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When Farmer Saw His Community Needed a New Road, He Picked Up His Tools and Built One Himself

By
McKinley Corbley
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When this 44-year-old farmer saw people in his village struggling to maneuver their long and winding roads, he took it upon himself to make a shortcut.

Nicholas Muchemi is a coffee and tea farmer in the Kenyan village of Kaganda who used his own tools to carve out a new quarter-mile stretch of road in the area.

Prior to Muchemi embarking on his labor of love, villagers were forced to take a much longer route around the steep hills—now, children use the newly-dubbed “Muchemi Road” to get to school; mothers travel shorter distances to get to the nearby market; and neighbors can easily hike to the church at the top of hill.

Every day for several long summer weeks, Muchemi would finish his daily farm work and spend each of his evenings forging the road.

LOOK: When Young Man Sees Broken Stop Sign, He Spends His Lunch Break Holding it Up in the Heat

Once it was finished, Muchemi says that he was not expecting to receive anything in return—but the neighbors were quick to shower him with gratitude. Not only that, the local government thanked the intrepid farmer by giving him a new cow and a roof for his house. They have also promised to gravel and maintain the road in his honor.

When asked about why he did it, Muchemi simply told USA Today: “I was born with the ability to do this. I also love what I do and I like helping my community. I’m an adult and I had to do something to help people and solve their problems.

“I feel overjoyed that I did work that makes everyone happy,” he concluded with a smile.

(WATCH the video below) – Feature photo by Ndagìtarì Kìnyùngū Mìcheke Jnr

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Flight Crew and Passengers in First Class All Welcome Boy With Autism During Mid-Flight Meltdown

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McKinley Corbley
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When a 4-year-old boy with autism began having a meltdown on a United Airlines flight last month, his mother was astonished by the kindness shown to them by the passengers and crew.

Lori Gabriel says that her son Braysen usually loves to fly—but on this particular flight from San Diego to Houston, the boy was having a hard time.

As the flight attendants were preparing for takeoff, Braysen refused to sit in his seat.

“It was impossible to restrain him. He was fighting both me and his father,” Gabriel told CNN. “It took the both of us to try to get him back to his chair and get his seat belt back on. He started kicking, screaming and hitting.

RELATED: Mom Overwhelmed With Gratitude When Hotel Manager Befriends Autistic Boy Wanting to Show Off His Card Tricks

“That’s when a flight attendant came over and told us the flight couldn’t take off until he was seated. I told her the boy has autism, we’re trying, give us a minute.”

Gabriel and her husband were still struggling to restrain their son when the flight attendant suddenly returned with two other crew members and earnestly asked how they could help.

For starters, the flight attendants allowed Braysen to sit on Gabriel’s lap for takeoff. Once the seatbelt sign turned off, the boy began kicking and screaming again because he wanted to sit on the floor.

LOOK: When Boy With Autism Was Overwhelmed By First Day of School, Kind Classmate Soothed Him

According to his mother, this is because the vibrations of the plane help to soothe him when he is overstimulated—so the crew members invited him to sit on the floor next to their seats.

Braysen eventually moved to sit on the floor in first class where he began kicking a man’s seat.

“Braysen seemed happy there, so we didn’t want to move him,” Gabriel continued telling CNN. “So I told the man ‘I’m sorry,’ but he said he didn’t mind, he introduced himself to Braysen and gave him high fives. He said, ‘He can kick my chair, I don’t care.’”

The first class passengers and flight attendants then spent the rest of the flight chatting with Braysen, showing him pictures, and encouraging him to sit wherever he wanted.

CHECK OUT: Mom Rains Praise On Airplane Passenger for Showing Compassion Towards Her Autistic Son Flying Solo

Not only that, an off-duty United Airlines flight attendant who had been a passenger on the flight hugged Gabriel after the plane landed and gave her handwritten note of appreciation.

