Few people have a huge heart like that of actor Gary Sinise. This incredible man has done so much for our military men and women throughout the years that we can never thank him enough.
Best known for his role as Lt. Dan in the film “Forrest Gump,” Sinise has spent his life helping others and spreading kindness and joy where they are needed the most. His non-profit organization, Gary Sinise Foundation, has raised $194 million for wounded veterans, first responders, and their families from 2011 to 2019. Among the rest, the foundation constructs specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans that are provided mortgage-free.
Source: Gary Sinise Foundation
It looks like Sinise is doing all in his power to ensure that his portrayal of Lt. Dan, who lost both legs during a military operation, has much more influence than just being a character in a film.
This time, Sinise changed the life of a veteran who suffered the same fate as Lt. Dan.
Marine Staff Sgt. Jonathon Blank, who served in Afghanistan, lost both his legs and suffered a head injury when an improvised explosive device detonated next to him in October 2010.
Source: instagram/jonathon blank
The custom built house Sinise’s foundation gave Blank is easy to navigate and has everything this man needs. It is energy efficient, has lights and blinders which are controlled remotely, as well as voice-activated technology. In addition to that, the house has a lift which helps Blank move from one floor to the other.
“He’s always dragging and carrying all of his belongings up and down the stairs,” Blank’s fiancée Brittney said. “No obstacle is too significant for him to overcome, but simply seeing cupboards that he can reach by pulling them down rather than having to hop up there can make a world of difference for him.”
Source: FOX 13 News
So far, Gary Sinise Foundation has helped built around 60 homes for the injured veterans.
When Isaiah Acosta was born on October 31, 1999, both doctors and his parents were shocked to say the least. His appearance was quite different than that of other babies. Believe it or not, Isaiah was born without a jaw. On top of that, he was born prematurely and was left without oxygen for around 15 minutes.
Doctors asked his parents whether they wanted to give their son a fighting chance or not. They were convinced Isaiah wouldn’t survive, but his mom and dad knew their baby boy was a fighter and begged doctors to save him. They agreed, but told the family their son wouldn’t be able to walk or speak. In fact, they said Isaiah would spend his life bed-bound.
Source: YouTube
Although he’s not able to speak, Isaiah lives pretty fulfilling life. He still uses a tube to breath and has never tasted food. Instead, he’s fed through a feeding tube on his belly six times a day. Despite everything, Isaiah, who is 22 years today, graduated from high-school and even became the first mute rapper the world has ever heard of.
In a documentary about her son’s life, Isaiah’s mother, Tarah, said: “Everything in his body is a mirror image flipped backwards. His stomach, his heart, I mean everything.”
One of Isaiah’s high-school teachers, Chris, said in the documentary which aired in 2017: “Isaiah comes to school every day energetic and ready to interact, he wraps his community together, people want to know his story, they want to be around him.”
Because he can’t breath through his nose or mouth, Isaiah gets sick more often than others, especially during the cold Arizona winters.
One of Isaiah’s greatest passions in life is music. Although he’s not able to sing with his own voice, he still makes music and writes lyrics. Thanks to rapper Tikey “Trap House” Patterson, who voiced Isaiah’s first rap, this young man got to “sing.”
Isaiah’s life story is as miraculous as it is inspirational and fascinating. He is very active on the social media where he has a huge number of followers.
In 2022, he shared on Instagram that he had undergone a nose procedure which would hopefully allow him to start breathing through his nose.
This young man has overcome a number of obstacles during his life and he’s proving doctors wrong with each passing day.
Life is unpredictable. We never really know what the future holds for each and every one of us and we usually take things for granted. Today we have it all, and in the next moment, we can find ourselves crashed from the situations and obstacles that suddenly came our way.
The Rodriguez family from Orlando, Florida was a happy one. But then, the mother of six, Lisa Smith, died of cervical cancer in 2013. It was then up to her husband, Alexander Rodriguez, to take care of the family. He gave his wife the word that he would always be there for their kids, but he couldn’t keep the promise, as he died of lymphoma just three years later.
All of a sudden, the six siblings were left all alone and only had each other. That’s when the oldest of them, Samantha, took the role of both a mom and dad.
Meet Samantha Rodriguez, the Florida 21-year-old who stepped up to raise her five siblings after both their parents died. https://t.co/4ndMjVMS8j
Samantha’s story is touching. She recently shared it with The View and spoke of the life after the loss of their parents.
“My reality [was] I’m 17 but these are my brothers and sisters, and when I looked at them, I knew that they’re children,” she said. “They’re vulnerable and they need an adult, so I became their adult.”
If she hadn’t done it, her brothers and sisters could easily end up in the foster care system. At the same time, it would mean that her dad’s promise to her mom would be broken, and she could never let something like that happen.
“I knew what I had to do,” Samantha told CNN, and added, “I learned so much from my mom. I was like her sidekick so I learned what it meant to raise a family. When we lost her, I knew that I wanted to be just like her in every way. That’s what I wanted to do for the kids.”
The Rodriguez kids lost both parents to cancer in recent years. Samantha, 20, has taken on the role of caregiver to her five younger siblings. The kids thought they were visiting the OCSO Aviation Unit for a tour. Instead, they received a Christmas none of us will ever forget! pic.twitter.com/1Bs4w6PQob
— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) December 24, 2018
Today, 21 year old Samantha is attending college and is working as a waitress in order to be able to provide for the family. All of her siblings, Destiny, 7, Bella, 9, Michael, 12, Brenda, 15, and Milagros, 16, go to school regularly and have food and clothes all thanks to their brave sister.
Speaking of her decision to go back to school, Samantha told The View that in case she didn’t do it, she couldn’t explain it to her siblings how important it is for them to be great students and to graduate.
“When I [graduated] the kids were very proud of me and they came to my graduation and it was amazing. I didn’t know people who graduated high school or went college, and I didn’t have that direction so it was hard for me,” Samantha said. “When I realized that I wanted the kids to finish and that I wanted them to be successful, I was like I need to give them that example and show them.”
21-year-old Samantha Rodriguez opened up to the co-hosts about taking on the roles of mom and dad to her five siblings after both parents died from cancer. https://t.co/Xyvw8TSDUx
Whoopi Goldberg asked the young girl what is that she cherishes the most in life which her parents taught her, to what she answered, “They showed us not to take anything for granted. That’s something I try to teach the kids. At the end of the day, the material things don’t matter. What’s given can be taken away so fast. The only thing that really matters is family and love and support.”
He brothers and sisters are aware that Samantha had to give up her life in order to take care of them and are very thankful for that. She on the other hand says being there for her siblings is what makes her truly happy.
We hope this incredible family will have all their dreams come true because they deserve only the best in life.
Take a look at the siblings being guests at The View and the surprise they got in the video below.
The story this young Lyft driver has to share is just a proof how sometimes things fall into place simply because we happen to be in the right place at the right time.
Ashton Mazyck from Worcester, Massachusetts is a behavioral therapist who works with children by day and drives for Lyft at night, trying to earn some extra money. When this company first offered their services on the market, people were a bit hesitant whether it was safe for them to be taking peer-to-peer shared rides with complete strangers. However, over time, everyone realized how using Lyft’s services saves time and money and how all those drivers are trustworthy people who’ll go above and beyond for their customers’ safety.
