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This Ingenious Solution was Designed Specifically to Help People During Their Epileptic Seizures

By
Jennifer Zolper
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The short list for the prestigious International James Dyson Award has finally been announced, and a critical safety tool for managing seizures has risen into the top 20: Cocoon, a self-deploying, portable safe space for people affected by epilepsy.

The Dyson award invites entries that solve a specific problem—and this particular innovator is intimately aware of the need for this solution because she has the condition herself.

Seizures are a part of life for the 50 million people worldwide that are epileptic, and they have a risk of death 3-6 times greater than the average population.

Many can sense the seizures’s onset, giving them time to find a safe place to lie down. Doctors can only hope they are with a friend or caregiver who can time the seizure, call for an ambulance if it lasts longer than five minutes, and be there to reorient them as the condition subsides.

Uma Smith, the mastermind behind Cocoon says, “I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 11. Since then, I’ve been hospitalized four times—three of them while I was away from a safe space and caretakers.”

RELATED: Blind Man Develops Smart Cane That Uses Google Maps and Sensors to Identify One’s Surroundings

Seizure-sensors and protective headgear do exist, but nothing so far has combined all the safety elements into a single device. This new product has all of those requirements, plus more. It integrates soft protection that stays on the head and helps the seizing person stay on their side, plus clear instructions that automatically unfurl for strangers who may want to help, including the person’s name and emergency contact phone numbers.

But what if the person is alone? In this circumstance, Cocoon features GPS to help caregivers find the person, seizure sensors, a timer, automated messaging to alert an emergency contact, and after 3 minutes of seizing, a 911 call for an ambulance. If the seizure ends early, the sensors will detect it and call off the emergency measures automatically.

WATCH: Thanks to Student’s Hunch, Seniors With Dementia Are ‘Coming Alive’ Again With the ‘Magic’ of Virtual Reality

The Cocoon rolls up and becomes a portable pillow and is compact enough to slide into a tote bag, giving those with epilepsy a new sense of freedom to explore and be out on their own.

The Brooklyn-based industrial designer who invented the device, is also a sculptor and photographer and has designed other innovations combining form and function. Information about her works, including the Cocoon, can be found on her website.

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Why 68 Percent of Americans Feel Good About Eating Alone

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Good News Network
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Does “dinner for two” sometimes mean “you and your device”?

Being alone doesn’t necessarily mean being lonely: even when you’re dining alone, you’re often in the company of your phone—which means you’re in touch with friends and family, with the tap of a screen.

A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that the average adult eats alone during 7.4 meals each week. However, many say it can be a good thing. In fact, the survey revealed that 68 percent of Americans look forward to eating a meal alone.

The top reason Americans eat alone? It’s more relaxing, says 50 percent of respondents. Busy schedules (44 percent) and saving money (38 percent) round out the top three answers.

The new study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, revealed that busy schedules are challenging for Americans in general, and it impacts mealtime is no exception.

The average American says they rush through four meals a week due to lack of time, with two meals being eaten on their feet and/or on the go.

Technology may be changing how we perceive our alone time—and dining beside your phone could be just as good as eating with a friend.

At least half of respondents will partake in some “eat and scroll” for six meals every week, but, two in three (66 percent) say they don’t feel like they’re eating alone when they’re scrolling through their phone.

RELATED: How to Feel Healthy and Less Lonely by Spending Time Alone

Keeping our relationships strong doesn’t always require being together physically (though the average person in the poll ate with another person six times a week—one shy of their “solo meals” tally). According to the poll, three in four respondents (76 percent) feel that engaging with their friends and family on social media platforms helps them feel more connected.

“Today, ‘togetherness’ is more of a feeling than a physical state, and people get creative to stay connected,” said a spokesperson for The Highbush Blueberry Council. “The joy of being together – however you manage it – never changes.”

TOP 5 REASONS AMERICANS EAT ALONE
1. I can relax more                                                           50%
2. I’m busy/rushed                                                            44%
3. Want to save money                                                    38%
4. My friends are all busy                                                 37%
5. Allows me to catch up on my TV shows                      31%

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Teen Buys School Bus So He Can Fill It With Supplies and Drive It Down to Mexican Village as a Donation

By
McKinley Corbley
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This determined high school student bought an old school bus, so he could use it to help even more children get a better education.

Back when Dylan Ence was just a freshman student at Dixie High School, he and his family visited the Mexican village of Patamban Michoacan so they provide the local schools with supplies and sports equipment.

Though Dylan is now a senior at the school in St. George, Utah, he’s never forgotten about the poverty he witnessed during that fateful trip four years ago—and he is now planning a return trip to the village to do more.

During his stay at the village, the compassionate teen learned that many of the local children would sleep at their local school so they didn’t have to make the miles-long trek to and from classes every day.

