The number of millionaires in this world is pretty huge. These people can afford the life they’ve always dreamed of and get to buy luxurious houses, boats, visit places, and a lot more. The good thing is that many of them give a small amount of their fortune to charities and the less fortunate.
Wang Yan is a millionaire from Changchun, China, who made his fortune in the steel industry. And now, he’s using his money to change the lives of thousands of dogs in need of shelter, love, and a fresh start.
It all started when Yan’s beloved dog went missing some years ago. In an attempt to track him down and bring him home, Yan visited every shelter there is. Unfortunately, to no avail.
That is when a friend of his suggested he should check the slaughterhouse where dogs are slaughtered for the meat industry. Yan did exactly that, and although he didn’t find his dog there, he saw something that he could never forget. A huge number of dogs living in terrible conditions waiting to be killed for their meat.
Yan knew he had to do something for those poor souls so he bought the place for $400,000 and turned it into a dog sanctuary. He spends huge amounts of money for food and other supplies, but looking at how happy all the canines are make it all worth it.
“I don’t accept monetary donations, I only hope that kind-hearted people will be able to donate a few supplies to help,” Yan told Metro.
Since 2015, Yan welcomed 2000 more dogs in his sanctuary and helped over 200 find their forever home.
What this man did and is still doing is worth all the praise he’s getting from animal lovers not only from China but all over the world. Thank you for your dedication, Yan, you are a hero.
68-year-old Kathie Lee Gifford is best known as the host of the talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee and the fourth hour of NBC’s Today show she ran for 11 years along Hoda Kotb. This incredibly beautiful woman is no longer part of these shows but has a full plate doing other things she loves and make her happy like writing and acting.
Shutterstock
Five years ago, Gifford’s husband of 29-years, Frank Gifford, passed away and she was truly heartbroken.
In the meantime, she wrote the script for the movie Then Came You, released October 2nd, which is about a widow who is trying to move on and create new memories. During an interview with Daily Pop Gifford spoke of the rumors that she wrote that movie in a single night, which more or less turned to be true and said how the film isn’t an autobiography and doesn’t depict her life but is a nice reminder for those who lost their partners that they should continue living their life.
Youtube/E!News
Last year, Gifford experienced another loss when her very close friend and longtime on-air partner Regis Philbin passed away.
She took to Instagram to honor her colleague and wrote, “There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift,” she wrote. “We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly—a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be.”
In an interview with Today, Gifford said how she and Regis “never had one cross word,” and added, “We had the same sense of humor, and we just took off like a rocket … we just wanted to sit there and have fun together.”
Shutterstock
However, some great things happened in her life as well. After she left the show a few months ago, one of our favorite TV presenters moved to Nashville. Her two kids, whom she had with husband Frank, got married. Her son Cody, 30, married his girlfriend of seven years, Erica, and daughter Cassidy, 27, married her high-school sweetheart Ben.
Their father wasn’t there to see his children creating their own families, but as Gifford said, his spirit could be felt.
In November of last year, Gifford said how she was on a few dates. She was out with friends when someone caught her attention. “I went to hear them, and this sweet guy asked me to dance, and so I said, ‘OK.’ And then he just disappeared into the crowd,” Kathie Lee Gifford recalled. “And then, you know, a couple weeks later, same band — Tim Akers & the Smoking Section — so we danced again. And then we just went out a couple times. It was fun because I hadn’t been on a date in 33 years.”
Shutterstock
Back then, she said she was open to falling in love again. “There’s nothing to talk about,” Gifford said in an interview with USAToday. “If there was, I’d shout from the rooftop like Maria in ‘West Side Story.’ I’d be open to falling in love again. I’d love to. But it hasn’t happened.”
Today, however, she is in a relationship with Randy Cronk, whom she describes as being very “nice, and fun, and healthy.”
Facebook
“I’ve just found somebody that is so much fun to be with,” Kathie Lee Gifford said on Today Show. “He is the smartest person I’ve ever met, and he is funny too.”
As per The Daily Mail, Randy Cronk – originally from Cincinnati, Ohio – is working as an insurance agent. He’s the President and insurance broker at RMC Insurance Group LLC and resides in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Raymond Hall/GC Images
Recently, a photo of Gifford without any make-up on emerged online and everyone agreed that she looks stunningly beautiful. She is definitely aging with grace, and we are so very happy for her.
Most celebrities star small before they become household names adored by millions. Charming Chris O’Donnell is not an exception.
The now 51-year-old actor has always been aware of his good looks so he dreamed of becoming a model during his young years. He tried finding an agent who would represent him, but that didn’t go smoothly until one of his sisters introduced him to an agent she met at a wedding.
After doing some modeling, the Illinois native starred in his first meaningful commercial which made it easier for him to turn to acting. It was a McDonald’s commercial in which he wore a polyester outfit and served Michael Jordan breakfast.
“It was a crazy day because it rained 10 inches that day, so Jordan was six hours late for the shoot. So I was waiting around for six hours in a McDonald’s for Jordan to arrive, and then he came, and it was awesome,” O’Donnell revealed in an interview with NBC.
Shutterstock/Jaguar PS
Before devoting his time to building a career in the film industry, O’Donnell graduated from the Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, in 1988, and later majored in marketing at Boston College.
While at college, he had already stared in some movies but never shared that with his college friends and roommates. However, they learned their friend was a star in the making when Barbra Streisand left a message for him.
As it turned out, O’Donnell was supposed to star in Prince of Tides, but Streisand never called him back.
“It was sophomore year, and I was living with some random people I didn’t know very well, and I hadn’t told anyone I had been making films because I wanted to know everybody without being the guy who made the films,” O’Donnell recalled on Watch What Happens Live.
“So I’m at the library, and I come home, and my roommate goes, ‘Oh hey, D, uh, Barbra Streisand called you,’” O’Donnell added. “I go, ‘Okay man, thanks.’ He goes, ‘What’s up with that?’ And I go, ‘What’d they say?’ ‘She’s calling back tomorrow at 1 o’clock.’ And so the entire hall was waiting to answer the phone.”
JB Lacroix/WireImage
It was in 1992, when young O’Donnell had his breakthrough with the film Scent of a Woman in which he starred alongside one of the biggest names in the industry, Al Pacino.
The film brought Pacino an Oscar while O’Donnell won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
Needless to say, all eyes were on the young actor who enchanted many with his raw talent. It was very obvious that O’Donnell would become a huge name in the business, and so it was.
Shutterstock/ Featureflash Photo Agency
Speaking of the unique experience of sharing the set with Al Pacino, O’Donnell once shared, “It doesn’t get much better than Al. He’s one of the greats of his generation, maybe of all time. To have spent five or six months one on one for the majority of those scenes was incredible.
“And I would, I would just listen. He’s just a creative genius. He could do 15 takes of one scene. Every take was completely different. And at the end of those 15 takes, he knew which ones he liked, specifically.”
The two became close friends and Pacino even gave his young colleague some valuable pieces of advice.
