Back in 2005, the nation was shocked by the case of the “Caged Kids.” It was reported that many of the 11 children adopted by Sharen and Michael Gravelle from Norfolk, Ohio were forced to sleep in cages. It was later discovered that the children, aged 1 to 14 years old, were also beaten and suffered numerous tortures such as having their heads flushed in a toilet.
This could have been going on if it wasn’t for one man who discovered and reported the mistreatment of the poor children.
NBC
A year later, the couple lost custody of the children and were convicted of child endangerment and abuse. Both served two-years in prison for what they did. The kids were given combined $3.2 million settlement from the counties they lived in before being adopted by the evil parents.
Now, 10 years after they were saved, two of the kids, Abba and Simon, were about to meet the person who helped in their rescue.
drphil.com
The two spoke of their ordeal at Dr.Phil’s show and shared details of everything they had to go through under the care of the Gravelles.
“If he was here right now, I would gladly give him the biggest hug ever. He saved my life, he saved her life,” said 18-year-old Simon, pointing to his sister, Abba, “because who (knows) what they could’ve done to her.”
drphil.com
“Well, he told us the same thing,” Dr. Phil replied. “He said if he ever got to meet the two of you, he would give you a big hug, too. So let’s let that happen. Carlyle, come on out!”
It was one of those reunions that make everyone shed tears. Emotional to the core.
drphil.com
Carlyle Smith recalled visiting the family’s home back in 2003 for a job interview to help take care of the 11 kids with special needs. It was then when he learned the boys and the girls were sleeping locked in cages. The couple even warned him that if he gets the job he should be careful because they were able to escape those cages every now and then. When one of the children soiled himself, they didn’t changed him but punished him by locking him inside in front of Carlyle’s eyes.
NPR
“(If not) for doing what you did, one or both of these young people might not be here today. How’s it feel to see these two young people now?” Dr. Phil asked.
“Amazing. It’s absolutely amazing,” Smith said. “I’m so proud of you guys.”
drphil.com
You can take a look at the touching reunion in the video below. You might need your tissues for this one.
What most teenagers dream of is to go to college, travel the world, and have many friends. 12-year-old Taylor Smith, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was no different. This girl spent her days around her family and friends and loved watching a lot of Doctor Who.
Smith outlined these plans in a letter she wrote to her future self in April 2013. The letter was placed inside a box in her room with the instruction “To be opened by Taylor Smith on April 12, 2023 only (unless said otherwise).”
Taylor Smith
Unfortunately, she didn’t live long enough to see whether those dreams would be accomplished. Just months after she wrote that letter, Taylor died of complications from a sudden onset of pneumonia.
Her parents, Tim and Mary Ellen Smith, were heartbroken. They couldn’t believe their girl was forever gone.
One day, as they were sorting through her possessions, they found the letter. As it touched them deeply, they decided to share it online and give others some solace.
Taylor Smith
As she shared her daughter’s letter, Marry Ellen wrote: “I can’t physically resurrect her, I can’t bring her back, but
I’m so grateful people have been inspired by her story.”
Taylor Smith
Below is Taylor’s letter and the words she wrote to herself.
