http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Qj7WLRqyQ

Florida officer: Thank you is rare - CNN.com Video (http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/10/23/cop-buys-groceries-better-thomas-stuff-newday.cnn.html)

Jessica Eaves from Guthrie, Oklahoma recently had her wallet stolen by a man while she was grocery shopping. Most people in that situation would immediately get the authorities involved, but she found a way to resolve her problem herself.

"I saw this gentleman down the aisle from me," Jessica tells us. "He walked behind me, and when I got a couple of aisles over, I realized my wallet was gone."

"I spotted him in a crowded aisle and approached him," she continues. "I'm a pretty out-there personality, but I was quiet and calm."

"I said to him, 'I think you have something of mine. I'm gonna give you a choice. You can either give me my wallet and I'll forgive you right now, and I'll even take you to the front and pay for your groceries."

The alternative? Jessica reporting him to the police.

"He reached into his hoodie pocket and gave me my wallet," she recalls, adding that the man was extremely grateful for her help and forgiveness.

"He started crying when we walked up to the front," she says. "He said he was sorry about 20 times by the time we went from the pickle aisle to the front. He told me he was desperate."

She spent $27 on his groceries, which included milk, bread, bologna, crackers, soup and cheese. "The last thing he said was, 'I'll never forget tonight. I'm broke, I have kids, I'm embarrassed and I'm sorry.'"

"Some people are critical because I didn't turn him in, but sometimes all you need is a second chance," she adds.

This generosity and desire to help others is a major part of Jessica's life. Though she's a full-time college student, United Way employee, wife and mother of four, she still finds time to work with the Christian Outreach in her community and spends up to 12 hours per week volunteering.

Says Jessica, "My brother and I lost my dad to suicide when I was seven, and I remember him telling me years ago that no matter what I become in life, to always, always be kind."

This year, an Arlington family was able to trick-or-treat together for the first time.

One of the six Caffey children, Zala, has late infantile neuroal ceroid lipofuscinoses, a rare disorder with no known cure that is fatal between ages 8 and 12.

Zala cannot walk or talk. She is fed through a tube and is going blind. Her mother said the 8-year-old is the only person with the disorder in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

But thanks to a MedStar EMS ambulance crew, she went trick-or-treating with her family on Thursday night in a Fort Worth neighborhood near the zoo.

"There's not even any words other than amazing," said her mother, Kenda. "You go through the vocabulary and it's like, what do you say? It's unbelievable."

The escort made the trip possible, Kendra Caffey said.

"I can get all the kids out together," she said. "I don't have to worry about whether she's going to have a seizure or whether she's going to struggle to breathe, because we have this ambulance service here that is going to have everything that she needs in order for us to be out here with her."

Other children also trick-or-treating in the area gave Zala some of the candy their received, and a large group of kids gave her a long round of applause when paramedics loaded her off of the ambulance.

"She's not going to get to drive a car. She's not going get to get married. She's not going go get to go to college," Kenda Caffey said. "But when kids like this out here see her and they're handing her little gifts and they're like, 'Oh she can't walk. She can't talk,' maybe they will realize and they will enjoy life a little bit more and take advantage of, you know, what they've got

My wife began a battle with a form of lymphoma, back in mid-March, that started with a frightening visit, directly from her workplace, to an Emergency Room. That visit led to tests, more tests, and hospitalization for several weeks. This was followed by months of scheduled out-patient chemotherapy and visits to her doctor. As the treatments--and prayers--were effective, she was able to begin to return to work for a few hours a day, a couple of days a week. Eventually, as the problem seemed to be in remission, she returned to work full-time.

Over the years, I have met, and become slightly acquainted with, her "Boss" at various company functions to which I, and other spouses of employees, have been invited. I can't say that I know him well, because all of our contacts were simply in passing, at these informal social events. I can say that I always had a very positive opinion of him as both a person and as a businessman. I am sure that there are many people to whom he has to answer in the daily course of doing business, yet when it comes to the operation of his company, he has the final say. When my wife first began facing the recent "health challenge" he told her to take as long as was necessary to get well and to come back when she was able.

I just found out yesterday, from my wife, that he kept her on the payroll--at full salary--for the entire time she had been unable to work. I only learned this because my wife mentioned that when she had recently thanked him for making that choice, he told her that she "was an important part of the company" and that he "was only doing the right thing." (So, she then thanked him for doing the right thing. =)

A valuable and ancient "Guidebook for True Success in Life" says it's better not to do your good works in a public manner, so that you can be praised, but to do them privately. The same "Guidebook" defines the meaning of "'pure and faultless' 'religion.'" It essentially defines it as being Kind and actually helping those in need and distress. I don't know my wife's Boss' preferences in that area, but I do know the difference between laying up treasures in heaven instead of only on earth and just wanted to express my appreciation that he does too.

(Without mentioning his name.)

When I glanced at the headline and the picture on the front page of Thursday's Oklahoman (like, the day before yesterday's news) I thought, "What does some math geek with a bow tie have to say to me?" and ignored the article.

Later, I read it and asked myself, "How can I be so friggin' shallow?"
(it's easy. that's how.)

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics president rejects pay raise | News OK (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-school-of-science-and-mathematics-president-rejects-pay-raise/article/3899283)

The online article leaves out Dr. Wang's Christian basis for his decision to refuse the money.
(He said that his proposed raise would cut into someone else's income and that just didn't add up in his book.)

I salute you, Sir.
Thank you for being even a better human being than you are a math genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s22HX18wDY#t=172

This is more of a story of courage....

