Man posts the 10 most important things he learned since losing his son

By
Monica Pop
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Richard Pringle’s three-year-old boy was “soft, gentle, caring and so lovable” that he could turn even the dullest things into fun and magical experiences his father will remember forever. Those three years Richard got to spend with his beautiful boy are the best three years of his life. 

Sadly, the boy died suddenly on August 18, 2016 and left deep sorrow in his father’s heart. 

According to Mirror Online, Hughie had a brain condition but led a completely normal life up until that fateful day when he suffered from brain hemorrhage and unfortunately, nothing could be done. 

Source: Richard Pringle

 

This bereaved parent from Hastings, East Sussex took a year for himself and tried to come to terms with the tragedy that struck his life after which he shared with the world what it really felt like to experience a loss of a child.

He shared his deepest feelings on the social media with the sole purpose to warn parents to never take the time they get to spend with their kids for granted.  

Source: Richard Pringle

 

Below are the 10 lessons Richard learned after losing his son – in his words. This is so touching. 

“1. You can never ever kiss and love too much.

“2. You always have time. Stop what you’re doing and play, even if it’s just for minute. Nothing’s that important that it can’t wait.

“3. Take as many photos and record as many videos as humanly possible. One day that might be all you have.

“4. Don’t spend money; spend time. You think what you spend matters? It doesn’t. What you do matters. Jump in puddles; go for walks. Swim in the sea, build a camp, and have fun. That’s all they want. I can’t remember what we bought Hughie; I can only remember what we did.

“5. Sing. Sing songs together. My happiest memories are of Hughie sitting on my shoulders or sitting next to me in the car singing our favourite songs. Memories are created in music.

Facebook/Richard Pringle

 

“6. Cherish the simplest of things. Night times, bedtimes, reading stories. Dinners together. Lazy Sundays. Cherish the simplest of times. They are what I miss the most. Don’t let those special times pass you by unnoticed.

“7. Always kiss those you love goodbye and if you forget. Go back and kiss them. You never know if it’s the last time you’ll get the chance.

“8. Make boring things fun. Shopping trips, car journeys, walking to the shops. Be silly, tell jokes, laugh, smile, and enjoy yourselves. They’re only chores if you treat them like that. Life is too short not to have fun.

“9. Keep a journal. Write down everything your little ones do that lights up your world. The funny things they say, the cute things they do. We only started doing this after we lost Hughie. We wanted to remember everything. Now we do it for Hettie, and we will for Hennie too. You’ll have these memories written down forever and when you’re older, you can look back and cherish every moment.

“10. If you have your children with you. To kiss goodnight. To have breakfast with. To walk to school. To take to university. To watch get married. You are blessed. Never ever forget that.”

His gut-wrenching post on Facebook went viral.

These deep words and feelings touched the hearts of millions of people who got to read them. Many shared similar stories and expressed how they understand what he is talking about, whereas others believe Richard should publish a book that will help parents learn how lucky they are to have their children by their side. 

Source: Twitter/Jake Humphrey

 

Don’t ever forget to put your children first. They are our most precious gift from God.

Mom goes to preschool to find baby has been bitten – camera reveals truth

By
Monica Pop
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Preschools are appalling option for many families. These facilities not only provide the children with daycare, but follow nicely designed programs for early learning that expose the little ones to letters, numbers, and shapes from an early age. Another positive aspect of attending a preschool is that the child will learn how to socialize with their peers, as well as to share and to contribute. However, one issue that these institutions are facing with is the lack of staff, and although parents have complete confidence in their kids’ teachers, it may happen that they have a lot on their plate for one day and miss when some of the kids gets into trouble. Tracy Blinov, a mother from Montana, USA left her 7-month-old baby Eliana at the Busy Hands Preschool. This incident happened around 2 years ago, but she remembers it as though it happened yesterday. As soon as she dropped her baby, she got a call from her teachers to come back because her daughter had been bitten on the face. Tracy rushed back and was shocked by the sight. This mother is perfectly aware that little children may still not be aware of what’s acceptable behavior and what’s not, but she also believes that both the parents and the teachers should spend a quality amount of time shaping youngsters’ minds and trying to teach them to distinguish good from bad. The problem here was that Eliana wasn’t bitten once, but multiple times. And Tracy wondered how could the teachers let that happen. The surveillance footage clearly showed that the staff intervened only after she was all bitten. They say, however, that they stepped in immediately after they heard the girl screaming.

