Teresa Slater was about to become a mother for the second time. When she and her husband told their families they were going to welcome baby number two in their lives everyone was over the moon because of the happy news. What they didn’t know, however, was that Teresa was carrying twins. She wanted it to be a surprise and she had a hard time keeping it a secret, but the reaction and the face expression of each of the family members when they learned the truth was so worth it.
Once the babies were born, everyone wanted to see Teresa and her bundle of joy, and as they entered the hospital room and took a look at the crib, they were shocked. There wasn’t one baby, but two.
Teresa even made a video about the big revelation and called it the “Ultimate Twin Surprise.” It showed the fun reactions and attracted many viewers.
The video was later taken down because of some reason so Teresa uploaded it once again. This time, she also included a photo of her baby boys at the end.
People couldn’t help but comment about whose reaction they loved the most, with some saying that they love how huge this family is.
For more on this heartwarming story go to the video below. You don’t want to miss this.
When Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman tied the knot back in 1990, they became one of the most popular Hollywood couples. At the time, the Top Gun star was more popular than Kidman and was considered a heartthrob many loved both for his immense acting talent and his incredible looks.
The two first met on the set of Days of Thunder after Cruise convinced the producers to make her his co-star in the film. Apparently, he noticed her in the 1989 flick Dead Calm and was eager to meet her in person ever since.
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At the time, Cruise was married to actress Mimi Rogers but the chemistry between him and Kidman was too strong to ignore.
“I had three very strong relationships before I met Tom. But I was never going to get married. Never. But he was just the most incredible, unusual man I’d ever met,” Kidman said.
The two married during a private ceremony which lasted for 30 minutes. Only few people from both sides were invited.
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Ever since they said I do, all eyes were on them. Tabloids followed their every move and were eager to follow their love story. Both Cruise and Kidman wanted to be parents, but she experienced some fertility issues and upon suffering an ectopic pregnancy, the two decided to adopt daughter Isabella Jane Cruise and son Connor Cruise when they were just months old.
Cruise spoke of Kidman as of the love of his life. “It was that special connection when you recognize your soul mate. She is a person who understands. It was as if a whole new life had started for me,” he told Vanity Fair in 2002.
Kidman was in love with Cruise as much as he was. ”I fell madly, passionately in love. And as happens when you fall in love, my whole plan in terms of what I wanted for my life—I was like, ‘Forget it. This is it.’ I was consumed by it, willingly. And I was desperate to have a baby with him. I didn’t care if we were married. That’s what I wish I’d done,” she once said.
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The two resembled a match made in Heaven and that is the reason why everyone was left in shock when Cruise filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage.
He cited irreconcilable differences as a reason for his decision.
Kidman was also shocked. She said the divorce wasn’t something she expected and added it came out of the blue.
Rumors were that Cruise decided to end the union because she couldn’t give him children. Some said the reason was that Kidman wanted to spend a lot of time in Australia. Others believed the Scientologist Church Cruise is part of was the reason the two split.
“Our life together was perfect. It took me a very long time to heal. It was a shock to my system. That was a great relationship. I think it ran its course. I was really damaged and not sure whether love and marriage were ever going to happen again to me,” Kidman said.
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However, she never really wanted to speak of her failed marriage to Tom Cruise and tended to keep things private until recently.
This year, she spoke to Harper Bazaar for its upcoming October issue and revealed that her career was overshadowed by all the rumors surrounding her divorce.
“I was young. I think I offered it up? Maybe I’ve gotten a bit more trepidatious, but I’m always trying to be as open as possible. I just prefer to live in the world that way.”
“I’m wary at times, and I’ve been hurt, but at the same time I much prefer a warm approach rather than a prickly shutdown approach. My husband, Keith, says that when he met me, he said, ‘How’s your heart?’ And I apparently responded, ‘Open.’”
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Nicole Kidman is happily married to musician Keith Urban. They have two lovely daughters together.
As for her adopted children, Kidman doesn’t really speak of her relationship with them, but apparently, they are in good terms. We are glad to hear that, especially because they weren’t that close after they decided to follow their father and join Scientology.
Molly Schultz, a mother of two adorable twin girls, was at a restaurant with her daughters. The three had fun talking and spending time together when a little girl approached them and joined their table.
Molly asked the little one about her name, but the girl didn’t answer. She just stood silent and couldn’t stop starring right at Molly’s eyes.
A few minutes passed by and Molly gazed around in an attempt to see if someone was looking for their child. But she didn’t see anyone the girl resembled to so she decided to let her stay with them for a few more minutes. Then, a man approached the girl and told her to go to their table because their food arrived. He said he was the little one’s father and apologized for any inconveniences his daughter might have caused.
Source: Tried & True Mama/Facebook
The girl rushed to her dad’s table, picked up her food, and sat next to Molly and the twins again. When her dad tried to take her with him, the girl didn’t want to go, so Molly said it was fine if she stayed with them until she finished eating.
The entire time, the girl never said a word, she just ate and starred at Molly, and that was it.
When the time came for Molly and her daughters to leave the place, they said goodbye to the girl, but she started following them. Molly tried to motion her towards her dad, but she refused to leave. This raised a red flag. “My mom radar was starting to go off and I got a little sick to my stomach,” Molly said as she was no longer sure if the man was truly the girl’s father.
Source: Triedandtruemama/Instagram
She hesitated whether to let the girl go with him, but he then came closer and started crying. He explained that he lost his wife and other daughter in a car accident, and the girl was left without her mother and sister so when she saw Molly and the twins she went to them because they reminded her of her loved ones whom she missed dearly. “I’m so sorry. My wife and other daughter recently died in a car accident and I guess she wanted to hang out with you guys,” the father said.
At that moment, everything made sense. The girl rushed towards her dad and took him by his hand after which the two left.
Source: Triedandtruemama/Instagram
Molly felt very sorry for their loss but this encounter reminded her that we should always appreciate what we have in life and spend as much time as we can with those who mean the world to us.
Ever since the split from his wife of 21 years, two-time Oscar winner and undoubtedly one of the best actors in the history of film, Robert De Niro, has had a rough time affording to finance his ex’s lavish lifestyle.
De Niro was married twice and both of his marriages lasted long years. He tied the knot with his first wife, actress and singer Diahnne Abbott, in 1976. He and Abbott welcomed son Raphael De Niro that same year, and the actor, who was already considered one of the best of the best at the time, adopted his wife’s daughter from her previous marriage.
Some 12 years later, they divorced. Between his two marriages, De Niro dated model Toukie Smith for eight years. The two had twins together via in vitro fertilization and a surrogate mother.
However, things didn’t work out between them and they called it quits.
Source: Youtube/pureart
De Niro married his second wife, socialite and actress Grace Hightower in 1997. The two first met some ten years before saying I do while she worked at the famous Mr. Chow restaurant in London.
A decade later, they met again and knew they belonged together. Their wedding ceremony was an intimate one and took place at their home in Marbletown, New York.
Speaking of their relationship, Hightower said back in the day, “It was an ease-in. It wasn’t a whirlwind.”
Their son Elliot was born in 1998 and their daughter Helen came into the world in 2011.
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Both De Niro and Hightower tended to keep their son and daughter, as well as the rest of De Niro’s children, out of the spotlight and away from the public eye, but that all changed when De Niro felt the need to speak openly about his son’s autism in an attempt to raise awareness about the condition which affects 1 in 54 children in America, according to 2016 data.
