J.K. Rowling Uses Her Fame For Good, Launching Lumos Nonprofit in US

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Apr 11, 2015

J._K._Rowling_2010-CC-Daniel_Ogren-Flickr-cropped — 2010 Photo by Daniel Ogren, CC license

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is hoping to tap into America’s philanthropy and influence as she launches the U.S. arm of her nonprofit Lumos that works to keep disadvantaged children worldwide out of orphanages when they already have their families.

Rowling was in New York City on Thursday to mark the start of Lumos USA, and said in an interview with The Associated Press that she is certain Lumos can solve “the problem of institutionalization” by 2050.

James Patterson Gives a Million Dollars to Independent Bookstores

“This is a solvable problem,” she said.

She talked with the Today Show Friday about her charity and also talked about whether she is might write another Harry Potter book.

(WATCH the video below, or READ the full AP article in the San Diego Tribune)

Share the story below… Photo credit by Daniel Ogren, CC

Young Woman’s Instagram Photos Show Hidden, Positive Side of Somalia

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McKinley Corbley

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Apr 11, 2015

When a young 26-year-old Somali woman created her Instagram account in 2014, it was to reassure her grandmother that she was safe and well 12,000 kilometers away in her long-suffering homeland of Somalia.

Having fled to Canada as a young child to escape the Somalian civil war with her grandmother, Ugaaso Abukar Boocow had to leave behind her mother in the chaos. After two whole decades of separation, Ugaaso crossed the Atlantic from Toronto to return to her mother once again.60,000 followers later, the seemingly innocuous act of comforting her grandmother overseas has made her an inspirational star to natives all over Somalia.

Ugaaso’s Instagram is filled with hundreds of photos of beautiful beaches, lunch dates, selfies, and cleverly humorous videos cataloging the hidden, positive side of Somalia that is not often depicted in media. While trying to show that it wasn’t all bad in her country, she not only managed to comfort her Canadian relatives through her pictures, but also managed to reach out to a much larger audience than she could have imagined.

“I did not know that there were so many other people who were hungry for those positive pictures, those beautiful pictures, those random sometimes irrelevant pictures of everyday life in Somalia,” Ugaaso told NPR News. “So now it’s become a responsibility to continue showing the world the beauty Somalia is.”
“To people who think I’m ‘concealing’ the chaos in Mogadishu with pretty pics of the beach,” Ugaaso posts on Twitter. “Bruh. Do u even have a beach in your city? Ha!”

Now, a year after the creation of her account, Ugaaso describes herself in her Instagram bio as a happily married trilingual writer, story teller, and the Artistic Director of Ugaaso Media Group — all at the young age of 27. Though she grew up in Toronto, Ugaaso is fluent in Somali and French, as well as English.

She now sees herself carrying on the Somalian cultural tradition of story telling. “You need new forms to keep the old alive, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Ugaaso’s Instagram feed can be found at Instagram.com/ugaasadda or through Twicsy.

NASA Challenges Public to Help With Space Exploration

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Good News Network

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Apr 11, 2015

“All weekend long, civilians will be all up in NASA’s business.”

On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers will be hard at work in a marathon session of computer coding, engineering and general brainstorming as part of the annual International Space Apps Challenge.

More than 138 cities around the world will be joining Space Apps 2015 for the two-day competitive hack-a-thon to see who can come up with the best ideas for solving planetary and space challenges.

It’s the fourth year of the challenge that one Virginia participant called, “a global event where NASA is opening up all of their data and providing a ton of tools for developers in the world who want to help NASA solve mission-related challenges.”

Find a location for nearby events, or read an article about a Virginia event in the Newport News Daily Press.

Millions of Indian Officials Being Lured into Daily Yoga Classes

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McKinley Corbley

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Apr 11, 2015

The Indian government announced in March that millions of its country’s stressed and out-of-shape officials would be participating in free daily yoga lessons in order to improve public services.

Police, fire fighters, teachers and bureaucrats are among the estimated three million officials –and their families– who were invited to follow India’s new yoga minister of state, by practicing regular morning sun salutations.

Suneel Singh, a yogi in Delhi, strongly believes that with daily classes in the ancient exercise, officials will be able to function with more clear-minded productivity in their jobs. Though it is unconfirmed whether it will be compulsory, attendance is being encouraged.

