US to Cover Cost of Robotic Legs for Some Paralyzed Veterans

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Dec 19, 2015

American veterans with spinal cord injuries may soon be back on their feet, thanks to robotic legs and the Veterans Administration (VA).

The VA has announced it will start picking up the $77,000 cost of the “wearable robotic exoskeleton” for some qualified veterans.

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ReWalk robotics developed the powered legs that have given partially paralyzed people the ability to walk, but most veterans can’t afford the steep price tag.

Army veteran Gene Laureano started crying when he tried the legs two years ago in a demonstration.

“The tears came down,” Laureano told the Associated Press. “I hadn’t spoken to somebody standing up in so long.”

WATCH: Nurse Squeals With Surprise to Find Her Paralyzed Patient Walks

About 42,000 veterans are paralyzed but not all will qualify. Use of the robotic legs, which are not usually covered by private insurers, are limited by the physics of height and weight and they won’t work for quadriplegics.

(WATCH the video from ReWalk Robotics below)

Kids Tell Santa They Just Want Military Dad Home, Then He Appears -WATCH

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 18, 2015

It was a Christmas miracle. Well, more of a Christmas trick played by a soldier on his two daughters with the help of the big man himself, Santa Claus.

When Jordan Baskerville and her little sister went to see Santa at a mall in Clarksville, Tennessee, Saint Nick asked them what they wanted for Christmas.

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“Have my daddy come home,” Jordan answered.

Her father, Trent Baskerville, had been deployed with the Army to Afghanistan for nine months.

Santa already knew Trent was home, and waiting just out of the girls’ sight. He had them cover their eyes and motioned for the soldier to come over and made him appear like magic to his kids.

“Daddy!” Jordan squealed as she ran to hug Trent.

And after Jordan finished hugging her father, she had to give Santa a big thank you hug for her early Christmas gift.

(WATCH the video below from ClarksvilleNow) — Photo: ClarksvilleNow video

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Help Us Build Solar Tiny House for Homeless Mom and 4-yo Girl

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Good News Network

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Dec 18, 2015

A homeless mom who is always volunteering her time to help others is about to move out of a public shelter and into the first solar-powered tiny home born of a plan to launch a pay-it-forward housing movement.

Especially around the holidays we have the chance to make a difference in people’s lives.

Last year Good News Network held a Christmas fundraiser for a family that was about to get evicted, after falling behind on rent. Peter Campillo, his wife, mother and son, were overwhelmed by the warmth, generosity and positive messages from our community. On Christmas Eve, we got his bills paid, allowing hope to be revived in Peter’s heart. And, six months later he found a job in his field.

“It feels wonderful, I feel like I am worthy of breathing the air and of being called dad and husband again. If not for your help I don’t think we would have made it.” He added, “The one thing I would like to do is take the same good will and generosity I received and pay it forward to some other family in need and it would feel real good.”

Help GNN Jumpstart a Pay-It-Forward Tiny House

Paying it forward does feel ”real good” and our Christmas fundraising choice for 2015 will make you feel extra powerful because it is the start of a unique venture that will allow the homeless to help the next in line, while building a transition to success, living in a tiny home.

Canadian Brice Royer, 31, who has been dealing with stomach cancer, wanted more loving kindness in his life so he started a “Gift Economy” from Vancouver in which members ask for, and give, goods and services to each other.

Recently, a woman, Francesca Murray, responded to Royer’s plea for someone to cook for him during his illness. When he found out she was homeless and yet so generous with all the women in her shelter, it inspired him to do something special for her, something big that would top all the giving that had come before.

This Mom is Proof That Homelessness Could Happen to Anyone

Francesca used to work as a business analyst for ICBC insurance. After leaving a difficult relationship while struggling with physical and mental health issues, she and her beautiful 4-year-old daughter, Charlotte, had to move into a shelter. Brice learned that their one-year shelter allowance expires in February and their stay would be terminated. He decided this was the time to start a unique “pay it forward” housing program–and build a tiny solar-powered house for Francesca and Charlotte.

“We envision the tiny home being owned and run by a local non-profit,” Royer told Good News Network. “Families could stay by donating part of their monthly government stipend, which would then be used to build more homes.”