“Grace and I have a child with autism and we believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined,” he said.
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In 1999, just a year after Elliot was born, the Godfather actor filed for divorce. They co-parented Elliot for a year and took their divorce to court, but eventually, they managed to smooth things out and re-conciliated. De Niro and Hightower even renowned their vows in 2004 in the presence of some of their best friends, including Meryl Strip, Martin Scorsese, and Ben Stiller.
“They can make sure this one sticks,” De Niro said at the ceremony. But it didn’t. The couple split in 2018.
“Grace and I have two beautiful children together. We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process,” the statement from De Niro read.
“I honor Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy and respect from all as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting.”
Source: Shutterstock/Debby Wong
Today, reports are that De Niro has found himself in an unenviable situation having to provide for his ex’s lavish lifestyle.
De Niro, who is also an entrepreneur, was reported to have invested huge amounts of money in several restaurants, such as Nobu and the Tribeca Grill, as well as the Greenwich Hotel in New York City. However, because of the ongoing pandemic, his businesses have suffered millions in loses.
De Niro’s lawyer, Caroline Krauss, claims that Hightower has “a thirst for Stella McCartney” and has even bought a $1 million-plus diamond ring, as reported by Page Six. According to Business Insider, the actor has cut Grace’s monthly credit card limit from $100,000 to $50,000 in an attempt to cut down on her spendings.
Source: Shutterstock/ Denis Makarenko
“Mr. De Niro is 77 years old, and while he loves his craft, he should not be forced to work at this prodigious pace because he has to,” Krauss said during a virtual divorce hearing, as reported by Page Six.
“When does that stop? When does he get the opportunity to not take every project that comes along and not work six-day weeks, 12-hour days so he can keep pace with Ms. Hightower’s thirst for Stella McCartney?” she added.
“He could get sick tomorrow, and the party’s over.”
Source: Getty Images/Jim Spellman/WireImage
His ex’s lawyer, on the other hand, has been reported to have answered back, saying, “I’m not a believer that a man who has an admitted worth of $500 million and makes $30 million a year, all of a sudden in March he needs to cut down [spousal support] by 50 percent and ban her from the house.”
Life is full of surprises and that is something most of us have experienced first hand. Sadly, those surprises are not always pleasant and we often find ourselves in front of obstacles to hard to overcome all by ourselves.
Unfortunately, a senior Chihuahua named Scooter faced an unpleasant event when his owner died and he stayed all alone with no one by his side so he ended up at a shelter.
What Scooter did on his first night at his new place got the attention of the shelter staff and they couldn’t help by take a photo of him laying under a blue blanket.
He got covered himself and it was only his ears and the sweet face that were visible. It was his way of comforting himself.
The staff feared that Scooter would spend the rest of his life at their no-kill shelter because they knew senior dogs are not likely to find forever homes. But even if that was the case with Scooter, they had plenty of place and were willing to take care of him.
“Scooter was 12 years old and had an old hip injury,” Jan Nageldinger, shelter manager at the Humane Society of Branch County in Michigan, told The Dodo.
However, once the cute photo of Scooter from under the blanket was shared online, the shelter received numerous phone calls from people from all over the country.
One of them was a woman named Jessica Lynn Howard who had already adopted two Chihuahuas from the shelter before.
“I saw Jan’s Facebook post, along with the rest of the world,” Howard told The Dodo. “My husband Tim and I were lying in bed and it … brought me to tears. Without hesitation I showed Tim and I said, ‘I have to go get him.'”
Her husband fell in love with the cute doggie too, and the first thing in the morning, Howard headed to the shelter to get Scooter home.
“When we arrived home Scooter met his new pack and family immediately,” Howard said. “It was amazing everyone greeted him as if he was a long lost friend of theirs; they truly acted as if he had always been here.”
Their farm is just the place for dogs to enjoy their days and have as much space and fun as they want.
“We have Jax (formally known as Nemo), a Chihuahua we adopted from Branch County, Hank (formally known as Little Henry), a Chihuahua/heeler mix we also adopted from Branch County, BabyFace, another Chihuahua that belonged to my husband before we were married, and two heelers, Spur and Waylon,” Howard said.
Scooter turned into one of the sweetest dogs ever and his family was glad they made the right decision to offer him their home.
“He is super funny and acts goofy. He plays around like he’s a 2-year-old sometimes,” Howard said. But he’s also “all about taking naps — with his blankie, of course. He absolutely loves my husband Tim and our son Braden. Our daughter Dalanie has a soft spot for him, too. He is beyond loved and maybe a little spoiled, too.”
However, Scooter still covers himself with a blanket any time he goes to sleep.
“When it’s bedtime … he still ‘tucks himself in,'” Howard said. “I’ve tried to tuck him in but he would rather do it himself. He has to get the covers just right. It’s really cute watching him.”
The life of Scooter was an inspiration for other families to consider getting a senior dog.
“The good thing that came from this story was that people from … Italy, Puerto Rico, Canada and many, many, many states across the U.S. contacted us … willing to take in Scooter,” Nageldinger said. “When Scooter had been adopted many of these people said that they were going to go to their local shelter and adopt a senior dog. So Scooter not only saved himself; I really believe that he saved the lives of other dogs all across the U.S. with his story.”
Sadly, when choosing a dog, most people opt for puppies, not being aware that the older dogs have as much love to give as the little ones.
“That picture [of Scooter in the shelter tucking himself in] represented all the millions of animals awaiting homes in shelters everywhere,” Howard said. “Scooter, lying there on that cot, was once someone’s beloved pet.”
“If Scooter’s story can help inspire someone to adopt or to donate to the Humane Society of Branch County or their local shelter,” Howard added, “it shows what one little senior dog can do. He moved an entire world with just a single post! That is beyond amazing.”
Miracles do happen, and the life story of Abby Furco is no better example of that.
This sweet 10-year-old girl has had a rough start early in life. At the age of just four, she was diagnosed with leukemia and doctors only gave her 20% chance of survival. The news crushed her parents’ world, but they knew their girl was a warrior and they never gave up fighting for her precious life.
“We were devastated,” Abby’s mom, Patty Furco, said. “We were basically told that she was going to die, there was very little hope.”
Abby went through so much. She had undergone a bone marrow transplant, a number of chemotherapy treatments, radiation and many trial drugs.
“We kept her surrounded by love because we knew at any moment we could lose her,” Patty said. “There were moments we didn’t know if she’d pull through, she has so many infections that could have ended her life. All we could do was watch her fight and try to get better.”
After extensive treatments, Abby started feeling better. She even rode a bike, played soccer, and went to school regularly. But around a year later, the cancer returned. This time, it was even more aggressive than the first time. All of a sudden, Abby lost the ability to walk.
“As hard as that first diagnosis was, this one tested every ounce of our being,” Patty recalled. “She became completely immobile, any movement hurt her and she hardly spoke.”
The girl was forced to undergo another bone marrow transplant, but this time, her body didn’t accept the donated marrow and she was diagnosed with Graft versus host disease (GvHD), a condition that might occur after an allogeneic transplant. In GvHD, the donated bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells view the recipient’s body as foreign and attack it. This led to kidney failure and Abby was put on dialysis.
Her parents were told that there was nothing that could be done and that the time had come for their girl to be let go.
