World’s longest surviving conjoined twins, Ronnie and Donnie, die at 68

By
Monica Pop
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A year ago, Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, the oldest conjoined twins died at 68.

When their parents learned they were expecting twins, they were over the moon. Little did they know, however, that their boys were not ordinary. When they were welcomed into the world on October 28, 1951, Ronnie and Donnie’s mom and dad were shocked to see their babies were conjoined.

Unfortunately, a surgery to separate them was way too risky, and the parents decided against it. Shortly after, their mom decided she didn’t want to take care of them and the two brothers were raised by their father, Wesly, and their stepmom, Marry.

Following their 63rd birthday, in 2014, Ronnie and Donnie were awarded the title oldest living conjoined twins by the Guinness World Record. With that, their dream came true, as they always wanted their names to be written in that book. “It’s what me and Donnie’s always dreamed about, and we hope to get the ring, because we’ve dreamed about getting this since we were kids,” Ronnie said in an interview back in 2014.

Unfortunately, the Galyon brothers died on July 4, 2020.

They never attended school and were the sole breadwinners in the family. They made their living performing at carnivals throughout the country. The brothers retired back in 1991 and lived together with their brother Jim after kind-hearted members of the community raised money and helped construct an addition to Jim’s house for them.

“They’ll live the rest of their days here comfortably,” Jim told Dayton Daily News in 2010, and explained how his brothers lived in a tiny apartment in the city before they moved in with him. “They’re definitely happier. They’re definitely more at peace.”

Ronnie and Donnie lived their lives to the fullest. They didn’t have any regrets and were happy with their brother and the little circle of friends they made throughout the years.

“We had fun when we were growing up,” Ronnie said, as per the Daily Mail. “We’ve had a nice life,” Donnie was reported to had added.

Rest in peace.

Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli share sweet exchange during Oscars ceremony: ‘I got you’

By
Monica Pop
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Two huge stars in their own right, Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli, capped off last night’s Oscars ceremony when they presented the Oscar for Best Picture. When they took the stage, they received standing ovations. Then, Lady gaga turned to Minnelli, took her hand and said “Do you see that? The public, they love you.”

The presence of Minnelli, who is 76 and wheelchair-bound, brought joy to many and elicited an outpouring on social media, with many people saying that her being on stage represents “a powerful moment of inclusivity.”

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Lady Gaga acknowledged Minnelli by announcing that the actress was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cabaret, for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1972.

Holding the cue cads in her hands, Minnelli stumbled with her words, but Lady Gaga got closer to her and said “I got you,” to what Minnelli replied, “I know, thank you.”

This exchange melted millions of hearts. Many said it was the highlight of the night, and we can’t agree more.

Following the announcement for the nominees, Minnelli turned to Lady Gaga, and told her she was happy to be there as she was her biggest fan.

Former publicist of Liza Minnelli, Scott Gorenstein, revealed that “Lady Gaga requested that Liza present the award with her.”

Before attending the Oscars, Lady Gaga was partying at Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 30th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party for which she wore a dazzling pastel gown and red lipstick.

Couple adopts 3 biological brothers under 4 so they can grow up together

By
Monica Pop
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In life, not everyone is lucky enough to be part of a family that will teach them what love and security are. Many kids are part of dysfunctional surroundings and never get to experience parental love. 

Three brothers Joey, 3, Logan, 2, and Noah, 1, found themselves looking for a forever home. The chances were that they would end up in three different families and that would mean they wouldn’t be given the chance to grow up by each other’s side. 

However, things turned for the best for these young boys and they were all adopted by the same family. Their story is an example that miracles do happen, and theirs took place just before Christmas. 

KC and Lena Currie of Sudbury, Massachusetts, adopted Joey around a year ago after they met him at an event sponsored by Children’s Friend. 

“We saw a picture of Joey and Children’s Friend mentioned [it] would be a good match,” Lena explained. “He was 18 months old at the time.”

Joey was a loving little boy who settled in with his new family just perfectly. Although they didn’t really consider adopting another child, the Curries got a call from Children’s Friend and were told how Joey had a little brother who was six weeks old. Sweet Noah needed a home, and both KC and Lena knew his place was right beside his brother’s. Soon after, Noah was legally adopted and part of the family. 

