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City of Atlanta Legalizes Tiny Houses

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Good News Network
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Tiny houses are now free to be erected within the city of Atlanta.

As a means of addressing affordable housing issues, the Atlanta City Council in Georgia just approved an amendment within their city zoning legislation that allows “accessory dwelling units.”

The amendment applies to two family residential neighborhoods within the city, eliminating the need for restrictions on the size of a housing structure. City ordinance previously required structures to be over 750 square feet.

CHECK OUT: Man Builds Tiny House for Homeless Woman Sleeping in the Dirt

A statement within the legislation reading: “accessory dwelling units without off-street parking on parcels without a curbcut or parcels without off-street parking” also implies that residents who don’t own a car are encouraged to move in to the city.

“The sky’s the limit to what’s possible,” Atlanta city councilman Kwanza Hall told Atlanta magazine. “It’s just up to us as a community to figure out what we want to do, what we envision in the future, and opening up as many possibilities as we can dream up.”

Click To Share This Big Story With Your Friends (Photo by Tiny House Scotland)

Watch College Grad’s Reaction When She’s Offered Job During Commencement

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Some students might be worrying about how they’re going to land a job after they’re finished with school – but not this happy graduate.

Melanie Sanchez was in the middle of her graduation commencement ceremony when her phone rang.

When she saw that she didn’t know the number, she thought maybe it was the job offer that she had been waiting for.

RELATED VIDEO: Adorable Reaction of Little Girl’s Friends to Her New Pink Prosthetic

Though it’s technically not allowed, Melanie picked up the phone only to find that she was correct – she had been given a position as a marketing specialist with a Florida health care company.

Unable to contain her joy, Melanie’s reaction inspired her friend to film the excitement she was experiencing as one chapter of her life ended and another new one began.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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These Blobs May Be the Future of Plastic Water Bottles

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McKinley Corbley
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These funny looking globs might spell the end of plastic bottles polluting the ocean.

The Ooho! is an “edible water bottle” made entirely out of sustainable packaging.

Designed by London-based startup Skipping Rocks Labs, the biodegradable container is made out of a thin, flexible membrane composed of sodium alginate – a natural derivative of brown algae – and calcium chloride. It can be either ripped open, allowing the individual to drink the liquid out of the membrane, or simply consumed whole.

Each glob contains 250 ml each, costing only about 2 cents to make.

RELATED: Man Creates ‘Shoes That Grow’ So Poor Kids Don’t Outgrow Them

Skipping Rocks already designed the Ooho! in 2014, however they are now seeking funding on CrowdCube for the product’s large-scale manufacturing.

The startup is currently producing only about 2,000 Oohos! a day, but they start marketing the globule and music festivals and outdoor events next year.

With 1 billion plastic containers making their way into the ocean every year, Skipping Rocks hope that the Ooho! will be the new, cheaper alternative to convenient plastic packaging.

“I think a lot of the issue with sustainability and being greener is that it leaves the consumer out of the experience,” Sean Coary, a consumer behavior expert at St. Joseph’s University told The Christian Science Monitor. “If you buy a plastic bottle that is made of 30 percent less plastic, you really don’t experience your contribution to a greener society, whereas if you ‘eat’ your water bottle, you’re actually reminding yourself and consciously thinking of this step that you’re taking to be sustainable, to be greener, and that could have a more positive impact on the consumer.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Ooho!)

UK’s First Zero Waste Store Just Opened – and it’s Wildly Popular

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McKinley Corbley
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Everyone knows the common saying “waste not, want not” – but this couple has taken it to a whole other level.

Nicola and Richard of Devon, England became tired of taking heaps upon heaps of their recycling to the city center. They were frustrated by the journeys back and forth, and surprised at just how much waste the two of them made.

Then, the couple got an idea.

“We had seen an article of a zero waste shop in Berlin, and thought what a great idea it was,” Nicola told the Good News Network. “This combined with our ever growing heap of ‘recycling’ at our apartment … made us want a different way to shop, and there wasn’t one- so we created one!”

