lly Dirkes has heard the phrase “spoiled” many times. As a mother, she has had plenty of strangers and friends comment on her parenting methods. Many claim she “spoils her babies,” and they are convinced that they will never learn to be “independent.”
Rather than get worked up over these comments, Kelly often takes them with a smile on her face and moves on. She doesn’t let other people’s opinions bother her. They don’t know the entire story, and they don’t truly understand why Kelly spoils her babies. There’s a good reason why, and one day, while at Target, a woman commented for the umpteenth time that Kelly “spoils” her babies. Finally fed up with hearing the same phrase over and over again, Kelly took to Facebook to explain her actions.
If only everyone knew why Kelly “spoils” her babies…
Read on to learn why.
“Dear Woman in Target-
I’ve heard it before, you know. That I “spoil that baby”. You were convinced that she’d never learn to be “independent”. I smiled at you, kissed her head, and continued my shopping.
If you only knew what I know.”
“If you only knew how she spent the first ten months of her life utterly alone inside a sterile metal crib, with nothing to comfort her other than sucking her fingers.
If you only knew what her face looked like the moment her orphanage caregiver handed her to me to cradle for the very first time–fleeting moments of serenity commingled with sheer terror. No one had ever held her that way before, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
If you only knew that she would lay in her crib after waking and never cry–because up until now, no one would respond.”
“If you only knew that anxiety was a standard part of her day, along with banging her head on her crib rails and rocking herself for sensory input and comfort.
If you only knew that that baby in the carrier is heartbreakingly “independent” –and how we will spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years trying to override the part of her brain that screams “trauma” and “not safe”.
If you only knew what I know.
If you only knew that that baby now whimpers when she’s put down instead of when she is picked up.
If you only knew that that baby “sings” at the top of her lungs in the mornings and after her nap, because she knows that her chatter will bring someone to lift her out of her crib and change her diaper.
If you only knew that that baby rocks to sleep in her Mama’s or her Papa’s arms instead of rocking herself.
If you only knew that that baby made everyone cry the day she reached out for comfort, totally unprompted.
If you only knew what I know.”
“‘Spoiling that baby’ is the most important job I will ever have, and it is a privilege. I will carry her for a little while longer–or as long as she’ll let me–because she is learning that she is safe. That she belongs. That she is loved.
If you only knew…”
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The story of J.J Vallow and his sister Tylee Ryan who went missing under suspicious circumstances raised a lot of red flags. The whole country had their eyes on the outcome and was praying for the siblings to be found safe and sound.
What raised a few eyebrows is the fact that the mother of the children got rid of her autistic son’s service dog just days before he disappeared. Until then, Bailey the Goldendoodle was by 7-year-old J.J’s side every single day and helped him with his everyday tasks and struggles.
When the dog’s trainer, Neal Mestas, got a call from Lori Vallow who told him how she wanted him to take her son’s dog back, he was puzzled. He knew Bailey and J.J got along perfectly, and this came as a surprise to him and later to the authorities who were working on the missing children’s case.
What was very peculiar was that the mother, Lori, found a new husband whom she moved to Hawaii with while her children were still nowhere to be found. Her new husband’s wife died just thirteen days before the two married. The children disappeared mere weeks after she moved with them from Arizona to Idaho in 2019.
After she failed to produce her kids, Lori was extradited to Idaho and Chad was arrested later in 2020 after the bodies of J.J and Tylee were discovered on his property.
Lori Vallow Daybell is in custody in Idaho alongside her husband Chad Daybell where they are both facing charges in the deaths of her children. They are also facing additional charges that connect them to the deaths of their former spouses. Both pleaded not guilty in Idaho.
The prosecutors is asking for a joint trial for them. Lori also underwent a mental health evaluation.
The trial might be delayed until January 2023 and they may be facing death penalty.
Rest in peace J.J and Tylee. We all pray for the justice to be served.
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Bernie and Diane are the kind of people who restore our faith in humanity. Their incredible life story is both touching and inspiring as they remind us that the love we are willing to give can mean the world to those that are waiting to embrace it with arms wide open.
The couple has five boys who are now all grown up, so they decided to open the doors to their heart and home to a child in need of a family. So, they attended an adoption event. There, Diane’s attention was caught by a photo of a girl with dark eyes pinned to a bulletin board. Speaking of the time she had seen that photo, Diane recalls how she somehow knew that child was meant to be their daughter.
The Girl In The Window. Policeman Mark Holste from Florida, USA will never forgot the call he received on July 13th, 2005. A man reported seeing a mysterious, pale little girl in the window of his neighbour’s house.
However, once they showed interest in learning more about the girl, the caseworkers told them they should explore other options. But this didn’t stop this couple from their intention to get to know that girl better.
After insisting, one of the caseworkers explained how the girl, whose name was Danielle, was a subject of severe neglect and abuse while growing up. Until the age of seven, Danielle had never seen the sun or the sky. She spent those first years of her life locked in her mom’s Florida house. She couldn’t eat solid food or speak. Danielle slept on a soiled mattress.
When her case was revealed to the public back in 2007, people were shocked. Danielle’s mom lost parental rights and the girl was transferred to a group home.
Detective Mark Holste remembers the time he and his coworkers found Danielle. “I’ve been in law enforcement for 27 years now, and this is by far, bar none, the worst case of child neglect I’ve ever come across in my career,” he said of the case.
Bernie and Diane now knew all about the girl, but that didn’t stop them from adopting her. In fact, it made them love her even more. With the attention and the devotion they have given her, Danielle was able to overcome some of her behavioral and developmental issues.
They knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but they also knew behind the confusion and the stress, there was a little person inside, and she was reachable.
The progress Danielle was able to make with the support and the encouragement of her adoptive parents stunned the whole country. The three of them made us believe that miracles do happen, all we need is a little TLC.
Don’t miss the whole story and Bernie and Diane’s testimonies about the journey of their daughter. Take a look at the video below to learn more and make sure you share this inspiring story with your friends.
Don’t miss the whole story and Bernie and Diane’s testimonies about the journey of their daughter.
Take a look at the video below to learn more and make sure you share this inspiring story with your friends.
Emma is a very exceptional dog. Her family adopted her from SNARR, an animal rescue center for dogs with special needs. She is paralyzed from the back down and can’t move her hind legs, but that doesn’t stop her from thriving. She knows she is surrounded by people who love her to the moon and back and would do anything to facilitate her moving.