Some time later, the family learned of the third brother, Logan. They were told how he was supposed to be adopted, but something turned wrong and he was again looking for a family.

Was it a sign that they should adopt him, too? Well, the Curries believed exactly that and now the siblings were together, under one roof. 

“It was our gut feeling,” KC told GMA. “We were going to end up saying yes because keeping the brothers together was really important to us. When they’re older and have questions, they’ll have each other to lean on and experience that ride together.”

Looking after three kids under the age of 4 isn’t easy, but KC and Lena are more than willing to do all in their power to be the perfect parents to their boys. 

“It’s the first year and first holiday where it’s all permanent and true,” Lena said.

“Now we can start dreaming about grade school, sports, and all those fun things,” added KC.

This story is both touching and inspiring and exactly what we needed to hear during the most wonderful time of the year. 

College student is kidnapped by men in parking lot, then remembers 1 life-saving tip mom taught her

By
Adam East
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One 20-year-old University of South Carolina student is sharing her incredible story of how she escaped from kidnappers thanks to advice her mom once gave her. 

It all happened as the young woman, Jordan, was going to her student apartment building after finishing work as around 1 a.m. 

As she approached the place, three men suddenly approached her and took her possessions. To make things even worse and way scarier, they pointed a gun at her. 

As they tried stealing her car, they realized they couldn’t operate it because it was a stick shift, and that’s when the real hell happened. Two of the men forcefully put Jordan in the car and forced her to drive them to the gas station. The third man ran away. 

The men, who were later identified as teenagers, told Jordan to withdraw money from the ATM machine. They also told her they were going to violate her. That’s when the brave woman decided to take action inspired by a story her mom once told her.

Speaking to WCBD News2, Jordan, who’s a criminal justice major said:

“I thought back to my mom. She was almost a victim of assault when she was in college, and she fought back and fought the man off, and I thought you know, I’m going to be strong like my mom, I’m going to get myself out of this.”

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Jordan’s mother, Beth Turner, always taught her daughter to be brave. She wisely advised her to be strong and fight back if she ever found herself in a similar situation.

According to ABC News 4, Jordan said:

“My mom always told me, you know, don’t let them get you alone, because then you have no help, you have no hope for passerby’s to see you or hear you, and you have no help to get out.”

After withdrawing the money from the ATM, Jordan started planning her escape. Once she entered the car again, she didn’t put the seat belt on, so she jumped out of the moving vehicle. 

“I just kind of thought in my head, ‘Do it, do it, do it,’ and then the next thing I know, my hands were on the handle, I was opening the door and I was staring at the pavement,” Jordan explained.

Youtube

As soon as she jumped out of the car, Jordan tried signaling moving cars to stop and help her. Two drivers passed by without stopping, but the third was kind enough to pull over. 

According to ABC News 4, the college student told reporters:

“They were in a moving vehicle, without a driver, and a 20-year-old girl just outsmarted you. I wish I could’ve seen their faces at that moment, so that they knew that I might have been a victim, but I was not victimized.”

After the incident, the two teens got arrested. They were well known to the police as they had been involved with a number of other crimes at the area. 

For more on Jordan’s story go to the video below!

High school seniors spent 1,500 hours making braille yearbook for visually impaired classmate

By
Monica Pop
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Leslie Thompson, a study hall teacher at Confier High School in Colorado couldn’t get the words her student RJ Sampson said to her out of her head. RJ is visually impaired and he never got to read the yearbook.  

So when he asked her “When are you going to make me a braille yearbook?” she knew she had to do her best in order for this wish of his to become a reality. 

RJ wanted his own yearbook from the time he was only a  freshman, and now as a senior, he was finally going to get it thanks to his teacher and his classmates who loves him very much. 

All the students loved the idea of helping make RJ’s dream come true. Everyone got engaged in the process of making the braille yearbook. RJ, of course, had no idea what the school’s staff and the students were up to. 

However, this wasn’t an easy task to do. Leslie, the vision team, and the yearbook committee spent more than 1,500 hours making it. But they didn’t mind that. The only thing they cared for was RJ’s smile when he gets to hold it in his hands. 

