Quote of the Day: “Illusion is the first of all pleasures.” – Voltaire
Photo by: Adam Hoffman
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Happy 99th Birthday to Mel Brooks, the comic and writer who became the legendary director of comedies like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and The Producers. One of the most successful film directors of the 1970s, Brooks was married to actress Anne Bancroft for 41 years until her death in 2005. He co-wrote TV’s Get Smart, and recorded the LP The 2000 Year Old Man, which propelled him into an exclusive club of entertainers honored with the EGOT grand slam—for winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. WATCH his bio and interview from several years ago… (1926)
Johnette Wilmot learned CPR when she was 17-years-old and never needed it in the 40 years since then.
But, recently, when a 15-year-old went into cardiac arrest during a baseball practice, Wilmot remembered everything as if she had been trained yesterday.
Evan Tucker had just finished his freshman baseball season at Pinson Valley High School in Alabama and was trying out for a travel team when he collapsed on the field.
His mother, Samantha, thought he had been hit by a ball. Someone else thought he was having a seizure. The reality was much worse—it was cardiac arrest.
That’s when Ms. Wilmot, who was there for her own son’s tryout, sprinted toward Tucker’s side.
“I learned CPR in high school and I’ve never had to use it in 40 years. I just kept humming Stayin’ Alive,” she told WBRC News, referring to the famous Bee Gees song, which has the perfect beat for delivering chest compressions.
Wilmot performed CPR for about eight minutes before an ambulance arrived and Evan was taken to Children’s Hospital, where doctor’s had to shock his heart to restart its rhythm.
Evan’s condition eventually stabilized after a few days. If his physical therapy continues to progress, he should make a full recovery. And a family friend set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the large hospital bills.
WATCH the local news story below from WBRC…
If you ask Evan’s mom, divine intervention deserves all the credit—and some long-remembered CPR too.
ANOTHER CPR STRANGER-TURNED-HERO: A Stranger Delivered CPR for 20 Minutes to Save a Montreal Man Then Vanished
“Miracles happen,” Samantha said. “If it hadn’t been for Johnette… my son would not be here today.”
SEND THIS CPR REFRESHER To Friends on Social Media…
Absolutely gripping footage recorded during a recent apartment block fire shows a mother throwing her baby out from the third-floor window to a crowd of rescuers below.
The arms of the rescuers envelope the falling child, and Cleveland news 19 reports that both mom and babe made it out unharmed.
The ordeal began on June 23rd when the 7000 block of Garden Valley Avenue’s Rainbow Terrace apartments exploded. Five were seriously injured.
“The city is actively supporting the situation and is in coordination with local partners to ensure that those impacted receive the necessary support and resources during this challenging time,” a statement from city hall read.
But before the victims thought about bedding and canned goods, their concern was mere survival. Reginald Barnes was one of the child’s rescuers, and he heard the explosion firsthand.
“I heard something going like, ‘tick, tick’ then, ‘BOOM!’ It blew up and I flipped,” Barnes told Cleveland news 19. Once he realized he was unharmed, he moved towards the scene to see if anyone needed help.
That’s when he encountered the woman and her child on the third floor of a rapidly burning building.
SIMILAR HEROES MAKING SIMILAR RESCUES:
“I was like, ‘Drop the baby, let her go. I am going to catch her,’” Barnes recounted. “I was thinking about my own kids. This is my baby she has in her hands.”
A collection point for those who have suddenly lost houses and possessions has been set up in front of Burten, Bell, Carr on Kinsman Road and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. They say they are in need of hygiene products, bedding, and summer clothing to help the victims of the explosion.
WATCH the harrowing footage below…
SHARE This Good Story Of People Reacting To An Emergency Like Heroes…
To use what will become a timeless adage, one of the most amazing things about life is how it, uh, finds a way—as seen lately in England where ash trees are spontaneously developing resistance to a deadly disease.
Natural selection in woodlands is acting to combat the disease ash dieback—caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus that has devastated ash trees across Europe, say scientists.
Arriving on Britain in 2012, it has killed millions of trees, but a new study conducted by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) found that a new generation of ash trees, growing naturally in woodland, exhibits greater resistance to the disease compared to older trees.
Natural selection is acting upon thousands of locations within the ash tree DNA, driving the evolution of resistance as the seedlings grow up through the leaf litter where H. fraxineous reproduces.
