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Seven Years After Undergoing Experimental MS Treatment, Woman is Still Experiencing No Symptoms

By
McKinley Corbley
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Despite spending the last 9 years living with multiple sclerosis, this Alaskan mother is no longer experiencing any symptoms of the debilitating disease thanks to an experimental new treatment.

Amanda Loy was first diagnosed with MS when she was just 27 years old. Even though she was placed on a plethora of medications and spent endless hours in the hospital undergoing different treatments, she quickly started to suffer from bladder problems and loss of motor function, which made it especially difficult for her to raise her young son.

For two years, she saw little improvement in her condition – but then she heard about how researchers at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago were conducting an international study on an experimental new stem cell therapy for MS.

The treatment works by using chemotherapy to weaken a patient’s immune system. The researchers then inject the patient with a collection of their own stem cells which then rebuild the immune system from the ground up so that it can properly fight the disease.

RELATED: Boy Thought to Be Nonverbal Can Speak After Dentist Discovers He is Simply ‘Tongue-Tied’

Loy qualified to be one of the 55 patients who received the treatment after her condition continued to deteriorate in 2012. Days after being released from the hospital, she says she noticed immediate improvement.

“It was little things. Like I didn’t have to sit down to get dressed,” Loy told KTVA. “In that first year, I feel like I had all these big improvements of my symptoms, so that one by one, I stopped taking all the medications I was on before.”

MORE: Lung Cancer Patient Given a Year to Live is in Remission Thanks to Cuban Vaccine

Seven years later, Loy no longer experiences any symptoms of the disease. She even scored a zero on the MS Disability Status Scale, which physicians use to rank the severity of the disease’s symptoms.

Additionally, the researchers have spent the last five years following up with the other study participants, and all of the patients who received the stem cell therapy are faring significantly better than those who received drug treatments.

Loy, who is now training to complete her first marathon in Anchorage, and she says she hopes that the treatment will soon offer the same kind of life-changing transformation to other MS patients, too.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Amanda Loy

Be Sure And Share This Exciting Story Of Transformation With Your Friends On Social Media

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Photo: Copyright GWC

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?

Advice From a ‘Shark Tank’ Star: Why the Challenges of Starting Your Own Business are 100% Worth It

By
Ryan Morris
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The Lesson: As an entrepreneur, finding your calling may be extraordinarily difficult – even terrifying. You may cycle between a few different business ideas before settling on one that works with your personality, interests, and skillsets – but once you’ve overcome those hardships and found a business that works for you, there are dozens of invaluable benefits that come from owning a business and answering only to yourself.

Notable Excerpt: “I didn’t have to get a check from a boss, nobody told me when to come to work or go to work, I can’t get fired from this because of my color, creed, or whatever the case is – I’m responsible for what’s happening here and I will either fail because of the decision I make or succeed because of every decision I make.”

The Guest: Daymond John is an entrepreneurial advisor on the hit television show Shark Tank and the author of “The Power of Broke” – a book on “how empty pockets, a tight budget, and a hunger for success can become your greatest competitive advantage”.

The Host: After spending years of his young life and athletic career struggling with his own emotional wellbeing, a crippling injury left Lewis Howes without an identity and without any work. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, however, Howes recreated himself as a multi-million dollar media producer, motivational speaker, bestselling author, and podcast host. The ex-football player now spends his days chatting with the most inspirational icons of our generation on his School of Greatness podcast.

Podcast: The School of Greatness podcast is available for download on Soundcloud and iTunes. You can also watch footage of the interviews on Howes’s YouTube channel.

Books: Howes is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “The School of Greatness”: an in-depth collection of lessons and wisdom that he has gathered from interviewing hundreds of the world’s greatest role models and thinkers. Howes’s latest book, “The Mask of Masculinity”, is based on his experience with the dangerous stereotypes and expectations that are placed on men in modern society.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below)

Good Advice? SHARE It – Or Check Out More On Our Good Talks Page…

Instead of Selling Her $1.7 Million Home, Woman is Giving It Away to the Winner of a Letter-Writing Contest

By
McKinley Corbley
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If you are looking to live in a magnificent $1.7 million home in the scenic hills of Canada, then this woman is asking you to write her a letter.

