Military’s commitment to keeping the nation safe and defending our country is acknowledged in various ways. From movies and books, to parades and political campaigns, the solders are praised by almost everyone. Actor Gary Sinise with his Gary Sinise Foundation is doing more than a good job regarding this.
Gary is known as a well-established patron in honouring the army. Various activities have been done by his foundation that prove this. His support is going even practical – the financial support that is given to our defenders is an enormous positive side of the foundation’s dedication in achieving its goals. However, the latest completed project by Gary Sinise is his book Grateful American. The book’s official release was set on 12 February, and Gary was more than pleasantly surprised on that day.
A lot of close friends and actors came together and thanked Gary for the work he is doing. In addition to these, the video featured many veterans who have personally felt Gary’s support. This unexpected surprise left Gary stunned, especially after he hearing his colleagues’ comments:
“Your commitment, your dedication, you are awesome,” Ron Howard said.
“You motivate other people,” Tim Allen added.
The video ends with Tom Hanks’ “Thanks, Lieutenant Dan!”
These kind words melted Sinise’s heart. One veteran, for example, was given the surprise of a lifetime when he received a ‘smart house,’ specially designed for disabled people. His gratitude for this donation is enormous and he says:
“As you can see we’re in front of this beautiful house right now, We wouldn’t have had it were it not for your kindness, graciousness and your wonderful gift of giving.”
However, if is wasn’t for Robin Rand’s initiation, the Foundation’s CEO, this video would not have been recorded. His idea of thanking Gary in a visual way surprised him and warmed our hearts.
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Ron Howard are not the only well-known people in the video, but also: Colin Powell, Robert De Niro, Robin Roberts, Steve Buscemi, Jay Leno, Judd Apatow, Maria Shriver, Mayim Bialik, Rob Lowe, Kristin Chenoweth, Joe Mantegna, Sela Ward, Aaron Eckhart Richard Rawlings, Patricia Heaton, Jeff Perry, Iliza Shlesinger, Kellie Pickler, Donal Logue and Drew Dix.
Regarding his work, Gary says:
“We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.”
People should know how we can acknowledge military’s commitment for keeping the country safe. Share this incredibly touching video and spread the idea!
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Sinise was in tears of joy. This is something you don’t want to miss.
Having a child is what most couples dream of, and the only think they wish for is for their bundle of joy to be born healthy.
Carol Fenner and her husband were no exception. None of the ultrasounds Carol had during her pregnancy showed any signs of abnormality with the baby, and yet, when sweet Luna Tavares-Fenne was welcomed into the world, her parents were in a state of shock. Luna’s face was covered in a huge birthmark which resembled Batman’s mask.
“I’m used to it now, but then I was just shocked,” Carol told WPLG in 2019. The parents were extremely concerned for their daughter’s well-being. During the fist week of Luna’s life, they had no idea how serious her condition was because doctors were still running a bunch of tests. It was determined that Luna was born with a very rare skin condition called congenital melanocytic nevus which imposed danger to the girl in the future because it increased the risk of skin cancer.
The family was advised to get Luna the much needed treatment which included a number of surgeries, at least six. The problem was that each of those surgeries cost $40,000, money the family didn’t have.
Carol and her husband, who live in Florida, took Luna to various doctors in New York, Boston, Chicago. They truly wanted Luna to get those surgeries before she starts school in order to avoid being teased because of her looks.
Carol never tried hiding her daughter from the world. On the contrary, she posted a number of photos of Luna on Instagram in order to raise awareness of her condition. This decision turned out to be the best one she could ever make because Luna’s Instagram profile caught the attention of surgeon-oncologist Dr. Pavel Borisovich Popov from Russia. He offered a surgery which wasn’t available in the United States, and Carol decided to meet him in person.
The surgery cost $70,000, money raised with the help of kindhearted people from all over the country.
“Everybody thinks I’m crazy to go to Russia, but I have done a lot of research and gained advice from several doctors and I really think that this is the best option for Luna right now,” Carol told SWNS in 2019.
During the last two years, the family went to Russia numerous times, and despite the ongoing pandemic, they made sure they traveled to Krasnodar each time they were told to.
Dr. Popov spoke of Luna’s recovery and told East2WestNews, ”We only had six operations to remove the nevus and have succeeded in making it disappear. Luna has already started speaking and she says herself: ‘My black spot has gone. I am a princess.’”
