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Thank-You Cards Pile Up with Nowhere to Go After School District Receives Anonymous ‘Transformative’ Donation

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Andy Corbley
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- credit Ashlands School District
– credit Ashland School Foundation

As the hours ticked by, superintendent Joseph Hattrick was flummoxed by the sheer number of cards and papers lined with cut-out hearts and birds, colored all over with heartfelt messages.

Hundreds began to pile up in his office—all saying the same thing: “Thank you, (whoever you are).”

The Ashland Schools Foundation was recently shocked when they were asked to oversee an $890,000 donation from an anonymous benefactor on behalf of Ashland School District in Oregon.

The foundation works through fundraising to provide schools with enriching programs, events, and activities, but the district itself faces a financial crisis and mid-year staffing shortages beyond the nonprofit’s ability to address.

$850,000 of the donation is thusly going towards the district budget and $40,000 is going towards student affinity groups which help foster a sense of belonging for all students.

“This extraordinary act of generosity demonstrates the profound impact that community members can have on public education,” said Erica Thompson, executive director of the Ashland Schools Foundation.

“The donor was moved to action after reading about our district’s challenges in Ashland.News and recognized our Foundation as a trusted partner to facilitate their support while maintaining anonymity.”

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Man Leaves Fortune of 10 Million to a Tiny French Town He Never Visited

Students of all ages across the district have written hundreds of heartfelt thank you cards to express their appreciation to the anonymous donor, with more continuing to arrive daily.

ANONYMOUS PHILANTHROPY: Anonymous $3.5 Million Gift to Milwaukee Art Museum Provides Free Admission for Children

“Collecting the thank you cards was incredibly heart-warming,” said Hattrick in a statement. “Students expressed to me that they were amazed by how generous this donor was, and that they want to do nice things for other people just like the donor did.”

“I have heard stories from classroom teachers and community members of random acts of kindness they have witnessed as a result of the example this donor has made. I would love to see random acts of kindness spread through our community that can be attributed to what started here.”

SHARE This Beautiful Response To A Beautiful Gesture With Your Friends… 

Scientists Unite to Count Tiny Krill from Space – to Inform Climate and Fishing Policies

By
Andy Corbley
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- credit: Øystein Paulsen CC 3.0. BY-SA
– credit: Øystein Paulsen CC 3.0. BY-SA

An international satellite monitoring collaboration is being formed to track the population of a keystone species in the waters around Antarctica.

Aimed at providing sophisticated and accurate data to help inform decisions about fishing in the Southern Ocean, it will use changes in the degree of red coloration detected by satellites to track its quarry: a tiny shrimp smaller than your pinky finger.

Krill anchor the marine food web by feeding dozens of major species, like humpback and blue whales, squids and other cephalopods, and penguins, and they school in such large numbers they can actually color the blue waters of the Earth red when seen from space.

During peak periods of population, you can find 10,000 krill per cubic meter of water.

The unique ‘Krill from Space’ project was launched at the 26th edition of the convention for the signatories of the Paris Climate Agreement, known as ‘COP’ in Baku, Azerbaijan. The World Wildlife Fund, the University of Strathclyde, and the British Antarctic Survey are all joining forces to help establish a space-based krill monitoring program.

“We start with seawater, then we add in a krill and take a measurement [of how much light the water absorbs]. Then we add another krill and take another measurement,” said Dr. Cait McCarry, from the University of Strathclyde who recently returned from an expedition to the Southern Ocean to gather these measurements.

“With sea ice declining and industrial fishing growing, we urgently need to better manage the fishery and protect krill habitats within a network of marine protected areas,” stated Rod Downie, chief polar advisor at WWF-UK. “‘Krill from Space’ may give us a new tool to help monitor and safeguard this vital species.”

Though krill are small, they are suspected to play a large role in maintaining the carbon cycle of the oceans by feeding on phytoplankton (which absorb CO2) and then depositing that CO2 in their droppings to the ocean floor.

GETTING GOOD RESULTS: Fin Whales Are Feeding In Huge Numbers in Antarctica for First Time in 45 Years – WATCH

This down-cycling system is estimated to sequester 300,000 metric tons of carbon into Davy Jones’ Locker, the equivalent of the entire daily emissions of the United Kingdom.

Oceanographic Magazine reports that whilst sea temperatures rise and Antarctic krill nurseries lose their protective sea ice, their populations are shrinking and shifting south.

MORE INITIATIVES LIKE THIS: Satellites Powerful Enough to Identify Individual Whales From Markings Can Track Migration and Help Save Species

“This is a ground-breaking effort to develop a new way to monitor krill swarms at the surface where they are known to occur in huge patches that are important feeding grounds for whales and other important marine species,” said David McKee, Reader in the Department of Physics at Strathclyde.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the WWF and BAS on this project. In time we hope to be able to support international conservation and sustainable management of this most important Antarctic species.”

