Secretary Mimicked Her Boss for 67 yrs, Everyone is Shocked by Her Secret Fortune and What She Did With it

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May 13, 2018

LISTEN to this Good News Guru story, broadcast on the radio with Ellen K and Geri on KOST-103.5. (Also, subscribe to our new podcast on iTunes – or for Androids, on Podbean) — or READ the story below…

Sylvia Bloom worked as a secretary at the same New York City law firm for most of her life. A practical woman and a hard worker, to the outside world she was modest and lived a frugal lifestyle—but she had a secret practice no one knew about.

She earned a meager annual income, never talked about money, and wasn’t living the ‘high life’. She was never showy and didn’t want to call attention to herself.

“She was a child of the Depression and she knew what it was like not to have money..” Bloom’s niece Jane Lockshin told The New York Times. “She had great empathy for other people who were needy and wanted everybody to have a fair shake.”

Secretaries, in those days, ran their boss’s lives, including their investments. Whenever she would see her boss make a stock pick— and purchase it for him—she would buy the same stock for herself, but in smaller amounts befitting her secretary’s salary.

She kept track of all the investments until she finally retired at age 96. When she died shortly thereafter, it was discovered that Ms. Bloom had amassed a huge fortune.

LOOK: 27-Year-old With Terminal Cancer Pens Heartfelt Letter on Why You Should Change Your Life

She never told anyone about it, but before her retirement from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, she had stashed away over nine million dollars.

“I don’t think she thought it was anybody’s business but her own,” says Lockshin.

She left some of it to friends and family in her will, but directed that all the rest was to be left to a charity in New York City that cares for the adults and children whom she thought needed it most.

WATCH: Father Surprises Son With Birthday Gift From Beyond the Grave

The endowment, $6.24 million to the Henry Street Settlement, is being used to create a college scholarship fund, which is especially fitting since Ms. Bloom always regretted not going to law school – but her incredible donation will ensure that plenty of New Yorkers will have the opportunities she never took—and maybe even graduate from law school!

Share The Inspiring Story of Brains And Kindness With Your Friends – Photo released by Jane Lockshin

The 7 Mental Health Benefits of Running That You May Not Know About

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Good News Network

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May 13, 2018

In the stressful times we live in, the importance of fitness and exercise cannot be highlighted enough. Many people tend to go for running since it is the most convenient option – after all, it only requires a pair of running shoes and your own motivation; and no equipment or gym membership is needed.

However, running does a lot more for your health than you may realize. In addition to keeping you fit, here are 7 ways that running also helps to improve your mood.

1. Switching Stress for Happiness Hormones

If you have had a stressful day at the office, then running is a fantastic way to relax. In fact, all forms of aerobic exercise balance out the harmful effects of stress hormones, such as cortisol, by producing endorphins – the happiness hormone. Endorphins act as natural antidepressants and boost mental health.

CHECK OUT: Girl Given Months to Live is Saved Thanks to Determined Mom Emailing 130 Doctors for Help

An increase of endorphins is the cause of what is known as the “runner’s high,” which runners describe as the feeling of peace and relaxation that they enjoy after a long run.

2. Bolsters Socializing

Running is also intertwined with the fundamental need for social relationships because running motivates us to get out there and meet fellow runners.

Though many people tend to schedule their runs with friends or family members, arranging running with the company is a fantastic way to improve social relationships in your workplace while also doing good for your body. Or, you can even join one of the group runs that are organized in spring so that runners can meet people with the same passion.

3. Better Sleep

Unlike stressing about work or running errands throughout the entire day, running uses up your energy in the best possible way. You will be tired, but not exhausted; so running limits insomnia by regulating your energy levels and sleep time.

Not only does running prepare you for an early sleep, but it also improves the quality of your sleep. Sleep, in general, is responsible for your mood – so it is pretty safe to say that running boosts your mood by “providing” you with a good night’s sleep.

4. Increased Energy Levels

While running makes you go to sleep easier and faster, it also keeps your energy levels high and stable – and we are not just talking about the immediate effects of “runner’s high.” It only takes three days of aerobic exercise per week to eliminate daily fatigue and lethargy in the long term.

This is because aerobic activities encourage blood flow to your brain and supply it with oxygen. This results in better function and an improved, up-lifted mood so you can be more motivated to do your daily tasks.