Ever since Alla Wagner suffered a back injury last year, she has been unable to manage the stairs of her 5,000-square-foot home in Millarville, Alberta.

Home care nurses suggested that she upgrade the house to accommodate her disability, but she couldn’t bear to change its beloved structure.

“I view this home as a work of art and I don’t want to make changes to it that’s going to compromise it’s look and the value and craftsmanship that’s in this home,” Wagner told CTV News.

RELATED: Café That Hires and Feeds the Homeless Has Just Built a Village for Their Rough Sleeping Employees

She spent several months trying to sell the home, but to no avail. Instead of giving up, however, Wagner got an idea.

Wagner is hosting a letter-writing contest in which she is asking strangers to write about why they want to live in her home.

The “Write a Letter, Win a House” contest will be accepting up to 68,000 submissions. As a means of Wagner recouping the cost of her home, participants are asked to pay $25 for their application.

LOOK: America’s First Permitted, 3D-printed House Was Built in Texas in Less Than 24 Hours

If the letter application fees don’t help Wagner to break even within the next few months, she will refund all of the $25 admissions to the entrants. Additionally, if the contest succeeds, she plans on giving away 5% of its proceeds to the Calgary Women’s Shelter.

Wagner has already started reviewing letters for the contest, and she says she has been heartened by the submissions.

“Just that one family that will end up in this home, in this house and make it into a home for themselves and be happy here, as happy as I have been, I know it’s going to be a beautiful story in the end.”

“It would be a beautiful way for someone not giving up hope,” said Wagner. “I’m not going to give up hope. I believe that when this contest works, I know it’s going to be well worthwhile.”

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by Alla Wagner

Be Sure And Spread The News About This Splendid Offer With Your Friends On Social Media

When I Was Alone at the Hospital at 4AM, a Lyft Driver Restored My Faith in Humanity

By
Sterling Bindel
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Want to LISTEN to this story? Hear the segment from The Good News Guru (the GNN Founder) on our Friday radio broadcast with Ellen K on KOST-103.5 — Or, READ the story below…
(Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes – or for Androids, on Podbean)

It was three days after New Years and I hadn’t slept since the ball dropped. I paced my house in a manic state, desperately closing my eyes, hoping rest would find me – but it never did.

Like it always does when I’m sleep-deprived, my epilepsy began rearing its ugly head. My brain felt like a nest of old computer wires tangled together, periodically shocking me with electricity. My body shook violently but there was nothing to be done, making sleep even more impossible.

I knew I had to do something; I hadn’t wanted to admit it, but I couldn’t fix this myself. I had exhausted my resources. My toolbox of solutions was empty. I decided to go to the hospital around 1AM. My roommate drove me. He let me out at the sliding doors of the ER and then headed back home.

Once under medical care, the doctors pumped me with fluids and medications to calm the seizures and usher in sleep. All at once, I felt my synapses rest. The frayed bird’s nest of rusty wires that was in my head had finally untangled itself.

RELATED: Read Woman’s Heartfelt Open Letter to Flight Attendant Who Extended Simple Offer of Kindness 17 Years Ago

I was discharged around 4:30AM. Alone and feeling vulnerable in the middle of the night, I was outside of an ER that was thirty minutes away from my home in Richmond, Virginia. I called a Lyft to pick me up and hoped against hope that it would be someone kind, someone safe.

A small SUV pulled up in front of the hospital doors and I climbed in, expecting some awkward small talk. After all, it was 4:30AM and I was being picked up from a hospital by a complete stranger. I buckled my seatbelt, and then the driver turned around; she was a woman in her mid-forties with the kindest eyes and a box of Christmas peppermints waiting on the seat beside me.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m fine. I just have epilepsy so I can’t drive.” I replied, expecting her to shrug it off and hit the road. Instead, she began to tell me about her daughter’s recent epilepsy diagnosis. She said she understood my struggle of being sick and unable to drive; needing food to stay healthy, living on my own, but not being able to drive to the grocery store; the unique riddle of needing help, but not knowing how to ask. She continued to talk about her daughter and I could tell it weighed on her heavily, watching someone she loves struggle to fill the fridge.

She told me about how – even though her daughter lives hours away – she drove to bring her groceries several times a week.