Taylor SmithDear Taylor,How’s life? Life is pretty simple right now (10 years in your past). I know I’m late for you, but as I’m writing, this is early, so; congratulations on graduating high school! If you didn’t, go back and keep trying. Get that degree! Are you (we) in college? If not, I understand. We do have pretty good reasoning, after all.Don’t forget, it’s Allana’s 11th birthday today! Sheesh, 11 already? In my time, she just turned 1! I didn’t get to go to that party though, because I was in Cranks, Kentucky for my first mission trip. I’ve only been back for 6 days!Speaking of, how’s your relationship with GOD? Have you prayed, worshipped, read the bible, or gone to serve the lord recently? If not, get up and do so NOW! I don’t care what point in our life we’re in right now, do it! He was mocked, beaten, tortured, and crucified for you! A sinless man, who never did you or any other person any wrong!Now, have you gone on any more mission trips? Have you been out of the country yet? How about on a plane?Is Doctor Who still on the air? If not, what regeneration did they end it with? You should go watch some Doctor Who! Later though, you gotta finish reading your own words of wisdom!Do you have your own place yet? If we’re in college, what are we majoring in? Right now, I wanna be a lawyer.Have you been to Dollywood recently? Right now, their newest attraction is the Wild Eagle. It’s so fun!Also I think I’m going to sell my iPad and buy an iPad mini, Don’t forget to tell your kids that we’re older than the tablet! Attached I also have a drawing of an iPad, so you can show them.Well, I think that’s all. But remember, it’s been 10 years since I wrote this. Stuff has happened, good and bad. That’s just how life works, and you have to go with it.Sincerely, Taylor Smith
Beautiful words from an angel who was taken away from her family too soon!
If you were touched by Taylor’s words as much as we were, please share this story in her memory.
Over the years, humans became so distant that it is not unusual for most of us to turn a blind eye when we see someone is in trouble. Not involving in other people’s business is a good thing, but this doesn’t apply when we see someone struggling and needs help.
Thankfully, there are also people like Lisa Lemming who restore our faith in humanity.
As this woman, who is a caretaker at a senior home center in Georgia, was doing her shopping, she noticed an elderly man standing next to one of the aisles. She smiled at him, but her intuition could tell her something was wrong, he had a tormented look in his eyes. In order to be sure the man was okay, she decided to approach and check on him.
When she asked him if he everything was fine, the senior teared up. Lisa later shared the story and started her post writing: “Just spent 2 hours with an elderly man at Kroger. It started with me just smiling at him, making eye contact. As I walked past him he looked like he needed something.”Lisa Lemming Jackson/Facebook“I went back and asked him if I could help him. Tears welled up in his eyes and he said, ‘I have colon cancer and I have had a really bad accident, if I get up out of this cart everyone will know. What should I do?’”
Lisa assured him that everything was going to be just fine and spoke to one of the employees, explaining what was going on. The workers stepped in without hesitating even a bit and helped him clean himself up. They even gave him dry clothes to put on in order to be able to leave the store and go home.
Lisa Lemming Jackson/Facebook“The look of his dignity lost left me with a lump in my throat. From that moment on, Kroger staff quickly fetched us wipes, undergarments and discreetly took him to their employer bathroom Area where he was given clothes. He cried and apologized. He said he had to hurry his wife was at home alone,” Lisa wrote.
As it turned out, the man was a veteran who served in the Vietnam and the Korean war. Over the years, he started feeling that the country has failed him, but what Lisa did restored his faith in humanity.
Lisa Lemming Jackson/Facebook
The encounter ended up with some tears of joy and words of advice.
“We both cried and I shared with him my own struggles and fears… He gave me words of wisdom and encouraged me that maybe after all, humanity still does care about one another,” Lisa wrote. “Today proved it. Thank you Elmer, thank you Kroger and thank you God for the lesson and reminder I received today.”
This story is the perfect proof that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a huge difference.
One thing single mom Krystal Preston should be extremely proud of is her parenting.
This woman has a hard time making ends meet because she raises her three children on her own, with no support from her former partner. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tries to hide from her kids how exhausted and desperate she is because of the hard times she’s going through, they still know she’s sad at times.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
In order to change things for his mom, her eldest child, son William, who is just 13 years old, did the most incredible thing a kid his age could do.
Knowing just how much his mom needed a car, and after watching YouTube videos of kids surprising their mothers, he decided to do the same. There was this 1999 Chevrolet Metro for sale near him and the price was relatively cheap, so he put his mind to getting it.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
However, saving enough money didn’t go as smooth as planned. William did minor jobs such as mowing people’s lawns and helping neighbors, but he still needed more. Then, all of a sudden he got an idea to sell his Xbox, the one thing he loves the most.
He spends time playing on it and that makes him happy, but seeing his mom happy means more to this loving child.