The note read: “Do not ever let anyone make you feel as though you are an inconvenience or a burden. He is a blessing. God bless your patience, your love, your support, and your strength. Continue to be superwoman and know that you and your family are loved and supported.”

Overwhelmed with gratitude for the passengers and attendants, Gabriel made a Facebook post praising everyone for their compassion—and it ended up being shared more than 1,000 times.

“I’m just overwhelmed from all this kindness, it makes me want to cry,” she told CNN. “For the first time, people have been very understanding and helpful about Braysen’s autism … It gives me a lot of hope for the future.”

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“A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.” –Tom Stoppard

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.” – Tom Stoppard

Photo: by Jackie Finn-Irwin, CC License, cropped

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

 

‘I’m in heaven’: Homeless Man Reunited With Family After 24 Years of Separation, Thanks to Transit Police

By
McKinley Corbley
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It had been 24 years since this homeless man had seen his two daughters—but thanks to some compassionate police officers, he was finally reunited with his family last week.

61-year-old José Lopez lost contact with his family after he moved to Miami, Florida and suffered a series of strokes which left him homeless.

Earlier this month, he spent all of the money in his social security account so he could finally travel to New Jersey to try and find his family.

Upon arriving at Secaucus Junction, however, Lopez’s mental health issues left him unable to recall very much information about the whereabouts of his daughters; he only knew that their location involved Bradley Beach.

Thankfully, he was soon discovered by a crisis outreach staffer and brought to the NJ Transit Police Department for help.

RELATED: Frantic Trucker Miraculously Reunited With Cat Co-pilot After Posting Photo to Obscure Online Forum

After Lopez explained his predicament, NJ Transit Officer Sean Pfeifer took it upon himself to track down the man’s family.

Pfeifer called more than two dozen different phone numbers in the Bradley Beach area until, as fate would have it, he ended up leaving a voicemail on the answering machine of Lopez’s daughter. She later returned Pfeifer’s call and arranged for her and her sister to reunite with their long-lost father.

Pfeifer then paid for Lopez to get a shave, haircut, and new clothes before he was finally brought face-to-face with his family—and the reunion was definitely a happy one.

 

Not only did Lopez get to see his daughters again, he also got to meet the grandkids he never knew he had.

“I’m thinking I’m in heaven,” he later told reporters. “I got my two best girls [back].”

Lopez is now being cared for by his doting daughters until they can find him permanent housing close to their home. Additionally, police officers have helped to enroll him in a mental health program for extra support.

(WATCH the emotional interview below—OR for viewers outside the USA, click here to see the video on the CBS website)

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

By
McKinley Corbley
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Photo by WeWalk

This electronic walking stick is revolutionizing the way that blind people can navigate the world.

As a means of protecting people from low-hanging objects and obstacles above chest level, the WeWalk smart cane uses ultrasonic sensors to warn the user of nearby hindrances through vibrations in the handle.

The cane can be paired with a smartphone’s Bluetooth system for easy control. Since it is also integrated with Voice Assistant and Google Maps software, it can use built-in speakers to inform the user of nearby stores and infrastructural details that they may not be able to see.

WeWalk CEO and co-founder Kursat Ceylan, who is also blind, told CNN that he helped to develop the cane out of a desire to use modern technology as a tool for the visually impaired.

WATCH: Hundreds of People Are Being Cured of Blindness Every Day With Cheap, Minutes-Long Surgery

“In these days we are talking about flying cars, but these people have been using just a plain stick,” he told the news outlet.

“As a blind person, when I am at the Metro station I don’t know which is my exit … I don’t know which bus is approaching … [or] which stores are around me. That kind of information can be provided with the WeWalk.”

The WeWalk is currently being sold for $500 a pop. As the Turkish tech startup gains more traction, the developers hope to eventually pair it with ridesharing apps and transportation services to further improve its navigational abilities.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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Woman Opens Her Home to 97 Rescue Dogs to Protect Them From Hurricane Dorian

By
McKinley Corbley
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With Hurricane Dorian wrecking havoc on the Bahamas, dozens of dogs have been given food, safety, and shelter thanks to one compassionate woman.