When she was healthy, Olivia Wise used to sit in front of her locker at school and sing for her friends.

She loved learning new things, and she wanted to be a pediatrician.

Olivia is just 16, and she is dying of an inoperable brain tumor.

In September, knowing that there was no more treatment available, the Toronto teen went to a recording studio to immortalize her voice -- one that has brought to joy to her family and friends in her short life.

She sang Katy Perry's hit "Roar."

In the video made of her recording, she sits meekly in a wheelchair, unable to stand or catch her breath.

And then she gets to the first chorus.

" 'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar."

Her eyes squint, and a smile stretches across her face.

Her joy is infectious. People in the studio begin to dance.

As the song goes, Olivia sings, "I got the eye of a tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire."

A few more chords, and the corners of her mouth rise again.

"Olivia is a fighter and has gone through the fire," her cousin wrote in the post under the video posting on YouTube. "In fact, she was going through the fire while she recorded this song, but you wouldn't know it, because she was dancing right through it."

That recording was made on September 6. In the weeks that have followed, Wise's condition has deteriorated, but the response to her video has gone viral. The Liv Wise Fund, started in her name in support of brain tumor research, has raised more than $27,000, and the video got enough attention to prompt a response from Perry about how moved she was by Olivia.

"You sounded great," Perry said in a video she sent to the family, which was also posted to YouTube. "I love you. A lot of people love you. ... Keep roaring."

Wise is at home now, and her family is making her as comfortable as possible. She is only conscious for moments at a time, her family said.

"Her health is really bad, she's at the end," her cousin Jeff Kassel said. "She is still conscious at times and taking it all in."

Wise was vacationing in Florida in January 2012 when she had a seizure. She was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain cancer.

Immediately, she knew the prognosis was bad, but her mother says she has barely complained.

"Every day, she wished for a cure, and rarely succumbed to negative thoughts," her mom said.

She insisted on keeping up with her studies until just a few weeks ago.

"To tell the truth, her diagnosis didn't change her personality," her mom said. "It only enhanced it. She took the news in a mature, reasonable, responsible way. ... Even in the most difficult moments, she managed to bring laughter and friendship to all that were caring for her."

She woke up each day with a goal to find something bright, to be happy, her mom said. And she wasn't afraid of being vulnerable.

So when a family friend with a recording studio offered her the opportunity, she went for it.

"It was spontaneous," Kassel said. "And we didn't know with her health if she would be able to do it, but she did. For a 16-year-old, this is becoming her legacy, and it's such a beautiful thin


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_An8xNwupo

Autistic Teen Scores Dream Touchdown | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth (http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Autism-Student-Scores-Touchdown-230770641.html?partner=nbcnews)

I didn't really feel like starting a new thread but what would restore my faith in humanity would be people NOT going to retailers on Thanksgiving at 6PM this year to purchase xmas gifts and get good deals. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it seems like nationally over the last decade it is associated with spending money (and spending all day in lines) rather than spending it with family and friends.

Put it back on Friday where it belongs. Rant over.

I didn't really feel like starting a new thread but what would restore my faith in humanity would be people NOT going to retailers on Thanksgiving at 6PM this year to purchase xmas gifts and get good deals. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it seems like nationally over the last decade it is associated with spending money (and spending all day in lines) rather than spending it with family and friends.

Put it back on Friday where it belongs. Rant over.

That raises a complicated question akin to the famous "chicken/egg/first?" enigma:
Should mindless "human" consumers be afforded yet another opportunity to exhibit their grasping covetousness or should retailers not provide the opportunity for us to do so?

Personally, I think that all sane people should boycott any major, big-box, retailer that opens before the Monday after Thanksgiving.

If this happened, it would not only begin to restore my faith in humanity, it might also serve to restore my faith in the concept that "humanity" is making "corporate" decisions . . .

That raises a complicated question akin to the famous "chicken/egg/first?" enigma:
Should mindless "human" consumers be afforded yet another opportunity to exhibit their grasping covetousness or should retailers not provide the opportunity for us to do so?

Personally, I think that all sane people should boycott any major, big-box, retailer that opens before the Monday after Thanksgiving.

If this happened, it would not only begin to restore my faith in humanity, it might also serve to restore my faith in the concept that "humanity" is making "corporate" decisions . . .


It all makes me laugh at this which Plutonic Panda posted in another thread.

https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1394447_715913068438204_915634575_n.jpg

Pretty soon, we'll have pre-pre-pre Black Friday specials, oh, sometime around the Fourth of July.

`

One ugly encounter with a customer last weekend has resulted in thousands of messages of support, handshakes and hugs from strangers for a Wegmans employee in upstate New York.


On Nov. 9, Chris Tuttle, 28, who has Asperger’s syndrome, told his family over dinner that earlier that day a female customer scolded him at the store where he works for scanning items too slowly, and then loudly complained to the manager that he was not moving fast enough.

“When she was mean to me, it made me really upset and sad, and tears were about to fall down my face,’’ Chris told TODAY.com.

Chris normally works in maintenance at the Wegmans in Liverpool, N.Y., but occasionally helps out with the register if things get busy.

“He said, 'I had the worst day ever,’’’ his older sister, Jamie Virkler, told TODAY.com. “He was so upset and wondering why someone would be so mean and so nasty. It was really personal. This is the first time someone has come at him full throttle like that.”

Virkler took to Facebook a day later, writing a post describing what happened and asking for people to give Chris, whose genial personality is known to many customers of the store, a shout-out to help boost his spirits.

