Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. They have a distinctive looks, black-and-white coloration, large dorsal fin and a sleek, streamlined body, and their intelligence makes them incredible predators. Orcas are capable of killing sea lions and great white sharks, but this time, a sweet otter was about to end up in one of these orca’s stomach if it wasn’t for a boat that was floating in the middle of the game of “cat and mouse.”
The encounter of life and death took place in Halibut Cove, Alaska, while John Dornellas was enjoying the day on his boat. He then witnessed the incredible incident of the killer whale trying to catch the otter who jumped on the boat in order to save its life.
Dornellas couldn’t believe what he was seeing. While the scared animal clung to the transom of the boat, the predator swam around unwilling to let go of the prey.
John Dornellas
Once the video was shared online, it caught the attention of many. Speaking of the experience with T&T Creative Media, Dornellas said, “A game of cat-and-mouse followed, with the otter hopping back into the water in an attempt to get away, only for the orca to chase it back up again three or four times.”
John Dornellas
Dornellas decided not to move his boat in fear of hurting either of the animals. Captain Chantrelle Major, who was on the boat next to Dornellas’ filmed the whole thing as well.
They both agree this is something we don’t get to see every day. Isn’t nature amazing all by itself?
Dornellas explained that after the orca swam away, he started up his boat. The otter jumped off when it felt the danger was no longer near.
This video is definitely something you don’t want to miss. Check it out below.
Nothing really compares with the pain of losing a child, and in those moments of unspeakable distress, the last thing grieving mothers should hear is how everything is going to be fine, because it never is, and the sorrow doesn’t go away even after so much time.
Rachel Whalen gave birth to a stillborn baby, and that’s when her world collapsed. But this brave mother gathered courage to speak up about the most sensitive topic we all tend to avoid.
She says how she managed to go through her ordeal with the help of the nurses from the hospital where she delivered her baby. These caring and compassionate women provided Rachel with hope during the rough times she was trying to endure.
Facebook/An Unexpected Family Outing
Simply saying “I am sorry for you loss” is never enough.
What truly helps grieving parents in moments like this are the constant care and support. What nurses did for Rachel was exactly that, all the little things they did added up to more than the sum of its parts. She was thankful for their support and wanted them to know how much she appreciated what they did for her, so she wrote a letter on her Facebook page saying:
“To the nurses, Thank you for saving me. Your skills and your knowledge saved me from following my daughter into death, but it was your compassion that guided me back towards life. The humanity you demonstrated is what brought me back into life; you made it possible to think about living after death. For this, I owe you my love and deepest gratitude. Thank you to the nurses who always made sure my husband had enough pillows when he had to stay in my hospital room. And thank you to the nurses who let him sneak popsicles from the freezer. You recognized that this was an experience for him and that he also needed your care.”
Rachel wants to highlight that although doctors are those who help keep patients physically alive, the nurses have even more important job, that of keeping the patient’s spirit up, and not letting them fall into depression. In situations like Rachel’s, nurses are also aware that the father is experiencing the same pain.
Facebook/An Unexpected Family Outing
The nurses at the hospital were her guides and escorts, literally taking her to to exactly where she needed to be so that her own life could be saved.
“Thank you to the nurse who came with me when they rushed me to the ICU from Labor & Delivery. Thank you for being my advocate when I couldn’t speak up because I was too busy fighting for my life. I’m not sure I would have lived to see my daughter if you hadn’t been there. Thank you to the nurse who taught me how to fill my bra with ice packs when I needed to suppress my milk after my daughter was stillborn. I also want to thank you for holding me as I wept at the burden I could not release. Your embrace did nothing to lighten the heaviness in my breasts, but you brought a glimmer of light into my very dark world. Thank you to the nurse in the ICU who came in to clean me up after my daughter died. Thank you for taking the time to help me wash my face and brush my hair. I can still sense how it felt to have you smooth my hair back into a ponytail, it was a touch that wasn’t a poke or a prod. It was a gesture.”
In the time when you feel like your whole world turns upside down, the nurses make sure you move on. Their kind gestures and their courage to speak to a mother about her deceased child and even calling it by name means they acknowledge that the little soul is never dead in the heart of the parents.
“Thank you to the nurse who crouched by my bedside and asked me about Dorothy. Thank you for knowing how important it was for her to be real even though she was gone. I will never forget the way you leaned in, just like we were friends, and asked: ‘Do you want to tell me about her?’ Thank you to the nurse who dressed my baby and took her picture. Thank you for making sure her hat didn’t cover her eyes and that her hands were positioned so gracefully. That picture means the world to us. Thank you to the nurses who took the time to read my chart before shift change. I want to thank you for learning our names and learning the name of our daughter before you walked into my room. It meant so much to hear our names spoken together. It made us feel like a family.”
