Single dad adopts six children with disabilities: “I would never say never to having another child”

By
Monica Pop
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If you have lost your faith in humanity, fear not, because Ben Carpenter is here to restore it.

When he was just 21 years old, Ben adopted a boy with autism named Jack. Today, if you ask Jack about his father, he would say: “Daddy is the best daddy in the world.” Honestly, we can’t agree more with this innocent child’s statement about how special Ben truly is.

Over the course of 16 years, Ben adopted more children with disabilities and changed their world for the best.

“I’ve always known what I wanted. I never wanted to become a biological dad because being a parent is so much more than that,” Ben told the Mirror. “I wanted to help kids that were the most vulnerable and the ones that were most in need of a loving and caring home.”

Of course, adopting that many children at such young age wasn’t an easy thing to do. It required time, patience, and not giving up. “I had a lot to prove at such a young age. I needed to show that I was mature enough and could offer these kids what they needed. The good thing about adoption that you can’t do in pregnancy is picking the gender of the child.”

Except for Jack, who is now 14, Ben adopted Ruby, now an 11-year-old with a complex disability, and her sister Lily, 9, who is completely deaf.

“To begin with I chose a boy and then a girl because I thought that would be the perfect set up and luckily got accepted and matching with my son and daughter, Jack and Ruby,” the caring father said. “I was then asked if I would take my biological daughter’s sister which I agreed to do.”

Joseph, who has Down Syndrome and is now 6 years old, was adopted as a baby of a couple of days.

The fifth child Ben adopted back in the day was Teddy. The family now seemed complete. They were all lucky to have one another in their life, but then, in 2019, Teddy passed away, leaving a huge void in her family’s heart. “I was devastated and I felt guilty for a while because I kept wondering if there was something I could have done to fix it,” the heartbroken father said.

In 2020, Ben adopted his sixth child, Louis, who is blind and has cerebral palsy, as per Yorkshire Live. Although Teddy is now gone, he still considers himself a father of six. What’s most, he’s planning on welcoming more children in need in his life in the years to come.

“As much as I have changed their life, they have also changed mine. And I would never say never to having another child,” he told Mirror.

This incredible man is just a proof that not all heroes wear capes, some come in the form of single dads who would go above and beyond for the happiness of their children. Ben, thank you for everything you do for you kids.

If you love to help Ben built a multisensory room for his children, you can donate here.

Nicole Kidman shares adorable pic of husband Keith Urban and fans think it’s her

By
Monica Pop
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Some four years after untying the knot with Tom Cruise, the Big Little Lies star Nicole Kidman met her current husband, singer Keith Urban. Some would say that their first meeting, which took place during the G’Day USA Gala — an event honoring Australians in Los Angeles, was a serendipitous one, well at least for Kidman who later confessed she was totally smitten with Urban.

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However, due to his previous relationships and what he referred to as a lack of confidence, he only gathered the courage to call her some four months later.

“I remember thinking, I had such a crush on him, and he wasn’t interested in me,” Kidman told Ellen. “It’s true! He didn’t call me for four months.”

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Urban on the other hand said: “Somebody had given me her number and I had it in my pocket for a while. I kept looking at it thinking, ‘If I call this number, she’s going to answer. I don’t know what to say.’” He also spoke of his childhood and how his family didn’t really encourage communication, so he was having a hard time approaching her.

“I could write a good love song, but I was terrible at relationships, because I didn’t really know. Im glad that our girls are in a very different environment where we talk about things all the time,” he told Variety.

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Well, after he finally decided to call her, that was it. Sparks started flying around and the two quickly realized they were simply meant for one another. Now, years later, they are proud parents of two daughters and are in love with each other as day one.

The two Australians married at a beautiful church in the Sydney suburb of Manly, Australia, in 2006, shortly after they met and started dating. “There was an enormous attraction initially and we got engaged after three months and then we got married really quickly, but we didn’t really know each other,” the actress said in 2015, as quoted by Metro. “We really only got to know each other after we were married.”

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Shortly after becoming a husband and a wife, Kidman helped Urban with his addictions. During the first three months of their marriage, he stayed inside an in-patient-facility.

“I caused the implosion of my fresh marriage,” Urban told Rolling Stone. “It survived, but it’s a miracle it did. I was spiritually awoken with her. I use the expression ‘I was born into her,’ and that’s how I feel. And for the first time in my life, I could shake off the shackles of addiction.”

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The couple welcomed their first child into the world on July 7, 2008. According to People, the baby’s name, Sunday Rose, paid tribute to the Australian art patron Sunday Reed and Urban’s grandmother Rose. Their second child, Faith Margaret, was born in December, 2010. The girls are both grown up and follow into their famous parents’ footsteps.