Jamie was simply hoping for a handful of comments she could print out for Chris to help him feel better if he was having a bad day. Instead, her post has since garnered nearly 100,000 likes and more than 15,000 comments in support of Chris from as far away as Australia and South Africa.

“It wasn’t until four o’clock in the afternoon that day when I first looked at (the post), and I honestly just cried,’’ Jamie said, of the posts from strangers as well as those who know her brother. “Everyone was coming forward with their stories. He’s worked there for seven years, so he knows a lot of customers, and his personality is so much bigger than he is.’’

Jamie specifically put the post on Facebook knowing that Chris, who lives with their father in Baldwinsville, N.Y., would see it because he is constantly on social media, reading and commenting on various posts.

“That's his entertainment,’’ she said. “I thought, I had to reach him through an avenue he is already into, then I know he'll definitely see it. His personality is to go through every single comment. He is so appreciative for them.”

The supportive comments made him confident enough to work the register again the next day. It hasn’t just been people on Facebook reaching out to Chris, either. He has worked at the store every day since his sister’s post, and customers have specifically waited in his line at the cash register even if other lines are open just to shake his hand or give him a hug.

“It makes me feel blessed and loved and cared for,’’ Chris said. “They made me feel a lot better afterwards. It was overwhelming, and it was really supportive for all those people to be in my line, shaking my hand, hugging me and giving me nice cards.”

“The community has come together and made him feel good about himself,’’ Jamie said.

The woman who yelled at Chris has not reached out to apologize and her identity remains a mystery, according to Jamie. However, Jamie hopes the outpouring of support makes people take a deep breath the next time they might choose to yell at someone like that.

“People are coming to me saying, ‘I have a story like that where I got angry,’’’ Jamie said. “I think it's fair to say everyone has had a time where they've taken their anger out on someone else. I hope it's helping people take a second look at what that looks like from the other end, like from Chris's view.”

Batkid's heroic, heartwarming, real-life adventure! | HLNtv.com (http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/11/15/batkid-miles-san-francisco-leukemia-make-wish?hpt=hp_t1)

Excellent ^^^!!!

I may be biased, on account of my grandson, up in Minnesota, recently kicked "Childhood 'cancer's' Ass" . . . but that doesn't matter: It's an excellent post anyway, at least in my biased opinion. Thank you.
(keep 'em comin' . . . they encourage and edify. and that's a [good] thing. =)

Not sure if this belongs here, but I thought it was cool!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1399325_758587424189164_1813267908_o.jpg

A couple of awesome people in the Philippines still living life and making the best of it. Great folks!

This is more of a story of courage....

When she was healthy, Olivia Wise used to sit in front of her locker at school and sing for her friends.

She loved learning new things, and she wanted to be a pediatrician.

Olivia is just 16, and she is dying of an inoperable brain tumor.

In September, knowing that there was no more treatment available, the Toronto teen went to a recording studio to immortalize her voice -- one that has brought to joy to her family and friends in her short life.

She sang Katy Perry's hit "Roar."

In the video made of her recording, she sits meekly in a wheelchair, unable to stand or catch her breath.

And then she gets to the first chorus.

" 'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar."

Her eyes squint, and a smile stretches across her face.

Her joy is infectious. People in the studio begin to dance.

As the song goes, Olivia sings, "I got the eye of a tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire."

A few more chords, and the corners of her mouth rise again.

"Olivia is a fighter and has gone through the fire," her cousin wrote in the post under the video posting on YouTube. "In fact, she was going through the fire while she recorded this song, but you wouldn't know it, because she was dancing right through it."

That recording was made on September 6. In the weeks that have followed, Wise's condition has deteriorated, but the response to her video has gone viral. The Liv Wise Fund, started in her name in support of brain tumor research, has raised more than $27,000, and the video got enough attention to prompt a response from Perry about how moved she was by Olivia.

"You sounded great," Perry said in a video she sent to the family, which was also posted to YouTube. "I love you. A lot of people love you. ... Keep roaring."

Wise is at home now, and her family is making her as comfortable as possible. She is only conscious for moments at a time, her family said.

"Her health is really bad, she's at the end," her cousin Jeff Kassel said. "She is still conscious at times and taking it all in."

Wise was vacationing in Florida in January 2012 when she had a seizure. She was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain cancer.

Immediately, she knew the prognosis was bad, but her mother says she has barely complained.

"Every day, she wished for a cure, and rarely succumbed to negative thoughts," her mom said.

She insisted on keeping up with her studies until just a few weeks ago.

"To tell the truth, her diagnosis didn't change her personality," her mom said. "It only enhanced it. She took the news in a mature, reasonable, responsible way. ... Even in the most difficult moments, she managed to bring laughter and friendship to all that were caring for her."

She woke up each day with a goal to find something bright, to be happy, her mom said. And she wasn't afraid of being vulnerable.

So when a family friend with a recording studio offered her the opportunity, she went for it.

"It was spontaneous," Kassel said. "And we didn't know with her health if she would be able to do it, but she did. For a 16-year-old, this is becoming her legacy, and it's such a beautiful thin


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_An8xNwupo

Sad to report this young lady passed away from her brain tumor. Thoughts and prayers to the family.

Teen who covered Katy Perry's 'Roar' dies - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/25/showbiz/olivia-wise-death/index.html?hpt=hp_c2)

Jesus House's Thanksgiving food giveaway draws a crowd. The JH is doing great things in OKC.

Jesus House's Thanksgiving food giveaway draws a crowd | News OK (http://newsok.com/jesus-houses-thanksgiving-food-giveaway-draws-a-crowd/article/3908328)

In the New Jersey village of Ridgewood, Michael Feeney was a celebrity. He swapped campaign advice with the mayor. For a short time, he served as police chief. This Friday, he was to light the big Christmas tree downtown.