“It was just the most nerve-wracking experience of my life, and being that nervous around Al Pacino for the majority of the film as well,” O’Donnell shared with Big Morning Buzz Live.
“I knew at the time I was doing it that this is going to be the greatest single-acting experience of my life that I’ll ever have.”
“He always told me don’t ever marry an actress,” he recalled. “He said you’ll always be second in their life.”
Well, it looks like O’Donnell listened. In 1997 he married his wife Carolina Fentress with whom he has five children.
The NCIS Los Angeles star is the youngest of seven siblings. His family was Catholic and humble, a trait O’Donnell would keep close to himself his entire life. In fact, it’s his devotion to his wife and children that caught the eye of many magazines back in the day, but instead of praising him for his values, he was dubbed “The Last Boy Scout,” “Mr. Squeaky Clean,” and “The Safe-Sex Symbol of the ’90s.” It went to the extent that the Chicago Tribune claimed that the Batman & Robin star suffered from “some of the worst press in the history of celebrity journalism.”
“They take it as a challenge to unearth some dark secret about me,” O’Donnell said. “It frustrates them that I have this clean-cut image. It’s not normal for an actor to be like this, I guess. But I’m not trying to create an image. I’m just being myself.”
JB Lacroix/WireImage
Speaking of how great of a colleague and a person O’Donnell is, Producer Frank Price told Los Angeles Times in 1995:
“He was just wonderful in a situation that could’ve turned out quite differently.
“Here’s this young actor, a budding American star, who comes into a picture that is cast totally with Europeans. Clearly, he’s getting paid more; he’s the star. That can create resentment. What was terrific about it was how unassuming he is and was, how friendly. He wasn’t doing the star thing. Everyone liked him. He’s thoughtful, considerate, just a very decent guy.”
“He was able to do this in a way that you still cared very much for him,” Price added. “It’s impressive to find a guy with that kind of good grounding and instincts.”
Shutterstock/Jaguar PS
O’Donnell, who has a net worth of $25 million, has starred in whooping 287 episodes of NCIS Los Angeles, and he loves it.
“It’s been amazing,” he shared with ET Online. “It seems like it’s gone by very fast, but I know when I look at my kids how young they were when we started. I still had kids in diapers, and they’re all, you know — some of them are adults now.
“It’s been amazing, but I think that from an acting standpoint, it’s been fantastic because of the development of these characters and the richness to the storylines. You know, it does raise the stakes, and it does lead to more emotion and that sort of thing.
“But purely from a personal life, it’s been unbelievable,” he added. “As an actor, you know… you’re a gypsy. You’re moving around, and you’re living in different parts of the world, and you’re looking for your next job. To have a steady bit of work here while my kids are in their formative years, it’s been a great gift.
“I know I’m very grateful, and I think most of our cast has been as well to have, you know, to park ourselves here for a while and work on this amazing show.”
I am sure there is no person who hasn’t heard of the Irish phenomenon, Riverdance. It’s a mesmerizing theatrical show of traditional Irish music and dance that never fails to take our breath away.
The unique music and the ear catching rhythm make it so appealing that it is seen by millions of people worldwide and is considered one of the most successful dance productions in the world.
The dancers’ moves are almost impossible to recreate because they are quick and precise and give the feeling as though they are floating, not dancing. The choreography is complex, but they do it with ease, and it’s a pleasure to watch.
Now, can you imagine performing this dancing routines on ice? If you think it would be impossible, you are wrong. The U.S national champion figure skater Jason Brown and his coach decided for Jason to skate to “Reel Around The Sun” from the Riverdance show and the decision turned to be one of the best they’ve ever made. The result is incredible.
Once the music could be heard, Jason starts skating and leaping, and everyone is stunned by his elegance while moving. The entire performance is elevated to a whole new level and we are glad we had the chance to see something so unique.
At the end of the performance, Jason receives a standing ovation by the cheering crowd. The act has been seen by nearly 20 million people. Now it’s your turn to watch it and enjoy!
Rajee Narinesingh, one of the best known transgender women in America, has gone through so much in her life. Born in 1967, before the Internet became huge part of our lives, she couldn’t understand why she felt like a woman, and she certainly couldn’t Google it and learn more as people do today.
One thing was certain, she felt like she was trapped in a wrong body.
As years passed by, Rajee started going out and met transgender women at different clubs and that’s when she knew she was one of them.
Youtube/E!Entertainment
She was eager to change the way she looked, but as all those surgeries and fillers cost a fortune, she decided to turn to the black market.
“The last thing I wanted was to look like a man in a dress. I wanted to be a beautiful woman,” Rajee told Daily Mail of her initial steps to transition.
“So I made the choice to get injections done – in our community, it is called pumping.”
Unfortunately, she met a fake doctor who destroyed the lives of many over the years, notorious Oneal Ron Morris, or better known as “toxic tush doctor,” as the media labeled her.
Youtube/E!Entertainment
Rajee received ten injections from 2007 to 2010. Each of the sessions cost her $100, which was way too cheaper compared to what legal clinics offered. Rajee was perfectly aware Morris’ injections weren’t legal, but she though she could get the look she dreamed of for little money, not knowing that her life would turn into a living hell.
“When it finally came to the day, I was more excited than nervous because I was finally going to be the woman I had always wanted to be. There was a room that she had set up where she did a lot of medical procedures. It appeared to be pretty sterile,” Rajee explained of the first time she met Morris.
“It was like an extra bedroom that she had turned into a clinical area, and I would go in and pay the money. I got injections in my face and my hips, and my buttocks, and initially, I was fine. But then the nightmare started.”
Youtube/E!Entertainment
Rajee’s body got deformed at the parts she got injections at. Large lumps formed under her cheeks, lips, and chin. She knew something was very wrong, but she was ashamed and afraid to leave her home, let alone alert the authorities of Morris’ illegal “clinic.”
“I felt like a monster, I really did,” she told Barcroft Media, as quoted by the NY Post. “A sideshow circus clown.”
Eventually, in 2012, Rajee gathered strength to ask for help. She started visiting Dr. John Martin of Coral Gables Cosmetic Reconstructive Surgery who gave her softening injections and laser therapy to soften the huge lumps.
Youtube/E!Entertainment
Luckily, those treatments helped her regain her self-confidence. She started going out more and she even started dating.
“Now I’m feeling more confident, and with a good bit of makeup, I can achieve somewhat of an exotic look,” she told Daily Mail back then. “Recently, this guy said that being with me is like being with a sexy dragon. I didn’t know whether to slap him or kiss him.”
In 2016, Rajee received even more help when she was chosen to be part of the E! show Botched. Rajee applied the year before as well, but doctors weren’t sure how to help her. The following year, however, they believed they found a way to smooth her looks further.
“I have to make sure my plan is a conservative one, it’s a smart one, and it doesn’t take any undo careless risks with Rajee’s face,” Dr. Dubrow said on the show Botched.