Previous incident

It wasn’t a first time for the child guilty of the attack to do this. She was expelled from another preschool all for the same reasons.
“This toddler that came in was a new customer and she neglected to tell us that the child was a biter and neglected to tell us that the week before she had been kicked out of Little Griz for biting a child,” said the owner, to ABC Fox Montana.“If that would have been told to us, we could have said ‘No, we can’t take her.’”
Eliana was treated with antibiotics, but this incident didn’t affect her energetic mood.

Tracy opens up on the incident:

“She’s in much better spirits today. I’m happy to say the bruising and swelling is coming down a little, it’s amazing how resilient babies are. So blown away by the support from everybody. ABC Fox Montana and KPAX will both be featuring stories on our sweet girl.”
The staff of the preschool were really sorry for the incident and assured the parents that they’ll do everything in their power to hire more teachers and have one adult responsible only for two students. Every parent leaves their precious children under the wings of the teachers every day for eight hours, and they expect the employees to take good care of them. Incidents like this one may affect the children deeply so that they refuse to get back to the kindergarten ever again. This one speaks for the much-needed funds the state should provide for the daycare and kindergartens so that they can hire more teachers. As for Eliana, we are glad she got back to the preschool and continued being friendly with everyone.

This is the scientist close to finding cure for Multiple Sclerosis which could help more than 2.3 million patients

By
Monica Pop
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Living with multiple sclerosis requires determination and strength, as well as courage to accept that you are battling against a debilitating illness. This lifelong condition affecting the nervous system is followed by many symptoms that vary from one individual to the other. It’s not terminal, nor contagious or inherited. In fact, the cause remains unknown. 

Some of the signs of MS are fatigue, double vision, blindness, psychological issues, dizziness, poor balance, speech difficulties, emotional and memory problems. 

Although there is no cure, the medicine is advancing every day and these people are hoping to ease their everyday. We bring you a story that gives hope to people facing MS. 

Source: Wikipedia, Marvin 101

 

However, that may soon be a thing of the past as scientist Dr. Su Metcalfe is on the verge of a medical breakthrough.

With over 2.3 million people infected with the disease around the world, a cure for MS would be a medical wonder. Dr. Metcalfe thinks that the attack on the nerve cells can be halted thanks to a new medical development that has been made at her company LIFNano.

“Some people get progressive MS, so go straight to the severe form of the disease, but the majority have a relapsing or remitting version,” Dr. Metcalfe said to Cambridge News.

“It can start from the age of 30, and there’s no cure, so all you can do is suppress the immune response, but the drugs that do that have side effects, and you can’t repair the brain. The cost of those drugs is very high, and in the UK there are a lot of people who don’t get treated at all.”

Source: Cambridge Neuroscience

Dr. Metcalfe uses the stem cell particle LIF that is a part of the immune cell, and this specific stem cell particle is able to control and confine the attack on your body.

“I was looking to see what controls the immune response and stops it auto-attacking us,” she explains.

“I discovered a small binary switch, controlled by a LIF, which regulates inside the immune cell itself. LIF is able to control the cell to ensure it doesn’t attack your own body but then releases the attack when needed.

“That LIF, in addition to regulating and protecting us against attack, also plays a major role in keeping the brain and spinal cord healthy. In fact it plays a major role in tissue repair generally, turning on stem cells that are naturally occurring in the body, making it a natural regenerative medicine, but also plays a big part in repairing the brain when it’s been damaged.

“So I thought, this is fantastic. We can treat auto-immune disease, and we’ve got something to treat MS, which attacks both the brain and the spinal cord. So you have a double whammy that can stop and reverse the auto-immunity, and also repair the damage caused in the brain.”