He was 10 years old.

Michael Feeney died last week after a four-year struggle with a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. On Tuesday, the village honored him with a funeral with full police honors.

“He was just extraordinary,” the village mayor, Paul Aronsohn, told NBC News ahead of the service. “If you met him, you would know it. Big smile, big spirit. A big sense of the possible. He was a little guy, and he was just so big. Everything about him.”

At least 24 police departments were represented at the funeral. A bugle corps from the Bergen and New Jersey Transit police sounded a faint drumbeat to lead the procession into the church — friends, family and the casket, draped with an American flag. Eighty officers flanked the entrance and stood at salute.

“I lost a partner today,” the Ridgewood police chief, John Ward, told reporters.

Michael, who was in fifth grade at Hawes Elementary School, had a short life that was plagued with health problems, but they never managed to surmount what people close to him described as a relentless spirit.

His mother, Jill Feeney, contracted a virus while she was pregnant that left the child with a 15 percent chance of survival, The Bergen Record newspaper reported. At age 6, after persistent shoulder pain, he was diagnosed with the cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma.

Michael had shoulder replacement surgery, radiation and, recently, brutal chemotherapy treatments.

But you would never know there was anything troubling him, the mayor recalled. His father, Jack Feeney, told the newspaper that the boy made it to MetLife Stadium in October, “screaming, dancing, cheering” as his beloved New York Giants beat the Minnesota Vikings.

“He just had this smile and brightened up the entire room and made everybody feel so warm and good,” said a friend, Hailey Franco, also 10.

The mayor said that Michael came to him for advice in September, when he was running for president of the student council. He wanted help with his stump speech. The mayor said he had little to add.

“His speech was already great,” he said. “I don’t remember what he was offering in his platform. But it’s always about the people, the students. Too often elected officials think it’s about them. He got that right away.”

In June, the mayor swore in Michael as honorary police chief for a day. Facebook photos from the ceremony show the child signing papers to make it official, trying out the chief’s big chair, and inspecting a village jail cell — with his sister, Cassandra, inside. He released her to take a math test.

The police department praised the boy after his death for “inspiring others with his courage, his compassion for others and his desire to make a positive difference for his community and for young people.”

The police chief, making note of the huge presence at the funeral on Tuesday, said: “He loved stopping traffic. He really would have liked this today.”

Two weeks ago, when the family was on vacation at Walt Disney World, the village wanted to make sure Michael celebrated one more Christmas. So hundreds of people strung lights and ornaments on the Feeneys’ house and put a Santa Claus and sleigh on the roof, The Record reported.

In Ridgewood, a village of about 25,000 people just across the Hudson River from New York City, Michael was to light the tree at a downtown celebration on Friday night, right alongside the Ridgewood High School marching band.

Thousands are still expected to gather on East Ridgewood Avenue for the celebration on Friday night. But on Tuesday, the village came together for a Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church to remember Michael. That included the police, to remember the youngest fallen member of the force.

“They’re lining up from different towns, motorcycles lining up,” the mayor said. “They’re going to shoot off the guns at the cemetery. The whole community’s come out. It’s a real testament to Michael, how he touched people’s lives.”

http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/131203-michael-feeney-house-11a.380;380;7;70;0.jpg

Full police honors for 'extraordinary' 10-year-old who moved a village - U.S. News (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/03/21736522-full-police-honors-for-extraordinary-10-year-old-who-moved-a-village?lite)

'He's winning for Reese': Swimmer gives rival trophy | HLNtv.com (http://www.hlntv.com/slideshow/2013/12/11/9-year-old-swimmer-gives-trophy-sick-rival?hpt=hp_t3)

'He's winning for Reese': Swimmer gives rival trophy

I have no faith in humanity and can find no reason to believe so.

This thread is getting me misty eyed.

(CNN) -- A little girl whose Christmas wish inspired thousands of people to sing in the streets died overnight.

Laney Brown, 8, suffered from leukemia.

"Our little angel on earth earned her pink glittery angel wings in heaven," a post on an official Facebook page about her said. "She took her last breath at home in her bed at 3:10 surrounded by all her family and friends. I miss her so much already."

Delaney Brown of West Reading, Pennsylvania, "inspired a community and touched hearts across the world," as CNN affiliate WFMZ put it.

She loved music and dancing.

Her dying wishes were to meet country music superstar Taylor Swift and for some people to come by her house for a night of caroling.

On Friday -- her birthday -- Laney and Swift video-chatted through FaceTime, a software application that allows callers to see each other on Apple products.

Then, Saturday night, the singers came. At first it was hundreds of people, then thousands. Then it was about 10,000, CNN affiliate WFMZ reported.

She was too weak to go to the window, but heard the wonderful music.

"I can hear you now!!! Love you!" she said in a Facebook post that showed a photo of her lying in bed with a breathing mask -- and two thumbs up.

Laney was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia seven months ago. Last week doctors told her family that she had 70% cancer cells in her blood. She came home from the hospital Thursday.

The Christmas carol celebration outside her home attracted people from all over. Her dance team was there to honor her. Even Santa showed up.

Many of the singers held back tears.

"I can't even express how I feel," Krysta Rebe, who has a daughter Laney's age, told WFMZ.

It was only an hour of singing, but it lifted the spirits of everyone who jammed the block.