One day, William took all his money and the Xbox and offered it to the car’s owner, who was hesitant about accepting Williams offer at first. However, once she learned why he needed the car, she was happy to be paid with the console.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
The idea of a 13-year-old buying a car is unbelievable, so imagine how it sounded to Krystal.
“I said ‘Mom, I got you a car‘, and she said ‘….No you didn’t,” William shared.
“I lost it. I bawled so bad. I was just like “There’s no way.” What 13-year old do you know buys their mom a car? I don’t know any,” Krystal said.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
The video of William surprising his mom has been seen over 1.2 million times, and everyone agrees that this boy is very special for stepping in for his mom the way he did.
Actor Ron Howard made his screen debut at the age of just four and soon became a much loved face. Thanks to his charm and talent, he stole the hearts of many and became a fun favorite child actor. Playing the role of little Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show opened the doors to the world of showbiz for Howard and we are happy he hasn’t left Hollywood ever since. Howard had already had a successful career when he landed the role of Richie Cunningham on Happy Days, and was given a prominent part in the coming-of-age film American Graffiti. However, after these successful movies, he realized his place was behind the camera.
Source: YouTube
Today, Howard is a prominent director, producer, and screenwriter with numerous awards under his belt.
He is the recipient of two Academy Awards, for A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13, four Emmys, a Grammy,and two Golden Globes among the rest. Howard has been nominated for seven BAFTA Awards and received the National Medal of Arts in 2001. His contribution to the television and motion picture industries has been rewarded with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Source: Shutterstock
Besides having a remarkable career, Howard is also a husband and a father. He met his wife Cheryl Howard over five decades ago and they have been together ever since.
We are glad this successful man decided to share his love story with us, because one thing is certain, the story of such everlasting and passionate love is so worth sharing.
The couple first met at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. “I met her, and there was never anybody else,” the filmmaker said in an interview. Their love only grew stronger over the years and they are a few years away from their 50th wedding anniversary.
Richard Nairin/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Howard recalled their first date and said they went to see Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad Mad Mad World, then had pizza at the now-defunct Barnone’s in Toluca Lake. To mark the 50th anniversary of their first date, he picked up Cheryl in the identical ’70 VW Bug and they had pizza together. “It works flawlessly. We feel the same way,” Howard said.
They have 4 kids together, Bryce Dallas Howard, 40, twins Paige and Jocelyn Howard, 36, and son Reed Howard, 34, as well as five grandchildren.
As every other couple out there, they had their ups and downs but managed to overcome every obstacle because of their love and respect for each other. He says Cheryl has always been very supportive and helped him build his career.
He never misses a chance to remind her how much she means to him. For their 46th wedding anniversary, he snapped a photo with two balloons spelling “46” in the background. They celebrated in Gold Coast, Australia, where he was taking a break from filming the next feature Thirteen Lives.
Source: Shutterstock
They are one of the lucky few celeb couples who managed to stay together for so long. So what’s their secret?
“People ask, ‘How did you do it?’ There is no method. There is no strategy other than communication. You must learn to communicate and have unpleasant talks in productive ways,” Howard says. “Aside from that, there’s an element of luck since individuals either develop together or they don’t, and I don’t believe you can force it.”
They make a beautiful couple together. We wish them only the best life can bring.
Few music duos have managed to reach the fame of the legendary The Righteous Brothers.
Bill Medley, who is still active in the music scene at the age of 81, always had music in him. He just knew he would accomplish great things in life and never gave up trying. Eventually, his hard work paid off and he’s until this very day one of the most famous names in the music industry.
He “invented” multi-track recording in his own living room, long before it was a thing, and knocked on doors to sell his songs to more established music groups.
Getty Images
Medley sang together with a number of other singers, but his life changed forever when he met his singing partner, Bobby Hatfield. The two teamed up to create some of the most iconic pieces of music, such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” which is considered their signature record. Over the course of their career, they had for a time their own solo careers, but they got together again in 1981 and duetted together until Hatfield’s passing in 2003.