“Yoga is part and parcel of India’s heritage,” Singh told the Guardian. “Many bigshots like [Mahatma] Gandhi have (done) it.”

India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, practices yoga religiously every morning and is enthusiastic about introducing the discipline to the “famously out-of-shape” police officers. In order to forward the mission, Modi has created an entire ministry, with Shripad Yesso Naik at the helm, to organize the training of yoga and traditional medicines over the next five years.

“Physical and mental therapy is one of yoga’s greatest achievements,” says Singh on his website. “The greatest martial is the gentlest.”

Photo credit: My Yoga Vidya

Mystery Donor Pays For Toddler’s Life-Altering Facial Surgery

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Good News Network

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Apr 11, 2015

Thanks to an anonymous benefactor a three-year-old girl will be able to smile, talk, and laugh, just like the other kids.

A lymphatic malfunction caused a benign lump on Kaitlin Nguygen’s face that not only hindered both talking and eating, but also made a huge bulge in her cheek. The toddler’s mom reached out to Dr. Gregory Levitin, Director of the Vascular Birthmark Center at Mount Sinai Roosevelt in New York, to inquire about its removal.

Unfortunately, health insurance would not cover the facial procedure and Kaitlin’s parents could not afford its high cost. But Levitin reached out to a nameless contributor who previously paid for the removal of a patient’s large birthmark. The backer was happy to help and the girl’s deformity was repaired on Tuesday.

After surgery, Kaitlin Nguygen enjoys juice — After surgery, Kaitlin Nguygen enjoys a juice break.

Before the surgery Kaitlin’s mom said to ABC News, “I want to say thank you to the donor who made this happen.”

The procedure has been called a “real game changer” and offers hope for Kaitlin to live a normal life. She already has been taught the right attitude: before surgery the toddler answers a question on camera, saying she knows that she’s already pretty.

(WATCH Kaitlin’s moments before surgery below)

Photo Courtesy of Dr. Gregory Levitin

Brilliant Idea: Free Housing for Student Volunteers in Senior Home (w/ Video)

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 10, 2015

Talk about a win-win situation.

A special program at a Netherlands retirement home is offering young people free apartments on site, in exchange for spending 30 hours a month helping its residents with computers, email, shopping, and other chores.

The initiative was designed two years ago after the facility’s director, Gea Sijpkes, after a college student complained to him about his school’s poor housing conditions.

In exchange for a nicer place to rest his head, rent-free, that student now participates in numerous activities with the grateful residents, including celebrating birthdays, and offers the seniors companionship when they are sick. He is currently joined by five other program participants, who are also students.

“The students bring the outside world in, there is lots of warmth in the contact,” Sijpkes told PBS NewsHour.

With similar inter-generational initiatives springing up in Cleveland, Ohio and Lyons, France, we’re hoping this brilliant new trend soon becomes an international classic.

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New Study Reveals Surprising Benefit to Being Overweight

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Good News Network

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Apr 10, 2015

People struggling with their weight often face frustration, failure and constant reminders they run the risk of heart disease, diabetes and a litany of other health problems.

But they may be doing something right when it comes to fighting dementia.

A new study shows that middle-aged, overweight people have a greatly increased chance of avoiding dementia later in life, a conclusion that has spurred scientists to hunt for clues as to how their approach might somehow help the rest of us avoid the degenerative disease.

Diet May Cut Risk of Alzheimer’s by 50% (Long-term Study of 900 Seniors

“If we can understand why people with a high body mass index have a reduced risk of dementia, it’s possible that further down the line, researchers might be able to use these insights to develop new treatments,” said Stuart Pocock, professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Medicine.

Researchers believe overweight eaters are ingesting extra nutrients along with all those extra calories they eat, so scientists are now looking at the possibility that vitamin D and E may play a major role in helping prevent dementia.

The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Journal, runs counter to previous, smaller studies, and could be a useful tool in addressing rising rates of dementia.

“But if you collect them all together,” Nawab Qizilbash of Oxon Epidemiology, who led the study, said. “Our study overwhelms them in terms of size and precision.”

Researchers studying two million people in the UK found that over the course of the study, 45,507 of the people developed dementia. Overweight participants were 29% less likely to develop dementia than people of normal weight. Underweight people were 34% more likely to develop it.