“Doctors told us it was time to let her go, she was only awake for like an hour each day,” Patty said. “We began preparing our other daughters for her death.”
Abby was placed in hospice and her heartbroken mom and dad were even told to consider planning her funeral.
However, just as everyone gathered around her to say that final goodbye, Abby opened her eyes and said something that left everyone speechless.
“She told us, ‘I have so much living to do,’” Patty recalled.
“We couldn’t believe it,” she added, “in a matter of days, weeks, months she started walking and getting stronger. It’s an absolute miracle.”
Abby’s sudden recovery couldn’t be medically explained. It left doctors puzzled. They didn’t have answers, and Abby’s parents didn’t look for any, all they cared for was that their girl didn’t die.
“We helped her get home on hospice. But when we started backing off, taking away treatments so she wasn’t on so many meds, she started getting better all on her own,” Abby’s doctor, pediatric hematologist and oncologist Jacob Wessler, said.
“She’s had ups and downs, but if she continues on this path, she is going to make us all look like fools!” he added. “She’s defied every single odd.”
No one really knows what the future will bring, but for now, Abby is in good health and thriving. She is in remission and receives IV steroids twice a day.
“We watched her die and come back to life,” Patty said. “Now we’re looking to the future.”
The Holocaust, which ended 77 years ago, was the state-sponsored mass murder of around 6 million European Jews and millions of others prisoners of war by the German Nazis during World Word II.
However, no matter how much time passes by, we should never forget the pain and the suffering it brought to so many people. Millions and millions of families were ripped apart. One of them was the family of Eliahu Pietuszka, a then young Jew from Warsaw, Poland.
When the Nazi invaded his country in 1939, devastation followed. Eliahu’s family didn’t have much money, but they did have enough for one of them to escape the country. They all agreed Eliahu to be the one to try and save his life. He couldn’t possibly imagine leaving his family behind, but he agreed to his parents’ wishes and fled.
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Over the years, Eliahu was wrecked with guilt. He couldn’t stop thinking of his family and kept wondered if any of them could possibly stay alive. Sadly, there was no way of getting to the answers of those questions who bothered him each and every day.
What Eliahu didn’t know was that one of his brothers, Volf, worked at a concentration camp which the Russians liberated. At that point, Volf was taken to a Siberian labor camp, and was eventually set free and allowed to live in Russia. He started his family there, but died of natural causes later in life.
Eliahu, who also had a family of his own and settled in Israel, learned the truth about his brother Volf when he turned over 100 years old. The country of Israel decided to create online database of victims of the holocaust. Eliahu was eager to access it in an attempt to find someone from his family. What he didn’t expect, however, was to learn that his brother’s son, Alexandre, was alive and living in Russia.
Source: Guardian News/YouTube
Eliahu’s sons were quick to contact their cousin. Alexandre was surprised to learn his uncle was still alive. In order not to waste a minute more, and having in mind Eliahu was already over 100 years old, Alexandre flew to Israel.
The moment Eliahu saw his nephew was bittersweet. The two hugged and started crying. They were very happy to have found each other. At the same time, Eliahu was sad he didn’t learn about Volf earlier and didn’t see him again after fleeing Poland as a young man, but he could at least meet his brother’s son.
Eliahu told Alexandre that he resembled his father.
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After more than 80 years, Eliahu finally got the closure he was looking for his entire life.
This story and the first meeting of these uncle and nephew is so worth watching and sharing. You can check it out below.
Young woman shares a story of her parents’ separation and how that affected her and her father’s life.
She starts her post by explaining that her mom and dad never really got along. At the time the woman was still a child, her mother decided to leave the home while her husband was at work. She packed all of her clothes and picked up all the furniture, the TV, and even the dishes. The girl clung to her mother’s arm, but she pushed her away and never looked back.
The girl, who was 10 at the time, found a way to call her dad at work to tell him what had happened. He was shocked and asked her who she was with. The girl answered that she was all by herself so her dad told her to lock the door and wait for him to get back home.
He couldn’t leave work right away, but the girl waited for him patiently, because unlike her mother, she knew that her dad would never abandon her.
Knowing that he would be heartbroken, the girl decided to make a sandwich for him from what she found in the fridge. It wasn’t much, but it was all she could do for him at the time.
When her dad came home, he was devastated by the sight of the empty place. But there, in the middle of the vacant room stood his daughter with a sandwich in her hand and a piece of paper which served as a plate.
The girl handed it to him and tried to look away because she wanted him to be able to let his tears roll down his face, the tears he was struggling to hold back.
He shared the sandwich with his girl and the two ate in silence knowing they still had one another.
The girl, who is now a woman, concluded her post writing that her dad still remembers the day she made him that sandwich, because he says that her gesture saved his life.
Six-year-old Dominick Krankall was looking forward to a fun time out with his friends when an eight-year-old boy who lives in the apartment below called him to go and play with him. Unfortunately, the eight year old didn’t plan to hang out with Dominic but had something else on his mind. According to Dominick’s sister, the boy was planning to hurt her brother, and that’s exactly what he did.
Minutes after leaving his home, Dominick started screaming at the top of his lungs. “Mommy they lit me on fire,” he could be heard saying, according to his sister, Kayla Deegan, who spoke to WNBC about the horrific incident.
The eight-year-old boy lured Dominick to a nearby shed in the backyard of the Louisiana Avenue home and then he, along with four other children, took out gasoline, poured it on a tennis ball, lit it up, and chucked it right into Dominick’s face. The boys then fled the scene and left Dominic suffering and fighting for his life.
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Currently, The Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit is investigating the incident alongside the Bridgeport Fire Marshal’s Office, a state police spokesperson told WNBC.
Dominic was rushed to the hospital with severe burns on his face and legs. He is at the hospital’s burns unit and although he’s expected to recover, he has a long road ahead of him. According to his family, it would take months before he is able to go outside again. They are, however, happy that he could sip some soup after days of being unable to eat anything. He’s progressing very slowly but steadily and that’s what gives his family some hope.
“He will sip soup out of a straw as well. He’s such a tough little cookie,” his sister said.
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Although everyone’s happy for his little wins on the path to his recovery, Dominick’s face and legs are still covered in bandages and his family fears he would be left with scars.
In order to help them with the medical expenses, Deegan has started a GoFundMe page with a goal of $50,000 which helped raise over $480,000 so far. “He’s going to be scarred for life mentally and physically,” she added.
Dominic’s mother, Maria Rua, is adamant in a pursuit of justice for her son. She claims that the eight-year-old neighbor who attacked her boy has been targeting him for some time.
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“They called his name so he would turn around. They threw it at Dominick and left him outside alone to die,” Rua said. “He’s swollen with blisters. You can’t even see his beautiful eyes anymore.”
“This needs to be seen everywhere so everyone knows Dom’s story and what he had to go through, and the extent it went to for someone to hopefully do something,” the sister added.
The mother of Dom’s bully denies any wrongdoing by her son, WNBC reported.
Now everyone hopes for the best and prays for Dominic to recover completely. They also want to raise awareness about bullying.
The life story of Patrick Hardison from Mississippi is nothing less than a mind-blowing one. This man is the first American who has received a face transplant back in 2015 after his face and neck were left completely disfigured during a house fire.
Patrick’s life was a great one up until the day the tragedy struck in 2001.