Royer met with Heather Deal, who is on the Vancouver city council, and she loved the idea, and saw the community of tiny solar homes as a great way to transition people out of homelessness or prison, and even to assimilate refugees. Each resident would donate part of their government rental assistance, which would then be used toward building another house.

Help Reap a Giving Community By Sowing a Seed

“What they really love is the idea of paying it forward and the sense of belonging to a community that such a group of homes would offer,” Royer told us. “Part of creating a community comes from the giving… When they are giving to a fund that will create another home, it generates the feeling of belonging.”

Also on board with the project is Kayla Feenstra, a woman who builds the 300 square-foot solar-powered tiny homes, and knows at least five options of where they could park it; a husband-wife team of architects, Peter and Alex Smith, who are working to get supplies donated, and have already acquired windows and doors.

There are only 5 days left to raise the final $12,000. This will pay for first home to be built by February, the time Francesca and Charlotte need it.

Please join Good News Network in supporting and pushing Brice past his goal. You will not only be helping Francesca, but the next person to move in, once she has transitioned to permanent housing and a job, like Peter did this year. Donate now because the fundraiser ends on December 25. Here is the link. We can do this together!

Watch the videos below and meet these wonderful people who live by the golden rule of helping others.

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Mom Stunned by Her Tuition-Winning Alley-Oop Miracle Shot (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 18, 2015

This mom’s expression says it all, after she – first missed, then – sank a seemingly impossible basketball shot from half-court at her daughter’s school.

The basket won her daughter half-priced tuition next year — worth about $5,000.

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Angela Ramey got the chance at the “Half-Court/Half-Tuition” shot after her family turned in the most money for a school fundraiser in Bloomington, Minnesota.

She only had one shot as daughter Grace urged her to “just throw the ball at the goal.”

Angela made an under-handed, alley-oop shot from between her knees, and the ball fell short…

But, then it took a bounce and landed on the rim, where it tipped over and fell into the net.

WATCH: Hockey Team Gets Record 28,000 Toys Tossed At Them– For Needy Kids

The gym burst into cheers and Grace danced around in celebration as Angela stood frozen trying to figure out how she did it.

(WATCH the video from Bethany Academy below) — Photo: Bethany Academy, Facebook

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Philadelphia Eliminates Homelessness Among Veterans Who Want Housing

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 18, 2015

The “City of Brotherly Love” is showing a lot of love for homeless veterans.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania city leaders announced yesterday (December 17) that every vet in the city who wants a permanent home, now has one.

Since 2013, the city has found permanent housing for 1,390 homeless veterans living on Philly’s streets.

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“You have actually done it. You have effectively ended veteran homelessness,” U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro told city leaders. “The thing is that we can’t stop our work until every single veteran has a place to call home in the United States.”

The Philadelphia effort was led by Philly Vets Home, a coalition of local government agencies, nonprofit groups and the local Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital in the city.

It developed a program that moved vets into emergency housing within just a few days of becoming or being identified as homeless. Veterans were then moved into transitional housing within 47 days and into a permanent home within 105.

Since 2013, veteran homelessness has been cut by about a third nationwide, reports Philadelphia Daily News, as states, counties, and cities have stepped up efforts to find every vet a permanent home.

New Orleans, Louisiana became the first city to eliminate veteran homelessness earlier this year. Virginia became the first state to reach that goal on Veterans Day, November 11.

(Photos: miketnorton, CC; bengrey, CC)

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Giant Chestnut Tree Found in Maine Could Help Save a Near-Extinct Species

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 18, 2015

The discovery of the tallest Chestnut tree left in North America may mean new hope for an iconic species nearly wiped out by disease.

Why this tree was able to survive for 100 years to become 115 feet tall, when billions of others died-off is the latest clue for activists and scientists who have been working for decades to save the species.

Ever since the accidental importation of an Asian virus in 1904, the American Chestnut, once abundant along the U.S. East Coast and Canada has become “functionally extinct” leaving ghostly gaps in the landscape.

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It’s believed this tree (pictured left, in the center), and other survivors, are immune to the disease and its DNA could help restore the species. Meanwhile, the American Chestnut Foundation (ACF) with its 6000 volunteers has supported a breeding program to develop a fungus-resistant tree that could be reintroduced to the wild.

