Popular holiday foods include ham and pork. However, if they are not cooked enough, your digestive track may become home to hundreds of worms.
Zhu Zhongfa, a Chinese male, inadvertently consumed the eggs of the deadly parasite Taenia solium when he consumed undercooked pork. His life was completely upended as a result, and he began having seizures and fainting spells for weeks on end. This ultimately caused him to seek medical attention for his enigmatic ailment.
Within a month of Zhongfa eating the undercooked pork, medical professionals knew exactly what was causing his seizures and episodes of fainting. He had a complete tapeworm infestation on his body. These unwanted visitors had taken up residence in his lungs, brain, and other body components. His bloodstream had carried the worm larvae throughout his body.
The doctors asserted that Zhongfa’s undercooked pork consumption on that fatal night is directly linked to the tapeworm infection. Though he didn’t give it much thought at the time, his epilepsy and spells of fainting kept him from going to work. Because of his condition, he was unable to operate the heavy machinery necessary for his employment in building. He was in great pain and his life had been entirely upended by the infection of pork tapeworms.
Zhongfa had seizures for weeks, but he didn’t seek medical attention until his illness became out of control. He was losing consciousness and foaming at the mouth when he was brought to the hospital.
Through Zhongfa’s digestive tract, the larvae entered his body and made their way to his brain and lungs via his bloodstream. These young worms burrowed into his flesh, where they developed cysts. These cysts may lead to illnesses if they degrade. Individuals who suffer from the same condition as Zhongfa frequently describe dementia, migraines, seizures, and blindness. These signs, nevertheless, don’t always show up right away. The worm larvae may not always reach the brain and lungs for years at a time.
These larvae create cysts close to the nervous system or brain, which can lead to the serious infection cysticercosis. Zhongfa developed cysts in his lungs and chest muscles in addition to many space-occupying lesions in his brain brought on by the larvae.
Zhongfa said that he had eaten a dish around a month earlier that he didn’t think was properly prepared. He was eventually compelled to seek medical assistance due to the seizures and fainting episodes.
Zhongfa’s condition worried Dr. Huang Jianrong of Zhenjiang University School of Medicine’s Affiliated Hospital. He thus requested that the patient get MRIs of their chest and brain.
Dr. Huang stated, “He had cysts in his lungs and chest muscles in addition to numerous lesions in his brain.” Depending on the location of the parasites, different patients react to the infection in different ways. While some with lung cysts may cough a lot, in this instance, the patient suffered seizures and eventually lost consciousness.
Boy Decorates the House of a Lonely Old Lady for Halloween to Convince Her That the Holiday Is Worth Celebrating
Halloween was his favorite day of the year—a day when you could become anyone you wanted, and the world transformed into something magical.
As Kevin wandered down the street, he admired the glowing decorations and spooky scenes set up in each yard. Witches cackled, doors creaked, and the sounds of Halloween filled the air. But one house stood out, not because it was spooky, but because it was completely dark. No pumpkins, no cobwebs—nothing. It was Mrs. Kimbly’s house.
Mrs. Kimbly was the quiet, older woman who lived alone. Kevin had mowed her lawn in the summer and shoveled her driveway in the winter, but she rarely said much beyond handing him his payment. Now, her undecorated house seemed out of place in the festive neighborhood.
Why hadn’t Mrs. Kimbly decorated for Halloween? Kevin couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Halloween was supposed to be fun, and he didn’t think anyone—especially someone living alone—should miss out.
Determined to help, Kevin crossed the street to her house. Leaves crunched under his sneakers as he approached her front door. He hesitated for a moment, then knocked. After a long pause, the door creaked open, revealing Mrs. Kimbly. Her face was stern, her eyes narrowed behind thick glasses.
“What do you want, Kevin?” she asked, her voice gruff.
Kevin swallowed nervously. “Hi, Mrs. Kimbly. I noticed your house isn’t decorated for Halloween, and I thought maybe you forgot. I could help, if you’d like.”
