Boy who inherited rare skin condition from his mom lands modeling contract

By
Monica Pop
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Samuel Silva from Bahia, Brazil, is just seven years old and he’s already made a name for himself as one of the best child models. Ever since he was noticed by a modeling agency, he appeared on a number of prominent fashion shows throughout the world, including Toronto Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and London Kids Fashion Week, as well as many fashion publications.

So what makes this young boy so special? Well, Samuel was born with a condition known as Piebaldism characterized by the absence of cells called melanocytes in certain areas of the skin and hair, which leads to patches of skin and hair to be lighter than normal.

Samuel isn’t the only one in the family born with the condition. His mother, grandmother, and some of his uncles and cousins also have it. It is believed that it affects one in 20,000 people.

Source: Instagram/ shamuelmodel

When his parents realized that his mother passed the condition down to Samuel, they first tried to hide it by keeping his hair extremely short. It was like that because they didn’t want people to stare, but since his mom accepted her looks, she felt that she should also give her confidence regarding dealing with it to her son.

Once Samuel’s Afro hair grew longer, they set up an Instagram account where they posted photos of him. Soon after, it gathered around 30,000 followers, as well as the attention of a modeling agency which offered him a contract back in 2019.

Ever since, he has become very famous.“Nivianei [Samuel’s mother] knew she was different and embraced it with open arms. She wore short skirts and tops whenever she wanted, and always stood her ground against anyone who dared to bully her,” Samuel’s uncle Julio Sanchez-Velo as per the Daily Mail.

“She gained everyone’s respect in the community and would then only receive stares and comments when she left her neighborhood.”

Source: Instagram/ shamuelmodel

Julio also added that the family was never properly diagnosed because doctors believed it wasn’t necessary since everyone was healthy. They simply refer to their white patches as birthmarks.

Because his family taught him to love himself, Samuel describes his markings as “beautiful stains.” He’s not only handsome, but also very confident.

Source: Instagram/ shamuelmodel

“He really loves modeling. He is very artistic and loves to walk on the runway and pose for photographs. He really thrives and you can see it in his face,” uncle Julio told Daily Mail.

“He loves being the center of attention and traveling. He comes from a poor community in Brazil where there are not many opportunities to see the world.

“He has become the face of acceptance and inclusion in the children’s fashion industry, and we hope that other kids who feel different about themselves will see how well Samuel is doing and feel good about their own differences.

“Being different is not something we should hide – we have to embrace it, just like Samuel.”

Source: Instagram/ shamuelmodel

We totally agree with Julio. Differences are what make this world more beautiful.

Students make blankets out of plastic bags for the homeless

By
Monica Pop
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Saving the environment and helping the homeless stay warm during the coldest of days are two awesome causes, and Shelby Tellema, a senior at the Lakewood High School in Colorado, is fighting for both by doing something she loves and which makes her happy.

After watching a news report about a group of women creating blankets out of used plastic bags, she decided to try and make one herself. She found it enjoyable and was satisfied with the final result, especially because she knew she was helping with the plastic that could otherwise end on the streets, and at the same time, she could offer the blankets to the homeless people in need.

Source: YouTube/JPS-TV: Jeffco Public Schools – Colorado

After sharing her brilliant idea with students from her school, many decided to join her in creating the comfortable and handmade blankets. They even got in touch with an organization which makes sure those durable blankets end up in the right hands.

Source: YouTube/JPS-TV: Jeffco Public Schools – Colorado

Speaking of her creations, Shelby explained that more than 100 billion plastic bags are used every year, and while certain percentage gets recycled, a lot of plastic ends up in the oceans, endangering the water life.

“You take recycled plastic grocery bags or just any plastic bags and you cut them into strips, and you tie those strips together and that makes this thing called plarn, plastic bag yarn,” she said of the process of creation.

Source: YouTube/JPS-TV: Jeffco Public Schools – Colorado

Shelby and her friends have their hands full, but they love what they are doing because they know they are making a change.

For more on the story go to the video below.

Woman checks shelter adoption site and finds her dog who ran away some two years ago

By
Monica Pop
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Dogs are family, and once we welcome them in, there is no letting go.

A woman named Aisha Nieves, from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, had a pitbull-rottweiler mix named Kovu whom she loved unconditionally. One day, however, after a car struck into her house, Kovu got scared and ran away. Aisha noticed her dog was missing when she went home and he wasn’t there to greet her as he always did.