ACF’s Lisa Thomson calls the discovery a “unique, unusual, and hopeful chance” of saving an entire species.

A team from the University of Maine, led by researcher Brian Roth, found the tree during an aerial search in July. Chestnuts flower at this time of year when no other trees do in Maine, so they’re easy to spot from the air when the brilliant, white blossoms bloom.

“Old-timers talk about the hillsides in the Appalachian Mountains being covered in flowers as if it was snow, and so we were able to key in on the particular week that these were blooming and … find this tree,” Roth told Maine Public Broadcasting.

CHECK OUT: New York City Plants One Million Trees, Reaches Goal 2 Years Early

Their find could let future generations one day witness a cathedral of blossoms like snow just as the “old-timers” did nearly a century ago. Support the work of ACF with a donation here.

(WATCH the video below from WMTW News) — Photos: WMTW video; Brian Roth, University of Maine

American Teens Shun Alcohol and Cigarettes in Record Numbers

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 18, 2015

Group of Friends Smiling — Photo by hepingting, CC license

Despite what you might believe, American teens are not smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol at nearly the rates their parents did – in fact, today’s youth are abstaining more often than any time since surveys began in 1975.

On top of that, 40 percent fewer teens are participating in extreme binge drinking compared to ten years ago —10.6% of teens in 2005 down to just 6.1% this year.

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The University of Michigan’s annual “Monitoring the Future” study has been one of the most extensive annual surveys of teen drinking, smoking, and drug use for 40 years. It questions 40,000 eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade students every year from 400 public and private schools around the U.S.

Some of the highlights from the 2015 survey include the fact that the percentage of kids who’d had an alcoholic drink in the past year fell to 40%, and in the 30 days before being surveyed, the number was just 22%. Those are the lowest numbers in the survey’s four decade history.

WATCH: Frat House Writes Name of 12-yo Girl w/ Cancer in Christmas Lights –Watch

Tobacco use was also down, with three-quarters of young people perceiving it to be a health risk.

Only 7% of teens surveyed said they had smoked in the previous 30 days — a statistically significant improvement over the 8% from a year earlier.

More important, researchers say, is the number of teens who’ve never started smoking.

CHECK OUT: Artists Spark Reform in Teens, Rally for Alternative to Prison in Virginia

At the high point of teen smoking numbers, 49% of eighth graders said they’d smoked a cigarette in 1996. Nineteen years later, that number has fallen to just 13% — again, the lowest number ever recorded.

Monitoring the Future also shows a decline from recent years in the use of several illicit drugs—including heroin, amphetamine, MDMA (also called ecstasy or Molly), and synthetic marijuana.

Actually, teen heroin use has been in decline since 2009, points out WWJ News, while other narcotics declined in parallel, indicating no evidence of switching from one to the other.

(Photo: Hepingting, CC; Tim Simpson, CC) Don’t Bogart This News… Share it!

Grandma Drives Away Trouble On Her City’s Toughest Streets

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Good News Network

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Dec 17, 2015

This 77-year-old lady proves you don’t need to be a heavyweight boxer or carry a big stick to keep the peace on Milwaukee’s toughest streets at night.

Martha Freeman believes young people make bad choices in life because they don’t receive proper respect and guidance.

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The former detention center guard, who during the day delivers donated bread to the neediest in her neighborhood, isn’t afraid to confront the teenage tough-guys hanging out on street corners–but she does it with compassion and the concern of a grandmother.

CHECK Out: Veterans Ensure Safe Passage for Chicago Kids Walking To School

Both young and old call her “mama”, and she earns that respect every time she goes out on nightly patrols through poor neighborhoods, telling folks they don’t have to settle for a life of crime — because they’ve got her tough love to fall back on.

(WATCH the video below from CBS News) – Photo: CBS News video

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“Little Angel” Appears in Mom’s Wedding Photos 2 Years After Passing Away

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 17, 2015

The guest this bride wanted most at her wedding couldn’t be there — but the six-year-old showed up as an angel in the tenderly constructed wedding photos.

Amanda Crowe Freebird’s daughter died from childhood cancer two years ago, and a special photographer found a way to include Azalee in the wedding album.

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“She went to heaven before her mommy met the most wonderful man named Chip,” wedding photographer Ashley Franz wrote on her Facebook page.