So far, the medical part is done. “We are letting Luna rest from the treatment she has undergone and then we will undertake the aesthetic surgeries. Later we aim to make sure Luna will not have any complexes when she comes to the age where she is concerned about her appearance,” Dr. Popov explained.
Until today, Luna underwent a number of surgeries, and a couple of days ago, Carol shared a photo of her daughter after all those procedures. The girl is very happy, as well as her parents.
“I don’t regret at all having the treatment here. Luna doesn’t feel the pain. She dances a few hours after the surgery,” Carol said, according to The Daily Mail.
Recently, Luna traveled to Brazil to spend Christmas with her mom’s family, as Carol is originally from there.
After Christmas, Luna would need to go to Russia again, to receive more treatments.
We are so happy everything is going to the right direction for this lovely family. As for Luna, she looks very beautiful and is satisfied with the progress.
When one’s life is in the hands of a 10-year-old, things don’t seem promising. But if that 10-year-old is as calm and as quick-thinking as Jayden Fontenot from Louisiana, that’s a totally different story.
Jayden’s mother, Ashly Moreau, was 34 weeks pregnant. One Friday morning, she felt the urge to use the bathroom, but little did she know that the process of giving birth would start at that very moment.
All of a sudden, her water broke and the baby’s feet could be seen hanging out. Ashly was petrified. She had no idea what to do, and knowing she was home only with her 10-year-old son and her 11-month-old daughter didn’t put her at ease.
Ashly, however, had no idea Jayden would save her life and that of his little brother.
Source: YouTube/ KPRC 2 Click2Houston
She called him and he rushed to the bathroom. To her surprise, Jayden remained cool-headed and ran to his grandma’s house to call the police. He then went back home and asked his mother what he needed to do.
The baby’s feet were purple and Ashly was aware they were running out of time. The baby needed to be delivered as soon as possible, otherwise, they could both die.
Ashly used the remaining strength to push as hard as she could as Jayden pulled the baby out. But it wasn’t breathing.
Jayden didn’t panic. Instead, he went to the kitchen and got the nasal aspirator in order to clear his baby brother’s airways.
Source: YouTube/ KPRC 2 Click2Houston
As soon as the little one started crying, emergency arrived and took the baby and the mother to the hospital. They were both fine all thanks to brave Jayden.
Ashly’s fiancé, Kelsey Richard, was out at work at the time his son was born. When he heard what Jayden did, he was in complete shock. “You don’t hear about stuff like this. It’s amazing how brave and everything he was … calm, collective. He saved their lives, he’s a hero,” he shared with KPRC 2.
Source: YouTube/ KPRC 2 Click2Houston
It’s incredible how calm and grounded Jayden remained during his brother’s delivery. He was aware his mother’s and brother’s lives were in his hands and he did what he needed to do in order to save them.
We are sure that when the baby grows older he would love and look up to his older brother.
Once the story of Jayden’s heroism went viral, people praised his act. “Angels come in all shapes and sizes, that young boy right there is an angel,” one person wrote.
Well, we can’t agree more.
Source: YouTube/ KPRC 2 Click2Houston
For more on this incredible story check out the video below.
Thinking of all the celebrities whose lives seem to be all about glamour, fame, and money, we tend to believe that they had never had it difficult in their life. The truth is that most of them had to work really hard for what they have today. Legendary actor Robert Redford is one of them.
He was born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, to a father who worked as a milk man and later an accountant, and a mother who was truly interested in film and literature and who would install the love and passion for both at young Redford.
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However, the greatest passion of Redford during his young days was that of drawing. He was into it so much that he would draw during his lessons at school, something that could easily get him into trouble if it wasn’t for a very special teacher.
“‘Mr Redford, why don’t you bring that up and show us what’s more important?’” Redford recalled his teacher saying during an occasion.
“Instead of burning me, she said, ‘I’ll make a deal with you. We’re gonna put an easel here. Every Wednesday, we’re gonna give you 15 minutes to draw a story, but then you have to promise to pay attention.’ That’s what saved me,” he told Esquire.
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As a young man, he found it difficult to keep a job. It was mostly because he wasn’t interested in doing something that didn’t fulfill him. Instead, he was interested in arts, something his father considered not to be “a real job.”
“It wasn’t his fault. I needed to get out of there. I needed to get to a clean, empty space because that house was occupied by thoughts that I didn’t share,” Redford explained.
“When I came out and looked like somebody who was gonna be freewheeling, it made him nervous. He thought, ‘He won’t survive that.’ That was the tension. He wanted me to be secure, to go to Stanford. I was lucky to get to Boulder, Colorado.”