Needless to say, she was looking for him everywhere, but sadly, Kovu was nowhere to be seen.

Some weeks later, Aisha learned that her fur baby was found by the Lehigh County Humane Society. Unfortunately, since they had no idea who the dog belonged to, they put him up for adoption and one family took him in.

Aisha was heartbroken. She couldn’t stop thinking about Kovu, but it looked like there was nothing she could do to take him back.

Earlier this year, some two years after Kovu ran away, Aisha was scrolling the Humane Society’s adoption page when she stumbled upon a familiar face.

A dog that resembled Kovu caught her attention. Along with the photo, the name Ash was listed, but she knew it was Kovu. The only question was how did the poor animal end up at a shelter again. Aisha called the organization and she was told that the family which adopted Kovu surrendered him in because they were facing eviction and couldn’t take care of him any longer.

Of course, Aisha immediately visited the shelter but she was feeling nervous because she didn’t know if Kovu would remember her or not. Speaking to WFMZ, she said: “I was sweating. My hands started shaking. I was scared he wouldn’t remember me because it had been so long. I sat there, waiting for them to bring him out.”

The moment the two reunited was definitely one of the most heartwarming we have ever witnessed.

“He was screaming, trying to get away from the guy holding him and run to me,” Aisha said. “Then, he just jumped on me and we started kissing and hugging.”

“I told him, ‘Yeah, buddy, you’re going home. I’m so sorry this happened. Never again am I losing you.’”

Kovu is now home and he’s happier than ever.

Below is the video of the reunion. Make sure you grab some tissues before watching it.

Walmart employee helps elderly man find the perfect shoes

By
Monica Pop
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How we treat the elderly and those in need of help speaks a lot of the kind of people we are, and judging from her incredibly heart-melting and selfless act, one Walmart worker could easily get the employee of the year award for going above and beyond for her customers.

This story was shared by a person who witnessed the employee helping an elderly man finding the perfect shoes. Namely, the man had troubles walking and was using a wheelchair cart so the woman picked a few pairs of shoes for him and then sat on the floor and helped him try on each pair until they found the perfect fit.

Source: Facebook/Mandy Sue Prince

The person who witnessed the employee’s kindness thanked her for going an extra mile and asked if she could take a picture and share it online.

“My hands go up to this kind lady!! It just goes to show some people do still have love and compassion in their hearts!” she wrote along with the touching photo. “If you recognize this kind soul please feel free to tag her she deserves to be recognized!”

Small but meaningful acts like this one are what make this world a better place.

For more stories that tug at the heartstrings please check out the video below.

How the janitor working at an elementary school became the principal

By
Monica Pop
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If you never stop pursuing your dreams, they eventually become reality, because the truth is that hard work and a little faith in yourself always pays off.

Gabe Sonnier, the principal at Port Barre Elementary in Port Barre, La., has quite a life story to share. Believe it or not, this man has been working at the school for around 30 years, but his first job position there was that of a janitor.

Source: CBS NEWS

So, what made him pursue a career in teaching? Well, according to Sonnier, back in 1985, then-Principal Westley Jones pulled him aside one day and told him that he sees something in him. Speaking to CBS News, Sonnier recalled that the exact words were: “‘I’d rather see you grading papers than picking them up.”

It was the first time that someone believed in Sonnier’s abilities, so that made him attend the university of Louisiana. After cleaning the classrooms, Sonnier would spend a lot of time studying in them. As a result, he earned a teaching degree, and the Master’s of Science and Education came shortly after.

Source: Michael Murphee

After working as a teacher for six years, Sonnier was promoted to the principal of the elementary school.

He loves his job very much and is happy to be there for the students. He uses his life story to remind them that they should never give up on their dreams.

For more inspiring life stories go to the video below.

Journalist sent to cover a missing child story spots the toddler deep in the forest

By
Monica Pop
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A story of a missing child got its happy ending after a journalist who was sent to cover the story heard the toddler cry “mamma.”

21-month-old Nicola Tanturli went missing from his home in Florence, Italy and was nowhere to be found. The two-day extensive search involved a huge number of people, more than 1,000, including police, fire, and airplane rescuers.

Journalist Giuseppe Di Tommaso from the RAI state television was supposed to cover the story. He, like everyone else, was hoping for a positive outcome and was extremely worried for the child. As he was walking through the forest where Nicola was suspected to have wandered, Giuseppe heard someone saying “mamma” from a distance.

At first, he wasn’t certain he was hearing right, so he decided to starts yelling “mamma” himself so that he could be sure it was a person speaking back.