Source: Cambridge News

Of course, further research needs to be done but Dr. Metcalfe’s medical breakthrough does sound very promising and finally provides hope for a permanent cure. A date for a potential cure has been set at 2020, although that date might be a bit overzealous. Nonetheless, a cure in 2020 could be possible if tests are positive and enough research can be done.

“The 2020 date is ambitious, but with the funding we’ve got and the funding we’re hoping to raise, it should be possible,” she says.

Dr. Metcalfe and her company are already looking to take down other severe diseases as well.

“Psoriasis is high up on our list, and diabetes is another. Downstream there are all the dementias because a LIF is a major health factor for the brain. So if we can get it into the brain we can start protecting against dementia.”

Stop wasting time and water cooking pasta in saucepan

By
Monica Pop
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Is there anything more appealing than having a bowl of Italian pasta with some flavoring of fresh tomatoes after a long day at work? I guess not. Plus the kids are going crazy over this dish which is definitely one of their favorite.

The only negative thing about pasta is that it takes ages to be prepared.

While cooking, spaghetti and noodles stick together and it may ruin the taste. The reason why this happens is apparently hidden behind the “wrong” recipe.

Luckily, we’ve stumbled upon the best pasta making video that changed the way we cook it. If you too waited for too long for the water to boil before you put the pasta in, now you can have equally delicious base for your meal by completely avoiding that part of the recipe. 

Saves water, time and energy

You ask me how? Just get rid of the saucepan and get yourself a frying pan. No boiling water, and no waiting. Sounds nice, right? 

Simply put the pasta into cold water that will prevent it from sticking and you are left with a small amount of pasta water you can use to prepare the sauce. 

For the complete procedure take a look at the video below. This is definitely something I am trying right away!

Army veteran kicked out of a restaurant for bringing his service dog in

By
Monica Pop
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Being in the army and being deployed can affect the life of the military men and women. It’s not unusual for them to experience difficulties getting used to their old life and be around their old friends. Sometimes they need the help and the support of their closest relatives to overcome the situation they have found themselves in.

Major Diggs Brown served the Army for 30 years. His career in the military includes a tour in Afghanistan that left him with a post-traumatic stress disorder. This man now spends his days in the company of his service dog Arthur, his most loyal companion that never leaves his friend’s side. 

“He does a lot of things. He wakes me up from nightmares when I have them. When I have anxiety attacks, he calms me down. He saved my life and I’m even off the drugs.”

Source: via CBS Chicago

Service dogs are allowed to accompany their owners whenever they go, including restaurants and other places. This right is guaranteed by law and the owners of every eatery are required to follow it. 

These dogs, unlike therapy animals, go through rigorous training that helps them learn how to behave in public. 

Sadly, not everyone is aware of this law and many times people accompanied by their service dogs find themselves in awkward and unpleasant situations.

When Major Brown visited Chicago back in 2015, he was asked by the waitress to leave the French bistro called Cochon Volant because the place apparently didn’t accept dogs in.

He tried to explain that Arthur wasn’t a regular dog, but someone he couldn’t function without, but the employee insisted that he leave and take his dog with him.

As Major Brown said later, he isn’t mad at the waitress because she only followed the place policy and wasn’t aware of the law. This situation triggered the question of the quality of training U.S restaurants’ staff are getting. 

Source: Cochon Volant via Facebook

He recalls how he politely asked for his breakfast, and once he we turned down, he said:

“This is my service dog, he can go wherever I go, it’s the law,” Brown told the hostess.

Her reply:

“I don’t care, you need to leave, we don’t have dogs in the restaurant.”

Source: Tap Haps

Brown didn’t get involved in an argument. He simply got out of the place and headed back home to Fort Collins, Colorado.

But, he couldn’t stop thinking of the incident. He really wasn’t mad at the hostess, but he decided to share his story on his Facebook page just for the sake of raising public awareness of the importance of service dogs. 

“When I got home, I posted to my Facebook page, this is what happened to me and it went viral.

Guess this would be a case of ‘No thanks for your service.’”

Soon after, the restaurant owners issued a public apology. 

“The Cochon Volant family is both saddened and disappointed to hear this account of a veteran’s experience.”