Flickr/Tony Webster
It was a few days ago when Ashton called the night off and headed home. Pretty tired from the long shift, he just wanted to make it home and take some rest before he goes to his day job early in the morning.
However, just after he parked the car at the parking lot, he noticed a figure that resembled a shivering animal. He felt sorry for it and decided to get closer when he figured out it wasn’t an animal but a 2-year-old girl.
It was already 3 a.m and Ashton couldn’t understand what a child so young was doing outside on the cold, or how she got there in the first place. The first thing he did was to call his mother who happened to live in the same building and ask her to bring a blanket.
His mother, Vida Mazyck quickly rushed down. They took the girl inside and tried to warm her up before they contacted the police and reported the incident.
Vida said:
“Her feet were numb. I kept saying, ‘Does this hurt?’ And she couldn’t feel me rubbing her feet.”
The girl was taken to the hospital and provided with some help regarding her shivering.
The police later informed Ashton how the girl managed to run away from home while her grandma, who was supposed to babysit her while her mommy was doing late shift, fell asleep.
After she left her home barefoot and with light clothing, she got confused and didn’t know how to find the way back so she just huddled next to the building’s main entrance. And that’s when Ashton stumbled upon her.
This incident along with the story went viral. Ashton was contacted by many news outlets. He said:
“I don’t know how long she was out there, but I’m just definitely thankful, you know, that I was there when I was.”
Vida doesn’t like the idea of her son working late, but she is now grateful he worked that night and spotted the young soul in need of help.
YouTube
The toddler’s family is beyond grateful to both Ashton and Vida for stepping in for their little girl. These mother and son are real angels.
When a man named Harold passed away back in 2009, his niece and nephew embarked on a mission to clear his garage. There were rumors around town that Harold was the owner of a very special, and pretty rare, Bugatti. Little did they know that those rumors were completely true and that their uncle’s car was worth a fortune.
The Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, which is considered the crown jewel of Bugattis was covered in dust.
Source: Wikipedia
“It was a bit of local folklore that he had a Bugatti, but no one knew for sure, and certainly no one knew how much it was worth,” Harold’s nephew told The Mirror.
Source: Wikipedia
The car was one of only 43 ever produced and its history was well documented. As it turned out, it was first purchased by a member of the British aristocracy, parliamentarian Francis Curzon who nurtured passion for racing. He was known as a collector of exclusive and unique vehicles. This particular Bugatti, however, had a pretty low mileage which meant it wasn’t probably used for racing. What’s most, it was in a perfect condition for a car made during the 30’s.
Source: Wikipedia
Apparently, the Atalante was owned by a number of different people before Harold bought it in 1955. He, however, didn’t use it and not many people knew it existed.
Once they discovered it, Harold’s niece and nephew learned something that left them speechless. The car was valued at $8.5 million. However, once it was put up for sale, it was sold for $4.4 million. Never in their wildest dreams did Harold’s relatives imagine they would become millionaires.
Source: Wikipedia
Along with the famous Bugatti, Harold’s family found a classic Aston Martin too. Inside the car there were a number of letters from potential buyers who offered Harold enormous sums of money for his cars, but he never sold them.
If you are a lover of the minimalism and the unusual, you are bound to fall in love with this bus turned into a living space.
Jessie Lipskin of Asbury Park, New Jersey solved her housing issue in the most remarkable way. This isn’t however for those people whose soul strives for spacious homes, but for those looking for a place where only their ‘most valuable belongings’ would fit.
“I’ve always been very organized and love the idea of holding onto only what you really need,” she said in a piece for Apartment Therapy. “For me, that mainly includes things that hold sentimental value, particularly items that were handed down to me from my family.”
This lady considered many options before she opted for turning an old bus into what she could call a home.
Finding the right one was relatively easy as she only had to choose from the various that were offered for sale on eBay.
After the purchase was finalized, all she had to do was insure it and register it as an RV and start the jaw-dropping transformation.
The total amount of money she spent on the actual 1966 GMC Commuter Greyhound and the renovation was around $132,000, with the bus itself costing $7,000.
She left everything to her vivid imagination and her artistic soul and the final result has to be seen to be believed.
“When I walk in, it feels huge. It feels even bigger than my New York City apartment,” she said.
As she enjoys doing things on her own, Jessie did most of the work by herself.
“I love DIY, however, I don’t have experience with plumbing, electrical, carpentry needed for this project,” she said.
However, she also got help in turning the bus of around 400-square-feet into the coziest home.
“The big challenge was that it was very different from working on a home that’s fixed in one location. I constantly had to account for movement, on top of that the angles of the bus and slanted style windows made it challenging to design the best possible layout and curved woodworking. Levels were useless as the bus incline changes depending on location, it was all about calculating angles. This added a lot of time onto the project.”
Jessie first got rid of the bus’ seats by selling them to a restaurant. And now that she could see the empty space she could easily envision where each of the rooms would be placed.
The outside of the old bus also got some new, more modern look. Well, it had to fit the beauty of the inside, right?
The kitchen is pretty spacious and she can easily move around when preparing her favorite dish. The sink and the stove are just the perfect (normal) size and there are a bunch of cabinets for storing all the food and pots.
“Went with the IGLOO (33 in. W 5.5 cu. ft.) Side by Side Refrigerator in Silver, Counter Depth from Home Depot. It’s a fridge/freezer,” she said.
The closet is also the size that perfectly fits her needs and the bedroom which is placed at the back of the bus is tiny but lovely. It even has a hidden storage space and a cool bookshelf.
“The bathroom has mahogany wood slotted flooring that drains for drying off post-shower. The shower drain connects to the floor drain and they both lead to the gray water tank which is mounted under the bus,” she says.
However, as Jessie only got her driving licence before she purchased the bus, she says how she has difficulties navigating such a huge and heavy vehicle.
“I can’t drive it myself! I grew up in New York City and I finally learned how to drive in my mid-twenties. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn how to drive a stick shift!” she said. “I have made lots of friends with the ability to drive a manual 40-foot bus without power steering!”
It’s just sad, but that’s the reason why she’s now selling her dream home.
You can take a look at it in the video below and if you have an adventurous soul you may even consider getting it for yourself.
And the price? According to ABC News, this beauty will only cost you $149,000.
Derek Schwendeman, a young man from Pennsylvania, shared a photo of his grandpa on Reddit. The photo was taken back in 1952, just before his grandpa, Thomas, who is now 86, was about to be deployed to Korea.
Little did Derek know that his grandpa’s photo would go viral. So far, it has been seen by over three million users. If you wonder why, most of the comments are that he looks extremely handsome. People can’t help but comment his looks and white teeth. Many even dubbed him the “Hot Grandpa.”
Thomas can’t believe the black and white photo from his old days attracted that much attention. But he loves it, that’s for sure.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
One other person who finds all the stir about the photo flattering is Derek’s grandmother, Fleecie. She and Thomas have spent a lifetime together. The two got engaged even before he started his training. A year later, after his training was over, they tied the knot.
She says he didn’t have much of a chance to ‘sow his wild oats’ considering the fact they married when they both very young. According to Derek, she also says that he has “‘women fussing over him all of the time, but she got him first.’”
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
After deployment, Thomas started working for the Bell Telephone Company. He was with the company for 30 years, until he retired. However, after that, he continued working as a bus driver for some more years.