However, Dr. Qizilbash cautions, “You can’t walk away and think it’s OK to be overweight or obese. Even if there is a protective effect, you may not live long enough to get the benefits.”

SHARE the News (below)… Photo credit: Colin Rose via CC license

Wife Refuses to Pull Plug on Comatose New Husband and He Finally Wakes Up

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Good News Network

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Apr 10, 2015

Just seven months after Matt and Danielle Davis got married, Matt crashed his motorcycle and suffered traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma. Nine days after that, doctors told Danielle there was nothing more they could do for him. There was a 90 percent chance Matt would never wake up.

“They said if it was them, they’d pull the plug,” Danielle said. But it wasn’t what she wanted to do, so she took Matt home and cared for him for weeks.

Then, one day, her hope was rewarded. Matt woke up and uttered these words to his wife, “I’m trying.”

Four years later, he’s still trying. Matt’s speech is slurred, he’s missing three years of memories, but he takes yoga and is regaining motor control of his muscles through occupational therapy.

Matt says the whole experience has taught him to never take anything for granted.

A GoFundme account was set up to help Danielle and Matt pay for a full-time caregiver to come to their home, and it has raised nearly $60,000 in a months, since media reports shared their story.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from WTOC)

NBA All-Star Donates New Car To Single Mom (WATCH)

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 10, 2015

He is known as one of the most intimidating point guards on the basketball court, but off the court, Russell Westbrook is a big softie.

The Oklahoma Thunder player surprised a single mom on Monday with the brand new Kia Sorento that he won after being named the MVP of February’s All-Star game.

The car was donated to 19-year-old Kerstin Gonzales who cried tears of joy, sitting beside her two young boys, after Westbrook handed her the keys.

This Video About Friendship Through Adversity Will Make Your Day

“Are they playing a prank on me or something?” Gonzales said of her initial reaction. “wheelWhen he showed me the keys, I was like ‘this is real’. That’s when I started to cry because it’s been such a hard time.”

His Russell Westbrook WhyNot? Foundation reached out to a local social service agency to help him find someone who could benefit the most from the car. Gonzales, who came highly recommended, plans to finish high school this spring and study forensic science in college.

Westbrook said in a Thunder press release, “When you see somebody working hard towards a goal and finding ways every day to keep everything afloat for her two boys and her family, you can’t do anything, but help them out.”

The NBA star has committed to paying Gonzales’ insurance for the first year, registration and any other fees associated with her reward, saying, “Today was a stepping stone in showing her that everything is going to be alright.”

(WATCH the Video from OKC Thunder)

Great Photo for National Siblings Day Today

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Good News Network

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Apr 10, 2015

Today is National Siblings Day, an annual holiday in the United States to honor brothers and sisters.

Governors in 39 states have officially issued proclamations to recognize and honor siblings.

The ‘holiday’ was created in 1998 by Claudia Evart, a paralegal from Manhattan, to honor her late sister, Lisette, who was born on April 10, and also her brother, both of whom died early.

Evart set up the Siblings Day Foundation that pushes for this day to become nationally recognized by the federal government, among other efforts geared toward siblings.

This photo, by Rolands Lakis, was the best we found to symbolize the day.

Today is a perfect day to drop what you’re doing and contact your siblings just to have a laugh or share your gratitude for them.

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It’s Official: NFL Scores Big By Hiring First Female Referee

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 9, 2015

For the first time in the National Football League’s 95-year history, a woman will don the black and white striped uniform as a full-time game official.

Sarah Thomas said she was “speechless” when Dean Biandino, the NFL Vice-President of Officiating, hired her last week. Although honored to be considered a trail blazer for women, she just wants to blend in with the other six referees on field and never make a mistake.

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Plucked as a top candidate from the NFL’s advanced development program for officials, the Brandon, Mississippi native has more than 20 years under her belt. She already broke ground as the first woman ever to officiate in a prestigious college bowl game.

Thomas is not the first female to ever take the field. Shannon Eastin filled in during a 2012 labor dispute between the league and staff officials, but wasn’t officially hired on staff.

All eyes may be on Thomas when the season kicks off in September, but she doesn’t want any special attention. “The guys don’t think of me as a female, they see me as just another official,” she says.