The only thing that can help mothers like Rachel during their darkest hour is the admission and the acceptance that what they are going through is real and allowing them to take the time to grieve.
Facebook/An Unexpected Family Outing
“Thank you to the nurse who slipped quietly into my room on my first night without Dorothy so that you could hold my hand. Thank you for whispering to me your story about your own child who was born still. Thank you for being the first person to lead me out of the isolation one feels after losing a child. Your presence felt too good to be true. I’m still not convinced I didn’t dream you up just, so I could make it through that first lonely night. Finally, I want to thank the nurses who saw me through my pregnancy with Dorothy’s little sister. Even after Frances came into the world, you never forgot that someone came before her. You knew that the birth of Frances did not make me a first-time mother. It made me a mother of two.”
Rachel signed the letter, “Gratefully, The One You Brought Back.”
Please share this story with your family and friends to help them learn how to treat bereaved parents.
We often speak of the importance of family in the life of a person, but let’s take a second and ask ourselves, what family really is? Is it the people we are related by blood, or the people we can rely on when we feel down and feel like our world is collapsing? I would say the latter, and the story of Brooke O’Briant says the same.
Brooke shared a story with Love What Matters and spoke how she stepped in for the role of a daughter for an elderly man named Mr. Nathaniel Hudson. Namely, Brooke does the marketing at North River Village Assisted Living and on 21st of December 2018 she was asked to go and pick Mr. Hudson up and bring him to the facility so that he could check it out. There, she noticed how tiny this man’s apartment was and something told her that she should never leave this elderly’s side.
The day at the facility was a fun one. Mr. Hudson saw his potential new home and the two even attended a Christmas party where they danced together.
But in next couple of days, Mr. Hudson’s health deteriorated and he was admitted at the hospital where he stayed for a while. Then, on April 5, 2019, Mr. Hudson finally arrived at the facility where Brooke worked.
“I felt so good knowing he was in a safe, clean place with three meals a day, nurses making sure he took his medications, and new friendships to lift his spirits. Over the following 12 months, Mr. Hudson and I became close buddies. He didn’t have any family in the picture, so I gladly stepped up to be a daughter to him.”
Brooke helped Mr. Hudson with a lot of things such as his mail, his errands, doctor’s appointments, dry cleaning bills, and a lot more. She said that this man became a part of her family.
“He went to church with my family and was around my kiddos many times. He proudly told everyone he saw at church that day that I was his daughter. It melted my heart. I was so proud to hold onto his arm throughout worship and the sermon. He danced at his seat that day and everyone around him enjoyed it.”
Unfortunately, at the beginning of 2020, Mr. Hudson started feeling very ill and was soon diagnosed with cancer. That broke Brooke’s heart who loved him as his father. Mr. Hudson loved her back and he didn’t want to make any decisions without her.
“During a hospital stay the staff started asking him questions about nursing homes and end of life care and he said, ‘I’m not making any decisions without Brooke.’ In another nurse’s note, he said, ‘Brooke is my everything.’ Since Mr. Hudson had officially discharged from the facility and was going to a nursing home, he made me his power of attorney. I was honored and humbled to represent him.”
In April, Mr. Hudson passed away, but he left this world knowing he was loved and cared for. Brooke was happy she made a change in the elderly man’s life.
Police Officer Dena Walker Pauly from Lawrenceville is the kind of person who helps make this world a better place. She doesn’t do her job for the sake of getting paid, but always goes above and beyond for all the people in need she meets on a daily basis.
One day, this officer got a call from a local pawn shop about a man they didn’t know how to assist. Little did the officer know that the man she was about to help will change her life forever.
Source: Instagram/Kojach
“The truth is that this woman is a police officer and she met Bob only two years ago while she was on duty. Lawrenceville Police Officer Dena Walker Pauly’s life was changed forever when she was dispatched to a local pawn shop, where staff were unsure how to help him,” Georgia Law Enforcement wrote on their Facebook page, sharing the touching story.
When Officer Pauly met Bob who had spent most of his life on the streets, she knew she had to be there for him, not only at that moment, but in the days and the years to come as well.
Bob suffered two strokes and had troubles performing everyday tasks. That broke Officer Pauly’s heart. Was she the only person who was there for Bob? Sadly, the answer was a yes, so she could never walk away from him.