The team says its findings, published in the journal Science, offer renewed hope for the future of ash trees on the British Isles, as previous predictions estimated that up to 85% of ash trees would succumb to the disease.
The new study compared the DNA of ash trees established before and after the fungal invasion and found “compelling evidence” for a long-standing prediction of Darwinian theory.
“A tragedy for the trees has been a revelation for scientists: allowing us to show that thousands of genes are contributing to the ash trees’ fightback against the fungus,” said Richard Nichols, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at QMUL.
“Our detection of so many small genetic effects was possible because of the exceptional combination of circumstances: the sudden arrival of such a severe disease and the hundreds of offspring produced by a mature tree.”
Specifically, the research team observed subtle shifts in the frequencies of DNA variants associated with tree health across thousands of locations in the genome. They say the shifts indicate that the younger generation possesses greater resistance than their predecessors.
It’s an example of a phenomenon pertaining to natural selection but that has been difficult to prove: namely that trait selection can be driven by many small changes, rather than one or two obvious ones, and that this manifests as small changes in thousands of genes.
“We are so glad that these findings suggest that ash will not go the way of the elm in Britain,” said Professor Richard Buggs, of the Royal Botanic Gardens and QMUL. “Elm trees have struggled to evolve to Dutch elm disease, but ash are showing a very different dynamic because they produce an abundance of seedlings upon which natural selection can act when they are still young.”
“Through the death of millions of ash trees, a more resistant population of ash is appearing.”
MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: Ancient Trees Have Incredible Lifespans That Also Help Keep The Surrounding Forests Alive
The authors suggest that the findings inform a different strategy for ash dieback management. Afflicted trees should be left alone in order to reproduce and release their thousands of seeds. If they are cleared to soon after infection, the chance that genetic resistance will be passed onto the future generation will be eliminated.
SPARE SOME LOVE FOR OLD TREES: Witness the Glory of the 2024 European Tree of the Year – Growing in Poland for 200 Years
The study, which was largely funded by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), was carried out in Marden Park woodland in Surrey, which is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust, and which has been devastated by ash dieback. A spokesperson from the Trust said the research “gives us hope for the future of our ash populations.”
SHARE This Compelling Example Of Evolution With Your Friends…
From the Jersey Shore comes the story of a parasail operator rescuing a kayaker and her dogs as fast as the wind which capsized them was blowing across the water.
It was Thursday evening in Sea Isle City and Brennan Bollard wasn’t working. A storm was forecasted and at around 7:00 p.m. it hit the bay with winds of 40 mph.
Out in the bay, a pair of kayakers had been paddling along whom Bollard had previously known were out there. As the winds rushed in, the kayak overturned, and the couple was dumped into the water along with their two dogs.
Footage taken from a man’s window across from the dock where Bollard’s boat was moored shows the experienced pilot run, leap into his boat, and speed out to intercept them on their course across the bay. Arriving there, Bollard picked up the dogs and eventually the woman as well.
Coverage from ABC 7 Eyewitness News included an interview with a bystander who watched the rescue take place.
“We were on the deck like, ‘Oh my gosh, we gotta do something,'” said resident Alex Clarke.
MORE RESCUE STORIES:
“Next thing you know, we saw Brennan sprinting down the dock, and within 30 seconds he was full throttle grabbing them,” said Casey Clarke. “As soon as we saw Brennan, we were like, ‘they’ll be fine. They’re in good hands.'”
The man and the kayak made it back to the dock alone, and Bollard said that if they hadn’t been wearing life jackets, they might not have survived the rough seas.
WATCH the story below from ABC 7…
SHARE This Saintly Rescuer Of Sea Isle City With Your Friends…
Quote of the Day: “Summer is the annual permission slip to do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars.” – Regina Brett
Photo by: goobledigook (CC license)
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
145 years ago today, Helen Keller was born with full sight and hearing in Alabama. But before the age of two, she was stricken with disease that left her deaf and blind. Yet, at age 24, she became the first deaf and blind American to earn a bachelor’s degree (cum laude), and she became a world-famous speaker and author of twelve books—the first while she was still in college. WATCH a short video and learn more… (1880)
A farmer in Kansas had an idea for an anniversary gift, but it was going to take eight months, one mile of land, and 65 million wheat seeds.