Franz digitally added pictures of the little girl taken years ago, so she appears as an illuminated angel with her mother.

CHECK Out: Airline Reroutes Mom to Son’s Bedside, Before She Even Knows He’s in Hospital

In the most touching image, Amanda is holding Azalee’s face, about to kiss her. In another, Amanda is walking down a country lane holding hands with her son on one side and Azalee’s spirit on the other.

At the wedding, Sunday in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Amanda and Chip released butterflies in honor of little Azalee. Guests watched as the flock floated into the sky, except for one. It landed on Amanda’s wedding gown, perching for a while close to her heart before flying away.

Posted by Frantz Photography on Sunday, December 13, 2015

The lone butterfly remained in a tree at the wedding site until all the guests had left, an omen that Amanda’s daughter will be always part of the family.

Photos: Franz Photography

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Michael Jordan Wins Lawsuit, Donates the Millions to 23 Charities

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 17, 2015

He led his teams to national and Olympic championships on the basketball court, but his latest victory in a court of law is a win for charities in his adopted city of Chicago.

NBA All-Star Basketball legend Michael Jordan is taking all the award money from a lawsuit settlement and donating it to 23 nonprofit organizations that improve the lives of the city’s youth. 23 is Jordan’s jersey number.

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He won $8.9 million in a judgement against supermarket chain Dominick’s in August, after they used his likeness and jersey number in a magazine ad in 2009 without his permission. He recently settled the case, and a second, similar court action against the grocery chain Jewel-Osco, owned by the same parent company.

Forbes magazine estimated earlier this year, Jordan’s name and image is worth roughly $100 million a year for product and company endorsements.

“The 23 charities I’ve chosen to make donations to all support the health, education and well-being of the kids of Chicago,” Jordan said in a statement. “Chicago has given me so much and I want to give back to its kids — the city’s future.”

Terms of the settlement won’t allow Jordan or the other parties to talk about the actual amount. Jordan has said throughout the lawsuits that the issue was never about the money, but to protect the value of his name in endorsing companies or services.

His spokesperson, Estee Portnoy, told the Chicago Tribune that Jordan’s staff had a “fun week” calling the charities and surprising them with news of the donations.

(WATCH the video HERE from The Chicago Tribune) — Photos: Activeda, CC; Department of Defense

Secret Santas Pay Off Nearly $300,000 in Layaways for Hundreds of Families

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 17, 2015

A pair of “Secret Santas” have shelled out a total of $286,000 to give a merrier Christmas to families struggling with holiday budgets.

Two anonymous benefactors have paid for every item put on layaway at four Walmart stores — two in Ohio and two more in Pennsylvania.

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Friday, a man known as “Santa B” in central Pennsylvania paid-off a total of $180,000 remaining on customers’ layaways. That holiday gift cleared the debts from nearly 400 purchases.

Store managers say the same man paid for $50,000 worth of layaway purchases last year.

In northeast Ohio, another secret Santa sent checks totaling $106,000 to pay off what customers owed at two different Walmarts. Items on that list ranged from a pair of socks to a 70-inch television.

Customer Tara Neal had only paid $10 toward a “Frozen”-themed bed for her daughter when the Secret Santa swept in and covered the remaining $80 she owed.

GREAT SANTA: Autistic, Deaf, or Tired, Santa Proves To Be Perfect Lap For Any Child

“It’s such a blessing to know there are still people out there that care. It’s like Santa, like a real Santa to me,” Neal told WEWS News.

(WATCH the video below from WEWS News / READ more at Harrisburg Patriot News) — Photo: Matti Mattila, CC

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All-Star Concert Honors John Lennon’s 75th Birthday Saturday on TV (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 17, 2015

Imagine what songs might be playing in your iTunes today had we not lost John Lennon 35 years ago.

The co-founder of The Beatles would have celebrated his 75th birthday October 9th — and to mark the occasion some of today’s biggest stars have joined surviving Beatles Ringo and Paul to honor the rock-and-roll legend in a broadcast set to air on cable TV this weekend.

An A-List music line-up performed some of his greatest hits on December 5 at a charity concert in New York. “Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert” airs this Saturday on AMC network.

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John Fogerty opens the show with back to back performances of “Give Peace a Chance” and “In My Life.”