Over the course of seven weeks, Rajee underwent four surgeries. Luckily, her face started looking better and better.
“My confidence has definitely improved,” she told Barcroft. “It has changed my life. It really has. I know I’m a big personality, so I’m always going to get stares, but now the stares are a little different.”
Youtube/E!Entertainment
Rajee wasn’t the only victim of the self proclaimed doctor Morris. One person died due to the injections which consisted of cement, superglue, and tire sealant, the same ones Rajee received. The victims sued Morris and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In 2021, Morris sent a letter to Rajee, asking for forgiveness. Rajee decided that accepting the apology would give her some sort of closure too. She shared the response to Morris’ letter on the social media. “What I have become more aware of as I have lived my life is that if we can get stronger from the hardships we go through and learn from the mistakes we make, then they become blessings. I feel the sincerity of your spirit, Sis, and I want you to know that I wish the very best for you,” Rajee wrote.
Today, Rajee is a wide known community activist and works with the LGBTQ community, as well as several other organizations. “I call myself a world activist or a community activist. You know, because of my advocacy for the black-market injections took me global! No, it literally did! And now I hear from people in Uganda and Australia, honey. It’s crazy! I mean, Pakistan! Wow, it’s amazing,” Rajee told The Body.
“So that’s one of the blessings. I consider the whole situation with my black-market injections and all the suffering I went through — I consider that a blessing, because it gave me a bigger platform to do my advocacy and my activism,” she added.
“You know, even before all the corrective surgery,” she added, “I thought, ‘Hey, this happened to me, and if I can share my story, educate people, and prevent this from happening to someone else, then I’ve made lemon meringue pie out of lemons.’”
One thing is certain, after everything she endured, Rajee looks awesome and is happy with her appearance.
I wonder whether humans would ever become conscious of all the damage they cause to the wildlife and the creatures living in the seas and the oceans with their careless behavior.
A bottlenose dolphin found itself wrapped around a fishing line and a hook stuck into his body. Having no chance of getting out of the situation that was causing it so much pain, the creature turned to a diver for help. When Keller Laros went diving at Gadren Eel Cove in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii that January night, little did he know he would become a hero in the eyes of this dolphin who had hard time swimming.
Luckily, Laros was well-equipped and signaled the dolphin to come closer. The rescue was caught on tape thanks to another diver named Martina Wing.
This is really something worth watching. Take a look at the special moment in the video below.
Little Elodie Carmen Baker, who waited a heart transplant for 218 days, finally received one.
According to her parents, the pregnancy was a normal one and nothing indicated the baby would be born with a severe heart condition. What’s most, doctors didn’t diagnose Elodie with dilated cardiomyopathy until she was seven weeks old and stopped feeding.
“Our pregnancy was normal and we had an uncomplicated delivery and actually went home with Elodie,” the baby girl’s mom, Kate Baker, told Good Morning America.
“So she was with us in Minnesota at home for seven weeks and one night, she wouldn’t feed. I was nursing and she let out this cry and my heart just sank and I said to (my husband) Collin, ‘Something’s wrong. We need to take her in.’”
Once at the hospital, they said nothing was wrong, and just as they were getting ready to send the girl and her parents home, they decided to run some extra tests, including an X-ray.
“Then the X-ray came back. They saw her heart was enlarged and that was on Aug. 21. And we haven’t been home since.”
Elodie’s condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, causes children and adult sufferers to have an enlarged heart chamber, which has the potential to leave the muscle unable to pump the necessary blood through the body, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“In Elodie’s case, the genetic test did not reveal an answer for why she developed this kind of cardiomyopathy and in that situation, it’s called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, meaning at this point in time, we don’t really know why this happened to her,” Dr. Anna Joong, who has been caring for Elodie for the last few months, told Good Morning America.
After more than six months in the hospital, little Elodie Carmen Baker, who was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, received a new heart. ♥️https://t.co/sr08XD5fAT
Around two months after the diagnosis, Elodie was sent to the Lurie Children’s Hospital in Illinois where she was placed a pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) through surgery.
“Her heart was so sick, that the IV medicines just weren’t enough and she needed a VAD,” Dr. Joong said.
“We use this device as a way to bridge her to transplant so it’s a way to support her heart, to help get her stronger in the time that she’s waiting for her donor heart.”
After waiting 218 days, 8-month-old Elodie Carmen Baker received a new heart last week.
Elodie, who was diagnosed with a rare heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy at around 2 months old, spent over 200 days on the waitlist for a heart. https://t.co/fF0KcQMeCF
Luckily, after that many days spent at the hospital, Elodie received her new heart on March 27. The transplant was a huge success and Elodie is doing great. She still needs a feeding tube, but over time, as she gets even stronger, she is expected to start eating on her own.
“The breathing tube was able to come out within hours of coming out of the operating room. Her new heart works beautifully and is really strong,” Nora Hammond, a nurse practitioner at Lurie’s, explained to Good Morning America.
“She is getting routine immunosuppression medications to prevent rejection. She has already been transferred out of ICU level care and is sitting up. She is one strong kid and we are so grateful to the donor family.”
Congratulations, sweet Elodie. You are such a fighter.
We have received the news of the passing of one of the greatest comedians of our time with great sadness. After a long illness, the person who made millions laugh with his boundary-pushing, frequently crude stand-up routines, Gilbert Gottfried, passed away at 67.
“In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” his family posted on the social media.
Condolences came pouring in from friends, family members, and fellow comedians.
“Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift,” Seinfeld star Jason Alexander wrote. “I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family.”
Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family. #ripGilbertGottfried
“Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny,” wrote stand-up comic Dane Cook. “He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy.”
Sending love to @RealGilbert’s wife Dara, his family & fans. Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny. He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy.
Jon Stewart wrote a tribute, recalling the “great thrill” of opening for Gottfried. “He could leave you gasping for breath…just indescribably unusually hilarious,” Stewart wrote.
RIP Gilbert. Opening for Gilbert Gottfried at Carolines and Princeton Catch was one of the great thrills of my early stand up life. He could leave you gasping for breath…just indescribably unusually hilarious…Damn.
“He could put you into convulsive hysterics,” wrote Judd Apatow. “He was also the sweetest man.”
As reported by NBC News, Gottfried’s close friend Glenn Schwartz, said that the comedian died of Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.
Despite his health condition, Gottfried didn’t stop working until the last weeks of his life.
During his career which spanned 50 years, Gottfried made a name for himself as one of the best in the field. Among the rest, he landed his aggressive voice to Jafar’s talking parrot in Alladin. A role he reprised in two sequels.
Further, Gottfried worked on various other Disney productions, including The Fairly Odd Parents, Superman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – JULY 26: Gilbert Gottfried performs at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on July 26, 2018 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
This great man was never afraid to tackle topics many others were afraid to speak on. After the 9/11 attack, he made jokes of the event but many believed he did that way too soon. As a result, he said he lost a huge audience. “I lost an audience bigger than anybody has ever lost an audience. People were booing and hissing,” he recalled to Vulture. He, however, managed to win that audience back with a crude “Aristocrats” routine.
