After Will Rosellini left the world of professional sports, he dedicated himself to science, a passion developed while watching some of the world’s best pitchers.

“I was curious how they could throw with the accuracy of a quarter of an inch, but I could only throw with the accuracy of three to four inches,” said Rosellini, CEO of MicroTransponder.

The former professional baseball player realized this tiny difference related to the nervous system.  That discovery led him to start MicroTransponder, a company developing solutions to treat neurological disorders.

“What we’ve found in clinical studies is that by applying electricity to the vagus nerve we can open up a window in the brain with neurotransmitters that allow us to drive the brain to pay attention and learn faster,” said Rosellini.

MicroTransponder and research partner UT Dallas have quickly discovered their findings could potentially help people with a particular disorder.

“The place where that’s been immediately successful and applicable would be in the treatment of Tinnitus,” said Rosellini.

Tinnitus is not an ordinary ringing of the ears.  It’s constant and can reach unbearable decibels, affecting the way of life for people like Phillip Lofton who suffers from Tinnitus.

“Because you suffer alone and nobody else can hear it, it’s hard for my family members and friends to understand it never, ever goes away,” said Lofton.

For twenty years Lofton has battled Tinnitus. The noise he hears has been measured at decibels equaling a jet engine. To Rosellini, that sound is a reminder of why he’s working so hard.

“For nearly two million people the tinnitus is so bad it affects them at work and for 15% of people of Tinnitus sufferers they’re emotionally disturbed by the suffering,” said Rosellini.

MicroTransponder has seen successful results on human patients in Belgium, and they are currently raising funds to be approved in the United States.

“For smaller companies that are doing medical products, we need to raise on the order of ten to twelve million dollars to get our product approved by the FDA,” said Rosellini.

Although MicroTransponder is in the early stages of fundraising and treatment, the company has big plans.

“We intend to restore or enhance the nervous system of one million patients worldwide,” said Rosellini.

And as long as he still suffers, Lofton says he wants to help find a solution.

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Students at Medrano Middle School have been busy writing letters. They aren’t headed to Santa.

“I feel so proud of myself right now,” said Student Daniel Molina.

“I just want to tell them that I’m glad that they’re here,” said Student Lesley Blanco.

“I think they’re going to feel better with us supporting them,” said Student Jose Mendez.

The letters are for our nation’s heroes. The USO visited the students at Medrano to pick up thousands of letters that will be sent to those serving overseas.

“The soldier is going to come in to a pile of letters dedicated to them, so it’s going to mean a lot,” said Sergeant Roque Garcia.

Cory Faber says he looks forward to encouraging his students to reach out to servicemen and women and thank them for putting their life on the line for their freedom.

“I know they volunteered, but hey, it’s a tough job and it’s a rewarding job,” said Cory Faber, Teacher at Medrano Middle School. “Just to be acknowledged, is kind of a neat deal.”

“If you write, it will really be special to the men and women overseas,” said Student Arturo Gomez.

Gomez says he hopes to join the Marines after finishing school, but for now, he wants his letters to let those serving know he’s thinking of them.

“That way they can know that they’re special and someone misses them,” said Gomez.

“Somebody from the classroom in Dallas, Texas is thinking about the troops out there,” said Garcia. “What better reason to be out there in the first place if not for the people in the United States of America?”

Medrano Middle School students are sending more than four thousand letters overseas to those who won’t be coming home for Christmas.

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It’s lunch time in Forney, Texas and Patrick McCrea is busy behind the scenes tending to the hungry crowd. His restaurant Doe Belly’s Catfish Cafe is a popular spot.

“We try to greet them when they come in the door,” said McCrea, Owner of Doe Belly’s. “We try to learn all their names but it gets a little bit overwhelming trying to learn everybody’s names but we know faces. We don’t forget their faces.”

You can’t be to hard on McCrea for forgetting a few names especially since he lives in one of the fastest growing communities in North Texas. Forney’s population has grown from five thousand to fifteen thousand in just a decade.

“My parents moved to Forney in 1969,” said Darren Rozell, Mayor of Forney. “I was a year and a half old.  I remember being eight nine years old walking around these downtown streets.”

Since 2001 the population of Forney has tripled making it the fastest growing city in Kaufman County and locals will tell you despite it’s growth, it hasn’t lost it’s small town charm.

“The barber’s in downtown Forney,” said Forney resident Dennis Holmes. “There’s not a lot of police force out tonight because it’s just family and friends so it’s great.”