Chella Phillips has taken 97 homeless and abandoned dogs into her Nassau home since the storm hit the island this week.

According to a series of Facebook posts, Phillips says that 79 of these dogs are staying in the massive master bedroom of her home—but as long as the pups are kept safe from the elements, she doesn’t mind sharing her living quarters.

RELATED: Man Bought School Bus to Rescue Shelter Pets During Hurricanes, Saving 64 During Florence

“It has been insane since last night, pooping and peeing non-stop, but at least they are respecting my bed and nobody has dared to jump in,” wrote Phillips.

Though the island was subjected to flooding and Phillips has been working around the clock to keep the house dry, she says the dogs are safe.

Additionally, since Phillips launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finance her animal refuge, it has raised $73,000—which is more than three times her original goal.

 

This is not the first time that Phillips has shown compassion towards Bahamian canines. Over the course of the last 15 years, she has helped more than 1,000 homeless dogs on the islands and found homes for 200 dogs in the United States.

She now hopes that—as her story is shared across news outlets and social media—her posts will help get the rescued pups into loving forever homes.

LOOK: Cyclist Carries Injured Stray Dog to Safety On His Back, Then Bumps into a Stranger Who Instantly Adopts it

“Watching a movie with cuddles on the couch is impossible when there are so many chores to be done,” she wrote on the crowdfunding page. “Each and every one should get their personal time to savor the feeling of being cherished. They all want nothing more than to love, and be loved; to feel safe and secure, with their basic needs met.

“I need you all for financial support to continue helping this island’s homeless, [but] just as importantly, I need your help to find forever homes for my babies.”

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Mexican Scientist Makes Edible, Biodegradable New Form of Plastic Out of Cactus Leaves

By
McKinley Corbley
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Photo by University of Valle de Atemajac
Photo by Sandra Pascoe Ortiz

A Mexican scientist has developed a sustainable new form of biodegradable plastic out of cactus juice.

Professor Sandra Pascoe Ortiz concocted her brilliant formula at the University of Valle de Atemajac. By using a few leaves from the nopal cactus and some non-toxic additives, Ortiz made the plastic so that it begins to degrade after sitting in soil for just one month. When submerged in water, it degrades in a matter of days.

Her mixture is so eco-friendly, it can safely be digested by humans and animals alike—although she told BBC that it doesn’t taste very good.

This new formula is particularly exciting because—in contrast to corn-based plastic—cacti can grow in harsh, arid environments with little to no maintenance or excessive resources.

RELATED: Scientists Are Replacing Plastic With Algae, a Revolutionary Idea That Can Suck Carbon Out of the Air

Since there are more than 300 native species of nopal cactus in Mexico, Ortiz is now conducting further research to identify which cactus species are most effective for the mixture.

It currently takes Ortiz and her team about ten days to brew up a new batch of the eco-friendly plastic, but she believes the process can be sped up with the help of industrial production—which why she is now collaborating with several companies to implement the procedure on a larger scale and bring the plastic to a commercial market.

“I believe that it is never too late to start changing things,” Ortiz told Forbes. “Every day there is a new opportunity to do things better, so if we each do what we have to do, there is another opportunity to reverse all the damage we have done to the planet.”

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Feature photo by University of Valle de Atemajac

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

By
McKinley Corbley
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Despite how Cale Wrenn had been having trouble during his first few days of high school, a couple of compassionate upperclassmen helped to turn it around.

The 14-year-old freshman had been struggling to make friends at Reidsville High School in North Carolina—and it didn’t help that some of the other students were picking on him for being short.

LOOK: When Boy With Autism Was Overwhelmed By First Day of School, Kind Classmate Soothed Him

Cale expressed his frustration to his older sister Leah Edwards, saying that he had been forced to eat lunch by himself because some kids thought he “was a loser”.

