A lot of times in our life we face the opportunity to offer someone a helping hand. It makes me really happy knowing how many people won’t even hesitate to grab the chance to make someone’s day and put a smile on someone’s face. Those people are what we need more of in order to make the world running.
Denny Kukich is a big-hearted man who did exactly that; taught us how doing a good deed can go a long way and influence others to become better individuals.
Flickr/Lisa Brewster
Recently, Denny was taking a flight and while he was waiting for the plane to take off he contemplated whether to read his book or take a nap during the trip. At the same time a group of soldiers entered the plane and sat in the seats surrounding Denny, so he decided to chat with some of them instead.
“Where are you headed?”Flickr/California National Guard
The soldier explained how they are headed to Peawawa together with the whole crew where they would be involved in a two-week military training before they take the ship off to Afghanistan for deployment. As they were engaged in the conversation, it was shortly interrupted by the flight attendant who announced that the passengers could buy sack lunch for $5. There was still one hour till the end of the trip remaining so Denny assumed everyone will buy lunch, especially the soldiers who were probably hungry and headed to work.
But, that’s when he overheard one of the soldiers saying that he won’t buy lunch.
“That seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to base.”
Denny looked around and that’s when he realized that none of the soldiers would eat during the flight, and the reason was obviously the money. It didn’t take long for Denny to take matters into his hands. Being aware of the sacrifice these people make to serve the country and risking their lives so that the ordinary people like him could sleep peacefully at night, buying them lunch was the least he could do to repay for their service. He approached the flight attendant and gave her $50 telling her to serve the soldiers lunch.
“She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.'”
For the nice thing he did, Denny himself was offered a first class dinner plate. He got even more surprised when a passenger handed him a $25 because he as well wanted to be part of the act of kindness.
“‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me $25.”
It appeared that Denny’s deed was a start of a beautiful chain of generosity. The flight captain congratulated Denny saying, “I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.”
Denny had no idea that everyone witnessed what he did. But, somehow lots of the passengers were now grateful for his selfless act so he received more money from the strangers.
Flickr/SC National Guard
Once the plane landed Denny was left with a total of $75 he got because of what he did. He gave those money to the soldiers as well.
“Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them $75. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base… It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'”
Denny walked to his car satisfied knowing that he was an inspiration for other people to get involved in the amazing gesture that left 10 soldiers feeling appreciated for their sacrifice.
Recently, a sweet girl named Valerie Sowards had a little ‘accident’ while she was at school and she felt so embarrassed that she started crying and wanted to go home.
The school called her father Ben and informed him of what had happened. Learning his daughter felt uneasy made his heart break. So, this clever and caring daddy did something truly amazing before he went to pick Valerie up.
Well, knowing he’s a father of 11, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he knows how little kids’ brains work. He was convinced his girl would feel much better knowing that such ‘accident’ can happen to others too, so he entered the school with his pants splashed with water on the front.
When Valerie saw her daddy’s wet pants her problem didn’t seem so large anymore so she started smiling. The two tried to cover up their ‘accidents’ the best they could.
The rest of Ben’s kids found the whole thing hilarious, so one of his oldest daughters, Lucinda, took a photo of her dad and Valerie and posted it on Twitter. People found it so sweet that it spread on the social media like a wildfire.
Everyone praised Ben for his creativity in solving the girl’s little problem. But this wasn’t the first time for him to do something like this. Lucinda recalls the time when she fell while ice-skating and ended up with a black eye. Ben empathized with her by coloring his eye black too when he FaceTimed her.
If this isn’t enough to get him the parent of the year reward then I don’t know what is.
I hope I will be as cool as this amazing father when I have kids one day. Parenting done right, don’t you think so?
During a hot summer day, six inmates and an officer in charge were working at the Polk County Cemetery mowing the grass before Father’s Day.
At one point, the officer complained how he wasn’t feeling fine. In the next moment, he fell on the ground unconscious.
