Quote of the Day: “Summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry James (on the first day of Summer for half the world)
Image: by Luis Hernandez, CC license
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
‘Cheesy’ the cockatiel landed on a little boy’s shoulder in Newburgh, New York, and didn’t want to leave.
Sam Esposito didn’t know it, but the bird had been flying for four days and lost over a third of its body weight—so probably had reached the end of the line.
In fact a veterinarian later said that Cheesy likely would have survived only one more day in the wild, if it hadn’t been for the kind family in Orange Lake.
“We freaked out,” Sam’s father Michael told Good News Network, “because we were all sitting outside and the bird flew right near our heads.”
He noticed the coloring didn’t seem normal for a wild bird, and when it landed on Sam, they guessed correctly that it was an escapee.
RELATED: Frantic Trucker Miraculously Reunites With Cat Co-pilot After Posting in Obscure Trucker Cat Forum
“We posted it on Facebook and a friend of ours 11 miles away knew the people in her town that had lost the bird four days previously,” recalled Michael. “Such a fun story for all of us.”
The owners from Cornwall, Michelle and Matt Napolitano, had offered a $1,000 dollar reward for its return, but the Esposito family told them to “just pay it forward.”
After the tearful reunion with their pet cockatiel, the Napolitanos sent surprise t-shirts they had created just for the Espositos, dubbing them ‘Cheese’s Hereos.’
(WATCH the beautiful reunion below…)
Though many western countries have come to embrace equal rights and protections for LGBTQ citizens, other world governments have not been so progressive – but that’s where the Rainbow Railroad comes in.
Similarly to how the Underground Railroad helped African-American slaves escape to freedom, the Rainbow Railroad is a nonprofit that has been helping hundreds of LGBTQ people from around the world escape their oppressive governments.
LOOK: Man Goes Viral for Giving Out Free ‘Dad Hugs’ to People Who Needed Them at Pride Parade
Over the course of the last 5 years, the organization has facilitated the evacuation, transportation, and resettlement of almost 550 people. In 2018 alone, the group helped to rescue 198 people.
“In countries all over the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) people live in basic fear for their freedom, their safety, and their lives,” reads the organization’s website. “They often have nowhere to turn because their government and police not only tolerate but encourage this brutality.
“Rainbow Railroad exists to help these people get out of danger to somewhere safe,” it continues. “In the spirit of and with homage to the Underground Railroad, the mission of Rainbow Railroad is to help LGBTQI people as they seek safe haven from state-enabled violence … or persecution.”
(WATCH the video below)
Be Sure And Share The News With Your Friends On Social Media For Pride Month…
Researchers have shown that heart “patches” grown in the lab are now safe and ready for human trials for people who have had their hearts damaged by a heart attack.
These patches could one day cure debilitating heart failure, which affects an estimated 920,000 people in the UK and is on the rise as more and more people survive heart attacks.
Researchers led by Professor Sian Harding at Imperial College London have developed a way to grow thumb-size patches of heart tissue (3 centimeters x 2 centimeters) that contain up to 50 million human stem cells. The stem cells are programmed to turn into working heart muscle that can be seen “beating”. One or more of these patches could be implanted on to the heart of someone after they’ve had a heart attack to limit, and even reverse, the loss of the heart’s pumping ability.
During a heart attack, the heart is starved of vital nutrients and oxygen, killing off parts of the heart muscle. This weakens the heart and can eventually lead to heart failure, a debilitating condition that makes even every day simple tasks, like climbing the stairs or getting dressed, exhausting.
In this latest study, these patches have been shown to be safe in rabbits and to lead to an improvement in the function of the heart after a heart attack. After a period of up to 4 weeks, detailed heart scans showed that the hearts’ left ventricle (the chamber responsible for pumping blood out to the body through the aorta) was recovering without developing any abnormal heart rhythms – a potential side effect of other stem cell delivery methods. Importantly, the patches appeared to be nourished by blood vessels growing into them from the recipient heart.