Leah was heartbroken by her brother’s predicament—so she took some screenshots of their text conversation and posted them to Twitter, asking her followers to send messages of reassurance to Cale.

 

Not only did the youngster receive a slew of encouragement from social media users, Leah’s post also caught the eye of a few high school seniors.

Demontez Canada, who is a member of the football and basketball teams, told WLKY: “We decided to catch [Cale] off guard at lunch and have lunch with him and show him around the school and make sure he was OK and give him new friends.”

True to his word, Demontez—along with several other members of the basketball team and the school’s Boys to Men Club—sat with Cale at lunch and took him under their wing.

 

Cale was stunned by the students’ kindness, but he says he is incredibly grateful for their intervention.

“It felt really nice to know that there are people who care,” he told the news outlet.

He now hopes that his story will help other bullied kids to keep their chin up and remember that things do get better.

 

After he and his new friends were interviewed by local reporters, he also made sure to thank his beloved sister for what turned out to be “probably the best experience” of his life.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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“I intend to live forever. So far, so good.” – Steven Wright

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “I intend to live forever. So far, so good.” – Steven Wright

Photo: by Nithi Anand, CC License, cropped

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

 

Governor Intervened So Mom Could Keep Her Hilarious License Plate

By
McKinley Corbley
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Photo by Wendy Auger

For 15 years, Wendy Auger’s license plate has brought laughter and smiles to her fellow motorists—so when she received a warning letter about her tags being too inappropriate, she was flabbergasted.

Most families are familiar with the golden rule of road trips: always use the bathroom before you leave so your parents don’t have to pull over at a rest stop ten minutes into the journey.

That’s why Auger, who is a mother-of-four from New Hampshire, made her car’s vanity plate say “PB4WEGO”.

LOOK: Couple Fights Lawsuit Until Judge Rules They Can Keep Their “Starry Night” Home

“[People] think it’s funny,” she told TODAY. “I get thumbs-ups, honks on the highway, people yelling ‘Awesome plate!’ in drive-through lines. It brings a chuckle and a smile to the people who can figure it out.”

Despite the plate’s popularity, however, Auger received a letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in early August saying that her plate was being revoked for referring to “excretory acts”.

Auger was bewildered by the bureaucratic demand, but she wasted no time in appealing the recall.

Photo by Wendy Auger

Thankfully, she received an unexpected ally in her fight to keep her family’s beloved plate.

A few days into Auger’s appeal, Governor Chris Sununu had been out grocery shopping when a friend told him about the kerfuffle—and he immediately contacted the DMV about letting the mom keep her plates.

“Upon this being brought to my attention, I reached out to the Division of Motor Vehicles and strongly urged them to allow Wendy to keep the license plate she has had for the last 15 years,” Sununu said in a statement. “I recently left a message on her phone to share the good news that her plate will not be recalled.”

RELATED: Dad Has Been Using His Town’s Roadside Message Board to Make Thousands of People Laugh

Needless to say, Auger was thankful for the intervention.

“I’m glad, now that there’s been a resolution,” she told TODAY. “It makes me happy, but I was still shocked … it’s just crazy.

“I mean, I could see if it was offensive in some manner, but clearly in 15 years I haven’t offended anybody with the plate,” she added.

A Little Common Sense For All: Be Sure And Share The Happy Ending With Your Friends On Social Media…

For the First Time Ever, Canadians Use Crowdfunding to Buy Up Land For New Protected Public Park

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McKinley Corbley
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For the first time ever, a crowdfunding campaign has raised enough money to buy out a new swath of Canadian wilderness as a protected park.

More than $3 million was raised through individual donations to protect 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of the Princess Louisa Inlet on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast.

The crowdfunding campaign was launched by the BC Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that works in collaboration with BC Parks to protect the province’s pristine landscapes. After several months of fundraising, the last chunk of donations needed to purchase the land from a private seller came in just before the campaign’s deadline last week.

