GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
The couple welcomed their daughter Lily, who they call their “miracle baby” on September 29. Lily was born at 5 lbs, 12 oz. and was delivered by Harraway-Smith herself. Credit: Cone Health After years of trying to conceive a baby, Susie Troxler fulfilled her dream of becoming a mom – at age 50. Troxler and her husband, Tony, have been together for 13 years and always wanted a child, but it never happened until Troxler met Dr. Carolyn Harraway-Smith. “We got married later in life, obviously, and we just assumed we would get pregnant like most people,” Troxler, who is a psychologist in Greensboro, North Carolina, told CBS affiliate WFMY. “One year turned into two, then three, but when it got to be nine, 10, 11 years, we were like, something is up, and I’m not sure what it is,” she said. Susie and Tony Troxler have been trying to conceive a baby for more than a decade. At 50 years old, Susie became a first-time mom. Credit: WFMY via Susie Troxler She said both she and her husband, who is 61, had some medical issues that challenged their desire to conceive a baby. On top of that, women’s fertility declines as they age. “I am 50. I was born in 1971 and I have no shame in that whatsoever,” she said. But during an annual check-up, Troxler met Harraway-Smith, Cone Health’s chief medical officer for women’s health. “Near the end of my appointment, Dr. Harraway-Smith asked, ‘Is there anything else?'” Troxler said, according to a press release from the hospital. “If she hadn’t asked that question, then this baby probably wouldn’t be here.” Troxler told the doctor that she wanted to become a mom, but she and her husband faced challenges conceiving. “I was disappointed to hear her say that no one had ever queried them or given them their options for fertility,” Harraway-Smith said. “I would advise anyone who wants to conceive to speak to your provider and let them know your concerns and future goals for planning a family.” Harraway-Smith talked to Troxler about her options and they decided in-vitro fertilization would be best. In-vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, is the complex process of collecting mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm to create embryos. These embryos can then be frozen or implanted into the uterus, for the woman to carry. Nearly 100% of 50-year-old women are unable to conceive naturally, according to a 2014 study. IVF does not reverse the effect of age. Studies also show that after age 50 years, conceiving via IVF could have a higher risk of premature delivery, low fetal size and birth weight, and fetal mortality. “I don’t think pregnancy at this late age is for everyone. There are risks involved for both you and the pregnancy, including miscarriage and diabetes, among other health issues,” Harraway-Smith told WFMY. The Troxlers went through IVF for two years without any luck. “None of that worked, and we were down to our last embryo,” Troxler said. The last embryo was implanted and the couple finally conceived a baby. “They bring me into the ultrasound, and the first thing they said was, ‘Oh, she’s moving!’ I was like, ‘Yes!'” The couple welcomed their daughter Lily, who they call their “miracle baby” on September 29. Lily was born at 5 lbs, 12 oz. and was delivered by Harraway-Smith herself. “It was so surreal,” Troxler said. “Everything had come together for that moment to happen. It’s hard to wrap our heads around – we’re no longer just husband and wife, we’re ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy.'” “It’s always a treat when I can manage a pregnancy and complete the delivery, but this was extra special,” Harraway-Smith said. “As I was starting the c-section, Susie was humming a gospel song that I am very familiar with. I knew we were both in good hands.” Although their baby is a miracle, Troxler’s husband said he always knew they’d become parents. “We knew eventually we would have kids,” said Tony, who also works at Cone Health’s Moses Cone Hospital and the Women & Children’s Center as a security team lead. “We wouldn’t give up. We had that faith. We dreamed of her. We knew no matter how it was going to happen, that it was going to happen.” “Before she was even born, she had me wrapped around her pinky,” he said about Lily. “I love her so much. Every time I look at her, I feel myself just staring at her. It’s amazing!” The Troxlers call Lily their “little warrior princess,” and they hope their story can inspire others. “After you do your homework, just go for it,” Troxler said. “You never know what life will unfold for you. The last thing you want is to say, ‘I’m too old.’ You don’t want that to be the end of any dream. Follow your dreams all the way to the end.” The couple is home with Lily, now two months old. “We are thrilled. Sleep-deprived, but totally beyond worth it. She is a miracle baby,” Troxler said.