MORE: 11-Year-old Crocheting Prodigy is Raising Thousands of Dollars for Orphans–One Stitch at a Time

Dylan decided to buy a school bus at a local Minnesota auction with the intention of driving it all the way down to the village and donating it to the school.

Photos by Dylan Ence

Not only that, he has spent the last four years collecting donated backpacks, socks, gas money, and school supplies for the Mexican village.

He hopes to fill the bus with as many donations as possible before he and his family journey south from Utah on December 20 to the village 1,700 miles away.

Dylan set up a donation page with a goal of raising $5,000, and has raised $3,705, so far. To help him reach his goal, go to supportful.com/dylansschoolbus

He is currently in the process of getting insurance and travel papers from the Mexican government to get his bus and supplies safely across the border.

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“There never was a good war or bad peace.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1773

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “There never was a good war or bad peace.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1773

Photo: by Alice Popkorn – CC license on Flickr, cropped

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

 

Last Performing Circus Elephant of Chile is Rescued and Moved to New Sanctuary to Live Out Her Golden Years

By
Good News Network
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Photo by the Global Sanctuary for Elephants

After 50 years of loneliness working for the circus, Ramba the Asian elephant is finally making the 2,551-mile journey to her new forever home in Brazil.

Escorted by elephant welfare experts and several dedicated volunteers, Ramba caught a flight out of Santiago, Chile, on October 16th.

After flying over the Andes Mountains, she landed safely in Campinas, Brazil. From there Ramba continues on for a 3-day drive before reaching the 2,800-acre Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, located in the Brazilian municipality of Chapada dos Guimarães.

These are the final steps of a journey that began over 7 years ago. In 2012, Ecopolis—a Chilean animal welfare group—contacted the Global Elephant Sanctuary (GSE) to help rescue Ramba from her abusive circus owners.

After years of neglect, Ecopolis had successfully petitioned the Chilean government to confiscate Ramba, which officially ended the practice of performing circus elephants throughout Chile.

CHECK OUT: India Gets Its First Ever Hospital for Abused Elephants – and They’ve Already Treated Dozens

Thanks to internationally renowned elephant experts Scott Blais and Kat Blais, Ramba was successfully transported to a roadside zoo in Chile as a temporary facility pending eventual relocation to an elephant sanctuary—because with no elephant sanctuary in all of South America, one had to be built for her.

With more than 6,000 captive elephants around the globe, fewer than 250 have been offered life in sanctuaries.

However, there is a swell of support growing in the United States and abroad from individuals who care deeply about the long-term health and welfare of captive elephants. In South America, 5 countries passed national bans to prohibit the use of performing elephants. While these progressive efforts are commendable, without an appropriate alternative, elephants have been left to live out a life of neglect and minimal care in rural farms or in improvised, small enclosures in zoos with little or no expertise with elephants.

MORE: Denmark Buys Country’s Last Remaining Circus Elephants for $1.6 Million So They Can Retire

South America is not alone in this struggle to find progressive alternatives for elephant care, as several independent efforts around the globe to establish elephant sanctuaries have stagnated at the conceptual phase, while elephants continue to endure unintended neglect.

According to GSE president Scott Blais, “We know that sanctuary life can make a profound difference to the health and well-being of captive elephants. Our objective is to develop an international collaboration to ensure a safe, secure and humane future for captive elephants through the creation of spacious, holistic, natural habitat elephant sanctuaries.”

WATCH: Orphaned Elephant Returns to Human Rescuers So She Can Introduce Them to Her Newborn Calf

Ramba has lived in isolation for most of her life. Upon entering Sanctuary she will be greeted by Rana, who arrived last December after years in isolation, and Maia, who arrived in October 2016 with her friend Guida. Maia and Guida were also confiscated from the circus and lived for 5 years in chains on a private farm waiting for sanctuary.

Now after years of struggles, we received word that Ramba’s transport permits were approved. Thanks to dozens of caring individuals working tirelessly for years, and hundreds of donors who supported her care, after 7 years, the pieces have finally fallen into place.

“Ramba needs a quiet place, one where she feels safe and is not on display, where she is surrounded by others of her kind who truly understand her and can help her to open her heart fully—she needs sanctuary,” says Blais.

(WATCH the video below)

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School Principal Writes Adorable Letter to the Tooth Fairy After Distraught Boy Loses Tooth During Recess

By
McKinley Corbley
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It’s always exciting for a young child to be visited by the Tooth Fairy—so when this Wisconsin elementary school student lost one of his loosened front teeth amidst the chaos of a playground game, he was distraught.

The first grader from Gillett Elementary had been playing a game called “ga-ga ball” with his classmates earlier this month when he suddenly found that his loose tooth had disappeared.

The youngster may have swallowed the wiggly tooth; or it may have simply fallen out onto the ground. Regardless, parents and teachers alike rallied together to scour the playground in hopes of finding the boy’s lost tooth—but to no avail.