SHARE This Monumental Effort At Studying The Southern Seas… 

Strangers Rally to Return Vibrant Sculptures Found in Bargain Bin 1,200 Miles From Where They Were Mailed

By
Andy Corbley
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Sydney Blum sculpture via Instagram @sydneyblum.art and Sonja Krawesky
Sydney Blum sculpture via Instagram @sydneyblum.art and Sonja Krawesky

From Canada comes the story of a lost work of art, the bargain-bin bounty of a lifetime, and a connection that bloomed into a friendship across 1,200 miles.

Nova Scotian applied artist Sydney Blum was packaging two of her signature plates of color-phase tiles for shipment to a Montreal gallery, excited at the chance to exhibit her craft and vision.

Both took 300 hours of work, and both got lost in the mail.

Canada Post workers and managers alike failed Blum in their attempts to locate the package, leaving Blum heartbroken.

Weeks later, an Ontario school teacher was perusing the trays of consignment items at Krazy Binz Liquidation store in Hamilton when from out of the bland mixture of mass-produced plastic, a strange texture covered in color caught her eye.

Sonja Krawesky loved the look of it, and quickly located a second plate nearby. She had a hunch these did not belong there, and took them home with the intention of sleuthing out their origin.

Meanwhile, Blum was contacting local politicians to try and get someone to answer for the lack of success in finding her package. She told CBC News that by “putting all this energy” out into the world, she hoped something would be returned to her.

The reverse side of one of Blum’s sculptures – credit: Sydney Blum

One morning, an email arrived in her inbox: a teacher, something something bargain bin—something something lost artwork—Ontario.

“It [was] the strangest email … I lost my breath when I read it,” Blum said, believing it at first to be a scam.

Krawesky had tracked Blum down through the Montreal gallery, and found her Instagram page where she saw the very plates she found in Krazy Bins advertised as being lost in the mail.

Going back the other way, Blum, worried she was being scammed, identified there was a Krawesky working at a Hamilton school district, called their office, and received confirmation that Sonya Krawesky was who she claimed.

CHARMING ENCOUNTERS OF CHANCE: Sisters Who Found Each Other Through DNA Discover They Had Mysteriously Named Their Kids After Each Other

Blum was blown away, and Krawesky knew she had to return the plates to their rightful owner, but wouldn’t be caught dead sending them through the mail again. Instead, Blum contacted a truck driver she knew, who put the two women in touch with an Ontario trucker Piotr Banasik, who volunteered to bring the artwork to Nova Scotia 1,200 miles away.

“Somebody else would have just brushed them off and thought, ‘I’m not interested in that,'” Blum said of Krawesky. “[But] she’s a voracious sleuth… It’s remarkable.”

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Friends Miraculously Get Car Keys Back When Ocean Returns Them in Big Wave–VIDEO

The encounter blossomed into a remote friendship after the two women connected over several shared opinions and interests.

“The connection that we have is, I think, pretty special … one of those kindred spirit type things,” Krawesky said. “Maybe I’ll be inspired to get back and to do more of my own creative things.”

SHARE This Serendipitous Discovery Leading To Relief And Friendship… 

Cleo the Cat Is Rescued After Five Days Trapped Underground During Record-Breaking Storm

By
Andy Corbley
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SSPCA Animal Rescue Officer with Cleo the cat - credit: Scottish SPCA
SSPCA Animal Rescue Officer with Cleo the cat – credit: Scottish SPCA

Rescuers in Scotland saved an exhausted cat who was trapped underground during a storm for 5 days.

The SPCA was called to the site of a Dundee apartment building where the cries of 15-year-old Cleo the Bengal cat had gotten the attention of residents.

Cleo became trapped when she squeezed through a tiny hole to escape the chaos of Atlantic Storm Eowyn which recently battered the UK with winds and rain the likes of which haven’t been seen for 26 years.

The UK Meteorological Office described Eowyn as a ‘sting jet,’ a small area of very intense winds that forms in powerful weather systems for a relatively short period of time. Tens of thousands were left without power, shops closed, and transport networks ground to a halt.

In the aftermath, the SPCA officers who had been trying to help the cat were quickly running out of options.

“After several attempts to lure Cleo out with food, planks of wood, and rope, we quickly realized she didn’t have enough energy to climb out on her own,” said Animal Rescue Officer Stephanie Smillie. “That’s when the incredible Scottish Fire and Rescue team stepped in.”

“After carefully tearing up some floorboards, they discovered a tiny trap door leading into the foundations from the building’s kitchen. With their help, we were finally able to reach Cleo and free her.”

Trying in vain to help Cleo escape – credit: Scottish SPCA

“She was exhausted, but after lots of cuddles, a good meal, and a big drink of water, she was doing much better,” Smillie added.

A small crisis arose when Cleo’s microchip revealed that she belonged to a family in England, but quickly abated when a local with ownership papers who had been looking for Cleo for days rushed to the office to retrieve her.

CARING FOR ANIMALS DURING CRISES:

“Cleo had been missing for four weeks and with the weather being so cold, I feared for the worst,” Cleo’s owner Arlene Connor told the Scottish Daily Express. “We had posted missing appeals for Cleo on social media and were overjoyed to receive the phone call that she had been found.”

Connor lived just 4 blocks from the building where Cleo was trapped.

