Leaving a child behind has to be the toughest decision a parent has to make. The reasons why some parents decide to put their bundles of joy up for adoption are various. From not being able to take care of them because of poverty, to giving birth at very young age, some are forced to let go of their children because they believe that that way the little ones would get a better chance of having a decent life and receive proper education, a secure home, and better living conditions in general.
A mother named Tammy Oswalt made the decision to give her son Dylan to another family right after he was born. Saying goodbye to the little person she gave birth to was hard, but she felt it was for the best.
Over the years, she couldn’t stop thinking of him and her heart broke every time she reminded herself of her decision to put him up for adoption.
“He deserved a family with two loving parents, a stable home and everything else I couldn’t provide at the time,” the heartbroken mother said. “Since Dylan’s birth, I had essentially hated myself. It tore me up daily — wondering where he was, how he was, and if he hated me.”
Later in life, Tammy gave birth to another child, a daughter named Sammy.
Sammy knew she had a brother and wanted to meet him, but tracking him down was way harder than she thought. However, what she and Tammy didn’t know was that Dylan was as eager to meet his biological mother as they were.
Dylan managed to learn that Tammy was the mother he was looking for. One day, he contacted her through Facebook and wrote to her, “How are you, Mom?”
Recalling this moment, Tammy said, “The first time I saw that he’d called me Mom, all my fears just dissipated. I couldn’t believe it. I was so overwhelmed that I just burst into tears.”
Sammy and Dylan decided to surprise their mother on her birthday. Well, it was the surprise of a lifetime, second to none.
“Seeing how happy and emotional my biological mom was when she saw me just felt incredible. I feel more complete now in a sense. No longer is there a whole side to my life that I wonder or don’t know about,” Dylan said.
We are so happy these mother and son were able to reconnect after almost two decades.
For more on the story and the reunion go to the video below and don’t forget to SHARE this touching story with your family and friends on Facebook!
There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for the well-being of her child. From the moment they are born, children become the center of their parents’ lives. Watching them grow and turn into human beings who eventually have families on their own, the children will always be children in their parents’ eyes, no matter how old they get.
Moms and dads of children with special needs face more obstacles and challenges, but as ay other parent out there, they always go the extra mile for their little one’s happiness.
Strange occurrences
Melissa Davis, a mother of 12-year-old Camden, a boy with autism, noticed that her son’s behavior changed almost over night. Camden stopped being the calm and happy boy he used to be. Since he’s non-verbal, there wasn’t a way for this worried mother to understand what was going on. She tried to think of situations at home that could have possibly affect Camden’s behavior, but nothing came to mind.
Some of the changes she noticed were that her son started wetting the bed at night and would turn aggressive for no reason.
The school
As she was certain nothing that was happening at home could possibly force Camden to behave in a strange manner, she thought it could be something taking place at school to affect her son’s behavior.
Back in 2017, Camden joined the Hope Academy in Louisiana. The school focused on teaching children with special needs without any discrimination.
The changes at Camden started taking place around a year after he enrolled the school.
Melissa decided to place an audio recorder in her son’s bag just to be sure that nothing bad was happening in her absence. The day went on and Camden was back home from school. Melissa then took the recorder and pressed play. At that moment, her world turned upside down. What she heard broke her heart into a million pieces. Camden was severely bullied.
But it wasn’t other students who treated Camden badly, it was the teacher and the assistant.
Speaking to WBRZ, the horrified mother said:
“I just wanted to cry, scream and do everything I could because it was so bad.”
Taking action
Seeking justice, Melissa decided to post about what had happened on the social media and the printed newspapers.
“If they’re special needs, look at the situation as to why your child is acting that way because no child deserves to go through what my child did,” she advised other parents with special needs.
It went viral
The story quickly went viral.
The school’s principal then released a statement saying that the two employees involved in this incident had been fired. She also said that Melissa never approached the school before posting the audio clips on social media. The principal added:
“The parent has also refused to meet with Hope Academy to discuss the actions we have taken to address the issue.”
How would you react if you found yourself in a position to learn that your child had been bullied? Would you do the same as Melissa?
Click here to read another story about a mother who noticed a scratch on her child’s face. Later, she checked the baby monitor and saw a strange figure.
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The girl who changed how people see those that are somehow different than the rest passed away. Adalia Rose Williams impacted the lives of many. She taught the world that it’s okay to be different, because being different means being unique, and this little star was definitely unique in her own, special way.
Adalia’s life story caught the world by the storm. She was born with a condition known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, or Early-Aging Disorder, characterized by the dramatic, rapid appearance of aging beginning in childhood.