He worked as a volunteer firefighter earlier in his life, so when he got called to help with a house fire, he didn’t hesitate. Sadly, once he entered the burning place, it collapsed on top of him and trapped him. He couldn’t move and his torso and face were severely burnt.
“[My mask] was melting to my face,” Patrick recalled. “My hose [was] already melted.”
“For somebody who does what we do for a living, I’ve never seen anybody burned that bad that was still alive,” friend and first responder Jimmy Neal told CBS News of seeing Patrick after the accident.
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Patrick suffered third degree burns on his face and scalp. He also sustained burns to his head, neck, and upper torso. The fire also claimed his ears, lips, most of his nose, and even most of his eyelid tissue.
“I didn’t actually see myself until probably November. I got injured in September,” Patrick told Fox News. “They had cut a little pinhole in one of my eyelids because they had everything covered, skin graft. I looked in the mirror and all I could do, I said, ‘this is it? I can’t do this,’” he recalled.
Over the years, this man was forced to undergo over 70 surgeries, as well as other procedures. He couldn’t close his eyes and doctors were able to put together flaps of skin to protect his vision, but he was still facing the risk of going blind.
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Patrick couldn’t eat without feeling excruciating pain. He just couldn’t get used to this life because he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror. Wherever he went, everyone starred at him, and he could barely stand being around people, even his children.
In order to hide and protect himself, Patrick wore sunglasses and a baseball cap all the time. He also had ear prosthetic.
“I had kids. It was just a tough time. I never got a day off from the injury. When you walk out in public, it was daily. And, you know, it’s just so — there’s no way to explain everything,” he told Yahoo! Sports.
“You go to the ball field, you have to prepare yourself for the kid that goes running off screaming.”
Youtube/NYU Langone Health
Years went by and Patrick lost hope of ever having a normal life. But then, French woman named Isabelle Dinoire received a partial face transplant after her face was severely disfigured by her pet dog. This procedure was revolutionary. It was the first ever of that kind. Surely, it gave a glimpse of hope to Patrick who at that point was truly struggling.
Patrick met doctor Eduardo D. Rodriguez from the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York who told him he would do the transplant surgery if they find a matching donor. It wasn’t easy, but one day, out of the blue, a donor appeared. LiveOnNY, a nonprofit that coordinates organ donations in the New York area, had found a match. The face Patrick was about to get belonged to 26-year-old David Rodebaugh who had sustained a massive head injury in a bike accident and had been declared brain dead.
Youtube/Inside Edition
This young man’s mother, Nancy Millar, decided to donate her son’s organs, including his face. “I said, ‘You better save his face. He has the face of a porcelain doll.’ And he’s a donor — we had talked about it,” Millar told People.
The thought of someone receiving her son’s face meant that David would continue to live on through the people whose lives he was about to save, including Patrick’s.
“When I met Patrick, I saw this strength, this strong, manly, burly kind of energy in him — that David had,” Nancy recalled.
“David wanted to be a firefighter, an I knew if this guy was a firefighter — he was willing to walk into a fire to save people and risk his own life — then he had the strength that David had.”
Youtube/Inside Edition – David
Finally, the day of the transplant surgery had arrived. The procedure lasted for 26 long hours and was performed by a team of 100 professionals.
The risk was enormous and Patrick was given a 50/50 percent chance of survival. Luckily, it was a huge success. Patrick received a new face, scalp, ears, and ear canals. He also received eyelids which allowed him to blink naturally and save his vision.
“Everything in life has a risk,” Patrick told Time Magazine.
“When it’s your time to go, you’ll go—whether you’re walking down the street and get hit by a car or you’re lying on the operating table.”
Youtube/NYU Langone Health
After he recovered from the swelling and he learned how to talk and swallow again, Patrick met his donor’s mother. Nancy only had one request, to kiss Patrick on the forehead.
“I said, ‘Can I kiss your forehead?’” Nancy said. “That’s the one thing I wanted to do because every night before David went to bed when he was little, I kissed his forehead.”
“I’ve been waiting a year to meet her. I’m just very grateful,” Patrick added. “Without her, it wouldn’t have been possible. It’s like she’s family. We connected that easily.”
Twitter/PatrickHardison
Ever since the surgery, Patrick is taking anti-rejection drugs that prevent his immune system from rejecting the face, but he’s thriving. He didn’t only receive a new face but a new life too.
Today, he is divorced and is working on a book which he hopes would serve as an inspiration to anyone who believes there is no way out from the situation they have found themselves in. “Because I want to show the world that you can have hope. I wouldn’t want people that were like me years ago to think that’s it, I have to live like this. You don’t. You can accomplish anything,” Patrick says.
His survival and his recovery are dubbed miraculous. Thanks to Nancy, Dr. Rodriguez and his team, and Patrick’s strong will, today, he is a happy man.
No person can ever love you and support you more than your grandma and grandpa because they care for you as much as your parent do but spoil you a bit more. Those people who get to grow up around grandparents are the luckiest of all.
After his parents divorced, a boy named KC Shafer spent most of his days with his grandfather Charlie. KC felt most comfortable around this man who has always been there for him, supporting him, and taking care of him when his parents couldn’t do it.
When KC turned seven, he told his grandpa that when he grows older and finds the woman he would marry, Charlie would be his best man on his wedding. Of course, the grandpa knew it was just a promise made by a child and didn’t really expect KC to remember that promise.
Source: YouTube
Fast forward some years, KC met a girl he clicked with. He knew she was the one and asked her to marry him. They planned the wedding and were looking forward to the time of their life. One day, KC went to his gradpa’s home and had an important question to ask him. Charlie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. KC wanted him to be his best man. He never forgot about the promise he gave to Charlie, the one person who meant the world to him from the moment he was born.
This proud grandpa couldn’t stop tears of joy running down his face. He was proud of the man his grandson has become. All those life lessons shared with him were so worth it.
Source: YouTube
These granpa and grandson make the perfect family. For more on their story and their relationship go to the video below.
If you are among those lucky ones who still have their grandparents in their lives, make sure you remind them how much you love them and how much they mean to you.
A young girl’s life was cut short because she could no longer put up with the bullies who made her days a living hell.
McKenzie was a great student who loved her life and her family. Unfortunately, she fell victim of bullying by her classmates who wouldn’t stop calling her names and making fun of her because of her skin color. This lovely girl, who was just nine years old when her life tragically ended, had a hard time making friends. When she finally started hanging out with one boy, who was white, the rest of the class teased her even more.
Source: The McKenzie Foundation/Facebook
They would send notes to her with insults written on them and would steal her possessions and clothes.
The few times she decided to stand up for herself, McKenzie ended up at the principal’s office. She was accused of being a bully herself. It was her word against that of the rest of the students. So instead of protecting her, the school gave her detentions.
“It got to the point where so many were joining in on it and it became a daily occurrence” McKenzie’s aunt, Eddwina Harris, said.
The girl felt like there was no escape from the hell she was going through.
Source: The McKenzie Foundation/Facebook
Her parents were aware of their daughter’s struggles and contacted the school multiple times, but to no avail. Things were only getting worse and worse with each passing day.
“As time passed, it became clearer and clearer that no one intended to stand up for McKenzie,” Harris said.
Not knowing what to do or who to talk to, the girl’s parents went to the local police station. They begged them for help and brought McKenzie’s journal with them where the nine-year-old was documenting each of the cases of bullying, which were plenty. The police simply said that they couldn’t help.