Yesterday’s circumstance was not a true representation of our company policy and we have begun immediate internal review of protocol, training of staff and ADA regulations to ensure this will never happen again.”

They even donated to Puppies Behind Bars, the organization that provides training for service dogs, among which Arthur himself. 

Source: Tap Haps

Brown further explained:

“It’s not my intent to destroy a restaurant but it is my intent to make them aware that they have violated a law that not only affects veterans with dogs, but other people with disabilities with service laws and that they need to be aware that it’s discrimination. They’ve stepped up to the plate and they are going to make some changes at the restaurant so I’m happy in my mind that it is resolved.”

Later, he returned to Chicago once again to take part in a walk hosted by the organization No Barriers that works with veterans with disabilities.

However, we don’t know whether he returned to the restaurant again. 

Source: via CBS Chicago

Nine-Year-Old violinist wows with “Despacito” cover

By
Monica Pop
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Young children with remarkable talent for music always blow me away. And I like the fact that most of them, unlike many adults, know how to cope with the stage fright if they even have it.

Karolina Protsenko is a nine-year-old prodigy that plays the violin like no other kid her age that we know of. Her recent performance took our breath away. Moving to the rhythm of the famous “Despacito,” she caught the attention of the passersby of Santa Monica who couldn’t help but stop and enjoy the performance.

YouTube

 

This exceptionally talented and stylish young girl made the onlookers’ day leaving them with a smile on their face.

Happy to be given the chance to witness something this extraordinary, they filled her bucket with money.

And as a real star in the making, she ended her show by treating the crowd with a smile and a bow, holding her instrument under her arm.

YouTube

 

Karolina runs a YouTube channel where she posts videos of her performances that are followed by 100,000 people. 

“I am Karolina Protsenko,” reads the description of her YouTube channel.

“I’ve been playing violin since I was 6 years old. My desire is to bring a little bit of magic and inspiration into the world through my love to violin. Thank you for helping me share the gift of music. I love you.”

She does exactly that. Gives the world a bit of magic through her performances of covers of some of the most popular songs such as Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You.” So she is definitely not a classical musician but is using her instrument to create a violin music blended with pop elements. Needless to say, the final result is a real treat for the ear. If you don’t believe us, you can check her channel and take a look at the number of performances she has shared there. 

Source: BBC

 

This is not the first time, however, for us to come across this newly created genre of music knows as pop violin. 

Many agree how Karolina is a mini version of Stirling. One person says: “Props to her for doing this with Lindsey Stirling moves…amazing!” We’ve heard of Stirling and her unique music after she took the stage of the fifth season of America’s Got Talent. It’s fun how the judges of one of the greatest music talent shows didn’t really see it in her. They made it clear that her music was fine, but it didn’t impress them a great deal. 

”You’re not untalented, but you’re not good enough, I don’t think, to get away with flying through the air and trying to play the violin at the same time,” said judge Piers Morgan.

Source: Trending All Day

Later, Stirling became a world famous YouTube sensation. She created new kind of music and it was enchanting to listen and to watch. 

Her style is distinctive. She manages to blend electronic and classical elements in original music and covers. Her performances are vibrant, and full of energy that is easily transferred to the crowed, so her shows are one-of-a-kind. 

Stirling has around 2 million subscribers and has released five albums. Some of the names she worked with are Pete Hollens and the most famous acapella group Pentatonix. 

Source: Uptown Theatre Napa

 

She’s not mad at the judges for turning her down because it made her more determined to achieve greater things. 

“It hurt so bad because it was kind of true, and I think the truth hurts way more. And they were right. I hadn’t earned or developed the skills to be able to dance, to be thrown around up in the air while playing the violin. It’s really difficult.”

Now, years after she became a very successful star, she got invited to be part of the show once again, the season for the “Champions,” but she politely refused the invitation to get back on the stage of America’s Got Talent. 

“It was really funny because they called me, and I thought maybe they wanted me to be a guest performer or something and I literally, my jaw kind of dropped,” she said. “They were like, ‘We want to invite you back on America’s Got Talent.’ And I was like, ‘Thank you. I don’t mean to be rude, but I would never come back to compete. Like, I’m sorry I do really well on my own now. I tour the world. Thank you, but absolutely not.’ It was a funny moment for me.”