He spent many years being the voice of the “Aflac duck,” but he was fired after making a joke about the tsunami which hit Japan in 2011.
His jokes knew no boundaries.
“Maybe I’m self-destructive, maybe I’m just plain stupid,” he told Vulture. “But if someone tells me don’t do something, then I want to do it. I’ve always said tragedy and comedy are roommates. Wherever tragedy’s around, comedy’s a few feet behind them sticking his tongue out and making obscene gestures.”
Since 2014, he was running his Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast. Over the years, he made numerous appearances in a number of shows such as Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Saturday Night Live, and Hollywood Squares, among the rest.
This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed. pic.twitter.com/DLJ8Ntt7LN
Poinsettia, a plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America, is considered a Christmas flower by many and that is the reason why most people get one before the holidays. The legend says that a young girl from Mexico could only offer weeds as a Christmas gift to Jesus Christ so when she brought the poinsettia to the church, the plant’s flowers blossomed in a beautiful red color. In Mexico, it’s known as Flores de Noche Buena, which translates to “flowers of the holy night.”
Poinsettias symbolize good cheer and success and are believed to bring wishes of mirth and celebration.
And as the life span of most poinsettia plants is measured in months, not years, the following story could easily be dubbed a miraculous one.
Source: YouTube – Quirlycues
Frankie Allison from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada, is certain that his poinsettia is the most special of all, and we agree.
His now late wife Maxine won a call-in radio show contest on Christmas Eve one year and got a poinsettia as a gift. Sadly, just three days later, she passed away from a massive heart attack.
Heartbroken Frankie had a hard time coping with the grief, but then, he understood his wife’s spirit continued to live through the plant. At first, he wanted to throw it away, but it blossomed and he decided to keep it. What is so special about this plat is that unlike any other poinsettia out there, this one keeps growing and blossoming for over 20 years.
Source: YouTube – Quirlycues
Speaking of the miracle plant, Frankie said that experts told him how they had never seen anything like this because most poinsettias only last for a few days or maybe a couple of months.
“It just kept growing,” Frankie told CBC News. “Pretty soon I won’t be able to look out the picture window.”
Source: YouTube – Quirlycues
The plant is more than 5 feet tall and weighs over 100 pounds. Around Christmas, it serves as a Christmas three and the lights and the ornaments make it even more beautiful.
“They say that’s a miracle plant,” Frankie says his friends say to him. “They always say your wife is still with you.”
Frankie waters it 2 times a week and fertilizes it regularly. He does it with much love.
Source: YouTube – Quirlycues
For more on this beautiful story go to the video below.
I’m sure most of you have seen the iconic film Matilda which is about a brilliantly intelligent little girl not understood by her parents. However, as much as she’s not appreciated at home, someone special at school, her teacher Miss Honey, notices Matilda’s intellect. Fast forward to the ending of this masterpiece, Matilda ends up with her teacher who adopts her and gives her a new lease of life.
Some say things like this don’t happen in real life, but that’s not exactly true. No matter how small the number is, children who experience rough childhood do end up with new and better families, and sweet Loralie is one such beautiful example.
This girl found herself in the foster system when she was just 4 years old and all she could ever dream of was finding a forever home. Luckily, after 1,445 days in foster care, just like Matilda, she got adopted by her former second grade teacher.
More than 150 children will be adopted in LA County on National Adoption Day https://t.co/u1zhLxXtsD
Loralie spent five years wondering if she would ever feel loved again, but becoming part of teacher Zoe Henry’s family was worth all the waiting.
She was one of 165 Los Angeles County children who were officially adopted on National Adoption Day on Saturday. This beautiful and meaningful event takes place each year, and this year, as well as the previous one, it was held virtually because of the ongoing pandemic, but that certainly didn’t make it any less special.
The great thing was that all the adoptions were finalized just before Thanksgiving and all those children got to spend the holiday in their new homes.
“She completes our family, she completes our life.” Loralie, a 9-year-old who spent 1,445 days in foster care, now has a forever home after her former second-grade teacher adopted her into her family https://t.co/Ewg9kaN7rr 💗
One man kept getting calls from an unknown number. Each time, he would hear a young girl’s voice from the other side of the line so he thought someone was playing games with him. But as the calls wouldn’t stop, he finally decided to talk to the little girl and understand what was going on.
As he asked her why she kept calling him, the child called him ‘daddy.’ He was confused at first, but it didn’t take long before he understood that the girl thought she was talking to her dad whom she hadn’t seen in weeks.
“Daddy, please come back soon. I miss you very, very much!” she said with a weak and shaky voice.
“Dad, I’m in pain! My mom told me that you were too busy at work and she takes care of me day and night. She’s tired,” the girl continued. “So if you can’t come, can you kiss me?” she asked.
Not knowing what to do, the man made some kissing noises. After hearing him, the girl said: “Thank you…Dad, I’m…so happy, I feel…so happy…”
At that moment a woman took the call over. She was sobbing and apologized for disturbing the man. Still unaware of why they called him in the first place, he wanted to learn more about the girl. The woman then said that she was the girl’s mother. Her daughter was diagnosed with bone cancer and was fighting for her life, but the prognosis was bad. The girl’s dad was the person who always stood by her side and told her to be brave, but he died in a car crash around the time the calls started taking place. The mother explained that she didn’t have the heart to tell her girl about her dad so she dialed a random number when the little one asked to speak to her father. The number happened to be the man’s.
Hearing that story, his heart broke into pieces.
The following day, the man called the number to ask how the girl was doing, but he heard the most devastating news. The little soul passed away shortly after the conversation with him. The mother thanked him for sending those kisses as they were goodbye kisses and the last thing the girl heard before leaving this world.
The man was heartbroken, but at the same time, he felt glad and relieved he decided to take that call because even for a moment, he made a dying child happy.
What would you do if you stumbled upon a huge pile of cash? Would you be tempted to take it and pray not to get yourself in trouble, or would you return it to the rightful owner?
Many people would probably choose to grab the cash and leave, but there are also those who wouldn’t hesitate to do the right thing.
19-year-old boy named José Nuñez Romaniz of Albuquerque, New Mexico, went to the ATM to withdraw some cash in order to buy socks for his grandpa. Just around the corner, next to the machine, he noticed a bag full of money. He looked around to see if the owner is anywhere near, but no one seemed to be looking for the money.
Romaniz took the bag and called the number on the ATM. He then alerted the police of the money and waited for them to arrive.
Source: YouTube/ KRQE
According to KRQE, the bag contained $135,000 in total. That’s a lot of money that can change one’s life drastically.
Romaniz could choose to take it and spend it, but he knew he needed to do what was right.
“In the back of my head, I was just thinking about my parents, especially my mom. What she would do if I came home with the money and… what she would do with her chancla [a flip-flop] to hit me,” he said jokingly. “I did the right thing and I know my parents are proud and my family is proud as well.”