"As much as I want that miracle to be saving the life of an 8-year-old little girl, Laney, the miracle was an 8-year-old little girl teaching an entire community, town, city and the whole country the true meaning of Christmas," one participant, Marianne Franken, wrote on Facebook."

On Wednesday, thousands of people liked and commented on the Facebook post announcing the little girl's death.

"I do not cry for Laney, who lives on in peace and happiness with our Lord," wrote Cornell Stornbergh. "I mourn for us, who now have to live in a world without her."

This is more of a case of humanity in a K9


Labrador befriends boy with Down syndrome - Video on TODAY.com (http://www.today.com/video/today/53164438/#53164438)

An 8 year old hero.. RIP

8-year-old boy rescues 6 relatives from fire, dies trying to save more - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/21/us/new-york-boy-saves-family-fire/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)

RENTON, Wash. (AP) Before heading to a team walkthrough Wednesday morning, Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman felt the need to write.

So he took a couple of minutes to write to 9-year-old Riley Kovalcik after a letter she wrote to Coleman ended up on his Twitter feed a day earlier.

"This morning I woke up and was like let me write something back. So right before our walkthrough I wrote up a little something," Coleman said in the Seahawks' locker room on Wednesday afternoon. "Might see some grammar mistakes in there, but I was trying to put it out right quick and send it back."

Kovalcik, who is hearing impaired, saw her letter get circulated around social media on Tuesday after it was retweeted by Coleman, who is also hearing impaired. The 9-year-old wrote, "Just try your best. I have faif (sic) in you Derrick good Job on January 20th game."

Kovalick also wrote that she wears two hearing aids just like Coleman and she also has a twin sister that wears one hearing aid.

The letter was sent via Twitter by Riley's father, Jake. He told the New York Daily News on Wednesday that he posted the letter to show Coleman how much of an inspiration he is for kids. Coleman posted his letter to Twitter on Wednesday so she could see his response.

"He's been so successful. He's somebody to look up to and he made her feel like hearing aids are cool," Jake Kovalick told the Daily News.

Coleman said he regularly receives letters, but Riley's felt special and that's why he took the time to respond so quickly even as the Seahawks are preparing for next week's Super Bowl against Denver. Coleman wrote, "I want you to know that I always try my best in everything that I do and faith in you & your twin sister too. Even though we wear hearing aids we can still accomplish our goals & dreams."

Coleman recently did a commercial for Duracell batteries that has become a YouTube sensation with more than 9 million views.

"It means the world to them," Coleman said of the letter. "It only took a couple of minutes of my time."

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1782005_476438505790909_1965089388_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/10003158_763284107037710_641621777789927131_n.jpg

Came across this picture on Facebook... looked around and it turns out this was true.

Mother creates heartbreaking SANDBOX tribute on her infant son's grave so his toddler brother could spend time with him | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2580696/Mother-creates-heartbreaking-SANDBOX-tribute-infant-sons-grave-toddler-brother-spend-time-him.html#ixzz2vx65MQHE)

I suppose some might not like this, but I though it was nice.

That is sweet.

I have no faith in humanity. None whatsoever.

I have no faith in humanity. None whatsoever.

I'm sure the feeling is mutual.

I have no faith in humanity. None whatsoever.

You're a sad pathetic person. This thread is for those that do.

I simply can't believe in humanity. What does it provide? Seriously.

http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1366/50/1366503094967.jpg

This one is Faith in K9's

https://www.thedodo.com/loyal-dog-shelters-missing-3-y-539785344.html

I love this.

"Heading home on the Q train yesterday when this young black guy nods off on the shoulder of a Jewish man. The man doesn't move a muscle, just lets him stay there. After a minute, I asked the man if he wanted me to wake the kid up, but he shook his head and responded, 'He must have had a long day, let him sleep. We've all been there, right?'"

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1.0-9/1395110_677805798920349_648988083_n.jpg

LONDON (Reuters) - A British teenage cancer sufferer who raised more than 3 million pounds ($5 million) for charity after his fund-raising campaign went viral on social media has died, his family said on Wednesday.

Stephen Sutton, 19, died in his sleep on Wednesday morning, his mother Jane said on Facebook.

Sutton, who was first diagnosed with bowel cancer four years ago, raised the money for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity and won the support of numerous celebrities and politicians, including Prime Minister David Cameron.

"My heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for my courageous, selfless, inspirational son who passed away peacefully in his sleep," Jane Sutton wrote to her son's 900,000 followers on Facebook.

Sutton originally set a 10,000-pound fund-raising target after being told his cancer was terminal in 2012. However he received over 100,000 public donations and raised his target to 1 million pounds after a final "goodbye" message he posted on Facebook went viral.

"It's a final thumbs up from me," the teenager wrote alongside what he thought was a last picture of himself in a hospital bed.


"I've done well to blag things as well as I have up till now, but unfortunately I think this is just one hurdle too far."

News of Sutton's plight quickly spread and celebrities including British actor and comedian Stephen Fry and music mogul Simon Cowell gave their support.

Cameron wrote on Twitter: "I am deeply saddened to hear that Stephen Sutton has died. His spirit, bravery and fundraising for cancer research were all an inspiration."

Sutton was discharged from hospital at the beginning of May after his health improved but his family said on Tuesday that his condition had deteriorated and he was struggling to breathe.

Speaking about the money he had raised, he once told the BBC: "I don't actually do what I do for recognition. I love nice comments but I do what I do because I find the best way to help myself is to help others.

"I'm proud of the feeling I get just by raising all this money," he added.