SHARE This Long Hard Rescue Effort To Rescue A Tired Old Cat… 

“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” – H. G. Wells

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Good News Network
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By Irudayam, CC license

Quote of the Day: “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” – H. G. Wells

Photo by: Irudayam (CC license)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

By Irudayam, CC license

Good News in History, February 10

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Good News Network
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Sheet music for In The Moond - fair use from publisher Shapiro and Bernstein, 1939

85 years ago today, In the Mood, by Glen Miller reached #1 on the charts in the US. It’s one of those jazz tunes that everybody knows, even if they don’t know it by name. The saxophone opening is iconic, and the recording by Miller (though other versions had existed) was taken for the Library of Congress recording section for being culturally and historically significant to American history. READ just how huge the swing song was… (1940)

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She Beat Cancer Three Times and it Inspired Her to Become a Paramedic to Give Back

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Good News Network
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Katherine Murrell beats cancer and becomes paramedic – SWNS
Katherine Murrell beats cancer and becomes paramedic – SWNS

A young woman who has survived cancer three times has become a paramedic so she can ‘give back’ to the National Health Service in England, and serve other patients who are going through the same thing.

Katherine Murrell was first diagnosed with cancer when she was just 16. She underwent six months of daily chemotherapy before being given the all-clear—but years later received two more diagnoses.

Now 27, Katherine is finally cancer-free and says her experience with the NHS is what inspired her to join the London Ambulance Service.

“I’ve spent 11 years going to regular hospital appointments. When you get that used to it, you want to give something back,” said the Essex resident.

Since battling stage four lymphoma—a blood cancer that affects the immune system—she’s undergone a double mastectomy to decrease her risk of further cancer, after undergoing so much radiation therapy.

Fortunately, Katherine has been cancer-free for over a year and wants to share how her experience inspired her to become a paramedic—especially because all the medical care interrupted her opportunity to go to university.

Being rushed to the hospital as a teenager sparked her interest in emergency medicine.

“The staff were so incredible. It really hit me that the medic crew was amazing and how cool it would be do something like that.

“I now know that was just in a day’s work for them, but the care they gave has really stuck with me. They gave me exactly what I needed.”

SWNS

Katherine trained to become an emergency medical technician (EMT) in the London Ambulance Service and believes her cancer diagnoses has made her more empathetic and better able to relate to her patients.

MORE GIVING BACK: Little Boy With Leukemia Returns to Hospital to Deliver 400 Christmas Gifts to Kids Stuck There for Holidays (LOOK)

Now, months after the last diagnosis she’s seen how her chosen career has been enhanced by the cancer.

“It has made me acutely aware of my abilities, my empathy, and compassion – it’s given me that skill,” she told news agency SWNS.com.

“It’s a connection I have with these patients – an emotional connection of course, but more than that I have a real understanding of the physical aspects of what they are going through, like the hair loss and everything else.

“When I go to patients like that, that’s when the penny drops for me that I’m in the right job. I get this wave of happiness that I’m in the right place, I’m where I belong.

CANCER BREAKTHROUGH: Belgian Boy is the First Child in the World to Have Been Cured of Brain Stem Glioma, a Brutal Cancer

“I come away and I feel like I’ve been able to give someone a little bit of positivity about what they are going through.”

Katherine explained how she has “reframed” what happened to her in positive light—and is currently thriving in her career.

“People would assume that the time I spent sitting in a hospital getting treatment was just horrible. But I got so much exposure to medicine and clinical pathways in that time, I use that knowledge gained from those experiences every day now.

INSPIRING IDEA: Chinese Couple Created ‘Cancer Kitchen’ in Their Alley to Let Family Members Cook for Loved Ones in Nearby Hospital

“So now I use it as a superpower and I’d advise anyone going through a similar situation to try to do the same.”

INSPIRE AMBULANCE DRIVERS EVERYWHERE By Sharing On Social Media…

Scientists Find the Natural Vegetable Antioxidant Luteolin Could Prevent Gray Hair

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Good News Network
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Getty Images for Unsplash+
Getty Images for Unsplash+

Graying hair is a hallmark of aging and often considered an inevitable part of growing older. However, recent research from Nagoya University in Japan suggests that an antioxidant might suppress this process.

Researchers Masashi Kato and Takumi Kagawa identified luteolin, an antioxidant found in vegetables, as being a potential anti-graying agent. Their findings pave the way for potential applications in human hair care.

The study focused on three antioxidants—luteolin, hesperetin, and diosmetin—to assess their anti-graying effects in mice that were bred to go gray like humans.

The difference was “startling”, the mice that received luteolin retained their black fur, even as their cage mates’ fur turned gray, regardless of whether the luteolin was given externally or internally.

“This result was surprising,” Professor Kato said. “While we expected that antioxidants may also have anti-graying effects, only luteolin—not hesperetin or diosmetin—demonstrated significant effects. This finding suggests that luteolin may have a unique medicinal effect that prevents graying.”

Found in celery, broccoli, carrots, onions, and peppers, luteolin’s anti-graying effects are closely linked to its influence on endothelins—proteins that play a crucial role in cellular communication.