Although she is lucky to be living with her humans, there is one special person whom she loves a bit more than the rest of the family members. That’s her daddy who is an airman and spends time abroad every now and then. This time he was deployed for six months, and that’s how long Emma hasn’t seen him. However, it was now time for him to get back home and guess who welcomed him at the door?
Emma is so excited and overwhelmed that she started crawling towards him, eagerly waiting to give him a kiss.
The video of the reunion is so touching that you can’t possibly watch it without shedding some tears.
We have never seen anything more precious than this.
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This photo of a young boy was doing the rounds on Facebook, then very quickly got a huge amount of attention. The image, which was presumably taken inside a Walmart store, was shared thousands of times!
On his trip to Walmart with his mother, the boy went off by himself. When she found him just a short while after, she was ready to be cross with him for wandering off until she saw what he was doing!
“I had to run into Walmart. I turned around to make sure my son was next to me,” the caption of the photo which was initially shared by a Christian music station based in East Texas, 85.9 KVNE read.
When the mom found him, her son was kneeling at one of the benches towards the front of the store. Above the boy’s head was a poster which read: “Every second counts”
The caption continued:
“Instead of finding him by my side I found him kneeling in front of the missing children board praying.”
Ever since 1996, the retail chain Walmart and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) have partnered to reunite missing children with their families. One of the ways they do it is by placing boards with photos of missing children.
“We know that 134 children were recovered after callers to 1-800-THE LOST specifically stated they recognized a child’s photo on a Wal-Mart or SAM’S CLUB board,” Ernie Allen, the president and CEO of NCMEC, said.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimate that about 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the United States of America.
This very simple but powerful image went completely viral, everyone across the country just connected with the moment frozen in time by a photograph. Many of us just pass by those posters without taking a look, either because we don’t have the time or because we prefer to deny that they would ever be relevant to us. But this photo made a change and helped raise awareness, despite the fact that we don’t know if the story behind it is true.
One person on Facebook said something that really sums it up:
“Whether or not you believe in God really doesn’t matter. This was a child in Walmart who was thinking about others and doing the only thing he could to help. The world would be a better place if everyone followed his example.”
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The iconic role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show brought actor Tim Curry a worldwide fame. Over the years, this renowned actor and singer treated his audience with remarkable films and songs, but in 2012, his life changed after he suffered a stroke.
Born in Grappenhall, England, on April 19, 1946, Curry has always showed great love for music. Everyone who knew him well was certain he would achieve great things as a musician, and they were right, but what he conquered the world with has been his acting talent.
Youtube/Watchmojo
Curry attended the Kingswood School boarding school in Bath, and was destined for a life in show business. Later on, he attended Birmingham University. He graduated in 1968 with a combined degree in drama and theatre studies.
While studying in Birmingham, Curry shared a house with actor, screenwriter, and director Patrick Barlow. At the time, he was a major solo star.
“I remember being amazed by his extraordinary singing voice – it was just completely perfect, just something he was born with – it came ready-made,” Barlow told The Guardian.
“We would go to university parties and end up having a drink and whatever, and he would break out into song, this marvellous bluesy voice.”
Youtube/Watchmojo
Following his graduation, Curry and a couple of his friends moved to London to try their luck as performers. Once there, Curry auditioned for the production of the cult classic Hair. He did get a part but he nearly missed on performing because he needed to have some previous professional experience and an Equity card, which meant he needed to be a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. When asked if he had these two things, he lied about it and said yes. When the producers learned he tried to trick them, they could easily give him the axe, but they were so captivated by his presence and talent that they decided to sponsor him with union membership instead.
Everyone believed he would pursue a career in music and he was offered contracts, but he decided he wanted to do something else.
“I was offered things, recording contracts, offered to join groups. But as I thought about it, I got rather snippy. No, no, no, I decided, I want to be an actor,” he told Los Angeles Magazine.
“I treated Hair like a drama school. You were always able to rewrite your part. You built up your physical presence. And because everyone was competing for attention, you learned quite quickly to make your presence felt.”
Youtube/Watchmojo
This decision led to gigs with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Glasgow Civic Repertory Company, and the Royal Court Theatre.
During this period, Curry was offered the role of the mad transvestite scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show musical. He was so great at it that he was offered the role when the musical got its Hollywood production.
“They asked me to audition for it, and I sang “Tutti Frutti,” which was appropriate, really. I started playing [Frank-N-Furter] as a German, then I saw the costume. It was quite diva,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“I heard a woman on the bus one day saying, in this posh voice, ‘Are you looking at a new house when retiring or your place in the country?’ and I thought, ‘That’s it!’ Almost like the Queen. Well, it was a smash from the moment it opened. It was a tiny theater. There were only 60 seats. And then they brought it over to Los Angeles.”
Youtube/Watchmojo
Besides having a very fascinating career in film, he never entirely let go of his passion for music so he released three studio albums with A&M Records between 1978 and 1981. His hit Do The Rock reached No. 53 on the Billboard charts.
What followed were other cult roles in a number of films and series, including the role of infamous clown Pennywise in It (1990) and the professional pirate in Muppet Treasure Island.
Unfortunately, in 2012, Curry suffered a stroke. His family kept it a secret for some time, but the media learned of his health and it made headlines. As per reports, he had to undergo numerous physical and speech therapy.
“I’m doing well and I’m looking forward to it,” the 69-year-old actor told Los Angeles Magazine in 2015. “I’ve done a few benefits for the Actors Fund and I think it’s a marvelous organization. I hope not to have to use it.
“It’s not tough to maintain,” he added. “It is just part of my DNA.”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 04: Actor Tim Curry poses for a photo during Emerald City Comic Con at the Sheraton Grand Hotel on December 04, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)
He spends his days doing what he loves, and that includes painting and gardening, among the rest. The garden on his property is exquisite.
“Since 2016 Tim has been appearing at Conventions to meet his fans and pose for photos and he continues to take part in private autograph signings each month,” his biography states.
“Tim has traveled extensively across the USA and Canada to make special guest appearances at large scale events such as Comic Con, MegaCon, GalaxyCon and Fan eXpo.”
Youtube/Fanmio
From what we know, Tim Curry has never been married and doesn’t have children. He has a net worth of $14 million.
We are glad Curry is doing fine after the stoke and we wish he stays as optimistic as he is.
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Dogs are those special creatures who make our lives a bit better and much more fun.
One stray dog from Thailand was dubbed a hero and was given a lifeguard collar. Hopefully, he will soon find the forever home he deserves.
