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Army Veteran Sheds Tears Of Joy As She Receives Life-Changing Surprise

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Oct 16, 2014

A single mom working two jobs to provide for her two children, US Army veteran Trista Hopkins got the surprise her life during a normal afternoon as a cafeteria worker in a Dallas middle school.

Hopkins knew something special was happening when media began arriving. She then realized the focus was on her when a man from the non-profit Rebuilding Together put his arm around her and announced that she was the recipient of their Homes 4 Heroes program, and her dilapidated home would be completely remodeled and rebuilt.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story, w/ photos, from WFAA-TV)

Photo credit: tec estromberg (CC license)

Governments Can Learn From Firestone Tires How to Stop Ebola In Africa

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Oct 16, 2014

When it comes to Ebola, the rubber met the road at the Firestone rubber plantation in Harbel, Liberia.

Harbel is a company town made up of 80,000 Firestone workers and their families surrounding the rubber plantation.

NPR News reports: “Firestone detected its first Ebola case on March 30, when an employee’s wife arrived from northern Liberia. She’d been caring for a disease-stricken woman and was herself diagnosed with the disease. Since then Firestone has done a remarkable job of keeping the virus at bay. It built its own treatment center and set up a comprehensive response that’s managed to quickly stop transmission.”

The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s team in Liberia, has hailed Firestone’s efforts as resourceful, innovative and effective.

(READ the story from NPR News)

Photo: Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia by jbdodane (CC license)

Fate Unites Two Boys Who Need New Hearts

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Oct 16, 2014

Do you believe in fate? Soul mates? Divine Intervention?

Famed surfing dog Richochet, who rides the waves with disabled or special needs children and veterans, last week formed a heartwarming threesome with two teens who were destined to meet.

Both boys have the same name, the same age, and the same heart condition. Both families wrote to Surf Dog within a day of each other.

These “cosmic cousins” are both named Jacob. They are both 19 years old, born 25 days apart. They both have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. They are both critically ill and need life saving heart transplants. Jacob Kilby lives in San Diego, and Jacob Jumper lives in Houston. The two families contacted Ricochet for assistance within 24 hours of each other (and the similarities don’t stop there).

The Surf Dog arranged for donated airfare and hotel rooms to bring together these two critically ill teens to surf on one board as “one perfect heart.”

The story is important because there is an overwhelming shortage of donors. Each day, 18 people in the United States die while waiting for organ transplants. Right now, more than 120,000 patients are on the waiting list in the United States.

Watch the video below and become inspired to make sure that everyone in your family is registered as an organ donor. REGISTER HERE.

Read more about how Judy Fridono and her surfing service dog helped bring these two boys together at SurfDogRicochet.com.

Images by Rachel Jones Photography

Ann Romney Launches Center for MS, Alzheimer’s Research

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Oct 15, 2014

“Ann Romney helped launch a major research center this week aimed at finding cures and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other devastating neurological diseases,” reports the USA Today.

The wife of the 2012 US presidential nominee, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nearly 16 years ago, will help raise $50 million for the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“Dr. Weiner gave my family and me reason to feel hopeful, inspiring us to do the same thing for others,” said Mrs. Romney. “The Center is about empowering patients, convening world-renowned scientists, and working together on new treatments and cures.”

She and her husband Mitt made an undisclosed contribution to the center, which will also tackle Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s diseases and brain tumors.

(READ more from USA Today)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore (CC license)

From Multitude of Promising Ebola Drugs, Human Trials Start

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Oct 15, 2014

While the American media continues ramping up fears about the Ebola outbreak, scientists around the world are moving swiftly to bring a multitude of promising drugs to human clinical trials. In fact, there are so many drugs in testing right now, it is hard to keep track. Here are some of the highlights from progress in Canada, the US and China.

Canadian Researchers Leading the Way

The first human trials for the Ebola vaccine, VSV-EBOV, developed by The Public Health Agency of Canada at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg began Monday at Maryland’s Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Canadian health officials said they hope to get initial results from the human trials in December and planning is already underway for the next stage of trials, to be conducted in Africa, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Medical officials said the vaccine shows “great promise” and should “prompt the immune system to produce antibodies, which then identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacteria and viruses.”

Should the vaccine prove as effective in human tests as results have been in animals, then “we could literally stop this outbreak,” a Canadian Health Minister told the Journal.