Take a look at the video below to see the heartwarming moment the surprise is revealed in front of the students gathered at the school hall. This is truly amazing and shows how loving the people from this education facility really are. 

Garth Brooks decided to quit music to raise his daughters after divorcing his first wife

By
Monica Pop
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Although he always believed he would pursue a career in sports, Garth Brooks ended up becoming one of the most famous country singers of all time thanks to his music talent.

It was during his years at the Oklahoma State University that Brooks became aware of his love for singing and performing. He and his friends experimented with music in their dorm rooms and soon after, Brooks decided to take his guitar to a local salon named Willie’s and ask if he could perform. Once on stage, with all those people listening to him playing and singing, Brooks knew music was his calling.

“One night turned into two nights, three nights, and pretty soon I was playing Monday through Friday all over town,” Brooks recalled to Colbert. “The great thing was, it wasn’t working … I could feed myself and somebody I loved doing something that isn’t a job!”

Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins

Next, he formed his band Santa Fe, which performed music covers.

“The greatest thing about clubs is there’s no one in between you and the people you’re playing for,” he told PBS.

“There is no “yes men” between you and them; it’s just honesty. They’re going to let you know. And they’re going to let you know right away. So you learn quick what works and what doesn’t.”

What felt like the right thing to do at the time was moving to Nashville, where Brooks believed he could make a career. But things didn’t turn as expected and he soon returned to Stillwater, a bit disappointed from the pace with which his career was moving.

Shutterstock/ Paul Smith / Featureflash

Then, one night changed it all for Brooks. He took part in a writer’s round at the famous Bluebird Café. The person who was supposed to perform second didn’t show up and Brooks took the stage instead. He sang If Tomorrow Never Comes, not aware that among the crowd there was the Capitol Records label head Lynn Shults.

Shults was mesmerized by Brooks’ performance and told him to stop by his office the following day. On June 17, 1988, Capital Records signed Brooks for an advance of $10,000. The following year, he released his first single, Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old), which reached No. 8 in the charts.

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

At the time his career took off and he rose to stardom, Brooks was married to wife Sandy with whom he has three children. She was his greatest support and was always by his side, but eventually, Brooks’ many tours, promotions, and performances, which required from him to be away from home, were too much to handle for Sandy. The two filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2001.

“Sandy is kind of doing my job and her job with the girls. If Sandy is doing her job, she’s telling them, ‘Hey, your dad loves you to death. He’s just working, and he’ll be home soon.’ Well, I didn’t have anybody to do that anymore,” he said about the divorce, shortly after he announced he wanted to retire from music in order to be able to spend more time with his daughters.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

The divorce of Brooks and Sandy became a much-talked-about topic, especially because of the hefty settlement worth $125 million, which she received.

The former partners maintained a co-parenting schedule for 14 years. Despite the divorce, their daughters were seeing both parents every morning and every evening. “That’s how we ran it because we knew it was right for those kids. If you did what was right for the kids, you were going to do what was right for you. It was simple,” Brooks said.

Shutterstock/s_bukley

In 2005, Brooks married his second wife, Trisha Yearwood, a very famous singer on her own right. Speaking to US Weekley, Brooks said that Trisha became an active participant in raising his daughters. He, Sandy, and Trisha often attend the girls’ many sporting events together.

“I will say, I’d never wished divorce on anybody, but [for us,] three children and three parents worked really well, especially since the three girls were all tomboys. So they were all at soccer, track and field, softball, and never ever did one of those kids take the field where at least one parent wasn’t in the stands,” Brooks told US Magazine.

Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins

Brooks has won 23 Academy of Country Music Awards over the course of his career, and was nominated for two Primetime Emmys in 1999 for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program and Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special for his Garth Live From Central Park special. He has a net worth of $400 million.

Children of Hollywood child star and movie icon Shirley Temple reveal details about the mother they cherished

By
Monica Pop
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Few child actors have ever reached the fame of incredible Shirley Temple who was considered the cutest and most talented young actress during the 1930’s. She starred in a number of movies, including Curly Top and Heidi, which brought her plenty of awards, among which a special Juvenile Academy Award for her outstanding contribution as a juvenile performer in motion pictures during 1934.