Source: YouTube/ KRQE
It turned that the money was left behind accidentally by the subcontractor who was supposed to fill the ATM.
For his good deed, Romaniz was honored by Mayor Tim Keller and Police Chief Mike Geier.
“Man, we all know that temptation… Even just to take a little, just one of those bundles off the top! I mean that had to be really hard,” Mayor Keller joked.
“What a great opportunity for us to see some good in the community with all the tragedies we see with young people, this really restores our faith in the community as well,” Chief Geier added.
Everyone agreed that with young people like Romaniz we don’t have to fear about the future of our country.
Source: YouTube/ KRQE
PNM gave Romaniz $500 for tuition, and El Patron gave him an additional $500 in cash, plus a gift card. ESPN Radio gifted the family season tickets for the University of New Mexico’s football team.
Thank you Romaniz for doing what’s right.
If you are ineterested to learn more of the story and see how this young man was honored go to the video below.
John F. Kennedy Jr. was considered American royalty. He had spent his entire life under the spotlight and magazines were interested in him from the moment he was born, which was just 17 days after his father, JFK, became president of the United States.
As both his father and grandfather were believed to be womanizers, JFK Jr. did his best not to become one himself. Although he had dated numerous celebrities, among which actress Sarah Jessica Parker and model Cindy Crawford, he eventually fell for an ordinary woman, beautiful Carolyn Bessette, who became his wife. At the time he first met her, JFK Jr. was said to had dated actress Daryl Hannah.
Tyler Mallory / Getty Images
The stories of their first encounter are many, but according to most magazines, they first laid eyes on each other when he came in for a Calvin Klein fitting in 1992 where Carolyn worked as a publicist.
He was smitten by the beautiful blonde girl and was desperate to get to know her better. She on the other hand didn’t seem to be interested at first because she was aware of his status in society.
”She didn’t think he was serious. He couldn’t believe she turned him down. It had never happened before,” Gustavo Paredes, a friend of the couple, told People in 2014.
”[He] kept figuring out a way to keep coming back to the showroom for more business meetings and more fittings.”
Rose Hartman/Getty Images
Eventually, she understood his intentions were serious and moved in with him while they kept their relationship a secret.
When the media and the public learned he was dating Carolyn, JFK Jr. denied the reports, but when he popped the question in 1995 while they celebrated the Fourth of July at Martha’s Vineyard, everyone gone wild about America’s ‘princess’. It took Carolyn three weeks to say yes. “She held off the proposal for about three weeks. I think it made him all the more intent on marrying her,” JFK Jr’s former assistant Rose Marie Terenzino told People.
The couple tied the knot in 1996 in an intimate wedding ceremony held away from the public eye in the First African Baptist Church on Cumberland Island, built by enslaved African Americans in 1893.
Arnaldo Magnani/Liaison
From the one photo which emerged from the ceremony, people could see Carolyn looking mesmerizingly beautiful. The stunning bride wore a pearl-white silk crêpe with a cowl décolletage designed by a close friend of hers, Narciso Rodriguez.
One of the few guests who attended the ceremony was Senator Ted Kennedy who said of the couple: ”You could tell right away that there was something special between the two of them.”
The two were much in love, but things weren’t always smooth between them, according to their friends. One thing that Carolyn had a hard time getting used to was all that attention by the media and the paparazzi. As she never gave any interviews, they started making up stories about her, with some magazines even calling her “ice queen” and a “miserable wife.”
“She couldn’t take it. She wasn’t brought up with it. John was, Carolyn wasn’t. She said, ‘I’m terrified of them,’” Jackie Kennedy’s personal assistant, Kathy McKeon, told People in 2017.
“If someone was going to steal our prince, the press and the public wanted her to be some kind of unblemished princess,” John’s friend, John Perry Barlow, told the same magazine.
Wikipedia Commons / John Mathew Smiths
”But Carolyn was not one to be easily defined. She was quirky and imaginative. She was her own self. The woman everyone has read about it not at all as she was in real life.”
People close to the couple defined their love as ”passionate and fiery.”
“They would love hard, and they would fight hard,” Ariel Paredes, the granddaughter of Providencia Paredes, who had been an assistant to John’s mom Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, said.
Evan Agostini/Liaison
Rumors were that JFK Jr. and Carolyn had different views about having children. As he dreamed of becoming a father one day, she didn’t see herself as a mother. According to Vanity Fair, JFK Jr. even had a baby’s name on mind. He wanted his future son to be called Flynn.
“I hate living in a fishbowl,” Carolyn confided to a friend, according to Vanity Fair. “John may be comfortable living like this, but I’m not. How could I bring a child into this kind of world?”
The author of the article in Vanity Fair, Edward Klein, claimed that a friend of JFK Jr. recalled a conversation he had with the late president’s son who told him: ”I want to have kids, but whenever I raise the subject with Carolyn, she turns away and refuses to have sex with me. I had it with her!
“It’s got to stop. Otherwise we’re headed for divorce.”
Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma via Getty Images
Other people close to the couple, claimed the opposite. Many of them said that they had never noticed anything unusual going on between the two. Their relationship seemed perfect, and nothing spoke that they were experiencing any issues.
Carole Radziwill, a friend of the couple, told Vanity Fair: “[Stress is] hard on any marriage—let alone a young marriage”, adding she had not seen a single ”conversation or anything to indicate there was this impending divorce.”
Justin Ide/Getty Images
On July 16, 1999, John F . Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn’s sister, Lauren, met with Carolyn at the Essex County Airport in New Jersey, and the three boarded John’s plane. They headed to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, where they would attend the wedding of John’s cousin, Rory Kennedy.
John, who had a pilot license, flew the plane himself, but the weather conditions were challenging and he lost control. John probably lost the ability to determine altitude and speed and the plane crashed into the surface of the water. A few days later, the dead bodies of the three passengers were found inside the wrecked plane.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
At the time of their death, JFK Jr. was 38 years old. Carolyn was only 33.
”John and Carolyn were true soul mates,” the families said in a statement, according to The Washington Post, and added that they found ”solace in the thought that together they will comfort Lauren for eternity.”
We are still very saddened at how their lives were lost. May they rest in peace.
It’s fair to say that the rough past these adorable furry friends shared was what brought them together.
Ruggles is a Shih Tzu that was saved from a puppy mill a year ago. Being very tiny and fragile, his life would be in great danger if the kind rescuers didn’t take him out of the horrific place. But once out and free, Ruggles’ vibrant personality came to light. Soon, everyone understood he was the friendliest dog they’ve ever rescued.
Over time, Ruggles made friends with another rescue animal, even tinier kitten named Chompers. The two were looking forward to every play date and wouldn’t leave each other’s side. What’s most, both of them found their forever homes.
The shelter under whose care these two were placed had a plan to place them together, but that couldn’t work out. Chompers became too rough with Ruggles and due to his health condition they were adopted separately.
