Two years after they tied the knot, Joel and Lauren Jackson, from Florida, have finally enjoyed their first dance as man and wife. Gazing into each other's eyes the 26 year olds the impromptu moment was one they never expected. Six years ago Joel cheated death, surviving a car crash that rendered him paralysed from the neck down. Such was the severity of his injuries, that Joel was effectively decapitated internally - his head separated from his spine. Lauren said: 'It is the little triumphs that are giant steps for us. And for the little things, I am grateful.'

Erika and Stephen Jones, from Jacksonville, were devastated when their daughter, Abigail, was diagnosed with deadly brain cancer in utero. Doctors in Florida said they couldn't save the baby, because any operation would be too dangerous - and they insisted that the tumor was aggressive. So the family, heartbroken, took the baby home to die. Luckily, Dr. Al Cohen from Boston Children's Hospital heard about Abigail's case and gave it a second look, discovering that he could actually save her. After safely removing the tumor, he learned that it wasn't malignant after all, but was, in fact, a rare type of tumor that looks very similar to a deadly one. Abigail is now home with her parents and her big sister, and the doctor says 'her prognosis is excellent'.

Nancy Binger, 40, of Illinois, was told that her baby would be born with Down syndrome when she was six months pregnant. The college administrator reveals that she completely shut down when she heard the news, and that she still feels terrified about how she is going to raise a child with special needs.

On Tuesday night's episode of E! reality series Botched, Leslie, 31, from North Hollywood asked Los Angeles-based surgeons Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow to lift and reduce her 34DD breasts (left) after they determined that she suffered from 'grade four' droopiness - the most severe droopiness a person can have. The profession DJ was thrilled with the results of her procedure (right) and wore a black bandeau top to show off her new chest.

Robert Houser, a California-based photographer, took pictures of 35 subjects, from age 17 to their early 70s, for his series, 'Facing Chemo'. Robert said that he hopes that his series inspires empathy, and added that his subjects have thanked him for taking pictures of them, not their disease. 'These images reveal a certain honesty about the individuals - what they are going through, what they are feeling at that moment,' he told Daily Mail Online. 'Undergoing chemo leaves one unable to hide true emotions.'. Many of the men and women he photographed also chose not to hide their bald heads or even the scars on their chests.

What constitutes proper hand washing, and are you doing enough to protect yourself? To find out Jennie Agg used a special UV camera to test different hand-washing techniques - from the typical 'rinse and shake' to the 30 seconds recommended by a leading authority on disease control. The whiter the hand, the more bugs left after washing. Six seconds is the average length of time people spend washing their hands, according to research. But this is not long enough to effectively remove bacteria. The NHS recommends we wash for at least 15 seconds - roughly the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice over at a fairly jaunty pace.

Nikki Black, of Los Angeles, told Daily Mail Online that her cancer surgery and the sexualization of her disease by some men made her feel like she didn't own her body, so she got the tattoos in an effort to reclaim her new identity and take back some of the control she had lost.

Ian Pettigrew, a 46-year-old photographer from Ontario, Canada, who is also battling cystic fibrosis, photographed 77 adult women who suffer from the disorder, which damages the lungs and digestive system, for his book Salty Girls , a limited edition publication which spotlights 'how beautiful those fighting CF truly are'.

The woman was given the bizarre-looking meal while she was being treated at St James's Hospital in Leeds (inset). The patient - who was receiving treatment for sickle cell anaemia - lifted the cover on her dinner to discover her chicken curry and rice was squashed on the same plate as a summer fruits crumble. The main course and pudding were overlapping on the plate, meaning fruity jam was seeping into the rice and the curry's spicy gravy was mixing with the sweet dessert. The hospital's chief nurse, Clare Linley, has said the incident was 'clearly a mistake' and the food did not meet the hospital's 'high standards'.