Adalia never really let her condition affect her self-esteem. She was often called the “real-life Benjamin Button,” but she always found something positive to be happy about. Her mother, Nathalie once revealed to NZ Herald, “Sometimes there are days where she [Adalia] says, ‘I wish I was taller, I wish I had hair, I wish I looked like everybody else, I wish I could do what everybody else can do. But then she’ll be like, ‘Who needs hair anyway, I have a bunch of wigs, I can have different hair every day.’” This spoke a lot of Adalia’s personality.
Source: Instagram/Adaliarose
The family shared the news of Adalia’s passing on the social media.
“Adalia Rose Williams was set free from this world. She came into it quietly and left quietly, but her life was far from it. She touched MILLIONS of people and left the biggest imprint in everyone that knew her, she is no longer in pain and is now dancing away to all the music she loves. I really wish this wasn’t our reality, but unfortunately, it is,” they posted on Instagram.
“We want to say thank you to everyone that loved and supported her. Thank you to all her doctors and nurses that worked for YEARS to keep her healthy. The family would now like to mourn this huge loss in private.”
Source: Instagram/Adaliarose
When Aladia was born, doctors realized she was different because she wasn’t growing as expected.
“That was one of the symptoms that first popped up, and then it was also that the skin on her tummy was really tight and just different looking,” Nathalia told the NZ Herald.
“She was diagnosed at maybe like three months old. That’s when the real changes started happening. She started losing her hair, her little veins started showing up more, and her skin thinning out a lot more. I was a single mum at the time, so when I got the diagnosis, I was alone. It was just her and I, and I honestly felt lost.”
When they were told about the diagnosis, the parents were heartbroken because there is no known cure for this syndrome and according to statistics, the life expectancy of children who have it is around 13 years. Aladia passed away at 15.
She was a mega star on the social media and had millions of followers. On her Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram account, she often posted videos and beauty tutorials, thus giving her followers a chance to see what her life was like living with the condition. The virtual world was her safe place. She felt great there because she received a number of comments from people who loved what she did and admired how she perceived life despite the difficulties she dealt with.
“Adalia has changed my life completely. It’s not like I was hateful, but I wasn’t nice to myself,” her mother Nathalie said in 2018. “I wasn’t thankful. I didn’t realize what life was until she was born. Her followers say good things to her all the time. They have constant comments about how she’s inspirational and how she doesn’t let anything stop her, and they’re right. She loves those comments.”
Adalia herself said in 2018,“I guess I am a diva because I always get what I want!” “Having a social media superstar 11-year-old, it’s crazy, especially when we are out in public — you know a lot of people recognize her,” her father, Ryan, added.
Source: Youtube/Adaliarose
The news of her passing was received with heartbreak by everyone who knew her personally or through her social media sites. One of the people who paid tribute to Adalia was fashion designer Michael Costello who designed the girl’s dresses back in 2019 for her 13th birthday.
“My heart is broken. I received a message at 7 pm last night, Adalia Rose Williams was called home to God. I am at a loss for words and cannot stop crying. Adalia has been so special to every single person that she met,” Costello wrote.
“She was an angel. Despite the cards she was dealt with, she had the most positive attitude and such big dreams of helping everyone around her. I love you so much, Adalia. Words cannot convey how much you’ve changed my life. I will miss you dearly, friend, and I promise to cherish all the wonderful memories we’ve had together.”
Born with a rare genetic condition that prevents her body from gaining weight, Lizzie Velasquez has been voted the world’s ugliest woman. She didn’t have it easy in life because she had experienced bullying by her peers and random people, and she got this “title” after she appeared on a TV show a couple of years ago. Mean and cruel people mocked her appearance by publishing her pictures online.
But Lizzie is an incredibly brave young woman who will never let her look define her as a person. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she stood against the world and fought back with incredible optimism.
Lizzie Velasquez
She is now a motivational speaker and a YouTuber who is known worldwide. The words of wisdom she shares with people who experience any kind of bullying or are facing tough times have the power to make them stand on their feet and move on.
Luckily, she was born in a home where she was given all the love. Her caring parents taught her to love herself fiercely because the real beauty is what’s inside. Her mom and dad have been very supportive and she is grateful for having them in her life.
Speaking to Today of her childhood, she recalled: “To my family, I was just Lizzie. It was a big slap of reality for a 5-year-old. The other kids were scared of me, pointing at me, not wanting to sit with me. I couldn’t process it. I wasn’t doing anything to them, so why was it happening to me? And I didn’t dare tell anyone.
“Finally, I told my parents and they said, ‘There is nothing wrong with you, you are just smaller than the other kids. You are beautiful and smart and can accomplish anything.’”