MORE: First US National Park to Offer Heavy-Duty Wheelchairs for Disabled Visitors to Enjoy the Scenery

Once the sale is finalized, the land will be transferred to BC Parks for conversion into a Class A Provincial Park so it will be forever protected from logging and development.

BC Parks Foundation CEO Andrew Day wrote a letter to the campaign’s supporters thanking them for their “miraculous” success.

“We still have to finalize the sale with the vendor (now September 3rd), and there are more steps to come, but in donating the funds you have scaled a substantial peak on this amazing expedition,” wrote Day.

RELATED: Park Rangers Hailing Little Girl as a ‘Steward’ of Nature After She Returned a Rock With an Apology Note

“We know people want to keep B.C. beautiful, and we know our parks are the core of our identity. They are our cathedrals, our towers, our pyramids; the wonders of our world. But we couldn’t have predicted such a fabulous outpouring in such a short time from so many different people and places. We are in a state of awe and gratitude.

“We will keep you posted when the deal is finalized. Any funds that continue to come in will be put in our Parks Bank to protect more areas in Princess Louisa and British Columbia,” he concluded.

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When 16-Year-old Missed Jonas Brothers Concert for Chemo, They Surprise Her at the Hospital

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McKinley Corbley
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Social media users are burning up with love for the Jonas Brothers after they took some time out of their busy concert schedule to surprise a 16-year-old fan undergoing chemotherapy.

Lily Jordan was supposed to be seeing the boy band perform in Hershey, Pennsylvania this week. Instead, she found herself stuck at the Penn State Children’s Hospital for cancer treatments.

Since she was heartbroken over missing the concert, she made an Instagram post to express her dismay and jokingly invite the Jo Bros to her hospital room.

RELATED: Woman Who Used Metallica Song to Scare Off a Hungry Cougar Gets Unexpected Call From Band’s Frontman

“I was supposed to be at your Hershey concert tomorrow but instead I’m across the street doing chemo,” wrote Lily. “If y’all wanted to pop in, I’ll give you my room number.”

To her surprise, the post was shared across social media until the Jonas Brothers’ media feed was filled with requests for them to visit Lily.

Even Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry made a Facebook post for the youngster, saying: “Our good friend Lily is fighting for her life in Hershey tonight, and so badly wanted to see the Jonas Brothers tomorrow night at Hershey Park, but can’t because of her urgent treatment. If there is anyway for them to visit her, we are lifting up her hopes and our prayers for help.”

 

In response to the social media posts, the Jonas Brothers then stopped by Lily’s hospital room to say hi before their show—and the youngster could barely contain her excitement.

Penn State later posted a video of the encounter to Facebook, and it has already been viewed thousands of times.

“Wow. The power of social media, you guys,” Lily wrote on Instagram. “YOU did this. YOU made my crappy chemo session into something incredibly special and unforgettable. Literally made my life.”

(WATCH the video below)

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Say Goodbye to Temporary Fillings: Scientists Successfully Use a Gel to Regrow Tooth Enamel

By
McKinley Corbley
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Pixabay
Photo by Zhejiang University / Science Advance

Dental fillings may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to this latest breakthrough from Chinese scientists.

Enamel is the mineralized substance that protects the surface of teeth. Though it is one of the toughest tissues in our bodies, it is prone to degradation over time particularly as a result of consistent exposure to certain acids that are found in food and drinks.

We currently use resins and ceramics to fill in deteriorated enamel, but these fillings can often become loose within just a few years of their placement—and with tooth decay being one of the most prevalent chronic diseases amongst humans, scientists have puzzled over how they can recreate enamel.

Until now, we have not been able to reproduce the toughened tissue because of its complex cellular structure—but a team of researchers from Zhejiang University School of Medicine has developed a gel that makes enamel repair itself.