Chinese Pharma Firm Wants to Fast Track its Ebola Cure

A drug that would inhibit the Ebola virus from replicating has been under development for five years by China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences.

Last month the Chinese FDA approved JK-05 for emergency use only in military situations, based on strong preclinical and safety data. Sihuan Pharmaceutical, which partnered with the military lab, is seeking fast-track approval by the end of the year for the drug, which was shown to stop the virus in animals.

Common Link Found in the 5 Strains of Ebola

Last week, University of Utah scientists said they have isolated a potential universal drug target for Ebola that would make it easier to develop and test drugs that could treat all five known strains of the virus. The study, published in this week’s online edition of Protein Science, was funded by the US National Institutes of Health. The researchers designed peptide mimics for the unchanging region in any Ebola protein that controls entry of the virus into the human host cell, initiating infection.

US Funded Research

The US company Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. helped to fund the same Canadian research team in Winnipeg to produce ZMapp, which was successful in animal trials. Some of their research stock was used to treat two American Ebola survivors, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, and was offered to Spanish officials for a nurse who contracted the disease.

Kentucky BioProcessing has put all other projects on hold to focus on full-scale production of the drug for Mapp, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

In September, Health and Human Services announced that it had issued an 18-month contract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical for as much as $42.3 million for “the development and manufacturing of the medication ZMapp toward the goal of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.”

“It is one of several treatments under development for Ebola,” Dr. Nicole Lurie, assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said in a news release.

Another promising drug candidate, TKM-Ebola, which has been used to treat American physician Rick Sacra and other patients, was developed by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals based in Vancouver, BC, thanks largely to funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, reports the International Business Times.

Both ZMapp and TKM-Ebola have been tested on monkeys, which give a closer immune response to that of humans.

Photo credit: World Bank Photo Collection (CC license)

Norway Donates $10 million to Farmers in South Sudan

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Oct 14, 2014

Norway has donated approximately $10 million to help the UN Food and Agriculture Organization provide conflict-affected farmers, fishers and herders in South Sudan with critical livelihood support so they can feed themselves.

Norway’s gift will allow FAO to distribute emergency livelihood kits – including crop seeds, fishing tools, vegetable seeds and livestock health kits – to an additional 50,000 vulnerable households, enabling them to plant crops, fish waterways and protect livestock from critical diseases.

“Norway’s injection of funds has arrived at the right time – many families have experienced severe food insecurity for over eight months and need urgent assistance now,” said Sue Lautze, FAO’s Head of Office in South Sudan and the UN’s Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in the country. “It puts food on the table. Milk, vegetables, fish, meat – these are keeping a lot of people alive right now.”

(READ the story in Food and Agriculture Organization)

Photo by UN Photo by Albert González Farran

“Holy Letter-writing, Batman!” New Stamps Honor 75 Years

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Oct 14, 2014

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Batman this year, the US Postal Service unveiled a set of 8 limited edition stamps depicting the evolution of the iconic super hero.

Just as Batman is celebrated in Gotham City, the USPS took center stage at the New York Comic Con 2014 convention last week to showcase the new stamps that use designs from his origins, and to the present day.

In sheets of 20 stamps, four versions of the DC Comics super hero are depicted on rectangle stamps from four eras of comic book history, along with four circular emblems of the Bat-Signal.

“It’s very fitting we’re dedicating these Batman stamps during National Stamp Collecting Month, because stamp collecting played a role in young Bruce Wayne’s childhood in the 1950’s comics,” said a USPS representative from the Javits Center.

Legendary comic book illustrator and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher, Jim Lee, whose art is depicted on the Modern Age stamp said, “It is an honor to have the U.S. Postal Service feature the Caped Crusader on this new set of stamps in celebration of his 75th anniversary,” said Lee.

First appearing in the comic book Detective Comics #27, this most human of Super Heroes hit newsstands March 30, 1939, featuring artwork by Bob Kane and a script by Bill Finger.

Bruce Wayne, who shared the stamp collecting hobby with his father in the pages of comic books during the 1950s, battled some of fiction’s greatest villains using his intellect, cunning and an arsenal of gadgets to further his quest for justice.

The Batman Limited Edition stamps are being issued as Forever stamps and will be equal in value to the whatever is the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. All 80 million stamps are available nationwide today. Customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, the Postal Store, at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide or visit ebay.com/stamps to shop for a wide variety of postage stamps and collectibles.