Most animals are curious by nature and that curiosity can easily lead them to trouble. Luckily, there are plenty of humans who would go above and beyond to help any animal in need.
One man from Australia was about to drive over a cattle guard when he noticed something was stuck between the metal bars.
The cattle guards are roadblocks installed on roads in order to prevent the cattle from leaving the grazing areas and crossing the road, but that certainly didn’t prevent one young kangaroo from jumping over the bars. The poor animal didn’t know that it could easily fall through the metal bars and found itself stuck and unable to move.
Source: YouTube/ Jukin Media
The man who noticed the poor animal decided to pull over and help it get out.
Well, kangaroos are wild animals so getting close to them might not be the cleverest idea, but no matter the possible consequences, this good Samaritan couldn’t leave the kangaroo trapped.
The rescue wasn’t an easy one. On the contrary, it was a bit dramatic, but it ended up with the animal getting released.
Being seen more than 2 million times, the video of the rescue is something you don’t want to miss. Check it out below!
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Housing is an issue for many Americans. It is expensive and bound to drain families’ finances. That is the reason why many people find ways of reducing the amount of money they spend on mortgage or rent.
One mother and daughter from Santa Rosa, California, who were living in separate homes, were spending around $4,000 per month on housing. One day, they decided to pool their resources and buy a home with a detached garage together. The plan was for the garage to be turned into a tiny apartment for the mother, Lee Reich. She is a widower and doesn’t need that much space as long as the place is cozy and safe.
Source: YouTube/ Kirsten Dirksen
The daughter, Stacy Lince, who has a family on her own, really liked the idea. Her mom could be living very close to them while having a separate home at the same time.
At the beginning, the high city fees stood on their way of turning their plan into reality, but then a tragedy struck, the Tubbs fire destroyed 5,000 homes in the area and the city decided to reduce the fees for secondary units from $25,000 to around $5,000.
Learning this, the mother and daughter started working on their plan.
Source: YouTube/ Kirsten Dirksen
The garage was just 380-square feet in size so they had to be careful with the planning of the space.
Eventually, they managed to carve out a bedroom and spacious bathroom, separated by a sliding door from the living room and kitchen. The living room can easily accommodate up to four people and the bathroom is quite spacious. The kitchen is fully equipped, with a two-burner stove, a full-sized refrigerator, a nice sink, and a microwave oven. The one thing that’s missing is a dishwasher, but Reich says she didn’t really need one.
Source: YouTube/ Kirsten Dirksen
Between the house and the garage, which is now turned into a living space, there is a spacious patio where Lince’s family and Reich can spend time together.
Even though the houses are very close to one another, both Lince and Reich observe each other’s boundaries.
Source: YouTube/ Kirsten Dirksen
If you want to get a closer look at this custom-designed living space go to the video below. We love the idea very much and believe that the families did an awesome job.
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It’s a common belief that cats and dogs are sworn enemies. Well, that is not far from the truth. Canines and felines don’t really like each other, but thankfully, that’s not always the case.
A woman named Lucie and her dog Toast were taking a walk near their home when they noticed a tiny kitten running towards them. The little one wasn’t afraid of Toast. On the contrary, it came closer and started meowing at Toast.
Source: YouTube/ The Dodo
Lucie assumed that the kitten’s mother was somewhere near and decided to take Toast home as she didn’t want the kitten’s mom to get afraid of him in case she was somewhere near. However, as the two walked backed home, they saw the tiny helpless creature following them. Lucie then spent some time outside hoping the mother would show up, but as that didn’t happen, she knew the sweet baby belonged with them. She wasn’t sure whether Toast would accept the kitten, but the dog’s motherly instincts kicked in and she became more than a mother to the stray canine that now had a home.
The following day, Lucie put some food in Toast’s bowl, but instead of starting eating right away, Toast let the kitten try the food first. It was a heartwarming sight which melted Lucie’s heart.
Source: YouTube/ The Dodo
Who could have thought that the bond between the dog and the cat could grow so strong?
Toast now lets the baby cat sleep on top of her and keeps her warm between her legs and belly. She also licks her new baby and helps it get into high places and furniture.
When the kitten tries getting down the stairs, Toast becomes extra protective and makes sure it doesn’t fall or hurt itself. The same goes when the kitten gets near the pool.
Source: YouTube/ The Dodo
Toast just became an adorably anxious mother towards the cat.
“I’ve always felt that animals are super instinctive and nature is well done,” Lucie told The Dodo. “Toast especially, she’s so human that she really just works on emotions,” she added. “She has very strong instincts. She’s like a human being.”