Anonymous and Encouraging Message Posted in University Womens’ Restroom

“It’s meaningful to a lot of people, and I’m honored for that. But that’s not why I set out to do this, to break a gender barrier of any sort. I just did it because I loved officiating,” she said Thursday on Today. “I’m not nervous, really…I’m just making sure that my fellow crew mates know I’m ready, and that the coaches and players know I’m there to do a job as an official.”

(WATCH the video from the NFL)

Hydrogen Fuel Breakthrough Uses Corn Husks in Revolutionary Way

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Good News Network

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Apr 9, 2015

Smoke and exhaust fumes pouring from the tailpipes of cars and coal-fired power plants could be a thing of the past if scientists’ dreams for hydrogen cars are realized. Researchers at Virginia Tech Monday announced a breakthrough that could bring hydrogen fueled cars one step closer to reality.

The scientists found a way to use waste materials from corn harvests — stalks, cobs, and husks — to produce hydrogen while significantly lowering costs.

Hydrogen-fueled cars, and their zero emissions are a big step up from even electric cars, because they don’t rely on power plants — often burning coal or gas — for recharging.

”We believe this exciting technology has the potential to enable the widespread use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles around the world and displace fossil fuels,” researcher Joe Rollin said.

Rollin, a former doctoral student at Virginia Tech, was lead author on the team’s paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Cost has always been a major hurdle in producing hydrogen for fuel. The new process could cut costs by as much as two-thirds, while shortening the time it takes to make hydrogen from biomass — or plant sugars. The new process is at least 10 times faster than current methods.

The current, expensive method requires burning natural gas to create a chemical reaction in highly processed plant sugars. The facilities needed to produce hydrogen are massive, meaning they require high start-up and construction costs. Processing the plant sugars before they can be turned into hydrogen adds another layer of expenses. And on top of all that, there’s the cost of transporting the plant materials to the production facilities, then to fuel stations.

The Virginia Tech team found a new process that speeds the reaction time to create hydrogen. The method uses cheap crop-waste instead of expensive processed sugar. This means, the production facilities can be smaller and use less time and energy to make hydrogen. And, because the facilities are smaller, you can build more of them closer to the crops — and closer to customers — cutting the transportation costs.

“This means we have demonstrated the most important step toward a hydrogen economy – producing distributed and affordable green hydrogen from local biomass resources,” Percival Zhang, a professor at Virginia Tech’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering said.

Rollin and Zhang have co-founded Cell-free Bioinnovations to bring their ideas to market. They’ve already received funding toward their next step — scaling up production to a demonstration size.

Scientists familiar with hydrogen fuel research say it’s still difficult to predict actual costs and savings — or even when the process could be marketable. But they are watching closely, and say the Virginia Tech breakthrough is giving their field a whole new way of looking at how to create a hydrogen-fueled economy.

Photo Credit: Virginia Tech (Zhang, pictured)

After Years Apart, Watch This Mother Elephant Reunite With Her Baby

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Good News Network

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Apr 9, 2015

A mother and child reunion in Thailand proves nothing can match a mother’s love — and elephants never forget.

Baby MeBai was only three years old when taken from her mother, Mae Yui, and forced to give rides tourists in Thailand as part of the country’s trekking industry. MeBai was too young and small for the job, and steadily lost weight until she could no longer carry passengers.

That’s when Elephant Nature Park stepped in, rescuing MeBai and putting her into their “Pamper a Pachyderm” program. Elephants in the program are freed from lives of work and allowed to do what elephants do — roam freely, bathe in rivers, kick up dust and hang out with other elephants.

But the Park’s officials weren’t done helping the young elephant. They
tracked down mother Mae Yui at another elephant-ride business and talked the owners into retiring the mother elephant to their sanctuary.

Reunited after nearly four years of separation, MeBai and her mother recognized each other right away. They can now be seen nuzzling one another with their trunks and flapping their ears, apparently inseparable, in this video from ENP.

When she first arrived, MeBai was uncertain of her new, unfamiliar surroundings and didn’t trust people, but she’s starting to warm up to the tourists who visit and pet her.

“MeBai was nervous and wary of people when she first arrived at the sanctuary,” says a post on the ENP website. “But she quickly learned that her new caretakers had no intention of abusing her in any way.”

Owners of the elephant ride business are currently helping ENP to rehabilitate both mother and child so they can return to the wild.