“My grandfather is, and always was, a very hard-working man, and he passed that work ethic onto both my father and me,” Derek told People. He is described as a very devoted man who always puts his family first.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
Asked if there is something he wanted to change about the way he lived his life, Thomas answered with a resounding “no.”
“He was always loyal and has taken very good care of me,” Fleecie told her grandson.
Source: YouTube/ Inside Edition
For more on this sweet story go to the video below.
If you’re worried that your faith in humanity is dwindling down to nothing, fear not, because the FOX5 Surprise Squad is here with another heartwarming story that comes just in time for Christmas.
This time, the squad got a call from Alicestine Miller, known as Ms. Alice who was worried sick about her best friend, 72-year-old Ms. Ella, and the tough conditions she was living in. The most concerning was the fact that this elderly lady didn’t live alone at the old house, but with her six great-grandchildren. No matter how unbelievable this may sound, this brave great-grandmother is taking care of these kids all on her own.
When the Squad heard Ms. Ella’s story they were happy to lend a helping hand and give this woman the recognition she deserves.
When the Surprise Squad paid Ms. Ella a visit, she couldn’t believe her eyes and was so overwhelmed that tears started rolling down her face. She couldn’t find words to express how much the kids mea to her.
“Oh Lord, they mean so much to me,” she said. “They’re my heart.”
Not willing to go into details, probably because it was too painful to speak of her life she only added:
“I had to rescue them”
This woman’s place was about to be turned into a real home as a group of handymen and plumbers were about to complete the plumbing updates and maintenance.
However, they had another surprise in their sleeve. For this very special occasion, the team flew Ms. Alice from California and the two friends could spend some time having fun and catch up for all that time they haven’t seen each other.
After the place was complete, it was as well furnished with furniture, beds for the kids, new carpets, and other appliances. They even got a bunch of Christmas decorations.
When the time came for Ms. Ella to enter her fully transformed house she was left speechless by the sight. It was a completely new house that resembled a home. With the Christmas tree and all those decorations, the spirit of the holiday and the warmth of the season were now there for the family to feel and enjoy.
Under the Christmas tree there was another present. A $500 gift card for each of the kids.
It was the most unbelievable experience. Who would have though that this family’s life could take such turn for the better?
“They are going to have a fit,” Ms. Ella cried. Christmas this year was going to be vastly different than years before — “so different and so happy,” she said.
The Surprise Squad even arranged for the rent to be fully paid for one year. These people seemed to be sent from God to give hope that things are not always as bad as they seem.
“Trust in the Lord,” Ms. Ella said, “and he’ll make a way for you.”
The kids were as surprised as their great-grandmother. Their faces were all smiles.
“It’s a big Christmas miracle,” Ms. Ella’s great-granddaughter said.
“It’s not about the presents,” said one great-grandson. “It’s about loving your family.”
And to be honest, we can’t agree more.
Please share this wonderful story with your family and friends.
If there’s one thing that is essentially challenging yet equally rewarding job in the world, then that would be no other than parenting.
Aside from assuring that the basic necessities for all children are met, the social, emotional and psychological upbringing should also be compatible with the struggles that life has to offer. As for this Russian father, being a good provider is not just enough. For him, fatherhood is defined on how brave you have risen to the challenges of becoming the epitome of a good role model to those who are next-in-line or at least for the bold ones who are willing to sacrifice singlehood in pursuit of family life.
A Russian father shared this on Reddit:
(English is not my native language, please be kind)
One morning I came down the stairs, seeing this exact scene – my 17 year old daughter with a young man, asleep after what must have been a night of ‘hard labor’. I very quietly made breakfast, went back upstairs and told my wife, son and other (youngest) daughter to be very quiet because people were still asleep.
Our dinner table is on the other side of the room, about 20 feet from the couch but right in front of it. we all sat down and I yelled “YOUNG MAN” – never ever have I seen someone wake up and move from horizontal to vertical that fast. “Breakfast is ready!” I said with a tone as if I gladly would suck his soul out of his body. I pulled out the chair beside me. “Sit!” my family was silent, staring at their plates, not even twitching.
It must have been the hardest 20 feet for a butt naked youngster to cross. Trying to hide his, I must say, rather impressive morning wood. My youngest daughter looking in awe at said piece of wood, as did my wife. After he put on his clothes, which lay beside the dinner table, he sat down. My son (6’4″) patted him on the shoulder, looked him in the eyes, sighed and shook his head. By now he was really, really nervous. You could almost smell it. In my best Russian accent: “My friend, I’m going to ask you a question. The answer you give is very important…. for you.” At this point he was sweating.
“Do you like cats?”
He was a very likeable and friendly guy. Clearly uneducated but not dumb. There was something odd about him. My daughter assured me he was a very nice and attentive guy. She knew him for about a month by then. He came by every day since that morning, never stayed overnight though.
Every morning he came to pick her up for school on his bicycle, brought her home after, and made sure she did her homework. He looked after her when she was sick and we were at work. He invested time end effort. He had the patience of an angel when she had one of her terrible moods.
He said he had no family, no education, no steady job. She adores him. He adores her. Who am I to prevent her from learning from her own mistakes?
After this had been going on for about 8 months my son came to me. He had been asking around about him. It turns out the guy was homeless. His abusive father killed himself. His mother, a crackhead, took off three weeks after that. They lived in a rented trailer. He was 15 then and survived for three years on the streets – sleeping in parks, at the Salvation Army, with “friends”, cheap hotels. He worked construction jobs.
Now, there I was. I knew a young man, 18 or 19 years old, who was polite and comes in smiling; who leaves smiling; who cares; who helps, no need to ask; who makes my child happy. This is a kid who never had a chance to be a kid.
Sometimes when he does not come over because he has a job, we miss him. They are not buddies, but my son gets along with him very well. My youngest daughter trusts him unconditionally and my wife’s motherly instinct seems to have expanded. And me? I sometimes worry for him. I want him to be happy.
I told my wife and youngest daughter what I learned about him. They cried. I had a hard time telling them. I was disappointed in my oldest daughter. She knew. She should have told us. She loves him and lets him leave every night to go….where????
The next day I gave him a key of our house. I told him I expected him home every night. Home. In the next few weeks we fixed our spare room and took him shopping for furniture. He was quite good at making things. He wanted to be his own boss, he liked building things. We saw to it that he got an education which enabled him to do just that.
That was in 2000. Now, 15 years later, my found son and my daughter have a thriving business. They gave us our three beautiful grandchildren. Last year, twins. 1 girl, 1 boy!
Oftentimes people would complain about the life that was given to them. For some, a burdened life is nothing but a barren land. However, while some are close to giving up, there are also a handful who are willing to stand up regardless of the times they stumble and fall. Thanks to the good Samaritans who are always willing to extend an extra hand and hope. Somehow, what used to be a hopeless case is now as brand as new. For their case, both the young man and the father are living testaments of hope and change.
Dennis Vinar and Karen Lehmann were still teenagers when they fell for one other. Despite being very young, they both knew they were meant for each other. He was a very popular football player at the school, and she was a member of the school band.
Most days, Dennis would walk her home after classes while carrying her clarinet.