5. Upgraded Self-Esteem

When you run, it is you versus yourself. Sometimes you might want to stop and go home, or you will think about giving up and watching TV instead. However, when you keep running and push yourself to your limits, you train your mind to set goals and follow through with your intentions.

MORE: Alzheimer’s Gene is Neutralized in Human Brain Cells for the First Time

After achieving these goals, you may even motivated to set new, even more, challenging ones; and conquering obstacles is a great way to build up your confidence. This is why, in addition to boosting your self-esteem, running will help you learn to be patient with yourself and give everything your best shot.

6. Preparing You for Daily Tasks

Apart from improving your mood and making you feel physically better, running has also been proven to help your mental abilities because it keeps grey cells safer and healthier for longer, so runners have sharp mental abilities even when they are older.

Elder people who run regularly have been shown to be less moody and feel better and happier.

7. Enjoying Nature and Fresh Air

What can be more beneficial for your health than getting some fresh air and spending more time in nature?

Even by simply spending time in the sun and soaking up vitamin D, you will be doing good for yourself because vitamin D is known to reduce your chances of experiencing depressive symptoms.

Considering the mental and physical benefits of going for a run, it is no wonder that runners are more peaceful and positive people. You can use your daily jog as a means of spending time for yourself. You can relax and forget about your daily tasks and stressful life routine. You can relish the joy of improved self-esteem, a sharper mind, and higher energy levels.

So now that you’ve read this, what are you waiting for? Put on those running shoes and get going!

Mattea Jacobs is a freelance writer who mostly writes about both interior and exterior design, and environmentally-friendly ways to improve your home. She is also a green activist and a mother of two beautiful sons. You can reach her on Facebook and Instagram.

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90-Year-Old Credits ‘Words With Friends’ for Saving Her Life

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Good News Network

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May 13, 2018

While some people may scoff over social media and internet games, this 90-year-old woman is crediting Words With Friends for saving her life.

Every morning without fail, Miyoko Saiki uses her tablet to play Words With Friends with her son, who lives in another city, before he has to leave for work. In addition to it being a fun family activity, Saiki says the game keeps her mind sharp.

Recently, however, Saiki’s son logged onto the game’s app only to find that she was not online.

When he was unable to get a hold of her, the anxious family went to her house and found her unconscious on the floor.

She was later taken to the hospital and treated for pneumonia and dehydration.

Thankfully, Saiki is now in ship-shape and ready to celebrate her birthday next week – and she says that it is all thanks to her devotion to Words With Friends.

(WATCH the interview below)

Be Sure To Share The Lucky Story With Your Own Friends

Britain May Build ‘Road Network’ to Protect Bees, Butterflies, and Moths

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Good News Network

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May 13, 2018

Legislators are stepping up to protect important insects by proposing a “road network” that would act as a kind of wildlife corridor for bees, moths, and butterflies.

The “Protection of Pollinators Bill” was presented to the British House of Commons this week as a means of saving the dwindling pollinator population. If accepted, the legislation would allow conservationists to help communities and businesses plant wildflowers and shrubberies that nourish pollinating insects. These patches of greenery would then create pollinator corridors – or “B–lines”, as they’re also called – that could offer sanctuary to insects in every connecting region of Britain and allow them to fly freely across the countryside without being restricted to small patches of grassland.

The agricultural campaign would involve sprucing up roadside areas and identifying unused public areas that could be converted into leafier habitats, as managed by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The proposal is a welcomed follow-up to the European Union’s recently-approved ban on pesticides that harm bees.

LOOK: The Grateful Dead Helps to Save Bees and Butterflies Through Jerry Garcia’s Legacy

Charities such as Buglife have already begun planning community initiatives for the corridors.

Conservative MP Ben Bradley introduced the bill in Parliament by saying: “Pollinators are facing unprecedented challenges, including climate change, intensive farming, pests and diseases, pesticide use and urban growth. They need food, water, shelter and nesting areas as well as the ability to roam far and wide—as they would naturally, without the barriers placed in their way as a result of urban sprawl. As the concrete jungle grows, their natural habitat inevitably shrinks.

MORE: Farmer is Sweet on Bee Hives As Perfect Fence to Keep Elephants Safely Away

“It is important to note that creating wildlife sanctuaries and protecting our green spaces will not only support our bees and insects; it will also have other positive outcomes for everything else. It will have a beneficial impact on our local communities, and on our individual mental health and wellbeing.