LOOK: When Crying Student Boarded Bus for First Day of School, the Driver Held His Hand On the Way There

The boy then approached Principal Curt Angeli for help. Upon listening to the boy’s story, Angeli knew just what to do: he wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy as an official pardon for the tooth’s disappearance.

The note read: “Dear Tooth Fairy: Today, [my student] lost a tooth while playing outside at recess. Unfortunately, it was lost in our ga-ga pit, and despite the valiant efforts of an intrepid search team, we were unable to recover the tooth.

“As a trained principal and hobby dentist, I can verify that there is definitely a gap in [the student’s] teeth that was not there this morning when he came in. Please accept this letter as official verification of a lost tooth and provide the standard monetary exchange rate you normally use for a real tooth.”

RELATED: After Bullied Boy Has Terrible First Day of School, Upperclassmen Take Him Under Their Wing

Angeli then concluded the letter with an amusing note to the fairy, saying: “P.S. I am still waiting for the money for my wisdom teeth from 1987. Please remit as soon as possible.”

Since a photo of the letter was published by a Gillett Elementary School teacher, it has been shared hundreds of times by social media users praising the principal for going above and beyond the call of duty to comfort a distressed child.

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World’s First All-Female Spacewalk Makes History for NASA

By
McKinley Corbley
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Humans have been walking out in space for half a century—but this historic mission marked the first time that women have embarked on a spacewalk without the assistance of a male crewmate.

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir were the two women behind the world’s first all-female spacewalk crew after they headed out into space to repair a broken battery charger on the ISS’s power network this week.

“We have the right people doing the right job at the right time,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine as he watched the mission unfold from the NASA headquarters in Washington DC. “They are an inspiration to people all over the world including me. And we’re very excited to get this mission underway.”

The expedition took place 35 years after Soviet astronaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to participate in a spacewalk on July 25th, 1984. It is also 35 years after Kathy Sullivan became the first American woman to walk out into space several months after Savitskaya on October 11th.

MORE: Simone Biles Breaks Record for Most World Medals Won By Any Gymnast, With New Move That Now Bears Her Name

The world’s first all-female spacewalk was originally scheduled to take place back in March, although NASA was forced to replace one of the female crewmates after they found that they only had one medium-sized spacesuit for the team.

NASA representatives now hope that all-female missions will quickly become commonplace.

“We’ve got qualified women running the control, running space centers, commanding the station, commanding spaceships and doing spacewalks,” Sullivan told The Associated Press. “And golly, gee whiz, every now and then there’s more than one woman in the same place.”

(WATCH the news coverage below OR our international readers can check it out on the CBS News website) – Photo by KCBS

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Without Wheelchair-Accessible Home, Boy is Unable to Leave Hospital; So Shaq Helps Pay for Family’s New House

By
McKinley Corbley
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This paralyzed little boy was unable to return home from the hospital because his house was not wheelchair-accessible—so basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal simply bought the boy and his family a brand new home.

12-year-old Isaiah Payton was leaving a high school football game in Atlanta, Georgia back in August when gunfire broke out near the field and a stray bullet hit the youngster in the spine, paralyzing him from the neck down.

O’Neal was just one of the community residents who was particularly heartbroken by the incident—so when he saw an opportunity to help the family, he immediately stepped up to the plate.

RELATED: After Making History With New Film Studio, Tyler Perry to Build a Shelter for Disadvantaged Women and Children

Isaiah has spent the last two months in the hospital healing from the incident—but even after recovering from the injury, he was unable to return to his family’s one-bedroom home because it wasn’t wheelchair accessible.

O’Neal then purchased a brand new house for the family in the College Park neighborhood. Not only that, the athlete says that he will be paying the family’s rent for the next year with a little help from Papa John’s CEO Rob Lynch.

“[It’s a] nice area,” O’Neal told reporters from WXIA Atlanta. “We’re going to give her some furniture, TVs and pay her rent off for a year and help her get on her feet.”

Photo by Atlanta Police Department (left) and Airman 1st Class Justin T. Armstrong / US Air Force (right)

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12-Year-Old Volunteer Gives a Rescued Pup a Wheelchair Made of LEGOS

By
Good News Network
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A disabled dog can now run and fetch a ball with ease after a volunteer at an animal rescue group fashioned her a wheelchair made of LEGOS.

When little Gracie was only six weeks old, she was dumped at a vet and needed emergency treatment for 2 different wounds, which were full of worms.

Thanks to a loving family that runs an animal rescue group near Atlanta, Georgia, she was rehabilitated one year ago and given a forever home by the Turleys themselves.

Best of all, she is now enjoying an ingenious adaptation of LEGOS fashioned into a canine wheelchair by 12-year-old Dylan, a volunteer at the Turley family facility called Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue in Kennesaw.