MORE: 10 Best Stories When Kindness and Heroics Went Viral in 2018

This was already some kind of serendipitous encounter, a little blessing after a few rough days – but what she said next surprised me.

“Honey, do you need groceries? Can I please take you to a store?” It was nearing 5 in the morning and a total stranger was worried that I wouldn’t be able to eat that day. I was so surprised. I told her, “No, it’s okay. I can handle it tomorrow, but thank you so much.”

As we got closer to my house, we exchanged numbers. She insisted that I call her when I needed help – not just with more dire situations, but also with groceries and doctor’s appointments too. I felt comforted, but I knew deep down that my stubborn aversion to accepting help would probably keep me from ever picking up the phone.

LOOK: Child With ‘Nothing to Give’ Sacrifices the ‘Best Part of Her Breakfast’ as Gift for Her Teacher

But then the next day, she called me, knowing I needed food but sensing that I didn’t want to impose – and we went to the grocery store that afternoon.

She not only provided safety and helped me fill my cupboards, but she gave me something I thought I had lost: she gave me hope. It was just a little taste, but it’s carried me through a lot, and these little glimmers of light can be so bright in the dark – and now I know that when the nights seem dark, my best choice is to find the light and follow it.

Editor’s note: one week after GNN published her story, Sterling received a text from Kathy saying that the article had inspired Lyft Inc. to donate $500 to the Epilepsy Foundation in their honor. Furthermore, Sterling was gifted $150 in Lyft credit to help her with transportation.

(LISTEN to the interview below)

Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kindness With My Friends On Social Media – Photo by Sterling Bindel and QC Pictures, CC

Anonymous $2 Million Gift for Sanctuary Will Help Retire Hundreds of Chimps From Research Facilities

By
Good News Network
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Chimp Haven

An anonymous $2 million donation from a stranger is providing a new home to over 200 chimpanzees who have been living in research facilities.

Chimp Haven

The chimps are now one step closer to retirement thanks to the multi-million donation which was made to Chimp Haven, the national chimpanzee sanctuary in Louisiana.

The gift was made at the end of the year by an anonymous supporter who is committed to supporting Chimp Haven’s “Welcome Them Home” campaign, a concerted effort to build more habitats and expand veterinary care suites to accommodate the chimps’ transitions from research facilities.

Chimp Haven is a private, nonprofit refuge on 200 acres of forested land in Northwest Louisiana. It’s home to more than 260 chimps already retired from biomedical research. While federal funds cover a crucial portion of the lifetime care of these government-owned chimps, the organization relies entirely on the generosity of donors to cover the construction necessary to welcome even more retirees into Chimp Haven’s care.

RELATED: India Saves Its Tigers Instead of Mining For $330M in Diamonds

The campaign-driven expansion, which includes new forested habitats and open-air enclosures, will enrich the lives of retirees with new spaces to play, explore and interact. Additionally, it provides ample space for Chimp Haven to accommodate chimpanzees still waiting for sanctuary retirement.

“It’s very exciting to begin 2019 with such a generous contribution to chimpanzee wellbeing,” said Rana Smith, president and chief executive officer of Chimp Haven. “Donors like this make it clear that people are deeply committed to the retirement of former research chimpanzees. This national effort is as important as ever, which is why we’re working diligently to expand our habitats and give these chimps the sanctuary retirement they deserve.”

Quit Monkeying Around And Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Chimp Haven

12-Year-old Boy Gives Away Thousands of Lunches to the Homeless – and He’ll Soon Have His Own Truck

By
Ryan Morris
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Liam Hannon may only be 12 years old, but he is already making a big difference in Massachusetts.

Liam is the founder and operator of “Liam’s Lunches of Love,” an organization dedicated to handing out meals to the homeless people of Cambridge. Over the course of the last year, Liam has handed out over 2,000 lunches to the homeless population in his neighborhood – an act of kindness that hasn’t gone unnoticed by his community.

“In this time when there seems to be so much negativity, maybe you have to turn to a 12-year-old to lead the way,” Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern told WBZ-TV. “Liam gives me hope for the future of Cambridge, the country and the world.”