Youtube/Movieclips
At the age of 20, Redford married Lola Van Wagenan and the two moved to New York City.
Shortly after, they welcomed son Scott in their lives. Unfortunately, he passed away at only five months old due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This broke Redford’s heart. He could barely cope with the pain and decided to pour his heartbreak into acting. Redford suffered another huge loss in 2020 when his son James died of liver cancer.
At the time his firstborn son died, Redford was attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and switched from design to acting. After his enormous success with the movie Barefoot in the Park, 1963, his career bloomed. What followed was a movie that practically marked not only his professional life, but his personal life, too. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid helped Redford make a name for himself and cement his place in the movie industry.
Youtube/Movieclips
During the filming of that iconic film, he made friends with another actor who is up until this day considered the best of the best, Paul Newman. Their genuine friendship lasted until Newman’s death in 2008.
“We had a lot of fun together,” Redford said of Newman. “We played a lot of jokes on each other, and just had a good time.”
However, it’s not only Redford who acknowledges the influence Newman had on his career, but Redford’s daughter Amy, too. “In many ways, he set a high standard for my dad to walk into fame, with dignity and responsibility,” she said. “They held each other to that standard. Without that, I think it would have been harder for him to find his tether.”
Youtube/SundanceTV
Amy is following into her father’s footsteps. She appeared in a number of shows, including Sex and the City, The Sopranos and Law and Order. However, she found her love with directing, just like her father, whose director skills were awarded with an Oscar for the film Ordinary People.
“As a kid I witnessed the process of my dad making films and the extraordinary cast of characters that came together to make it happen,” Amy Redford told IndieWire.
“I found myself drawn to the nomadic and creative life that that implied. I have explored many different areas of the industry, including acting, and knew that I ultimately wanted to begin directing. What led me to actually having the opportunity to do it was a combination of luck, timing, and stubbornness.”
Youtube/GuyWheatley
Her first film, The Guitar, had its screening at the Sundance Film Festival, which has been founded by Robert Redford and takes place every year in Park City, Utah.
Amy is married and a mother of daughter Eden. Currently, according to IMBD, she’s not too involved in the business.
Living in a mansion or a multiple-bedroom home is what many people dream of. However, there are also those who are satisfied with a tiny but cozy place to live. In fact, nowadays, most people tend to rent or purchase smaller homes because that way they can reduce the costs of living, such as rent or mortgage payments, electricity bills, and more.
Michelle “MJ” Boyle is a single mother of two. Almost all her life, or at least while she was raising her kids, she had a hard time making ends meet. MJ didn’t have any retirement money or a retirement plan because she was spending $1,600 a month on rent only.
Source: YouTube Screenshot/ FLORB
Once her kids grew older and attended college, she decided she needed a change. Why would she pay that much money for a home she would use all by herself when she could invest in a tiny home?
Speaking of what made her reach a decision to built her tiny “empty nest,” MJ said, “My life has been a series of unfortunate events. I have been divorced twice. I have built two houses and I lost the houses basically in the carnage of my divorces.”
Source: YouTube Screenshot/ FLORB
Today, not only she possesses a lovely home but she generates income too.
“I built my first house, this house, basically using cash and sponsorships to make sure that I have a paid-for nice, comfortable house when I retire. Now I’m building a few more tiny houses that I look forward to renting like on Airbnb or a try it tiny or other VRBO kind of platforms and create some income so, that’s next.”
MJ joined the Tiny House Movement, an architectural and social movement that encourages more people to live a simpler life in a smaller space.
Source: YouTube Screenshot/ FLORB
Tiny house living has helped many reduce their monthly expenses and even start saving for their retirement.
What is best about MJ’s place is that she decorated it all by herself. She used her imagination and creativity and created something truly special. Each part of her home is furnished with a lot of love and attention.
“She is an embodiment of grit and resilience. Don’t need to read a book about it. She’s living it,” one viewer wrote.
Today, MJ’s expenses are around $75 a month. She took the risk, and she’s now happier than ever when it comes to her housing.
Source: YouTube Screenshot/ FLORB
If are interested to learn what MJ’s place looks like go to the video below.
Marvin and Zully Flores, Guatemalan asylum seekers living in Stamford, Connecticut, found themselves in an unenviable situation. Zully was pregnant and about to give birth to a premature baby while battling COVID-19. The family’s financial situation was also bad because they lost their jobs due to the ongoing pandemic. With no family by their side and no one to turn to, Zully decided to contact her 7-year-old son’s school teacher, Luciana Lira, 42.