RELATED: Target is Now Selling Specially-Adapted Halloween Costumes for Children in Wheelchairs

Gracie gets around fine without a chair, but the cushioned device that lifts her up helps keep her chest and spine safe.

The cheerful pup can now run, and even go up and down stairs using the big wheels—and the wheelchair can grow with her by simply adding LEGOS.

Many different materials can be used in the construction of wheelchairs for dogs—steel, aluminum, PVC tubes, canvas, and 3D plastic, but LEGO bricks glued together seems like an ingenious DIY way to make use of materials at hand—using a skill Dylan might have learned in childhood, with a loving pup like ‘Amazing Gracie’ at his side.

You can follow the pup Amazing Gracie on Facebook.

(WATCH the video below…)

RELATED: When 9-Year-old Sees a Kitten Who Can’t Walk, He Builds a Tiny Wheelchair to Change Its Life

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“An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to before it will explain itself.” – Charles Dickens

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to before it will explain itself.” – Charles Dickens

Photo: by Herman – CC license on Flickr, cropped

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

 

Dozens of People Volunteer to Entertain Lonely Shelter Pets for the Holidays–Maybe You Can Do It For Thanksgiving

By
McKinley Corbley
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This animal shelter’s Facebook post is proof that the holidays aren’t just for humans.

For the last four years, Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) has asked local Virginia residents to host unadopted shelter pups at their homes for Thanksgiving week.

Fostering animals is an invaluable resource for rescue shelters – it gives dogs a break from being in shelter cages all day long and it gives foster parents and shelters a chance to learn more about the pup’s personality, which may help encourage a family’s decision to adopt in the future. If shelters know whether a dog likes to play or be around children, they can then help connect the pups with prospective pet owners who might be more drawn to those traits.

The program gives the pups a chance to relax, spend time with some loving humans, get out of the cage, and maybe join in on the feasting as well.

LOOK: Instead of Seeing Fireworks on Fourth of July, 200 People Spent Their Holiday Comforting Shelter Dogs

Plus, they will be exposed to a whole new group of people who might feel compelled to adopt them into loving homes.

The first year that the RACC posted their Thanksgiving plea, 35 pets were whisked home by holiday revelers – and over half of those animals ended up being adopted by the hosts.

“It’s a fun twist to a traditional fostering situation for people who might’ve never done it before,” Peters told The Dodo. “The shelter provides the supplies you need, such as food, medication and a crate, and the following Wednesday after Thanksgiving the pet comes back. But a lot of the times, the pets never have to come back to the shelter. We try to make it really easy for people to say yes and keep that pet forever.”

MORE: Man Bought School Bus to Rescue Shelter Pets During Hurricanes –He Just Saved 64 During Florence

Other animal shelters have launched similar programs across the country, but thanks to the success of this year’s RACC initiative, the shelter was able to find temporary holiday homes for all 92 of their animals.

“Thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers for working extra hours helping to process so many foster applications, to our network of supporters for helping to spread the word about this program and to the wonderful families that opened up their heart and home to a homeless RACC pet,” wrote the shelter. “We are walking through empty, quiet kennels, thanking all of you from the bottom of our hearts.”

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The Biggest Personality Differences Between Tea and Coffee Drinkers

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Good News Network
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If you’re a creative, introverted morning person, then odds are you prefer coffee over tea.

A new poll of 2,000 Americans examined the personality differences between people based on their first morning cup: coffee or tea?

With over 75 percent of respondents drinking their first cup of coffee or tea before 8 a.m., people are looking to fuel their life on the go.

You’d expect coffee fans to be the buzzy, loud ones—up at all hours. However, the results found that tea drinkers are more likely to be extroverted, adventurous night owls.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the Chinet brand, revealed that the average coffee drinker typically downs 3.4 cups a day, while tea fans sip through 2.7 cups.

Over half (57 percent) of tea drinkers were self-described “average” sleepers, but if your beverage of choice is coffee, you were more more likely to be a “light” sleeper.

RELATED: New Study Builds on Correlation Between Tea Consumption, Healthier Brains, and Reduced Risk of Dementia

If coffee drinkers are light sleepers, that might be what’s helping them awaken with their first alarm in the morning and to be more punctual. Coffee fans are more likely to say they’re “always” on time.

The coffee versus tea debate even carried over into entertainment. Tea drinkers were more likely to enjoy The Walking Dead, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory on TV, while coffee fans preferred Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, and Seinfeld.

Musical tastes were different between the two groups as well. Respondents that go for coffee said they liked listening to punk, rock, blues and jazz. Fans of tea preferred classical, country, pop, or hip-hop/rap.

When it comes to what goes in the hot drink of choice, coffee lovers are a whopping 96 percent more likely than tea drinkers to enjoy their brew straight.

Tea fans had more of a sweet tooth—35 percent more likely to add sugar or honey to their drinks.