Once sewn in place, the patches are intended to physically support the damaged heart muscle and help it pump more efficiently, while also releasing natural chemicals that stimulate the heart cells to repair and regenerate. Eventually, the patches would hopefully be incorporated into the damaged heart muscle and repair it.
This technology creates patches that start to beat spontaneously after three days and start to mimic mature heart tissue within one month. They can then be implanted into damaged hearts to help repair the muscle and recover the heart’s vital pumping function.
The results of the patch research were presented earlier this month at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference in Manchester. Using these results, the researchers will now design clinical trials for humans, first to test safety and then to see whether similar levels of heart repair could be achieved in people.
“This is a prime example of world-leading research that has the potential to mend broken hearts and transform lives around the globe. If clinical trials can show the benefits of these heart patches in people after a heart attack, it would be a great leap forward for regenerative medicine,” said Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation.
“Due in large part to research we’ve funded, more people are surviving heart attacks than ever before. But that means there’s a growing number of people at risk of heart failure, as their hearts can’t recover from the damage caused by the heart attack.
“Heart failure is a debilitating and life-changing condition with no cure, making everyday tasks incredibly difficult. If we can patch the heart up and help it heal, we could transform the outlook for these people.”
The patches were developed in response to somewhat disappointing results from around the world when stem cells were just directly injected into damaged heart muscle. Without a fixed “patch”, stem cells are quickly cleared from the heart and aren’t able to cause significant levels of repair.
That being said, researchers from King’s College London experienced similar success with heart regeneration after they used a small piece of genetic material on the hearts of pigs – and it was the first demonstration of how cardiac regeneration can be achieved by administering an effective genetic drug that stimulates cardiac regeneration in a large animal, with heart anatomy and physiology like that of humans.
(Source: The British Heart Foundation)
Have A Heart: Share The Exciting News With Your Friends On Social Media…
A devoted grandma has taken hundreds of hungry swans under her wing ever since they lost their source of food ten years ago.
Every day for the last decade, Irene Hodges has offered bird seed to a flock of more than 50 swans.
Collectively, the 70-year-old woman has spent over $25,000 (£20,000) on bird food – but her regular feedings have helped to save hundreds of birds.
WATCH: Bald Eagle Weighed Down by Large Ball of Ice is Freed By Locals Who Jumped into Frozen Lake
Her devotion to the flock at Chasewater pool in Staffordshire, England has also led her to being affectionately nicknamed “Swan Lady Chasewater”.
The retired pharmacy worker started feeding the swans after the pools were drained in 2009 to build a dam and improve the surrounding country park.
As a result of the work, the pond lost many of its small fish, tadpoles, and mollusks, leaving many of the swans struggling to find food.
“I used to go just to visit the swans because they are so beautiful and gave me peace,” recalls Hodges. “They are so serene and the place is so beautiful.
“After the pool was drained to build a dam, they lost many of their feeding reserves and I became really concerned for them. The maintenance work was unavoidable but it almost destroyed the swans’ habitat.
LOOK: When Bird Rescuers Ask for Help During Nesting Season, Thousands of People Donate Hand-Knitted Nests
“I knew the fish which they depend on had been taken away and I was worried either that the swans would starve or would fly away,” she added. “I was desperate not to let that happen so I decided to help them stay put by feeding them.
“I did some research and found out the seed and pellets they like and just started bringing it in buckets to the pool at the same time each day.
“It went from there and every morning I just went along to make sure they were fed.
“It did the trick and none of them flew away and now there are more than 50 swans
thriving at the pool.”
LOOK: Photographer Builds Adorable Tiny Log Cabins in His Backyard to Keep Mouse Families Safe From Cats
The specialist food, which costs her about $190 (£150) every month, is partially funded by donations – although it is largely financed by her adoring 70-year-old husband Barrie, who works part-time at a builder’s yard.
“Barrie should have retired five years ago but he still works two days a week just to earn enough to pay for the feed,” says Hodges. “The fat pellets we give them in winter, especially if the water freezes, are expensive. They need the fat to keep warm.