MORE: Solar Water Wheels Prevent 1Mil Pounds of Trash From Entering Baltimore Harbor

Nicola and Richard opened the first Zero Waste Shop in the United Kingdom – and it has been wildly successful.

“All food (even liquids and nut butters) comes loose and gets put directly into the customers own reusable container,” says Nicola. “We reuse, reduce, or recycle as much of the packaging that we get as possible. We donate the large paper sacks to customers to use as mulching on their allotments and we reuse the plastic drums with each new order of our cleaning products company.”

The store is just as conscious about food waste as well – since the food isn’t pre-packaged, customers are also able to buy as much of a product as they need without having to worry buying to much and using it all before it goes bad. Plus, everything sold is organic;  the cleaning products are non-toxic; and the soap is locally hand-made.

CHECK OUT: New USDA Guidelines Will Prevent Thousands of Pounds of Food Waste

People have reportedly come from far and wide to check out the wares, which only serves to spread the message of conscious, responsible consumerism.

Though Nicola and Richard don’t plan on opening up any more stores – they are just one humble family, after all – they are working on putting out a downloadable PDF manual on how you can open up your own zero waste shop in your area.

“The opening of our shop has brought plastic pollution to the forefront of peoples minds. We have had emails thanking us for taking this step, people have expressed that it made them analyze their plastic usage, and that it has encouraged them to make changes in their lives. We feel we have also demonstrated to people that it takes just one person to make one change for it to have a huge impact.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Tasty Story With Your Friends (Photo by Zero Waste Shop)

Boy Who Sent 3,500 Comic Books to Soldiers is Rewarded With Best Day Ever

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McKinley Corbley
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This 9-year-old boy loves comic books so much, he wanted to share his passion with American soldiers – and in return, they gave him a day that he won’t soon forget.

Carl is the mastermind behind Carl’s Comix: a website dedicated to comic book reviews and interviews. When one of his subscribers asked if he had ever thought about donating comic books to those in need, the 9-year-old had an idea.

Carl contacted Jennifer Myers of the Department Veterans Affairs and Veterans Benefits Administration, asking her if he could donate some of his comics to veterans and soldiers deployed overseas. After she said yes, Carl got to work collecting comics.

RELATED: Family of 6 Boys Donates Combined 17 Feet Of Hair After Friend’s Death

The boy called up a few of his friends and started asking for donations at a comic book show. Through his campaigning, Carl managed to accumulate 3,500 comic books – 300 of which were his own.

After donating several hundred of the books to Lyons Veterans Hospital in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, he then planned to bring several more boxes to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Trenton.

“They felt really grateful for the donation because all of the books would go to veterans in the hospital who need something fun to read and something to cheer them up,” says Carl. “I was really happy that they were so excited about them.”

CHECK OUT: Teens Are Instant Heroes For Saving a Boy Who Fell Off a Cliff

When he arrived, however, he didn’t expect to be greeted with a hero’s welcome.

Several high-ranking officers were waiting to give him a VIP tour of the base. Carl was allowed to try on military gear and explore the inside of a plane and helicopter. Then, the officers awarded him 3 different medals of excellence in recognition of his kindness.

“They all gathered around and Commander Lowery said that she had a medal for me. I was so surprised when she handed me her coin of excellence. It made me feel very special and excited. Everybody who was outside applauded for me. I was so surprised I could barely stand!”

“Jennifer Myers spoke with me to make sure I understood what these coins meant and that I would always treasure them. We all hugged goodbye and thanked her for setting up such a special day. I do not think I have ever felt as special and welcome as everybody at Joint Base MDL made me feel!”

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photo by Carl’s Comix)

Irish Beach Washed Away 33 Years Ago Has Just Returned Overnight

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McKinley Corbley
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The tourism in this tiny Irish town has suffered since their beautiful swath of beach was washed away 33 years ago.

But just as suddenly as it disappeared, it has returned.

Storms hit the sands of Dooagh on Achill Island in Ireland back in 1984, leaving nothing but harsh rock and puddles in the place of the beach.

Since the island’s towns largely depended on the beach as a tourism draw, the local economy took a serious blow.