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Recently, Kidman shared an adorable Throwback Friday photo of Urban as a young boy, writing: “One of my favorite #FBF’s [Throwback Fridays] ever.”

The fans went crazy over the photo, but many had a hard time believing it was actually Urban who was on the photo. Many were convinced it was Sunday Rose, yes she resembles her dad so very much, and others mistook it for Kidman herself.

“Thought that was you,” one fan commented. “Is that not you?” another asked.

We are always looking forward to the lovely photos of this beautiful family.

The family tragedies of Susan Boyle – All you need to know

By
Monica Pop
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Susan Boyle is a proof that we should never give up on our dreams, because we can never really know when our time to shine will come. The moment she took the stage of Britain’s Got Talent, the unemployed charity worker became Britain’s sweetheart. She took the entire world by storm with her impeccable performance of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables.

“I used to be a kind of spectator looking outward at the world. But now I’m part of that world and, though frightening, I’m going to embrace it,” Boyle once said.

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Boyle was born on April 1, 1961. When she was pretty young, Boyle, who has an above-average IQ, was mistakenly diagnosed with learning disabilities, which led to her being made fun of by both her teachers and her classmates.

“I was often left behind at school because of one thing or another. I was a slow learner. I’m just a wee bit slower at picking things up than other people. So you get left behind in a system that just wants to rush on, you know? That was what I felt was happening to me,” the singer told Independent.

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Boyle has always been aware of her singing talent, but somehow, didn’t have the courage to show it to the world. She did attend several singing competitions, but it was her mother who encouraged her to enter the show that changed her life and her world forever.

Sadly, her mother died a year before Boyle decided to let her voice loose so that the whole world could hear it.

“I was very lonely and very upset. There was a kind of numbness to begin with, because you don’t know what’s happening, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. My health went down,” Boyle told Irish Central of her mother’s passing.

“I had panic attacks and felt I couldn’t cope. I didn’t eat or sleep properly. I’d had everything done for me. But the rest of my family helped pull me through. I think I still struggle with my independence a bit, because I depended on my mother so much – although I have a lot more help nowadays.”

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Throughout the years, Boyle has sold over 25 million albums and has 250 million audio streams. She received two Grammy nominations, had No.1 albums in 40 plus countries, and 128 platinum and gold album certifications.

The singer suffered many tragedies in her life. She lost her sister Kathleen in 2000, and sister Brigid McCaw in 2015.

Speaking of Brigid, Boyle said: “She was honest and helped me throughout my life and during my career. She wasn’t afraid to tell me I was getting too big for my boots. I miss her every day and we as a family have needed this quiet time to grieve in peace.”

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Later, a row with her brother Gerry followed. According to some magazines, he demanded from his sister to give him money, besides the nearly half a million pounds she had already given him. Allegedly, he was threatening to end his own life if she didn’t do what he told her to, as per the Mirror.

“I knew our lives would be a roller coaster after Britain’s Got Talent but I didn’t expect our family to be ripped apart,” Gerry told the Mirror. “Susan has been very generous to us all but I haven’t been greedy. I felt she could have done more to defend me.”

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Two years after their argument, Boyle and her brother reunited. In 2016, she called him on the phone and Gerry later said: “Within five minutes, it was like we’d never been apart. It has been great to pick up the pieces.”

Boyle is still living in the house where she grew up. Recently, she opened the doors to her home to the OK Magazine and showed how she renovated it.

When it comes to her health, Boyle was diagnosed with diabetes type 2 some years ago and decided to change her lifestyle and eating habits completely. She lost weight and is looking fabulous.

“I don’t dream the dream any more,” this incredible singer says, “Because I am living it.”

Newborn baby covered in bug bites found dumped in field in Thailand

By
Monica Pop
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Babies are the greatest blessings in life. Sadly, there are people who don’t cherish these God’s miracles and abandon their bundles of joy instead of providing them with the best life they deserve.

A story of a newborn baby girl dumped in the fields in Ladkrabang, a district in Bangkok, shoke the whole world. This heartbreaking incident took place in May of last year.

It was reported how some local farmers heard baby’s cries later in the night, but believed they were coming from some animals and didn’t get out to check until the next morning. The sight left them in complete shock. The tiny baby girl was all covered in bug bites and it was obvious she was in pain.

It was a real miracle she managed to survive during the night in that field.

The story was picked up by Daily Mail and soon the whole world world knew of that sweet baby and millions prayed for her recovery. The media reported how the little baby was just one day old when she was dumped as her umbilical cord was still untouched.

The baby was rushed to the nearest hospital, Krabang Hospital, where she was given proper care. The police was alerted of the incident and tried locating the parents.

As for the sweet girl, except for the nasty bites, she didn’t sustain any serious injuries.