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37 years After Graduation, Student Sends High School Teacher $10,000

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Good News Network

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Apr 9, 2015

Kevin Perz took the idea of giving his favorite teacher an apple to another level.

The Kansas businessman stunned the woman who was his beloved home economics teacher from 37 years ago with a surprise telephone call–and later a $10,000 thank-you check.

Perz, who attended Parkway Central High School in Missouri, expressed his gratitude in a letter to Marilyn Mecham using bold letters, “You were the B-E-S-T teacher EVER!”

Students Discover Math Teacher’s Secret Identity… As Baby Cuddler

After years of working with the alumni association to search for Mrs. Mecham, he finally found her son’s phone number, which led to a January reunion.

The monetary gift included a handwritten note with implicit instructions to spend the money only on herself, noting that he’d be sad otherwise.

Mecham, now 62, was a first-year teacher in 1977 when she taught Perz and his classmates how to cook.

Fifth Grader Donates Entire $300 Savings To Stop Teacher Layoffs

She was overwhelmed by his kindness, and said she would’ve been happy with just the surprise phone call.

Perz’s penchant for mailing money to former teachers began in 1992 when he sent a $5,000 check to his former calculus teacher. Twenty years later he gave his business instructor $10,000, according to ABC News.

Honoring his gift request, Mecham plans to visit her family’s homelands of Norway and Sweden.

Mecham runs a charitable effort now and says the event made her stop and think, ‘who do I want to thank’. Additionally, her post on Facebook about the incident caused many friends and strangers to comment about the teachers in their own lives who made a difference.

MULTIPLY the Good by Sharing (below) / Photo Credits – Marilyn Mecham Twitter

75-Year-Old Jack Nicklaus Sinks Hole-in-One at Augusta (Watch)

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Terry Turner

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Apr 9, 2015

Watch @jacknicklaus makes a hole-in-one on No. 4 during the #par3contest #themasters https://t.co/R6eX1kwQo1
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2015

A winning shot at the buzzer, a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, a walk-off home run — these are the Holy Grails of their sports. But what athlete does something like that after they turn 75?

Jack Nicklaus.

The Golden Bear sank a hole-in-one at Augusta Country Club during a Masters Par-3 tournament.

Earlier in the day, he’d he joked about doing something special for his fans, even calling the shot.

“A hole-in-one?” Nicklaus said on ESPN. “Absolutely. We’ll try to get one for you.”

Nicklaus is considered the greatest golfer in history — 18 championships in 25 years, sports types are now convinced Tiger Woods will never equal him.

But in all his years playing at Augusta, Nicklaus never made a hole-in-one there, other places, but never at Augusta — probably the most prominent course in professional golf. He finally does it at the age of 75, ten years after retiring as a pro.

Teeing off at the 130-yard, fourth hole, Nicklaus drove the ball onto the green, past the flag. The ball took three bounces, then it’s spin carried it straight back into the hole. The crowd burst into applause and golfing greats Ben Crenshaw and Gary Player shared high-fives and fist-bumps with Nicklaus.

The ball and golfing glove Nicklaus used Wednesday are part of sports history now, but they’re staying in the family. The Golden Bear gave them to his grandson, Stevie.

Featured photo credit: pocketwiley, CC

5 Nonprofit Restaurants Join Jon Bon Jovi in Giving Back to Communities

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Good News Network

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Apr 8, 2015

GNN fans will already know about Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen, a pay-what-you-want restaurant in Red Bank, NJ. It opened in 2011 with no prices on the menu as a way to provide fresh food to low-income neighbors.

During the recent recession, the “SAME Cafe” in Denver opened, and so did several Panera nonprofit restaurants, none of which needed any cash registers.

Since 2011, more such charitable dining establishments have popped up around America.

From Atlanta to Los Angeles, Chicago to Manhattan, here are four more amazing nonprofit restaurants that lead by example when it comes to the delicious business of giving back.

(SEE the fabulous five in Affect Magazine) – Photo: Inspiration Kitchens, Chicago

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Homebound Elderly Across America Will Get The Gift of Puppy Love

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Good News Network

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Apr 8, 2015

Many homebound elderly people are deprived of the simple joys of puppy love, but this heartbreaking fact is about to change for some American seniors.