One day, as this dog was walking around the streets hoping to find something to eat, he got near a trash can. There, among the garbage was a bundle. The dog probably heard a squeaky sound which probably resembled kitten meowing to him. The dog took the bundle in his mouth and left. No one knows how long he was carrying that bundle before he stopped in front of a house and started barking.
The people living in the house were disturbed by the loud noise and got outside. What they saw left them in complete shock. In the bundle the dog had next to him was a newborn baby that could barely breath. The woman called the ambulance and the little one was immediately taken to the hospital where he stayed in the intensive care unit.
Had it not been for this dog, the little baby could have certainly died.
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A man named Stefan Shaw and his now ex-girlfriend Chelby were about to become parents for the first time. As any other couple, they couldn’t wait for the moment when they would take their child in their arms. Unfortunately, when Chelby was in the 20th week of pregnancy, the scans showed something devastating.
The fluid from the amniotic sag was gone and the baby had no kidneys. Stefan and Chelby were told that they wouldn’t be able to see their child enter this world alive and that broke their hearts.
However, despite the odds, their miracle baby Joseph was born seven weeks prematurely via a C-section.
Source: Stefan Shaw / BPM Media
Joseph didn’t only lack kidneys, but bowels and genitals as well. Despite all that, he was breathing. His legs were fused together and he resembled a mermaid.
“When I got to the hospital they said that from the waist down Joseph was like a fish,” Stefan said.
“I had never seen a baby like my son. He was like a mermaid, he was a unique, beautiful baby boy.”
Source: Facebook/Stefan Andrew Shaw
Knowing Joseph wouldn’t make it, Stefan and Chelby wanted to give their bundle of joy “the best send-off possible,” so they organized for him to be christened at the Royal Derby Hospital.
During the ceremony, doctors had to pump air into Joseph to keep him alive.
Stefan, who is now homeless, explained how his son was in his arms when doctors took the tube off and he died peacefully.
“It was very heartbreaking and extremely hard to let go of something that meant the world to you,” the heartbroken father told Derbyshire Live.
Source: Facebook/Stefan Andrew Shaw
Rest in peace, Joseph.
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Every parents’ biggest wish is for their children to be healthy and experience a happy childhood.
When a couple, Karen Rodas and Paul Bybkin, welcomed their son Nathaniel into the world, their happiness only lasted for 36 hours because that’s how long the baby lived. He was born with a condition known as Polycistic Kidney Disease (PKD) which affects the kidneys and causes cysts to grow. Sadly, this often leads to kidney failure, and that’s exactly what happened to baby Nathaniel.
In 2013, the pair was blessed with a daughter, Maddy. Unfortunately, what these parents feared most happened. Maddy was born with the same condition as her late brother, and her mommy and daddy were heartbroken. The girl’s tummy was swollen so much that it looked like that of a 9-months pregnant woman.
This time, however, things took a turn for the better and Maddy was given a second chance for life all thanks to her daddy who gave her one of his kidneys.
Before this life-saving surgery took place, sweet Maddy spent most of her life in and out of the hospitals and would spend her days sleeping even up to 18 hours a day.
Doctors informed the family that the chances of Maddy being a normal kid depended on finding a suitable donor.
As luck would have it, daddy was a match!
“With Paul and Maddy, two of my most precious souls, going under the knife, my nerves were a wreck,” Karen said, according to The Mirror.
The surgery was a complete success and both Maddy and Paul recovered perfectly.
“Daddy’s kidney has saved our little girl,” Karen added. “Now, she has boundless energy. Her massive tummy now just looks a little bit rounded and she is a happy and healthy two-year-old.”
Paul, on the other hand, believes he only did what every father would do for their kid.
“We have been on a rollercoaster – but any father would have done what I did, donating my kidney to Maddy. It’s part of being a parent,” he said, according to The Mirror.
“Now we are on a high and can watch Maddy grow up as a happy and healthy little girl.”
She would probably need to undergo another transplant surgery in 25 years time, but until that moment comes, she’s got many years to enjoy and live her life to the fullest.
We are so happy for this lovely family and wish them all the happiness life can bring. Share this lovely story with your family and friends to wish them well-being too.
We are so happy for this lovely family and wish them all the happiness life can bring. Share this lovely story with your family and friends to wish them well-being too.
A very tragic incident in which two young men lost their lives took place last Tuesday in Florida at around 10 p.m.
Passersby were distracted by a horrific crash. A car was driving along when it suddenly hit a tree and flew into the Sunrise canal. The person behind the wheel was 18-year-old Venkata Sai Krishnamurthy who was heading to a Taco Bell after a basketball game.
At the moment of the crash, a women could be heard screaming, “Oh, my son, my son he went into the lake,” a bystander recalled. The woman kept saying that her son couldn’t swim.
Another young man, 17-year-old Aden Perry, who was taking a walk with his mother, heard the screams and rushed to help the drowning man. He jumped into the canal, but around 15 minutes passed by and neither of them make it to the surface.
Source: GoFundMe | Aden Perry Good Samaritan and Scholarship Fund
“It did take [rescuers] a while to find the first person they pulled out. It was like 15 or 20 minutes,” neighbor Daniel Welborn told NBC Miami.
Krishnamurthy was pronounced dead at the scene while Perry was rushed to the Broward Health Medical Center before first responders performed CPR on him. Unfortunately, he was also pronounced dead shortly after.
“It’s just unfortunate, who knows what happened when he went in there to try to open the door, maybe he got caught up in it. It’s a very sad, very brave act to do something like that. It’s sad to lose your life over that. My condolences to the family,” neighbor Gary Grove said as he expressed his condolences.
Perry was a topper at Western High School in Davie. He was an awesome pianist whose dream was to become a neurosurgeon.
Perry’s devastated mother, Sarah, recalled what had happened before her son jumped into the canal to save Krishnamurthy.
“We were walking, actually having one of those great mom and son moments. We usually had our walk and talks when we would talk about anything — good, bad or ugly — and that was what we did.
“Next thing we know, we saw a car hit the tree and go flying into the lake. Immediately we started running, my son grabbed the phone and called 911, handed me the phone, so I could actually talk to them. He took the dog from me and kept running to where the lake was,” she added. Next thing she saw was her son getting into the water.
“I looked, and I turned around. My son had tied the dog up to the pole, and he jumped in the water without even thinking. The man who went in, he was screaming for help, and my son answered his call and just without thinking jumped in, and I was screaming, and I wasn’t able to jump in because I can’t swim. I saw his face, I heard his voice. It was ear-piercing. These are sounds I will never forget,” the heartbroken mother shared. “Part of me died in that lake with my son.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Sarah to start a scholarship in his heroic son’s name.