RELATED: Major Earthquake May Have Saved Island From Coastal Erosion

Then, around Easter time in April, a strange cold snap descended on the island, bringing a strong steady wind and a ‘freak tide’ from the north.

Hundreds of thousands of tons of sand washed up on the shore once more, recreating the 300-meter stretch of beach that the locals missed so dearly.

Though the beach’s strange return has already drawn visitors from around the country, island locals are hoping that the beach will receive a blue-flag inspection next year, a special Irish eco-certification.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Have You Got The Sand To Share This Story? (Photo by Achill Tourism Office)

Instead of Punishing Girl For Stealing, Cop Helps Her Out

By
McKinley Corbley
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This police officer is being hailed for his kindness after he received a call from a dollar store about a 12-year-old girl who was caught stealing.

Officer Milton was told by local Family Dollar Store employees in Atlanta, Georgia that a young girl had been apprehended trying to smuggle out $2 shoes.

When confronted about her actions, Officer Milton was heartbroken to discover that she had been stealing the shoes for her younger sister because her family couldn’t afford them.

Instead of punishing her for her misdemeanor, the compassionate cop gave the girl a ride back to her home and met her family.

RELATED: Cop Herds Lost Goats into His Police Car, Finds Owners Using Cute Pics

The mother of the Staples family was a parent to four kids, the youngest of which was a newborn baby. Though her husband held a job, they were still having trouble making ends meet and they couldn’t afford a sitter.

As a means of comforting the family, Officer Milton bought them four pizzas and drinks for dinner.

Though he did not want recognition for his deed, a fellow police officer leaked the story to outside sources. The Atlanta Police Department then made a Facebook post asking for donations for the unfortunate family.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photo by Atlanta Police Department)

Saudi Women Will No Longer Need Men’s Permission to Seek Education, Health Care

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McKinley Corbley
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Credit, Tribes of the World, CC 3.0. BY SA.

Saudi Arabia is slowly – but surely – starting to join the modern world in terms of gender equality

Though the kingdom is still one of the most gender segregated nations in the world, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced that women will finally be allowed to work, study, and seek health care without needing a man’s consent.

This will allow millions of women to start employment in the private and public sector, pursue an education, and explore medical treatment without the written permission of a father, brother, husband, or son.

RELATED: Former Child Brides Win Case in Court: Zimbabwe Bans Child Marriage

The ruling comes one year after the nation broke historic barriers by holding the first election in which women were allowed to vote. A total of 20 women were elected into public office after King Abdullah granted women the rights to hold office and participate in local elections in 2011.

The country has also started edging away from oil dependency following the recent announcement of a $50 billion renewable energy plan.

Saudi Arabia plans on harnessing 10 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2023 by constructing several wind and solar plants throughout the nation. Completion of the initiative will likely result in 700 gigawatts.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Tribes of the World, CC)

Eli Manning Just Scored a Perfect Goal For Kids Cancer Research

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Good News Network
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The beloved New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning just scored the goal of a lifetime with these kids.

More than 500 youth and community groups joined stars from the world of sports to celebrate raising more than $250,000 as part of “Eli’s Challenge,” a campaign led by the star football player.

The campaign is part of the Tackle Kids Cancer Program, which raises money for critical research and programs at the Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center.

RELATED: Tim Tebow Arranges Night To Remember For 32,000 Special Needs Kids

Emcee and NBC4 New York Sports Anchor Bruce Beck, Giants Legend Shaun O’Hara, Knicks Legend John Starks and New York Red Bulls Goalie Luis Robles joined Manning in paying tribute to community groups that demonstrated extraordinary effort and creativity with their fundraising programs, which ranged from car washes to bake sales.

“It is truly inspiring to see how many community groups held bake sales, car washes and other fundraisers for this cause, and I want to challenge more of them to join our team,” said Manning, who pledged to match the first $100,000 in fundraising from local community groups – which they exceeded in just a few short months.

Five of the most innovative, creative and successful fundraising campaigns created by kids and community groups were honored, resulting in a check for $250,000 from “Eli’s Challenge“ to the Tackle Kids Cancer program, which benefitted from the New York Giants support.