Source: The McKenzie Foundation/Facebook
As their devastation of seeing their girl being sad all the time grew bigger, McKenzie’s parents begged the school to step in for their daughter over and over again, but the bullies’ parents had money and connections so nothing was done in an attempt to put a stop to this girl’s hell.
It seemed like the bullies had a free pass to tease and mock McKenzie every day.
Source: The McKenzie Foundation/Facebook
One day, McKenzie’s family was planning a birthday celebration for the girl’s cousin, but instead having a fun time, McKenzie took her own life.
When her mom went to the bathroom she saw her daughter hanging. She called ambulance but there was nothing that could be done. McKenzie was dead.
Her devastated mom and dad claimed that their daughter’s bullies and the school pushed McKenzie to death.
Source: The McKenzie Foundation/Facebook
As they were trying to cope with their pain, they knew there were other kids like their daughter out there who were victims of bullying so the family started The McKenzie Foundation, which teaches these kids how to make the situation better. They hope that schools around America would do all in their power to prevent bullying from taking place.
In the past, plastic surgery was considered taboo and not many people were willing to speak about it openly. Today, however, it is more or less normalized and more and more people decide to go under the knife for the sake of looking more attractive.
Often times, fixing those parts of our faces or bodies we don’t feel comfortable about leads to loving ourselves more. Such is the case with a woman named Pamela, a mother of two, whose hormones went wild after her second pregnancy and that resulted in her nose growing bigger and bigger and losing its form.
Youtube/TheDoctors
As a teenager, she experienced issues with acne, just like most of us, but as she grew older her face looked absolutely flawless.
But as she gave birth for the second time, she was diagnosed with rhinophyma, a skin disorder that causes the nose to enlarge and become red, bumpy, and bulbous. It is believed that this condition results from untreated, severe rosacea, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes facial redness on the nose and cheeks.
In Pamela’s case, the condition was so severe that she was embarrassed to leave her home.
Youtube/TheDoctors
“When I was 15, I had beautiful skin. Puberty set in, acne set in. It started to get really bad,” she said on the reality show The Doctors which she was part of.
“When my second child came, I noticed that the shape of my nose changed. And from that point on, my nose began to swell up.
“I was so embarrassed. It has stopped me from leaving the house, I’ve had anxiety for a long time,” Pamela said with tears running down her cheeks.
“There’s gotta be a cure for this.”
When she first appeared at the studio, Pamela didn’t know what to expect. She was courageous enough to appear on TV and ask for help for her condition.
Youtube/TheDoctors
Dr. Ann C Zedlitz appeared with a video link and told Pamela she would do her best to help her.
“In the early stages, topical medications and some oral medications will suffice as the disease progresses, then we can utilize laser therapy. In the advanced stages, surgical intervention is required. I would like to do all these treatments at no charge, if you will accept them,” Zedlitz said.
The doctor further explained that Pamela’s treatment would consist of three stages. First, she was to undergo a CO2 laser treatment, where the goal was to de-bulk and tighten the skin using the micro-focused ultrasound Ulthera which delivers heat deep under the skin. After repeating this twice, Pamela was finally able to enter the final stage of her treatment, a special Pan-Facial Volumization.
Youtube/TheDoctors
It took around three months for Pamela to look like her older self, if not better. When she returned to show again, no one could believe she was the same person from the first episode.
“I barely recognize you because you look so great,” ER physician Dr. Travis Stork said as Pamela entered the studio.
“I am excited about the new me,” Pamela shared. “I no longer hide behind my hair. It’s truly a new beginning, it was a prayer about 4 years ago, and you guys made it happen. I’m so grateful.”
Youtube/TheDoctors
Over the years, The Doctors helped a number of people regain their self-confidence. One of the cases which attracted the attention of millions was the one about an adopted girl without a nose. The girl, Ropa, was from India but was adopted by an American woman who explained that he girl was abandoned on the street and by the time someone spotted her, dogs had eaten her nose. The final result of Ropa receiving a prosthetic nose was incredible.
Youtube/TheDoctors
We are so happy for everyone who gets to look the way they dream of. Plastic surgery can be life saving.
Moms are the best and the list of reasons why is endless. They work around the clock to satisfy each of their children’s needs and are always by their side. A mom will never give up on her kids, no matter what life brings and what kind of individuals their bundles of joy will turn out once they are all grown up.
And as we can go on and on about the things that dub moms the perfect creatures, I believe one would have a better understanding of what we have to say after they read the story of Ada Keating. This incredible woman is 98 years old and still takes care of her son as the day he was born.
Her son Tom, who is 80 years old, had to go to a nursing home, the Moss View Care Home in London, as he needed assistance. But it wasn’t long before his mom moved in as well. She felt like she had to be by her son’s side and help him with everything he needed.
“I say goodnight to Tom in his room every night and I’ll go and say good morning to him,” Ada, who is a former auxiliary nurse, said. “When I get back he’ll come to me with his arms outstretched and give me a big hug. You never stop being a mum.”
The story of Ada and Tom went viral and people say they are the perfect example that moms love their children forever.
The facility manager, Philip Daniels, told the Echo, “It’s very rare to see mothers and their children together in the same care home and we certainly want to make their time together as special as possible.”
Take a look at the whole story in the video below.
This is the story of legendary Diana Ross, a name associated with awesome music and entertainment like no other in the showbiz. Her talent made her a superstar even before she reached her teen years and now, at the age of 76, she’s still as stunning as she has ever been.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Ross was part of the pop/soul trio the Supremes during the 60’s. The group quickly became Motown’s most successful act during the 1960s and a best selling girl’s group of all time worldwide. Their songs Come See About Me and You Can’t Hurry Love remain huge hits until this day.
Their popularity was compared with that of The Beatles.The Supremes were prominent guests on The Ed Sullivan Show and appeared on the show more than 16 times. It was Ed who helped them gain mainstream attention and fame.
Youtube/MotownToday
In 1969, Ross landed a solo career which reached the success of the Supremes. During her career which spans 7 decades, Ross gave the world some everlasting hits which topped the charts in countries from all over the world.
Some of her greatest hits of all time are Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Reach Out and Touch Somebody‘s Hand.
Ross was born on March 26, 1944. Her father was a US Army soldier and her mother was a teacher. They had six children.
During her young years, Ross showed interest in music and knew singing was her calling. She was surrounded by many talented people, and made friends with the likes of Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin where she lived at Brewster-Douglass district.
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Her charm and charisma opened the doors to Hollywood for Ross. She starred in the movie Lady Sings the Blues which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Other films she was part of are Mahogany, 1973, and The Wiz, 1978.
In 1980, Diana landed her album Diana which sold platinum. Among the songs were Upside Down and I’m Coming Out. In fact, the story behind the latter is a great one. It was written by Neil Rodgers, who was stunned at the number of people from the LGBT community who were obsessed by Ross.
“I thought, ‘Wait a minute. If I write a song for Diana Ross and talk about a disenfranchised part of her fan base and sort of make it for them, this would be an important record,'” Rodgers said. “No one thinks of Diana Ross necessarily on the frontlines of this, but [the gay] community and her [gay] fans love her and idolize her.”
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For her music and the great number of albums she has released over the years, Ross was nominated for a Grammy Award 12 times, but didn’t win any. Her impact on the world of music was however awarded with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2012.
In 2016, Ross received the highest civilian honor from President Barack Obama, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a year later, she was given Lifetime Achievement honors at the American Music Awards.