“I walked her home from school every night and I missed football practice, but I couldn’t care less about football, I just wanted to be with Karen,” Dennis told Steve Harvey during an appearance on his show.
Shortly after they started dating, she fell pregnant, but since she was still just a teen her parents didn’t allow her to keep the baby after she gave birth. They even forbade Dennis from seeing his daughter, but Karen made sure he met her and held her before they gave her for adoption.
Karen’s parents wanted her to attend college, not taking care for a baby at 15, and so it was. While she attended college, Dennis enlisted for the army and the two lost touch.
As time passed by, they married different people, although they never forgot each other.
Years later, while he was working for a senator, Dennis learned that Karen lived near the place where he worked. He was determined to find her, so he went knocking from one house to another in hopes Karen would answer the door at one of them. But, to no avail.
Source: YouTube
It wasn’t until Dennis got divorced that fate reunited him with his high-school sweetheart. Namely, his friends introduced him to LinkedIn, and his first thought was to type Karen’s name on the site. To his surprise, what resembled a familiar face appeared in the search results. “I typed in ‘Karen Lehmann’ and there she was—the third person down. And I smacked my hands together and said, ‘That’s my lady!’” he shared with WUSA9.
He got in touch and learned that Karen was a widower. He paid her a visit on Monday, and three days later, they were married. It took them more than 50 years to be together again. However, although they were over the moon they reunited after so much time, they knew something was missing. Together, they contacted the adoption agency which handled their long-lost daughter’s case and got information which led them to her.
Source: YouTube
Jean Voxland was overwhelmed when she learned her biological parents’ life story. “Imagine being 55 years old and learning that your parents are together and that they’re looking for you, they walked through the door and my heart was pounding,” she said.
For the touching interview of this beautiful family go to the video below. God truly works in mysterious ways, don’t you agree?
What started as a fun day in Texas could easily turn into a tragic even had it not been for one 17-year-old girl who saved the day by saving one boy’s life.
Teen Tyra was part of the Rockwell High School’s homecoming parade. She and the rest of the cheerleaders were dancing on a float when Tyra noticed a young boy in the crowd struggling to gasp for air.
Source: YouTube/ KETK NBC
Without any hesitation, she jumped off the float and started running towards the little guy. His mother was screaming for help, hoping someone would help her son who was chocking on a piece of candy. “He was just physically just choking, just gagging and just gasping for air,” the boy’s mother, Nicole Hornback, later shared with KETK NBC.
Tyra knew she could save the boy if she got to him in time. She then performed the Heimlich maneuver on him. “I picked the kiddo up. I tilted him downward, and I hit like two or three good back thrusts, and he started spitting up,” the quick-thinking teen said.
Luckily, the candy dislodged from the boy’s throat and he felt the air rushing into his lungs.
Source: YouTube/ KETK NBC
After saving his life, Tyra jumped on the float and continued with her routine.
Nicole was extremely grateful to Tyra, but she didn’t have the time to thank her for everything she did that day. In an attempt to learn who the teen was, Nicole shared the story of how her boy, Clark, was saved. Soon after, someone who realized the girl in question was Tyra helped Nicole get in touch with her.
The two met in person, and Tyra gave Clark a high-five.
“She saved my baby. I commend her for being a teenager and being trained,” Nicole told CBSDFW.
Source: YouTube/ KETK NBC
Tyra explained that she learned how to perform the Heimlich maneuver from early age from her mother who runs a group home for foster children.
The brave teen explained how she is planning on becoming a pediatric surgeon in the future. Considering her bravery and quick-thinking, we are sure she would be very successful in her future job.
Source: YouTube/ KETK NBC
For more on this beautiful story go to the video below.
Ohio-based photographer Erika Brooke has taken thousands of professional photos over the course of her career, but none could compare to the ones she took for the annual calendar for the Down Syndrome Association.
When she was invited to work on the project, Brooke was not aware of the impact that photoshoot would have on her life and her career.
7-year-old Joey, a boy with Down Syndrome, was mister December. When it was his turn to pose, he didn’t want to do it without his best friend Ellie, who has the same condition as him.
Brooke believed the photographs of the two best friends were so cute that she felt the urge to share them with her followers.
“In my 28 years of life, I am unsure I have ever seen a love this pure,” she wrote. “Chivalry isn’t dead and little Joey is walking proof,” she added.
When sweet Ellie was too afraid to walk near the water, Joey held her hand like a little gentleman. When he was supposed to smile for the photos but didn’t feel like smiling, Ellie tickled him.
“As I watched them interact I just thought to myself, ‘Wow. They already have it all figured out,’” Erika said.
“They are everything as children that I could ever hope to be as an adult. In that short hour, they encouraged me to be a better version of myself, to choose to see the good and to love a little more selflessly. If only we all saw the world as purely as Ellie and Joey do, what a beautiful world it would be.”
According to what the kids’ parents told Love What Matters, the two were born six months apart and live in the same town.
Joey’s mom, Holly, said: “From our first get together to today, Joey and Ellie have a bond, as well as their families. We get each other’s struggles and triumphs. We consider each other family.”
Both Joey and Ellie have older sisters. He has thee, and she has two. Their sisters make sure they teach everyone at their school that those who have Down Syndrome are not any different than the rest of the students or any other child out there.
“I am not sure when it happened, but Joey began calling Ellie his girlfriend. He will tell us on a weekly basis that he is going to marry Ellie. We think this could work out nicely for all of us!” Holly said. “When they see each other outside of school, they immediately hold hands, hug and just look into each other’s eyes. It is as if they know something we do not.”
Whenever he’s supposed to meet his best friend, Joey brings a snack for her.
“Love is a beautiful thing, and watching them love and see the best in each other is simply easy for them. They are specially-abled, as we would say. They have no apprehension to show their feelings for each other,” Holly added.
“When Joey asks me why he cannot marry his sisters, I tell him, ‘Because you have to marry your best friend.’ He always responds, ‘Oh I am going to marry Ellie then!’ She is his number one gal.”
Local authorities in Utah, United States, have recently commended the bravery shown by a 12-year-old boy after he had gallantly fought off a kidnapper – all by himself with a keyring. Duncan Jensen had been walking home from his cousin’s house in Centerville when one stranger in a nearby car called out to him and asked if he wanted some candy.
Recognizing the danger the stranger posed, Duncan politely refused and tried to cross the street instead. However, the stranger jumped out of his car and grabbed Duncan by his shirt. Thankfully, the boy had remembered the advice his parents had told him.
Duncan’s dad, Jerry Jensen, said: “We say if you get to the point where you think you may be taken, we want you to punch, bite, scratch, you do whatever you can to get away from whoever is trying to take you.” Duncan had been playing with his keys before he was grabbed and had the key ring right in between his knuckles. As the kidnapper faced him, Duncan took the opportunity to punch him – right in the face.
The attack stunned the kidnapper and allowed Duncan to run to a nearby park and hide behind some rocks. His kidnapper followed by car, tried to spot him by pulling into the parking lot, but drove off afterwards. Duncan hid for about 30 minutes and then raced home to inform his parents, who were horrified but thankful that Duncan was unharmed. “You never think something like this is going to happen and it will. It does,” Duncan’s mom, Tenisha Jensen, remarked.
Police are now looking for the suspect – he was described as a white male in his 30s, with blond hair and bears a tattoo on his neck. He was seen wearing a black T-shirt and a blue colored pair of shorts. His car was an old blue Sedan which had 4 doors.