“That is as significant—if not more so—in deprived areas. Green spaces are places of tranquillity and provide a space away from the hustle, bustle and stresses of modern life—the more the merrier, in my view,” he added.

Beeee Sure To Share The Buzz With Your Friends – Photo by Danny Perez Photography

“A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” – Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Quote of the Day

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May 13, 2018

Quote of the Day: “A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” – Dorothy Canfield Fisher

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?

When Canine ‘Soulmates’ Can’t Be Kept Apart, Homeowners Relent and Work Together

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McKinley Corbley

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May 12, 2018

These star-crossed canine lovers could give Romeo and Juliet a run for their money.

Potate – or “Tate” for short – is a young pup who was a stray dog living on the streets when she was adopted by Hailee Graham. While she obviously adores her human family, she developed a deep connection with her neighbor: Vernon.

Around the same time that Graham adopted Tate, the next-door neighbor adopted a dog named Vernon – and even though there was a fence keeping the two pups apart, they became overwhelmed with the desire to be together.

Graham tells The Dodo that she would always come home to find Tate digging a hole under the fence, so she could be with Vernon.

LOOK: Clever Dog Always Brings a Leaf to ‘Buy’ Himself Treats at the Store

“I walk outside and catch them digging a tunnel to each other. We couldn’t get them to stop … we couldn’t keep them apart,” says Graham. “They would just keep digging holes to each other.”

While most people might just try and set up a play date for the pups at a doggy park, Graham had a better idea.

“I thought, ‘Why not just put a door in the fence, so they can play whenever, and their hoomans don’t have to get involved?’” she said.

WATCH: Butcher Politely Shows Meat Samples to Feline Customer Before Giving it a Free Sample

After getting consent from Vernon’s owner, Graham’s father installed a little doggy door in the fence – and it has been a huge success. Vernon and Tate are constantly playing in each other’s yards and going on little doggie dates at each other’s houses.

“They love being together!” Graham told The Dodo. “I don’t know if they are actually in love, but I like to think so.”

Oh happy slobber, this is thy treat! For never was there a tail of more love than that of Tate and Vernon!

Be Sure To Share a Pawesomely Sweet Story With Your Friends – Photos by Hailee Graham

Quadriplegic Stuns Crowd by Nailing National Anthem With an Instrument He Designed Himself

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May 12, 2018

A quadriplegic man delighted a stadium of thousands last weekend by playing the national anthem on a musical device that he created to overcome his disability.

56-year-old Dave Whalen has been paralyzed from the neck down since he endured a skiing accident at age 18 – but that doesn’t stop him from making music.

As a means of kicking off the Albany Empire’s second home arena football game at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York last week, Whalen performed the “Star-Spangled Banner” on a Jamboxx instrument.

Jamboxx is a harmonica-like device that attaches to a computer and allows people with limited mobility to create music with their breath. Moving the mouthpiece left or right determines which note is played.

Because he does not have the use of his hands, Whalen used the Jamboxx’s hands-free bracket. For his performance at the stadium, he did a trumpet-like rendition of the hallowed tune – and the crowd went wild.

In addition to making music with the Jamboxx, Whalen also uses the device for breath-controlled painting and for controlling a commercial robot that was mounted to his old wheelchair. The Scotia, New York lawyer also uses his innovative, hands-free technology to race sailboats.

(WATCH the video below)

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‘Man With the Golden Arm’ is Finally Retiring After Saving the Lives of Over 2 Million Babies

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McKinley Corbley

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May 12, 2018

After 60 years of saving lives, James Harrison is finally retiring from his position as “the man with the golden arm.”

The affectionate nickname comes from homage to the Australian senior’s astonishing blood donor track record and the game-changing effect that his donations have had on his country.

Because of a rare antibody that is found in Harrison’s blood, his donations have directly contributed to saving over 2.4 million Australian babies.

Harrison, now 81 years old, didn’t always know that his blood literally had the power to save lives. When he was 14 years old, he had to undergo chest surgery and the resulting blood transfusion saved his life – so he vowed to become a donor once he turned 18 (even though he was afraid of needles.)

After a few years of donating, doctors were shocked to find that his blood contained an antibody that directly neutralizes rhesus disease: a dangerous condition in which a pregnant woman’s blood attacks her unborn child.