What’s most, Shirley capitalized on licensed merchandise, such as dolls, dishes, and clothing, that featured her wholesome image.

In the midst of her popularity, Shirley retired from acting at the age of just 22. Some years later, however, she returned to acting, making guest appearances on television shows in the early 1960s.

Wikipedia Commons / Harry Warnecke

Besides her acting career, Shirley was also a very successful business woman who sat on the boards of corporations and organizations, including The Walt Disney Company, Del Monte Foods, and the National Wildlife Federation.

At the same time, this versatile woman was a diplomat as well, serving as the United States ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia and becoming the first female Chief of Protocol.

Shirley led quite a life. She was married twice and had three children. Sadly, she passed away in 2014 at the age of 85 due to a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Wikipedia

From her first marriage to husband John Agar, Shirley welcomed daughter Linda Susan Agar. While married to her second husband, Charles Alden Black, Shirley gave birth to son Charles Alden Black Jr. and daughter Lori Black.

Lori was the child who gave Shirley much trouble. Namely, Lori was a musician who played bass for the bands “Clown Alley” and the “Melvins.” During the 80’s, she got involved with drugs and struggled to overcome the addiction. During that time, her mother was always by her side.

1948: Family headshot portrait of married actors Shirley Temple and John Agar (1921 – 2002) smiling as they pose with their three-month baby daughter, Linda Susan, on a cushion at home. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

On what was supposed to be Shirley’s 90th birthday, her children gathered together to pay tribute to their mother. Her son Charles shared what it was like growing up with a famous mother. “The only time I noticed her star quality was when someone else would ask for her autograph. She was an amazing person. She was wonderful — and normal. We had dinner at the table every night all together.”

Her daughter, Linda added: “She was devoted and generous, and she could be a little stern if we didn’t behave. But she was also a lot of fun. Very inventive and imaginative. She was all about her children and her husband.

“We had a lot of fun decorating the dining room. Being a wife and mom is the greatest of her achievements. We were shopping and travel buddies. We went many places together. She was one of my very best friends…”

Wikipedia

Shirley Temple was an amazing lady.

11-year-old girl buys a dated camper for $400 and turns it into the cutest tiny home

By
Monica Pop
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The ongoing pandemic changed the way we live and socialize with one another. Sadly, it affected young children as well. In the past, typical 11-year-old kids would spend their days hanging out, playing games, and engaging in a number of extracurricular activities. These days, they tend to spend their time at home, making sure they stay safe and sound.

Lauren Nelson, 11, decided to spend her days doing something incredibly inspiring. She, as many young girls her age, wanted the newest toy camper of American Girl which cost $650. When she asked her dad to buy it for her, he said, “That’s ridiculous, you could buy your own camper for that price.”

And that’s how the idea for a real camper was born.

Source: YouTube/ WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY

Lauren had some money on her own, and she was determined to spend it on a vehicle that she would later turn into a home.

Speaking to NY Post, her mom, Aimee, explained, “Lauren really does have an envelope where she saves money. And it’s just a little bit here and there from things, like $5 at Easter or Tooth Fairy money. It just added up.”

Source: YouTube/ WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY

The great thing was that Lauren didn’t need to look far as one of their neighbors was selling his camper for $500. The thing was that Lauren only had $400 so she negotiated and managed to get the camper for the suitable price.

“He said $500 and I said $400 because that was the money I had in my bank account and he said sold,” the girl explained.

Source: YouTube/ WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY

Once she got the camper, she needed to save more money in order to renovate it. At the end, she ended up spending additional $400 for the furnishings and accessories for her boho-styled hideout.

She used the HGTV show Tiny House Hunters and Pinterest for inspiration.

The final result is mesmerizing to say the least. Lauren’s camper has everything a cozy home needs, and that’s a nice living space, a four-bed bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. It also has a number of cool decorations such as plants, decorative pillows, and a bunch of cupboards.

Source: YouTube/ WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY

Lauren is a creative young lady. However, it wouldn’t be possible for her project to turn into reality if it wasn’t for her parents who let their daughter stretch her creative wings.

For more on the story and a tour inside this beautiful home go to the video below. You’re going to love it!

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