“They’re there waiting each morning. They know the time I get there which is about 11am every day.
“The swans aren’t aggressive towards me. I walk in between them. But if anyone else comes, they flap their wings.
WATCH: Hummingbird Refuses to Leave the Dog Who Saved Her Life
“I’m quite realistic about the relationship I have with them though and I know they don’t like me personally – it’s the food I bring,” she said with amusement.
Hodges, who has two grown-up children and two grandchildren, says she has no plans to stop feeding the swans.
“I don’t have a week’s holiday. I’m too dedicated. Christmas Day and Boxing Day I’m here through rain or snow,” she said. “We must love and look after our animals.”
Birds Of A Feather… Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story With Your Own Social Media Flock
The richest man in Hong Kong has pledged to pay the full tuition of every incoming college student who will be attending Shantou University.
According to a statement from his foundation, Li Ka Shing will be paying roughly $14 million every year for the next four to five years in order to cover the full cost of every undergraduate’s tuition.
90-year-old Shing, who Forbes says is worth over $30.4 billion, has also been sustaining the university’s development through several multi-million dollar grants.
“The Foundation hopes this scheme can alleviate financial burdens for families and encourage the pursuit of personal interests and further learning to better prepare graduates for the challenges of an increasingly complex global economy,” the foundation said in a statement.
The Li Ka Shing Foundation is also renowned for donating over $3.2 billion to various health care-related organizations and educational initiatives across China.
The donation is a welcomed follow-up to billionaire Robert F. Smith’s recent announcement that he would be donating over $40 million in order to wipe out the student loan debt of an entire class of graduates.
Be Sure And Share The Incredible Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by EdTech Stanford University School of Medicine, CC
Quote of the Day: “Greatness comes from fear. Fear can either shut us down, and we go home, or we fight through it.” – Lionel Richie (born 70 years ago today)
Image: by Thomas, CC license
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
A 7-year-old boy recently sent a letter to his local police department explaining why he thinks he would make an excellent officer – and his resumé is adorable.
Primary school student Harcharan wrote to the Sawston Police Station earlier this week listing all of the qualities he had which would make him a good crime fighters.
“Dear Cambridgeshire Constabulary,” reads the letter. “I would love to be a police officer to stop diamond heists and bank robberies. I’m good at dodging objects and I got good eye sight. I am good at jumping from high places and I got lots of stealth.
WATCH: Dad ‘Chatting’ With Infant Son About TV May Be the Most Darling Thing on the Internet Today
“The job needs lots of focus and eye sight. To be a good police officer you need to check stuff. I am good at guarding places. I would be good for the job because I am good at climbing,” he finished.
The pupil from Morley Memorial Primary School in Cambridge, England wrote the letter as part of a persuasive writing exercise – and it apparently worked quite effectively.
Unfortunately for Harcharan, he has to wait ten years before he can become a member of the team since job seekers must be 18 to apply.
LOOK: 11-Year-old Sends Amusing Bribe to New Zealand Prime Minister Demanding ‘Dragon Research’
However, the Policing Cambridge City’s Facebook page published a photo of the letter along with some words of encouragement for others who might hope to join the force.
“We are definitely persuaded!” wrote the police department. “If, like Harcharan, you believe that you’ve got what it takes – we are currently recruiting Special Constables.[Although] jumping from high places not strictly necessary.”
Be Sure And Share The Sweet Letter With Your Friends On Social Media…
Three beagles successfully showed they are capable of identifying lung cancer by scent, a first step in identifying specific biomarkers for the disease – and researchers say the dogs’ abilities may lead to the development of a safe, effective, and inexpensive means for mass cancer screening.
After eight weeks of training, the beagles – chosen for their superior olfactory receptor genes – were able to distinguish between blood serum samples taken from patients with malignant lung cancer and healthy controls with 97% accuracy. The double-blind study is published in the July edition of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
“We’re using the dogs to sort through the layers of scent until we identify the tell-tale biomarkers,” says Thomas Quinn, professor at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and lead author on this study. “There is still a great deal of work ahead, but we’re making good progress.”