According to Jemma Falkenmire of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, more than 17% of Australian women are at risk of developing the condition.

“In Australia, up until about 1967, there were literally thousands of babies dying each year, doctors didn’t know why, and it was awful. Women were having numerous miscarriages and babies were being born with brain damage,” she told CNN in a 2015 interview.

CONTINUE READING BELOW…

“Plant seeds of kindness now, even if you never live long enough to smell their blossoms or sit in their shade.” – Flora Massaro-McCoy

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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May 12, 2018

Quote of the Day: “Plant seeds of kindness now, even if you never live long enough to smell their blossoms or sit in their shade.” – Flora Massaro-McCoy

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?

Once in a Lifetime Cast—Keaton, Bergen and Fonda—in Fun Film About Sex in the Golden Years

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Good News Network

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May 11, 2018

A new film premiering next week starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen aims to stir up new feelings in people over 60.

The four lifelong friends have gathered for years in a monthly book club, but breaking out of the norm, Jane Fonda’s character introduces them to “Fifty Shades of Gray,” which stirs up feelings about what they actually want during their ‘Golden Years.’

The book club begins to change their attitudes, and the new outlook corresponds to new men who’ve arrived on the scene. Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, Richard Dreyfuss and Craig Nelson star as the four men who are attracted toward the women in this newly blossoming stage of their life.

Andy Garcia, in particular, wanted to do the movie, called The Book Club, because he always felt a “certain chemistry” with Diane Keaton, who plays his love interest—and it certainly shines through in the clips below.

The movie trailer looks smart and funny, reflecting the talents of a new director, Bill Holderman, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

The 2:30 clip reveals much of the storyline, but also leaves us wanting more from these stellar actors.

(WATCH the trailer below—and let us know what you think)

Share the New Film with your Friends…

3rd Grader Born Without Hands Adds Another National Award for Penmanship to Her Trophy Case

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Good News Network

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May 11, 2018

If the name “Anaya Ellick” seems familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard about the youngster before.

The 9-year-old girl made national headlines two years ago for winning a penmanship competition. Not only that, but she earned first place despite the fact that she has to write with her arms instead of her hands.

The 3rd grader from Chesapeake, Virginia was born without any fingers or thumbs, so she taught herself to write by holding a pencil between her arms.

WATCH: Devoted Husband Designs ‘Tank Wheelchair’ For Wife So She Won’t Miss Out On Family Activities

Though she originally won the prestigious Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Manuscript Penmanship back in 2016, she just won the 2018 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest for writing in cursive, which is available to students in grades K through 8 and awarded on a state and national level.

“People told me I couldn’t do it,” Anaya tells WVEC. “And I [just] told them I could do it.”

(WATCH the interview below)

Be Sure To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends – Photo by Greenbrier Christian Academy

Teacher’s Reaction to Students Surprising Him With ‘Dream Shoes’ is the Sweetest Thing You’ll See Today

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Good News Network

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May 11, 2018

This teacher’s reaction to a new pair of shoes is akin to someone finding out that they’ve won the lottery.

But it wasn’t just any pair of shoes – it was the pair of shoes that he had been dreaming of wearing for ten years.

And it’s all thanks to his adoring students.

Joe Lara has been teaching Spanish at Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Arizona for the last ten years. Over the course of his career, he has built quite a rapport with his students, which is why they were heartbroken to find out that he was retiring.

WATCH: Man Brings Telescope to the Street and Invites People to Look at the Moon –Their Reactions Will Bring You to Tears

So as a means of making his last year at the school extra special, the students all pitched in to get him a birthday gift.

In a video that was uploaded by one of the students back in April, the youngsters can be seen excitedly yelling at Lara to open their carefully-wrapped present.

As the teacher insists on getting a pair of scissors for the packaging, the suspense is tangible… and infectious.

He eventually pulls back the paper to see a Mike Jordan shoebox – and he can’t even contain his happiness.

“No way!” he yells. “Oh, my god! Oh, no way, no way!”

Finally, he composes himself enough to lift the lid of the box and see his gift: a pair of Mike Air Jordan French Blue sneakers.

His reaction says it all.

One of his students, Sailor Coutermarsh, tweeted a video of the event, saying: “Since our teacher is leaving and today is his birthday, we got him his dream shoes he talks about everyday.”