RELATED: Stress Can Accelerate Grays, But Hair Color Can Be Restored When Stress is Eliminated, Scientists Find

In the study published in MDPI, luteolin treatments preserved the expression of endothelins and their receptor. This preservation supports healthy signaling pathways, preventing the decline in melanocyte activity that typically accompanies graying.

Credit: Masashi Kato

“Interestingly, luteolin had limited effects on hair cycles, indicating that its primary impact is on pigmentation rather than hair growth or shedding,” Professor Kato said. “This targeted action makes luteolin particularly intriguing.”

The similarities between the hair graying processes in the model mice and humans offer encouraging prospects for translating these findings into human applications, according to a press release.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Method of Stopping Hair From Going Gray Might Finally Have Been Discovered

As well as vegetables, luteolin is already available as a supplement for topical and oral use, making it a viable candidate for further development as an anti-graying treatment. As research progresses, this antioxidant could become a key ingredient in hair care regimens, helping individuals preserve their natural hair color as they age.

Building on these results, Dr. Kagawa hopes to conduct broader research to see if luteolin’s anti-aging effects could also be applicable to balding.

SEND THESE SHADES OF GRAY to Aging Friends On Social Media…

Man Finds Heartfelt Note in Mailbox From Firefighters Who Saved His Home During Palisades Fire (LOOK)

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Tony Nesburn with El Segundo firefighters who left note after saving his house – By Consuelo Althouse
Tony Nesburn with El Segundo firefighters who left note after saving his house – By Tony’s cousin Consuelo Althouse

Following the California wildfire last month, a Pacific Palisades resident anxiously awaited an opportunity to return to his home and examine the damage after the January fire that devastated his neighborhood.

Tony Nesburn’s home overlooking the ocean held priceless memories of his wife, Cristina Kenney, who had sadly passed away a year ago.

The belongings she left behind carry deep sentimental meaning for Tony—and he prayed they were saved from the fires. Soon, his whole family felt overwhelming relief when they learned that Tony and Crissie’s house was miraculously saved.

Upon returning home January 24, Tony discovered a heartfelt letter left in the mailbox by four heroic firefighters explaining how they saved his home.

“We are so sorry for the devastation your neighborhood has endured. It is truly heartbreaking, and we can only imagine the toll it has taken on everyone affected.

“When we returned a few days later it brought us great relief to see that we were able to save your house. The house to the right of you was completely on fire and burning the fence, about to catch your house on fire.

“We stopped the fire from burning through your side door and kept the fire from your deck and roof.

“Since then, our amazing team has found solace on your deck, gazing out at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It has offered a moment of calm amidst the chaos.

“The pink ribbon, if it is still there, means the house was a save—and it gave us pride to hang it!

“We want you to know that you and your neighbors are in our thoughts as you rebuild and recover.”

With love and support,
El Segundo Fire Dept. Engine 31 “C” Platoon
Levi, Steve, Matt and Jason

El Segundo firefighters take selfie at home of Tony Nesburn after saving it – Courtesy of Levi, Steve, Matt and Jason

Tony and his family soon contacted the firefighters in El Segundo and learned they had taken selfies of themselves from Tony’s deck.

And the five met for the first time during a public ceremony in the Los Angeles beach town to honor the local heroes. (Watch the heartwarming video below…)

Tony’s cousins told GNN that words could not express how important it was that all of his late wife’s things had been preserved.

“He is still really mourning her loss,” wrote Ana de Luna. “It really did feel like a miracle.”

“We all said Crissie was helping the firefighters from the afterlife.”

ALSO WATCH: Hero Surgeon and Son Save 5 Malibu Homes From Wildfire Through Preparation and Sheer Will (WATCH)

Keep the tissues handy for this uplifting video of the reunion from KTTV in Los Angeles…

SHARE THIS INSPIRING VICTORY With Everyone Who Needs a Hero On Social Media… 

Baby Thriving After Doctors Removed Womb for Spinal Surgery–Then Put it Back Inside Mom at 26 Weeks

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Good News Network
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Tommy with his mom Selena Bown – SWNS
Tommy with his mom Serena Bown – SWNS

A baby survived an incredible operation when doctors performed spinal surgery inside the womb after it was temporarily removed from his mom’s body at 26 weeks—and now both are thriving.

Englishwoman Serena Nye was relieved to see her newborn son kick his legs after the complex keyhole surgery was completed inside her womb.

The 24-year-old was told during her 20-week pregnancy check-up last year that her unborn son had spina bifida. Because of the way his spine was growing, and a cyst that was developing at the base of his spine, they were warned that it would likely cause him to be severely disabled, with a high risk of paralysis.

Serena and her partner were given the choice to continue or terminate the pregnancy or have fetoscopic surgery. So six weeks later doctors took Serena’s womb out of her body to operate on her unborn son’s spine—and three hours later her womb and baby were stitched up back inside her body until it was time to give birth.

At the 31 week mark, Tommy Bown was born—and was able to feed normally and kick his legs, thanks to the surgery.

He spent four weeks in the hospital before doting parents Serena and Chris Bown brought him home to East Sussex.