Source: Inspire More

 

As for Karolina, we believe she’ll become a world sensation just like Stirling because she has a spark that shows her confidence and her love of performing.

Her talent is undeniable and people accepted her as a girl that has so much to give in the years to come. One person comments:

“I’d probably drop every single penny in my pocket in the box. It touched my soul!” 

It touched ours as well. She is a unique young lady that is on the right track. 

Everyone ignored homeless man sobbing at Burger King until 1 woman posted a photo of him online

By
Monica Pop
-

 

If you’re worried that your faith in humanity is dwindling down to nothing, fear not! Katy Hurst is a woman with a heart of gold who will teach you why you should never stop believing in the good in people. 

As she was waiting for her food at Independence, MO Burger King, an unusual sight caught her attention. 

A man in his late fifties was sitting there weeping. 

“I pulled around to wait for my order and he was there and he broke down crying,” Hurst told KMBC.

Someone identified the upset man as Pops. 

“I saw him crying, he broke down and I didn’t know who this person was,” Hurst told FOX 43. “I had seen him through the community. He used to have a bike with a cart.”

Source: KMBC Screenshot

 

Pops later told KMBC how he felt like he couldn’t take it anymore. He was tired of everything. Of his sad faith, of the pain he was feeling, of the people who would always choose to ignore his desperate need to be given a helping hand. He said how he was praying for an angel to get him home. 

“I told him there’s a place at the table he set for me, I’m hungry, I’m ready to eat…if there’s room prepared for me, I’d like to come home,” he said.

Hurst was there to change all that. She assured him how his life wasn’t going to end that day. And she kept her promise. 

“I was lonely, I was sad, I kept having one bad time after the next,” he told FOX 43.

Source: YouCaring

 

She welcomed him to her home where he could take the much-needed rest. He was obviously in a bad shape and needed to see a doctor as soon as possible. Hurst understood how he was robbed and beaten, and he suffered severe injures. 

“He said, ‘I have a broken collarbone, I have broken ribs, I’ve been beaten up,’” Hurst told FOX 43. “He needed somebody to step in and help him. That’s what I did.”

This wonderful lady shared Pops’ story with the world and asked kind-hearted people to step in and help as much as they could. 

“Pops needs our help to show him that this world is still full of good people!” the YouCaring donation page reads.

Hurst’s plea inspired people to donate funds, and so far more than $7,500 have been raised. 

Pops was given new clothes and hot meals, but his journey towards his brand new life has just started. He has a long way to go. But with the help of the community and people like Hurst nothing is impossible. 

Source: YouCaring

 

“He was very nice and a soft-spoken gentleman,” said hairstylist Pamela Denson. “He said all he did was pray. The only way he knew how to ask for help was to pray.”

The goal is to raise enough money for Pops to be provided with a place to stay.

“We have to help each other and helping each other helps all of us,” said Hurst.

You can make a donation to help out Pops here.

Denzel Washington shares his feelings about the Christian faith

By
Monica Pop
-

Faith in God has always been an important part of Denzel Washington’s life. This Oscar and Golden Globe awarded winner has spoken up about his religion in attempt to encourage young people not to be ashamed of their love for God.

Denzel was born December 28, 1954, in Mount Vernon, New York. He has known of God since the moment he became aware of the world, as a very young boy. His father, Reverend Denzel Hayes Washington, Sr., served God all his life. His mother, Lynne Washington, was a beauty salon owner.

Denzel had special relation with both his parents. They were all very close as a family. Denzel talks about his relation to his father saying:

“My father, my earthly father, Denzel Washington Sr. was a pastor for the Church of God in Christ for 60 years…

I know he’s smiling in heaven, seeing his son doing the best I can do today, by the grace of God.”

This was the life he knew until he turned 14 when he started hanging out with many different friends who didn’t have positive influence on him.

He was getting involved into fights very often and his relation with God sort of faded away after his parents divorced. Their separation affected the life of young Denzel a great deal.