J Stephen Sadler says when looking for a place to open his new Tasting Pavilion, Forney stood out.

“What made Forney different was that the whole town was committed to bringing someone down to their downtown,” said Sadler, Owner of Crumbzz.

Incentives to small business owners like Sadler is just one of many reasons the population is on the rise. Forney is just thirty minutes east of Dallas. So stop by, take in Forney’s history, and admire it’s future. Who knows? You may end up staying.

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Professional bodybuilder Stephen Frazier knows a Christmas card goes a long way in spreading holiday cheer and on Saturday Frazier and several clients took a break from lifting weights in Grand Prairie and instead focused on lifting hearts. In just a few hours, Frazier and his team delivered bags to a homeless shelter in Fort Worth.

“Everyone contributed just great,” said Frazier, Owner of SGP Fitness.  ”We have tons of bags. I think it’s going to make a big difference.”

This idea wouldn’t be possible without Cindy Rodriguez, and she couldn’t help but smile while filling each bag with socks, gloves, hats, and other simple items that are sometimes easy to take for granted.

“Sometimes I get in a funk and I complain and than I think  it could be worse,” said Rodriguez. “I could not have a place to sleep or a car or a great job so I think this kind of helps people to remember you need to be grateful for what you have.”

Frazier is no stranger to charity. He’s donated countless hours to giving back and urges members of his gym to do the same. He started SGP Fitness five years ago and since then he’s come to love teaching others to live healthier lives whether it be through lifting weights or providing for those less fortunate during the holidays. It took most of the afternoon to top off all the bags and when the moment arrived in downtown Fort Worth it took just a few minutes to pass them all out. Some people took their bag and left. Others stayed to say thank you.

“I’m thankful and blessed,” said Junior Patterson.

And next year these homeless men and women can expect another visit from Frazier and his team.

“We’ll do better next year,” said Frazier. “I always say get up and do something. Just do more.”

It’s proof a little goes a long way and sometimes it starts with just a simple Christmas Card inside a bag.

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You can’t get to Carnegie Hall without practice. The Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas may know this better then anyone. During every one of their rehearsals each performer works hard to ensure every note and voice comes together in perfect harmony.

“It’s amazing when you get so many kids in a room that have different voices,” said singer David Holmes.

Becoming a member of this chorus represents years of hard work and dedication to music and performing. Each member is hand selected through auditions and taught to sing at their full potential.

“Sometimes if we don’t know a song, it may not seem like everything is all together, at least at first but when everybody has their part and everybody knows what they’re doing it’s kind of an out of body experience,” said singer Liam McShane.

The Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas has performed for crowds all over the world for over a decade. During that time each child learns to succeed in as well as outside the chorus.

“Generally speaking they do better in school,” said Executive Director of CCGD Terry Harley. “They’re more social. They’re more likely to go to college, and graduate and more likely to become involved citizens.”

Students rehearse during the school year and will perform in several different concerts throughout the year.

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What do some North Texas men and women do on a typical Tuesday night? Some gathered to have their fashionable footwear judged. Although there was a contest for the best pair of shoes, it’s much more than just about the glitz and the glam. Hundreds gathered at Sambuca in Dallas to raise awareness towards domestic violence.

“A lot of our volunteers have been abused but they can come and enjoy a party and no one’s looking at them as if they were abused,” said the Founder of Society of Women Who Love Shoes Dianne Samoff.

So what is the driving force behind the Society of Women Who Love Shoes and how are they teaming up with other nonprofits?

“We would like to be their alliance,” said Samoff. “When they need something they don’t have we want them to reach out to Society of Women Who Love Shoes. We can do a drive and help them get it.”

With networking events,  the society is forming relationships with community members and collecting shoes for various women’s shelters across the metroplex such as Hope’s Door.

“The last time I saw my dad hit my mother, he shoved a screwdriver through her face,” said Director of Community Relations of Hope’s Door Adela Plasek. “It doesn’t stop there either. I wish I could say it did. My mother then had to raise three girls on her own and she did the best she could but unfortunately since she was a victim of abuse she then did not stop the cycle there. She afflicted that abuse upon her three girls and my youngest sister died when she tried to get away from her boyfriend.”

Both Samoff and Plasek say that if someone has been a victim of domestic violence, speaking out can help battle the silent epidemic that plagues many families.

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