The tot, now three months old, is hitting all his milestones, and a scar on his back from the surgery is the only evidence of his operation.

Baby Tommy Bown – SWNS

ALSO SUCCESSFUL: First of its Kind Brain Surgery on Baby Inside the Womb has Successfully Prevented Heart Failure

“When we found out he had spina bifida, we were in shock. We heard all these stories. We thought he would never walk, or eat on his own.

“A few weeks later Tommy was born. I saw him in the incubator, and he was so tiny—but his legs were moving!

“After weeks in the NICU, it was a massive relief to bring him home,” Serena told news agency SWNS.com, “with his scar on his back as a crazy reminder of what happened.”

“Now, I look down at my baby and I think, ‘you have no idea what you’ve been through already’.”

“Leading up to the surgery, I was so nervous. We knew there were risks, but the positives were still higher.

The surgery took place at King’s College Hospital, and everything went smoothly.

“We had no idea what he would be capable of when he was born, even though he showed good signs during pregnancy.

Serena and Tommy – SWNS

Tommy was finally taken home on October 19, and has been growing stronger and hitting milestones ever since.

“I can’t wait to sit him down and tell him what he went through when he’s older.

LOOK: Tiny Baby That Fit Inside Mom’s Hand is Home Laughing After 181 Days in Hospital Not Expected to Survive

“The next steps are waiting for him to crawl (but) for now, nobody can believe how well he is doing.”

SHARE THE HEARTWARMING STORY On Social Media…

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” – Zora Neale Hurston

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Quote of the Day: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” – Zora Neale Hurston

Photo by: Austin Human

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, February 9

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Amy Lowell around 1916 - public domain

151 years ago today, American Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet Amy Lowell was born. During a career that spanned just over a dozen years, she wrote and published over 650 poems, yet scholars cite Lowell’s tireless efforts to awaken American readers to contemporary trends in poetry, including by substantially aiding the rise of Ezra Pound’s work, as her more influential contribution to literary history. READ some of her verse… (1874)

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Researchers Defang Deadly Hospital Superbugs Using a Pinch of Turmeric

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Superbug illustration by Tanner Konarik for Texas A&M
Superbug illustration by Tanner Konarik for Texas A&M

A new study evaluated a low-cost yet effective way to combat bacterial resistance using curcumin–the natural yellow plant compound in turmeric.

In 2017, a tragic death in a Nevada hospital was linked to a new strain of bacteria that had developed a resistance to 26 different antibiotics. Called ‘superbugs’, such antibiotic-resistant bacteria (including MRSA) remains a pressing public health threat.

Now researchers at Texas A&M University have shown that curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its characteristic bright yellow color, can be used to reduce this antibiotic resistance.

They showed that when curcumin is intentionally given to bacteria as food, and then activated by light, it can trigger deleterious reactions within these microbes, eventually killing them. They demonstrated that this process reduces the number of antibiotic-resistant strains and renders conventional antibiotics effective again.

The results of the study were published this week in the journal Scientific Reports.

“We need alternative ways to either kill the superbugs or find a novel way to modify natural processes within the bacteria so that antibiotics start to act again,” said Dr. Vanderlei Bagnato, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and senior author on the study.

Photodynamic inactivation, a technique that has shown promise in combating bacterial resistance, uses light and light-sensitive molecules, called photosensitizers, to produce reactive oxygen species that can kill microorganisms by disrupting their metabolic processes.

In the new experiments, the team used curcumin, which is also a natural food for bacteria. They tested this technique on strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are resistant to amoxicillin, erythromycin, and gentamicin.

The researchers exposed the bacteria to many cycles of light exposure and then compared the minimum concentration of antibiotics needed to kill the bacteria after light exposure versus those that did not get light exposure.

“When we have a mixed population of bacteria where some are resistant, we can use photodynamic inactivation to narrow the bacterial distribution, leaving behind strains that are more or less similar in their response to antibiotics,” Bagnato told Texas A&M News.

“It’s much easier now to predict the precise antibiotic dose needed to remove the infection.”

MORE PROGRESS ON SUPERBUGS:
• The Humble Potato Could Hold Key to Beating Hospital Superbugs and Crop Diseases
• Compounds in Amber Could Help Fight Drug-Resistant Bacteria Superbugs, Say Scientists
• When Antibiotics Failed, She Found a Natural Enemy of the Superbug to Save Husband’s Life

The team noted that photodynamic inactivation using curcumin has tremendous potential as an adjuvant or additional therapy with antibiotics for diseases, like pneumonia, caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

“Photodynamic inactivation offers a cost-effective treatment option, which is crucial for reducing medical expenses not only in developing countries but also in the United States,” said Dr. Vladislav Yakovlev, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and author on the study. “It also has potential applications in military medicine, where this technology could be used to treat battlefield wounds and prevent the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, a significant concern in combat situations.”

