Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

Meet Popcorn, The Pomeranian With A 3D-Printed Brain Shield

When 8-year-old Pomeranian Popcorn Bester was viciously attacked by another dog, the damage was catastrophic: her skull shattered into more than three pieces with bone fragments pressing dangerously against her brain, leaving her weak, off-balance, and at risk of seizures. Dr. Shannon van Rooyen at the University of Pretoria’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital knew traditional surgery wouldn’t be enough for this complex case, so she turned to cutting-edge technology to save the tiny dog’s life. Using advanced imaging, the surgical team created a perfect 3D model of Popcorn’s skull and designed a custom titanium plate that would fit her exactly like a protective helmet for her brain.

In May, Dr. van Rooyen and Dr. Adriaan Kitshoff performed the delicate surgery, carefully removing the damaged bone fragments to relieve pressure on Popcorn’s brain before placing the titanium plate to reconstruct her skull and shield it from future trauma. The little Pomeranian spent considerable time in the ICU receiving round-the-clock care from clinicians and veterinary students, slowly regaining her strength day by day. When she was finally strong enough to be discharged, Dr. van Rooyen threw her a graduation ceremony complete with a certificate honoring “little four-legged warrior’s champion strength.” Over four months later, Popcorn is completely back to her old self, eating, playing, and enjoying life with a titanium-reinforced skull that proves modern veterinary medicine can work miracles.

PrevPreviousCapybara and Howler Monkey Friendship Defies All Odds
NextLost Cat Was Living HOW CLOSE The Entire Time?!Next

Recent Articles

Happy News

Sam The Fireman Superfan Got His Wish

October 10, 2025

Eight-year-old Elliott from Chesterfield, who has a rare and incurable genetic condition that affects his brain and nervous system, just experienced his dream come true when Make-A-Wish UK and Derbyshire Fire Service created an entire day where he became a real firefighter. Elliott, who is non-verbal and requires daily medication

Read More
Happy News

No Beef. All Love. Brazils Successful Fight Against Hunger.

October 10, 2025

Brazil just accomplished something that hunger experts once thought impossible by dramatically reducing food insecurity without relying on the industrial agriculture model that dominates global food policy. The country’s groundbreaking approach focused on supporting small farmers, local food systems, and sustainable agriculture rather than pushing for increased beef production and

Read More
Happy News

The 1980s Discovery That’s Building Tomorrow’s Supercomputers

October 10, 2025

The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for groundbreaking work on quantum mechanics performed in the 1980s that is now enabling the development of incredibly powerful quantum computers. Their discovery involved demonstrating that quantum tunneling, where particles like electrons

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 HappyNews.