WATCH: Grandfather Can’t Stop Laughing When He Finally Discovers the Hiding Place of His Missing Phone

Another student said: “It was so fun planning it! Mr. Lara deserved all of it and more!

“He is truly the best teacher ever and such a blessing,” she added.

The Air Jordan Twitter account even chimed it to say that they were “honored to be a part of [his] classroom.”

(WATCH the emotional video below)

Kick Up Your Good News Game And Share This Sweet Video With Your Friends

This One Peptide Could Treat MS, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s, and More

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McKinley Corbley

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May 11, 2018

For decades, researchers have been struggling to find cures for humanity’s most crippling diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s.

After spending ten years of his career studying and developing a special synthetic protein, an Israeli scientist believes that he may have a treatment for every single one of these illnesses.

Professor David Naor from the Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem says that the reason his drug is effective against so many diseases is because they are all associated with pathological amyloid proteins.

In order to neutralize these inflammatory proteins, he developed the 5-mer peptide, which he believes will become a breakthrough treatment in the future.

“I believe that within two years we would know for certain if our academic product can translate into a therapeutic drug to combat inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases,” Naor told Israel21.

“Once you control the inflammation, you can control the disease, so our target is to reduce as much as possible the inflammatory activity.”

Naor’s drug trials with animals have already proved noteworthy. For starters, he tested the peptide’s efficacy in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Not only did it completely reverse the mice’s join inflammation to normal, healthy levels, but there were also no harmful side effects observed in any of the subjects.

MORE: Alzheimer’s Gene is Neutralized in Human Brain Cells for the First Time

Israel21 adds that there are over $30 billion in arthritis drug treatments sold worldwide each year, and none of them are capable of curing the disease. Additionally, the drugs only work in about two-thirds of the users.

Next, Naor turned to multiple sclerosis.

“Once the rheumatoid arthritis experiment was repeated successfully several times, we looked at a different chronic inflammatory disease – multiple sclerosis, where the inflammation is not in the joints, but in the brain,” says Naor.

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

Though the drug’s treatment was shown to be less effective as the disease progressed, it still proved to drastically reduce inflammatory cells in the nervous system and return an impressive amount of motor control to the subjects.

The peptide also proved to reduce more symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome than the currently-prescribed medication.

Finally, the peptide was used to treat mice with Alzheimer’s. The results showed that peptide-treated mice had regained enough cognitive function to reach the same levels of mental performance as mice who did not have the disease.

CHECK OUT: Australia May Become First Country to Eliminate Cervical Cancer – Rate Drops From 22% to 1%

“We can restore the memory of the animal. This doesn’t mean we’re going to cure Alzheimer’s but it does mean we have to do everything possible to see if our peptide could be successful where so many other potential anti-Alzheimer drugs have failed,” says Naor.

Naor and his collaborators now plan on collecting the several million dollars of funding required to start clinical trials on humans in the coming years – and the scientist adds that he is already confident in the drug’s success.

“Because the peptide was derived from human material, it makes sense that it is going to work in humans at least as well as in mice,” he concluded.

Be Sure To Share The Exciting News With Your Friends

Instead of Plane Making Emergency Landing, Engineer Fixes Medical Device Using Only a Pen

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McKinley Corbley

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May 11, 2018

When a diabetic passenger was suffering from dangerously high blood sugar, the flight crew was preparing to make an emergency landing – but thanks to a resourceful engineering student who happened to be on board, they didn’t have to.

Back in February, electrical engineering student Karttikeya Mangalam had just finished an exchange program in Geneva and was on his way home to New Delhi via a connecting flight from Moscow.

As he was on the plane, however, a man who was sitting two rows behind him started having a medical emergency.

21-year-old Mangalam recently wrote about the harrowing incident in his university’s in-house magazine.

LOOK: 13 Truckers Use Their Vehicles to Prevent Suicide Attempt From Ending a Life

The passenger, a 30-year-old Dutch man named Thomas, suffered from type 1 diabetes and he had forgotten his insulin pump at the Moscow security desk. Since it had been five hours since his last insulin dose, his blood sugar levels were quickly rising.

Fortunately, there was a doctor on board who also happened to have diabetes. Upon hearing that a man was in trouble, he rushed over to help.

“The doctor tried to calm him down and explained to the hostess that he needed urgent insulin or he would pass out with possible multiple organ failures and coma or worse,” recalls Mangalam. “I personally think it created more panic than helping the situation.