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When we speak of dogs, the first thing that comes to our mind is the word loyalty. It’s beyond believable how these creatures are willing to risk everything, including their own life, for the well-being of their owners.
Around six years ago, The Brousseau family adopted a dog from a shelter in Portland, Connecticut. Duke, the sweet canine who became part of the family thrived in his new forever home. He loved his humans to the moon and back and was grateful for the new life they offered him.
Shortly after the family’s baby was born, Duke found himself in a situation which allowed him to express his gratitude in an endearing manner.
Source: YouTube/ ABC News
In the middle of the night, while the parents were sound asleep, Duke entered in their room and jumped on the bed. He was shaking uncontrollably and tried to alert them that something wasn’t right. As he didn’t answer to any of the commands from his human mom, it raised a red flag.
She rushed to baby Harper’s room and realized that the little one wasn’t breathing. Harper was then immediately taken to the hospital where doctors managed to save her life in the nick of time! Luckily, everything turned out for the best but things could have end up with a tragedy had it not been for Duke.
Source: YouTube/ ABC News
The family is forever grateful to their heroic dog who saved their daughter’s life.
If you want to learn more of Duke and his heroism go to the video below.
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Jack Mook could be best described as a tough guy who wouldn’t let anyone approach him emotionally. Single and with no interest of getting married, this Pittsburgh police detective and 22-year Army veteran who served in the Gulf War spent his days living day to day.
Whenever he had some free time, he would go to the Steel City Boxing, a local gym run by a non-profit organization which helps underprivileged children. There, Jack would mentor kids and teach them how to box.
One day, two brothers entered the place. For no particular reason, Jack grew fond of them but didn’t do much to show that. The kids trained for some time and then, all of a sudden, they stopped visiting the place.
Jack Mook pictured with Josh and Jesse | Source: youtube.com/ABC News
Jack could sense something wasn’t right so he made it his mission to find them.
Eventually, he was able to locate the boys, Joshua, 15 and Jessee, 11, and what he learned about them broke his heart. He was aware they were coming from a difficult background but could never imagine the severity of their living conditions.
The boys’ parents were extremely poor and left them behind so the brothers ended up with some relatives who were abusive and neglectful.
Josh and Jesse Mook. | Source: youtube.com/ABC News
“He [Jack] was asking me about it and then I just cried,” Joshua told CBS News. They had no beds, no clothes, and were forced to sleep on the cold floor which was covered in dog’s feces. “I’m trying to sleep my life away. I go to sleep as early as possible so I can sleep until I have to go back to school” the boy added.
Those words touched Jack’s heart to the core. All of a sudden, the tough guy went soft and crushed. He couldn’t possibly imagine that children so young could live such difficult and miserable lives.
[Left to Right] Jack Mook, Jesse, Court Judge, and Josh at the official adoption hearing | Source: youtube.com/ABC News
Without hesitating even a bit, Jack told the two brothers they were coming with him.
From being someone who didn’t wan’t any commitments or responsibilities, Jack became a foster father, and then a father after he officially adopted Joshua and Jessee. “He’s still Coach, but we know he’s Dad, too. Most of all, he’s a savior. He’s my role model,” Joshua shared with Today.
The story of this beautiful family of three went viral and now many women were eager to meet Jack. One of them, Mary, made sure she “stumbles upon” him at a bar. The two hit it off and tied the knot. With her three children from a previous marriage and Jack’s boys, they now make the perfect family.
Mary and Jack Mook at their wedding | Source: youtube.com/CBS Sunday Morning
“I thought being single was fun because you don’t have any responsibilities,” Jack shared with CBS News. “But when you’re single, you don’t realize what you’re missing. I’m glad I let her break through that barrier and take me away from that life.”
It only took Jack to open his heart for his life to change drastically. His days of solitude are now in the past and he is a proud father and husband.
His boys are happy to have him and have the best lives they could ever hope for.
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Randy Jackson has been a huge part of the music industry ever since he was just a teenager. As a young child, he was surrounded by good music and that made him fall in love with it more and more.
“You had a huge jazz culture, a huge blues culture, a huge rock culture, everything that you can imagine,” Jackson told Hits Daily Double about his upbringing and the effect music had on him.
“So, a kid growing up loving James Brown, Motown, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin to death, getting turned on to the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, Miles Davis and John Coltrane when I was 15… I couldn’t replace it for anything.”
“I immersed myself in music; that’s all I could think about. I practiced, took every lesson, listened to every record, hung out every place I could hang out where the music was happening. I really went for it. And that’s kind of the way my personality is, and what I do with almost anything I get into.”
Clayton Call/Redferns
He had his big breakthrough when he was just 17 and was invited to perform together with the iconic 1960s’ band John Fred and the Playboys. This established him as a potential big name in the world of music. Some time later, he got the chance to play alongside jazz drummer Billy Cobham and that added to his prominence as a musician even more. Everyone knew that Billy wouldn’t play with anyone who wasn’t perfect at what they did, so everybody’s eyes were on Jackson all of a sudden.
Over the years, he worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Tracy Chapman, Mariah Carey, Kenny G, Madonna, and many other celebs.
Shutterstock/Kathy Htutchins
Besides being very successful on stage, Jackson has been an eminent producer who creates magic as a studio musician. According to a Tampa Bay Times article, this renowned musician has worked on more than 1,000 gold and multiplatinum albums.
In 2002, Jackson embarked on the adventure called American Idol, the show which became a huge hit and attracted millions of viewers. It all started when he got a call from an agent who told him that the producer of the UK show Pop Idol, Simon Cowell, was taking the project to America.
“An agent friend called and said, ‘There’s a show starting that’s coming over here from Britain. You may want to check it out. Somebody mentioned your name. Make the call and see if you’d be interested,’” Jackson recalled in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“I called his people and learned it was headed by [Executive Producer] Simon Fuller, whom I’d known through the Spice Girls and Annie Lennox, both of whom he managed. “
Shutterstock/s_bukley
“I went to a bunch of meetings and really loved the concept, I did it—just thinking it would be something fun and interesting to do. I never knew or thought it would get this big.”
Overnight, everyone was obsessed with American Idol and Jackson was one of the people who made the show what it is today.