“We value our relationship with Hackensack University Medical Center and are honored to be part of Tackle Kids Cancer. The work that is done by the Children’s Cancer Institute and those who have contributed to Tackle Kids Cancer has served as an inspiration to Eli and all of us,” said Allison Stangeby, vice president of Community and Corporate Relations. “We are proud of Eli’s work in our community and his selfless support of the Children’s Cancer Institute.”

WATCH: Federer Builds 50 New Preschools in Africa, Mobbed by Kids on First Visit

“The Foundation is proud of the partnership we have with the New York Giants and its players,” said Jon M. Fitzgerald, president of Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation. “Eli Manning’s commitment to Tackle Kids Cancer has extended far beyond what we could have imagined. Not only has he volunteered to be the face of our campaign, but he has made numerous visits with the children, families and health care team at our Children’s Cancer Institute. With Eli’s Challenge, he has taken his role as champion of this cause to higher level, and we could not have raised more than $4 million for our Tackle Kids Cancer initiative without his support.”

The Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center consists of dedicated clinicians and researchers specializing in pediatric cancer. With more than 100 active oncology and transplant clinical trials currently open, it is leading the charge to cure childhood cancer.

“While extremely rare, pediatric cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children in the U.S.,” said Stephen Percy interim chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. “Every dollar received through the Tackle Kids Cancer campaign will support our most important programs and research.”

Score Big With Your Friends: Click To Share (Photo by PRNewsfoto/Hackensack Meridian Health)

Nicki Minaj Pays Off College Debt for Dozens of Students

By
McKinley Corbley
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Nicki Minaj isn’t just a talented hip hop artist – she’s also a fan of hardworking students.

On Saturday night, Minaj was tweeting about a contest in which the participants who recorded the most creative dancing video to her most recent musical single would be flown out to the studio to hang with the hip hop queen herself.

Jokingly, one of her fans replied with: “Well, you wanna pay my tuition?”

RELATED: Elon Musk Takes Surprisingly Good Ad Advice From 10-Year-old

To everyone’s surprise, the singer responded by tweeting back: “Show me straight A’s that I can verify w/ur school and I’ll pay it. Who wants to join THAT contest?!?!Dead serious. Shld I set it up?”

 

Screenshots of report cards flooded the singer’s inbox. Unfazed, Minaj accepted dozens of requests – from payments of a couple hundred dollars for school supplies, to thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

Anyone who had a high GPA was asked to privately message the singer their bank information.

 

After filing through the messages, Minaj closed out the night by saying she would make the payments the next day, and she would open up her inbox to more lucky students in two months.

“Ok u guys. It’s been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left. I’ll do some more in a month or 2.”

 

The next day, TMZ reportedly confirmed that Minaj made good on her offer to dozens of students.

My Anaconda Don’t Want None Unless You Click To Share, Hun (Photo by TheGlobalPanorama, CC)

A Life Coach’s Free Advice on How to Balance Happiness and Work

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Good News Network
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Understanding the importance of a good work-life balance can benefit you in many ways, but one of the most important ways (by far) is how it affects your happiness.

Retaining a strong body and mind can help you deal with almost any obstacle in your path, so when work takes a toll, your body suffers, and in consequence, the rest of your life can suffer as well. Here are a few ways to change up some of those bad habits when your work life threatens to take over.

The Body

Finding the time to prepare healthy meals or take an exercise class can be tough. Here are some things you can do to maintain a healthier lifestyle on the go:

Easy Protein: Getting enough protein is crucial for peak performance. Sources of protein include meats, eggs, dairy, and even vegetables. Hard-boil some eggs or stock up on chicken breasts—foods that take little time to prepare and can last for a few meals!

Drink Lots of Water: The occasional cup of coffee won’t kill you, but not drinking enough water can. Water helps in ways that you might not even think about. It can make you less irritable, because dehydration can adversely alter your mood. It can also help you cut down on unnecessary snacking, because your body sometimes tricks you into thinking you’re hungry, when actually you just need some old-fashioned H2O.