British teenage cancer sufferer dies after raising millions for charity (http://news.yahoo.com/uks-cameron-deeply-saddened-death-teenage-cancer-fund-121836339.html)

Nice



FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — After a homeless man’s shoes were stolen, a South Florida police officer decided he’d do something about it: buy the man a new pair.

A Fort Lauderdale Police Department report said that 36-year-old Brian Espeut told Officer Rolando Rivera earlier this month that someone had stolen his shoes while he slept at a Fort Lauderdale park. While Rivera filled out the paperwork, Espeut disappeared and Rivera said he went home after his off-duty detail ended.

But Rivera said he was concerned about Espeut so he came back to the park and found him. The officer then went to a store and bought Espeut a pair of work boots and pack of tube socks.

“The boots are great, and I just wanted to tell you thank you again,” Espeut said.

“I know I didn’t have to do it, but I just felt that I was in a unique position to help this guy,” said Rivera.

Rivera said he wasn’t looking for the publicity, but wanted to do something nice and would do it again for someone else.

The Associated Press has contributed to this report.

- See more at: A police officer wrote up a homeless man whose shoes were stolen ? and then he realized he could do something about it | Rare (http://rare.us/story/a-police-officer-wrote-up-a-homeless-man-whose-shoes-were-stolen-and-then-he-realized-he-could-do-something-about-it/#sthash.chxDDxqY.dpuf)

A 5-year-old Indiana boy's love of Spider-Man inspired his mother to ask for a superhero funeral after he died from a brain tumor.

Adults dressed as Spider-Man, Superman and the Incredible Hulk were among the pallbearers for Brayden Denton's funeral last week in the Newton County town of Kentland in northwestern Indiana.

Staci Denton said her son first was a Spider-Man fan but started liking more superheroes as he collected their action figures.

"He was a huge Spiderman fan," she told WLFI-TV. "He had to quit just liking Spiderman because he had all the toys. So really, he liked every superhero."

Cory Denton dressed as the character Thor for his nephew's funeral. He says Brayden wore a Superman outfit when they went to a Superman movie and that they watched all the Ironman movies together.

Brayden died at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis after a 13-month fight with brain cancer.


http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2014_21/452916/140519-superhero-funeral-cover_b6082debd572961018d51e5b9ddab1b8.nbcnews-ux-680-700.jpg

VACAVILLE, Calif. —
Tri-tip steak, corn, watermelon; all ingredients for a Memorial Day BBQ left behind at Costco by a group of Vacaville firefighters on Saturday.

While shopping the crew received a medical emergency call and they left the store immediately. They returned a half an hour later to discover someone had already purchased their cart full of $123.25 worth of food.

“The note said ‘thank you firefighters for all you do have a good day’ and it was signed by an Air Force wife,” said Battalion Chief Jeff Ryder, Vacaville Fire Department.

Perhaps she was moved by the camouflage and American flag decorated shirts firefighters have been wearing in honor of the men and women who've sacrificed for our country.

“I think they are wonderful guys they do a great job. They’re great guys,” said Rich Wood, who was shopping at Costco on Tuesday.

Wood is a veteran. He said attitudes towards the military have changed greatly since he served in Vietnam.

“It’s amazing how many people just say ‘Thank you’ and come up to you nowadays,” said Wood.

The crew at Station 74 may never know why the woman covered the bill.

“We’re hoping that that person would come by and let us thank them for it,” said Ryder.

Firefighters pay for their own meals while on duty, about $25 each per shift, but they didn't pocket the money saved. Instead they plan to pay it forward.

Later in the day on Saturday the crew purchased the Memorial Day flowers an elderly couple was trying to buy. Tuesday night they’re cooking dinner for a WWII veteran from Vacaville.

Even before the random act of kindness the department had planned a fundraiser for Travis Air Force Base’s Fisher House, which assists the families of injured soldiers while they are in the hospital. The Vacaville Firefighter’s Association will host dinner at Pietro’s #1 on 407 Cernon Street between 4-8pm Wednesday, May 28th. Half of the proceeds from the event will go to the Fisher House.

An 8-year-old boy got to save the day many times over at Yosemite National Park this week.

Gabriel Lavan-Ying put out a forest fire, rescued an injured hiker and rode in a helicopter — all before a federal judge dubbed him one of just a handful of honorary rangers for the park.

The Gainesville, Florida boy was flown to Northern California with his two siblings and parents to fulfill a desire he shared with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"He loves the outdoors, always has," Marissa Gajos, wish coordinator for the foundation's Central and Northern Florida chapter, told the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles. "He'd never been to Yosemite before. It was easily his first pick."

Gabriel has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, an incurable and debilitating disorder that affects the body's connective tissues, primarily the skin, joints and blood vessel walls. But his condition didn’t deter his enthusiasm on Tuesday at Yosemite, where he was given a ranger uniform and hat and numerous opportunities to tackle typical ranger challenges.

“He was so happy, he was so engaged, and just so in the moment. He was like that the entire day," National Park Ranger Scott Gediman told TODAY.com. "He impressed me beyond belief.”

Gediman, a public affairs officer for Yosemite, accompanied Gabriel for the entire day, starting just before 9 a.m. and finishing around 5 p.m.

“He didn’t falter one bit," Gediman said. "He just wanted to go and jumped into everything."

“Ranger Gabriel” went on a nature walk, met with the park superintendent, looked for birds and insects and got issued his own park radio to communicate with other rangers. He also rode in a fire truck to a real fire that he helped extinguish.

He then came to the rescue of an "injured hiker" (another park ranger) who hurt her ankle. He helped lower the victim on a stretcher with a system of ropes and pulleys, and then helped her into an ambulance.