RELATED: Scientists Activate Stem Cells to Make Hair Grow

The researchers mixed calcium and phosphate ions—two minerals found in enamel—into an alcoholic solution with the organic compound trimethylamine and applied it to damaged tooth samples. Over the course of 48 hours, the gel helped to create a new layer of enamel about 3 micrometers thick.

The team now plans on testing their technique in the complex biological environment of the human mouth, and they plan on launching clinical trials sometime in the next one to two years.

“Our newly regenerated enamel has the same structure and similar mechanical properties as native enamel,” said Dr Zhaoming Liu, a co-author of the study which was published in the journal Science Advances this week.

CHECK OUT: Good Dental Health ‘Substantially’ Decreases Risk of Alzheimer’s, Says Study

“We hope to realize tooth enamel regrowth without using fillings which contain totally different materials and we hope, if all goes smoothly, to start trials in people within one to two years.”

Not only might it be possible to use the gel for the repair of decayed parts of a tooth, but it could be a preventative technique used to regenerate the protective enamel so decay is never again a problem.

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Awestruck Police Officer Snaps Photo of Teen Using His Jacket to Shield an Older Woman From the Rain

By
McKinley Corbley
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Photo by Independence Police Department

A compassionate teenager is being praised for helping an older woman get to her car amidst the pouring rain after an awestruck police officer posted a photo of the good deed to social media.

Officer Joe Holt with the Independence Police Department in Missouri had been sitting in his parked car so he could enjoy a bite to eat earlier this week when he saw the youngster jump into action.

Upon noticing an older woman walking to her vehicle in the downpour, the youngster hopped out of his mother’s van, took off his jacket, and used it to help keep the woman dry until she got to her car.

Holt was so impressed by the teen’s kindness, he snapped a photo of the gesture and approached the teen’s mother so he could thank her for raising such a compassionate young man.

WATCH: As Disabled Man Frantically Wheels Himself Home Before Tornado, Teen Hops Out of His Car to Help

“She teared up pretty good. It was a moment between the both of us. I mean I teared up a little bit. I’m a parent as well. So, I told her that I was very impressed with him and that he should be proud,” Holt told WDAF in the interview below.

Since Holt published the photo to the Independence Police Department Facebook page, it has been shared thousands of times. He now hopes that the post will reach the boy and his mother so he can take the teen out to dinner as a thank you for his kindness.

“This kid cared less about race, religion or color. The only thing this kid cared about was being kind,” wrote Holt. “Kiddo, if you see me on the street again, this guy owes you a dinner. You ever need anything, I will come running to ya.”

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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“A hundred times every day, I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead.” – Albert Einstein

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “A hundred times every day, I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead.” – Albert Einstein

Photo: by ILO Asia-Pacific, CC License, cropped

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

 

People Are Falling in Love With How Lebanese Grandma Pronounces Famous English Words

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Good News Network
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An adorable Lebanese grandmother has managed to rack up thousands of international fans since she and her grandson made a video of her English pronunciation.

In the video, Georges Nassar can be heard asking his 84-year-old grandma Janette Jreije to try and say everything from celebrity names like “Justin Bieber” to car brands such as “Mercedes Benz”.

“It makes me laugh because we all make mistakes while speaking English,” says Georges.

Based on the footage of him and his favorite octogenarian, it seems they are more than happy to share their laughter with the world.

(WATCH the video by geonvlogs below)

WATCH More of GNN’s Funny Videos on our Laughs Page.

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Preventing Mosquito Bites And the Disease That Killed 445,000 People in 2016 By Using Graphene-Lined Clothing

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Good News Network
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Photo by Hurt Lab/Brown University

Nearly half the world’s population is at risk for mosquito–transmitted malaria, which actually killed nearly 445,000 people in 2016.

Now, researchers have come up with a way to drastically reduce the frequency of mosquito bites through the use of graphene-lined clothing, which would help stop the spread of deadly diseases like malaria.