The dogs were led into a room with blood serum samples at nose level. Some samples came from patients with non-small cell lung cancer; others were drawn from healthy controls. After thoroughly sniffing a sample, the dogs sat down to indicate a positive finding for cancer or moved on if none was detected.
Dr. Quinn and his team are nearing completion of a second iteration of the study. This time the dogs are working to identify lung, breast and colorectal cancer using samples of patients’ breath, collected by the patient breathing into a face mask. Researchers say findings suggest the dogs are as effective detecting cancer using this method.
The next step will be to further fractionate the samples based on chemical and physical properties, presenting them back to the dogs until the specific biomarkers for each cancer are identified. The goal is to develop an over-the-counter screening product, similar to a pregnancy test, in terms of cost, simplicity and availability. Dr. Quinn envisions a device that someone can breathe into and see a color change to indicate a positive or negative finding.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide for both women and men, and more than 200,000 people annually in the United States receive a diagnosis of lung cancer. The five-year survival rate for stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is 92%. That drops to 13% in stage IIIC NSCLC, and after metastasis, the five-year survival rates range from 10% to less than 1%, depending on the stage.
MORE: Be Sure and Floss! Researchers Say Good Dental Health ‘Substantially’ Decreases Risk of Alzheimer’s
Additionally, screening and imaging for lung cancer is costly and not always reliable. Chest X-rays have a high false-negative rate, while CT scans with computer-aided diagnosis have a high false-positive rate. Previous studies indicated that 90% of missed lung cancers occur when using chest X-rays, and CT scans have difficulty identifying small, central, juxtavascular lung cancers.
Dr. Quinn believes his research can lead to better screening and diagnosis solutions, potentially creating a change in cancer detection.
“Right now it appears dogs have a better natural ability to screen for cancer than our most advanced technology,” says Dr. Quinn. “Once we figure out what they know and how, we may be able to catch up.”
Reprinted from the American Osteopathic Association
Be Sure And Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends On Social Media…
A compassionate college student has been on a mission to rescue abandoned medical equipment so he can send them to people who need them.
Mohan Sudabattula is the mastermind behind Project Embrace: a nonprofit that collects secondhand crutches, wheelchairs, orthotic braces, walkers, slings, and rehabilitative gear for reuse.
The 23-year-old student and his team of volunteers collect the equipment by scouring the dusty shelves of thrift stores and accepting personal donations from community members. After the gear is cleaned and refurbished, the group sends it to disadvantaged medical facilities around the world.
LOOK: Cyclists Volunteer to Give Nature Rides to Wheelchair Bound
“For somebody whose spouse used a wheelchair or walker before they passed away, it’s hard to think of that equipment going into the trash,” one of the nonprofit volunteers told The Washington Post. “When they give it to us, they feel like they’ve given it a second life. And then to see the recipient’s face light up — that’s extremely rewarding.”
Sudabattula was first inspired to launch his labor of love several years ago while he was studying at the University of Utah and simultaneously volunteering in the prosthetics department at a nearby hospital.
Whenever one of the patients outgrew a prosthetic, the device would simply be thrown away. Prosthetics can’t be reused because they are specifically fitted to each patient, but Sudabattula couldn’t help but wonder if he could rescue other medical equipment from the trash.
He was reminded of a trip that he had taken to India with his parents in 2006 when they brought him to an orphanage for disabled children. Since the youngsters didn’t have access to medical equipment, they had fashioned makeshift wheelchairs out of lawn furniture and bicycle wheels.
Ten years later, Sudabattula returned to the very same orphanage so he could donate several dozen wheelchairs and crutches – all of which were courtesy of Project Embrace.
WATCH: As Disabled Man Frantically Wheels Himself Home Before Tornado, Teen Hops Out of His Car to Help
Since launching the nonprofit from his apartment in 2016, the group has donated over 900 refurbished medical devices to low-income hospitals in India and the United States.