Working with Cowell, who is considered the strictest judge of all, wasn’t always an easy task. Jackson shared that during one of the episodes they were forced to take a two hour break because Cowell was mean with one of the contestants.
“I’ll tell you what, we really lucked out because none of us knew that we could have that chemistry. It was instant. But there were growing pains. The first day on set — the first hour — there was a dustup with all three of us because we couldn’t believe how crazy Simon went on this once contestant,” Jackson explained.
“‘You’re horrible, you’re terrible.’ We were like, ‘you can’t say this guy’s horrible! You can say his voice is horrible, but you can’t say that he is!’ So we stopped for like, two hours, had this whole powwow. We had some growing pains but Simon was who he was and we were who we were, you know.”
Shutterstock/Everett Collection
In 2013, after 13 seasons on the show, Jackson left it.
“I’m proud to have been a part of a series that discovered some incredible artists and will go down in history as one of the most successful television shows ever. A true original, Idol started it all. Onto what’s next,” he said in a statement.
As he was becoming more and more successful, his personal life has endured a lot of ups and downs.
Jackson was married twice. His first marriage, to Elizabeth Jackson, was dissolved in 1990. They had one daughter named Taylor. In 1995, Jackson married Erika Riker, with whom he has two children, a daughter named Zoe and a son named Jordan. In 2014, Riker filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce wasn’t finalized until five years later.
Shutterstock/s_bukley
In 2003, Jackson was diagnosed with diabetes type 2 and that was a wake-up call that his life and eating habits needed to change as soon as possible.
In his book, Body With Soul, the musician referred to the diagnosis as to “both a blessing and a curse.”
“It’s a curse to be saddled with a disease that’s life-threatening and that you can’t completely get rid of (though you can certainly manage it). But it’s a blessing to get that huge wake-up call.
“It was kind of crazy for me because it ran in my family, but you always think someone else is going to get it, never you. I got it.”
After undergoing a gastric bypass surgery and changing his eating habits, he was able to transform his looks entirely. Jackson lost over 100 pounds and he looked like a completely different person.
In an attempt to help others who struggle with managing their weight, Jackson co-founded Unify Health Labs.
Speaking of it, the musician told People: “This is me sort of giving back.
“Something that’s a simple solution because all of us probably have 50 bottles on the counter or 50 bottles in the bathroom of different vitamins and things that we take. The root causes of these certain diseases and trying to get your best health, it all starts in the gut. Gut health is really best health.
“You have to change the way you think about food. You have to almost have a complete divorce break up … and start back bit by bit and find out the things that work with your body and you also find out the allergies and really pay attention to how you feel.”
Shutterstock/lev radin
In addition to this, he also started the Randy Jackson Childhood Obesity Foundation, and became a spokesman for the American Heart Association’s Heart of Diabetes campaign.
“I want to spread the word that change, permanent change, is possible. I’m a new me, and I want you to be a new you,” Randy wrote in Today.
“Even if you’ve had the same bad habits for ten, twenty, thirty years — I definitely did — you can get used to a healthier lifestyle. Old dawgs can learn new tricks.”
His weight was an issue for him for so long, but today, Randy Jackson looks stunning.
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There is an extra special place in Heaven for people who open the doors to their hearts and their homes for animals in need.
Sadly, there are also those who abandon their pets and leave them on the streets.
Out of all dog breeds out there, Pit Bulls are considered to be most vicious. Their bad reputation is a result of human mistreatment towards them. They have been used for dog frights for so long that they now stand for aggression. But the Pit Bull from this story is fighting against this stereotype.
One day, a woman spotted a dog in a horrible condition sleeping on the trash. From what she could see, the Pit Bull was covered in mange and could barely move. She also smelled really bad.
Source: The Dodo Pittie Nation
In an attempt to try and save the dog’s life, she called animal services and told them to come as soon as possible.
When they saw her, the rescuers knew that the dog’s condition was very poor so they weren’t certain if anything could be done for her, but they knew they needed to do the best of their ability in order to save her.
One of the rescuers, Tracy, said: “Oh, she smells like she’s rotting from the inside out.” These words spoke a lot about the pain the dog was feeling.
Source: The Dodo Pittie Nation
They named the dog Lakita and took her to their facility. As no one claimed her after they shared photos of her online, they knew the poor animal was all by herself. They provided her with a medical treatment and gave her small portions of food. To everyone’s surprise, Lakita started gaining weight.
Under the pain she was going through, Lakita hid her vibrant personality, which came to light once she started feeling safe and loved by her rescuers.
Source: MisPits and Friends Rescue
Tracy took Lakita home to take care of her for some time. Once she started feeling better, the rescuers knew it was time for them to try and find the sweet dog a forever home.
They took cute photos of Lakita all dressed up and shared them with their followers along with her life story.
In no time, the perfect family came along, and today, Lakita is having a forever home and three human siblings who love her unconditionally.
Source: The Dodo Pittie Nation
What a beautiful ending!
For more on Lakita’s story go to the video below and don’t forget to share it with your friends. Maybe you’ll inspire them to adopt a dog from a local shelter.
Having a loving family is something we often take for granted, forgetting that there are thousands of children who are left on their own and strive to have someone in their lives to call their mom and dad.
The number of children in the foster care system is huge. Some get to end up in a forever home, but there are also those who age out of the system and struggle to find a place to stay. Many end up on the streets too.
In an attempt to help as many children in need as possible, Partnership for Children is sharing their life stories so that potential families get to know these children better.
Meet siblings William,11, Marshall, 10 and Aiden, 10. These lovely and charming brothers are looking for a forever home but they don’t want to be separated because they are very close to each other.
Credit: YouTube /Heart Gallery
Whatever these brothers do, they do it together. They even have nicknames for each other and call themselves Curly, Larry, and Moe, after the members of one of the most iconic and well-known comedy acts of early twentieth-century America.
According to Partnerships for Children, William, or Bobby, as he calls himself, is a year older than his twin brothers and is the quiet one. He has a helping nature and loves being there for others. Currently, he participates in martial arts and is extremely proud of his achievements. He is also drawn to swimming, coloring, playing Minecraft, building Legos, and dong puzzles, among the rest.
Credit: YouTube /Heart Gallery
Aiden is vibrant and has a competitive personality. What he enjoys most is going fishing and hiking in the nature and has a huge interest in reptiles. Although he appears to be fearless at times, he still needs reassurance.
Marshal, Aiden’s twin, is a boy with a creative imagination. He loves spending time with his brothers.