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler does a crowd-pleasing reprisal of his role from the 1978 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” movie, in which he played leader of the Future Villain Band. Additionally, in a duet with country music superstar Eric Church, Tyler belts out “Revolution.”

The roster also includes Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow, Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Peter Frampton, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, The Roots, and Chris Stapleton, among others.

Paul McCartney sent a pre-recorded video and actor Kevin Bacon hosted the concert, which ends with the all-star line-up performing “All You Need Is Love.”

The concert raised money for charity with a portion of the ticket sales going to Robin Hood, a New York nonprofit funding 200 programs to help people rise out of poverty.

(WATCH the video trailer below) —Photo: stuarthampton, CC

Score Some Instant Karma: Alert Your Friends Before Saturday!

How To Make Holiday Travel Less Stressful for Children w/ Special Needs

By

LindsayM

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Dec 17, 2015

Parents of children with special needs do an amazing job of juggling many different factors while keeping calm and providing their children with amazing care. But there are always tasks and experiences that can wear you down and nowhere is that more true than while navigating the ins and outs of air travel. For parents of children with special needs, hopping on that flight to see grandma for Christmas can be especially taxing. If you’re traveling with a child with special needs this holiday season, here are a few tips:

Enlist Some Help

Airports can be noisy and crowded, which can lead to anxious behaviors in some children with special needs. So mapping out your route through the airport will save you much time and stress when travel day arrives.

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You might also consider asking a relative or friend to obtain a security pass so that they can provide an extra set of helping hands to either get you and your family to your gate or to assist you when you arrive at your destination. Just be sure to tell them to bring their government-issued ID as they’ll need it to obtain the pass and go through security.

If possible, try to book only direct flights. Delays are frequent during the holidays so you might risk missing your connecting flight or being stuck at the connecting airport for hours, which won’t make anyone happy.

Know the TSA Procedures

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the organization responsible for screening all airline passengers. In the wake of 9/11 and subsequent threats to public safety, restrictions for travelers have become increasingly strict.

CHECK Out: Autism-Friendly Clothing Dumps Zips, Buttons and Tags, Offers GPS

Fortunately, the TSA offers accommodations for travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. This search page allows you to search by condition or situation for specific details on accommodations.

For example, if your child is on the autism spectrum or has a cognitive disability, let the TSA agent know so that they can work with you on the best way to move your child through security. If your child uses a mobility aid or wheelchair, they will not have to leave the device during screening. If you have specific questions or concerns, call the TSA Cares hotline 72 hours before your departure. Agents on the hotline will be able to help you prepare for the trip. It’s also a good idea to call ahead to clarify with your airline and the airport that you’ll be able to get through security without a major hassle.

Make Arrangements for Special Accommodations in Advance

With limitations on carry-on luggage, arriving on board prepared with everything you may need to maintain your child’s comfort level in-flight may require some creativity or pre-arrangements with the airline. Obviously, airlines must accommodate equipment such as oxygen and wheelchairs. However, many special needs children are on special diets or have special comfort items that you may have difficulty bringing on-board in your carry-on luggage.

For example, there’s no guarantee that a sufficient meal or snack will be provided on the plane. If your child has certain dietary restrictions, such as being gluten-free, bring those snacks with you. Thankfully, many kinds of foods can be brought through security as long as they’re properly packaged. And if your child requires medication or has equipment that requires batteries or charging equipment, check with airport security beforehand to find out the best way to bring those items on-board with you. In fact, it’s always a good idea to talk out the specifics with the airline ahead of time so that you don’t have to argue your case five minutes before departure.

Consider an Airport Rehearsal

An airport rehearsal might sound like a lot of added work, but being able to walk through the process you’ll be required to go through on the day of your departure can help you identify other items you may need, such as a beloved blanket from home or noise-canceling headphones, or arrangements that could be made to make the experience as pleasant as possible for your child and the rest of your family.

LOOK: New Muppet Brings Autism Awareness to Sesame Street

Additionally, an airport rehearsal can help you gauge how your child is likely to react to various situations that may arise, so you can formulate the best coping mechanisms while time is on your side rather than in the heat of a meltdown.