Just last month, Project Embrace volunteers made their second trip to the Utah-Arizona border so they could donate dozens of wheelchairs and walkers to a rural Navajo Nation hospital.
“Often times when it comes to healthcare innovation and design, people tend to opt out of professional conversations because they don’t feel qualified enough to contribute to the discussion,” Sudabattula said in a blog post. “This is ironic because access to healthcare (and healthcare innovation) affects everyone — naturally, everyone should then be involved.
“We give our community an opportunity to get involved and by tracking where individual donations end up going, we can show our community exactly where their impact is being made.
“There have been a lot of slip ups along the road, but founding a cause where everyone feels welcome to contribute to greater health will always be the greatest decision I’ve ever made as a student.”
(WATCH the video below)
Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media…
It has been 17 years since the black softshell turtle species was declared extinct in the wild – but thanks to the caretakers of a Hindu temple in India, the tiny reptile has been given a chance at recovery.
Due to habitat loss and over-exploitation as a food source, the turtle species disappeared from the northeastern state of Assam, prompting the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to declare the turtle “extinct in the wild” in 2002.
However, the caretakers of the Hayagriva Madhav temple have been nurturing dozens of the little turtles in the ponds around the centuries-old temple.
WATCH: 170 Foxes Are Rescued From Fur Farm and Given New Home at a Buddhist Monastery
The temple’s religious residents say they feel called to protect the species because the turtles are believed to be the reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
“The population of the turtle in Assam has gone down by a great extent,” turtle rescuer Jayaditya Purkayastha told AFP. “So we thought we needed to intervene and do something to save the species from extinction.”
The devote conservationists have been helping to breed the turtles by collecting newly-laid eggs from around the pond and warming them in an incubator until they hatch.
LOOK: When Fire Leaves 500 Muslims Without Place of Worship, Synagogue Opens Their Doors
Temple caretakers recently partnered with conservational group Good Earth to officially launch a turtle breeding program as a means of reintroducing the species into the wild. Their efforts finally came to fruition in January when the organization successfully released 35 turtle hatchlings – 16 of which were raised at the temple – into the waters of a local wildlife sanctuary.
“This is a milestone in Assam’s turtle conservation history, and it would not have been possible without the interest shown by the temple authorities in the artificial breeding program,” said Mr. Purkayastha, according to The Hindu.
The coalition is now working to expand the breeding program to 18 other ponds around the temple so they can offer sanctuary to other endangered turtle species.
Protect Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – File photo by USFWS
A compassionate cop is being hailed as a hero after he managed to talk a suicidal young man off of a bridge by offering him a hug.
The incident occurred back in March when a 26-year-old man climbed over the safety rail of a highway overpass in Phoenix, Arizona with the intention of jumping.
After Officer Aaron Little of the Chandler Police Department arrived on the scene, he comforted the man and offered to give him a hug.
RELATED: ‘Guardian’ Officer Has Saved Over 200 People From Jumping Off the Golden Gate Bridge
In an emotional video that was released by the police department earlier this week, Little can be heard saying: “I’ll hug you, man. I don’t care. I just want to talk to you. I swear.”
Finally after two minutes of encouragement and conversation, Little convinces the man to climb back over the safety rail and return to safety – and true to his word, Little gave the tearful young man a big hug.
Little then tells his fellow officers that the man is safe before putting his arm around the rescued civilian and guiding him back to the parking lot.
(WATCH the emotional video below)
Save Your Friends From Negativity By Sharing The Emotional Story To Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “The first responsibility of love is to listen.” – Paul Tillich
Image: by Michael Taggart Photography, CC license
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Just in case you needed one more reason to adore Keanu Reeves, Disney has just released footage of the Hollywood dreamboat voicing the character of his new role in Toy Story 4 – and the results are as funny as they are charming.
In the newest installment of the beloved children’s movie series, Reeves is set to voice character of the toy Canadian stuntman Duke Caboom.