So when you see a buggy in the park you would usually expect to see a mother driving the buggy with her precious cargo wrapped up securely inside, on a normal day of course.
What would you do if you saw a buggy with no baby inside and a guy bending over it in this odd situation?
When, Doug Delony, a digital producer at KHOU.com, was jogging in the Discovery Green Park, Houston, his interest was sparked by the empty baby buggy and he couldn’t resist going over to have a closer look.
Doug caught on straight away what was really happening and took a photo of the very odd behaviour of the man. That photo has gone viral, but why exactly may give you a surprise.
Doug really loves to go out for an invigorating afternoon run in his favorite place, the Discovery Green Park in Houston Texas, but one afternoon he saw a guy kneeling next to a baby buggy, an empty baby buggy, the guy kneeling over it caught Doug’s attention, so he caught a quick photo to post at Facebook.
He never expected the photo would be shared hundreds of thousands of times, he didn’t even know the guy in the picture, but now everyone on the internet knows what he did.
The television station KHOU saw the viral photo and wanted to investigate further, everyone wanted to know about the mysterious man and KHOU wanted the exclusive.
The man, who intrigued everyone lived in a 10th floor apartment across from the park, but, the man, who we find out is called Troy Griffin has such innocent and great intentions.
Doug Delony said:
“Most afternoons I take a run through Discovery Green, and most afternoons I see this guy with a stroller but no baby. He brings this beautiful… what appears to be… disabled pup to the park. He lets it sit in the grass and take in the smell and the sound. Here he is giving it water out of a small cup he brings with him. An adorable dog and a nice guy – God bless em.”
Many dog owners take their dogs to that park, but sadly in this case, Troy’s somewhat aging Max can’t walk on his own because of arthritis. Troy doesn’t want Max to miss all the fun and smells of being outside, so he uses a baby buggy to give Max some much needed mobility. Max just comes alive when he’s outside!
Troy’s wife, Edie, says that the 16 year old Max is part of the family. Since he was 3 weeks old they have looked after him, and Edie wouldn’t know what she would do without her amazing baby. This awesome pooch even warned them of a coming tornado at their old home; he’s a real hero!
He told KHOU:
“He’s part of our family. He’s my best friend. He’s taught me life lessons that I will never forget.” Sadly, the doggy is blind in one eye and has a cataract in the other. Max is the equivalent of 112-years-old in human years, so it’s no surprise that he’s racked up a lot of medial issues. Despite his problems, Max is living it up in a penthouse-like apartment, and he even has a large corner to himself that’s filled with tons of toys! Edie and Troy aren’t going to give up on their pooch just because he’s elderly. The baby stroller proves just how far they’ll go to make sure he gets all the love and attention he needs.”
Edie told KHOU:
“But I don’t think you should just turn your back on someone just because they’re elderly. I think they deserve our love and our care and our attention. And there is so much we can learn from them even as they get older.”
The couple really do believe that even though Max is getting much older, he’s not sad at all and he’s very much a happy doggy. Max has taught the couple an important life lesson – we should treat all the elderly with respect, and make sure they feel happy and loved always!
Frank Sinatra is one of the most popular and most influential artists of the 20th century.
The huge number of songs, among which “My Way,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” “Strangers in the Night,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” the list is endless, really, which are everlasting hits both old and new generations fall in love with over and over again even years after his death, make Ol’ Blue Eyes an icon.
Sinatra tied the knot four times. He married his first wife Nancy Barbato Sinatra when he was 19 years old and the two had three children together, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Tina Sinatra. Some twelve years later, he divorced and moved on marrying iconic Ava Gardner with whom he stayed together for 6 years. His third wife, actress Mia Farrow was 29 years his junior and the two were married for 2 years. Sinatra married his fourth wife, Barbara Sinatra, who remained his wife until his death.
I’ve been without my little brother for years now and I still can’t get used to it. I miss him so much. pic.twitter.com/BleUJR7n2C
The legendary singer and actor’s eldest child, daughter Nancy, followed into his footsteps. She was born on June 8, 1940 and is probably best known for her hit “These Boots Are Made For Walking.” The song had a music video, which was a rarity back in the day, before MTV.
Before she appeared in her iconic go-go boots, Nancy had other songs, but somehow experienced failure each time and she was even very close from being dropped by her father’s record label Reprise Records.
After this hit song that earned Nancy two Grammy nominations, she had other hits like “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?” “Sugar Town,” and the song she recorded together with her father, “Somethin’ Stupid.”
Nancy tried herself in the film, too, and starred in he Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966), Last of the Secret Agents? (1967), The Wild Angels (1967) and Speedway, alongside Elvis Presley (1968), but music was her first and biggest love.
During the 70’s, Nancy took some time off from recording and performing and dedicated all her time to raise her children she had with Hugh Lambert, her second husband. Before Lambert, she was married to teen singing idol Tommy Sands, but their marriage didn’t last long.
In 2013, Nancy released the studio album, Shifting Gears. She also wrote two books about her father, Frank Sinatra, My Father (1985) and Frank Sinatra: An American Legend (1998).
Born on April 14, 1932, to a father who worked as a coal miner in the coal-mining hills of Kentucky, Loretta Lynn was the eldest of eight children. Her life wasn’t an easy one during her childhood because her parents had a hard time making ends meet and providing for the family.
Lynn, however, rose to fame during her late twenties, and over time, she became one of the most famous and most prominent female country musicians with a career spanning six decades. Lynn has released 50 studio albums, and today, at the age of 89, she’s still producing music and performs in front of audience.
At the age of 15, Lynn met the man who would become her husband. The two stayed together for 48 year, until his passing in 1996. One would assume that her marriage was a picture-perfect one, but’s that’s far from the truth.
Over the course of the years, Lynn suffered numerous heartbreaks because of her husband Oliver Vanetta “Doolittle” Lynn. According to her memoir Still Woman Enough, Doo was a huge womanizer who cheated on her whenever possible. He was also a heavy alcoholic, which made him violent very often. Lynn shared details of their stormy relationship and their passionate reconciliations.
“Every time Doo smacked me, he got smacked twice,” Lynn told Fabiosa. During one fight, she emptied a skillet of creamed corn over her husband’s head. Another time she struck him: “I heard teeth hittin’ the floor and thought, ‘Ooh, I’m dead. He not gonna put up with this.’ But he laughed.”
Asked why she never put a stop to her turbulent marriage, the singer said: “I put up with it because of six kids,” as reported by CBS News.
Lynn always credited Doo for her successful career, saying he believed in her more than anyone else and encouraged her to start singing although she was way too shy to perform in front of people at the beginning. She even recalled how Doo bought her her first guitar for $17.
Country singer Loretta Lynn and her husband at a soiree in circa 1976. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
”I married Doo when I wasn’t but a child, and he was my life from that day on. But as important as my youth and upbringing was, there’s something else that made me stick to Doo. He thought I was something special, more special than anyone else in the world, and never let me forget it. That belief would be hard to shove out the door. Doo was my security, my safety net,” she wrote in one of her biographies.
“And just remember, I’m explainin’, not excusin’… Doo was a good man and a hard worker. But he was an alcoholic, and it affected our marriage all the way through.”
