I consider her one of the most beautiful women in the world. Queen Rania of Jordan is so stunning (click here to take a look) it’s not uncommon that people are so distracted by her beauty they miss what she is saying. (A pitfall of being gorgeous, I suppose.)
But, the 37-year-old mother of four has a lot to say on a number of important issues and it would be a shame if her audience wasn’t as captivated by the topic as they are with her good looks. Her latest venture is a great example.
Queen Rania just helped open a new Baby Friendly Hospital in Sahab last week. The construction of the new medical center is part of an initiative implemented in more than 170 countries where a hospital reaches specific standards related to the 10 Steps for Successful Breastfeeding. Queen Rania, a breastfeeding advocate, was on hand to support breastfeeding programs, which have shown that breastfeeding newborns within an hour after birth reduces infant neo-natal mortality rate by 22%.
Queen Rania told the crowd gathered for the grand opening:
“There is nothing more natural, nothing more instinctive, and nothing more effective than breast-feeding. Protecting her baby is a mother’s first instinct and a mother’s milk is the most powerful vaccine there is against infectious and non-infectious disease. That is why I am proud of UNICEF’s efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding.”
Queen Rania also added that she whole-heartedly backs the addition of more Baby Friendly Hospitals in Jordan and abroad, and says she is committed to doing whatever she can to support the cause. Rania and her husband King Abdullah II of Jordan, 45, are parents to Prince Hussein, 13, Princess Iman, 11, Princess Salma, 7, and Prince Hashem, 2 1/2.
Meanwhile, in the land of under-publicized good work…
Of all of the soap operas I watched in college, “One Life to Live” wasn’t one of them. However, I am familiar with James and Kassie DePaiva, the real life husband and wife team who appear on the daytime drama. The couple has a 10-year-old son who was born deaf, but his disability certainly hasn’t stopped him from following in his parents’ footsteps.
JQ DePaiva is hoping to inspire other deaf children by guest starring on one of my favorite soaps “All My Children” at the end of the month. “All My Children” fans know that the show currently has a storyline involving a deaf character. So when show producers (who happen to know the DePaiva’s) needed a young boy to guest, they immediately knew whom to ask.
According to “All My Children” producers, JQ will be playing Jason, a 10-year-old deaf child who received a cochlear implant, very similar to JQ’s. Kassie DePaiva tells Soap Opera Digest that she is thrilled with how the storyline is playing out, but she’s even more excited that viewers will soon learn more about the League for the Hard of Hearing through various public service announcements scheduled to air during “All My Children.” The League for the Hard of Hearing is a non-profit hearing rehabilitation and human service agency for all who are hard of hearing, deaf and deaf blind.
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