Youtube/ABC News
Ross didn’t only affect the music industry, but her work inspired and touched many celebrities as well, among which Oprah Winfrey who spoke of the musician on her show.
“Imagine, for me, being 10 years old watching The Ed Sullivan Show on welfare, no possibility that I could ever sing, and watching her for the first time in a culture that had no Black people on television.”
“When you first see somebody on television like Diana Ross, who was glamorous and beautiful and represented literally possibility and hope—it was life-changing for me.”
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Ross was married two times and has five children, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, Tracee Ellis Ross, Chudney Ross, Ross Naess, and Evan Ross. All of them are related to the show business, with Tracee probably being the biggest star of them all.
Tracee has always wanted to be a singer just like her mother but was afraid people would expect from her to reach her mom’s success.
Speaking to Oprah earlier this year, the young star who won a Golden Globe for her role in the TV series Black-ish, spoke of the touching moment her famous mother heard her singing for the very first time, describing it as one of the most precious moments in her life.
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“She came out of the house, came out of the garage, got in my car, closed the windows, and I was, like, ‘Okay, here it is, mom, here’s me,'” Tracee said. “She pushed my arm and she turns to me and her face was covered in tears. And she said, ‘Finally.'”
We wish Tracee become as famous as her mom. She already has Ross’ talent, so we need to sit and wait.
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Ross has been residing in the fashionable Belle Haven district in Greenwich, Connecticut, for many years.The 1920’s-era mansion she bought back in 2006 is enormous. It has 11 bedrooms, six bathrooms, five fireplaces, a hot tub, pool, a tennis court and two apartments. She put the place on the market some years later for whooping $39.5 million. Greenwich is the most wanted place to have a home in by celebrities. Ross owns another mansion in West Hollywood as well.
We are glad our favorite singer is doing great. She spends her days with her grandchildren who make her life complete and enjoys her days.
Having a twin is a true blessing, to say the least. The bond between these siblings starts long before they are born, and many twins agree that sharing passion and love for the same things, clothes, and activities is more common than we think. And as twins come to this world with a built-in best friend, it’s fair to say that they are more privileged than the rest of us.
Science says how twins know if their sibling is sad or upset and are able to feel both their happiness and pain. Some call that “twintuition,” and apparently that’s a thing in the twins’ world. Wow, how cool is that?
One of the most famous twins we know of are actresses Mary Kate and Asley Olsen. They not only share same parents, but used to shared the set of the sitcom Full House. They would take turns filming scenes without the audience even realizing there are two girls playing the same character.
Although twins are sometimes referred to as ‘little peas in a pod,’ it doesn’t necessarily mean they are completely the same especially when it comes to their character. So even if you are well aware what one of them loves, never buy gifts or make assumptions for the other one based on that.
What is truly interesting about twins is that some of them are believed to communicate with each other using their own made-up language. So, in case they understand each other using strange words, sounds, and gestures and you don’t seem to be able to figure the meanings out it’s because you are simply not part of their tiny twin gang.
Merle and Stijn are adorable twins that are able to chew the rag even though they are just a couple of weeks old.
I bet you haven’t seen anything more adorable than these two in a long time. They just can’t stop laughing, and it looks as though they are telling each other jokes that only they understand.
This truly is the ultimate level of cuteness, don’t you think so?
It’s awesome how they love ‘talking’ to each other even before they learned how to speak. Merle and Stinj are a brother and a sister and fall into the fraternal category, which means they are not identical, but that doesn’t lessen the strength of their bond.
Judging from their expressions and the happiness they feel while they are around one another, we are sure they will grow to be best friends.
Make sure you check the video of the lovely conversation out. Oh, it will melt your heart.
One father from South Carolina would have to spend his life with the guilt of knowing he was the one responsible for the death of his two twin sons, Brycen and Brayden McDaniel.
The boys lost their lives on September 1, 2021, after the father forgot to drop them off at the day-care center and they spent nine long hours trapped inside the SUV. It was reported that the temperature inside the vehicle rose up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius).
After he parked his car, the father, who was said to have been under tremendous stress recently, reported for duty at a manufacturing plant.
JUST IN: No charges filed after twins found dead in car outside of South Carolina daycare https://t.co/jhur53TD39
Once his shift was over, he went to the Sunshine House Early Learning Academy to pick the twins up just to be told that they hadn’t been dropped off that day.
Filled with panic, the father rushed to his car, but it was way too late. The 20-month-old boys were both dead. They died of hyperthermia, or heat stroke.
Richland County Sheriff, Leon Lott, spoke to the father and dubbed the questioning one of the most heartbreaking in his 46 years of service.
“He didn’t mean to do it. God, he didn’t mean to do it. He’s got to live with that the rest of his life,” Lott said during a press conference. “The father was under some intense pressure at work that really had his mind somewhere else that day. In his mind, he really believed he dropped the two boys off at daycare.”
Coroner Naida Rutherford spoke of the tips parents could use in order to be sure their kids are not left inside a vehicle. They could place a toy or a bag or diapers at the front seat, among the rest.
“We urge each parent there are so many stressors with Covid 19, with the world-changing to look in the backseat,” Rutherford said, as per WMBF. “Make sure you dropped off the children. For every child care center, baby center, we urge you if the child does not show up to call the family. It could save a life.”
The obituary for the beautiful angels said, “They were fun-loving little boys, with smiles that could light up an entire room. They enjoyed laughing, giving wet kisses, singing, listening to their Daddy and PaPa play jazzy tunes on the saxophone, and dancing to music from Earth, Wind and Fire and Frankie Beverly and Maze. Yes, they were wise way beyond their years.”
No charges have been pressed against the father.
Rest in peace, Brycen and Brayden. You will never be forgotten.
Every parent wants the best for their children, but the truth is that they can’t always provide the kind of life they dream of for them. That, however, doesn’t mean they don’t do their best each and every day. Moms and dads out there put their children’s needs before their own, but that’s not always enough. You know what they say, “it takes a village to raise a child,” and we humans should always go the extra mile in order to help struggling families if we are given the chance to.
The story one person shared of the kindness he showed to a single mother who didn’t have enough money to buy herself some food because she spent the last penny for a meal for her child is heartwarming and helps restore faith in humanity.
The person started his post by writing that he was having his third Sprite at McDonald’s when he noticed a man approaching a woman who was sitting all by herself. He had a young boy with him, around 3 years old. The person sharing the story overheard their conversation which went like this: “You were supposed to be here an hour ago,” the woman said, slightly upset. “Well I’m here and here he is,” said the man as he headed towards the exit. The woman then asked him if he had a couple of dollars because she was starving and wanted a cheeseburger. She explained that she only had enough money for the boy’s happy meal. But the man turned to her and told her: “Damn you, starve!”
The person who noticed these exchange unfolding right in front of him was left speechless. He noticed the woman, who was the boy’s mom, asking the little one for a single french fry. The boy gives her the one he had already bitten off.
Witnessing all this, the person went to the counter and told the waiter to bring a double cheeseburger and a large drink to the woman without telling her who paid for it. Along with the food, he also wrote something on a napkin with the sharpie he used for work.
