While life can be inspiringly beautiful at times, it can also be bitterly cruel. It’s part of what makes it such a journey, I guess, the unpredictability of it all.

Brianna Rawlings was 18-years-old, 17-weeks pregnant, and looking forward to becoming a mom, when she was dealt a devastatingly harsh blow.

Doctors diagnosed the teenager with a rare and aggressive blood cancer, NK cell leukemia. Before that, all signs of leukemia were simply passed off by hospitals and doctors as “pregnancy related symptoms.”

Almost halfway through her pregnancy, Brianna had the option to either terminate her baby’s life and begin the treatment that could save her life, or push on with delivering her son and forego the treatment in the hope he would live a healthy and happy life …

The young girl chose not to undergo treatment while pregnant, and instead focused on bringing her son in the world. In a tragic twist of affairs, however, it would transpire that her sacrifice would result in claiming the lives of both mother and baby.

Her son, Kyden, lived for just 12 short days on this earth. He was showered with enough love to last the longest of lifetimes, but ultimately succumbed due to the fact he was born three-months premature.

Brianna had contracted a blood infection, and with doctors worried it might be passed on to the baby, they were forced to deliver little Kyden via emergency C-section.

Brianna revealed in an interview with Femail – as per the Daily Mail – : “Those 12 days I was able to spend with my baby boy Kyden, holding him, counting his toes and fingers and talking to him like I would when he was in my tummy. They were just so special, they were the best 12 days of my life!”

“It’s been very hard, long, exhausting and painful,” she continued. “Even though Kyden is no longer with us he gave me the strength to go on and beat this.

“I want to beat this horrible disease. I believe I can do this and I made a promise to my son.”

At first, it genuinely seemed as though Brianna was getting better.

Her blood levels had begun to rise and she was working herself to the max in a bid to get her leg muscles to work once more.

Sadly, things took another turn for the wretched. Her condition steadily began to deteriorate, forcing doctors to cancel the bone marrow transplant they had scheduled for her to receive from her brother.

Instead, they introduced her to a trial drug they hoped would give her a better chance at survival.

Despite the treatment costing an eye-watering $3,000 a week, her family were able to raise the necessary funds so she could begin a consistent course.

They managed just two rounds of the drug before the cancer took her life.

19-year-old Brianna Rawlings lost her fight with leukemia on Dec. 29, 2018 – but she fought and eventually passed with a brave dignity few of us can ever hope to match.

Such amazing testimony of the deepest love someone can have. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brianna Rawlings’ family. I think she is a wonderful person. She tried hard for her baby.

Share this article if you’re standing up in the fight against cancer and wants to show awareness. 

Together, we can hopefully beat this terrible disease!

After making a nice cup of tea, what do you do with the tea bag? Do you just throw it away?

Well, you don’t have to anymore! There are many ways to reuse old tea bags, from health benefits to gardening.

Tea Can Soothe Sunburn:

Have you ever had a sunburn? Whether you have after-sun lotion or not, try using tea bags! They have a natural acid that helps cool and soothe sunburned skin quickly.

Tea Can Refresh Tired Eyes:

Do your eyes ever feel puffy or tired? You can reduce those under-eye bags by placing cooled tea bags on your eyes!

Tea has tannins that help soothe and refresh your eyes. Black tea works best for this.

After making tea, store the used tea bags in a sealed jar in the fridge. Then, whenever you need a quick morning refresh, just grab a cool tea bag and relax!

Tea Can Soothe Small Burns:

If you accidentally burn yourself, tea can help! The tannins in tea bags reduce swelling and calm the skin after a minor burn.

Tea Can Be Used as a Hair Rinse:

Rinsing your hair with tea is great for your scalp and can even help with dandruff. Plus, it makes your hair shiny!

Just boil a few tea bags in water, let it cool with the bags still in, then remove them. Pour the tea over your hair, rinse well, and dry with a dark towel (so it doesn’t stain).

Tea Can Help Reduce Warts:

Green tea has antioxidants that can slow down wart growth. Just place a tea bag on the wart daily to help keep it under control!

Tea Can Freshen Smelly Shoes:

Over time, shoes can start to smell. Just place a dry tea bag inside—they’ll absorb moisture and bad odors!

Tea Can Help Your Plants Grow:

Tea contains tannins that can lower the soil’s pH and nourish your plants. This helps prevent fungus and encourages beautiful blooms!

Tea Helps Clean Dishes:

Got stuck-on grime on your dishes? Soak them overnight with a few used tea bags, and the grime will be much easier to clean the next day!

Tea Bags Can Clean Water Marks Off Mirrors:

Got water stains on your bathroom mirror? Use an old tea bag to wipe them away! After a quick wipe and a buff with a cloth, your mirror will shine again.

Tea Can Remove Odors from Hands:

If your hands smell after cutting garlic or onions, rub them with a used tea bag while washing. It helps get rid of those strong odors!

Tea Can Soothe Sore Gums:

If your gums feel sore or sensitive, place a tea bag on them like a gauze pad. It can help reduce swelling and bleeding.

If you found these tea bag tips useful, share them with your friends and family!

When you hear the name Elizabeth Montgomery, it’s impossible not to hear the little twinkle that accompanied her character’s nose twitch on Bewitched.