His performance at school was poor, so his mother knew she had to make a change in her son’s life and try to get him back on track. She decided to place him in the nearby Oakland Military Academy.

This life changing decision brought God closer to Denzel once again. His faith became stronger than ever and that won’t change in the years to come.

According to the St. Louis American, this is what the actor had to say for the moment of enlightenment.

“I had flunked out of college. I had a 1.7 grade point average. I had no future…. I was sitting looking in the mirror and I see a woman behind me sitting under the dryer. Of course, the voice of God always comes from under a dryer.

She said, ‘young man, you are going to travel the world and speak to people.

Now mind you, I was 20 years old, with a 1.7 grade point average and had flunked out of school. She said, ‘you are going to preach.'”

These words came to young Denzel as sort of awakening. He knew he had to choose his next step carefully, so he eventually opted to enroll in Fordham University choosing medicine as his major. In the meantime, he played some baseball and everything seemed fine, but not for long.

Denzel didn’t feel complete. He knew he had to make a change so he took a semester off and pursued other options. In one moment he turned to Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut where he was offered a job position of a Creative Art Director. That seemed like a great idea.

The Camp Sloane website explained how their program helped propel Denzel into the actor he is today:

“The counselors there put on a talent show for the kids. I put together these little poems and rhymes and skits for the kids in my cabin, and we stood up on stage and did our bit. After the show this guy named Miles Joyce came up to me and said, ‘Man, you ever thought about being an actor?'”

That wasn’t something he ever though of doing, but the word “acting” sounded challenging.

Needless to say, getting involved into acting was the best decision he could ever make.

He returned to college but ditched his old studies and studied Arts in Journalism instead.

Quickly after, he found himself in a completely new world. That of Hollywood. He had his break up role in “Carbon Copy” and his career went upwards making him one of the best and most famous world actors.

After that breakout role, Denzel landed spots on Glory, Crimson Tide, The Preacher’s Wife, Malcolm X and The Hurricane, just to name a few!

But Denzel’s biggest film thus far, Training Day, brought him the highest award possible in Hollywood: an Oscar for Best Actor. It was his crowning achievement after nearly two decades in the industry!

Despite his incredible success, he told Charisma News that God never lost faith in him:

“There’s never been a time where God didn’t direct, protect, and correct me…. There may have been times where I was less than faithful to Him, but He had faith in me.”

He believes he owes his success and fame to his faith in God. Both he and his wife Pauletta Pearson are devoted Christians who managed to keep their marriage strong despite the pressure his career had on their relationship.

Denzel told the Huffington Post that couples nowadays don’t seems to share the same drive to make things work:

“We live in a time – and it’s not for me to judge anyone – when people give up too easy.”

In the same Huffington Post article, Pauletta said that marriage isn’t all happiness and roses:

“I live with this man. I see the down part. I see the sad part. I see every part.

He has and knows he has that stability in me as his wife.

That’s gives him strength, regardless of if he misuses it. I can’t dwell on that. But I do know that gives him a great platform to go and fly.”

Their marriage of 33 years is still one of the strongest in Hollywood. The reason why? Denzel says:

“Two phrases. One is “yes, dear” and the other is “honey, you’re right.” Be patient. Be good friends first. And stick together. You gotta work at it. I’ve been married 31 years. It’s not all a honeymoon, it’s not all flowers and roses, but if you’re friends and partners and committed, you’ll be okay.”

A good marriage means never giving up of one another.

“I just think that you have to work at it. Not give up on each other. It’s a commitment. It’s not all the honeymoon, it doesn’t last forever, so you work at it.”

Although fame can come and go, the faith in God and the relationship with the right person are forever.

In addition to his marriage advice, Denzel told Evangelical Focus that there’s one thing you have to keep in mind during the good times and the bad:

“Number one, put God first in everything you do.

Everything that you think you see in me and everything you think I’ve accomplished and everything you think I have… everything I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It’s a gift.”

He shares his life story with the world to inspire those who are struggling with doubt. He adds that although he lost his faith in God at some point in life, God never lost faith in him.

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