CHECK OUT: How to Heal Mindfully if Your Candidate Loses

Prioritize Your Body: Exercising can relieve stress, boost your ability to handle situations in both work and personal lives, and is a way to combat the day-to-day of stagnant deskwork. If your work allows, take your lunch break to go for a run or a swim. Any amount of time being active is beneficial. If you don’t have time to leave work, try standing and working, or do some bodyweight exercises like squats and pushups. Commit a few minutes here and there to be more fit.

Snacking: Eating in a hurry usually means grabbing smaller portions of food whenever it is convenient. Just because you don’t have time to cook doesn’t mean what you snack on has to be packaged, processed, and unhealthy. Foods like nuts, berries, and carrots or celery are great for those days when you’re moving from one thing to the next. It also helps to have these good eats at your disposal when your coworker brings donuts on Monday morning.

The Mind

When your mind is at ease, your perspective on life tends to follow suit. Here are some ways to unscramble all the thoughts in your head when it’s constantly racing:

RELATED: ‘Friendship Benches’ Alleviate Mental Illness Symptoms For Thousands

Take a Timeout: You need time to stop thinking about work, even if you’re still at work. Calling a friend, walking around your office building, or sitting in a silent break room can help you relax and give your brain a break. Optimize your home to reduce the stress you feel while you’re there. Chances are, you have enough of that at work. If cleaning is too much to keep up with, consider hiring someone to do it for you. Clutter reduction can make a huge difference on your state of mind.

Unleash Your Creative Side: Stimulating your brain in a way that you enjoy can help you release negative thoughts or feelings. It can also help you keep your good humor (as well as your sanity) in times of stress.

Be Social: Sometimes you need to talk to others to feel connected and appreciated – and you shouldn’t always have to talk about work. Plan ahead and carve out time for social activities – especially ones that help you in more ways than one. For example, take a walk in the park with some of your friends, or take your kids to the movies. You can spend time with loved ones while doing something that is beneficial and that you enjoy.

MORE: How Negative Headlines Can Impact Your Mental and Emotional Health

Working hard is one thing, but living hard is another. While you’re on the clock, focus on your tasks, but when it’s time to fold your laptop and file away your work documents, file away your work worries with them to maximize all your time.

If you need more guidance on how to keep your work-life balance, you can check out Groom and Style’s recently-published guide that features dozens of tips from over 50 top wellness experts.

Ms. Morris is a life and career coach who strives to help others achieve balance and happiness in their lives. She believes she can relate to clients who feel run over by life because of her own experiences. Ms. Morris spent years in an unfulfilling career in finance before deciding to help people in other ways.

Cut Your Friends A Break: Click To Share (Photo by Amermb)

Some Corals Have Started Adapting to Warmer Temperatures

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Good News Network
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This new study reveals evidence that some corals are adapting to warming ocean waters — offering great hope following recent reports of coral die-offs due to rising temperatures.

Researchers observed how reefs in two Kenyan marine national parks responded to extreme temperature exposure over time. They found that 11 of the 21 coral species that they studied showed less of the destructive coral bleaching than others.

Looking at two similarly severe warming events in 1998 and 2016, Wildlife Conservation Society zoologist Tim McClanahan found that the number of pale and bleached coral colonies declined from 73% to 27%, and 96% to 60%, in the two parks with different background temperatures. About half of the most common species did not bleach strongly in 2016.

CHECK OUT: Nations Unite to Create World’s Largest Marine Reserve in Antarctica

Bleaching takes place when stressed corals discharge beneficial algae that supply energy to corals causing them to turn pale or white and often starve. Worldwide, a large percentage of coral species experienced some bleaching due to unusually warm ocean water in 2016.

McClanahan said: “Despite the many caveats and interpretation of these results, this study provides one of the first response-rate estimates for many common corals at the population level. It therefore provides a basis for future studies and improving model predictions and the types of evaluations needed to address the future health of coral reefs.”

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Global awareness continues to grow about the immediate threats facing coral reef ecosystems, which is catalyzing a global commitment to address those threats. In February, at the Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia, the ‘50 Reefs‘ initiative was launched by the Global Change Institute of the University of Queensland and the Ocean Agency. The initiative brings together leading ocean, climate and marine scientists to develop a list of the 50 most critical coral reefs to protect, while leading conservation practitioners are working together to establish the best practices to protect these reefs.