Lacking the financial means or physical ability to care for a pet meant they had to give up the companionship they enjoyed for so many years. Fortunately, a nonprofit called Caregiver Canines is officially going national, and will be connecting four-legged visitors with seniors in Texas and Pennsylvania beginning this week.

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After a successful six-year run using therapy dogs–many of them, adopted rescue pups–in New Jersey, the group has partnered with the National Volunteer Caregiving Network to launch pilot programs around the country. Caregiver Canines is providing them with all of the guidance and materials they need to kick the program into high gear.

“Elderly who are homebound feel the loss of a dog in their lives very deeply. They generally are life-long dog owners, but sadly, find themselves at a time in their life when their medical or financial situation does not allow them to have a pet,” explains Lynette Whiteman, the Caregiver Canines founder and director.

Whiteman works for Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, a program that assists homebound and disabled elderly with vital tasks so they can remain independent. Many of the seniors are suffering from dementia and various physical ailments, so during home visits Lynette often found it hard to engage them in conversation.

But whenever she asked if they’d had a dog, it completely changed the game.

“They would light up right away, go off to find pictures of dogs they had, and start talking about them,” said Lynette. “I thought, ‘There are therapy dogs brought into nursing homes, so why don’t we bring them into peoples’ homes?'”

One of those dogs is Daisy, a 12-year-old Cocker Spaniel who was rescued from a shelter in South Carolina. She goes with her owner, Barbara, to visit 88-year-old Violet, who is immobile because of bilateral knee replacement surgery and unable to move at home without assistance.

Violet had a Cocker Spaniel when she was a little girl, and Daisy’s visits bring back wonderful memories. Daisy always jumps up on the couch to sit right by Violet, and Violet pets her head, cuddles her, and repeats over and over how beautiful she is.

“I always had dogs, but I can’t take care of them anymore because of my knee. I’m always excited to see Daisy. She’s so sweet, she gives me all these little kisses,” said Violet. “I wish there were more people that were able to do what Barbara’s doing.”

Before leaving, Barbara always puts the date of their next visit on Violet’s calendar so she has something to look forward to.

Grieving Grandpa Surprised With a New Puppy After Wife Dies (WATCH)

“Daisy had a hard life before she was adopted. She and Violet relate to each other. They are both old and have their infirmities, but they make each other happy.”

You can help by spreading the word for the nonprofit group, Friends for Life, in Waco, Texas, which is on the hunt for therapy dogs in their area. The Share Care Faith in Action in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is also looking. These groups will have the right to use the name “Caregiver Canines” if they follow the guidelines CVCJ set up to preserve the integrity of the program and the safety of people visited.

“Many of our clients have had dogs, either growing up or in their younger years, and truly miss having a pet around,” said Lynn Marie Heiney, Executive Director of Share Care Faith In Action. “I believe receiving a visit from a therapy dog will ease people’s depression and isolation and totally brighten their lives.”

The plan is to offer the service to about 130 sites nationwide.

“It’s really exciting,” said Whiteman. “I’m so glad that other lonely people are going to be able to experience this type of joy.”

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11-yo Super Fan with Down Syndrome Becomes EU Football Treasure

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 8, 2015

This 11-year-old sports fan with Down Syndrome has had the “Best Day Ever” over and over again for a year–winning hearts on football pitches from Scotland to Greece.

A home video taken by his family in Northern Ireland (see below) shows the wild moment when his pro football hero, Georgios Samaras, announced live on Sky Sports Network that he won the “Goal of the Month” contest.

Jay Beatty is obsessed with Celtic football and he jumped at the chance in January to run on the pitch at half-time and kick a goal for his green and white “Bhoys”.

His enthusiasm won over the crowd so much that the Scottish Professional Football League entered the video into the Goal of the Month competition on YouTube in February. The lad won a record-breaking 97 percent of the vote.

“Jay doesn’t play with toys, he doesn’t play with anything, all he does is watch Celtic, look at Celtic books, look at Celtic magazines and listen to Celtics songs,” his father, Martin Beatty, told the BBC Radio Scotland.

Other magic football moments for the boy from Lurgan, County Armagh, include giving a pre-game pep talk to his favorite team in the locker room the day of his now-famous kick, and singing songs on the team bus.