Partnerships for Children says the boys will “best benefit from a two-parent home with a mom and a dad and no other children. Their forever family will be dedicated to the boys and will stress the importance of the sibling relationship.”
The brothers can’t possibly imagine being separated and they pray to be adopted together. Asked what his brothers mean to him, Marshal answers that they mean friendship to him, while Aiden adds that they mean love.
They don’t like constantly going from one place to another and they hope their new family is out there waiting to welcome them into their lives.
“I’ve been here for three years,” Aiden says. “I had to move from one house to another, and the first house I had to move rooms. I’ve been there (at the ranch) way longer that these two. I got here first.”
These brothers spark positivity and are cute beyond words. We truly hope that their dream of finding a family together will come true in the near future.
Raquel Davis has her hands full raising seven children. Being a mom of that many kids certainly isn’t an easy task, but the COVID 19 pandemic made things even harder as all of them were forced to be home 24/7.
Watching them getting bored indoors, Raquel encouraged them to go play outside and get some fresh air, and that’s exactly what the seven kids did.
They started spending some time outside skateboarding and having fun, but as it turned out, it bothered some of the neighbors who claimed the kids were noisy. They claimed they could hear the youngsters screaming and saying inappropriate words, which annoyed them further. As a result, they called the police on the kids and their mom several times. Raquel was a bit shocked and angry because they did that without talking to her first.
“So now that it’s with my kids and cops are being called on them, I don’t really know how to resolve this when they’re just skateboarding,” the mother said.
She couldn’t understand why her children being outside playing was such a big deal for the neighbors. “I didn’t know it was not okay for kids to be outside skateboarding,” she said.
She talked to her kids and warned them not to be loud, but the neighbors filed several more complaints. Raquel said it was normal for kids to be outside playing, so she couldn’t understand what the people living in the neighborhood expected.
In an attempt to send a message that she is angry with them calling the police on her children all the time, this mother put a huge sign in her yard which read: “This neighborhood is full of Karens.”
The neighbors weren’t happy with the sign, particularly those who didn’t bother the kids’ skateboarding. They said what Raquel did was very offensive and inappropriate.
“These folks moved in, and it’s basically ‘The Animal House,’ house in the neighborhood. There is like no sense of noise control,” one neighbor, Bruce Foster, said. “It’s like there’s a park going on here. This is a neighborhood. It’s not the park. The people that live here did not move next to the park on purpose.”
Raquel on the other hand claimed that she didn’t do anything wrong, she simply didn’t see a way out of the situation. “That’s why I came to this because I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know who’s calling. I keep my kids in past dark. I don’t know what to do,” she said.
What do you think of this situation? Do you think the neighbors could have been more considerate? Do you think Raquel did the right thing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
For more on this divided neighborhood go to the video below.
All the McCaughey family ever wanted was another child. However, nothing could prepare them for what awaited them after they turned to the medicine and undergone ovulation-stimulating treatment for infertility.
Kenny and Bobby from Iowa soon became parents to the world’s first surviving set of septuplets. On November 19, 1997, Kenny Jr., Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon and Joel were welcomed into the world and quickly made worldwide headlines.
When the parents first learned the news of the number of babies growing inside Bobbi’s belly, they were overwhelmed. Happy and excited, but at the same time fearful for the baby’s fate, they prayed to God for all of their bundles of joy to get to the world healthy.
Doctors told them how risky the pregnancy was and even advised them to terminate the life of some of the babies, but for these brave parents that was never considered an option. They somehow knew things would turn for the best at the end and continued with the pregnancy. Thankfully, it was the best decision.
Raising eight children was a lot, but the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ turned to be true for the McCaugheys who were offered help from the entire community. Once their story shared, many companies and donors stepped in for them, and it made things a bit easier.
The siblings graduated from Carlisle High School in 2016, and KCCI-TV said back then, “the siblings will go their separate paths, including military, the work force and college.”
Today, the septuplets are 23 years old and carving out their own paths, but they are still as close as always.
Despite the pleas from animal lovers from all over the world, the dog meat trade in China and other countries is still going on. In fact, eating dog meat has long history in Chinese cuisine and it doesn’t look like they are willing to put a stop to this “tradition” any time soon.
The though of these noble creatures who only have love for humans ending up on someone’s plate is beyond devastating, so people like the kind volunteers at Slaughterhouse Survivors are doing all in their power to save as many dogs as possible. Little pup named Pearl is just one of the great number of dogs they gave a second chance at life to.
Source: The Dodo Adoption Day
When Pearl was taken from the meat truck, her skin was all covered in mange. This beauty that had only three legs was all scared and in such a poor state that her rescuers weren’t sure whether she would live or not. But she proved them she was a little fighter, and pulled through.
Luckily, two months after her rescue took place, sweet, Pearl was about to head to America and meet her foster family. Road Dogs and Rescue arranged her transportation.
Source: The Dodo Adoption Day
Once at the airport, Pearl was as eager to meet her humans as they were eager to embrace her. Leah, the foster mom, said how she and Pearl clicked from the start. Pearl also made a quick connection with the rest of the dogs under Leah’s care.
But as much as Pearl tried to be happy, it was obvious she had struggles moving around.
Source: The Dodo Adoption Day
After some time spent in foster care, Pearl got adopted by a veterinarian named Ashley. In a matter of days after this woman’s adoption application was accepted, a volunteer named Cheryl agreed to take Pearl from California to the east coast.
Leah was said she had to say goodbye to Pearl, but she knew she would be just great.
Pearl and the rest of her furry traveling companions loved the car trip.
Source: The Dodo Adoption Day
Once the dogs got to Allentown, PA, at Cheryl’s home, Ashley drove from New York to meet her new pet.
The moment Pearl and Ashley finally met was a very special one. Ashley was overly excited to be holding the new addition to her family in her arms. She knew the two would have lots of fun together.
Source: The Dodo Adoption Day
Pearl didn’t need much time to adjust in her new home. She and Ashley’s other dog, Janet, became best of friends.
Ashley is aware Pearl experiences difficulties because of her leg and hips so she’s planning to enroll the cute pup in rehab. Her plan is to make sure Pearl gets a prosthetic leg that would ease he life and her pain.
Source: The Dodo Adoption Day
Pearl’s story is truly incredible. She traveled the world to find her forever family and is finally living the life she always deserved.
Boys will be boys is a phrase we use to describe the mischievous or childish behavior typical for young men, but do all boys out there misbehave? Luckily, the answer to this question is a big no, no.