The movie is set to be released on June 21st – and if it’s anywhere close to being as sweet as the previous films in the Toy Story franchise, this movie is bound to be a huge hit.
(WATCH the video below)
Be Sure And Share This With Your Friends To Infinity And Beyond…
This exciting new study shows that vaccinating babies against a virus that causes childhood “stomach flu” has an unexpected side benefit: it is also associated with a lower risk of developing Type 1 diabetes later on.
As a group, children who got fully vaccinated against rotavirus during their first few months of life had a 33% lower risk of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes than unvaccinated children – a lifelong disease with no known prevention strategies or cure.
A team from the University of Michigan made the finding using nationwide health insurance data, and published their results in the journal Scientific Reports.
The study provides strong post-market evidence that the vaccine works. Children vaccinated against rotavirus had a 94% lower rate of hospitalization for rotavirus infection, and a 31% lower rate of hospitalization for any reason, in the first two months after vaccination. Rotavirus hits infants and toddlers hardest; it can cause diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to dehydration or loss of fluids.
RELATED: Diabetes Patients May Soon Be Able to Say Goodbye to Needles, Thanks to These Capsules From MIT
Yet the study finds more than a quarter of American children don’t get fully vaccinated against rotavirus, and that the rate varies widely across the country. Less than half of children in New England and Pacific states were fully vaccinated. Two-thirds of children in the central part of the country were fully vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that infants receive the multi-dose vaccine starting no later than 15 weeks, and finish receiving it before they are eight months old. Infants receive the vaccine in oral drops.
The paper’s authors, led by epidemiologist Mary Rogers, Ph.D., caution that they cannot show a cause-and-effect relationship between rotavirus vaccination and Type 1 diabetes risk.
MORE: ‘For the First Time’, Researchers Use Healthy Stem Cells for Future Type 1 Diabetes Cure
“This is an uncommon condition, so it takes large amounts of data to see any trends across a population,” says Rogers, an associate professor in the U-M Department of Internal Medicine. “It will take more time and analyses to confirm these findings. But we do see a decline in Type 1 diabetes in young children after the rotavirus vaccine was introduced.”
The new result echoes the findings of a study of Australian children published earlier this year, which found a 14 percent reduced risk of Type 1 diabetes after the rotavirus vaccine was introduced in that country. That study, and the new one, suggest that a childhood vaccine may lead to a lower risk of a later chronic condition.
It also fits with laboratory studies showing that rotavirus attacks the same kind of pancreas cells that are affected in people with Type 1 diabetes.
The death of insulin-producing cells, called beta cells, means people with Type 1 diabetes depend on injections of insulin, and multiple daily checks of their blood sugar, for life. If the condition is not managed well, people with Type 1 diabetes may develop problems with their kidneys, heart, eyes, blood vessels and nerves over time.
The U-M team used anonymous insurance data from 1.5 million American children born before and after the modern rotavirus vaccine was introduced in 2006. In nearly all cases, the vaccine was free, with no copayment, to the family of the infant. The total lifetime cost of caring for an individual with Type 1 diabetes has been estimated in the millions of dollars.
The risk was especially lower among children who received all three doses of the pentavalent form of the vaccine than those who received two doses of the monovalent form. The pentavalent rotavirus vaccine protects against 5 types of the rotavirus while the monovalent vaccine protects against 1 type.
MORE: 8-Year Study Shows That Simple Treatment Can Reverse Type 1 Diabetes to Almost Undetectable Levels!
Children partially vaccinated – that is, started the vaccine series but never finished it – did not have a lower risk of Type 1 diabetes.
More than 540,000 of the children in the study and born after 2006 received the complete series of rotavirus shots; nearly 141,000 received at least one dose, and more than 246,000 did not.
Another comparison group, born in the five years before the vaccine was available, included nearly 547,000 children.
In absolute terms, Rogers and her colleagues report that eight fewer cases of Type 1 diabetes would be expected to occur for every 100,000 children each year with full vaccination.