Caffeine was the main reason for people moving away from coffee toward tea, with 37 percent saying “too much caffeine” was the coffee turnoff. 41 percent of coffee drinkers said the caffeine was the main reason they choose the java.

RELATED: Drinking Coffee Might Make You Live 64% Longer Than Those Who Don’t, Study Says

A cup of tea just doesn’t do it for coffee connoisseurs as over a third find it to be “too boring.”

MORE COFFEE DRINKER STATS:

Average daily cups: 3.39
More likely to be introverts
More likely to be morning people
More likely to prefer dogs
More likely to self-identify as “messy”
More likely to have five or more close friends than tea drinkers
More likely to be single

MORE TEA DRINKER STATS:

Average daily cups: 2.69
More likely to be extroverts
More likely to be ambiverts than coffee drinkers
More likely to be considered night people
More likely to prefer cats over coffee people
More likely to be “tidy” or “perfectly clean”
More likely to be “average” sleepers (57 percent)
More likely to be in a relationship
More likely to describe themselves as “Quiet” in the morning

MORE: Apples, Tea, and Moderation—The 3 Ingredients for a Long Life

Students Invent Door Handle for Public Bathrooms That Can Clean and Sanitize Itself

By
Jennifer Zolper
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Now you can grab that public bathroom door handle without fear—a solution to the conundrum of how to gracefully exit after washing your hands is finally here.

The two student inventors are among 20 finalists selected for the international James Dyson Award for their “illuminating” solution to bacteria-ridden doorhandles.

Despite the use of sanitizers and routine cleaning of public areas, the bathroom door handle presents a unique challenge. University of Hong Kong graduates Sum Ming Wong and Kin Pong Li set out to design a solution that was self-powered and avoided the chemical cleansers that are sometimes harmful to human health.

WATCH: Blind Man Develops Smart Cane That Uses Google Maps and Sensors to Identify One’s Surroundings

“Nowadays, people use chemical cleaning materials to clean up public areas, but it is both easy to wipe off and harmful to the human body,” said the inventors. “Our design has high durability and [is] effective.”

By using materials that cost only $13 per door handle, they combined titanium dioxide powder and ultraviolet LED lights to effectively develop a door handle that cleans itself.

Not only that, they also engineered a small gear box and generator to be hooked up to the door itself, making it self-powered. The kinetic energy generated from opening and closing the door provides enough electricity to keep the handle lit and functional.

RELATED: Students Design Beach Vacuum That Can Suck Up Microplastics While Leaving All the Sand

The handle kills bacteria by the action of a thin titanium dioxide film on the outside of the clear handle. The chemical is known to be a photo-catalyst, so when the UV lights activate the coating, it reacts to water or oxygen to create hydroxyl radicals that decompose the bacteria. It killed 99.8% of bacteria in lab tests.

After winning tech awards and monetary prizes around the world for the design, the duo became national winners of the Dyson Award, which recognizes the best in design and engineering—and this week were named as a finalist for the Dyson international prize, the winner of which will be announced in November.

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Fishing Family Shocked to Rescue Young Bobcat From Drowning in the Middle of a Lake

By
McKinley Corbley
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This Montana family had been out on their boat for a fishing trip earlier this week when they made the catch of a lifetime.

The Herefords had already motored far away from the shore of Flathead Lake when they spotted something adrift on the surface. Upon approaching the figure in the water, they said they were shocked to see it was a young bobcat struggling to stay afloat.

As Brett Hereford grabbed a fishing net to save the critter, his father Bob pulled out his phone to film the astonishing rescue mission.

The bobcat, shivering and exhausted, was able to get a quick respite from inside of Brett’s net before the family traveled back to shore to set it free on dry land.

LOOK: After Years of Gaining Trust of Local Squirrels, Photographer Has Captured the Most Wholesome Pictures

According to Cindy Benson, a fishing expert who had spoken to the Hereford family after the rescue, the young feline might not have survived the chilly lake waters, had it not been for the fishing family.

“They believed that if they didn’t net it, it was going to drown,” Benson told the Missoulian. “It looked really tired.”

Though Bob has not been reached for further comments on the story, he wrote in a Facebook post that it was a “great day” that he would “never forget”.

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After Homeless Man is Featured on the Front Page, His High School Friends From 1971 Rally to Get Him Off the Street

By
McKinley Corbley
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It has been decades since Coy Featherson last saw his friends from high school—yet they’re all now rallying together to rescue him from homelessness.

LISTEN to the inspiring story told on the radio by our GNN founder (in the Good News Guru podcast below) or READ the full story after that…

Back in 1971, Featherson was a very popular student. Voted “Best All Around Guy” in his high school yearbook, he was also a skilled football and baseball player. After he got into college on a football scholarship, he moved on to do 15 years of stage work for rock and roll legend Frank Zappa.