“She may have been dispatched that day by police radio, but we have no doubt she was really sent by God,” the department wrote of the serendipitous encounter.
Source: Facebook/Dena Walker Pauly
Officer Pauly took the time to teach Bob, who was left non-verbal because of his poor health, how to eat again. She also made sure she cleaned his tiny apartment regularly.
When Bob suffered another stoke, Officer Pauly made the hard decision to begin hospice care for him. She held his hand during the last days of his life and repeatedly said how she loved him, and it was probably the first time that this man heard these words in his life.
“This photo depicts the true nature of law enforcement officers. We are drawn to this profession because we care so deeply that it hurts sometimes. We see the worst, but sometimes we also get to see the best. And we have opportunities to truly make a difference for people. Like Bob.”
The department felt the need to tell the community and the whole country of how loving and caring this officer is. They felt that she deserved to be praised for all the love and dedication she had given to a complete stranger she met around two years ago. “Officer Pauly, your dedication and commitment to your oath of office, and fellow man, embodies what it means to be a Police Officer. Stories like this happen every day, but because they don’t fit a certain narrative, no one hears about it.”
Sadly, a couple of days after the touching photos were taken and shared online, Bob left this world.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we have to report that Bob passed away earlier today. While the end of one’s life is always sad, it is the love and compassion that he received from Officer Pauly that gives us a smile knowing he is now in a much better place!”
Officer Pauly was glad people posted so many positive comments on the social media and praised her for what she did for Bob. “Thank you all for the kind words during this difficult time. Thank you for praying for us. I spent a couple of hours with him today, singing and talking to him. He has started his journey Home and I am so excited for him!!! My friend is about to experience a happiness like never before,” she wrote.
She even left flowers in memory of Bob at the corner of the street that he loved the most.
Local funeral home offered to take care of Bob’s funeral and many people were there to say the last goodbye. Bob spent most of his life as a lonely man, but at least he got to experience love and care during the last two years of his life, and for that, we are forever grateful to Officer Pauly.
No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, each act of kindness goes a long way. The story of this kind-hearted young man named Nick Tate is the perfect example of that.
Source: KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4/YouTube
Nick works as a cashier at the local Walmart in Oklahoma and is known as a nice guy who is always ready to help people in need. This time, he stepped in for a foster mom who struggled to pay for her groceries. As the woman approached and handed him her card, it was obvious she was worried because she didn’t know whether she would be able to pay for what was in her cart.
Source: Thereforeimeme/Instagram
Nick took the card, but it was declined. He tried a couple more times, but it didn’t work. As the place was crowded, the line already got long and customers were anxious to get to the register as soon as possible. In order to avoid for the foster mom to leave the store without her groceries, among which was a milk for her young child, Nick said it was okay and paid $60 from his pocket.
Source: Never_not_working247/Instagram
The mom said “I’m sorry” as she couldn’t believe what this young man did for her. She thanked him a thousand times as tears rolled down her face.
Soon, the word of Nick’s good dead spread around and reached to his boss. Nick thought he might be in trouble for helping, but he was wrong. His boss was very glad he showed compassion for a foster mother in need of help.
Source: KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4/YouTube
The community, who loves Nick and agrees he’s an example of everything a man his age should be, decided to nominate him for the local Pay It 4ward Award. A representative for the award appeared at Walmart while Nick was on the job to surprise him with the award. They told Nick that they were very proud of him and gave him $400.
Source: KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4/YouTube
Nick received a loud applause by his coworkers and many of the customers.
Source: KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4/YouTube
What many didn’t know is that Nick also works as a “soccer missionary” and travels to Honduras where he works with disadvantaged kids.
Nick truly is an inspiration. He’s a very special young man who’s doing all in his power to make a change in the world, and we believe he’s on the right track.
Take a look at the video below. No surprise it has over 300 comments praising Nick for what he does.
It’s not unusual for a lost cat or a dog to end up in someone’s yard, but when it comes to wild animals, we don’t get to witness something like that very often. Well, that is why this story of a baby fawn that wandered into a family’s yard is that special.
Source: Brad Herring/YouTube
The Herrings were getting back home from a canoe trip and were looking forward to taking some rest from the busy and the fun day, but just as they got near their home, they spotted a fawn. The little one was probably lost, and the family expected from it to get scared from them and run away, but to their surprise, just the opposite happened.
Source: Brad Herring/YouTube
The baby deer approached Maya, the family’s little daughter. The sight of the two getting so close and Maya petting the baby was an incredible to witness. We are so glad dad caught everything on tape.