The inmates didn’t even hesitate a bit before they rushed to help him. One of them took the officer’s phone and dialed 911, while the rest stripped off his gun and his vest and did all they could to revive him while waiting for the help to arrive.
Luckily, emergency services arrived just in time to save the officer’s life. According to 11Alive, he was released from hospital the same day and was feeling fine.
The story quickly spread in the media and it somehow changed the way we feel about the people who serve prison time.
One person wrote, “I hope this eases the stereotype that not everyone in jail or prison is bad. There are some awesome people locked up. They just got caught in a bad situation at some point in their life,” and we can’t agree more.
As a sign of good behavior, the inmates’ sentences were reduced by one-fourth.
To learn more of this incredible story, check the video below.
Maru, a Bullmastiff, was just a year old when her owner decided she didn’t want her any longer because she was apparently allergic to her and placed her on the Trans-Siberian train back to the kennel in Novosibirsk where she was born.
But things didn’t go as planned as Maru made a daring escape out of the train and tried getting back home.
Once out, Maru found herself in the middle of the Siberian forest which is an incredibly scary place for a dog to be alone at. Surrounded by wolves and bears, this brave and determined dog walked 125 miles. The only thing on her mind was getting back to her owner, not knowing she wasn’t welcome there any longer.
The journey was terrifying, dangerous, and hard, as Maru was also wounded and had difficulties walking.
Witnesses and the train staff later said that Maru used her paws to open the compartment door as the train made a stop at a remote station near Achinsk. They tried to catch her and get her back on the train, but Maru was quick and wouldn’t let them do it.
When Alla Morozova, the kennel owner where Maru was supposed to get, learned what happened, she organized a search for the missing animal. She knew the teams had to locate her as soon as possible as no one survives at those forests for a long time.
Thankfully, after nearly three days, Maru was spotted at an industrial estate near her former owner’s home. Exhausted, dehydrated, and starving, she was tracked down just in time.
Maru was lucky enough not to be killed by some of the fierce wild animals.
‘Luckily neither bears ate her, nor wolves chewed her up,’ Ms Morozova told The Siberian Times.
‘She was very tired. She was lame, her paws were broken.
‘The pads on her feet were damaged. Her muzzle was broken.’
The Siberian railway truck Maru followed is the longest not only in Russia, but in the world too. The poor dog was forced to cover 125 miles, or 200 km of it.
According to the train staff, Maru fled the train because she felt scared being there without her human family. Panicked and confused, she jumped off the train and no one could stop her.
‘The noise of the train scared her.’
When the train stopped she ‘jumped on the compartment door, kicked the handle to open it, and almost threw the conductor out of the way.
‘She jumped out like a bullet.
‘When the door opened to the platform, she jumped out into the night, into the taiga (swampy Siberian forest).’
Ms Morozova believes that if it wasn’t for her wounds, Maru would actually manage to get back home.
‘I’m sure that she was looking for her house,’ she said.
‘Dogs are very attached to people.
‘She did not run to Novosibirsk, she wanted to go back where she lived.’
Once at her birth place, Maru learned that even though her humans didn’t want her to be part of their family any more, there were those other humans and animals out there who enjoyed her company, such as this tiny dog pictured with her.
Ms Morozova said how Maru is now reunited with her mom and dad who are also at the kennel in Novosibirsk. She also says how she’s really mad at Maru’s owners for not showing any signs of concern for Maru and didn’t join the search even though they were aware that they were the ones who put her in danger in the first place.
Maru is currently going through recovery and is staying at the kennel until Ms Morozova and the staff decide what to do next.
Many times, children with autism are not fully accepted by the society because of the opinionated people who see them as different and not fit for some wider accepted ‘standards.’ Sadly, many fail to understand that these children are individuals with their own set of abilities and preferences. Unfortunately, they are rarely treated as such.