Mark Zuckerberg Is Giving $25 Million To Fight Ebola

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Oct 14, 2014

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced plans today to donate $25 million to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Foundation to help fight Ebola.

“The Ebola epidemic is at a critical turning point. It has infected 8,400 people so far, but it is spreading very quickly and projections suggest it could infect 1 million people or more over the next several months if not addressed,” Zuckerberg said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.

“We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn’t spread further and become a long term global health crisis that we end up fighting for decades at large scale, like HIV or polio.”

“We believe our grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC and directly help the frontline responders in their heroic work. These people are on the ground setting up care centers, training local staff, identifying Ebola cases and much more.”

“We are hopeful this will help save lives and get this outbreak under control.”

Photo credit: EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (CC license)

Christian University Surprises Pizza Guy With $1200 Tip & Standing Ovation

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Good News Network

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Oct 14, 2014

The lesson at Indiana Wesleyan University’s Wednesday morning chapel service attended by its 3,000 residential students last week perhaps made an impact like no other before.

The administrator for Residential Education, Keith Newman, wanted students to remember the quote, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone,” and had a plan for demonstrating how that would feel.

He ordered two pizzas from Domino’s to be delivered to the university chapel. He then passed collection baskets around for students to offer a cash tip or write an encouraging note to show their appreciation for his service.

The unsuspecting deliveryman, James Gilpin, a father of two, was asked to come on the stage. As the students stood and cheered, Newman presented him with $1,248 in tips and a bag containing hundreds of inspirational notes.

“It started out as a lesson about making a difference in the lives of others,” the school wrote on their Facebook page, but the news has spread far beyond the school in Marion, Indiana.

The Domino’s worker said the notes made him feel especially good, and the money would go toward fixing his car, home improvements and buying Christmas gifts for his two young children.

Ironically, Dr. Newman was worried about having to follow a highly emotional chapel service presented days earlier. He joked to fellow administrators that he was “going to have to follow that with pizza.”

“We didn’t know what he was going to do,” said Alan Miller, the Public Relations Director for the school who said they didn’t try to publicize the unusual service at all.

“Students started tweeting about it and a local news channel picked up on the story and called us for interviews,” Miller told the Good News Network by phone.

Newman himself missed basking in his fifteen minutes of fame at the school, having flown directly to China after his talk. It’s likely they will still be talking about it when he gets home.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from ABC-7)

Photo used with permission of Indiana Wesleyan University

H&M Partners With UN to Improve Garment Industry Labor Practices

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Oct 13, 2014

The United Nations International Labour Organization announced a unique partnership last month with retail giant H&M to promote sustainable global supply chains in the garment industry.

The new partnership with the world’s second largest clothing retailer will focus on industrial relations and wages, training and skills development for workers at H&M source factories, as well as strengthening employers’ and workers’ organizations in the global garment industry.

The cooperation between the ILO and H&M dates back to 2001, when H&M joined the agency’s Better Factories program in Cambodia. In 2013, the cooperation was expanded to specifically address industrial relations and wages, which were raised for workers in Bangladesh by 75%.

Although prior to the tragedy, H&M had rejected proposals that could have closed factories, after the 2013 Savar building collapse, H&M and other retailers signed on to the Accord on Factory and Building Safety in Bangladesh to improve conditions.

In November 2013, H&M’s global head of sustainability committed to paying all textile workers “living wages” by 2018, but stating that governments are responding too slowly to poor working conditions in Bangladesh and other Asian countries.

Intended to establish an innovative model for other brands in the global garment industry, the new agreement expands the sustainable efforts to a larger number of countries, until the end of 2018.

Founded in 1947 in Sweden, H&M owns more than 2,600 retail clothing stores in 53 countries. Its production is outsourced to approximately 800 factories in Europe and Asia.

(READ the report from the UN News)

Photo credit: Simon A (CC license)

Strangers Pay Thousands to Restore Soldier’s Classic Car

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Oct 13, 2014

For years, an Iraq war veteran had been paying little by little to have his classic 1965 Mustang restored. He bought the car in 2005 after his first tour of duty in Iraq.

A Houston couple heard about the soldier’s quest and decided to surprise him, paying for the vehicle to be completed.