(Source: Wildlife Conservation Society)

Click To Spread a Reef of Good News – OR, (Photo by Tim McClanahan/WCS)

Watch Man Rush to Save Drowning Office Cat Knocked into Water

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Good News Network
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What started out as a cat-a-strophic accident turned into a paw-sitively inspiring rescue.

Felix the office cat of the London’s Royal Dock Management Authority got into a tussle with another feline earlier this week, which sent him plummeting into the nearby water.

Scott, the organization’s engineering and operations manager, saw the exchange and leapt into action.

As the frightened cat tread water below the dock, Scott scooted close enough to the animal so he could grab it by the scruff of the neck and pull it to safety.

WATCH: Dog Wearing Life Jacket is Found Adrift in Vast Gulf of Mexico

After the rescue, both Scott and Felix walked away unfazed.

Though the video has since gone viral, RDMA posted an Instagram photo of Felix featuring the caption: “Here’s Felix the RoDMA office cat taking a nap after becoming a viral sensation this weekend! We’re happy to report the fame hasn’t gone to her head and she’s back to her regular scheduled program of cat naps, food breaks, and the occasional stretch.”

(WATCH the video below)

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Watch Adorable Reaction of Little Girl’s Friends to Her New Pink Prosthetic

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This 7-year-old girl has lived her whole life with only one leg – so when her friends see her sporting a brand new pink prosthetic, they can’t contain their joy.

Anu, who is a student at an elementary school in Birmingham, England, can be seen striding confidently into her playground in this clip from the BBC Midlands Today.

Her friends can be heard saying “Is that your new pink leg?” and “Wow!”

Another little girl simply wraps up Anu in a big hug before they all start playing on the tarmac.

RELATED: Watch the Tears as Community Pays For Beloved Crossing Guard’s Prosthetic Repairs

Anu’s leg was amputated soon after she was born. Her new prosthetic, supported by the West Midlands Rehabilitation Center, will allow the 7-year-old to run, dance, and play just like her friends.

The purity of welcome she received is enough to bring a grown man to tears.

(WATCH the video below)

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Selfless Giving: How to Do it and Why We Need it

By
Sarah Salow
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In this digital, socially-networked age, giving has become remarkably easy and convenient. Just click, and we’ve made a contribution we can feel good about.

There are plenty of other easy (and fun) ways to feel good about giving, too – from participating in raffles and golf tournaments to running a 5K or selling bracelets made by women in developing countries. Thanks to this, the spirit of giving and giving back has become an integral part of life here in the U.S. and in other lucky parts of the world. In fact, “giving” and “giving back” are now buzzwords we toss around regularly.

It’s uplifting that so many of us are on board to give. Yet, could the sheer simplicity of the process potentially create a chasm of oblivion between our generosity and the reasons why giving is necessary in the first place? After all, the world we live in is steeped in tragic poverty. Buying a raffle ticket might ultimately contribute to the cause, but does it move those of us who purchased it any closer to understanding the discomfort of those we seek to help?

RELATED: How to Heal Mindfully if Your Candidate Loses

Understanding is an important part of actually making the world a better place. For only through understanding discomfort, by experiencing it ourselves, can we fully engage in the process of fomenting change. Fully engaging makes all the difference between truly giving and merely going through the motions.

Enter selfless giving. This conscious, intentional approach to giving allows us to do things for others and our community that not only help and make a contribution, but also force us to push the boundaries of our comfort zone – thus experiencing a twinge of discomfort ourselves.

For example, in donating clothing, many of us are likely to sort through our closets and pick from a pile of old, discarded, worn-out garments that have no meaning to us anymore. Giving these garments away requires as little thought and as little emotion as dumping them in the trash. So have we truly been intentional and engaged in the process, or was it simply a convenience to our self?

CHECK OUT: Woman Donates Entire Toy Store to Kids in Homeless Shelters

But what if instead of those old threadbare jeans we haven’t worn since ‘08 we were to pull a brand new pair from our closet to give away? A pair we’d been looking forward to wearing next Saturday night?