Jesse Blasi and his wife Sarah were set to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year. And he was inspired by another Kansas farmer who had planted a field of sunflowers for his wife—a story and video that GNN shared in 2023.
What if Blasi created a message in a wheat field?
He began plotting his surprise back in October. He used some modern farming methods, a John Deere Air Seeder, and two varieties of wheat to outline the message “Jesse + Sarah, 20 Years”.
He nurtured the two colors of wheat and waited for it to grow. It was a labor of love, but just like the old ‘Hall and Oates’ song, he knew it would make Sarah Smile.
“I knew it would make her smile,” Jesse told KAKE in Kansas. “That was kind-of the whole goal, to get the little grin out of her that I like.”
Jesse and Sarah met at a bar while attending Kansas State, and fate led them to the same stoplight on the way home. Their love has been going strong ever since, with a farm that’s been running for two decades and a family that includes two daughters, Reagan and Avery.
Jesse was determined to deliver his ‘golden wheat anniversary’ surprise, but had to work hard to keep it a secret when other farmers saw the message early.
Crop Kindness: A Canadian Farmer Had Millions of Surplus Potatoes and Worked Overtime to Give Them All Away
Then, in early June, the couple went up over the fields in an airplane—and when she looked out the window, she saw it.
Jesse + Sarah. 20 Years.
The words were laid out in a red chaff wheat, with a lighter variety serving as the background. In all, the message is about one mile long and a half-mile wide. (Watch the video below…)
FARMER FINDS FORTUNE IN HIS FIELD: Indian Farmer Changes His Fortunes–Finding Two Diamonds in His Field Worth $46,000
The anniversary love note should be visible over Kansas for the rest of the summer growing season—and it could linger all the way into October.
Eventually, the seasons will change and the message will fade, yet they surely will remember it forever.
But Jesse insisted: “It’s all the little things that make you happy.”
MAYBE YOU CAN’T MAKE A MESSAGE IN A WHEAT FIELD, But You Can Share This Story on Social Media For Your Loved Ones…
Looking as intact as the day it was forged, a 1,000-year-old sword has gone on display in the Netherlands.
Capturing a transition in medieval military technology with its expert degree of preservation as well as a dramatic culture of weapon embellishment with its series of religious symbols inlaid in copper, the sword is no doubt a national treasure.
It was found in a river on the grounds of the Linschoten Estate in the central region of the country during a routine dredging. Dating to between 1050 and 1150 CE, the sword has been donated to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden.
The weapon remains remarkably well-preserved after a thousand years. Only the organic components—such as the wooden grip and any leather wrappings—have succumbed to time.
It measures just over 3 feet in length and sports a cross guard and semi-circular pommel—as archetypal an image of a medieval sword as one could hope to see; the spitting image of what a sword would look like if you asked a 9-year-old boy to draw one.
Traces of the wooden hilt are still visible, however, on the preserved sword. The iron is barely corroded due to the oxygen-poor environment of the wet soil it was buried in, but it was probably forged with very high-quality iron regardless, judging by the completeness of the weapon’s silhouette. The iron was later confirmed to be Dutch in origin as well.
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“Medieval swords were deeply personal possessions: they were either buried with their owner or—alternatively—ritually deposited into water,” said the museum in a statement. “In the latter case, they are often exceptionally well preserved.”
This era also saw a shift in military tactics and weaponry: vertical slashing from horseback gave way to horizontal thrusting between pieces of gradually growing pieces of armor.
ANOTHER SWORD IN ANOTHER RIVER: When 8-Year-old ‘Queen’ Finds Authentic Ancient Sword in a Lake, Her Fans Rally to Forge Her a Replica
This sword, which could be wielded with one hand, embodies that transitional phase—suited to both techniques.
A cross was inlaid on one side of the blade near the cross guard, and another one composed of diamonds—an icon known as the eternal knot—on the other, as well as a series of vertical lines like counting lines on both sides.
SHARE This Impressive Piece Of Dutch Metallurgy With Your Friends…
From a country that’s typically in the news for hurting whales comes the story of a mass-stranding event with a happy ending.
Around 60 pilot whales, known locally as grindhvalur, were found stranded on Ólafsfjörður beach last Sunday.