Source: YouTube/ The Dodo
Watching them together is pure joy! For more on this beautiful story go to the video below and make sure you SHARE it with your family and friends on Facebook!
Some life stories are so touching they leave a mark in many people’s lives even after the person is long gone.
When a woman named Rusty Dennis from California gave birth to a baby boy on December 4, 1961, nothing raised a red flag. The little one, Rocky Dennis, resembled a perfectly healthy baby, until one day the family received shocking news which changed their lives forever.
During a routine tonsillectomy, when Rocky was around two or three years of age, an X-ray technician had seen some irregularities in Rocky’s skull. The boy was then taken to the UCLA Medical Center for testing when it was discovered that he had an extremely rare condition. Rocky was diagnosed with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, a sclerotic bone disorder which caused abnormal calcium deposits push his eyes towards the edges of his head, while simultaneously twisting his nose out of shape.
Wikipedia Commons
Rusty was told that her son won’t live past his seventh birthday. They also said that he would likely lose his eyesight and would go deaf. But Rusty was there to teach him that no matter his condition, he could do anything he set his mind to.
“I didn’t allow the doctors to talk him into death,” the mother told United Press International.
“You know, what you believe works and he believed he could stick around as long as he wanted to.”
Despite everyone telling her that he shouldn’t go to school, Rusty enrolled her son into a public school. What’s most, he thrived and was an excellent student.
“They tried to say his intelligence was impaired,but it wasn’t true,” Rusty told People. “I think they wanted to keep him out of the classroom because [they thought] it would bother the other kids’ parents.
“I taught him he could do anything he wanted to do. He didn’t believe in being blind: he read all the time,” Rusty reminisced. “Most of the time, any problems or pain he had he was able to deal with on a psychic level.”
Most of the students accepted his appearance, although there were also stares by complete strangers.
From the film ‘Mask’ Youtube/Movieclips
Rocky had a normal childhood and did what most kids his age did. He delivered newspapers to his neighbors and even worked as a babysitter.
One of Rocky’s teachers, Barbara Silva, spoke of the first time he entered her classroom. She was convinced he was wearing a mask and as she was about to tell him to take it off, she approached closer and realized he wasn’t wearing any, it was his face.
“Had I said what I was going to say to Rocky that first day, I think I would have gone to the principal’s office and resigned right there,” Barbara told Patch. “That would have been the end of my teaching career.”
From the film ‘Mask’ Youtube/Movieclips
Silva also recalled how fun Rocky was. He was aware some people were uncomfortable around him so he would say that straight after meeting them.
“If anyone showed signs that his appearance made them uncomfortable, he would say, kind of matter-of-factly, ‘If I make you uncomfortable, you can move. But I can’t change my face,’” Barbara recalled Rocky telling a classmate. “It would be an icebreaker. He would put you at ease by addressing what was obviously bothering you, and say, ‘It’s okay, I get it.’”
On graduation day from Sandburg Junior High School, he collected his diploma wearing a new suit. He also got a gold certificate, reading “Rocky Dennis – Honors Student.”
Sadly, Rocky passed away at the age of 17. One night, mere days before his passing, he apologized to his mother for being a naughty child and for the way he was born.
On October 3, 1978, when Rusty went to Rocky’s bedroom, she found him dead. “He was already gone….” Rusty told People. “I hugged him and said goodbye, but he wasn’t there.”
Rusty Dennis. Youtube/Frontrow
Some time before his passing, a nurse working in the genetics units, Anna Hamilton Phelan, met Rocky. It was the only time she ever spoke to him, but his life story sounded incredible so she decided to contact his mother in order to learn more about him. Her work led to a screenplay for the award winning film Mask, based on Rocky Dennis’ life.
Eric Stoltz starred as Rocky – and Cher as Rusty. The film won an Academy Award for Best Makeup, and Cher herself won the award for Best Actress at the legendary Cannes Film Festival.
Following the film, Cher got involved in helping people with craniofacial deformity.
From the film ‘Mask’ Youtube/Movieclips
“You know, if Rocky Dennis lived today, the doctors may have been able to help him,” Cher told Parade Magazine in 1994.
“All a craniofacial wants is not to be abnormal,” she added.
“You know, they just want to walk and not be looked at. People are always draw to what they think is beautiful, and they tend to think that beautiful people are nice people. One has no bearing on the other. Everything is so packaged now what there is a perfection orientation that we don’t want to look at people that aren’t completely beautiful.”
From the film ‘Mask’ Youtube/Movieclips
Rocky Dennis never let his deformity stand on his way of happiness and success. His life was short but meaningful. He touched many lives. May he rest in peace.
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