“We believe that the parents might live nearby the area,” Lieutenant Colonel Samart Klinklao, inspector of Chalong Krung police station said.

“Officers will check around the communities and ask the locals for more details. We will also check the CCTV cameras in the street to find who left the baby there.”

We honestly hope this sweet child will have a happy and fulfilling life with parents that will show her only love.

Prince Charles to change the law to prevent Archie from becoming a Prince

By
Monica Pop
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Over the years, the members of the British Royalty have been involved in a number of scandals, and this year wasn’t any different.

After the Megxit, a lot has changed in The Firm. Queen Elizabeth didn’t like the idea that the Sussexes failed to consult her before coming forwards with their decision to step down from their royal duties, and she wasn’t any less angered with the accusations they brought up during the all-tell interview with Oprah.

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Among the rest, Meghan revealed that the family didn’t want her son Archie to be a prince, and as everyone was quick to point out that she was talking nonsense because Archie could only become a prince when Prince Charles becomes a king, it looks like Meghan was referring to something that has just come to light.

“They [the Royal Family] were saying they didn’t want him to be a Prince or a Princess,” Meghan explained back then.

“You know, the other piece of that convention is, there’s a convention – I forget if it was George V or George VI convention – that when you’re the grandchild of the monarch, so when Harry’s dad becomes King, automatically Archie and our next baby would become Prince or Princess, or whatever they were going to be… But also it’s not their right to take it away.”

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As it turns out, just before the interview, the Sussexes were informed of Prince Charles’ plans of changing legal documents known as the Letters Patent which will ensure that Archie doesn’t become a Prince when he ascends the throne.

A source speaking to the Mail said: “This is what nobody realized from the interview. The real thing was that Charles was going to take active steps to strip Archie of his ultimate birthright.”

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The truth is that Prince Charles has indeed planned to slim down the monarchy.

“Charles has never made any secret of the fact that he wants a slimmed-down Monarchy when he becomes King. He realizes that the public don’t want to pay for a huge Monarchy and, as he said, the balcony at Buckingham Palace would probably collapse.”

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Despite everything, it has been reported by many media outlets and magazines that after the birth of Lilibet Diana, Prince Charles and Harry are in regular contact.

The two would see each other again next month when Harry visits Britain for the unveiling of his late mother’s statue.

Bindi Irwin shares a side-by-side photo of her and daughter Gracie and they look exactly the same

By
Monica Pop
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Ever since the Irwins welcomed their newest addition to the family, people became even more fascinated with one of the most famous families of animal lovers in the world.

Late Steve Irwin, “The Crocodile Hunter,” installed the love for the nature and the animals into his children and now they are both following into his footsteps and are doing their best to keep his legacy alive.

Through his passion and the out-of-this-world videos and documentaries of incredible species, he made millions look at the nature and the creatures living in the wild and the oceans with fresh eyes. Not only was he an animal lover, but a very famous advocate and conservationist too.

Unfortunately, he died back in 2006, leaving the world mourning. During filming at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Steve was pierced through the chest by a stingray.

“He was having trouble breathing. Even if we’d been able to get him into an emergency ward at that moment we probably wouldn’t have been able to save him, because the damage to his heart was massive,” Justin Lyon, an underwater cameraman and Steve’s close friend told Australia’s Network Ten television.

“As we’re motoring back I’m screaming at one of the other crew in the boat to put their hand over the wound and we’re saying to him things like, ‘Think of your kids, Steve, hang on, hang on, hang on.’ He just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, ‘I’m dying.’ And that was the last thing he said.”

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Growing up surrounded by animals, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Steve’s children, Robert and Bindi Irwin, share the same passion as their dad.

Bindi was born July 24, 1998. She was only eight years old when her dad died. Living at a zoo, her life was much different than that of her peers, but she loved every second of it. In fact, even today, she and her family are working at the Australia Zoo.

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Today, Bindi is married to the love of her life, Chandler Powell, a professional wakeboarder whom she met while he was visiting the Zoo.

“[Bindi and I met] right next to where Steve and Terri met [after] Steve had just finished a croc demonstration,” Chandler said of meeting Bindi. “I met Bindi right next door, and I was holding a koala and Bindi was holding an echidna, and it was just love at first sight.”

Later, when he headed back home, he wrote a letter to Bindi’s mom Terri asking if he could contact her daughter. He proposed to Bindi on her 21st birthday and she shared the news with her followers writing: “On my birthday I said ‘yes’ & ‘forever’ to the love of my life. Chandler, close to 6 years ago I fell in love with you & every day since has been a whirlwind of adventure & true happiness. Here’s to a lifetime of friendship, purpose & unconditional love.”

In 2020, the two tied the knot. Bindi decided to keep her last name as a tribute to her late father, and Chandler decided to take the surname Irwin.