DON’T RESIST: Share The Alternative Medicine News On Social Media…

Contributors to the research—funded by São Paulo Research Foundation, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Governor’s University Research Initiative, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the National Institutes of Health—include Dr. Jennifer Soares, who is the primary author on the paper, and Dr. Kate Blanco from Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Stranger Pays Family’s Breakfast Bill and Writes Heartfelt Note Praising Dad

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Dr J. Mack Slaughter’s breakfast bill was paid with a compliment – SWNS
Dr. J. Mack Slaughter’s breakfast bill was paid with a compliment – SWNS

A father in Fort Worth, Texas, was left in tears after a stranger paid for his family’s breakfast and wrote a heartfelt message on the receipt.

The 41-year-old was enjoying a morning out for breakfast with his wife and three children at Mimi’s Cafe when he earned the shout-out from a secret admirer.

As they were getting ready to pay, the waitress unexpectedly told Dr. J. Mack Slaughter that their $85 bill had already been settled.

She handed him the receipt and he was stunned to find a handwritten note on the bill which said ‘Thank you for being a great dad’.

When he flipped the receipt over, J. Mack found another message from the stranger, rich with compliments:

“From a dad to dad.

“Thank you for being the dad they need you to be regardless of who’s watching.

“We need more men like you. Thank you for letting us all see your love for them all.”

It was signed, ‘from, a retired Army Medic’.

Dr. J. Mack Slaughter with restaurant bill – SWNS

The Emergency Room physician told news agency SWNS.com, “I immediately welled up.”

“I couldn’t control my tears.

“There was nobody watching for my reaction—(as) the person was already gone. It was just pure kindness.”

The dad, who was wearing his hospital scrubs, had been playing a simple dot game with his kids at the café and had no idea someone was observing him.

After regularly witnessing tragic events at work, he said the act restored his faith in humanity.

“I see some of the most terrible things in the world but this reminded me that complete strangers can do miraculous, beautiful things when you least expect it.

SURPRISE! Woman Looking for Birth Parents Learns That Dad is a ‘Friend’ on Facebook

“It was just $85 to them, but to me it was so much more.

“These random acts of kindness are so powerful; they remind us that despite all the bad in the world, there’s so much good, too.

WATCH: Mom Runs Wholesome Hair Workshops for Dads to Learn How to Style Daughters’ Hair

“It just restores your faith in people,” he concluded.

INSPIRE MORE FAITH By Sharing the Heartwarming Story On Social Media…

Playing Classical Music to Babies in the Womb Can Stimulate Development, Affect Heart Rate and Nervous system

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Credit: AIP via SWNS
Credit: AIP via SWNS

Scientists have found evidence that classical music can calm the heart rate of unborn babies, potentially providing developmental benefits.

The American Institute of Physics published research from a multi-disciplinary team in Mexico studying the effect of classical music on a fetal heartbeat. They used mathematical analysis tools to identify patterns in heart rate variability.

Typical measures of heart rate are an average of several beats across multiple seconds, whereas ‘heart rate variability’ measures the time between the beats.

The research team explained that the measure can provide insight into the maturation of the fetal autonomic nervous system, with greater variability often indicating healthier development.

To test the effects music can have on fetal heart rate, the team recruited 36 pregnant women in Mexico and played a pair of classical pieces for their unborn babies — The Swan by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns and Arpa de Oro by Mexican composer Abundio Martínez.

By attaching external heart rate monitors, the research team could measure the fetal heart rate response to both songs. And, by employing nonlinear recurrence quantification analysis, they could identify changes in heart rate variability during and after the music was played.

MUSIC MAGIC: Classical Music Lifts Our Mood by ‘Synchronizing’ Parts of the Brain, Says Study of Patients with Depression

“Overall, we discovered that exposure to music resulted in more stable and predictable fetal heart rate patterns,” said Dr. Claudia Lerma, of the National Institute of Cardiology in Mexico, who co-authored the published study.

“This momentary effect could stimulate the development of the fetal autonomic nervous system.”

For expectant parents at home, the researchers suggest that classical music could help promote fetal development.

“Our results suggest that these changes in fetal heart rate dynamics occur instantly in short-term fluctuations, so parents might want to consider exposing their fetuses to quiet music,” explained study author Professor Eric Abarca-Castro.

“Parents who play soothing music may stimulate and benefit the fetal autonomic system.”

INSPIRING: Preemie Given 10% Chance of Survival Defies the Odds and is Now ‘a Genius’ Who Outsmarts His Teachers (WATCH)

The authors plan to continue to explore this effect, looking at different genres and types of music to further their understanding.

“To ascertain whether rhythmic or cultural variations elicit distinct fetal cardiac responses, we intend to increase the size of our sample and expand our investigation to include a variety of musical styles beyond classical pieces,” says co-author Dr. José Reyes-Lagos.