“Anyway, Thomas already had some cartridges of short-term fast working insulin with him, all he needed was a method to inject them.”

Though the doctor also had diabetes, he used a pen-like contraption to inject the treatments, rather than a pump, which meant that Thomas’s cartridges could not work properly with the device.

As precious time passed and the passengers deliberated on Thomas’s situation, the Dutch man collapsed and the flight crew announced that they would be making an emergency landing.

Instead of waiting an hour and a half for the plane to touch down, Mangalam used the plane’s Wifi to look up diagrams of the injector. He compared the device to the blueprints until he noticed a key detail in the design drawings: there was a spring missing from the doctor’s injector.

MORE: Doctors on a Plane Save Woman’s Life by Constructing Makeshift Ventilator Out of Nearby Parts

All while “keeping a cool head,” the young student told the flight attendant to ask if any of the passengers had ball point pens. Several people handed over the writing utensils and Mangalam started taking them apart so he could use their springs.

He finally found a spring that fit perfectly into the insulin injector. Mangalam reassembled the device and handed it back to the doctor who treated Thomas and told the flight attendant that an emergency landing was no longer necessary because the Dutch man’s blood sugar was quickly returning to normal.

After they landed, Mangalam escorted Thomas to the hospital, as the Dutch man was traveling alone and he had never been to India before.

WATCH: When Man Suddenly Collapses, People Line Up For 96-Minute CPR Marathon to Save Him

“On the stretcher in the ambulance, he thanked me a lot and told me to come visit him in Amsterdam where he owns his own restaurant and brewery and where I supposedly would receive as much free food and beer as I want when I come to visit!” says Mangalam.

The 21-year-old credits his life-saving efforts to a first-year engineering class that he “loathed” as a new student.

“This incident has made me realize the importance of the basic engineering skills we are taught in our freshman year,” he says. “I think saving a man’s life is more than what anyone could ever imagine to achieve from [those basic studies].”

Be Sure To Share The Incredible Story With Your Friends – Photo by Karttikeya Mangalam

When Tribe Objects to Auction of Sacred Pipe, Anonymous Buyer Pays Double So it Can Be Returned

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McKinley Corbley

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May 11, 2018

When a sacred peace pipe went up for auction last weekend, a Native American community objected to its sale and asked for it to be returned.

The artifact ended up on the buyer’s block anyway, but instead of being sold for profit, an anonymous buyer paid double the original asking price solely so they could return it to its rightful Native owners.

The catlinite pipe had been given to an American soldier as a peace offering from Dakota Chief White Dog during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. If you haven’t read the history books, then suffice it to say that the conflict ended in tragedy.

The pipe had been in possession of a Boston family until it was put up for sale by auction company Skinner, Inc. on Saturday. The artifact was expected to sell for about $20,000.

Upon hearing about the pipe’s auction, the Lower Sioux Indian Community near Redwood Falls, Minnesota voiced dissent and started working in opposition to the sale.

During the auction, however, the pipe was sold to an unidentified buyer who paid roughly $40,000 – which was double the estimated fetching price.

Prairie Island Tribal Council President Shelley Buck released a statement saying that the buyer had bought the pipe “for the sole purpose of returning it to the Dakota Oyate (people).” Not only that, but they wished to remain anonymous.

“We are humbled by and grateful for this honorable act,” says Buck. “Pidamayaye to the donor for your respect and generosity.”

According to Jill Doerfler, head of the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Native communities have been asking museums and collectors to return sacred artifacts that were historically seized or stolen without permission – and while some institutions have complied, this was a very unusual gesture of cultural respect.

LOOK: Farmer Returns 700 Acres of California Coast to Native American Tribe

“In English, objects are generally inanimate,” she said. “But in a lot of native cultures, that pipe has its own being, its own entity, and it has to be cared for.”

“Museums have for the last several decades been returning items slowly,” she added. “This is a very interesting case where somebody obviously saw this coming up for auction. I can’t imagine this happens very often at all.”

Be Sure To Restore Someone’s Faith In Humanity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends – Photo by Skinner, Inc.