Type 1 diabetes, once called “juvenile diabetes,” only affects a few children out of every 100,000, so having such a large pool of data can help spot trends, says Rogers, an epidemiologist who worked with a team from the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, which provided the data used in the study.
“Five years from now, we will know much more,” says Rogers. “The first groups of children to receive the rotavirus vaccine in the United States are now in grade school, when Type 1 diabetes is most often detected. Hopefully, in years to come, we’ll have fewer new cases – but based on our study findings, that depends upon parents bringing in their children to get vaccinated.”
Reprinted from the University of Michigan Health Lab
Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media
Scott “Howie” Dittman doesn’t have to be related to these people in order to show them some good old fashioned fatherly love.
Dittman took up the role of being a surrogate dad for strangers last week when he attended an LGBTQ pride parade in Pittsburgh wearing a tee-shirt that read “Free Dad Hugs”.
Dittman wore the shirt because he had an inkling that there may have been some parade-goers who had experienced familial rejection over their sexuality – and he turned out to be right.
In total, Dittman says that he gave out over 700 hugs over the course of two and a half hours. Though there were many youngsters who were simply happy to have a hug, he said that there were two people who had particularly emotional reactions to his embrace.
LOOK: Role Model Dad Spurred to Lose 92 Pounds in 5 Months After One Hiking Trip With His Kids
The Pennsylvania dad described his experience with the two hugs in a powerful Facebook post that has now gone viral.
The first hug came from a man who tearfully told Dittman that he had not been able to speak to his parents since they kicked him out of their house for being gay as a 19-year-old.
The other hug came from a woman who simply “hugged him with everything she had.”
“Her story? I don’t know the specifics,” wrote Dittman. “But I know that she saw me from across the street. I wasn’t paying attention.
LOOK: Internet Falls in Love With Wholesome Dad Who Hides $20 Whenever He Visits Daughter’s Home
“By the time she got to me, she had tears in her eyes,” he added. “She hugged me with everything she had. And I hugged her back. She held on for so long, melting into me, and thanked me endlessly.
Dittman ended his post with a plea for his fellow parents to stick by their kids – no matter their sexuality.
“And if by chance anyone knows these folks, please let them know they can reach out any time they need a surrogate dad to talk to. I’ll be there,” he wrote.
(WATCH the interview below)
Be Sure And Share This Emotional Story Of Love With Your Friends On Social Media…
Back in 2015, a father-son duo changed the beekeeping game simply by redesigning the traditional beehive – and now, honeybees are benefitting from their profits.
Stuart and Cedar Anderson are the co-creators of the Flow Hive: a brilliantly designed beehive that saves beekeepers hours of work simply by channeling all of its honey into a tap that can be turned on and off at will.
The Flow Hive allows honey to flow out of the hive straight into a jar without crushing or disrupting the bees inside. It can also fit in a small backyard or on a rooftop or balcony.
Cedar, who is a third-generation beekeeper from the rural community of Nimbin, Australia, says that he was inspired to try and design a simpler beehive after his brother was stung during one of their honey extraction missions.
The young inventor knew that there must be an easier way to collect honey without having to wear protective suits, crack open the hive, and disturb the tiny pollinators.
RELATED: Minnesota Will Soon Pay for Your Landscaping Costs If You Plant Bee-Friendly Greenery
“Ten years ago, Cedar had this idea: ‘come on, we must be able to get honey from a beehive without opening it, extracting and stressing the bees’,” his father Stuart recalled to ABC News.
After several years of tinkering, the Andersons finally perfected their Flow Hive prototype. Upon raising money for the hive’s manufacturing on Indiegogo, their campaign became the most successful crowdfunding page in the platform’s history by raising over $12 million in 8 weeks.
Four years after their initial success, the Flow Hive has had a dramatic impact on honeybee populations around the world.
LOOK: You Can Now Use These Pocket-Sized ‘Bee Savior’ Cards to Rescue Hungry Honeybees on the Sidewalk
The Andersons say that they have successfully shipped over 51,000 hives to 150 different countries. Since they launched the hive in 2015, the number of beekeepers in the U.S. alone has increased by over 10%.
