number. Kobylka admits it was “nerve-wracking” to connect with the family. “I didn’t know what to expect and they didn’t know what to expect, and we both kind of took a chance on this that it would work out,” the Chatham man said. “For donor families and recipients to meet in Canada is extremely rare.” Kobylka said for 32 years they were his donor family “and now they’re just family and that means a lot to me.” Agnes St. Hilaire said meeting Kobylka was “remarkable.” She admits it was a tough decision to donate her son’s heart, but is pleased to know it helped someone “have a chance to live, love and be with his family and do so much for the community.” Kobylka said he wanted to meet the St. Hilaire family to learn about Lee, who died at age 19 just as he was ready to pursue a career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “I wondered what he was like, I wanted to make him a complete person.” Kobylka said he learned Lee was “a real go-getter when he was a teenager and he used to help out on other’s peoples farms.” He was a six-foot tall, skinny, good kid who was really loved by his family. Kobylka said he was honoured to give a toast at the wedding in memory of Lee and his father Lucien, who passed away in 2017. “These two men are instrumental in me being alive,” he said. Kobylka brought a special gift to try to show Lee’s family the impact that decision to donate their son’s heart had on others. A long-time coach for the Challenger Baseball program, for adults with disabilities, and a minister who serves in long-term care homes, Kobylka has touched many lives. So, he asked friends and family to write letters and thank you cards to Lee’s family for what they did for them through him being able to live a full life. “They received a better sense of the scope of their gift and what it meant,” Kobylka said. He added one card simply said, “Thanks for letting me have a coach.” St. Hilaire said meeting Kobylka has made her think more donor families could benefit from meeting the recipient of a loved one’s organ. “This really opened up another chapter for Dan and for us to have some more closure,” St. Hilaire said. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Call us: +96265504222 Kate Jacobson is a senior editor at Ranker she is also a former crime reporter who worked in Washington DC and she's seen every episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.  2020 28.1K views 3 itemsThere is no other snake in the world quite like this one and Facebook posts that share physical similarities That's because this snake - dubbed the Emoji Ball Python - has smiley faces all over its body. And that's no accident. Breeder Justin Kobylka made it so this orange and white snake is unlike any other on the planet People everywhere are freaking out over this python's extremely one-of-a-kind coat Kobylka told The Sun that, in order to breed a snake like this, breeders put together snakes with specific genetic mutations While these genetic mutations do occur naturally in the wild coats like that of the Emoji Ball Python are extremely rare if not impossible to find in nature it's only through breeding that we are able to see these types of patterns "Piebalds sometimes have faces in the pattern like this," he told the British newspaper "[perfect] faces are astronomically rare."