All those stories of young children being bullied on a daily basis makes me wonder if we will ever be able to put a stop on this devastating ‘phenomenon’ that affects so many young lives.
Is it that the schools fail to detect it and do something about it, or the whole society is unable to cope with so many bullies?
The recent case of 9-year-old Quaden Bayles from Australia who wanted to kill himself because of the bullying he experienced by his peers, made other mothers share their own children’s stories and the struggles they go through every single day. And that’s a good thing, because speaking out loud is the only way to be heard.
But on the other hand, we see that although the whole world stood behind Quaden, not much really changed, as many other kids are still victims of bullying.
Kerri Arnold is a mom of 12-year-old Aalyha who suffers from Angelman Syndrome, a rare disorder that causes learning difficulties and speech problems. Sadly, Aalyah’s condition makes her a target of the bullies at her school.
Kerri shared a footage of her girl as she wanted everyone to see what a day at school looks like for Aalyha.
Aalyha is non-verbal and attends a school in her hometown of Hamilton that caters for children with special needs.
This past Monday, Kerri was called to school and was told how a boy scratched Aalyha on the face. She rushed to take her and decided to film how distressed her daughter was by the incident.
Aalyha could barely hold her tears back. Kerri starts the video saying, “Today, at approximately 1:30, I was phoned by her school, and she has been a victim of bullying.”
“This young boy has scratched her eye, bit the side of her face, scratched her arm, and she’s got scratches on her back.”
The biggest problem with bullying is that its effects on the person experiencing it may be permanent. Many people can never overcome the fear, and most lose their self-confidence even for a lifetime.
Please take a stand and help raise awareness about what bullying does to the victims.
TJ Smith, an 11-year-old boy from Texas, reminds us that bravery isn’t counted by our age, but by our will to step up for someone in need.
It was this last December when TJ was playing around Wichita Falls and spotted something out of the ordinary. One man grabbed a 7-year-old girl while she was riding her scooter outside her home.
The alleged kidnapper named Raeshawn Perez picked the girl up, but TJ realized that strange man was a stranger to the 7-year-old. That raised red flags as TJ knew the girl was in a serious trouble.
Quick-thinking TJ ran back home to his mom and told her of what he had witnessed. She then alerted one of their neighbors, James Ware, who headed towards the abandoned house where Perez took the girl.
At the time he arrived there, Ware saw Perez trying to push the girl through the window.
Luckily, Ware and another man who found himself at the scene were able to get to Perez. They knocked him on the ground and waited until police arrived.
At that point, Perez admitted he wanted to assault the little girl.
Once Perez was arrested, Mayor of Wichita Falls, Stephen Santellana, spoke to the public about the incident and expressed gratitude to all the people involved in saving the girl.
Thanks to TJ and his neighbor Ware everything turned out right. If it wasn’t for them who knows what would have happened to the poor child.
As a thank you for his bravery, TJ got a certificate of appreciation by the Mayor and the Police Chief, Manuel Borrego.
Borrego said how their community is a safe place because the people living there care for one another and asked them to continue doing so.
Share this story to salute these people’s bravery.
No loss is greater than that of losing a child. Unfortunately, a woman named Michelle DuBarry experienced the pain of saying that final goodbye to her 1-year-old baby. The little one and his dad were involved in an accident and Seamus ended up in the hospital after a careless driver hit them while they were crossing the road.
Seamus underwent two surgeries and spent the night at intensive care after which he passed away.
The grief his parents felt was immeasurable. They couldn’t come to terms with the loss of their loving son.
But once they understood what had really happened, they experienced another shock; the one that followed as a result of the American broken and nonfunctional medical system. And we don’t go into politics here, we just re-tell the story this devastated family was forced to go through.
DuBarry took to Twitter to share what followed after Seamus left this world.
The story of Seamus made his mom speak of the system in which a life-saving treatment is so expensive that it can literally crush people’s life.
Also, DuBarry explained how her husband, who suffered injuries as a result of the accident, was denied medical care. What’s most, people weren’t surprised because it wasn’t the first time for someone not to be given medical help.
No matter how we feel about the medical system, this time we have to agree that it failed us by failing this grieving family.
At first, the family believed the expenses for their son’s surgeries would cost around $5k, but they were so wrong.
The family received a pain and suffering settlement from the driver who killed their son, but the insurance company claimed that money to compensate for their own loss (what they paid the hospital).
Thanks to DuBarry, this practice is now illegal in Oregon, although it remains legal in most of the rest of the states.
Hospital bills are ridiculous. With our medical system, these institutions benefit huge amounts of money on the tragedies of ordinary citizens, and that’s awful and has to change.
Just take a look at this bill below. Can you believe a mother was charged $39 for holding her baby after C-section?
DuBarry makes a political statement about the healthcare American people are now offered and speaks about a new system that will provide healthcare for all.