Beatty first came to the attention of Glasgow Celtic players and fans when he was plucked out of the crowd by Georgios Samaras to celebrate the club’s Scottish Premiership title win on May 11, 2014. The two became friends and still keep in touch, though the striker has moved on to play for a Saudi team.

Samaras said Jay was a major inspiration to him during the World Cup in Brazil when he played for his national team, Greece. After scoring a last-minute goal to help his team advance, he thanked Jay during the post-match press conference. “I want to thank you for the strength you give me. “Your smile and your support gives strength to everyone. In the end, I want to say that I’m very, very proud that you’re my friend. So I hope to see you soon, buddy.”

Jay was thrilled to be able to see his buddy “Sammy,” not in person, but appearing on the television screen to announce his victory in the Goal of the Month contest in February, “Jay, it’s great to see you scoring goals like me… Well done on such a great job – I miss you and hope to see you soon.”

(WATCH the videos, including his reaction to win, his goal, and his hero carrying him onto the field) – Photo Credit: SPF

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Parkinson’s Pen For Patients Who Want to Keep Writing Christmas Cards

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Good News Network

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Apr 8, 2015

One of the most bothersome things about Parkinson’s Disease is when it forces your handwriting to become tiny and unreadable, even when you try your darnedest to make it look larger.

A new vibrating pen helps overcome this disorder, which is called micrographia and is one of the earliest symptoms common to almost all Parkinson’s patients. Called “ARC”, the pen improved writing in 86% of cases.

Created by Dopa Solution, the pen uses high-frequency vibrating motors to stimulate muscles in the hand to address the progressively smaller, more cramped handwriting.

11-Year-old Invents Non-spill Cup for Grandfather With Parkinson’s

Keith Welton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2010, was one of 14 people with micrographia in the original tests of the ARC prototype.

He noticed a marked difference immediately. Without the pen, he said, no matter how hard he would fight to keep his writing large, “I’d end up with virtually a straight line.” The ARC to him, was like magic.

“I started with very big writing, for some reason that I can’t explain,” he said in the Dopa video, before chuckling at the results. “It just went large.”

”We heard stories of how frustrating it was for people with Parkinson’s who were still working, or who wanted to write a card, sign documents, anything that had to do with writing,” Lucy Jung, one of the ARC designers said. “We went through lots of different possible solutions with the participants and found out that with the right frequency it increased size of the writing.”

The thick, ergonomic design of ARC makes it easy to hold. It also rests in a recharging stand when not in use so users don’t have to struggle with replacing batteries.

And this may be the first in a whole series of tools for people affected by Parkinson’s, designed by this team of mechanical engineering and design students from the Royal College of Art, Imperial College London.

“As our theory of using vibration works for other tools,” Jung told wired.co.uk. “It could be [used in] make-up tools, brushes, computer mice and other tools.”

The pen is still a prototype and the team is looking for funders, manufacturers and distributors for further development.

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Veterans Ensure Safe Passage for Chicago Kids Walking To School

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Good News Network

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Apr 7, 2015

U. S. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are keeping youngsters safe on their walk to and from school in Chicago. The successful program was born out of a most unlikely beginning — college loan debt.

Eli Williamson and Roy Sartin, both veterans and both struggling with student loan payments after leaving the service, created Leave No Veteran Behind looking for a way to help veterans pay off that debt.

“What if we were to raise dollars,” Williamson said, “apply those dollars directly to the veteran’s student loan account, and then require that veteran to give back in community service once that debt has been paid?”

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And what better community service than posting ex-Marines on the corners of Chicago’s roughest streets before and after the school bell rings each day. The “Safe Passage” program does just that, and since it’s start in 2011 nearly 400 veterans have taken part. On a typical day, as many as 130 vets and community members keep watch over Chicago neighborhoods. (See the video below)

Hakka Gurkan, a Chicago police officer and veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan came up with Safe Passage as his community service project. Gurkan not only envisioned vets keeping an eye on the kids, but also positively interacting with them. Their peacekeeping efforts cut violent crime on the gang-ridden routes by 20% in the first couple of years.

In addition to the student loan relief, the veterans are paid $10 per hour for their several hours of service each day.

“Somebody’s going to think twice because we’re there,” Whittaker said. “And because of that, there’s going to be a child that gets home safe that day.”

(WATCH the video below or READ the story at Nation Swell)