Unfortunately, Featherson ended up on the streets after he fell on hard times 20 years ago. In addition to his brother being killed, he was laid off from his job and lost his apartment—and he’s been homeless ever since.

LOOK: Police Officer Helps to Shave Homeless Man’s Face in the Rain After Seeing Him Struggle Without a Mirror

His luck took a turn last month, however, after a photo of him and his grocery cart of belongings ended up on the front page of the American-Statesman for an article on homeless camping in Austin, Texas.

Leea Mechling, who was a friend of Featherson’s in high school, was just one of his former classmates who was shocked to see his photo featured in the article. She immediately hopped into her car and took off for Austin in hopes of tracking down her old friend.

After four days of searching, she finally found Featherson feeding some pigeons outside of a local church. She embraced Featherson, invited him into her truck, and packed up his belongings.

MORE: Homeless Dad Receives Flood of Support After Woman Tried to Facebook Shame Him for Sleeping in McDonalds

Don Vanderburg, another old friend from their high school in Corpus Christi, Texas, welcomed Featherson into his home so he could sleep on a mattress for the first time in 20 years. His friends have gotten him new clothes and shoes; they’re helping him to sign up for social security benefits; and they launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for more permanent housing—and the page has already raised more than $13,000.

“Coy is a smart guy with a real gift for art and music,” wrote Patrick Judd who set up the GoFundMe page. “What were doing here is to show him he’s still deep in our heart of hearts… always.”

When reporters from the American-Statesman asked Featherson about the photo that has now turned his luck around, he simply said: “I kind of had a feeling it would do something. It’s been good for me.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Don Vanderburg

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“By three methods we may learn wisdom. First, by reflection, which is noblest, second, by imitation, which is easiest, and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius

By
Good News Network
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Credit: Michael Coghlan (CC license)

Quote of the Day: “By three methods we may learn wisdom. First, by reflection, which is noblest, second, by imitation, which is easiest, and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius

Photo: by Michael Coghlan – CC license on Flickr, cropped

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

 

11-Year-old Crocheting Prodigy is Raising Thousands of Dollars for Orphans–One Stitch at a Time

By
Jennifer Zolper
-

If you meet 11-year-old Jonah Larson, he seems just like any other normal happy kid. He loves his mom, grandma, and adores llamas—but you’ll soon find out that he is, in fact, very different.

Jonah is a self-taught crochet prodigy. His very first project was started as a 5-year-old using donated materials, and after making a simple dishcloth by watching a YouTube tutorial, he was hooked—and he hasn’t stopped since.

“I’m a very busy thinker, and I’m always thinking of ways to do things differently. Crocheting, to me, is quiet time because it relaxes my mind. And everybody should have something to relax their mind,” Jonah told The LaCrosse Tribune.

Now it’s pretty much anything, including, pumpkins, Afghans, fingerless gloves, ear warmers, hats, ponchos, doilies, and yes, even llamas; and although he doesn’t usually sell his finished items or try to defray the cost of materials, his fans send him supplies from all over the world.

MORE: After Bullied Boy Has Terrible First Day of School, Upperclassmen Take Him Under Their Wing

“It amazes me every single time,” Jonah said. “I just can’t believe people’s generosity.”

It’s impressive enough that at age 11 he has his own 6-part series called “Learn to Crochet with Jonah.” But there’s more: he’s on the cover of “Crochet World” magazine, which showcases a gorgeous Nordic Winter Afghan he made, and he has his own episode on “Knit and Crochet Now.”

He recently appeared on the TODAY show, the Kelly Clarkson show, and is no stranger to national exposure—Jonah gained his viral fame after Inside Edition, Good Morning America and NPR picked up on a local news story about him.

Since February, he’s partnered with Atlanta-based designer Daniel Sheehan, who is mentoring him about designing his own fashion line. Sheehan, who features pics and videos with the boy on Instagram had seen Jonah on social media, and like so many others, he was instantly touched.

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“It was this little boy with this little voice saying, ‘Hello, crochet friends,’ and it stopped me in my tracks,” 44-year-old Sheehan told the LaCrosse Tribune. “I showed my mom and I had tears in my eyes and she started crying. I sent a message to Jonah saying I wish he would have been my friend when I was 11 years old … Within 12 hours I had this beautiful response from Jonah.”

Beyond Jonah’s speed-crocheting skills and his winning smile, it’s his genuine love for people that inspires others so much. He has recently started a fundraiser to build a library in his hometown in Ethiopia, so the friends he left behind at the orphanage where he was adopted “can have books in their hands.” Nearly $20,000 has been raised to date, and half of that will be sent to nonprofit Roots Ethiopia for providing basic resources like school desks, chairs, blackboards, books and science materials.

“I want to hand children in Ethiopia the chance to unlock their own passion and potential. The talent and love that came from that gift can now spread across the globe and back to the beautiful country I love so much,” he explained on his fundraiser page.