The stunning actress became a household name and global phenomenon in the 1960s – but sadly, she died unexpectedly in 1995.

At Newsner, we have written about many beautiful and talented women – but Elizabeth Montgomery stole my youthful heart right off the bat.

Most movie & TV actors and actresses need makeup and hair stylists to make them look good – Elizabeth did not. She was a natural beauty, and I loved watching her in Bewitched.

So what happened to Elizabeth Montgomery after her run as Samantha Stephens in the popular 1960s sitcom?

In 2024, the talented actress would have celebrated her 91st birthday, but let’s take a look back at her career in film and television before her untimely death in 1995.

Elizabeth Montgomery was born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1933 to a Broadway actress and film star, so acting was in her blood since birth.

“Dad tells me I often climbed on his lap after dinner and remarked, ‘I’m going to be an actress when I grow up.’ I don’t know whether he encouraged me or not, but he told me he would humor me and would tell me to wait and see what happened when I grew up,” Elizabeth said in 1954 interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Her father, Robert Montgomery, was a very popular and acclaimed actor.

”I’ll be real honest and say that Daddy did help me get a break in TV and I’m really grateful for his assistance and guidance. He’s my most severe critic, but also a true friend as well as loving father.”

Elizabeth attended school in California before moving to New York City, where she attended the Spence School. After graduating, she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts for three years.

When she was still a teenager, she made her television debut on her father’s show, Robert Montgomery Presents. She continued to make several appearances on his show.

By 1953, Elizabeth had made her Broadway debut starring in Late Love. Two years later in 1955 she appeared in her first film, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, and then two years later she returned to Broadway.

As her career continued to advance, Elizabeth found love, but it never lasted long.

In 1954 she married Frederick Gallatin Cammann, but the couple divorced a year later. She married Gig Young, an award-winning actor, in 1956, and the two stayed married until they divorced in 1963.

While filming Johnny Cool, Elizabeth met William Asher, a director and TV producer. Not only would he prove to be beneficial to her career, but the two also hit it off romantically.

They married in 1963 and had three children together.

Starring in Bewitched

While Elizabeth Montgomery did star in shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Loretta Young Show, The Untouchables, and The Twilight Zone, perhaps her most well-known role was as the nose-twitching witch Samantha Stephens on Bewitched.

The supernatural comedy, which aired for eight seasons from 1964 to 1972, propelled Elizabeth into the spotlight.

Suddenly she became a household name and everyone was trying to replicate Samantha’s famous nose twitch.

”I’d never thought much about a series because I liked the idea of picking a script I liked with a character I thought I could sustain for an hour. In a series, you live with one character day in and day out – and you only hope it will be one that will not drive you crazy,” Elizabeth told AP in 1965.

She earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations during her spell on the show.

Following Bewitched‘s run and the end of her marriage with Asher, Elizabeth went on to star in many made-for-television movies, many which were in stark contrast to her previous role on Bewitched.

She starred in Mrs. Sundance (1973), A Case of Rape (1974), The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), Black Widow Murders (1993), The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1994), and Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (1995).

It was during the filming of Mrs. Sundance that she met Robert Foxworth. The two remained together until Elizabeth’s death in 1995, though they didn’t get married until 1993.

“Before Jane Seymour, before Lindsay Wagner and before Valerie Bertinelli, Elizabeth was the first Queen of the TV movies; she went from queen of the witches to queen of the TV movie and it was no longer a struggle to break away from Bewitched,” Herbie J Pilato, author of two books on Elizabeth Montgomery, said.

Unfortunately, her career was cut short when on May 18, 1995 after a long battle with colon cancer.

According to the Los Angeles Times, her family reported she was 57 when she died, though many places listed her birth year as 1933, making her 62 at the time of her death.

The actress had battled the disease for years and had believed she was cancer-free, but while filming Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan, she became ill.

By the time she was able to get checked out in March 1995, it was too late. The cancer had spread to her liver.

Elizabeth died in her sleep at her home in Beverly Hills with her husband and three children by her side. One month after her passing, a memorial was held at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. Famous jazz musician Herbie Hancock played music and the author Dominick Dunne, Elizabeth’s lifelong friend, spoke about their early years of friendship when they lived in New York City.

The Bewitched star had her body cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

On playing a variety of characters throughout her career, Elizabeth said in a 1992 interview:

“They all have different kinds of ‘feels’ to them and that’s probably one of the reasons why I’ve done them. I get letters from people saying one of the things they like best about what I’ve done since ‘Bewitched’ is that they never know what I’m going to do next.”

Looking back at photos from her time on the Bewitched, we are instantly transported to a simpler, more innocent era.

Elizabeth’s playful charm and iconic nose twitch remind us of a time when magic was just a flick away. With each smile, Elizabeth brought warmth and joy to countless families, and her legacy continues to shine brightly today, reminding us of television’s golden age.

“Elizabeth was the least arrogant star I’ve ever met,” Herbie J Pilato, author of Twitch Upon a Star and executive producer of the documentary Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitched Life, told Closer in April 2023. “She channeled that down-to-earthiness into Samantha, and we all loved her.”

Such a naturally gorgeous woman! It’s a shame that she was taken from us way too soon.

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