Locals and emergency crews rushed to the remote area in a desperate effort to save the mammals, and by approximately 7:00 p.m. local time, rescue teams had successfully moved the whales from the shoreline back into open water.
According to local media, the whales were likely chasing mackerel, fish that have migrated north due to warming seas, when the pod became disoriented and trapped in the shallow waters.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Marc Sánchez, a Catalan who was visiting Ólafsfjörður at the time and working at a local hotel. “It was the first time in my life witnessing whales from so close and even being able to touch them.”
He ran to the beach after getting a call from his friend and filmed the dramatic scene.
“I felt a mix of emotions,” he told Britain’s Southwest News Service, “amazement, sadness and frustration—I wanted to help them, but it was impossible.”
Apparently, the rescue effort contained dozens of villagers who rushed to aid the emergency crews.
“The water was freezing, so I couldn’t stay in for long but I tried my best to assist however I could,” said Sánchez.
One of the last countries to cease whaling, Iceland and whales rarely make headlines together for good reasons. While tourists used to be told, and whalers used to explain, that whale was a traditional part of the Icelandic diet, this isn’t the case, and as protests grew in number and intensity, the whaling ceased by 2023.
SHARE This Wonderful Rescue Effort With Your Friends On Social Media…
It takes guts, experience, and community connections to be a ‘beat cop’—not the sort of environment where you’d expect to see a senior club.
“Walk the Beat” was the brilliant, and likely life-saving idea cooked up by the Boston Police Department during COVID-19 to keep seniors active, engaged, and safe.
Police officers escort groups from the Charlestown police station on a walk around the city. Other times they organize yoga classes or exercise programs.
“Coming out of COVID, we wanted to come up with an idea to get our seniors out in a safe environment,” Boston Police Sgt. Geno Provenzano told CBS Boston.
The program now includes dozens of women and some men all over the age of 55. They meet Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., and whether it’s Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox or Provenzano on the beat with them, the consensus is clear: they make for a lively bunch.
The police officers make conversation, guarantee expedient road crossings, and drive any stragglers back home in their squad cars if they can’t carry on.
MORE POLICE-LED COMMUNITY SERVICE: Police Officers Surprise 911 Caller with a Chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ – (WATCH)
“It’s been fabulous. It’s been the best thing I’ve ever did for myself, because I was one that would stick in the house and not move,” said 89-year-old Barbara. “It gets me out because all my friends have passed, gets me with a new group.”
The program is free to join and runs in multiple neighborhoods. Anyone interested need only call the most local district community service officer.
WATCH the seniors walk the beat below…
SHARE This Great Service From The Boston PD With Your Friends From The City…
Quote of the Day: “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammad Ali
Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+ (cropped)
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
81 years ago today, the inspirational United Nations Charter was signed by 50 countries in San Francisco, a document that began with the following: “We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small…” READ the preamble in its whole… (1945)
Swedish engineers have improved the process through which hydrogen fuel is produced from solar electricity by 800%.
Hydrogen fuel is considered one of the best renewable alternatives to fossil fuels in heavy machinery like planes and ships, but its creation requires electricity.
That electricity can be from renewable sources like solar or wind, but the efficiency is limited. Now, according to researchers at Linköping University, a combination of materials has greatly improved the ability to generate hydrogen with solar energy.
The research team has previously shown that a material called cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) has beneficial properties for facilitating the reaction where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen. The material can effectively capture the sunlight so that the energy therein can be used for hydrogen production through the photochemical water splitting reaction.
In their current study, the researchers have further developed a new combined material consisting of three layers: a layer of cubic silicon carbide, a layer of cobalt oxide and a catalyst material that helps to split water.
“Passenger cars can have a battery, but heavy trucks, ships or aircraft cannot use a battery to store the energy. For these means of transport, we need to find clean and renewable energy sources, and hydrogen is a good candidate,” says Jianwu Sun, associate professor at Linköping University, who has led the study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
“It’s a very complicated structure, so our focus in this study has been to understand the function of each layer and how it helps improve the properties of the material. The new material has eight times better performance than pure cubic silicon carbide for splitting water into hydrogen,” says Sun.
When sunlight hits the material, electric charges are generated, which are then used to split water. A challenge in the development of materials for this application is to prevent the positive and negative charges from merging again and neutralizing each other.