The person sharing the story explained that the woman couldn’t stop tears rolling down her face when she saw the food and read the note which said: “Keep your head up and always push forward. You CAN. You WILL. :)”
“After they both finished the meal, they started to leave. They walked past me sitting here and I smile at the boy and look at her and she whispers “thank you” I whisper back “for what?”, the person wrote in the post. She smiles. I wink. I look down at the boy and I say have a good day. Life is hard. Always be willing to make someone life a little easier. Little things make a big impact. For any single parent stuck in a similar place… Keep your head up and always push forward. You CAN. You WILL.”
This kind-hearted person stepped in when this struggling mother needed it the most.
If you found this inspiring as much as we did please share this story with your friends.
It is incredible how much impact a single song can have on someone’s career and the music industry overall. When American Pie was born, musician Don McLean raised to stardom. All of a sudden, everyone was obsessed with the song as they were trying to understand the meaning behind the lyrics. McLean himself refused to decode the verses and said that the music piece was so special not because of the words but because of its structure.
Many believe it was dedicated to musician Buddy Holly who passed away alongside rock n’ roll stars Ritchie Valens and J.p “the Big Bopper” Richardson when their plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly was McLean’s favorite musician, and the part about “the day the music died” is believed to be associated with Holly’s death.
Two years later, at the age of 15, the musician lost his father whom he considered the most important person in his life. He revealed that he spent two years crying as he had a hard time accepting the loss.
Shutterstock/ lev radin
McLean wrote American Pie at the age of just 24. This year, the song marks its 50th anniversary and is still considered one of the greatest of all time. The song nabbed fifth place in a poll of the Top 365 Songs of the 20th Century compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. The rest of the top 5 songs were Respect, This Land Is Your Land, White Christmas, and Over the Rainbow.
Speaking of how it was created, McLean explained, “The opening part of the song was born in one piece. I wrote it remembering how it was the day I saw the newspaper, and the article that said my favorite artist had been killed. That got me started.”
It was part of his second album, American Pie, which was released on May 26, 1971.
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“I was conscious of the fact that I was trying to create a rock’n’roll dream sequence,” McLean explained the concept of American Pie. “But it was way more than rock’n’roll. It was about an America that was coming apart at the seams.
“I was trying to create this American song, but not like This Land Is Your Land or America The Beautiful. I wanted to connect with the parts of America that mattered to me, starting with Buddy Holly. Buddy didn’t matter to anybody when I wrote this song, I have to tell you.”
The original handwritten lyrics were sold for $1.2 million back in 2015.
“American Pie has had its own history, its own biography, and each time it’s reflected on my own ability as a singer and songwriter. And it’s popularity has given me the opportunity to [showcase] my other songs,” McLean told Songwriter Universe.
“So people got to know my songs like Crossroads, Winterwood, Castles in the Air, Wonderful Baby,Dreidel and If We Try. Of course, American Pie was far bigger than all of those songs, but they still know many of my other songs. So that was always a wonderful benefit [from the success of American Pie].”
Instagram/DonMcLean
McLean got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year.
The star was married twice and has a daughter and a son from his two marriages. While he’s in good terms with his son, his relationship with his daughter isn’t the greatest. In fact, speaking to Daily Mail, he revealed that he disinherited his daughter and cut her off financially.
Today, he’s in a relationship with his girlfriend of five years, Model Paris Dylan, who is 48 years his junior. The two met back in 2016 when she was hired to run his social media.
“Love is the most important thing you can have. You have to love somebody. Hate is such a burden. It’s a complete waste of time. I love my children and I love my girlfriend. I’m crazy for her,” he told People. “I think of her when I sing a lot of my songs. But I especially think of her when I sing [And I Love You So].
“I’m honored to have her as a girlfriend and a partner and we have no plans to ever break up,” he added. “We are going to stay together and ride this pony as long as we can.”
Dylan is famous on the social media where she has thousands of followers. She describes herself as “60s music lover” and often shares photos of her horses.
Charlie Poveromo was a person with a heart of gold who never hesitated to provide assistance to those who needed it. He was aware the summers in his country were hot and that it made it difficult for people such as construction workers, sanitation workers, and even police officers to stay cool and hydrated during their working hours.
That’s when he decided to make it easier for them to get throughout the day by providing them with cold drinks.
Facebook/Velvet Poveromo
His wife recalls how he would go running into the kitchen, grab a bunch of plastic cups and a big jug and leave them outside making sure everyone gets as much as they wanted. And this is what Charlie continued doing each summer during the following eight years.
Facebook/Velvet Poveromo
Once he realized his idea was a great one, and that it kept the workers happy and refreshed, he started buying water bottles he would put in the cooler along with lots of ice. He made sure that cooler was always full, each and every day of the long, hot summers.
Charlie even put some juice bottles and food along with the water. And he did all this just because he believed it was the right thing to do. His wife says that the word of what Cahrlie did spread among the DPW employees, firemen, and construction workers who would stop by the shade under Charlie’s tree and have a nice cold bottle of water.
Facebook/Velvet Poveromo
However, this summer was different. The cooler was no longer in front of the house. Although everyone wondered what happened, no one assumed that the kind man was no longer around and that he suddenly passed away just before the summer arrived.
His wife was still mourning the death of her husband, and the cooler and the water bottles were the last thing she had on her mind. But once she understood how important this was to Charlie she decided to continue the tradition. She wanted the workers to have a place where they could take a break from the hard work. The couple had been married for 37 years, and his wife knew Charlie would want her to continue doing his good deed.
The wife rushed to the store and bought some water bottles, she put them in front of the house under the big tree and she was aware what she was doing was a nice way to honor her husband’s life. Once the workers spotted the cooler, they noticed it came with a note informing them about Charlie’s death. They were saddened by the tragic news because they knew how kind and generous he was.
Now, eight years after Charlie started providing them with refreshments, these people knew they had to do something in order to tell his wife that what her husband did for them will never be forgotten.
“…I heard the unmistakable sound of the garbage truck ease to a stop and as I turned to look, I watched in awe as each man stepped off the truck, the driver getting out to join them and in a straight line they stood together and saluted our home and me!! As is happening at this very moment, my eyes filled with tears and my body began to tremble as one by one they each came up to me, grasped my hand, gave me a hug and told me how very sorry they were and that no one had ever shown them the thoughtfulness and appreciation my husband had and then slowly, one by one, they each took a water bottle or two, climbed back up on the truck and gave a loud beep as they drove off.”
Facebook/Velvet Poveromo
When other people learned of what Charlie and his wife Velvet were doing each summer, people though it was a nice thing to do for other workers out there who struggled to keep themselves hydrated, so many of them started doing the same thing, which became known as the “Charlie’s coolers” concept.
Velvet is thrilled when she hears of other people placing coolers with cold water because she believes each and every one of them is a tribute to her late husband.
When baby Azael was born on July 14, 2021, his parents were over the moon. Mom Cynthia Salinas, of San Antonio, was determined to offer him the best life possible, and that included high quality nutrition. While at the hospital, Cynthia saw nurses feeding her son with Similac Pro Advance, which is considered a top-line formula.
Unfortunately, around two weeks after he was welcomed into the world, baby Azael started feeling bad. Concerned for his health, Cynthia took him to the hospital and told doctors that her son was having diarrhea and was vomiting. Following the checkup, doctors prescribed them Pedialyte and Tylenol and sent them home. However, those medications didn’t help improve Azael’s condition. On the contrary, he felt worse.
“That’s where everything went downhill. He just got really sick”, the young mom recalled.