That would be a little uncomfortable. And it would be a true act of giving, for we would have given something up.

The gesture would be far more meaningful than giving away things that have lost their importance. It would also imply that those in need would receive a better product – something that would theoretically last longer and provide more value.

CHECK OUT: Boy With Autism Sells Drawings to Buy Toys For Sick Brother

Stretching ourselves to lend a hand in situations that might feel awkward and unfamiliar is an exercise whose impact sticks. Doing so not only provides invaluable service to others, but also forces each of us to dig deep, look inside and evaluate what level of giving is, subjectively, truly selfless.

With so many struggles at our doorsteps and throughout the world juxtaposed by such immense privilege, engaging in selfless giving seems like one small but significant way to help bridge the gap.

Formerly a Detroit high school English and speech teacher, Sarah Salow is executive director of the nonprofit outdoor recreation and conference facility, Echo Center, based in Stockbridge, Michigan, which offers arts and crafts, rope courses, ziplines and rappelling walls, with entry fees on a sliding scale so visitors can pay what they are able.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Shimelle Laine, CC)

The Story Behind This Hospital Employee Who Was Named DarthVader at Birth

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Darthvader Williamson may sound like a made-up name – but it’s actually the name on this guy’s birth certificate.

Darthvader’s father, who was given the final vote on what to name his son, went with the Star Wars pseudonym as an homage to the movie trilogy antagonist.

Darthvader, who is a surgery technician at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett in Memphis, Tennessee, has received hundreds of requests for photos and autographs from visitors and patients who have discovered his unusual name.

WATCH: Star Wars Composer Surprises Young Musicians on His Lawn

He says he doesn’t mind, although, ironically, he claims not to be that big of a Star Wars fan.

But the birth name is reportedly quite helpful in making his younger patients smile.

(WATCH the cute video below)

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Scientists Cure Type 1 Diabetes for a Year Without Side Effects

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Good News Network
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By Bradley Johnson, CC license
By Bradley Johnson, CC license

A potential cure for Type 1 diabetes looms on the horizon – and the novel approach would also allow Type 2 diabetics to stop insulin shots.

The treatment totally cured diabetes in mice for an entire year without any side effects. The discovery, made at UT Health San Antonio, works by increasing the types of pancreatic cells that secrete insulin.

“It worked perfectly,” said Dr. Bruno Doiron, assistant professor of medicine at UT Health. “We cured mice for one year without any side effects. That’s never been seen.”

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Insulin, which lowers blood sugar, is only made by beta cells. In Type 1 diabetes, beta cells are destroyed by the immune system and the person has no insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, beta cells fail and insulin decreases. At the same time in Type 2, the body doesn’t use insulin efficiently.

The therapy is accomplished by a technique called gene transfer. A virus is used as a vector, or carrier, to introduce selected genes into the pancreas. These genes become incorporated and cause digestive enzymes and other cell types to make insulin.

Unlike beta cells, which the body rejects in Type 1 diabetes, the other cell populations of the pancreas co-exist with the body’s immune defenses.

Gene transfer using a viral vector has been approved nearly 50 times by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat various diseases.

MORE: After Marrying On Her ‘Deathbed,’ This Bride Made a Miraculous Recovery After Quitting 1 Food

“The pancreas has many other cell types besides beta cells, and our approach is to alter these cells so that they start to secrete insulin, but only in response to glucose [sugar],” said co-inventor Ralph DeFronzo. “This is basically just like beta cells.”

The team’s treatment could be a major advance over traditional insulin therapy and some diabetes medications that drop blood sugar too low if not closely monitored.

“A major problem we have in the field of Type 1 diabetes is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar),” said Dr. Doiron. “The gene transfer we propose is remarkable because the altered cells match the characteristics of beta cells. Insulin is only released in response to glucose.”

This is a mouse model, so caution is needed. The researchers have a goal to reach human clinical trials in the next three years, but to do so they must first test the strategy in large-animal studies, which will cost an estimated $5 million. The team received a U.S. patent in January, and UT Health San Antonio is spinning out a company to begin commercialization.