Arrive Early

The more time you can allow your family to get through airport security and to your departure gate, the better. Even the best-laid, pre-arranged plans can fail due to a simple lapse in communication between customer service and the airline staff working that day. When you’re early, you’ll have the time you need to make adjustments, which will help you stay cool, calm, and collected. Our kids can certainly pick up on our anxiety so when you’re able to relax and enjoy the ride, so to speak, everyone will be happier.

MORE: Mom Starts Dog Treat Business So Special Needs Adults Can Bake for Bucks

Know the Law When It Comes to Service Dogs

If your child uses a service dog, they’re absolutely allowed in the cabin with your child. The Air Carrier Access Act sets out the requirements that airlines must follow. Make sure you’re familiar with it before your travel date.

For example, if requested by you, it states that the airline should provide a bulkhead seat, and if, for some reason, your child’s seat can’t accommodate the service animal, the airline is required to try to reseat them in the plane before moving the animal to checked baggage. If your child’s dog isn’t a trained service animal and you’ll be leaving him behind while you travel, take your child with you to visit the kennel or pet sitter where the pet will be staying so that they’ll know their four-legged friend will be safe.

Above all, treating your travel experience like its own adventure can make it less stressful for you, your child, and the rest of your family or travel companions. Commit to going with the flow and have confidence in your abilities as a parent to effectively advocate for your child’s needs, and give yourself ample time to do so should the need arise.

(Learn More at Jet With Kids)

Lindsay M writes for PublicHealthCorps and, in her spare time, enjoys satisfying her other passions – like cooking, biking and photography. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart and the mother of twin girls.

Photo by Roberto Trombetta, CC

Watch 196 Countries Approve Historic Climate Agreement in Paris

By

Good News Network

-

Dec 16, 2015

On Saturday, after two weeks of grueling negotiations, delegates to the climate change conference in Paris broke out in cheers following unanimous approval of an agreement on how to mitigate global warming across the globe.

Representatives of nearly 200 countries did what some thought couldn’t be done, agreeing on a climate change document that calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Watch the historic moment in the video above, and read more about the accord from the Los Angeles Times below…

Teen Reunites With Doctor Who Saved Her Life: The Best Homework Ever

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 16, 2015

A high school writing assignment began with a thank you letter, and ended with a tearful reunion between a teen and the surgeon who saved her life.

15 years ago, Ashli Taylor was born with a failing liver and needed a transplant to survive.
She never met the surgeon who performed the operation, but she says the stories her parents told her about the experience had taught her to be grateful for everything she has.

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So when her creative writing class was told to write about anything, she penned a page-and-a-half long thank you letter to Dr. Robert Goldstein for saving her life as a child.

“You probably have no idea who I am, but you had a great impact in my life,” Taylor wrote. “I know you’ve had a lot of patients over the years and they appreciate your work. But my parents’ lives would be totally different if it weren’t for you.”

Dr. Goldstein was so moved, he drove two hours to surprise Ashli in front of her classmates in Temple, Texas.

“It had been 14 years and out of the blue you get a letter like this and I can’t tell you what this means,” the doctor told the Temple Daily Telegram. “The words moved everybody in the office.”

After surprising her–flowers in his hand–he reached to embrace her and the two weren’t the only ones to wipe away tears in the classroom.

“I got my letter,” Dr. Goldstein told the class, pulling the folded-up note from the pocket of his scrubs. “I’m going to keep it.”

With that, the class learned a lesson in just how powerful their words can be.

(WATCH the video from WFAA News below) — Photo: WFAA video

Queen Elizabeth Personally Thanks Man for 60-year Christmas Card Ritual

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 16, 2015

When a young man took over his grandfather’s Christmas tradition, he was brought to tears by a personal letter from Queen Elizabeth II.

Every year since she ascended the throne in 1952, Andrew Simes’ grandfather would tenderly address a Christmas card to the queen.

When they eventually met at a reception in Turkey in 1972, the Queen skipped the usual formal introduction and handshake.

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“So it’s you who keeps sending me those lovely Christmas cards,” she said.

When his grandfather passed away at 102 years old, Andrew decided to continue the tradition. But shortly after mailing his first card, Andrew got a letter back from Buckingham Palace.

“When I received a letter from a different Simes this Christmas, I instructed my office to research your grandfather’s whereabouts,” the letter read. “Therefore it is with much sadness, I have learned of his passing and extend my condolences to you and your family.”