And while Chompers leads a quieter life, Ruggles became the official ambassador for the Cherokee County Animal Shelter and is involved in various activities among which teaching young children about puppy mills and the importance of adopting over buying animals.
Michael Wayne, a SWAT officer at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was at work at Wednesday 9th August, sat in his police car when a woman came over to him carrying two Walmart bags. Shameka Batiste, the woman carrying the bags, seemed a little unsure and nervous as she gave him some treats out if the bags.
Wayne was delighted to be given two bananas, a litre of coke and a huge sandwich with a sweet note, hand written, attached to the receipt. Wayne wrote this in what was to be a viral Facebook post:
“The note thanked me for choosing to be who I am and said that her (10-year-old) son Rashad wanted to be a SWAT Officer one day”
He was so touched by the kindness of that woman that he desperately searched the parking lot until he had found Shameka and they had a good chin wag together. They talked about Wayne’s 9 year career and Shameka told how she teaches the children not to see the color of people.
She really praised the people of law and law enforcement officers and her experiences with them, and Wayne said their meeting ended on common ground.
Wayne said:
“We exchanged several long hugs … she told me to stay safe and that she loved me”
After such a wonderful moment, he could not wait to meet Shameka’s son. Many days later the officer met Rashad and learnt that the young boy sells cakes to help people in need.Wayne was touched again by the boy’s actions and not only donated $40 to his charity “Baby Bears Bundts”, but he also gave him a Star badge to put on and told him how happy he was to have met them both.
“I have much love for Shameka and Rashad, and I look forward to building a wonderful relationship with their family” … “Love over hate…”
In a another different Facebook post, Shameka shared the same feelings, and according to her, love really does always win.
“Take a stand against the hate & anger!” she wrote. “Share your love today!”
Please share to inspire others to show their appreciation for those who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
The moment the world learned that Prince Charles was dating a young and extremely beautiful woman named Diana Spencer, all eyes were on her. When they tied the knot, Diana was 20, and Prince Charles was 32.
The connection she was able to establish with her people was so strong that even today, years after her tragic death, every Brit talks of her with love and affection. The divorce from the heir to the throne didn’t prevent people from Britain and all over the world to refer to Diana as to the People’s Princess.
The marriage between Diana and Charles was a turbulent one. She was in love, but Charles seemed not to be over his former love, Camilla Rosemary Shand.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with son, Prince William on 14th December 1983. (Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mike Lawn)
What was dubbed “the wedding of the century” ended in a painful separation which eventually led to divorce, after Queen Elizabeth urged her son and her daughter-in-law to officially call their relation quits.
When she announced the separation back in 1992, Diana, who held the tiles Her Royal Highness and Princess of Wells, continued to perform her royal duties. However, the divorce wasn’t finalized until 1996, one year prior to Diana’s death, because they couldn’t reach an agreement regarding her titles. She wanted to keep HRH because losing it would mean having to follow strict royal protocols when around her sons, including curtseying to them.
Queen Elizabeth was reported to have agreed Diana to keep her titles, but Charles was strongly against it. Eventually, she lost her HRH title but was allowed to use Princess of Wales.
This threw Diana in a state of horror and disappointment. According to Express, when Diana’s own mother suggested that losing the titles wasn’t that bad because it would give Diana a fresh start without the weight those titles brought, she didn’t speak to her for months.
At the time Diana was struggling because of the divorce and her titles, her eldest son, prince William, was 14 years old. He was aware of his mother’s distress and one night he decided to provide comfort to her by putting his arms around her and promising to give her her titles back once he becomes King of England, as reported by Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell.
Sadly, she died shortly after and never got to see her son become a king.
Both William and Harry had a rough time accepting their mother’s death. The tragedy affected them deeply.
“…If I had mental health issues I would happily talk about them. I think the closest I got was the trauma I suffered when I lost my mother, the scale of the grief, and I still haven’t necessarily dealt with that grief as well as I could have done over the years,” Prince William told GQ.
Prince William at a commemorative wreath laying ceremony in the Garden of Remembrance in Ireland on March 03, 2020. (Source: Getty Images | Photo by Chris Jackson)
It took him years to learn how to live with the pain which came with his mother’s passing. “I am in a better place about it than I have been for a long time, where I can talk about her more openly, talk about her more honestly, and I can remember her better, and publicly talk about her better. It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage,” he said.
Rest in peace, Lady Di, you are dearly missed by millions of people who loved your spirit and modesty.
I live for the day when people won’t judge one another based on their physical appearance, skin color, culture, or religious beliefs. Sadly, as time passes by and years go on, it looks like the racism and the hate are even more present and make this world an ugly place.
Luckily, there are those people who break down barriers and give us hope that things can get brighter in the future.
Brady and Asharel are an interracial couple. They have been together ever since college and have a baby girl together. Their love grows stronger with each passing day and they both say they have found their soulmate in one another.
Sadly, the society isn’t always embracing the interracial relationships and things get hard at times, but this incredible couple knows how to deal with the stares and the glares.
Sharing their life story with Love What Matters, Asharel says: “As an interracial couple, we have learned to ignore some people while out in public. The glares and hateful stares have never bothered my husband and I, but we definitely notice it. We have been together for so long and have come so far in our relationship that we just laugh, and talk about how ridiculous people are in 2020 to still judge an interracial couple.”
Now that they have a daughter, they say they will teach her how to love everyone equally, no matter the color of their skin. “We will teach her to know the color of someone’s skin does not define who they are,” Asharel adds.
We say that Brady and Asharel are awesome together and we are happy they have found each other.
54-year-old Mario Ejis has spent half of his life taking care of the animals at the Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo in the Netherlands. Over the years, the magnificent inhabitants of the place have become his best friends. He always made sure their cages were perfectly clean and they have plenty of food and water.
Sadly, Mario got sick and was diagnosed with cancer, which meant he had to retire and leave the animals behind.
However, when his condition worsened and he was unable to walk or speak clearly, he asked for one final wish; to say one last goodbye to the animals that were very important part of his life.
The charity organization Ambulance Wish Foundation made sure they make his wish a reality. They transported him to the zoo in a specialized vehicle.
Mario was taken to see all the animals, but it wasn’t until he approached the giraffe section that something truly amazing happened.
The giraffes took turns to get their heads out of the window and give him gentle kisses. They could feel the pain their old friend was going through.
“These animals recognized him, and felt that (things aren’t) going well with him,” said Kees Veldboer, the founder of the Ambulance Wish Foundation.
“(It was) a very special moment. You saw him (Mario) beaming,” said Veldboer.
The dying man got to see his co-workers again as well, and being at that place put him at ease.
What Ambulance Wish Foundation did for Mario was amazing. In fact, the organization was founded in order to help terminally ill people see a place of their significance for one last time. It was first established in the Netherlands but now it has around 1500 volunteers in the UK too.
Once the story of Mario and the animals was spread on the social media, many took their time to express their gratitude to the foundation and the animals who showed incredible compassion.