Georgina Compton, 25, from Surrey, has battled the genetic condition cystic fibrosis since birth.
The incurable condition causes the lungs and digestive system to become clogged with mucus - and this, in turn, makes it hard to breathe and digest food. Doctors had always warned it was unlikely she would live past her teenage years - but she continued to defy expectations. Then last October her condition rapidly deteriorated and she was put on the waiting list for an urgent double lung transplant. But at just 4'11" tall, meant her body was too small for most adult organs. Now, she has finally received the transplant she so desperately needed - and is busy making plans for the future she thought she might never see.

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: Declan Bitmead-Ellis, of Carshalton, Surrey, developed the life-threatening condition toxic epidermal necrolysis after taking amoxicillin for a tonsillitis infection. Shortly after taking the tablets seven months ago, his entire body developed blisters and he was slipping in and out of consciousness (left and centre, with brother Oliver, four). Doctors warned his terrified parents, Ashleigh Ellis, 28, and Andy Bitmead (right), 26, that he might not survive the condition, which has a 30 per cent mortality rate. But Declan pulled through and is now back at school, although he has been left unable to open his eyes after the reaction damaged the lining of his eyeballs, fusing them shut.

Scientists at King's College London, have discovered a genetic variant which determines where a woman will store fat, with those who are pear or hourglass figures at lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Dr Kerrin Small, lead author of the study said: 'On average, women who carry fat in their hips - those with a 'pear-shaped' body type are significantly less likely to develop diabetes than those with smaller hips.'

As the centre of the nervous system, the brain houses structures that control almost every bodily function. And, incredibly, there is now proof that consuming certain foods can change our moods and help us think faster, and that a healthy diet in mid-life can also slash the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Try olive oil for problem solving, citrus fruits to better your perception, nuts for focus, fish for a higher IQ, chocolate if you want to become better at thinking accurately and berries for memory and vision (shown on graphic above).

Surgeons have just been granted permission to perform womb transplants in the UK for the first time. This provides hope for women who wish to experience their own pregnancy, but can't, such as Rachel Edmonds, 34, from West Sussex, (R) who had a hysterectomy eight years ago. Lauren Fowler, 26, from Rainham, Kent, (L) meanwhile, was born without a womb due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome.

Women have taken to Whisper to provide a heartbreaking glimpse into the psychological toll of battling the disease in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness month. One woman said she thinks she has post traumatic stress disorder, while another says she 'grabs her boobs a lot' out of simple gratitude.

The animation shows the process of a vaginal birth, the baby's journey from the womb to the outside world. Regular contractions signal the start of the process, occurring as the cervix dilates to accommodate birth.When the cervix is fully dilated at 10cm (top right), uterine contractions become stronger and more frequent. The baby then goes through a series of passive movements, especially its head. As labour progresses, the baby's head then begins its passage out of the vagina - a process called crowning (bottom left). The head is followed closely by the baby's shoulders and body - the newborn twisting, appearing to almost wriggle into the world (bottom right). While it is no surprise that childbirth is invariably agonising, how bad does the pain actually get? From going into labour, to delivering your baby and the aftermath, here leading experts reveal to Daily Mail Online what really happens when your baby makes its appearance.

Stephanie Goldstone, 52, a company director, skips lunch on weekdays. Amanda McAlister, 42, head of family law at Slater & Gordon, eats buttery toast instead of dinner. This extreme, yo-yo approach to health and fitness is dangerous and could can could even lead to heart attacks.

Victoria Derbyshire, 47, can be seen in the clip - filmed in the evening of September 25 - five hours after she woke up from a mastectomy to treat lobular breast cancer. Sitting up in her hospital bed, Victoria Derbyshire solemnly holds up a sign saying: 'Hi this morning I had breast cancer.' Then, with a broad grin stretching across her face, the BBC presenter holds up another that reads: 'This evening I don't!' The journalist, whose show is also broadcast on the BBC News Channel, was first diagnosed with cancer on July 31 and later announced that she had the disease on Twitter.