Her expression hardened. “I didn’t forget,” she snapped. “I don’t need decorations, and I don’t need your help. Now, go away.” She moved to close the door.
Kevin’s heart sank, but he wasn’t ready to give up. “I could do it for free!” he blurted out. “You wouldn’t have to do anything.”
But Mrs. Kimbly scowled and slammed the door. Kevin stood there, stunned. How could anyone hate Halloween that much? He knew her house would likely become a target for pranks if it stayed undecorated, and he didn’t want that to happen.
As Kevin walked home, an idea began to form. He wasn’t ready to give up on Mrs. Kimbly just yet.
At home, Kevin found his mom stirring a pot of soup in the kitchen. “Mom, something strange happened,” he said, sitting down at the table. He explained about Mrs. Kimbly’s dark house and how she had slammed the door in his face.
But when he mentioned Mrs. Kimbly’s name, his mom’s expression softened. “Maybe you should leave her alone,” she suggested gently. “People sometimes have reasons for doing things we don’t understand.”
Kevin frowned. “But, Mom, I think she’s not mad—I think she’s sad. Halloween is supposed to be fun, and I don’t want anyone to feel left out.”
His mom smiled softly. “You have a big heart, Kevin. Just remember, some people aren’t ready for help, even if they need it.”
Her words lingered in his mind, but Kevin still felt like Mrs. Kimbly was just lonely. He was determined to make her Halloween special.
The next day, Kevin gathered every decoration he could find—twinkling lights, plastic spiders, and his favorite carved pumpkin. It was special to him, but if it could make Mrs. Kimbly smile, he was willing to part with it.
He loaded everything into a wagon and headed back to her house. Kevin worked quickly, hanging lights and placing pumpkins on her porch. The house was starting to come alive with Halloween spirit. Just as he finished arranging the last pumpkin, the door flew open.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mrs. Kimbly stormed out, her face red with anger. “I told you not to decorate my house!”
Kevin froze, his heart pounding. “I just wanted to help,” he said softly. “It’s Halloween…”
Before he could say more, Mrs. Kimbly grabbed the nearest pumpkin—the one Kevin had spent hours carving—and smashed it on the ground. It shattered into pieces across the porch.
Kevin blinked back tears as he stared at the ruined pumpkin. He had worked so hard on it, and now it was gone. Without a word, he turned and ran home.
That night, dressed in his vampire costume, Kevin couldn’t enjoy Halloween. As he wandered from house to house with his friends, collecting candy, his thoughts kept returning to Mrs. Kimbly’s dark house. He knew the other kids might target her home for pranks, and he didn’t want that to happen.
Determined to stop any trouble, Kevin made his way back to her house. He sat on her porch, handing out candy from his own bag to passing trick-or-treaters, explaining, “Mrs. Kimbly’s not home.” He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there when the front door opened.
Startled, Kevin looked up to see Mrs. Kimbly standing in the doorway. Her face wasn’t angry anymore. “What are you doing here, Kevin?” she asked softly.
“I didn’t want anyone to mess with your house,” he explained. “I thought maybe I could help.”
Mrs. Kimbly sighed and sat down beside him. “I’m sorry for earlier,” she said quietly. “Halloween is hard for me. I don’t have any family, and seeing everyone else celebrate just makes me feel… alone.”
Kevin’s heart ached. “You don’t have to be alone,” he said. “You can celebrate with us. We’d love to have you join in.”
A small smile crept across Mrs. Kimbly’s face. “You’re a kind boy, Kevin. Thank you for what you did. And I’m sorry about your pumpkin.”
“It’s okay,” Kevin said, smiling back. “I have another one at home. We can carve it together if you want.”
Mrs. Kimbly chuckled softly. As Kevin ran home to grab the pumpkin, Mrs. Kimbly felt something she hadn’t felt in years—the warmth of Halloween spirit, all thanks to a boy who refused to give up.
What do you think of this story? Share it with your friends—it might brighten their day too.
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