The day ended at the visitors center with a ceremony attended by about 300 people, including nearly 50 park rangers, members of the Yosemite community and numerous park visitors. A U.S. magistrate judge presided over the ceremony, where Gabriel received a plaque, several park badges and a flag flown over Yosemite Valley.

“We’ve only made four or five honorary park rangers. We don’t take it lightly,” Gediman said. “The ceremony was pretty emotional. He loved every second. It just could not have been better."

Sick 8-year-old boy becomes Yosemite park ranger for a day - News - TODAY.com (http://www.today.com/news/sick-8-year-old-boy-becomes-yosemite-park-ranger-day-2D79764772)

Thank you, Kelroy55, for your attention to this thread.

A Michigan teenager who wanted to raise awareness about cerebral palsy by walking 40 miles with his younger brother strapped to his back battled heat, rain, fatigue and more to finish the trek Sunday.

Hunter Gandee, 14, had been planning for weeks to pull off the walk, hoping to put a face on the muscular disorder that prevents his 7-year-old sibling, Braden, from being able to walk without help. But all his organizing couldn't prepare him for the conditions he faced as he packed the 50-pound boy over two days.

He even thought about giving up along the way.

"Honestly, yes, there was a point that we did consider stopping," Hunter said. "Braden's legs — the chafing was getting pretty bad. We did have to consider stopping. It was at about the 30-mile point."

A phone call changed all that.

Hunter reached out to a friend, who said a prayer for the brothers. That, combined with some rest and a change in how Braden was positioned on his brother's back, helped the boys make it the final 10 miles.

It may have taken a bit longer than they anticipated, but the Gandees and more than a dozen of their family members and friends strolled up a winding road Sunday toward the University of Michigan's wrestling center.

At the top of the hill, Hunter lifted up Braden so he could touch a "Go Blue" banner erected for them near the walk's endpoint. The move was met with thunderous applause and cheers from those who had gathered to see the boys finish the trek.

More than 30 hours earlier, Hunter, with Braden securely strapped to his back, left the parking lot of Bedford Junior High in Temperance near the Ohio border.

The boys' parents and two other siblings accompanied them on the walk. A caravan of cars and other walkers also joined in.

The goal of the walk, called the Cerebral Palsy Swagger, was to raise awareness about cerebral palsy and hopefully inspire new ideas for mobility aides and medical procedures.

Braden typically uses a walker, braces or a power chair to get around.

Hunter, a 155-pound wrestler, said he trained for the trek by lifting weights and staying active. And by checking the weather forecast.

http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_23/495611/140608-gandee-jms-2014_442a11ed0e027eea092867260ced7f3e.jpg

I just want to echo the thought at Post #42.
It's always nice to read or see something that gives one's heart a little lift.

Minnesota winters are brutal, even if you have a warm house and a cozy bed to while away the cold nights. Which is why it's remarkable—or maybe just crazy—that a 17-year-old Boy Scout from the Duluth area voluntarily slept outside for 365 nights straight.

Perched most often seven feet up in a tree near his parents' house, Rudy Hummel survived 76 subzero nights and multiple snowstorms to raise about $6,000 for Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity and the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. When not at home, Hummel would pitch a tent or crash on a hotel's deck. According to CBS Minnesota, he slept outside in 30 different places.

Hummel's mother reportedly checked on her son only once—on a night when temps reached 27 degrees below zero. "We had an agreement. If he started to shiver, he would come in," his mother told the Duluth News Tribune. "He never did."

Good for both the student and the principal.


Detroit Teen Makes Special Walk to Graduation Stage - NBC News (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/detroit-teen-makes-special-walk-graduation-stage-n128631)

First she survived being stabbed 19 times. Police say it was by her 12-year-old friends. The suspects allegedly told police they did it to please an online fictional character named “Slender Man.”

Then she crawled to safety from the woods near Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Now as she heals, the girl, whose identity ABC News is not revealing because of her age, continues to inspire many worldwide, with well-wishers creating cards for her on homemade purple hearts.

“The little girl and her brother open up the hundreds and some days thousands of packages sent to the family from generous people from all over the world,” Stephen Lyons, the survivor’s spokesperson, told ABC News. “It's therapeutic and something she and her brother do every day.”

But this month a different kind of Purple Heart came for her in the mail: one issued to members of the military wounded service to the country, or to a family whose loved one was killed in the line of duty.

A simple note came attached, Lyons said. It read, “The Only Heart I Could Find – Stay Strong.”

The stabbing survivor and her family are now hoping to thank the anonymous donor publicly or privately, if they can find that person.

“[Her parents] explained to her the significance of a Purple Heart in the military and what it means, what a personal sacrifice it is to be wounded on behalf of the country, and how incredible it is to be sent this,” Lyons said. “The gift really resonates with the family because they are still dealing with wounds, emotionally and physically, from the events of May 31.”

Prosecutors say on May 31 the 12-year-old survivor’s friends Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser tried to kill her in hopes of becoming agents of “Slender Man,” a niche mythical character the duo read about online.

After the stabbing, authorities say the survivor crawled from the woods and was discovered by a passing cyclist who called 911 as she fought for her life.

Geyser and Weier have been charged with first-degree attempted murder. While the two have yet to enter pleas in court, the stabbing survivor continues to heal at home with her family by her side.

Lyons says the family is now trying to decide where they will display the gifted military Purple Heart in their home.

“Our family continues to be so moved by the prayers, well wishes, packages, financial support and purple hearts from around the world,” they wrote in a statement. “It does not surprise me that a decorated veteran unselfishly gave this amazingly brave and courageous little girl something from his or her heart.”