CHECK OUT: This Seventh Grader Donated All $15,000 of His County Fair Earnings to a Children’s Hospital

What’s in the future Jonah? In addition to growing his business in creative new ways, he says he wants to continue his education and become a surgeon. He definitely has the hands for it.

You can follow Jonah’s accomplishments and read his blog on his website, and check out his inspiring instructional videos on YouTube.

(WATCH the news coverage below… NOTE: Our international viewers can watch it on the CBS News website) – Photos via Jonah Hands, and Daniel Sheehan on Instagram

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Maryland Man Helps People End Addiction and Reclaim their Lives

By
TiannaManon
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On average, at least 130 Americans die every day from a fatal drug overdose, according to the Center for Disease Control.

That could’ve been Russell Phillips.

Phillips is a Maryland resident and former addict who says he spent close to two decades addicted to drugs. He didn’t get clean until he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Now, three years after his release, he’s sharing his experiences, mentoring youth and fighting to change policy—and the stigma against drug users.

“I think people are scared to discuss addiction because people don’t understand it, they bash both addiction and addicts as well,” he explained. “People who are addicted or families of addicts, don’t always want to face the severity of the issue at hand. I think it’s easier just to forget about it or even pretend the problem isn’t there.”

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The 40-year-old was addicted to drugs for more than 18 years, experiencing homelessness and damaging relationships with his loved ones—particularly his mother and his daughter.

He was eventually sentence for cocaine distribution, and while in jail, his mother died. He took the opportunity to get clean—for his mother, for his daughter, for himself.

The Beginning of Another Journey

“I first came home October of 2016,” he said. “I didn’t have anything—no money and my license was suspended. I had no job and my mom was gone. The house that she lived in got foreclosed, so I literally had nothing.”

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But he was motivated by the previous two decades of mistakes. He wanted to make up for them, and be a role model to his now 17-year-old daughter, Danielle. He also wanted to make a difference, so he began mentoring youth, speaking publicly and formed a coalition called Light in the Shadows.

“Light in the Shadows is an organization that looks to shed light on people living in the darkest of places and situations,” he said. “I founded it for the sole purpose of helping people realize that they are bigger than their circumstances, and that no matter where they’ve been in life, no situation is too big to overcome.

He’s got a good union job now in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and is making up for lost time.

What’s next for this changemaker?

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He has a novel called ‘Dear Mom‘ in the works, about a single mom struggling to raise a son who gets into trouble. Based on his own life, it will be out sometime next year.

“I’m speaking as well, trying to use my story as an inspiration to anyone who feels lost in life. I’m also in the process of reaching out to schools to help with kids. We all share a responsibility of helping and teaching the next generation. This world desperately needs change and direction, and I want to be a part of that.”

You can learn more about Phillips and support his work by visiting his website, russellphillips.com and following him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Dog Ownership Associated With Longer Life—Especially Among Heart Attack and Stroke Survivors

By
Good News Network
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Dog ownership may be associated with longer life and better cardiovascular outcomes, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone, according to these two new studies from the American Heart Association (AHA).

“The findings in these two well-done studies and analyses build upon prior studies and the conclusions of the [AHA] that dog ownership is associated with reductions in factors that contribute to cardiac risk and to cardiovascular events,” said Glenn N. Levine, chair of the writing group of the AHA’s scientific statement on pet ownership.

“Furthermore, these two studies provide good, quality data indicating dog ownership is associated with reduced cardiac and all-cause mortality. While these non-randomized studies cannot ‘prove’ that adopting or owning a dog directly leads to reduced mortality, these robust findings are certainly at least suggestive of this.”

Given previous research demonstrating how social isolation and lack of physical activity can negatively impact patients, researchers in both the study and meta-analysis sought to determine how dog ownership affected health outcomes. Prior studies have shown that dog ownership alleviates social isolation, improves physical activity and even lowers blood pressure—leading researchers to believe dog owners could potentially have better cardiovascular outcomes compared to non-owners.

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Researchers in this study, which was published in the AHA’s journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, compared the health outcomes of dog owners and non-owners after a heart attack or stroke using health data provided by the Swedish National Patient Register.

Patients studied were Swedish residents ages 40 to 85 who experienced heart attack or ischemic stroke from 2001 to 2012. Compared to people who did not own a dog, researchers found that for dog owners:

  • The risk of death for heart attack patients living alone after hospitalization was 33% lower, and 15% lower for those living with a partner or child.
  • The risk of death for stroke patients living alone after hospitalization was 27% lower and 12% lower for those living with a partner or child.
  • In the study, nearly 182,000 people were recorded to have had a heart attack, with almost 6% being dog owners, and nearly 155,000 people were recorded to have had an ischemic stroke, with almost 5% being dog owners.