Ben Twist is an 11 year old boy who is challenged with the disorder. Recently, he had taken an SAT test at school and failed. That’s when one of his teachers sent his parents a letter. Ben’s mother, Gail, believed it said how her boy should reassess his work and take the test once again, but as it turned out, this letter was quite different and nothing like she expected it to be.
The school Ben attends, Lansbury Bridge High School & Sports College, is a place for students with special needs, and every child in this institution is encouraged to perform the best they can. The teachers are compassionate, loving, and caring. And they proved this to be true once again.
Twitter/Gail Twist
The letter was full of words with encouragement and listed all of the special skills Ben had, highlighting that the standardized tests don’t measure all of the extra talents he possesses. It was written and signed by Mrs Clarkson.
She Wrote:
“Dear Ben, I am writing you to congratulate you on your attitude and success in completing your end of key stage SATs. Gil, Lynn, Angela, Steph and Anne have worked so well with you this year and you have made some fabulous progress. I have written to you and your parents to tell you the results of the tests. A very important piece of information I want you to understand is that these tests only measure a little bit of you and your abilities. They are important and you have done so well, but Ben Twist is made up of many other skills and talents that we at Lansbury Bridge see and measure in other ways.”
This was definitely something Ben’s parents didn’t expect to read. The act touched them to the core.
Twitter/Gail Twist
She went on, writing:
“Other talents you have that these tests do not measure include: -Your artistic talents, your ability to work in a team, your growing independence, your kindness, your ability to express your opinion, your abilities in sports, your ability to make and keep friends, your ability to discuss and evaluate your own progress, your design and building talents, and your musical ability. We are so pleased that all of these different talents and abilities make you the special person you are and these are all of the things we measure to reassure us that you are always making progress and continuing to develop as a lovely, bright young man. Well done Ben, we are very proud of you. Best Wishes, Mrs. Clarkson”
This amazing teacher wouldn’t let Ben feel down because of the test results. In fact, she always knows how to recognize what each of her students is good at.
Twitter/Gail Twist
Teachers like Mrs. Clarkson make the difference in the way not only autistic students but all students in general feel about their abilities and what they can achieve in life. Way to go Mrs. Clarkson, you really are one-of-a-kind.
Ever since we were little children, our parents taught us to never judge people based on their physical appearance. Sadly, there are still those who make assumptions about others based on their looks.
Luc Perreault is a big guy with a heart of gold. He drives motorbikes, loves drinking beer, and has a lot of tattoos, and that is why some people dub him a bad guy. The truth is that Luc is a gentle giant who wants to break the stereotypes about the bikers.
Luc never judges anyone as he knows that different people face different struggles in their life. So, he makes sure he minds his own business without ever offending anyone.
But, just recently, he experienced a very unpleasant situation.
As he was sitting at Tim Horton’s having his coffee, a little girl who was at the coffee shop with her mother approached closer and said hi to him. Luc was delighted by the gesture and said hello back.
He though the little girl was raised the right way and believed her mother would be happy that her daughter is polite and kind. But he was very wrong.
The mother got really upset with the girl speaking to Luc, so she forcefully grabbed her and pulled her away. On the way out, the rude mother could be heard referring to Luc as a “dirty biker.”
At that moment, Luc felt really bad. He got offended and believed the mother was doing the wrong thing teaching the little girl to judge people like that.
He continued drinking his coffee, but that woman’s words haunted him throughout the day so he decided to take it to Facebook and write a word or two about how she made him feel.
“To the family in the red SUV at Tim Horton’s today,
Yes I am a big 280 lbs guy with motorcycles and full of tattoos. I am a welder, I am loud, I drink beer, I swear and I look like I would eat your soul if you stare at me wrong.
“What you don’t know is that I have been happily married for 11 years, my kids call me daddy, I am a college graduate… My mother is proud of me and tells everyone how lucky she is to have such a wonderful son, my nieces and nephews are always happy to see there m’noncl Luc…When my daughter broke her arm, I cried more than she did. I read books, I help people, I go out of my way to thank war veterans and I even cried at Armageddon.