Source: Brad Herring/YouTube
Now, after the little ones had some bonding time together, everyone was aware it was about time for them to try and find the baby’s mother. So Maya and her family headed into the woods while the fawn followed. Finally, the baby found a comfortable place.
Source: Brad Herring/YouTube
Maya’s dad, Brad, got back to the fawn to get it some food and water and the family checked on it the following day. It looked like the baby failed to track its mother, but none lost hope.
A couple of days later, the Herrings spotted a family of deer. A mom, a dad, and two fawns. They were certain one of them was Maya’s friend and they were glad the family was reunited.
Source: Brad Herring/YouTube
Brad thought sharing the video of his daughter and the fawn would bring many smiles at many people, and he was completely right. More than 6.8 million people have seen the unique encounter.
You can take a look at it below. It’s no wonder Maya was dubbed “deer whisperer” after this was filmed.
Isn’t it incredible that we sometimes get to witness young and talented movie stars or singers grow up right before our eyes? We get to see their beginning, breakthroughs, ambitions, successes and even failures.
If you are a fan of ice skating, you are very likely to have witnessed the rise of then 7-year-old Gia Kokotakis. Yes, she was that young when she started competing against girls as old as 14.
The incredible video of her performance is from 2009 LA Open Artistic, where Gia got the 3rd place. From then on, she only became better and better, and today, at the age of 18, she’s still competing professionally and is hoping to be part of the 2022 Olympics.
Source: Gia Kokotakis/YouTube
Little Gia’s performance started as soon as the melody of the song ‘You Raise Me Up’ filled the place. She confidently stood on one leg while keeping her head and her arms high. Needless to say, she resembled a true professional.
Source: Gia Kokotakis/YouTube
Spectators had a hard time believing such a young lady could show so much gracefulness as they saw her twisting and gliding around the ring.
With the chorus of the song, Gia showed a bold move; she leaped into the air, spanned, and then touched the floor in a perfect manner. It was obvious she put a lot of time and effort into this performance because every move was done flawlessly.
Source: Gia Kokotakis/YouTube
As the song came to an end, this talented girl slid forward with one knee on the ground and finished her performance. The crowd couldn’t stop cheering. Gia stole their hearts and took their breath away. It was enough evidence for her that she did everything right. That, and the fact that the video has since been seen more than 5 million times.
Source: Gia Kokotakis/YouTube
Gia continued skating. The year after her memorable performance, she took part in the La Jolla Open Preliminary Freeskate Competition, skating on the music of the soundtrack from the movie The Mask of Zorro. With this performance, Gia showed that she improved her moves even further. Although she was just eight years old, her name sounded familiar to those who were into ice skating.
This performance was worth the first place and the judges saw that.
Source: Gia Kokotakis/YouTube
Today, Gia is 18 years old and she still competes professionally. We honestly hope she will fulfill all her dreams, including the one about taking part in the Olympics. She skates with such passion, which not only didn’t fade away over the years but grew stronger, that she deserves only the best in the years to come.
Below is the video of her first professional competition. Don’t forget to share it with yur friends if you loved it as much as we did.
A man who decided to take a trip into the deep forest of Ontario was left stunned by the amazing thing he experienced. He decided to take a rest and enjoy the mesmerizing nature around him. The tall trees, the fresh air, and the vivid green color of the grass make this place a true Heaven on Earth. Besides random humans who visit this place in hopes of finding their peace and tranquility away from the busy and crowded cities, it’s also a home of many animals. If you are lucky, they may even come out from their shelter and treat you with their presence.
YouTube
That’s exactly what this man stumbled upon. He found himself in a middle of a fairytale-like scene surrounded by a gorgeous deer family. Him taking a loud bite of the apple he carried with him and munching on it was enough for the lovely creatures to appear and satisfy their curiosity of who could it be to visit their home. The most unusual thing was that the mother let her fawns approach the man. He was overjoyed to see the lovely family so close to him but had to hide his excitement and avoid any sudden movements that could frighten the animals.
He quickly tossed them pieces of his food which they were happy to try. Deer are not afraid of humans because in this forest they are protected by law and are used to having guests around occasionally.
YouTube
This might be one of the most remarkable footage of human-animal interactions we’ve ever seen. It’s pure magic how the deer family got so close to the man who had his camera rolling and managed to catch the breathtaking encounter on tape.
If you ever have the chance to visit this forest just grab it, because it’s a once in a life time opportunity to share your lunch with magnificent creatures like deer.