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In their study, the researchers show that by combining a layer of cubic silicon carbide with the other two layers, the material becomes more able to separate the charges, thereby making the splitting of water more effective.
Almost all hydrogen present on the market is “grey” hydrogen produced from a fossil fuel. The production of one ton of “grey” hydrogen gas causes emission of up to ten tons of carbon dioxide. “Green” hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity as a source of energy.
The long-term goal of the Linköping University researchers is to be able to use only energy from the sun to drive the photochemical reaction to produce “green” hydrogen.
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Most materials under development today have an efficiency of between 1% and 3%, but for commercialization of this green hydrogen technology the target is 10% efficiency. Being able to fully drive the reaction using solar energy would lower the cost of producing green hydrogen, compared to producing it using supplementary renewable electricity as is done with the technology used today.
Jianwu Sun speculates that it may take around five to ten years for the research team to develop materials that reach the coveted 10% limit, but they’re off to a flying start.
SHARE This Big Potential Breakthrough With Your Friends Concerned About The Climate…
Nationally protected badgers have just been given the right of way by Cornwall council, with a new wildlife crossing that will allow them to pass over a busy road unharmed.
To reach across the four-lane divided highway, the crossing, nicknamed the “badger bridge,” is nearly 150 feet long and 40 feet wide.
It’s designed to provide safe passage across the road for various wildlife species, including badgers, voles and other small animals, insects, and birds.
The bridge is part of National Highways’ major A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross project at Marazanvose. The dual-deck bridge has been constructed by contractor Costain over the road as part of the $375 million project (£330 million).
The bridge will not only provide better connectivity for wildlife but also a footpath and trail for horse riders.
“We’re really proud of the environmental work being carried out as part of this project, and the creation of the green bridge is a leading part of that,” said Andrew Alcorn, National Highways’ Program Manager for the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross plan.
“Our green bridge will be the third for the company, one of only a handful across the country, and once completed, it will provide a safe crossing for various species of wildlife, as well as for walkers and horse riders.”
“Along with other environmental measures, we’ve built a total of 33 multi-species crossing points as part of the project, and we look forward to seeing the bridge bloom for many years to come, providing a real legacy for the scheme and for Cornwall.”
Top soiling work is now under way which is turning the bridge from grey to brown and this will be followed by green planting in the autumn. Above, two hedgerows built of hawthorn, elder, and other native plants will run across the bridge.
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Green bridges, which were first built in France in the 1950s and pioneered in the Netherlands in 1990, are now becoming an important part of the sustainability of infrastructure projects.
Not only do they create a safe crossing point for wildlife movement, but they assist in joining up habitats and connecting populations, and making wildlife more resilient. There are only a handful of green bridges across England, however.
In the US, some of the largest wildlife crossings in the world span California highways for the sake of mountain lions.
MORE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THIS: Yukon to Yellowstone Wildlife Corridor Makes Massive Gains Since ‘Y2Y’ is Dreamed Up in the 90’s to Help Grizzlies
In Cornwall, the Chiverton to Carland Cross plan will see a total of 87,000 trees planted across the landscape, in addition to the green bridge planting. With over 40,000 already in the ground, the remainder will be installed in suitable conditions later this year.
Hopefully otters, badgers, bats, hedgehogs, and reptiles will have access to a wider area of habitat.
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After a young Virginian saved his family from a house fire, the local fire chief admitted that if he ever needed a job in his hometown, it’s enough to come by the fire department.
Romir Parker, a seventh grader from the city of Petersburg, near Richmond, was presented by the municipality with a special proclamation for demonstrating bravery and protective instincts of someone far older.
It started in early June when a fast-moving fire quickly took hold of Parker’s house while his younger siblings, aged 1 and 2, were asleep on the couch. Hearing a strange sound, Parker came down from the bedroom only to find a wall of black smoke.
Those instincts kicked in, and he rushed to scoop up his brother and sister—one in each arm—before carrying them out of the house. But there was someone else: his grandmother.
Going back in, he helped walk his grandmother out shortly before the fire department arrived four minutes after they got the call.
Petersburg Fire Chief Wayne Hoover didn’t mince words about Parker’s actions, even if his team arrived so quickly. The young man saved his family’s life.