When Lira got a call from her student Junior Flores’ mother, she didn’t know what to expect. “‘Miss Lira?’ Zully whispered in Spanish. ‘I need help.’”
According to ABC7, “The family reportedly told Lira there was no one in the country who could help them and had listed her as their emergency contact.”
Source: Facebook
Sill unaware of what the family would ask from her, Lira listened carefully. Zully then explained how she had COVID-19, and her husband and son were probably infected as well. She then gave Lira Marvin’s phone number and asked her to call him so that he could explain what was going on in more detail.
The father explained how they were all concerned for the baby’s well being, having in mind the fact they had the virus, so he asked if Lira could take care of the little bundle of joy until his mother feels better.
According to The Hartford Courant reports, “At the time, Lira wouldn’t have known Marvin if she walked into him. Her only contact with him was seeing him in the distance on parent-teacher conference night, waving hello.”
Except for the fact she was their son’s teacher, Lira wasn’t in any other way related to the family. She wasn’t even close to them, yet, she was the closest thing to a family they had.
Source: KMOV4
Although it seemed like a huge deal at first, Lira simply couldn’t say no to the Flores family.
When the baby was born, Marvin and Junior was told they did have the virus, so they proceeded with the plan to give the little one to Lira.
“All he could do is cry. And cry. And cry,” Lira said of baby Neysel who was born prematurely and was just five days old when she took him home from the hospital. “He said, ‘She was five weeks early. I’m just terrified. I don’t know what’s going on in my life.’”
Being bilingual, Lira also helped the family communicate with the doctors at the hospital.
This kindhearted teacher, along with her husband Alex, organized a GoFundMe page to help the Flores family.
Zully was critical at one point and doctors feared for her life, but she’s now home recovering. However, her baby is still not by her side because she’s still unable to take care of him, but she watches her precious jewel via Zoom. We hope she will be able to take Neysel home as soon as possible.
Source: KMOV4
One of Lira’s friends, Joy Colon, wrote on Facebook:
“This unselfish act reminds us that our humanity makes us all essential … to each other. How will each of us respond when we are asked to simply show up and help. The nurses at the hospital asked my friend if she was the mother’s sister, or perhaps, a cousin as she was listed as the primary contact, Luciana Lira responded, ‘I’m just a teacher.’”
Well, to the Flores family, Lira is more than “just a teacher,” for them, she’s family.
It is true when they say that “it takes a village to raise a child,” don’t you agree?
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Most women dream of getting married to the man of their dreams and wear “the dress” while walking down the aisle with everyone admiring their perfect looks. Jenifer Darmon is no exception. Becoming Mike’s wife was something she always wished for, and now that the big day was approaching, this brave young lady stunned her guests, and the reason why will touch you to the core.
YouTube
This bride to be didn’t have it easy as life put her through some challenges she was willing to overcome. Jennifer was involved in a car accident and was left to fight for her life until she was taken out of the van and rushed to hospital. She was lucky to be alive, but the doctors told her how she suffered a severe injury on her back and was left paralyzed from the waist down.
YouTube
Jennifer’s positive attitude on life surprised the doctors. She calmly accepted the diagnosis, but not the fact that she wouldn’t be able to walk again. Actually, standing on her feet for her wedding day turned into her life mission she was determined to carry out at any cost.
Her strong will helped her endure countless physical treatments. During her recovery process, she asked her husband-to-be whether he wanted to proceed with the wedding. Mike never though of leaving Jennifer’s side. He was there for her and encouraged her not to give up.
YouTube
On the day of the wedding, Jennifer could walk down the aisle. She was the most gorgeous bride; stunningly beautiful inside and out. This young lady never gave up on her dreams no matter how hard it was.
And as Coelho writes, “when you really want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
YouTube
Take a look at Jenifer’s story in the video below and don’t forget to share it with your friends. It’s definitely one of the most heartwarming stories.
Terry Bradshaw, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, is until this day loved by many for everything he gave to the world of football. Despite being famous, Bradshaw is a very grounded man with a heart of gold.
Born in 1948 in Shreveport, Louisiana, to parents who taught him and raised him right, he got interested in football from very early age.
”That’s all you heard out of that child – football, football and that’s all he did. I mean from little up. That’s all he ever did. He had a football in his hand,” his mother Novis explained in 1989.
”There was not anything ever given to him. He had to work and he did and he was determined that ’I’m gonna do it’. Because he wanted it so bad.”