Nicole Marie, who works as a waitress at the Red Dog Saloon in Milford, Michigan, one of the most popular places among the locals, has a cool story to share which fights the stereotype that young boys are troublesome.
Source: Aerial_strong/Instagram
She was in a middle of a long shift when seven sixth graders entered the place. She was very tired and when she saw the group of youngsters she knew it would be some extra work cleaning behind them.
As they waited for Nicole to serve them, they didn’t make much noise but waited patiently. She was a bit confused because she expected from them to speak loudly, as most of the young people who visit the place. But not only they weren’t obnoxious, they were very polite instead. Nicole then turned around to see if their parents were there, but she didn’t see any. Was it possible that these kids behaved so well without adult supervision? Well, it turned out it was.
Source: Red Dog Saloon/Facebook
They explained that they were on their own and were looking forward to this dinner for some time now. As she took their order, they all said please and thank you, and when one of the boys answered the phone, the rest told him to stop using it because it was rude.
Not only Nicole, but other customers noticed how well behaved the boys were so one of the people there offered to pay their bill. They gladly accepted and thanked the person and therefore left Nicole an extra big tip.
However, what impressed Nicole the most and made her share this story was the way the boys left their table before they left the restaurant. They stacked up their plates neatly so that it would be easy for Nicole pick everything up.
“Even grown adults (myself included) rarely leave the table this clean!” she wrote along with the photo of the table she shared.
A number of people who stumbled upon the post felt the urge to praise the group of boys.
Source: Nicole Marie/Facebook
We can surely say that stories like this restore our faith in future generations. Nicole, thank you for sharing this with us.
We can never thank the men and women who served and died for our country enough. The sacrifice they were willing to make for the well-being of the nation deserves our utmost gratitude and respect.
Honoring fallen soldiers is the least we can do for these brave individuals who weren’t afraid to put their life on the line.
Source: Pixabay
It was July 18, 2016, when a uniformed Army private escorted the remains of an American soldier who served during the WWII in Germany but was only identified years later through DNA analyses.
When this Delta Air Lines plane that was flying from Frankfurt, Germany to Atlanta landed, it was announced that the Army officer deplanes first.
The passengers, among which a group of sixty singers from the Iowa Ambassadors of Music, realized what was going on and decided to do something special both for the fallen soldier and the soldier who escorted his remains.
They decided to dedicate one song as a thank you for their service.
Source: Rothenburg Tourism
The group, along with the choir director Luke Johnson, were honored to sing for someone who had done so much for their country.
Source: defense.gov
“We were really honored because… in times of need, or times of struggle, people tend to go to music for comfort,” Johnson.
Moments later, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” could be heard filling the air.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
It was a very emotional experience that brought tears to everyone who was caught witnessing that special moment.
One of the passengers on the flight, Diane Cupp, from Johnson City, Tennessee, told TODAY, “It was so emotional. I was just so proud of the young people who started singing and the respect that they showed. My heart just melted.”
Source: Screenshot via WSB-TV/YouTube
Cupp and her husband were returning from Germany where they were visiting WWII museums and monuments. She added how they weren’t even supposed to be on that flight as they rescheduled in the last moment, but fate played its part and brought them there so that they could witness the beauty of the moment and put it on tape so that everyone could see it.
Source: Needpix
“I was on that flight for a reason,” Cupp added. “All the emotions from our trip of visiting concentration camps and a cemetery for American soldiers, I was just overwhelmed when they made the announcement about the soldier and (the choir) started singing.”
Millions of people saw the video, and they are beyond thankful to the students for their act.
“Faith in humanity restored. They sounded like Angels from Heaven,” one person commented.
Take a look at the video that gave us goosebumps below.
An Atlanta, Georgia family was blessed with three boys. Unfortunately, all three of them have the same form of rare eye cancer, retinoblastoma.
Angie and Aaron Rush’s oldest son, Tristen, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma around five years ago. He’s battling the disease ever since. Over the years, Tristen has undergone a number of chemotherapy treatments and medications which started when he was just a few weeks old.
When their second son, Caison, was born, he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, too. The news were heartbreaking. It meant the family was forced to go through the same process once again. Caison started receiving treatment at just one week old.
His mom and dad prayed for their boys to end up winners in the fight for their lives.
Around six months ago, baby number three was welcomed into the world. During the pregnancy, all Angie and Aaron hoped for was for their youngest child to be born healthy. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Just like his older brother, baby Carter was diagnosed with retinoblastoma the moment he was welcomed into the world. He has it in both his eyes.
As much as everyone was shocked and sad about this family’s life story, Angie knew something like this was a possibility because she had had retinoblastoma herself as a young child and lost her left eye as a result of it. She was perfectly aware there was a chance that she could pass the disease to her offspring.
“I feel a lot of guilt, knowing that this is something I could pass down to them. But I also know that I’ve been blessed,” the mother told 11 Alive.
Now all this family can do is be by the little ones every step of the way and pray for the best possible outcome. The kids’ grandma, Jeanne Rush, says: “They are warriors.”
In the meantime, the family has set up a GoFundMe page to help them with the medical expenses.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rush family.
I can’t even imagine the feeling of having your child missing and nowhere to be found. Little children are curious by nature, and wandering off without being spotted is something they do very often. That is why their guardians should keep a close eye on them at all times.
On March 27, police was alerted of a 2-year-old girl from South Bristol, New York, who had gone missing. Officers arrived at the scene in no time and started checking neighboring houses in case the girl wondered off in any of them. Sadly, to no avail.
Source: YouTube Screenshot – News8WROC
Among those involved in the search was New York State Trooper Brian Hotchkiss.
The day was coming to an end, and this incredible man knew he had to expand the search perimeter and climb Bristol Mountain, which was not far from the girl’s home.
“It was getting close to getting dark out and getting cold. We wanted to get the search done as soon as we could,” Ontario County Sheriff Kevin Henderson told 13 WHAM. However, that didn’t prevent the officers from going above and beyond and using even the last ray of sunshine to continue the search, until the day was over.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t check. I kept climbing and climbing after about 45 minutes of the climb, I looked up to the summit of the mountain and all I could see were trees and dirt,” Trooper Hotchkiss said.
On Saturday, Troopers from SP Canandaigua assisted the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office in a search for a missing…
Luckily, his decision to check the mountain was the best he could ever make. Among all the trees, there was the little girl, confused and scared, but at the same time happy to spot human faces. “My heart just dropped. I was so excited. She hugged me immediately and wouldn’t let go. We’re very thankful for it,” Trooper Hotchkiss said, and added, “I still can’t get that out of my head, her turning over and looking at me and throwing her hands up in the air. I’ll never forget that,” as per Rochester First.
