Human Race

BIRTHED: Trudi Siviter, 39, had given up hope of conceiving a baby. A cervical cancer survivor, she had only half an ovary and had suffered two ectopic pregnancies and three failed IVF attempts. Siviter scheduled a hysterectomy, but then a surprise: She was pregnant. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy in December. "It's one of God's little miracles," said Siviter's doctor, Karen Powell. "It just goes to show we can never say never."

KIDNAPPED: Gunmen kidnapped a U.S. aid worker and her Afghan driver Jan. 26 outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan. Cyd Mizell, 49, spent the past three years in Afghanistan working for the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation. She teaches English at a high school and helps women learn ways to generate income.