A crowd gathered at the auto body shop for the big reveal, when Sgt. Kelly Foster thought he was just going to see the latest incremental changes.

Margaret and Timor Martin got together about 35 friends and everyone pitched in. “We wanted to kind of pay it forward for someone who has served this country.”

(WATCH the video below, or READ the story from KHOU-TV – NOTE* sound auto-plays there so adjust your speakers)

Photo credit: Joe deSousa (CC license) – Story tip from Mieka Wenner

Food Scrap Recycling Business in Texas is Bike-Powered

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Oct 13, 2014

A bike-powered business in Austin, Texas diverts nearly 100 tons of restaurant and residential food scraps to community gardens.

East Side Compost Pedallers from homes and 20 local businesses, diverting biodegradable waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

The company has reaped tens of thousands of pound of nutrient-rich compost for local organic farmers and gardeners.

They say on their blog that the business grew by 10 percent in July alone.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story from Good magazine)

Photo: Screen grab, YouTube video posted by CentralTexasGardener

Teen Invents Device to Detect Alzheimer’s Patient Wandering at Night

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Oct 13, 2014

15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka, whose grandfather has advanced Alzheimer’s, has invented a pressure sensor that when worn on the bottom of the foot or with a sock can send an alert to a caregiver’s smartphone.

”Not only did Shinozuka come up with the gadget from scratch and teach himself how to make it, but he’s also beta testing it on patients at an assisted living facility in Irvine, California,” reports NBC News.

His gadget has already won him a $50,000 prize and “Science in Action” award from Scientific American Magazine.

Eventually the young engineer wants to work as a neuroscientist to “solve some of the mysteries of the brain, and invent tools to ultimately, I think, cure Alzheimer’s.”

(WATCH the video from NBC Nightly News below)

Magician Rips Up Homeless Man’s Sign… Then Delivers $35K Surprise

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Oct 13, 2014

A Las Vegas magician has done tricks for homeless people before, but not like this one.

On October 1, Rob Anderson posted a video on YouTube showing him ripping up a sign held by a man who only wants to make people smile.

”I kept hearing about this homeless veteran here on the streets who apparently only wants to make people smile – even if they didn’t give him any money,” Anderson said in the beginning of the video.

Out of the torn pieces of the sign, he made it “rain” money.

The veteran, named Alan McCracken, was delighted.

So many viewers on YouTube were impressed by the man’s courteous demeanor and kind mission for cheering others that the magician decided to set up a fundraising page to help. (Watch the video and read what happens next below.)

Alan McCracken is a United States Army veteran who proudly served his country for 6 years before being honorably discharged. After his service ended, he fell on hard times and wound up homeless, living on the streets and eventually making his way to Las Vegas. He can often be seen downtown holding a large sign that says “SMILE.”

“Since filming the video, I have located Alan again and gotten to know him. He is just as kind in person as he appears in the video. After speaking with Alan, he told me “I’m not out here to fill my pockets… I’m out here to fill my soul. The Lord will provide what I need”.

“Alan does not do any drugs, and is proud to tell you about overcoming alcoholism much earlier in life. He would love to find a job, but as he explained to me, it’s difficult to find a job when you don’t have a home to clean yourself up in, or a decent change of clothes to wear.”

Because he is so deserving of assistance, Anderson, whose brother is currently an active military member, started a fund for Alan to provide him with an apartment for 6 months, food, new clothes for job interviews, and basic necessities.

In just a few days the fund has passed its goal of raising $35,000, with almost 1600 donors pitching in money. One anonymous donor today gave $1,000.

A man named Edward Lee posted a non-specified job offer for Alan, and his nephew even saw the photo and exclaimed, “That is my Uncle Al, who has a heart of gold.” One commenter on the page said Alan has received a place to stay and is currently off the street.

You can get the latest updates on the fund and donate to help Alan here, on GoFundMe.

– Story tip from Scott Everett

Volunteers Clean Up Sandbar for Eagles Raising Young There

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Good News Network

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Oct 12, 2014

“About 20 people gathered Saturday morning on the bank of the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh to turn a messy sandbar into a paradise” for the bald eagles.

The eagles have been using the sandbar to stage their hunting and teach their young how to hunt and fish.

(Source: The Pittsburgh Gazette)

Photo: Catching a Fish, by Joby Joseph (CC license)

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