No matter whose side we take when it comes to politics and the political parties, we all have to agree that what DuBarrys had to go through is totally unacceptable and wrong on so many levels.
Below is this grieving mom’s whole Twitter thread. Before you scroll down remember it gets very political in the comments.
Please share this story and help this woman’s voice be heard.
In 2010, I had good union health insurance. Obamacare was the law of the land. In November that yr my 1yo son was struck by a careless driver in a crosswalk. After two surgeries and a night in intensive care, he died.
Sunscreen and other products that protect our skin from sunburns while sunbathing is a must. What’s most, most of us use these products even when we are not at the beach, but taking walks outside when it’s too hot.
When younger kids and babies are exposed to sun rays, the prevention of sunburns should be even higher as their skin is more sensitive than that of an adult.
One mom named Rebecca Canon went to visit her sister together with her 14-month-old daughter. But it was an extremely hot day in Newfoundland, Canada, and Rebecca got concerned for little Kyla safety so she asked to borrow sunscreen from her sister.
Little did she know, Kyla would end up with second degree burns on her cute face.
The product called Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Spray was intended for kids aged six months and above and everything listed on the label list seemed fine, so Rebecca put some on her hands and then rubbed it on Kyla’s face, making sure she keep it away from the girl’s eyes.
However, as the day progressed, Kyla’s face started turning red. Rebecca didn’t think she should be concerned so she put her daughter to sleep. In the morning, Kyla’s whole face was swollen and she even had blisters.
Rebecca rushed her to the emergency room where she was treated for burns.
No one in the family had any allergies or ever suffered sunburns before, so Rebecca was surprised by what happened to Kyla.
The reason behind Kyla’s situation was the sunscreen her mom applied on her face, so everyone assumed there might have been dangerous chemicals in it.
Luckily for this sweet girl, she will likely not deal with long-term issues and won’t be left with any scars.
Not wanting anything similar to happen to other children, Rebecca contacted the manufacturer of the sunscreen product, Banana Boat, who said they were taking such incidents very seriously and agreed to investigate the case further.
Health Canada performed their own investigation but they didn’t find anything suspicious in the product, so it was determined Kyla was likely allergic to some of the ingredients.
Further examinations confirmed the product was in fact safe to be used. Kyla was the first and only child who suffered injuries.
The truth is that we can never know whether we are allergic to a product or not, so the best thing to do when trying something for the first time, especially on children, is to do a test before using it.
So before full coverage, apply it on a small part of your body.
When it comes to the U.S. most personal care products are not regulated, so patch testing may end up saving a life.
Please share this story to raise awareness and avoid incidents like this one from happening.
Some couple’s wish to have a baby is so strong that they would do all in their power, no matter the obstacles that stand on their way, to have someone call them mommy and daddy.
Tammy Koz suffered from lupus, which is a chronic autoimmune disease, so doctors warned her that she was at a higher risk of experiencing a miscarriage. But neither she nor her husband Eric ever doubted that they will become parents one day. So when Tammy got pregnant, the couple was over the moon and couldn’t wait to finally meet their sweet bundle of joy.
Unfortunately, when she was in the 19th week of pregnancy doctors informed them how the baby wasn’t developing at the proper rate. Tammy was put on bed rest and had to visit the hospital every other day in order to make sure the tiny heart of the baby growing inside of her was still ticking.
The family was told the baby’s chances of survival were something under five percent and that she had to deliver the baby at 27 weeks, otherwise, it would likely die.
Oprah has documented the case of the Koz family over the years, and that is how the world learned of the brave baby girl Zoe who was born weighting only 10 ounces.
Today, she is all grown up, and incredibly happy, healthy, and beautiful.
You can check the whole story in the video below which is part of the series, “Where are they now” and features the life of miracle babies like Zoe.
This family never lost hope that things would turn for the best for their little angel. They now have another daughter and Zoe has a little sister.
If you believe this story is fascinating, share it with your friends.
Doing your best to give your child the childhood they deserve is something every parent strives for. But for some, no matter how they try, it’s beyond their power and control to allow their little ones to live care-free.
A video of a Syrian father trying to distract his young daughter from the devastating sounds of bombs and explosions is breaking hearts all around the world.
This reminds us of the terror people of Syria are forced to go through every single day. Young children are raised without ever experiencing what it feels like to be playing outside without fearing for their life.
Abdullah Mohammad and his family fled their home in the eastern countryside of Idlib after the government attempted to recapture the opposition-held province and found shelter at a friend’s house in Sarmada.
Since the beginning of the war on the territory of Syria, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and nearly half of the country’s population has been displaced. Civilians die every single day and many describe this war as the biggest humanitarian catastrophe.
The psychological effects this war has on little children may never be overcome, so Mohammad came up with a game in order to protect 4-year-old Salwa from experiencing fear at such young age.