“Outer success follows your own experience of success as an inner reality.” – Chin-Ning Chu

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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May 11, 2018

Quote of the Day: “Outer success follows your own experience of success as an inner reality.” – Chin-Ning Chu (author, Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life)

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

This Portable 3D Printer Could Print Skin Over Wounds in Under 2 Minutes

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McKinley Corbley

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May 10, 2018

Thanks to this latest breakthrough in 3D-printing technology, skin grafts may soon be a thing of the past. Instead, physicians could just heal those injuries by simply printing out a new sheet of skin on the spot.

Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a handheld 3D skin printer that can quickly manufacture fresh skin tissue that can cover and fill a wound in less than two minutes – and the team believes it to be the first contraption of its kind.

The device is shaped similarly to a packing tape dispenser, except instead of tape, it distributes tissue sheets made out of “protein-based biomaterials including collagen, the most abundant protein in the dermis, and fibrin, a protein involved in wound healing.” The printed material can then penetrate all three layers of skin to properly heal the wound.

Currently, the preferred method of treating these kinds of injuries is with skin grafts that require large portions of donor skin. Because there is rarely enough donor skin to cover an injured area, however, this usually leads to a poor recovery and healing process.

Although other bioengineered skin tissues have already been developed, none of them have been used very widely.

“Most current 3D bioprinters are bulky, work at low speeds, are expensive and are incompatible with clinical application,” explains Professor Axel Guenther.

MORE: Alzheimer’s Gene is Neutralized in Human Brain Cells for the First Time

“Our skin printer promises to tailor tissues to specific patients and wound characteristics,” says PhD student Navid Hakimi who led the research. “And it’s very portable.”

According to the researchers, they must complete further tests before starting human trials, but they hope that their contraption will one day revolutionize the way that physicians treat burn victims.

Their findings are currently published in the scientific journal Lab on a Chip.

Be Sure To Share The Breakthrough With Your Friends – Photo by Liz Do / University of Toronto

5 Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gifts to Provide Health, Wellness, Romance, or DNA Tests

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McKinley Corbley

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May 10, 2018

Maybe you’ve already prepared an exquisite Mother’s Day gift for this upcoming Sunday – or (if you’re like me) you forgot all about it, and you’re now scrambling for anything that says “Of course I didn’t forget that I was supposed to get this for you!”

Well, drop the notion of chocolates and flowers, right now. We have five interesting gift ideas that you can prepare from the comfort of your own computer. Plus, Good News Network gets a small commission for every click and purchase – so it’s a win-win-win for everybody involved!

1) Give your mother the gift of ancestry

LivingDNA is having a sale on their ancestry test kits for Mother’s Day – so if your mom has ever been curious about her family roots, then click here to hop over to their website and use the coupon code MOMSDAY4 at checkout for a 20% discount. They claim to offer the most comprehensive test out there.

2) Give the gift of mindfulness, exercise, and flexibility

Everybody loves yoga – and now, thanks to the internet, you don’t even have to leave your house to go to a class.

With over 300,000 members, Yoga International is an online resource dedicated to yoga, meditation, and mindful living. Yoga students, teachers, and aspiring teachers can deepen their knowledge and practice with Yoga International. With over 3,500 articles, 500+ teachers, and more than 1,000 yoga classes, the community is a holistic home for those who are seeking to expand their understanding of yoga.

Oh, and the best part about this one? You can sign your mom up for a 30-day free trial on their website.

3) Give the gift of companionship with online dating

While some people might be squeamish about helping their mom find a date, moms are never too old to rejoin the dating world – and you can help them get their foot in the door by surprising them with an eHarmony dating profile.

eHarmony is a good place to start, too – the company earned themselves the title of being the “#1 most trusted dating site” by building the world’s first patented compatibility-based matching system based on 35 years of clinical experience and rigorous relationship research.

If you’re still hesitant, just think about all the dirty diapers that your mom had to change for you when you were a baby and click here to make an eHarmony profile.

4) Give the gift of health and wellness

Chocolates may be a time-honored gift of Mother’s Day, but you can also show your momma some love by getting her something a little more healthy.

And while some health food brands might have the taste and consistency of grass, Healthy Skoop prides itself on providing convenient options for plant-based wellness foods that are “yummy, sustainable, and ethical”. Healthy Skoop’s chief formulator, Dr. James Rouse, is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and functional medicine expert who has studied nutrition for over 25 years. If you’d like to pick up an order of nutritious goodies for Mother’s Day, you can visit their website and enter the coupon code HS20 at checkout for 20% off.