MORE: Water Births ‘Provide Clear Benefits’ For Moms and Newborn Babies, Large Analysis Shows

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Your New Weekly Horoscope from ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Good News Network
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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of February 8, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Born under the sign of Aquarius, Clyde Tombaugh discovered the heavenly body known as Pluto in 1930. This was years before he earned advanced degrees in astronomy. His early education was primarily self-directed. The telescopes he used to learn the sky were built from tractor parts and old car components from his father’s farm. During the coming months, I surmise there will be elements of your life resembling Tombaugh’s story. Your intuition and instincts will bring you insights that may seem unearned or premature. (They’re not!) You will garner breakthroughs that seem to be arriving from the future.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
One of the world’s deepest caves is Veryovkina in the nation of Georgia. At its lowest, it’s 7,257 feet down. There are creatures living there that are found nowhere else on earth. I propose we make it your symbolic power spot for now. In my astrological opinion, you will be wise to dive further into the unknown depths than you have in quite some time. Fascinating mysteries and useful secrets await you. Your motto: “Go deeper and deeper and deeper.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
The world’s largest mirror isn’t an actual mirror. It’s Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat, a vast area that’s almost perfectly flat. After a rain, a thin layer of calm water transforms the surface into a perfect reflector that can be used to calibrate observation satellites. In these conditions, it may be almost impossible to tell where the earth begins and the sky ends. I foresee metaphorically similar developments for you during the coming weeks. Boundaries between different aspects of your world—professional and personal, spiritual and practical—might blur in interesting ways. A temporary dissolution of the usual limits may offer you surprising insights and unexpected opportunities for realignment. Be alert for helpful clues about how to adjust the way you see things.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
From day to day, glaciers appear static. But they are actually slow-moving rivers of ice that have tremendous creative power. They can make or reshape valleys, moving tons of dirt and rock. They pulverize, grind, and topple trees, hills, and even mountains. New lakes may emerge in the course of their activity. I invite you to imagine yourself as a glacier in the coming months, Taurus. Exult in your steady transformative power. Notice and keep track of your slow but sure progress. Trust that your persistence will ultimately accomplish wonders and marvels.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In recent weeks, have you stirred up any dynamic fantasies about exotic sanctuaries or faraway places or mercurial wild cards? Have you delivered enticing messages to inspiring beauties or brave freedom-fighters or vibrant networkers? Have you been monitoring the activities of long-shots or future helpers or unification adepts who might be useful to you sooner than you imagine? Finally, Gemini, have you noticed I’m suggesting that everything important will arise in threes—except when they come in twos, in which case you should hunt for the missing third? PS: When the wild things call to you, respond promptly.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Archaeologists found two 43,000-year-old flutes in Germany. Constructed of mammoth ivory and bird bone, they still produce clear notes with perfect pitch. They were located in a cave that contains ancient examples of figurative art. Some genius way back then regarded art and music as a pleasurable pairing! I propose we make these instruments your power symbols for the coming weeks, Cancerian. May they inspire you to resuscitate the value of your past accomplishments. May you call on the help of melodies and memories that still resonate—and that can inspire your future adventures! Your words of power are regeneration, revival, and reanimation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
It’s your unbirthday season, Leo—the holiday that’s halfway between your last birthday and your next. During this interlude, you could benefit from clarifying what you don’t want, don’t believe, and don’t like. You may generate good fortune for yourself by going on a quest to discover rich potentials and stirring possibilities that are as-yet hidden or unexpressed. I hope you will be bold enough to scan the frontiers for sources of beauty and truth that you have been missing. During your unbirthday season, you will be wise to gather the rest of the information you will need to make a smart gamble or daring change.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Austrian playwright Elfriede Jelinek won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004, and Romanian-German author Herta Müller earned it in 2009. But garnering the world’s most prestigious award for writers did not provide a big boost to their book sales. In some markets, their famous works are now out of print. In 2025, I hope you Virgos do in your own spheres what they only half-accomplished in theirs. I would love for you to gather more appreciation and attention while simultaneously raising your income. According to my reading of the astrological omens, this is a reasonable expectation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
By day, Libra-born Forrest Bess (1911–1977) worked as a commercial fisherman in Texas. By night, he created visionary paintings inspired by symbols that appeared to him in states between sleeping and waking. Other influences in his art came from alchemy and the psychological philosophy of Carl Jung. His life was living proof that mystical exploration and mundane work could coexist. I’m hoping he might serve you as an inspirational role model. You are in a phase when you have the power to blend and synergize seemingly opposing aspects of your world. You would be wise to meditate on how to find common ground between practical necessity and spiritual aspiration. Are there ways you can unite the desires of your head and heart? Of your need for safety and your longing for adventure? Of your craving for beauty and your fondness for usefulness?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, arranged for himself to be buried after death with an army of 8,000 soldiers made from terracotta, which is a clay ceramic. Joining the gang below the earth’s surface were 770 horses and 130 chariots. For over 2,000 years, this assemblage was lost and forgotten. But in 1974, farmers digging a new well found it accidentally. In this spirit, I am predicting that sometime in the next five months, you will make interesting discoveries while looking for something other than what you find. They won’t be as spectacular as the terracotta army, but I bet they will be fun and life changing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Author Zora Neale Hurston said, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” I will adjust that counsel for your use, Sagittarius. According to my astrological analysis, the first half of 2025 will ask questions, and the second half will answer them. For best results, I invite you to gather and polish your best questions in the next five months, carefully defining and refining them. When July begins, tell life you are ready to receive replies to your carefully wrought inquiries.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Hemoglobin is an iron-bearing protein that’s crucial to most life. It enables the transportation of oxygen in the blood. But one species, the icefish of the Antarctic seas, lacks hemoglobin. They evolved other ways to obtain and circulate enough oxygen in the frozen depths, including larger hearts and blood vessels. The system they’ve developed works well. So they are examples of how to adjust to an apparent problem in ways that lead to fine evolutionary innovations. I suspect you’re now in the midst of your own personal version of a comparable adaptation. Keep up the good work!