RELATED: China’s ‘Ice Boy’ Has New Home–and New Hope–After Viral Photo Sparked Flood of Donations

On each paper bag, Liam writes a handwritten message, often accompanied by an encouraging little doodle. Other people from across the US have contributed to Liam’s mission by sending him their own illustrated lunch bags as well.

“It’s like a way to give people joy, maybe spark something in them that can change them,” Liam told the news outlet.

Liam’s father Scott created a GoFundMe to raise money for his son’s organization back in April, and it has amassed over $44,000 – money that Liam will use to purchase a food truck, so he can more easily travel across Boston and give away his free lunches to the homeless population.

(WATCH the video below or our international viewers can watch the clip on the CBS News website) – Photo by Scott Hannon

Be Sure And Pass On This Positive Story To Your Friends On Social Media

“The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.” – Carl Sandburg

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.”
― Carl Sandburg

Photo: Copyright GWC

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?

 

Farm Bill Quietly Ends the Ban on Hemp in the U.S.

By
Good News Network
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Hemp promoters have long lobbied for this day.

Just before Christmas, President Trump signed the bipartisan 2018 Congressional Farm Bill, which included a provision that effectively legalizes hemp in the U.S., as long as the CBD oil tincture contains no more than 0.3% of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that gets people high, which industrial hemp does not.

The historic law, which takes effect this month, treats hemp as an agricultural commodity and removes it from the Drug Enforcement Agency’s list of schedule 1 drugs.

However, the Farm Bill empowers states to regulate (or ban) the production and sale of hemp within their borders, a move that would be counterproductive to local farmers who now have the option of growing a productive crop, while corn and soybean prices are low.

Promoters have long extolled the virtue of the grassy weed as one of the cheapest and most important crops for solving the world’s problems around sustainability and health—with it’s alleged ability to treat numerous symptoms and diseases.

SEE: Cannabis Oil ‘Significantly’ Improves the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease in Small, First-of-its-Kind Study

The plant, cannabis sativa, is one of the fastest growing crops and was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 10,000 years ago. It is so diverse, it can be made into paper, rope, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed.

A hemp byproduct called cannabidiol, or “CBD oil”, still has some stringent rules so not just anyone can produce and sell the product. The non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis is now technically legal, if and only if the hemp is produced by a licensed grower in a manner consistent with the Farm Bill and associated federal and state regulations.

33 states have legalized cannabis for medical purposes. Over the past six years, 10 states have legalized cannabis and marijuana for adult use, however these are all technically banned under federal law—and the Farm Bill does nothing to change that.

RELATED: Marijuana Fills Dire Medical Needs of Hundreds of Families

With bipartisan support these laws are changing, and this is just another victory in a push toward common sense drug laws in America.

SHARE the Historic Farming News with Your Buddies… (Photo by kat_geb, CC license)

Maybe It’s Not the Technology That’s Making Us Feel Bad – 2-Minutes of ‘Happier’ with Gretchen Rubin

By
Ryan Morris
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The Lesson: Although we often attribute the invasive nature of new technology as the reason for our anxieties, we shouldn’t be so quick to condemn it—because if these same feelings also existed 100 years ago, during a quieter and simpler time, then perhaps technology is not the root cause of this feeling.

Notable Excerpt: “Maybe that rushed feeling is an aspect of the experience of ‘today’ for many adults; while we assume that it’s the new gizmos (whether that’s the locomotive, automobiles, telephones, email, or Twitter) that make us feel that way, it’s really always ourselves.”

The Host: Dubbed a “Happiness Guru”, best-selling author Gretchen Rubin shares in this two-minute podcast the fact that even in 1925 cultural critics were noting that people looked harried on the street—food for thought in our own culture when we assume it is technology that is making us feel like there is “no time” or no peace.

Podcast: Her top-ranking, award-winning podcast, “Happier with Gretchen Rubin,” which discusses happiness and good habits.

Books: Rubin is the author of “The Happiness Project”, which spent two years on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her books, including “The Four Tendencies”, “Happier at Home”, and “Better Than Before”, have sold almost three million copies worldwide in more than thirty languages. Additionally, Rob Lowe has published an autobiography called “Stories I Only Tell My Friends” and a collection of romantic memoirs called “Love Life”.