Each time she was going through rough times during her life, she managed to channel the pain and feelings into her music.
“If you can’t fight for your man, he’s not worth having,” she shared with Times.
After his passing, she was heartbroken despite the numerous affairs and all the fights. “Three days after my husband died, I left Hurricane Mills and come to Nashville,” she shared with Nashville Scene in 2000. “After bein’ here awhile, I said to a friend of mine, ‘It seems like I been here a couple months already.’ And she said, ‘You been here a year.’”
The truth is that most people struggle to maintain their perfect figure. Between the wish to look sexy and all those sweets and junk food that lure us to take a few bites, many are having a hard time to say no to the unhealthy way of living.
Those who don’t look the way societies expect them to are usually criticized about their physical appearance. This is especially true for the celebrities who are likely to end up in the magazines whenever they gain some weight.
Kirstie Alley / Instagram
Kirstie Alley, an award-winning actress who we all love, has spoken openly about her battle with the weight and how she went from skinny to overweight over the years. Today, however, she looks the way she feels most confident about herself, and we believe she’s very beautiful.
”I spent my whole life thin, then one summer I probably gained around 40 or 50 pounds,” Kirstie told OK! in 2018. This wasn’t the first time for her to speak of her problem with her weight. Years before that, back in 2004, she had an interview with Oprah where she said, “Honestly, I didn’t know how fat I was. Thanks to the tabloids, I went, ‘Damn, girl, you’re fat!’”.
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This came as a revelation and Kirstie got her comedy series Fat Actress the following year. It only premiered for a season and was based on Kirstie’s life.
”I think women across the country will identify with her,” co-creator Brenda Hampton told TODAY in 2004. “It’s difficult to lose weight and find a relationship, no matter where you live. It makes it all the more painful when you’re in the spotlight.”
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Kirstie described herself as a “disorganized” person and she believes that trait stood on her way to organize her meals and eat more healthy. ”It’s not in my nature to plan,” Kirstie told People in 2016. “I’m a very spontaneous person, and that’s how I got fat.”
Throughout the years, Kirstie got help from weight-loss program Jenny Craig and she was Jenny Craig’s spokesperson until 2007.
Kirstie Alley / Instagram
However, when she took part in the show Dancing With The Stars in 2011, she again gained a lot of weight that she was determined to lose once again. Working really hard for the show she shredded 100 pounds. She and dancing partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished in second place.
As many criticized her figure and her battle with the weight, people assumed she had undergone surgeries and even starved herself for the dance competition. After hearing those words, she took to Twitter to answer to the mean commenters, writing, “NO surgery, NO flippin lasers, NO barfing, NO starving … Jeez … my products, organic food, dance.”
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In 2014, Kirstie returned to Jenny Craig’s program and lost 50 pounds. But this time, her focus changed and she’s now fixed to maintaining the weight. She gave up sweets and junk food and is doing her best to avoid any weight fluctuations.
Speaking to Women’s Health, she said, “It’s so important for women to look the way they want to look and feel the way they want to feel for their own reasons, not because someone’s telling them to or because it’s fashionable or trendy.”
“Losing weight is losing weight, but just because you’re skinny does not mean you’re happy,” she added.
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Today, she’s much more disciplined and has much more energy, but still, being diagnosed with Lyme disease recently, she does have a hard time coping with her diet.
Being a celebrity and speaking openly about her looks and her struggles to lose weight over the years definitely served as an inspiration for many women from all over the world who are going through the same struggles as Kirstie.
To us, she’s one of the most beautiful women of Hollywood, with some extra pounds or not.
When you tell a parent how their kids are disrespectful towards others and bully their peers, most will stand for them and won’t accept they are guilty of such things.
However, there are also those parents like Randy who will never let their kids be the reason for some else’s suffering.
When he learned how his daughter Re’Onna was bullying another girl, he wasn’t happy about it. What’s most, he knew he had to put a stop right away. Randy was determined to teach his girl a lesson to remember.
When he was a teenager himself, Randy experienced what it feels to be bullied. So he hated the fact that Re’Onna was doing that to someone.
In order to punish her for her careless behavior, Randy did something that made parents from all over the country praise him.
He knew his girl loved shopping more than anything and decided to use that fact in his favor.
He was saving for some time because he wanted to treat Re’Onna with a shopping trip. However, now he learned she was a bully, he wasn’t sure he would do that. In fact, he was certain she didn’t deserve it.
Instead, Randy decided to spend all the money on clothes and stuff for Ryan, the girl his daughter bullied.
Learning of this, Re’Onna was really mad, but she eventually realized that her father was right.
Ryan was going through some hard times as she lost her father, her grandfather, and her aunt recently. Being disrespected and mocked by Re’Onna only worsened her life.
She had troubles explaining how it all made her feel, but it was obvious she was depressed and sad and the bullying affected her a great deal.
When Ryan’s mom first learned of the ordeal her daughter was going through she was hesitant whether to speak to Re’Onna’s parents. She knows how protective some moms and dads can be even when they are aware of their kids’ destructive behavior.
But she couldn’t watch Ryan suffering and she made that call. However, never in her wildest dreams did she expect from Randy to handle the situation in such manner.
The best part of the shopping trip was that Re’Onna got to be part of it, but only as a witness.
Her dad didn’t buy her anything but she saw all the nice things Ryan got.
Luckily, this made Re’Onna realize that not everyone is as fortunate as her and that bullying can have devastating effects on people, crush their self-esteem, and leave them vulnerable even years after it takes place.
At the end, Ryan and Re’Onna became friends all thanks to Randy who definitely deserves the parent of the year award.
He wants other parents to know that they should do all in their power to make their kids good humans, even if that calls for desperate measures.
Take a look at the whole story in the video below and share it with your friends.
A woman from Scotland named Lauren Knowles and her husband Trent, who were parents of one, were overwhelmed to learn that she was pregnant again.
Her pregnancy test was positive, and it was enough for them to start imagining how their lives would look like with two kids in the house.
When she was seven months pregnant, Lauren experienced bleeding. She was rushed to the hospital and prayed her baby to be safe and sound. Unfortunately, after the ultrasound, doctors revealed some shocking information.
Source: LaurenKnowles/Facebook
It turned out it wasn’t a baby what she carried in her stomach. Lauren was experiencing a ‘molar pregnancy,’ which is a rare complication of pregnancy characterized by the abnormal growth of trophoblasts, the cells that normally develop into the placenta. Those cells grew into cysts at Lauren, and unfortunately, they were malignant.
“The tumour grew in my womb the same way a baby would,” Lauren told The Daily Mail. “The same hormones were produced and my pregnancy tests always came back positive.”
Lauren underwent a surgery and chemotherapy, but sadly, the tumor grew bigger at a worrying rate.
Source: Instagram/LaurenKnowles
One day while at the hospital, Lauren experienced severe pain and cramps. She somehow managed to go to the bathroom where she ‘gave birth’ to the cancer mass which was as big as a pear.
“I lost all my hair and three months after starting treatment, I gave birth to the mass in the hospital toilets,” this brave woman told The Daily Mail. “The mass was the same size as a baby at 17 weeks so it was a big tumor to push out with no assistance.
“I was so relieved when I saw the tumor down the toilet as I knew my ordeal was finally over.”