5) Forever Link Your Mom’s Name and Yours

These Personalized Name Necklace in the shape of the infinity symbol gives you a way to show your mom that you will love her forever. Because you can get up to four names or words on each loop of the infinity symbol, you can add siblings and fathers’ names, too—even pets. The Infinity Name Necklace goes with any outfit, day or night, business or casual. Made from sterling silver, these are also great for girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands or wives.

Save Your Friends From Procrastination And Share The Good Ideas – Photo by Julien Ducenne, CC

America’s Incarceration Rate is at a Two-Decade Low

By

McKinley Corbley

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May 10, 2018

After years of steady increase, this exciting new data says that America’s incarceration rate has fallen to a 20-year low. Not only that, but the number of incarcerated people in prison has declined as well.

According to a report that was published by the Pew Research Center, the US incarceration rate in 2016 dropped to approximately 860 prison or jail inmates for every 100,000 adults, which is the lowest it has been since 1996 when it was 830 inmates for every 100,000. Additionally, the prison population clocked in at 2,162,400, which is the lowest it has been since 2004.

The incarceration rate had peaked at 1,000 incarcerations per 100,000 during a three-year period in the mid-2000s.

The research center credits these positive trends to changing legislation related to drug charges. In January, California representatives allowed state residents charged with marijuana-related crimes to have their felonies reduced or expunged completely. Soon after the initiative was announced, Seattle followed suit.

Other causes for the decline in incarceration include falling crime rates.

The research center says that violent crime rates have declined from their peak in the 90s by anywhere from 47% to 78%, depending on the data. Property crime also declined significantly by as much as 66%.

Be Sure To Share The Good News With Your Friends – Photo by Timothy_Pearce, CC

Student Proves We Can Grow Millions of Pounds of Food By Planting it on Top of Trash

By

McKinley Corbley

-

May 10, 2018

This student’s plan to tackle food insecurity may sound unappetizing, but it’s actually pretty ingenious.

Joy Youwakim, an economics student at the University of Texas, has proven that we can safely grow produce on top of inactive landfills.

Using a 200-foot patch of land in a closed landfill southeast of Austin, Youwakim worked with her fellow students to grow 20 pounds of various crops, such as radishes, eggplant, bell peppers, cucumbers, and cantaloupe. All of the produce was then tested and declared safe by the Food Safety Net Services.

If Youwakim expanded her efforts to include all 390 acres of the landfill, she would be able to grow enough food for over 8,000 families. There were more than 6,000 inactive landfills in 2012, which roughly amounts to over 2 million acres of unused land. If implemented nationwide, Youwakim’s experiment could spell the end for food insecurity.

CHECK OUT: Instead of Arguing Online, Political Foes Are Coming Together Over Food to ‘Make America Dinner Again’

The economics student says that she first got the idea for her initiative when she saw what an unused landfill actually looked like.

“I was working at the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality one summer and struck up a conversation with an employee working in the landfill division,” she told the Good News Network. “When he showed me a picture of a closed landfill, I was so surprised to find that it looked more like a closed golf course than a pile of trash.

“I’ve always been passionate about food access, so I immediately began thinking about the possibilities of growing food on this space. I learned that landfills are typically located in low income areas, so I saw this as an opportunity to bring fresh produce to individuals living in food deserts as well as a way to sustain farmable land as our population grows and we continue to urbanize.”

LOOK: Cheap ‘Plant Pods’ That Can Grow More Lettuce in a Room Than Half-Acre Plot May End Hunger

After that, Youwakim says it took about 13 months of phone calls, proposals, and cutting through red tape to get the necessary food permits to conduct her experiment.

Now, she has been nominated as one of four finalists for the General Mills Feeding Better Futures Scholars Program for a chance to win $50,000 to develop their food relief initiatives.

Kate Stagliano, who is one of the other competition finalists, has been featured on Good News Network in the past for her incredible story about how a massive cabbage inspired her to start an organization that encourages youngsters to grow their own food for the needy.

Whether Youwakim wins or not, she says that she is excited to expand her initiative to other communities, one trash patch at a time.

“Landfills are not an endangered resource they’re going to keep being around,” she told GNN. “When these landfills close, I want to use this space and grow food on top of them instead of abandoning them.”

(WATCH the video below)

Plant Some Positivity And Share The Good News With Your Friends