The scientists from Brown University discovered that the super-thin and incredibly strong material blocks the odors of sweat which compel the blood-sucking insects to bite.

While also incorporating breathability into the fabric, testing revealed that the material is also too strong for mosquitoes to bite through.

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“There’s a lot of interest in non-chemical mosquito bite protection,” said the study’s senior author Professor Robert Hurt who is leading the clothing’s development team.

“We had been working on fabrics that incorporate graphene as a barrier against toxic chemicals—and we started thinking about what else the approach might be good for. We thought maybe graphene could provide mosquito bite protection as well.”

Photo by Hurt Lab/Brown University

His research team compared the number of bites that participants received on their bare skin, compared to volunteers who had their skin covered in cheesecloth and on skin covered by graphene oxide (GO) films sheathed in cheesecloth.

The researchers were surprised to discover that the mosquitoes completely changed their behavior in the presence of the graphene-covered arm.

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Study author Cintia Castilho, a Ph.D. student at the university in Rhode Island, said: “With the graphene, the mosquitoes weren’t even landing on the skin patch—they just didn’t seem to care.

“We had assumed that graphene would be a physical barrier to biting, through puncture-resistance, but when we saw these experiments we started to think that it was also a chemical barrier that prevents mosquitoes from sensing that someone is there.”

The researchers found mosquitoes flocked to areas of graphene barrier dabbed with some human sweat, which confirmed it worked as a chemical barrier. Further tests showed GO was puncture-resistant to mosquito bites, but only when it was dry.

MORE: Broccoli Isn’t Just Good For You—Scientists Find It Holds Molecule That Could Be the ‘Achilles’s Heel’ of Cancer

Another form of GO with reduced oxygen content called rGO was shown to provide a bite barrier while it was both wet and dry, but since it wasn’t particularly breathable, the researchers are now trying to find a way to stabilize the GO so that it’s tougher when wet.

“GO is breathable, meaning you can sweat through it, while rGO isn’t,” said Hurt. “So our preferred embodiment of this technology would be to find a way to stabilize GO mechanically so that is remains strong when wet.

“This next step would give us the full benefits of breathability and bite protection.”

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Husband-Wife Duo Has Developed ‘Gene and Cell Therapy’ Cancer Vaccine Now Being Tested on Patients

By
McKinley Corbley
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Michael and Patricia Lawman have been working for years to develop a vaccine that can treat multiple forms of cancer without any side effects—and after a series of successful trials, the vaccine is being tested on humans.

Rather than developing a preventative vaccine that would protect the human body against quickly-mutating cancer cells, the Lawmans have combined gene and cell therapy to develop a “therapeutic” vaccine.

Modern immunotherapy treatments, such as CAR-T cell therapy, generally work by reprogramming a patient’s own cells to recognize and attack a specific kind of cancer cell. However, the immune system is not always able to catch every cancer cell.

On the other hand, the “ImmuneFx” therapeutic vaccine designed by the Lawmans is injected directly into a tumor so that the cancer cells are forced to present a specific bacterial antigen on their surface that makes them easily identifiable to the immune system.

RELATED: He Was Called Foolish for His Research—Now Documentary Tells How He Won Nobel Prize for ‘Cancer Cure’

“We put this gene into a patient’s tumor cells and because there is a proprietary sequence within this protein, it is actually expressed on the surface of the tumor cell where it acts like a big red flag to the immune system,” Patricia told CEOCFO.

Patricia and Michael reportedly began their research in 1995 after they left the Walt Disney Memorial Cancer Institute in order to launch their Tampa-based company Morphogenesis.

Over the years, they have worked with veterinary partners to test the vaccine on naturally-occurring cancers in 430 cats, dogs, and horses. Not only did their tests prove that the treatment was safe, one of their studies showed that the vaccine dramatically reduced the amount of tumors in 77% of the horses tested.