Along with the numerous mailings they've received, Lyons said the family is also grateful for the money raised in an online “Hearts for Healing” campaign. According to the family’s statement, “supporters have donated over $50,000 to assist the family in their goal of $250,000 to help with mounting medical expenses.”


12 Year Old WI Girl; Official Fundraiser by Tammie Figlinski - GoFundMe (http://www.gofundme.com/heartsforhealingWI)

Girl Attacked in 'Slender Man' Case Receives Anonymous Purple Heart - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/US/girl-attacked-slender-man-case-receives-anonymous-purple/story?id=24655803)

'Extraordinary' little boy finishes triathlon with his disabled - WFLA News Channel 8 (http://www.wfla.com/story/26085266/extraordinary-little-boy-finishes-triathlon-with-his-disabled-brother)

BOISE, ID (WFLA) -

Never underestimate the power of brotherly love.

Eight-year-old Noah Aldrich didn’t want his 6-year-old sibling Lucas — who is confined to a wheelchair — to miss out on a youth triathlon this month, so he pulled and pushed his little brother the whole way as he swam, biked and ran in the sweltering heat.

His determination didn’t surprise his parents, who said the brothers are inseparable.

"They have an amazing bond. They’re best friends and they do everything together," mom Alissa Aldrich told TODAY Parents. "The connection and the love that they share is truly unique."

“I like everything about him, he's perfect," said Noah told NBC News affiliate KTVB in Boise, Idaho, about Lucas. The boys watch cartoons together and go on walks and bike rides, with Noah pushing and pulling Lucas in a special buggy.


Lucas was born with lissencephaly, a rare brain malformation. Children with the disorder -- which literally means "smooth brain” — are missing the normal folds and wrinkles in the cerebral cortex, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Lissencephaly occurs in only one in 85,470 births and can result in seizures, difficulty swallowing and other serious health problems, according to The Cortical Foundation.

Aldrich said her pregnancy was routine and the boy's birth was normal, but the family was alarmed when he started to cry for hours on end when he was 3 months old. An MRI revealed the disorder.

Doctors told Lucas’ parents that the boy would be non-verbal, could not eat on his own, and he would spend his life in a wheelchair, but he’s doing much better than everyone expected, Aldrich said.

"He can’t walk, he can’t talk, but he’s the happiest little guy you can ever imagine and he just loves being around people," she noted. "He’s learning how to communicate with us more and more but there’s definitely a lot in there — he just can’t get it out."

Lucas recognizes his parents, but he is particularly happy when he sees his big brother Noah. His eyes light up and he starts moving his arms and legs with excitement, which his family calls his "happy dance," his mom said.

The family is active and does everything together, so Lucas has been on a plane ride, a 4-wheeler ride, has done adaptive skiing, and went to Disney World as part of a Make-a-Wish trip of a lifetime, Aldrich told KTVB.

When Noah heard about the local YMCA youth triathlon, he told his parents he wanted to take part and take Lucas along. He started training the next day.

Noah trained for almost three months, particularly swimming. He could barely swim across the pool before he set his mind on the triathlon, Aldrich said.

On July 12, Noah was nervous as the big event began. For the swimming portion, he had a harness around his chest that was attached to an inflatable raft that held Lucas. He swam 200 meters, then biked for three miles while pulling Lucas in a bike trailer, and finally ran one mile while pushing Lucas in the special buggy.

It was hot — around 95 degrees, his mom estimated. Lucas weighs almost 50 pounds and his bike trailer another 40 pounds, so Noah was pulling almost 100 pounds behind him when he was on the bike. But it was another part of the race that he found the most exhausting.

"Running, because it’s at the end and you don’t have very much energy," Noah told TODAY Parents.

Meanwhile, Lucas loved the whole experience.

"When we got him out of the water, he had the biggest grin that you would have ever seen (and) I know he enjoyed the bike and the run," his mom said.

"Our goal with the whole thing was just to have fun. You can live life without limits."

As Noah crossed the finish line to applause, the race announcer had just one word: “Extraordinary.” Noah's family thinks so, too.

The Dutch paying tribute to those lost in the Airliner shot down

How the Dutch pay tribute to the victims of MH17 - Imgur (http://imgur.com/a/qtsvX)

Jews and Arabs Refuse to Be Enemies


Viral 'Jews and Arabs Refuse to Be Enemies' campaign inspires hope - News - TODAY.com (http://www.today.com/news/viral-jews-arabs-refuse-be-enemies-campaign-inspires-hope-1D79966370)

More than 300 people in developing countries who were in need of wheelchairs have all received them thanks to the efforts of one 11-year-old boy from Utah. 11-year-old Zack Francom proud owner of Zack’s Shack lemonade stand got the idea in 2010 when his school had a fundraiser to help get wheelchairs for a Morman church charity.

"I thought, 'What if I couldn't walk or run or ride my bike? What would that be like?' " he says. "I wanted to help make life easier for somebody who couldn't walk or run and didn't have money for a wheelchair to help them get around."

Recently, Zack sold 80 quarts of lemonade and 350 dozen cookies baked by his mom, which earned him $5,300, which bought him 37 wheelchairs that he shipped to Guatemala, Guam and 53 other countries.

"Imagine if there were hundreds of Zack's Shacks," he says. "Nobody who needs a wheelchair should have to go without one just because they can't afford it."

Thank you Zack for all you have done!!!!

Have a great day and let the good news be yours,


http://www.goodworldnews.org/media/k2/items/cache/cb9c495b17bc28a44ffb50c55572ed63_L.jpg