(LISTEN to the quick psychology challenge below) – Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, CC

Good Advice? SHARE It – Or Check Out More On Our Good Talks Page…

Swiss Company to Get CO2 Out of the Atmosphere and Into Sparkling Water

By
Good News Network
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You may soon be able to drink sparkling water that contains carbon dioxide captured directly from the atmosphere.

Climeworks, a company that specializes in carbon-capture technology, will be applying their air filtration machines to suck up CO2 for use in the creation of sparkling water.

The company partnered with Swiss beverage brand Valser, which is owned by Coca-Cola HBC, and one of the beverage industry leaders in sustainability. The drinks made with the captured carbon will be on supermarket shelves in Europe within the next three months.

Climeworks machines use large air filters to collect carbon dioxide direct from the air in one step—and the startup already has 14 carbon-capture facilities installed atop power plants, waste incinerators, and other industrial buildings across Europe.

RELATED: Scientists Develop New Houseplant That Cleanses Your Home of the Worst Chemicals in the Air

The buildings supply excess heat and power to run the modular machines.

According to the company, “The majority of the energy required to run the direct air capture plant comes from low-grade/waste heat.”

The captured emissions are currently being used to boost greenhouse crop production, help create synthetic fertilizer, and renewable fuel.

They hope their machines will be able to capture at least 1% of the world’s CO2 emissions by 2025.

“Ultimately what we are trying to do is halt climate change, or even reverse climate change, so be able to scale up to the size that could really make an impact,” Climworks’ communications manager Louise Charles told Business Insider.

(WATCH a 2017 company video below, to see the machines at work…)

Clean Up Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by Valser

Sanitation Worker Honored as Role Model and Student Commencement Speaker, All Thanks to Coworkers’ Love

By
Good News Network
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He went from working on a garbage truck to graduating from a major university, honored as their student commencement speaker—and he says he owes it all to the love and support shown to him by his coworkers, many of whom were “ex-felons”, but they changed his life.

Because of his upbringing, Rehan Staton says this was nothing short of a miracle.

Due to traumatic events within his family, education was not a priority. His mother abandoned the family at a young age, so he was raised in Bowie, Maryland solely by his loving father.

Although Staton wanted to succeed in school, food and housing insecurities plagued the family and he started to lose focus. He spent a lot of his time practicing martial arts and working different jobs with the hopes of one day becoming a professional fighter, boxer, or mixed martial arts fighter.

He told Good News Network: “I worked a part-time job to pay off the household bills. In both areas, I felt successful – in martial arts I began to win national and international championships—and at work, I felt appreciated and productive. At school, I felt like I didn’t belong.”

LOOK: After Youth Walks 7 Hours to First Day of Work, CEO Hands Over His Own Car as a Thank You

After sustaining a major injury during his senior year of high school, Staton realized he would not be able to do MMA or boxing professionally. Since he placed heavy emphasis on martial arts rather than schoolwork, his GPA and SAT were below average. It was Staton’s SAT score of 1100 (out of 2400) which discouraged him from entering college and led him to work for a trash and recycling company.

“Most of my coworkers were ‘ex-felons,’ but they changed my entire life by the love and support they gave me,” Staton says of Bates Trucking Trash & Recycling. “They encouraged me every day to pursue college. Even the owner of the company and his son encouraged me.”

They eventually connected Staton with a professor at Bowie State University (BSU) who ended up becoming his mentor. Shortly after, he was admitted to the school.

WATCH: Immigrant Endures Misery, But Stays Positive Until a Brilliant Idea Unlocks the American Dream

Staton’s grades consistently placed him on the Dean’s List, and he became actively involved in campus activities and organizations. He received numerous academic and leadership awards and became president of an organization geared toward mentoring other students. He even participated in numerous community outreach activities—all while working for the trash company.

After two years, he transferred to the University of Maryland (UMD) where he continued to received high academic honors, even while now working 40 hours per week in order to support his father who suddenly suffered stroke.

He lost weight, as food money was tight, but UMD gave him the help he needed—and Staton maintained his Dean’s List standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.81.

RELATED: Teacher Carries 60-Pound Student on Her Back, Not Wanting Anyone to Be Left Out of Camping Trip

Since graduating last month, Staton will be spending the next year or two working as a paralegal in order to gain extra experience before entering law school. He is also speaking at multiple schools to inspire others to reach their dreams.