Source: Instagram/LaurenKnowles
Finally, Lauren was cancer free. Doctors advised her not to get pregnant again, but as she was determined to try once again, they told her to wait at least a year before she conceives.
And so it was. A year passed by, and Lauren got pregnant again. At first, she was concerned and wondered if everything would be just right this time. After an ultrasound, when she and her husband heard their future baby’s heartbeat, they were finally at ease.
Source/; Instagram/LaurenKnowles
Today, they are parents of two. Their second child, baby girl Indi, is 10 months old. She was born five weeks prematurely, but is a happy and a healthy child.
Source: LaurenKnowles/Facebook
The couple moved to Perth, Australia, and Lauren makes sure she shares her story because she wants it to serve as an inspiration to others who are going through the same she went through.
When Supatra ‘Natty’ Sasuphan was born, her appearance baffled medical experts. Doctors in Bangkok, Thailand, have never seen someone like her before.
Natty’s face and body were all covered in hair and no one really knew why. She suffered from several conditions and was placed in an incubator. When her mom was allowed to see her, she was shocked by how hairy her baby girl was.
“I gave birth and the doctor said she had lots of hair, and I thought it was normal,” Natty’s mom Sompon said at the time. “When I saw her in the incubator, I was shocked that she had so much hair, I thought it was the normal amount of hair.”
Eventually, Natty was diagnosed with Ambras Syndrome, which is rare and not treatable. According to experts, there are only 50 documented cases of people suffering from it in world over the years. It is believed that it is caused by an incorrect chromosome.
The condition causes excessive hair growth over the entire body, with the exception of the palms, feet soles and mucous membranes.
Natty’s family tried a number of procedures, including laser removal, but nothing seemed to work. No known procedures help to slow the growth of hair.
In 2010, Natty, who is now 21 years old, entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the hairiest teenager in the world.
Source: Facebook
The condition never affected Natty’s self-confidence. Her parents said her childhood was a normal one. “There were a few people who used to tease me and call me monkey face but they don’t do it any more,” Natty told The Daily Mail a few years ago.
Eventually, Natty decided to start shaving her face regularly after she met her husband. She found love and a soulmate who love her for who she is and doesn’t mind her condition.
“Not just my first love, you’re the love of my life,” Natty wrote under a photo of herself and her husband that she shared online.
Source: Facebook
We are so glad this young and beautiful woman is happy and healthy despite everything. She;s no longer called names such as “monkey face” and “wolverine.”
George Clooney has always been considered a Hollywood heartthrob. Ever since we saw him play handsome Dr. Doug Ross in the NBC medical drama ER, we got hooked to his acting talent and awesome looks. This series helped him gain the attention of the Hollywood greatest directors and producers and offers for future films came pouring in. Some of the films he starred in are From Dusk Till Dawn, Ocean’s Eleven, Tomorrowland, Michael Calyton, among the many more. The list is as long as Clooney’s career.
Over the years, Clooney gained recognition for his acting, directing, and producing. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the other as a producer. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Clooney was married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993, but he met the love of his life years later when a friend introduced him to beautiful human rights lawyer and activist Amal Alamuddin, who is British-Lebanese.
It was 2013 when the serendipitous encounter took place. Clooney and his family were spending some time in his 18th century Villa Oleandra in Laglio on the western shore of Lake Como, Italy, which he purchased back in 2002. A friend of his, who was traveling to Cannes, France, made a stop at Clooney’s place. But he wasn’t alone. He was traveling together with another friend, Amal. It was then that Clooney and Amal first laid eyes on each other.
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After that chance meeting, the two stayed in touch and communicated through emails. In 2014, Clooney was in London, filming at his studio, when he invited her over. Amal visited him and that was their first date, which according to Clooney went very well.
“She’d had a conversation with her parents who were like ‘What are George’s intentions?’, he says. “And she was saying, ‘Take it easy. We’ve been going out for six months.’”
Six months into dating, Clooney, who knew Amal was the one, popped the questions. He hid a 7-carat engagement ring inside of a lighter box which Amal often used to light candles on the table.
“I did all the stuff, got down on my knee and did all the things you’re supposed to do,” the actor revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I was waiting for this song, Why Shouldn’t I?’ ‘Why shouldn’t I take a chance when romance passes by? / Why shouldn’t I know of love?’ It’s a really good song about why can’t I be in love? And it played, and she’s like, ‘Holy shit!’ And she just kept staring at the ring, going, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was 20 minutes of me on my knee, waiting for her to say yes, because she was so shocked.”
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In 2017, they welcomed twins Ella and Alexander and both became parents for the first time, although parenthood wasn’t something they planned.
“It had never been part of my DNA,” George Clooney said. “We didn’t plan on it. We never talked about it until after we were married, which is funny. There was an assumption that we didn’t want them. And then, after the wedding, we just felt we’d gotten very lucky, both of us, and we should share whatever good luck we’ve got. It would seem self-centered to just have that belong to us.”
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Following her marriage with Clooney, all eyes were on Amal. All of a sudden, everyone got very interested in her and her life.
She has built a notable career in International Law over the years and is now one of the most famous and most successful lawyers there are.
She was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1978. Her family moved quite often because of her father’s job who held the position of vice president of the Universal Federation of Travel Agents’ Association. Amal’s name stands for “hope” in Arabic.
Amal studied at Oxford University from where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree. She then had her Master’s Degree from NYU and started working at the top-ranked law firm Sullivan & Cromwell after passing her bar exam.
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Few years later, she developed passion for international law and was part of the team who worked on the case to prosecute the people responsible for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri. Later, she started working for the firm Doughty Street Chambers.
“She’s been a leading intellectual thinker on the concept of fairness—in a trial where you don’t have a jury and where, sometimes, you don’t have a defendant,” Geoffrey Robertson, a co-founder of Doughty Street Chambers told Vogue. “That set her apart even before she met George.”
In 2020, Amal was presented with Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award for her “extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom.”
Amal seems to have it all; a successful career, an amazing family, and incredible beauty. Recently, a photo of her without make-up was shared online and we can all agree that she looks stunning, don’t you agree?
Every parent-to-be wishes for their little bundle of joy to be born healthy and have a happy childhood. Unfortunately, Paul and Rebecca Callaghan weren’t that lucky.
Their daughter had experienced problems while in the womb and had to be delivered prematurely. Sadly, neither the doctors nor the parents were aware of the severity of the baby’s health condition until she was welcomed into the world.
Little Matilda Rose Callaghan has gone through so much during her life and she’s still struggling. But she’s one brave girl who has loving parents by her side.
The moment Matilda was born, doctors noticed her face was covered in dark blue and red marks. Initially, they thought those were just bruises she sustained during birth, but that wasn’t the case. Those marks were something way more serious and were not about to fade away.
During the first days of her life, Matilda had to undergo various surgeries. She even stopped breathing twice and medics had to revive her. Eventually, they learned that the marks on her face were a result of the baby’s Trachea Oesophageal Fistula (TOF) and Sturge Weber Syndrome. This syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by distinctive port-wine stains on the forehead, scalp, or around the eye caused by an overabundance of capillaries near the surface of the skin.
Sadly, having these conditions meant Matilda would experience glaucoma, seizures, weakness on the left side of her body and even learning disabilities.