The message brought tears to his eyes when he received it nearly four years ago.

Andrew recently shared the story on Facebook as he prepared to leave for the post office with a bundle of Christmas cards, carrying on an unbroken family tradition.

(READ more at Andrew Simes’ Facebook page) — Photos: NASA; Andrew Simes, Facebook

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Football Star Pays Electric Bills for 83 Fans as Holiday Kindness

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 16, 2015

When you’re facing fourth down and 20 yards on the football field, it’s time to call in your punter — they make the best of a bad situation for their teams.

This one did the same for fans — paying the electric bills for 83 families.

If they weren’t fans before, they are now, after Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee laid down $18,000 so people could keep more of their own money for the holidays.

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McAfee asked Indianapolis Power and Light for their busiest hour of the week for people standing in line at the “pay in person” customer service desk.

When they told him it was the hour before closing on Fridays — payday for most customers — McAfee told the utility he’d cover the bills for everyone in line.

Customers found out only after walking up to the window — but the Indiana utility tweeted word of the good deed.

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

“Just trying to do my part to make this world a happier place,” McAfee responded on Twitter. “I hope you all have a great Saturday.”

Photos: Pictures of Money, CC: theilr, CC; Jeffrey Beall, CC

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Family Finds Frozen Kitten Under the Snow and Gives Life Back with CPR (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 16, 2015

A family’s home movie turned into an epic story of a holiday miracle when they refused to give up on a frozen kitten they found in the snow.

On Thanksgiving morning, November 26, Branden Bingham’s family rushed out to play in a foot of fresh snow that had fallen overnight outside their cabin in Bear Lake, Utah.

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Bingham was making a home movie when his son found a lifeless kitten, buried in the snow.

The family rushed it inside, and Branden’s brother, Justin, started performing CPR on the little cat. Even though the kitten showed no response, Justin kept rubbing and pumping its chest – and kept at it for an hour. Just when he was about to give up, the cat started breathing on its own.

“I think the thing that was most shocking for me was the eyes, he had the most beautiful blue eyes,” Justin told KSTU News.

“I thought to myself, ‘We just witnessed a miracle’,” Branden says in the video below.

Named Lazarus, after the Biblical figure brought back from the dead, the cat was given a Thanksgiving feast of his own later in the day — a whole plate of salmon — before going to his new home with one of Branden’s cousins.

(WATCH the video below from KSTU – and see home video, below that)

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99-Year-old Wins Shopping Spree at Dollar Store, Uses It For Needy Kids (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

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Dec 16, 2015

Given a free shopping spree for her 99th birthday, this woman filled her cart not for herself, but with stocking stuffers for needy kids.

Donna Goldstein is a weekly fixture at the California 99-cent store in Beverly Grove, where the staff knows and appreciates her kind heart.

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They noticed her buying items for Thanksgiving charity baskets last month, and gave her a beautiful gift for her birthday–a chance to fill her cart with anything she wants at no charge.

Goldstein filled up a cart with $163 worth of items — a huge haul when nothing in the store costs more than a dollar. She’s taking the load to her church where the items will be boxed up for needy kids this Christmas.

She says she already knows it will be appreciated.

“I’m going to cry I’m so happy,” Goldstein told KTLA News.

(WATCH the video below from KCAL News) — Photo: KCAL video

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Rare Quadruplet Calves Are Together Again After Miracle Birth

By

Terry Turner

-

Dec 15, 2015

Holy cow! A herd of cuteness survived odds of 11 million to one, on a farm in Texas, and it’s been reunited as a family once again.

Back in March, a cow delivered rare, quadruplet calves, against huge odds. Now, nine months later, Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo can be spied on Facebook, healthy and happy.

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Extra tiny bovines, the smallest, Meeny, was just 25 pounds — one-third the weight of a average newborn calf.

They’ve put on some weight since then.

The Quads "together again" on the farm
Posted by Eeny, Meeny, Miny, & Moo on Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Their mother could handle only one of the calves, so neighbors in DeKalb lent a hand to farmer Jimmy Barling and his wife, Dora Rumsey-Barling, helping to raise the other three.

WATCH the video below from WFAA News and READ more at the Quads’ Facebook Page, Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo.

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