“The Righteous Brothers started out in Orange County, California. It was about the whitest place in the country, but the black marines from the nearby base heard there were two guys singing rhythm and blues, so they came down to hear us. At the end of our songs they’d yell out, ‘That’s righteous, brother!’ and that’s how we got our name,” Medley told Daily Mail of the duo’s beginnings.
“Bobby and I were singing rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm & blues. Phil Spector wanted to produce us and asked Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to write us a song, and they wrote ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.’ And I’ve told Barry Mann and Cynthia several times that you didn’t write a hit record, you wrote us a life. They wrote us a career. You just never know what’s around the corner. You have to take it as it comes, and know that it’s a blessing, and keep on keeping on,” he shared with Hollywood Soapbox.
Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers and singer Aretha Franklin / Getty Images
At the same time as his career took off, Medley met his first wife and the great love of his life, Karen O’Grady, later Klaas.
“I first noticed her at church, and then, when Bobby Hatfield and I unveiled our first single, Little Latin Lupe Lu, at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California in 1963, I saw her in the middle of a thousand beautiful young girls. When we got off stage, I got her phone number and we started dating,” Medley told Daily Mail in 2014.
Bill Medley and wife Karen in 1969 (Getty Images)
The two tied the knot, and despite they were very much in love with one another, he couldn’t spend as much time as he wanted with her because he was touring most of the time. She suffered a miscarriage at one point, but he wasn’t able to be by her side because he was on a tour with TheBeatles.
Then, in 1965, they welcomed son Darrin, but the couple divorced some five years later. They both moved on with their lives, but remained very close friends until Karen’s death in 1976.
Although he dated many women, it was when Karen decided to marry her second husband that Medley wanted her back. Sadly, he was too late.
Bill Medley and Karen with their newborn son Darrin Medley / Getty Images
On the morning of January 30, 1976, Karen was brutally murdered in her home. She was planning on having breakfast with some of her closest friends, and they saw her entering the house. They waited for her to get out, but as that didn’t happen after some time, they knew something was wrong.
Her friends entered the house only to see Karen’s body on the floor. She was barely alive and died four days later at the hospital. She was left without oxygen for around 15 minutes and her brain got severely damaged. Doctors took her off life support.
“She was one of my best friends,” Medley told People.
“I was a wreck. It was a big-time out-of-body experience — ‘I can’t believe I am here looking at caskets for Karen.’ It just didn’t make sense. She was beautiful and alive and a wonderful lady.
“I took some time off to get Darrin’s life back together,” he said. “I took six years off to get him on his feet.”
Getty Images
Karen’s murder remained a mystery for over 41 years, and then, thanks to the newest technology, familial DNA testing through which they created a DNA profile, her killer was finally identified. In 2017, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced they solved the case. That meant Medley, her children, and the rest of her family could finally get the closure they were looking for.
Karen’s killer was a man named Kenneth Troyer, who was 29 at the time, a well-known criminal. It was also revealed that the man in question was killed in a shoot-out with police in 1982.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
“I couldn’t be more blown away with the technology. I want to give hope to other families that this kind of technology can be utilized to identify criminals. It’s extremely important,” Darrin Medley, Karen’s eldest son, told ABQ Journal.
Bill Medley felt relieved the case was finally solved. ”There’s been a voice in the back of my head, probably Karen, telling me since about 20 years ago, ‘Drop it. Let it go. This guy is either dead or he’s in prison,’” he said. “It’s just nice to close the book on this,” he told The Washington Post in 2017.
The way we treat the elderly people speaks a lot of us as humans. Recently, one senior found himself in a very embarrassing situation while shopping at Kroger. Luckily, one very kind and considerate woman was there to lend him a helping hand and spare him from experiencing humiliation.
Source: Pixabay – Siggy Nowak
As Lisa Lemming Jackson, a caretaker at a senior home center in Georgia, was doing her shopping, she noticed an elderly man standing next to one of the aisles. She smiled at him, but her intuition could tell her something was wrong. In order to be sure the man was okay, she decided to approach and check on him.