In order for her birthmarks not to spread and affect the brain or other organs, they had to be treated with laser treatments.
The treatments that Matilda has to undergo until she’s 16 years old leave polka dot marks on her face. They fade away after around three weeks but since she receives laser treatments every two months, her face is most of the time covered in dots.
Whenever she’s out with her parents, strangers stare at her and make her and her parents feel uncomfortable mostly because they believe the marks are a result of beating and abuse.
The Callaghans are left heartbroken whenever people make fun of their daughter. They know that she’s way too young to be aware of her condition but fear that her self-confidence would be greatly affected as she grows older.
Matilda’s father wants people to know the truth behind his daughter appearance and says, “They just see what is in front of them and jump to hurtful conclusions. I wish they could see past the birthmark and see what a wonderful little angel she is.”
Matilda is unable to walk on her own and has difficulties communicating, but her parents do their best to provide her with the best life she can get. They love her to the moon and back and are there to fight her battle with her.
They share her story because they want people to be aware of the obstacles they are trying to overcome every single day.
11 years have passed since the world lost great Michael Jackson who remains until this day the one and only King of Pop.
Michael’s life was always interesting for the public and the paparazzi who followed his every step very closely. They were particularly interested in his privacy which he tended to keep for himself. When his children were born, many were questioning the stories behind the kids’ mothers.
Michael Jackson / Facebook
Two of his children, Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson, Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson were brought into the world by the singer’s second wife and friend of many years Debbie Rowe. In fact, rumors were that he married her so that she could help him become a father, something the pop icon wanted badly.
Michael was first married to Lisa Marie Presley. He first met her when he was just 16 and she was 6. Years passed by before the two met again at a dinner hosted by artist Brett-Livingstone Strong and became a thing. At the beginning, they were just friends who talked on the phone every single day. However, they realized that they had a lot in common, including complicated relationship with the real world, and in one occasion, Michael asked her, “If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?” Lisa Marie, who was at the time married to actor Danny Keough and a mother of two, said yes.
Lisa Marie separated with her husband in 1994 and tied the knot with Michael just 20 days after her divorce was finalized. She, however, didn’t like the idea of carrying Michael’s children as she thought he was too childish to be a father.
According to J. Randy Taraborrelli, the author of the book Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, the singer told Lisa Marie, “My friend Debbie [Rowe] said she will get pregnant and have my baby. If you will not do it, then she will. How about that?” to what she said she was okay with that. The pair, however, divorced in 1996, the same years he married Debbie.
Debbie was still more of a friend than a wife. In fact, she was more like a surrogate than a mother and wasn’t attached to the children.
Michael Jackson in the opening of one of the concerts of his “Dangerous tour” in 1993.
“My kids don’t call me Mom because I don’t want them to. They’re Michael’s children. It’s not that they are not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. People make remarks, ‘I can’t believe she left her children.’ Left them? I left my children? I did not leave my children. My children are with their father, where they are supposed to be. I didn’t do it to be a mother… If he called me tonight and said let’s have five more [children], I’d do it in a heartbeat,” she said during an interview with English journalist Martin Bashir.
In 1999, Michael and Debbie divorced and he got full custody of the children.
Instagram / Debbie Rowe Official
The star’s third child, Bigi Jackson, or better known as Blanket, was born in 2002. The nickname, which he got because his face was always covered with a blanket when he was out in the public, caused Prince troubles while growing up because his friends often teased him. He now prefers to be called Bigi.
Information about Bigi’s mother was never revealed. In fact, Michael claimed he had his youngest child through artificial insemination and he had no idea who the mother was.
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His father’s death affected Bigi a lot. The boy was just nine years old at the time and had a hard time coping with the pain. After the tragic incident, Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, was the one who cared for him and raised him.
Today, Bigi is doing perfectly fine. He was trying to keep a low profile until recently, but he’s now active on the social media. Together with his older brother, Bigi runs a YouTube channel, Film Family, where they rate different movies. After a couple of videos, the number of their followers reached 35,000, so we guess we’ll be seeing more of him in the future.
Bigi lives at an elite Calabasa, California neighborhood and attends Buckley School, a private school in Sherman Oaks, California.
What fans can say for sure is that Bigi inherited his father’s looks and his love for comics. He loves being around friends and practices karate.
A woman in her thirties named Kelsi Pierce and her husband struggled to conceive. They did all in their power to become parents, but nothing worked. They underwent a number of procedures, including IVFs which cost them fortune, but to no avail.
After everything they went through, doctors told Kelsi that conceiving was practically impossible for her because she had a low ovarian reserve. As it turned out, the lining of her uterus was too thin to carry a pregnancy.
“He [the doctor] told me that nothing was working and my body just wasn’t able to [carry a pregnancy],” Kelsi told Good Morning America. “It was a very emotional conversation, of course, but I understood that we’d tried everything possible.”
Source: Facebook
This left the desperate couple with two options. They could either adopt or find someone to carry one of their embryos for them. They wanted to go with the second option but since they spent all of their money on the procedures it wasn’t possible because it would cost them over $100.000.
“We had already poured more than our savings and gone into debt incredibly just for what we had done before, so it wasn’t an option,” Kelsi explained. “It was a very depressing time.”
But then, out of the blue, someone special stepped in and helped them restore their shattered dreams. It was someone this couple never thought of; Kelsi’s mom.
Source: Facebook
Although she was 53 at the time, Kelsi’s mom underwent a number of tests which confirmed her body was able to carry Kelsi’s baby.
“I woke up and there was a text on my phone and it was a picture of a positive pregnancy test and I just lost it,” Kelsi said of the time she learned her mother was pregnant shortly after she underwent an embryo transfer in February.
This news was the best she could ever receive. That meant Kelsi would finally be a mother. It also meant she could stop seeing doctors and take fertility meds.
But then, something truly unbelievable happened. Something which convinced the mother to be that God truly works in mysterious ways. “I used to take pregnancy tests every month and it was just one of those things where, by habit, I took a pregnancy test,” she said of that day in March. “I glanced down at the test and I was going to throw it away like normal, and that was the first time I saw two lines.”
Source: Facebook
She couldn’t believe her eyes and was convinced there was a mistake with the test so she took another one which only confirmed that Kelsi was indeed pregnant.
These mother and daughter both carried Kelsi’s babies. At 36 weeks pregnant, Kelsi’s mom was forced to give birth to a baby daughter named Everly. Despite being delivered prematurely, the little one was super healthy. Just seven weeks and three days later, baby Ava was welcomed into the world.
Kelsi and her husband became parents to two beautiful girls. They couldn’t believe how their lives changed in just two years time. From having been told they could never conceive, to welcoming two bundles of joy.
Source: Facebook
“Even if you have to go a super unconventional route, if being a mom is important to you, there are a lot of ways to do this,” Kesli wrote in an attempt to encourage others who are in the position she was in some years ago.
For more on this miraculous story go to the video below.
The attack stunned the kidnapper and allowed Duncan to run to a nearby park and hide behind some rocks. His kidnapper followed by car, tried to spot him by pulling into the parking lot, but drove off afterwards. Duncan hid for about 30 minutes and then raced home to inform his parents, who were horrified but thankful that Duncan was unharmed. “You never think something like this is going to happen and it will. It does,” Duncan’s mom, Tenisha Jensen, remarked.