So next time I smile and say hi to your little girl and you grab her and tell her, ‘No no dear, we don’t talk to dirty bikers’… Remember that even tho you hurt my feelings, this ‘dirty biker’ would be the first person to run into your burning house to save your little girls goldfish so she wouldn’t be sad! – L.P.”
Those who know how kind Luc really is shared his post. In a matter of days, his touching words had gone viral and many say how what he had to say is a lesson we should all learn.
A remarkable story comes from Estonia. Three brave Estonians, named Rando Kartsepp, Robin Sillamäe and Erki Väli, ended up acting as a rescue team, not to a human being, but to an innocent animal in danger. These brave men got appreciation for rescuing of what they believed was a dog trapped in an icy winter water.
The harsh North European winters can be equally risky for, both, people and animals. However, no matter what the weather conditions were, these three men were working on a dam on the Parnu River in central Estonia. Unexpectedly, while doing their daily job routines, their eyes were caught by an unusual sight. A dog stuck into the icy water of the river! Rando, Robin and Erki immediately jumped into action in order to help the creature, but they were further surprised by this rare accident.
Facebook/Eestimaa Loomakaitse Liit
These men’s dedication on saving the animal’s life paid off. They successfully managed to pull the animal out of the freezing water. The winter did its thing and the animal was already starting to stiffen. This alerted the men and they took the animal to the local vet’s.
The unusual situation even further shocked these workers. They did not rescue a dog, but a young wild wolf! The doctor explained the men that the animal they rescued was not a dog as they previously thought, but a wolf, which they look alike, of course. That confusion is quite common since these animals are nearly identical.
Facebook/Eestimaa Loomakaitse Liit
Nevertheless, the vet’s team warmed the wolf’s body, they normalized its health conditions and it was being prepared to be released in the wild. In addition, they put a GPS collar on the wolf’s neck so they can track its movements.
Rando, Robin and Erki were quite happy and glad to rescue the animal. They gave everything they could in order to save the wolf’s life. Their humane side prevailed and they did not hesitate risking their own lives in order to save another one.
Facebook/Eestimaa Loomakaitse Liit
Freezing winters are not hospitable for staying outdoors unprotected. Imagine yourself in such conditions, being trapped in cold water? That must be painful and agonising! Luckily, there are people on this planet who will do anything just to help you and provide additional support. We are grateful for their courage and determination.
Losing someone who had been by your side through tick and thin is the hardest thing ever. You don’t only lose a loved one, but you also lose the feeling of safety and security.
Officer Charles Irvine Jr. was only 23 when he died in a car accident while on duty. During his life, he impacted a great number of people and now the entire community gathered to show him respect. The city of Milwaukee constructed a memorial in his honor and his car was all covered in flowers.
Source: YouTube/WISN 12 News
One 12-year-old boy named Avant Turner was passing by the memorial and decided to stop. As he was looking at the decorated vehicle, he noticed the photo of the officer and realized he knew him very well. In fact, Officer Charles helped Avanti a lot. It was then that the young boy felt the urge to honor his late friend the best he could. He took out a pen and poured his deepest emotions on a piece of paper.
Source: YouTube/WISN 12 News
Avanti first met the late officer when his brother got arrested. Ever since, the boy would often stop off at the precinct before school. He and officer Charles talked about life and school, and Charles helped Avanti with his homework.
Speaking to WISN 12 News, Avant admitted, “He the only person I could tell my secrets to… I can only tell him, cause he the only one who understands.”
Source: YouTube/WISN 12 News
Avanti’s mom also knew just how much Officer Charles meant to her son. “There’s a lot of stuff going on again with officers, where the community is not trusting the officers, but some of them, you can find a lot of trust in. You’ve got to find those ones, and Officer Irvine was the one,” she said.
Rest in peace, Officer Charles Irvine Jr.
Source: YouTube/WISN 12 News
For more on this emotional story go to the video below.