Their success is particularly notable since honeybee populations have been steadily dwindling as a result of habitat loss and pesticides.
That’s why now – in celebration of National Pollinator Week – the Andersons are donating their hive proceeds to international honeybee advocacy groups.
“We’re proud to have donated 100% of profits from the sale of our Flow Pollinator House to nine local grassroots pollinator projects in Australia and the United States that are at work protecting wild habitats all around the world,” said Cedar in a statement.
“Pollinators need large areas of habitat to flourish—the more we can do to protect and conserve native habitats, the more opportunities these tiny environmental champions will have to do their important work.”
If you want to learn more about how the hive works or order one for yourself, you can visit the Flow Hive website.
(WATCH the video below) – Photo by the Flow Hive
Be Sure And Share The Buzz With Your Friends On Social Media…
A compassionate Uber driver has also proven herself to be a guardian angel in disguise after she helped to transform the home of an elderly veteran who was living in “deplorable” conditions.
Last week, Lauren Mulvihill was called to the hospital to pick up an 89-year-old veteran named Ronald Dembner. Since the senior had just been discharged from the hospital, Mulvihill brought him back to his home in Stockbridge, Georgia, expecting for him to be greeted by family members or caregivers.
When they arrived at his house, however, Dembner explained that he lived alone with his dog because his wife and family members had passed away. Mulvihill then helped the senior into his home – and she was shocked by what she found.
The house was filthy. There was mold in the bathrooms; no railing on the stairs; the rugs were soiled; and there were even dog droppings that had accumulated on the floor.
LOOK: Fearless Uber Driver Stops Mid-Trip to Scoop Up Injured Hawk and Save It From the Highway
Despite how Dembner is in a perfectly healthy state of mind, his house fell into disrepair because he has trouble moving around. He has been too afraid to call anyone for help because he is afraid that his house and dog will be taken away from him.
Mulvihill could not bear to let the veteran live in squalor any longer – so she created a public Facebook group called Helping Mr. Ronald in order to rally together some volunteers.
“I have been back and tried to clean up, but I am a single parent and my kids cannot stay inside the home,” Mulvihill wrote in the group. “Mr. Ronald is open and willing to have someone help, but he cannot pay – and again, he is scared to death that they will make him leave his home.”
Since creating the group, over 800 members have joined in to help clean the house, make repairs, stock the refrigerator, and feed the volunteers.
The volunteers have thus far been able to remove all of the garbage, soiled carpeting, and deteriorated furniture. Next, they plan on repainting the rooms and recruiting an expert to take care of the mold.
Needless to say, Dembner has been overwhelmed by the support.
“The things that are happening are so profound and being done so quickly and efficiently, I just don’t have the words to explain how grateful I am, how thankful I am,” Dembner told 11Alive. “God bless them all for what they’ve done.”
(WATCH the news coverage below)
Be Sure And Share The Sweet Story Of Community Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “How we appraise our life from our deathbed will be predicated not only on what came to us in life, but how we lived with it.” – Stephen Levine
Image: by Martin Gommel, CC license
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Today is MOTH Monday on Good News Network: In partnership with The Moth, a nonprofit dedicated to the art of storytelling, we bring you the most uplifting speakers from live stages across the world.
This college professor knows how students often tend to wait until the last minute to finish their school papers.
She also knows that in the age of technology, if a computer crashes at the last minute, all the last-minute work could be lost in an instant, leaving the student with an epic excuse for missing a deadline.
Though she admits that she is generally pretty harsh on her students and their excuses, Catherine Palmer tells a live audience at The Moth about what happened when she, herself, lost a research paper after her computer’s catastrophic failure—and says there was bad news and good news.
Listen to her inspiring story below…
The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year.
The Moth’s third book, Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible is now available for purchase through your favorite booksellers.
Be Sure And Share The Inspiring Tale With Your Friends On Social Media…