The lower risk of death associated with dog ownership could be explained by an increase in physical activity and the decreased depression and loneliness, both of which have been connected to dog ownership in previous studies.

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“We know that social isolation is a strong risk factor for worse health outcomes and premature death. Previous studies have indicated that dog owners experience less social isolation and have more interaction with other people,” said Tove Fall, professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. “Furthermore, keeping a dog is a good motivation for physical activity, which is an important factor in rehabilitation and mental health.”

While this study draws from a large sample, potential misclassifications of dog ownership in couples living together, death of a dog and change of ownership could have affected the outcomes of the study.

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“The results of this study suggest positive effects of dog ownership for patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke. However, more research is needed to confirm a causal relationship and giving recommendations about prescribing dogs for prevention. Moreover, from an animal welfare perspective, dogs should only be acquired by people who feel they have the capacity and knowledge to give the pet a good life.”

Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Researchers also reviewed patient data of over 3.8 million people taken from 10 separate studies for a composite meta-analysis study. Of the 10 studies reviewed, nine included comparison of all-cause mortality outcomes for dog owners and non-owners, and four compared cardiovascular outcomes for dog owners and non-owners.

Researchers found that compared to non-owners, dog owners experienced a:

  • 24% reduced risk of all-cause mortality
  • 65% reduced risk of mortality after heart attack
  • 31% reduced risk of mortality due to cardiovascular-related issues

“Having a dog was associated with increased physical exercise, lower blood pressure levels and better cholesterol profile in previous reports,” said Caroline Kramer, a clinician scientist at Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes at Mount Sinai Hospital. “As such, the findings that people who owned dogs lived longer and their risk for cardiovascular death was also lower are somewhat expected.”

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Studies deemed eligible for analysis included those conducted among adults age 18 or older, original data from an original prospective study, evaluated dog ownership at the beginning of the study and reported all-cause or cardiovascular mortality of patients. Studies were excluded if they were retrospective; did not provide an absolute number of events that occurred; and reported non-fatal cardiovascular events.

“Our findings suggest that having a dog is associated with longer life. Our analyses did not account for confounders such as better fitness or an overall healthier lifestyle that could be associated with dog ownership. The results, however, were very positive,” said Dr. Kramer.

“The next step on this topic would be an interventional study to evaluate cardiovascular outcomes after adopting a dog and the social and psychological benefits of dog ownership. As a dog owner myself, I can say that adopting Romeo (the author’s miniature Schnauzer) has increased my steps and physical activity each day, and he has filled my daily routine with joy and unconditional love.”

Be Sure And Share This Pawesome Study With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Marie Floyd / US Air Force

Woman Saves Injured Butterfly, Repairing Its Wing to Help It Fly Again

By
Good News Network
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SWNS
Photo by Insect Art

A wildlife volunteer was able to save the life of an injured butterfly by carrying out an intricate wing transplant.

36-year-old Katie Van Blaricum says that she first noticed a Monarch butterfly with a piece of its wing missing while working at her local zoo.

She immediately decided to try and repair the damaged wing out of fear that it would lead to an early death for the insect.

“I was helping the zoo tag the butterflies when a lady came up to me and said that one of them had a broken wing and said she would have to put it in the freezer,” explained Van Blaricum. “I had already repaired a wing in the past so she asked me to help this one—so I took it home with me.”

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Armed with a glass plate, tape, and pins, Van Blaricum got to work and managed to hold down the butterfly long enough to glue on a piece of wing taken from a dead butterfly.

Van Blaricum, who is from Kansas, usually works with dead butterflies through her jewelry and picture frame business called Insect Art.

SWNS

“I have a lot of dead butterflies in my house so I had lots of options to choose from. I managed to find one that was the same size and shape that could work,” says Van Blaricum. “Butterflies can be slowed down a little bit if you put them in the refrigerator, but not for very long, so I put glass plates over the top of it to keep in place.

“I cut off the broken bit of wing and glued on the other wing which came from a Graphium butterfly. Then I held it for a few seconds.”

SWNS

A butterfly has four wings; two forewings and two hind wings which are attached to segments that use its muscles to move the wings up and down.

After her swift—and successful—repair of the butterfly’s left forewing, Van Blaricum let it go after several days of recovery and watched in awe as it flew up into the trees.

SWNS

“It was quite stormy for a few days so I ended up keeping it over the weekend for two or three days and fed it so it would be ready to fly again,” she recalled.

“When we finally went out, it just flew up into the tree and used the wind to help it fly.”

Despite finding a parallel between the wing transplant and her Insect Art business, Van Blaricum says that the two practices aren’t very similar.

SWNS

“I’ve got thousands of dead insects in my basement, but the two don’t really link up,” she mused. “The insects I use come from insect farms where they are specifically bred for this process they are not taken from the wild and we’re not hurting the wild population.”

(WATCH the video below)

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