“I’ve kept Bindi Irwin,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I think that for me personally, after dad passed away, it was really important for me to feel close to him, and having his last name means so much to me.”

“Chandler has become an Irwin now,” he added. “It has become a part of me. Everyone has their own ideas, but the nice thing is that it’s 2020 now. Anything works!”

Before the wedding, Bindi shared a beautiful photo of her and Steve and wrote: “Thank you for being my guiding light. You’re always with me.”

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When she announced the birth of daughter Gracie, Bindi also spoke of the pain of not having her father by her side during those moments in life.

“It’s going to be really special. It’s going to be really special for her to know him through us, to tell her about what an amazing man he was. It is really hard. It’s hard that he’s not here because out of everyone in the world, gosh, he would have loved her the most,” she said.

“He would have loved her so much. But I think in a way he is still with us. And his heart and soul lives on in all of us and, so yeah, he’s never really gone.”

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Gracie is now living surrounded by animals, just like her grandparents, her parents, and her uncle. She gets to meet them one at the time, and we are sure that she will grow into an animal lover herself. She resembles her mother so very much, and there’s no doubt she will share the love for animals too.

Recently, Bindi shared a photo of herself with her mom and one of Gracie next to it. “Baby Grace Warrior & Baby Bindi Sue. Like mama like daughter. We both love our hoodie towels.”

Steve is missed by many, especially his family. They all agree that he would have been an amazing grandpa to little Gracie.

“I don’t think we would’ve ever seen our daughter. He would’ve just whisked her away into the zoo and it would’ve been perfect,” Bindi told Entertainment Online.

“But it is so nice that we’ll be able to introduce her to her grandfather through all of the documentaries. It’s really special.”

Wounded wild deer gets close to a woman and shows she needs help

By
Monica Pop
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Whenever I stumble upon stories of humans making friends with wild animals, I feel a bit jealous because I have always dreamed of getting that close to nature myself. I am sure many of you feel the same, don’t you?

A couple from Germany, Bastian and Marlis Jermutus, decided to move to a rural part of the country surrounded by enchanting landscapes and a number of wild animals. However, what they didn’t expect was for a deer family to become their very best friends.

Source: Facebook – Marlis Jermutus

Namely, a week-old fawn whom they named Eva started approaching their yard more and more with each passing day until she felt completely comfortable around the couple’s side. What’s most, once she grew older and had babies on her own, she introduced them to her human friends, too.

Bastian and Marlis, who are totally fascinated by the nature and the animals, would often post videos of the surrounding and Eva on their blog.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – Pelorian Pages

One day, they posted a video of Eva lying in their yard. However, they noticed that the animal was without her babies and stayed there for quite some time. It was then that they figured out something was wrong.

After further inspection, Marlis noticed deep scratches on the deer’s body. She knew that Eva was looking for help and she was more than happy to assist her.

In order to calm her down, Marlis ran her hands through Eva’s belly and applied Bach Flower Remedy Rescue Cream on her wounds. Eva felt relieved and knew she was in safe hands.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – Pelorian Pages

Unfortunately, Eva passed away in 2016 and Marlis posted a video of her where she wrote about her life. She described the beautiful animal as an attentive mother who loved to figure things out and who enjoyed eating the flowers and the cloves from their garden.

You can take a look at the fascinating video of Eva and her human friends below. Incredible, isn’t it?

After nearly 110 years, the US Navy welcomes first black female tactical jet pilot

By
Monica Pop
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Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle is a young African American woman who has made history earlier this year when she became the first black female tactical aircraft pilot in the US Navy.

After completing her tactical air training programme, Swegle got her Wings of Gold in July 2020 and can now fly fighter jets such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter or the EA-18G Growler, according to the Navy Times.

The Chief of Naval Air Training took to Facebook to congratulate Swegle for becoming part of the U.S. Navy as the first black female pilot after 110 years. “BZ to Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle on completing the Tactical Air (Strike) aviator syllabus,” he wrote. BZ stands for Bravo Zulu, which means “well done.”

Except for the members of the Navy, congratulations for Swegle were in order from a lot of other people among which Sen. Elizabeth Warren and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

Swegle got on the list of women who made a change and were pioneers many are proud of, like Rosemary Mariner, who became the first woman in the Navy to fly a tactical jet in 1974, and Brenda Robinson, who was the first African American woman to earn her wings of gold and become a Navy flight instructor, evaluator and VIP transport pilot, during the 1980s.

Throughout the years, the U.S. Navy has often been criticized for the little number of black pilots. That led for them to create a special task force called “Task Force One Navy” which addresses issues of “racism, sexism and other destructive biases and their impact on naval readiness.”

We are glad Swegle’s wish of becoming a tactical jet pilot came true and we wish her a successful career.

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