CHECK OUT: New ‘Trojan Horse’ Cancer Drug Successfully Treats Patients With 6 Different Kinds of Lethal Tumors

In November 2018, Morphogenesis partnered with the Moffitt Cancer Center in order to conduct clinical trials on six human patients suffering from stage three and stage four melanoma; although the Lawmans are confident that the vaccine could work on any form of cancerous tumor.

Once the phase-one trials are concluded next year, the ImmuneFx vaccine will likely be tested on 160 more patients—particularly in conjunction with additional cancer therapies—in a number of clinics across the country.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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9-Year-old Double Amputee to Make History on ‘New York Fashion Week’ Catwalk

By
Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

A 9-year-old British schoolgirl is set to make history after she becomes the first child double amputee to walk the catwalk at New York Fashion Week.

Daisy-May Demetre has been chosen as a model for the French-inspired fashion line Lulu et Gigi Couture after its founder saw her modeling in London.

Her appearance at the prestigious New York Fashion Week on September 8th will mark the first time a young double amputee has starred in the show.

LOOK: Hearts Are Melting Over Little Girl Admiring a Beauty Ad Depicting Woman in a Wheelchair

The Birmingham schoolgirl is also set to strut her stuff in Paris Fashion Week at the end of next month.

Daisy-May’s legs were amputated as a result of being born with fibular hemimelia, a birth defect in which part of the fibular bone in the leg is missing.

Her parents, Alex and Claire Demetre, were shocked to learn of her condition after a doctor consulted a baby scan and informed them that the child would “have no legs”.

SWNS

Her parents Alex and Claire were given the difficult choice of either watching Daisy-May grow up with deformed feet that she wouldn’t be able to use or allowing doctors to perform a double amputation.

Hoping prosthetics would give her a better quality of life, she had the bottom of both limbs removed when she was just 18 months old.

WATCH: He Built His Own Prosthetic Out of LEGOS and Hopes to Provide Cheap Solutions for Others Who Need a Hand

Her parents never dreamed that their daughter would go on to become a fearless gymnast, as well as a model for Boden, Britain’s largest clothing catalogue.

“We didn’t know at the time that Daisy-May would be as good as she is now,” said Alex. “At the time, I was pretty isolated myself—I had a drinking problem and gambling addictions.

SWNS

“That has all changed—and that’s down to her taking each day with a big smile on her face,” he added. “She motivates me and I motivate her.”

Daisy-May got her big break in modeling as a result of Alex watching TV on his day off. He saw a feature from Zebedee Management, a modeling agency which casts children with disabilities in ad campaigns, and got in touch with them on a whim.

WATCH: Blind 6-Year-old ‘Prodigy’ Who Taught Himself to Play Piano Has Become an Internet Star

Since taking up modeling, Daisy-May has also worked for Nike and Matalan, and represented Lulu et Gigi at London Kids’ Fashion Week.

Daisy-May’s career has since sky-rocketed in popularity, and she has been inundated with interest from people wanting to cast her in modeling projects and advertisements.

 

Lulu et Gigi founder Eni Hegedűs-Buiron said: “For me, a child is a child and thus is beautiful and perfect,” she added.

Alex, meanwhile, says that he couldn’t be more proud of his daughter.

“[Daisy is] going to be making a little bit of history,” he boasted. “It is a good thing she is first to do it, but going forward, we want child amputees to be modeling at these shows all the time.

 

“Disability doesn’t stop you; it definitely doesn’t stop Daisy. She is fitter than most grown men I know.

“But the modeling doesn’t define her, it is just a part of what does,” he added. “She just does Daisy, the way she goes about life with a smile on her face.

Be Sure And Share This Stylish Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

“The two most important days of a man’s life are the day on which he was born and the day on which he discovers why.” – Ernest T. Campbell

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “It has been said that the two most important days of a man’s life are the day on which he was born and the day on which he discovers why.” – Ernest T. Campbell

Image: by Brenna Lyn Photography (brennaval), CC License, cropped

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

 

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