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” – George Washington

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” – George Washington

Photo by: Wesley Tingey for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Wesley Tingey for Unsplash+

Good News in History, February 8

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Good News Network
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Henry Walter Bates and his book The Naturalist on the River Amazons.

200 years ago today, Henry Walter Bates, naturalist, explorer, and author of one of the finest natural travel accounts ever written, was born in Leicester. The gentleman explorer would send 14,712 specimens (mostly insects) collected during a long career exploring in the Amazon back to England for scientific research. He wrote The Naturalist on the River Amazons, which Charles Darwin called “the best book of Natural History Travels ever published in England.” READ about his trip down the Amazon… (1825)

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After His Beloved Yoga Ball Deflates, Downhearted Donkey Now Has Dozens of Donated Balls from Canadians

By
Andy Corbley
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Earl Grey the donkey – Credit: Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary (via Facebook)
Earl Grey the donkey – Credit: Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary (via Facebook)

From Canada comes the story of a lonely donkey who fell in love with a yoga ball.

Captivating thousands with his videos of pushing the yoga ball around his paddock, Earl Grey the donkey received donations of dozens of yoga balls after his first one deflated.

Homes for Hooves animal rescue shelter in British Columbia took in a rescue donkey in 2024 that had lived its whole adult life alone, which for a herd animal can be extremely detrimental.

“His original name was Eeyore,” Michelle Singleton, owner of Homes for Hooves, told CTV News. “Which kind of tells you he was a sad, lonely donkey.”

Scheduling play dates with other animals didn’t go well, but what turned things around was a chance encounter with a yoga ball. After that, Eeyore and the ball became inseparable—and he became so happy, he needed a name change.

“The excitement was just pure joy for him,” Michelle said. “He just had the time of his life, he had so much fun.”

Day after day he would exhaust himself pushing, biting, and kicking the yoga ball across his enclosure, until one day the inevitable happened: a hole, a rush of air, and stillness.

Singleton put out a call to action, hoping that because many people opt to make donations to her shelter in cash, perhaps others were storing unwanted yoga balls in their closets and would gladly donate them.

Donated balls arrived from across the province until Earl Grey was left like a kid in a candy store; with more balls than he knew what to do with.

The donations which totaled more than 40 yoga balls were followed by the arrival of three rescue donkeys, the chance at regaining a herd which Singleton always hoped would come for the once depressed animal.

MORE RESCUE ANIMALS: Bald Eagle Finally Becomes Foster Dad After Trying to Incubate a Rock for Weeks

Having been separated from his kind for his whole adult life, he didn’t know how to behave or what was acceptable, and it took 6 months for him to get the hang of, well, ‘donkeying.’

The CTV News report concludes with Earl finally being accepted into the herd. Singleton has been left with only one concern—can the new donkeys keep up with Earl’s ball skills, and will they form a ball team?

SHARE This Cute Donkey And His Beloved Yoga Balls On Social Media…

Amid Great Chase, Tiger and Boar Call a Truce After Falling into Well and Waiting for Rescuers

By
Andy Corbley
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Credit: Pench National Park via Instagram
Credit: Pench National Park via Instagram

A tiger and a boar were recently rescued from the depths of a well in rural India.

Located near the Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve, authorities said the pair fell in during the former’s hunting of the latter.

Rescuing an animal from the hazards of human civilization is hardly newsworthy, but remarkable video footage of the animals in the well leads one to consider that maybe a truce was struck between them.

Thrashing around in the water, separate footage shows the tiger pawing at the boar, but not striking.

Located in a village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the young tigress was hunting the boar when the two fell down the well. The villagers called park wildlife authorities and watched as the two animals hopelessly treaded water down below.

Arriving on the scene, rescuers lowered a cot to form a makeshift platform the animals could climb onto. Using a crane they also lowered a steel cage, as bringing the tigress up unrestrained was simply too dangerous.

At first, the animals are wary of the platform, but gradually the tigress climbs on, while the boar, virtually using her back as an assist, mounts the cot and sits fur-to-fur with its would-be predator.

OTHER UNLIKELY DUOS: ‘Walking Dead’ Star Gives Happy Ending to Emu and Donkey That Refused to Be Separated

The tigress slowly enters the cage, and the door slides down trapping her inside to the celebrations of the crowd of onlookers above.

ODD COUPLES: Man Became Friends With a Fish and the Pair ‘Meet’ Every Summer in the Same Wisconsin Lake

Both animals (and their tails) were released separately back into the forest, after, if GNN were forced to hazard a guess, the tigress offered the boar a 3-day headstart.

WATCH the video below… 

SHARE This Remarkable Wildlife Behavior And The Rangers’ Successful Rescue…

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