One person wrote: “Animals are the most beautiful and ethereal beings. They see, feel and touch our souls in unimaginable ways. The depth of their senses is a gift to those who unconditionally love and respect these amazing creatures gifted to us by our magnificent Creator. Rest In Eternal Peace, Mario. You were their Hero.”
Herbert Parrish, an 82-year-old Vietnam veteran from South Carolina, and his wife Lois, 79, were victims of intrusion a few days ago. It all happened when someone approached the back door of their home and asked Lois whether she had seen his chihuahua. Lois said no, and tried closing the door, but then the intruder pushed her and pulled a knife on her, as reported by FOX 57.
Herbert witnessed the attack on his wife and rushed to help her. He grabbed his shotgun and started hitting the attacker with it.
Screenshot
The intruder, who was later identified as 61-year-old Harold Runnels died of the injuries he sustained after taken into hospital. Runnels lived near by and Lois recalls seeing him around the neighborhood.
“I felt, we’re gone. He’s going to kill us and take what he can take,” Herbert said of the incident. “He was not going to go out that door and leave us alive. That’s the way I felt.”
“I started hitting him in the head with the barrel and I know I must have hit him at least ten times right in the face, just as hard as I could hit him,” he explained.
Screenshot
The Parrishes were not being charged and are still recovering from the minor injuries they sustained.
Although we as a nation are thankful to the members of the military every single day and understand the sacrifice they make for keeping our country a safe place, two very special days remind the veterans and military members that we will never forget everything they have done for us, The Memorial Day and The Veterans Day.
Source: Pexels – Craig Adderley
On these days, a special ceremony takes place at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” in Washington D.C. The tomb was first guarded back in 1927, and ever since that day a wreath is laid to rest next to it. It symbolizes the beauty and brevity of life.
“Floral tributes are made each day at Arlington National Cemetery — at funeral services, public ceremonies, and individual visits to a loved one’s gravesite.”
Source: Pexels – Brett Sayles
During the ceremony, which is also known as the “Wreath Laying Ceremony,” the President of the United States speaks on the behalf of the nation and expresses the gratitude we all feel for the soldiers who died for the country.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier early in the morning at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, August 7, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)
A few years ago, some young people who attended the ceremony started laughing all of a sudden. Such behavior should never be allowed as the ceremony is both formal and touching. The guard who is watching over the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” quickly put the frivolous youngsters on their place. He could be heard saying, “It is requested that everyone maintains a level of silence and respect!”
YouTube
The people were ashamed of what they did as everyone turned and stared at them. Luckily, they understood they made a mistake and went completely quiet until the ceremony of honoring the fallen soldiers ended.
Take a look at the video below to see the whole thing taking place.
Bullying can happen to anyone, but it looks like it is mostly present at schools and around young children who are unable to stand for themselves. According to some research, bullying affects one in five children. These numbers are devastating and speak of the failure of parents to educate their children about what is right and wrong.
Bullying consists of certain hurtful behaviors directed towards one person which are repeated over and over again. Those who fall victims of bullying can have their self-esteem affected until later in life and that is why we should do all in our power to put a stop to it.
For 14-year-old Jack Higgins, who was often teased and mocked by his friends, it all started when he showed he loved dancing, especially ballet, more than football. His classmates made fun of him whenever possible and called him names such as “gay” saying dancing was for girls.
Luckily, Jack never let those words and actions hurt him to the extend of letting go of his passion. On the contrary, he was determined to show the world that dancing is for boys as much as it is for girls, and he found just the way to do it – by joining Britain’s Got Talent.
Luckily, this young man’s efforts were really rewarded!
After an appearance which took the breath away to everyone who saw him conquering the stage, he was showered with compliments, but what the strictest judge had to say was the most meaningful compliment of all. “You know the one thing bullies don’t like? They don’t like it when you do well. I can see how hard you’ve worked for this moment and I congratulate you, Jack!” Simon Cowel said and had the audience cheer from the top of their lungs.
Watch Jack’s performance in the video below and don’t miss the emotional moments following his dance!
Michael Oher’s life story goes from rags to riches. Even today, he is an inspiration for many struggling children who don’t have a happy childhood or a permanent home. His success is a reminder that the determination to change things for the better can never be taken away from you, no matter your background or the unfavorable circumstances.
Growing up with a mother who was on and off drugs, he and his siblings didn’t have a lot while growing up.
“When my mother was off drugs and working, she would remember to buy groceries, and there would be a mad scramble to grab whatever you could before anyone else got to it,” he wrote in his 2011 book I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond.
Ned Dishman/Getty Images
Just as he finished first grade, he and the rest of the siblings ended up in the foster system. Sadly, that meant going from one family to other and changing nine different schools in the course of 11 years.
Because of everything that was going on in his life, social workers believed he was dealing with rage, so they sent him to the adolescent unit of St. Joseph Hospital at 10.
According to Michael, that was never the case. He wasn’t angry, he wasn’t mad, he was just very sad. “I was a heartbroken little kid who was hurt and confused about everything that was going on around me,” he wrote in his biography.
Eventually, when he turned 11, Michael got back to his mother. The family then moved to a housing project called Hurt Village. Michael witnessed kids his age struggling with substances and being part of gang bands so he promised to himself he wouldn’t allow to find himself in such a situation. “Even if it meant working three jobs, at McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Taco Bell, I wasn’t going to be part of my environment,” he said.
Instagram/Michaeloher
Michael’s life was about to change after he made friends with a boy named Steve whose father was “Big Tony” Henderson, a coach who helped both Michael and his son attend the Briarcrest Christian School outside of Cordova, Tennessee.
Once there, Michael showed immense interest in football. He was extremely good, but there was one problem; his grades weren’t good. Luckily, his coach submitted an application and Michael was allowed to play under the condition to complete a home study program.
Instagram/Leigh Anne Tuohy
At that period of his life, Michael, who was in the foster system again, met a woman named Leigh Anne Tuohy. She and her husband took Michael in and paid for a tutor to help him with his studies.
Leigh was the first person who told Michael “I love you.” He hadn’t heard those words in a long time and had a hard time accepting that he was indeed loved by this family.
“They didn’t treat me like I was fragile or with curiosity like I was a strange creature they had to figure out before we could get close,” he wrote in his memoir. “I was able to understand what I’d suspected, that a life like mine in childhood wasn’t normal, and it wasn’t okay.”
In 2009, Michael graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in criminal justice. That same year, he was drafted by the NFL team Baltimore Ravens and signed a five-year contract worth $13.8 million.
At the same time he rose to stardom, the film TheBlind Side was released. It was based on Michael’s life and starred Sandra Bullock, who received an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
The film was loved by many and became a huge hit, but Michael wasn’t very pleased with it because he believed it didn’t portray the real story of how he became a star after struggling for so many years.
“The movie’s great, very inspiring,” he said. “The football part is the only part I have a problem with. Sports was all I had when I was growing up – it made me look like I just didn’t know anything.”