Cynthia took her son to the hospital again but nothing could prepare her for the devastating news she was delivered by the doctors. The baby had a terrible case of salmonella bacteria that had already attacked his brain. They told her it was too late for anything to be done. Unfortunately, baby Azael passed away that day, at just 30 days old, after his heartbroken mom held him in her arms for one last time.
The cause of death was listed as Salmonella Meningitis.
After the tragedy struck, Cynthia wasn’t at ease. She couldn’t find an answer to the question which stuck with her and wouldn’t let her continue with her life. What could have caused the bacteria at such a young baby?
After thorough research, she stumbled upon information about the suspicious quality of the baby formula she used for Azael.
Company Abbott Nutrition had recalled that the FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was investigating complaints they received about certain powdered formulas that had been produced at the Sturgis plant in Michigan, which included Similac Pro Advance, too. Allegedly, those formulas caused Cronobacter and Salmonella infections in infants.
She checked the batch number on formulas she had used for Azael and was horrified to see they matched with those under investigation.
She was certain that was the reason which led to her son’s passing.
The FDA investigated four reported cases of Cronobacter that the formulas might have caused in infants. Two of these cases resulted in death.
However, there was not enough evidence to link the baby formula to Salmonella.
Hearing this, heartbroken Cynthia said that “when this recall came out, I felt betrayed.”
“This is supposed to be a really good formula. And now, all this is happening, and you just have a lot of unanswered questions going on right now, and hopefully, we get answers pretty soon.”
She isn’t done fighting for justice for her late son and is pursuing a lawsuit. At the same time she urges parents to be extra cautious about what they feed their newborns with.
A mother named Amanda Schuster explains the challenges and the joys of being a parent of a child that is different.
It all started when she and her husband Robert decided they wanted another baby.
But, after months of trying, the results were always devastating. The two, however, were determined to give their son a sibling and just when they wanted to schedule an appointment with a fertility expert Amanda missed her period, and that was it.
Finally, this couple learned they are expecting a baby.
When Amanda was in the 10th week of pregnancy, she underwent genetic testing on the fetus. Her doctor recommended it due to the fact both her and Robert were in their mid 40’s. The tests showed this mom-to-be was carrying a perfectly healthy baby. Or, at least that was what she was initially told.
Months passed by and the excitement only grew bigger and bigger when the family was told some shocking news. It turned out that the baby had some serious issues.
The nurse who was going through the scans of the regular check-up informed Amanda and Robert how she had to consult with a radiologist. That’s when they knew things were serious.
One of the doctors told the weeping and terrified parents how the baby had some form of dwarfism and she wouldn’t make it once out of the womb.
Amanda wanted to consult another doctor who told them how the baby had in fact Pfeiffer Syndrome. This happens when the skull fuses prematurely during pregnancy and the child has a deformed head and face.
These loving parents made sure they learned as much as they could about the syndrome in order to be able to help their bundle of joy.
Emmy was welcomed into the world, and her mom describes the moment she laid eyes on her special daughter.
“Even though we had prepared ourselves as best as we could, it was still a shock to see Emmy in the flesh. Her eyes were huge, her skull was misshapen, and they intubated her immediately before I even got to look at her. She also has the most beautiful blue eyes and dark hair,” Amanda said.
During the first 18 months of her life, sweet Emmy had to undergo 20 surgeries. Sadly, she would probably have more in the future.
Emmy is one lucky girl to be part of a loving family like hers. Both her parents and her big brother Baron are there with her every step of the way and make sure she feels loved and protected.
We wish Emmy a careless childhood and a great life ahead of her.
Robert James Ritchie, professionally known as Kid Rock, started his career as a rapper and DJ. Over the course of his career, he released a number of albums and his style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and heavy metal.
Besides his music and the hits he has under his belt, Kid Rock is known as someone who is never afraid to speak his mind. During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Kid Rock decided to use his chance to share with the audience how much he dislikes Joy Behar, the co-host of The View and all that she stands for.
“You know and just talk about things without going for each other’s throats and protesting everything, and God forbid you say something a little bit wrong, you’re racist, homophobic, Islamophobic. This, that and the other,” Kid Rock said to Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy. “People need to calm down, get a little less politically correct. And I would say you know, love everybody.”
To everyone’s surprise, he then added: “Except I’d say screw that Joy Behar b*tch. Everybody but that.”
Shocked by his words, Doocy apologized on behalf of her guest. Fox News censors didn’t manage to catch Kid Rock’s slur on time and his offensive words were televised nationally.
The star then proceeded: “I mean, lady. I mean, lady,” he said after Doocy apologized to the viewers. “Maybe we’ll go on, and I’ll hash it out with her, and we’ll talk about. But, aside from joking, which I was, is just go out and hash it out with people and have your thoughts and ideas but, be able to still go have a beer with somebody and just say you know hey, we all love this country. And you know, let’s have different ideas but try to move forward and be more together and realize at the end of the day we’re all Americans.”
Later on, when he went home, he decided to make things clear and explain to his fans that he in fact apologized for the language he used, not the feelings he has for Behar.
“I did apologize for the language. Not the sentiment,” the rock star concluded.
For more go to the video below? Do you think Kid Rock needs to offer a sincere apology.
The number of people who struggle to make ends meet is huge. The coronavirus pandemic made things even worse for a lot of families who lost their jobs because of all the businesses which were forced to shut down.
Malisa Manguso is a single mother of two boys. Like most other moms in her position, she lives on a budget. Despite that, her children are happy and well-behaved because she teaches them to appreciate the simple things in life.
Some time ago, she and her sons went shopping for new shoes for her older son Zachary. The boy was told to choose wisely because the budget was only $20. “I had the same shoes for about nine months and the bottoms of them were destroyed,” 11-year-old Zach told KTVB.
Source: YouTube/ KTVB
As Malisa and Zach were discussing his choices, one man overheard their conversation. Lito Mason happened to be buying shoes himself when he heard that Zach only had a buget of $20 for new shoes he desperately needed for school.
“She was working with a budget and I get that, we all get that at this time of the year, back to school. I asked him, ‘so what type of shoes do you like?’ He said ‘I just want something that’s comfortable.’ I was done! At that point, I said I’m going to get him whatever he wants,” Lito shared once the story of the encounter between him and the family went viral.
Source: YouTube/ KTVB
When this stranger offered to pay for any shoes Zach would pick, Malisa was left speechless. No one has ever done anything like that for her or her boys.
“He just out of the blue looked at me and said, ‘I tell you what, that kid has to have good shoes on his feet and has to be looking good to go to junior high. You just pick out the shoes, and don’t worry about the price,’” Malisa shared with KTVB. “For the first time in a long time, I saw Zachary light up, and be so happy.”
Source: YouTube/ KTVB
Malisa was extremely thankful, so she asked if she could take a photo of Lito and her son. Lito agreed, not knowing the photo would end up on the Internet, making him a hero.
Once it was posted, someone recognized Lito and tagged him. In no time, he started receiving messages of people who praised him for his kindness.
“I didn’t realize it was going to be such a big deal,” he said. “To see me plastered all over the internet? I’m really a shy guy. It’s just something I wanted to do,” Lito explained. “For one time in his life, I didn’t want him to worry about a price, and it was simple as that.”
Well, you know what they say, even the tiniest act of kindness can go a long way!
For more on the story go to the video below. It is because of people like Lito that this world is a much better place.