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, 1970
People became aware of how great of a player he was shortly after he attended Woodlawn High School. He became the leader of the Woodlawn Knights football team and ended the season with 22 touchdown passes. During this period of his life, Bradshaw broke yet another record, he threw the javelin 245 feet (74.68 m), and got featured in Sports Illustrated where he was described as a promising young player.
After high school, Bradshaw attended Louisiana Tech University. ”I didn’t want to go to LSU,” he said back then. “They didn’t throw the football. They do this year, right? But they never had thrown it. Matter of fact, I’ve always said they haven’t had a great quarterback ever. Even when they had Bert Jones, they didn’t use him properly.”
James Flores / Getty Images
His incredible talent made him the first pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh Steelers got to pick first and they never hesitated when they chose Bradshaw to be in their team. Well, the rest is history. He helped them rise from the bottom and win four Super Bowl finals. However, not everything went smooth for him during the first years in the NFL.
”You have to understand, now, I’m a momma’s boy. I’m from the south. My way of being raised is totally different than the big city life. I truly was a country boy,” Bradshaw recalled in an interview with CBN.
His opponents said he was dumb, with former Cowboys linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson once saying, “Bradshaw’s so dumb he couldn’t spell cat if you spotted him the ‘c’ and the ‘t.’”
”And I was just a good old Southern kid. I was a nice guy, but, if you talked like this – and I threw a lot of interceptions my rookie year. And this one guy said, ‘well, he can’t read defenses, so therefore he’s got to be stupid.’ The image thing hurt. I didn’t trust people. I didn’t like ‘em. I didn’t like ‘em, I didn’t like going around the city. I don’t like stickin’ my head out. People weren’t nice to me and I understand that. But, at the same time, when we did start winning, Scott, I never allowed myself to be accepted because I remember how painful it was for five years,” Bradshaw told Scott Ross in Fox network’s NFL Sunday program.
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With the help of Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowl titles. His first Super Bowl victory was in Super Bowl IX, followed by Super Bowl X, Super Bowl XIII, and Super Bowl XIV. During that game, Bradshaw had a 64-yard touchdown pass and was hailed as the “greatest throw of all time” by the NFL.
In late 1983, Bradshaw retired from NFL.
Brett Favre #4 of the Green Bay Packers talks with CBS commentator Terry Bradshaw after the Packers defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI January 26, 1997 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana . The Packers won the game 35-21. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
In 1984, he switched careers and became a sportscaster. Even during his career as a player, he was often a guest commentator for CBS Sports, so becoming a game analyst didn’t come as a surprise. In 1995, he joined Fox Sports, and in 2002, he was voted America’s Favorite Sportscaster in a TV Guide Reader’s Poll.
Besides being one of the best players in the NFL history, Bradshaw appeared in commercials and films and even has his own show on E!, The Bradshaw Bunch.
Fox Sports broadcaster Terry Bradshaw and Sir Paul McCartney sing a duet of “A Hard Day’s Night” during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana February 3, 2002. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
Having in mind his impact in the world of football, one would think that he has earned huge amounts of money throughout the years. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has a net worth of $25 million, which isn’t a lot compared to what football players are paid nowadays.
“I signed with Pittsburgh for $25,000 rookie year, $5,000 raise next year, and $100,000 signing bonus spread out over 10 years. Compare that to today, and you say to yourself, ‘They’re paying that guy $135 million, and he ain’t worth three and a half!’” Terry once said in an interview with Parade.
His annual salary as a sports broadcaster is $1 million a year, which again, compared to what others in the field make, isn’t much. CBS’ Romo, for example, is paid $17 million a year, according to journalist Andrew Marchand.
Hall of Fame quarterback and FOX NFL Sunday analyst Terry Bradshaw looks on during the preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
When it comes to his private life, the NFL icon was married four times and has two daughters.
He remains one of America’s sweethearts, especially because he never let fame change him a great deal. He is described as humble and grounded by those close to him, and a recent event involving him proves that to be true.
Namely, someone had a hard time starting the vehicle when Bradshaw noticed them and stepped in. When he managed to start the vehicle, Bradshaw shouted “touchdown,” and the driver, who didn’t recognize the NFL legend, watched in confusion.
“He had no idea who was helping him until he came in the store to use the computer and we told him,” Cindy Hurt Hammer, who filmed the sweet moment, told NBC 5.
Terry Bradshaw is an icon and that’s something we call agree on.