Knowing how cases of missing children can go wrong, everyone was relieved by the outcome.
What makes Susan Boyle a much-loved celebrity isn’t just her out of this world talent for singing which captured the hearts of millions of fans almost overnight, but also the fact that she remained humble and grounded despite the fame she gained and the millions she made.
Her life wasn’t an easy one. She has spent much of her life taking care of her ailing mother and didn’t have much time to have fun. In fact, this devoted Christian’s parents were strict and somewhat conservative, so Susan wasn’t really allowed to go out a lot.
”My parents were stalwart Catholics, and there was a kind of coded behavior I had to keep to — that’s why I’m still single. Simply put, the right guy hasn’t come along yet,” she once told AZ Central.
Source: Wikipedia Commons / Deborah Wilbanks
Once she took the stage of Britain’s Got Talent, everyone believed that her life would change drastically, but Susan still lives in her old house which she renovated recently. ”It’s best to be grounded and with your roots. It keeps you grounded and prevents you from saying things maybe you shouldn’t say,” she told OK!.
When it comes to her love life, she tends to keep things private. What we know of her is that she never married and never had any serious relationship. While at school, she was called by her friends “Simple Susan” and wasn’t very popular.
Source: Susan Boyle / Facebook
When asked if she ever tried finding love on the Internet back in 2012, Susan explained that she was too scared to explore that option.
“Internet dating? Are you having a laugh? Knowing my luck I’d go out on a date and you’d find my limbs scattered around various Blackburn dustbins!” she said jokingly when speaking to the Daily Mirror. ”If my soulmate is out there then I will find him but it won’t be on a computer. Of course I’d like that special someone in my life, but I’m not going to let a man define me. I’ve done pretty well over the past 51 years without one but it would be nice.”
In 2014, she shared with her fans that she met ”the perfect gentleman” during a tour in the States. She and the American doctor were staying at the same hotel and had dinner together. At the time, Susan was 53.
“It’s very early days so we’ll see what happens. I hope he comes over,” Susantold The Sun when she returned to Europe, but didn’t reveal any details. “I don’t want to say any more about who he is right now as that would be unfair on him. All I’ll say is we are around the same age and he was a very nice guy,” she added.
As time passed by, she spoke of him more often and recalled their first ever date. ”I had a date in America six years ago, which lasted exactly 45 minutes. I went for a massage in the spa of a hotel and met a doctor, and then we went out for lunch. I didn’t tell anyone, and my team thought I’d been kidnapped,” she said.
Source: Shutterstock
Sadly, the relationship didn’t evolve and the singer seems to have lost fate in ever finding the right person for her.
”I’ve been on my own too long now to get married. It’s good manners to wait to be asked, so I’ll just have to continue to keep waiting,” she told Lady Magazine.
However, there is another thing that bothers Susan more than finding a husband; that she doesn’t have children on her own. Being 60, she said that she is open to adoption or even fostering children in need of a loving home. “I’ve a lovely house, why not share it?” she said.
Source: Shutterstock
We truly believe that Susan Boyle deserves all the happiness in this world.
When a woman named Gosiame Thamara Sithole claimed she gave birth to ten babies at once, her story spread all over the world like a wildfire.
As it sounded incredible to many, authorities dig dipper and the real truth was revealed, which caused controversy and made many talking.
The news about the unique birth was initially shared by the news site Pretoria News in June 2021. They claimed that the 37-year-old mother delivered her babies at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in South Africa.
Shutterstock / Generic image
Allegedly, Sithole and her partner Teboho, from the working-class township in the Gauteng province, near Johannesburg, were initially told they were expecting eight babies and were left shocked after the birth of their decuplets. A number of world renowned magazines and outlets such as BBC shared this incredible story.
Pretoria News dubbed the babies as the ‘Tembisa 10’ and the story seemed legit as a number of details were involved. At the time, nothing spoke that the entire story could be made up.
Sithole was also reported to have spoken with Pretoria News prior to the delivery of her babies. According to the news paper, she said: “I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. It’s still tough but I am used to it now. I don’t feel the pain anymore, but it’s still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive. I would be pleased about it.”
A story of a South African woman Gosiame Sithole who allegedly gave birth to 10 babies earlier this month is not true. https://t.co/IB9WT3T33Y
However, as many people became suspicious, authorities decided to dig dipper, especially because the story turned into a world news and the happy couple received plenty of donations. The thorough investigation showed that no hospital, state or private, had any records of such a birth.
What’s most, authorities claimed that Sithole wasn’t even pregnant in the first place.
“It has now been established by medical practitioners that Ms. Sithole did not give birth to any babies in recent times,” the Gauteng Provincial Government said.
“It has also been established that she was not pregnant in recent times.”
Wikipedia Commons / NabaDwA
The question which arose was why someone would lie about the number of babies they had or that they were pregnant in the first place? Well, it looks like authorities don’t have the answer to this question, especially because the author of the article which first shared the story stood by what he wrote. For long, he insisted the story was truthful.
“Instead of being a cause for celebration however, it has resulted in an orchestrated campaign to discredit the story, the mother of the decuplets Ms Sithole, the Pretoria News’ editor, Piet Rampedi, as well as Independent Media and its chairperson, Dr Iqbal Survé, with claims that the story is ‘fake news’. It is not and we stand by our story,” Independent Media said.
Pretoria News editor Piet Rampedi has apologised to his colleagues for the damage his story on SA’s so-called “Thembisa 10” babies did to Independent Media’s reputation. https://t.co/nxfM16ifPt
As authorities threatened to pursue legal actions against the journalist who broke the news about the sensational birth, journalist Piet Rampedihe, who was also a close friend to Sithole and her husband, he confessed that his story might have contained some mistakes. He claimed that he saw Sithole with a huge bump and he only learned she had 10 babies after she texted him and told him that.
“Even though I stand by the fact that Sithole was pregnant, some aspects of the story could have been dealt with differently. Could I have handled the story much better? Definitely! Especially the verification process. Quite honestly, I never treated the decuplets story as an investigation at all. I used no investigative tool or checklist,” Piet wrote, according to News24.
He believed they had no reason to lie to him so he went on and published the incredible story.
It is still unclear why the mother lied about the pregnancy and the babies. In the meantime, the alleged mother has been offered help.