He believed that the film negatively affected his career.
George Gojkovich/Getty Images
“I’m not trying to prove anything,” he told ESPN. “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field.
“This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not … that has nothing to do with football. It’s something else off the field. That’s why I don’t like that movie.”
Actor Quinton Aaron, who portrayed Michael in the film, spoke about the project. “You gotta at some point notice the amount of people’s lives this movie has touched in a positive, encouraging, and inspiring manner,” he said regarding Michael’s way of seeing the film. “At the end of the day, bro, you are a millionaire, you’re famous, you are a Super Bowl Champ, you have an amazing family that loves you, friends, fans, and teammates.
“Who gives a damn about what people say or think who wanna criticize your game, bro, that shouldn’t matter. Somebody is always going to have something to say that you’re not going to like,” he added. “So what, you had a couple of bad seasons. I believe you’ve got a lot more fuel in the tank, so let’s start hashing out some good ones and forget what people think about you. I got your back, brotha God Bless!”
Michael Ohler retired from football in 2017. He had quite a career and inspired many. Today, not much is known about his private life. What we know, however, is that he is the creator of the application Good Deeds, which helps people in need. “It is all about connecting people who have needs with those who want to give,” he said. “Download the app and help a child in need beat the odds like I did. Be an answer to someone’s prayers.”
Michael has a net worth of $16 million and uses a great deal of that money to improve people’s lives.
Recently, I’ve stumbled upon a social experiment in which a girl was nicely dressed and left alone by the sidewalk. Most of the passersby who saw her took their time to stop and ask her where her parents were and whether she needed help. That same girl was now dressed in worn and dirty clothes and left standing at the same place. A lot of people passed by her, but non seemed to notice her. And those who did, only stared with resentment.
This is the sad reality of today. It makes me wonder when did this world become a home of selfish humans who only judge others based on their looks. Or, how come that the life of a rich person is worthier than that of the poor?
Thankfully, there comes someone along the way who shows us that not everyone lost the ability to empathize with the less fortunate, and that gives us hopes that not everything is lost.
Casey Fischer was planning to grab some coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts during her break from classes when she saw a homeless man on the side of the road picking up change. He then entered the place in hopes of buying something to eat.
When Fisher got closer she could see the change in the man’s hand barely made $1. She then offered to pay for his coffee and a bagel and invited him to join her table.
The man introduced himself as Chris and shared with Fischer how he was very often treated badly only because he was homeless.
He confessed how he abused drugs and that turned him into the man he hated. What he really wanted in life was to be the person his late mother would be proud of. But somehow failed in reaching so.
As it was time for Fischer to get back to class, she told Chris she was glad to meet him and that she had to go. But then, the man told her to wait a minute, took a crumpled up piece of paper, wrote something on it, and handed it to his new acquaintance.
Fischer opened the note and she felt overwhelmed. She could never imagine that what she did could mean so much to the homeless man. For him, this meeting was way more than just a chat over coffee and a bagel. It changed something in him.
“I wanted to kill myself today,” the note read. “…because of u I now do not. Thank u, beautiful person.”
We would like to thank this lovely girl too. You are the change that this world needs in order to go round.
Please share this story with your friends and family
Not all heroes wear capes. The real ones wear uniforms and a badge and make sure everyone around is safe and sound. This is the story of officer Grady and his fellow colleagues who saved a life during what was supposed to be a routine traffic violation on the Interstate 90 in Idaho.
Source: AARoads
The call Sergeant Justin Klitch made for that van to be pulled over was crucial in discovering the horrific scene they’ve stumbled upon that cold and bitter December morning.
As they approached the vehicle and asked for the licence and registration, the officers were puzzled when they noticed the woman siting in the front seat was all covered in bruises. It was clear she was suffering physical abuse.
Source: KHQAdam
On the back seat there was a toddler who was showing signs of abuse as well. His condition was worrying.
The officers from the Idaho Police Station were aware of the severity of the situation and stepped in.
Source: KHQ
Later, during an interview with a local news station while discussing the incident, officer Grady couldn’t hold his tears back. During his career he had witnessed all forms of negligence and abuse, but this one was done to a 2-year-old boy and it broke his heart.
Source: ISP
“While we there, he [the sergeant] discovered a young boy in the back of the minivan,” Officer Grady says in an interview right before he tears up. “It’s taken me all week to type this stupid thing out,” he added.
“He had discovered a small boy in the back who was severely injured. He had bruises on his head, multiple lacerations on his stomach, his arms were stuck in a fetal position and his left eye was not functioning properly.”
Source: KHQAdam
The officers rushed the boy to the local hospital and took the adults to the police station for questioning.
The injured toddler needed to be transferred to Sacred Heart Pediatric Hospital in Spokane. Officer Grady accompanied him.
There was another boy in the van. A one-year-old baby who was in a good health condition.
Source: KHQAdam
Everyone was pretty concerned for the boy’s condition that was getting worse. His heart rate went from 70 to 110 in a matter of minutes and he was in constant pain. He was quickly transferred to the ER and spent a significant amount of time in intensive care. The boy was referred to as ‘Baby J’ for privacy reasons.
Source: KHQAdam
“This is the worst case of this type of situation that I’ve run into. I’ve been to many fatal crashes, I used to work for a different department. Went to a lot of domestic violence situations. I’ve seen people injured, I’ve seen people hurt, but I’ve never seen this before. So I don’t know what the toll is going to be,” Officer Grady mentioned.
Doctors said that the injuries the toddler suffered were life-threatening. However, after receiving the appropriate medical treatment for his wounds and the brain trauma, he was finally ready to leave the ICU. Medics believe he will soon recover completely, and that’s really good news.
Source: KHQAdam
“Sgt. Klitch just left Sacred Heart Hospital and said Baby J is alert, engaging and playful. We are all so thankful for the hard work and care of the Sacred Heart Pediatric ICU team! Still work to do but good news nonetheless,” the Idaho State Police wrote on their Twitter account.
59-year-old Jorge Gonzales-Vergel, who was driving the van was arrested.
He is not a suspect in the case of abuse but is charged for other counts such as possession of meth, marijuana, and other substances. The officers also found a firearm during the search of the vehicle. Currently, he is at the Shoshone County jail.
Source: KHQAdam
The baby boy has been taken into the care of the state of Idaho and is currently residing in the Shoshone Medical Center.
The doctors are unanimous that if it wasn’t for the officers who stopped the vehicle, Baby J could die because of the excessive trauma he suffered. These amazing men saved his life.
Source: Parking Network
Sergeant Klitch is proud of his unit, and we are too! Check the whole story in the video below.
This is heartbreaking, but worth a minute of your time as Trooper Shane Grady describes responding to the worst case of child abuse he’s ever seen. Thankfully, because @ispdistrict1 stepped in, that child is expected to make a full recovery. Story tonight on @KHQLocalNewspic.twitter.com/z4zlgVH6YD