As she asked him if he everything was fine, the senior teared up. Lisa later shared the story and started her post writing: “Just spent 2 hours with an elderly man at Kroger. It started with me just smiling at him, making eye contact. As I walked past him he looked like he needed something.”
“I went back and asked him if I could help him. Tears welled up in his eyes and he said, ‘I have colon cancer and I have had a really bad accident, if I get up out of this cart everyone will know. What should I do?’”
Lisa assured him that everything was going to be just fine and spoke to one of the employees, explaining what was going on. The workers stepped in without hesitating even a bit and helped him clean himself up. They even gave him dry clothes to put on in order to be able to leave the store and go home.
“The look of his dignity lost left me with a lump in my throat. From that moment on, Kroger staff quickly fetched us wipes, undergarments and discreetly took him to their employer bathroom Area where he was given clothes. He cried and apologized. He said he had to hurry his wife was at home alone,” Lisa wrote.
As it turned out, the man was a veteran who served in the Vietnam and the Korean war. Over the years, he started feeling that the country has failed him, but what Lisa did restored his faith in humanity.
The encounter ended up with some tears of joy and words of advice.
“We both cried and I shared with him my own struggles and fears… He gave me words of wisdom and encouraged me that maybe after all, humanity still does care about one another,” Lisa wrote. “Today proved it. Thank you Elmer, thank you Kroger and thank you God for the lesson and reminder I received today.”
Needless to say, the story gathered the attention of millions of people. Thank you, Lisa, for stepping in for a veteran in need.
No pain is greater than that of losing a child. Unfortunately, parents whose children are part of the military and are deployed to far and foreign countries fear for their safety each and every day.
Joseph Villasenor was a United States Air Force Staff Sergeant whose love for the country was greater than any other. Unfortunately, after serving for 16 years, this brave man was killed at the age of 36. His parents, Raymond and Rachel Villasenor, were heartbroken. They couldn’t believe their son was gone. Coping with the pain was a real struggle. They shared the story of their son’s unfortunate passing and the mysterious event that happened shorty after.
Facebook/LoveWhatMatters
One day, as they visited Joseph’s grave at the Garden Park Cemetery in Arlington, Texas, they noticed something unusual – their son’s grave was covered with a trail of beautiful, green grass while nearly all of the other graves were covered with dead grass and dirt.
They couldn’t possibly know the reason behind it.
Facebook/LoveWhatMatters
However, what they were unaware of was a chance-encounter between their daughter and an old man named Jake Reissig a few months earlier.
It turned out that Jake was bringing flowers to his late wife’s resting place when he saw Joseph’s sister crying over his grave. He couldn’t help but approach and ask her why she was crying. She explained that her brother died recently and the entire family was heartbroken and grieving. Jake couldn’t comfort her, but he could do something to show them that he cared.
Credit: Associated Press
He decided to bring flowers to Joseph’s grave. He also watered the grass every day.
Facebook/LoveWhatMatters
One day when Rachel and her husband Raymond visited their son’s grave, they noticed their son’s grave was all covered in beautiful flowers. The sight made them feel better. However, they didn’t know who to thank for the lovely deed.
Eventually, they learned it was Jake who was taking care of the tombstone.
Jake Reissig also watering his wife’s grave
Jake’s kind deed moved them to tears. Words couldn’t describe how grateful they were to this elderly man.
Villasenor Family with Jake ReissigIt is during the tough times we experience in life that we need someone to show us they care. Thank you, Jake, people like you make this world a better place.
What most teenagers dream of is to go to college, travel the world, and have many friends. 12-year-old Taylor Smith, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was no different. This girl spent her days around her family and friends and loved watching a lot of Doctor Who.
Smith outlined these plans in a letter she wrote to her future self in April 2013. The letter was placed inside a box in her room with the instruction “To be opened by Taylor Smith on April 12, 2023 only (unless said otherwise).”