TEEN HEROES:
The City of Petersburg presented him with a proclamation that recognized Parker for “demonstrating a level of bravery and presence of mind, well beyond his years,” while Chief Hoover made the lad an honorary firefighter.
“I go downstairs, it’s just black smoke all throughout the house,” Parker told the local CBS affiliate reporting on the story. “I grabbed my 2-year-old brother, then I grabbed the 1-year-old, cause the 1-year-old is smaller and I fitted them inside my arms and we ran outside the house.”
Hoover said that when Parker turns 18, he’s got a job with the fire brigade if he needs one.
CELEBRATE This Young Hero With Your Friends…
Addison McArthur was just a few weeks old when she received the gift that saved her life.
Not long after her birth, the left side of Addison’s heart stopped working. The official diagnosis was left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy—a rare disorder that can lead to heart failure and a whole host of other problems. The Vancouver native was soon placed at the top of the heart transplant list, because she wouldn’t survive without one.
Several hundred miles away, fate was conspiring to keep Addison alive. Felicia Hill had just lost her daughter during her first week of life, as tiny Audrey Sullenger died unexpectedly in Nevada just six days after being born.
Thankfully, her mother, Felicia Hill, made the decision to donate her organs. Statistics show that a single donor can save up to eight lives. In Audrey’s case, her heart was headed north to help Addison in Canada.
On her first Mother’s Day, Elaine Yong – Addison’s mother – got the news that she so desperately needed. There was a donor for her daughter.
Audrey’s heart would soon be transplanted into Addison, one daughter’s gift providing a future for another. Audrey became the youngest donor in the state of Nevada that year. And her heart would deliver an abundance of the quality that was celebrated in one of her middle names – Hope.
The gratitude Elaine Yong felt was immeasurable. All she ever wanted was to say thank you.
“It was something I always knew – that if I could meet the donor family, I would want to,” Yong said in a story on CNN.
Unfortunately, that process can often be complicated. Organizations typically keep donor information private, but many will forward letters or other communication.
About a year after the transplant, Yong sent a thank-you note to the donor family through the transplant organization.
Audrey’s mom, Felicia Hill, eventually responded, commenting on a blog post Yong had written about the transplant. Yong exchanged a few messages to confirm everything and soon the pair of moms had plans to meet.
The families first met at a Donate Life Walk in California. Hill brought a T-shirt for Addison that celebrated Audrey’s gift. Yong brought a stethoscope. When Hill held it up to Addison, she could hear her daughter’s heart inside.
“I just wanted to hug Elaine,” Hill told CNN. “I felt connected immediately, knowing that another mother got to raise their child. And that’s what gave me so much happiness.”
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Both moms have been actively working to promote organ donation following their transplant experience. In fact, Yong now works as a communications and community relations manager at BC Transplant, the British Columbia donor organization. Both women helped commemorate Donate Life Month (held every April) with a number of social media posts sharing the importance of organ donation.
“Every time I hear that they are working on a donor case or that they’re going to this place for recovery, I always think, somebody is going to – somebody is getting a gift of life,” Yong said in a heartfelt video shared by BC Transplant on Facebook. “This person is saving lives. It’s never lost on me, no matter how busy it is, no matter how many cases there are, how many donors are on the board, every single one is making a huge difference.”
AWW, SUPER SWEET: Dad Gives Kidney to Little Girl After Daughter Dies Following Her Own Transplant
In April, Elaine published a Facebook post celebrating Addison’s 14th birthday. It describes how she’d had the opportunity this past year to swim with manatees, see the Northern Lights, and attend Imagine Dragons concerts. She got braces. And she kept growing up—the heart of Audrey keeping her steady through it all.
Who knows what excitement and what adventures Addison’s 15th year will bring?
But the biggest gift of them all is the year itself – and she has Audrey to thank for that.
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Quote of the Day: “The sky is the part of creation in which nature has done for the sake of pleasing man.” – John Ruskin
Photo by: Yianni Mathioudakis for Unsplash+
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
69 years ago today, the renegade travel host and chef Anthony Bourdain, was born. With his food and culture show, No Reservations, and the groundbreaking book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, he became known as “the culinary bad boy”. The pair catapulted him to stardom, resulting Parts Unknown, the definitive American travel program on basic cable. It ran for over 60 episodes before being interrupted tragically by Bourdain’s death by suicide. READ more… (1956)