(Source: UT Health San Antonio)

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Turtles Landing on Hotel Beach Are Given Their Very Own Concierge

By
McKinley Corbley
-
Max Gotta

This hotel cares for all of its guests – even if they’re tiny reptiles emerging from the sea.

The Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in the small country of Oman plays host to one of the five nesting sites for sea turtles in the nation. Every year, up to 100 different turtles return to the hotel’s beaches to lay their eggs.

Wanting to give mindful care to their oceanside acquaintances and ensure the turtles’ growth, the resort has hired a full-time turtle ranger to watch over the endangered sea-dwelling critters.

RELATED: Police Rescue Over 6,000 Turtles in Largest Wildlife Bust in the Nation

After spending two months learning absolutely everything about turtle conservation, Mohammed Al Hasani became the hotel’s resident turtle concierge. Mohammed arrives every morning to check on the progress of the nests and to protect the species from human interference. He also reportedly gives eco-tours to the hotel’s human guests so they can understand the role of the turtle’s conservation.

Mohammed loves his job, and tells of childhood memories when he first experienced reptile rescue.

“I grew up in Qantab, which is a small fishing village just along the coast from the resort,” Mohammed told Lonely Planet. “Since I was a young boy, I have been a keen fisherman. I saw many turtles in trouble caught up in fishing lines or nets, so I would help them.”

According to nest counts, the expanding turtle population has been nurtured along swimmingly, with as many as 4,100 new turtles born last year alone.

You Should Turtlely Click To Share This Story With Your Friends (Photo by Shangr- Las Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa)

Teen Invents Bra that Could Detect Breast Cancer

By
McKinley Corbley
-

After almost losing his own mother to the disease, this Mexican teen has patented a bra that can detect early signs of breast cancer.

18-year-old Julian Rios Cantu is the designer of the Eva bra: a brazier with biosensors inside the lining that can moderate the temperature, texture, blood flow, and coloring of a woman’s breasts.

The user only needs to wear the Eva bra for one to two hours per week in order for the apparel to properly monitor the body’s patterns and conditions. All the data is then downloaded by Bluetooth to an app that will alert the user if there is any alarming changes.

RELATED: Student Creates First Synthetic Retina For the Visually Impaired

Julian first got the idea when – years earlier – a mammogram detected two tumors in his mother’s breasts. Though the doctor originally identified them as benign, he was wrong – the lumps were malignant. Two years later, Julian’s mother had to undergo a double mastectomy.

Julian then filed a patent for the bra and started a company to develop the bra with his friends. Though the prototype is still in the early stages of testing, Julian plans for his company Higia Technologies to start selling the undergarment as soon as December 2018.

Higia Technologies was awarded the top prize of $20,000 at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards last June.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Higia Technologies)

Denmark Welcomes First Wild Wolf Pack in 200 Years

By
McKinley Corbley
-

After almost two centuries of their absence, Denmark has just welcomed back its first wild wolf pack.

The country’s wolf population was essentially diminished due to hunting and human persecution. Then, in 2012, a lone male wolf was sighted in Jutland – the first to be seen since 1813.

As of this week, stool samples and CCTV footage have revealed the existence of an entire pack consisting of four males and one female.

WATCH: Therapy Wolves Become Guides for Troubled Teens

The female, fondly dubbed GW675f, is reportedly thought to have traveled 340 miles north from her home in Germany. Her presence raises hope that she will soon give birth to a litter of pups, thus bringing the nation’s population back from the annals of history.

According to the BBC, as many as 40 wolves could be traveling across Denmark – however, previous attempts to census the population have been inconclusive. But with 12,000 wolves roaming across continental Europe, it’s possible that more individuals will cross Germany’s border much like GW675f.

Researchers at the Natural History Museum Aarhus say that if they see male wolves hunting without their female counterparts, it implies that they have mated and the she-wolf will be protecting the pups in their den.

Optimistic conservationists say that the unlikely wolf pairing harbors a good chance at mating next year – all researchers have to do now is wait with baited breath.

(WATCH the video below)

Formodede ulvepar i Vestjylland 1. januar 2017 from Naturhistorisk Museum Aarhus on Vimeo.

 

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