“I just feel lucky. I  Without the support of everyone around me, none of this would be possible. I will pay it forward.”

Be Sure And Share This Incredible Story Of Success With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Gail Marie Rupert

“Money is neither my god nor my devil. It is a form of energy that tends to make us more of who we already are, whether it’s greedy or loving.” – Dan Millman

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Money is neither my god nor my devil. It is a form of energy that tends to make us more of who we already are, whether it’s greedy or loving.” – Dan Millman (Peaceful Warrior)

Photo: by ambert, CC license

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?

 

 

Watch Baby Girl’s Priceless Reaction to Hearing Her Sister’s Voice Clearly for the First Time

By
Good News Network
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Laughter may the best medicine, but hearing aides don’t hurt either.

Scarlet was born three months premature and treated for intestinal problems with antibiotics that ended up damaged her hearing.

RELATED: These Quadruplets Have the Most Infectious Baby Laughter #TBT

Carol Benjamin was unaware until recently that her daughter’s hearing was actually impaired, but she saw the proof for herself last week when the family experienced the baby’s delighted reaction to hearing her older sister’s voice clearly for the first time.

Because the youngster’s reaction was so priceless, her mother posted the video of Scarlet using the hearing aids at the Atlanta Hearing Associates in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Benjamin called the event “one of the absolute best days of our lives.”

(WATCH the adorable video below) – Photo by Carol Benjamin

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Montreal Turns Iconic Hospital into Shelter for Homeless People and Their Pets So No One Sleeps in the Cold

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Good News Network
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Montreal’s most historic hospital, closed since 2015, has been transformed into a temporary homeless shelter to ensure that no man (nor beast) will be forced to sleep in the winter cold.

Patient rooms in the former Royal Victoria Hospital have been converted into an 80-bed homeless shelter that is now open to women and men—and their pets.

The temporary refuge was launched last week after city homeless shelters found themselves filled to capacity and struggling to accommodate rough sleepers amidst falling temperatures.

And because the overwhelming majority of shelters do not allow pets, officials worked to create a situation where people and their animals would be welcomed.

Though the hospital will ensure warmth and safety for Montreal’s homeless until April 15th, provincial legislators will be working with city officials to secure more long-term solutions and permanent housing for when the shelter closes in the spring.

RELATED: Simple Solution Provides the Homeless With Housing and Jobs in One Fell Swoop

“We’ve been able to move forward quickly on creating this emergency unit for homeless people,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, according to CBC. “Of course, this is for this winter, but what is a positive sign is knowing that our administration wants to find a solution on the long-term.”

“No one should be outside right now. Everyone deserves a roof,” she added.

Sam Watts, CEO of the city homeless shelter Welcome Hall Mission, said:  “We’re making some good progress toward eliminating homelessness in Montreal. But the reality is, right now, we do need a temporary facility over the course of the winter because we don’t want to leave anybody on the streets.”

Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Jeangagnon, CC

This American Man Defied the ‘Impossible’ With First-Ever Solo Trek Across Antarctica

By
John Large
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Photo by Colin O'Brady

Antarctica is a frozen, wind-whipped continent, hostile to almost all forms of life—except, apparently, a lone man from Oregon.

33-year-old Colin O’Brady just became the first unaided person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica.

Extreme hikers have managed to cross the continent before, but they have always completed the feat with the assistance of dog teams or kites (to help propel them forward), and air-dropped supplies.

O’Brady, however, traveled the 930-mile journey in 54 days, lugging his entire load of gear— 375-pounds—personally.

Though the adventurer could have been airlifted back to warmth immediately upon completion on December 26, O’Brady waited at the finish line for a special reunion.

RELATED: Watch 50-Year-old Daredevil Become First Woman to Wingsuit Over Antarctica

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died while attempting the same extreme journey. The late hiker was honor by O’Brady’s friend Louis Rudd, an Englishman who decided to complete the same trek in a race against O’Brady.

While O’Brady finished the hike before Rudd, the American decided to stay in Antarctica to celebrate with his friend—despite fantasizing for two months about eating fresh food and salads while subsisting on freeze-dried food.