“I started to yell, ‘Nicola’, to understand if it could be the child. I heard ‘mamma’,” he said, as reported by Sky News.

“I started to repeat the word ‘mamma’, because children of that age repeat words. When I intuited that it could be Nicola, I went down into the ravine.”

Nicola was on the other side of the ravine, in a hard-to-reach area, so Giuseppe was quick to alert two police officers of his discovery. The officers, however, weren’t convinced the noise could be coming from the missing toddler, but they went down the ravine to check. At that moment, Nicola’s little head pooped out of the grass. It was a moment to remember and a huge relief for the officers and the journalist.

“It was a tremendous joy to bring him back to his mother’s arms,” Commander Ciccarelli who reached Nicola told Sky News.

We are so happy the toddler is finally home with his family.

Man cuts ties with his parents after they secretly DNA tested his newborn baby

By
Monica Pop
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We have heard numerous stories of people having troubled relationship with their in-laws, but what the parents of one Redditor did left many in complete shock. They crossed the line big time and many believe they got what they deserved after their son cut them out of his life.

The Redditor started his story explaining that his mom and dad never liked his wife Sonya whom he met while she was working as a waitress at a restaurant. They were convinced she didn’t love their son and was after him for the money and for a permanent stay in the country. They didn’t even give him their blessings when he told them he was getting married.

Despite all that, his wife invited them over to see their grandson just two days after she gave birth. “My kindhearted wife didn’t think twice to welcome my parents into our lives,” the Reddit user said. “She let them meet our baby two days after being discharged from the hospital.”

They seemed happy to be spending time with the little guy, but one day, the person sharing the story heard his mom speaking to the baby and saying: “Aren’t you the cutest baby ever? I am so glad to confirm you are indeed my grandson.”

These words raised red flag, and soon after, the man learned that his mom and dad did a DNA test because they wanted to make sure the baby was indeed their biological grandson.

Source: AFP via Getty Images

“I was speechless for a moment, and before I blew up from anger,” the man wrote, “I told dad to give me my son and they better leave before I lose whatever respect I had left for them. 

“My mom was very apologetic and said it’s because they don’t trust my wife and that our son looks nothing like me.”

It wasn’t until two weeks later that he told his wife what his parents did. “She started crying and it broke my heart”, he wrote, especially because she has always been nice to them despite they never approved of their son’s relationship and marriage with her.

Further, the man’s post read: “When mom called to ask when they can visit again, I told them they are no longer welcome in our son’s life. Mom called my dad and I told him the same thing. He was livid, he called me ungrateful and cruel.

“He also said a few choice words about my wife which angered me more. I didn’t even hear the rest because I just hung up.”

As we all expected, the Redditors stood by the man’s side and said he had all the right to show his parents their place and cut ties with them.

“This right here, I don’t even know why it’s up for debate,” one person wrote. “Literally a no brainer. Like who they f**k are they to go behind your back and do that and still have the fkn audacity to bad mouth OP’s wife. I’m so mad and I don’t even know these people!”

What do you think of this?

Border agents discover 2-year-old girl and a 3-month-old boy abandoned along a riverbank

By
Monica Pop
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I can’t even imagine what some parents are going through when they decide to leave their children behind. No one knows the exact reasons behind such actions, and I don’t think there is a justification for giving up a child, but who are we to judge.

A couple of days ago, U.S. Border Patrol agents stumbled upon the most unusual sight. Along a riverbank, they spotted two children, alone and unsupervised. The girl was around two years old, and the baby in the carrier was only 3 months old. Under the carrier there was a note saying that the kids were from Honduras and that they were siblings.

“At approximately noon, Border Patrol Riverine agents assigned to the Eagle Pass South Station were performing boat operations when they noticed an unusual color on the riverbank,” the Border Patrol said in a statement . “As agents investigated the item, they discovered two small children abandoned.

“A note under the infant safety carrier revealed the 2-year-old girl and 3-month-old boy, both nationals of Honduras, were siblings.”

No one really knows how much time have passed since they were abandoned until they were finally spotted. Luckily, neither of them needed medical help. They were both in good heath.

“A thorough search of the area was conducted, and no additional individuals were encountered,” the statement by the Border Patrol further said.

Right after they were rescued, the children were taken to Uvalde, Texas, for processing, as reported by the Washington Examiner.

We truly hope the siblings will be able to find a loving home and that they will be given the chance to be raised together.

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