Together, Colin could share a beautiful moment with Louis as the only other person alive who has completed the same trip.

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Colin O’Brady

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New Solar Farms Could Offer Sweet Source of Salvation for Dwindling Honeybee Populations

By
McKinley Corbley
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Micha Jost – CC license

Solar farms are not just addressing the need for renewable energy, they are also becoming a source for food and habitat for dwindling pollinator populations.

According to research from the National Renewable Energy Lab, America is expected to add more than 6 million acres of solar farms and facilities by 2050. In addition to hosting solar panels, however, more and more environmentalists are taking advantage of this energy farmland by planting wildflowers that are critical to the survival of honeybees and butterflies.

Back in August, a research team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne lab began examining the potential benefits of establishing pollinator habitat at large utility-scale solar energy facilities to help conserve the threatened insects. Looking at some 2,800 of these existing and planned facilities in the contiguous United States, the team found that the area around solar panels could provide an ideal location for the plants that attract pollinators.

Often filled with gravel or turf grass, this land otherwise goes unused. Research has shown that in some locations these grounds offer a perfect place to establish native plant species, such as prairie grass or wildflowers, around which pollinators are prevalent.

RELATED: State is Boosting Bee Populations By Giving Free Hives and Equipment to Beekeepers

Researchers also discovered that planting pollinator habitat on solar farms that are situated near agricultural farmland could dramatically improve crop yields, generating as much as $4 billion in agricultural revenue.

This 2016 UK study supported the findings, saying that “solar farms have a positive impact on biodiversity for a range of plant and animal species when combined with an appropriate land management plan, in particular, broad-leaf plants, grasses, butterflies, bumblebees, and birds.”

One solar company based out of Minnesota has already planted hundreds of acres of pollinator-friendly greenery across their different locations.

MORE: High School Student’s Ingenious Solution Could Save Bees From Drinking Poisonous Water

In addition to similar plantings, this solar farm in Oregon has also used their land to host 48 bee hives.

Ecologists from Cornell University are currently conducting research on which combinations of wildflowers and grasses provide the most support for pollinators – but until then, scientists are hopeful that the solar farm strategy could be sweet lifesaver for honeybees.

Be Sure And Share The Buzz With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Micha Jost, CC

“Hope is leaving room for magic bigger than you.” – Kerry Washington

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Good News Network
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SONY DSC

Quote of the Day: “Hope is leaving room for magic bigger than you.” – Kerry Washington (on Stephen Colbert show, Nov. 2018)

Photo: by Renate Dodell, CC license

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?

This Story, From the New Book, Will Lift You 40,000 Feet – Hear it Now on Our 50th Episode of Good News Guru!

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100-Year-old Lady Has Sweetest Reaction to the Mountie Who Granted Her Birthday Wish to Dance

By
McKinley Corbley
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This centenarian had the sweetest reaction to a chivalrous Mountie stepping forward to grant her birthday wish.

As a means of celebrating Elsie Shepherd’s 100th birthday earlier this week, her nursing home in Regina hosted a party at the facility.

In addition to inviting her family members, Shepherd mentioned how she hoped there would be police officers at the celebration – so the nursing home staffers called the RCMP Depot Division and asked if any Mounties could go to the party.

RELATED: Watch the Tender Moment When Elvis Reaches Out His Hand to Sing Duet With Senior in a Walmart

Shepherd was overjoyed when Cpl. Daryl Chernoff and three other police officers showed up for the birthday celebration.

As the party progressed, Chernoff heard Shepherd mention several times that she wished she could dance – and he was more than happy to grant her wish.

Chernoff then asked Shepherd and her family for permission to dance. Once they had all accepted, he took her hand and led her onto the floor.

MORE: Watch Airline Passenger Hilariously Bust a Move When Gate Agent Tells Him to Sing

“She was ear-to-ear smiles,” Chernoff told CTV News. “I was able to take her out to the dance floor and we had a conversation there and you could see the smile on her face, she just couldn’t stop.”

Since the RCMP uploaded the video to their Facebook page, it has been viewed thousands of times – and it’s easy to see why.

(WATCH the sweet video below) – Photo by RCMP Depot Division

Be Sure And Share This Heartwarming Clip With Your Friends On Social Media

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