So, whenever a bombs explodes, the two laugh as loud as they can. He convinced her how those sounds are just part of their game.
“I decided to teach Salwa this game to prevent her psychological state from collapsing. So as to not be affected by diseases relating to fear. She is a child who does not understand war,” this caring and loving father explained.
what a sad world,
To distract 4-year old Selva, her father Abdullah has made up a game.
Each time a bomb drops in Idlib #Syria, they laugh, so she doesn’t get scared.
Many journalist, among which local Ali Mustafa, shared the heartbreaking video of Mohammad and Salwa on Twitter. Many couldn’t help by share it too, expressing their anger and sadness over what Syria and its people has come to.
Selar Otman says that no matter how happy this father looks while laughing along his daughter, his eyes reveal the pain and the helplessness he is trapped in. Maggie Diamond added how this father is trying to protect his innocent girl “to the best of his ability” and sent her prayers to the people of Idlib. She asked the “governments of the world” to step up for the Syrian people and pt an end to their suffering.
Beyond tragic. A Syrian father and a daughter traumatized by war. Helping her overcome her fear, he asks her to Laugh each time a fighter jet or rocket flies over the area. Look at the innocence but at the same think about what may happen next. #Syria#Idlibpic.twitter.com/zjzlnNAP9n
Many of the Syrian children have never known peace. They were born in the midst of the war that killed their families and destroyed their hometowns and houses.
“It’s the country’s children who have suffered the most and have the most to lose,” said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore.
As always, the ONLY casualties of the #Syrianconflict are innocent mothers, fathers, children, babies & elderly. The trauma & mental wounds of this brutal war will ache millions of innocent people for the many years to come.#Syria#Idlib#withrefugeeshttps://t.co/Md21l9NzGW
The destruction they witness unfolding before their tiny eyes every single day, leaves children traumatized and it affects their brain development, learning abilities, their immune system and a lot more. “The body systems that are most rapidly developing when the experiences happen are the ones that are going to be most impacted. For little kids, all of their systems are coming online and developing, so there is a much greater risk of impact across all of their systems,” said Stacy Dury, neuroscientist and child psychologist.
Mark Lowcock, the UN head of humanitarian affairs and emergency relief says, “The crisis in northwest Syria has reached a horrifying new level.”
Most of the civilians who were forced to leave their homes are women and children “who are traumatized and forced to sleep outside in freezing temperatures because camps are full. Mothers burn plastic to keep children warm. Babies and small children are dying because of the cold,” he adds.
“The trajectory we’re on is of the world’s biggest humanitarian horror story of the 21st century.”@UNReliefChief tells @BeckyCNN the world is going to regret turning a ‘blind eye’ to the humanitarian crisis unfolding *right now* in #Idlib. pic.twitter.com/Qo3G5j9A6W
“Health facilities, schools, residential areas, mosques, and markets have been hit. Schools are suspended, many health facilities have closed. There is a serious risk of disease outbreaks. Basic infrastructure is falling apart. We are now receiving reports that settlements for displaced people are being hit, resulting in deaths, injuries and further displacement. The equipment and facilities being used by aid workers are being damaged. Humanitarian workers themselves are being displaced and killed,” he said in his statement.
“People are burning rubbish to keep themselves warm.” | A few days ago, a 5-month-old baby, Areej Majid al-Hmeidi, froze to death in Kalbeet camp near the Syrian-Turkish border.
We often speak of the negative impact bullying has on children, but this time, we get to witness its heartbreaking consequences first hand after one mom shared a video of her son who is being mocked every single day.
Yarraka Bayles is the mother of 9-year-old Quaden who was born with Achondroplasia, a form of Dwarfism. The boy is constantly bullied by his peers because of his looks and that results in him wanting to end his own life. Listening to him crying in hysterics and saying how he wants to kill himself left the whole world in tears.
Feeling helpless, Bayles hopes hers and her child’s voice would be heard and that people would finally learn to accept those that are different. She pleads the school system to pay closer attention to the issue of bullying that is present in the educational institutions more often than we can assume. Bayles also wants parents to educate their children more and teach them to know better than bullying others.
“I’ve just picked up my son from school, witnessed a bullying episode, rang the principal, and I want people [to] know, parents, educators teachers, this is the effects that bullying has, this is what bullying does,” Bayles says in the video.
Speaking to SBS, Bayles shared how she was left raged when she went to pick her son from school and saw some of his female classmates patting him on the head like a puppy while laughing about his height.
“She was patting him on the head like a little puppy. My daughter and I looked at each other and we made signals to him to ask if you are right, and he was like ‘no’ and he was looking at me horrified, like ‘don’t make a scene mum,'” she continued.
“You could tell he was very uncomfortable but he was so good at trying to shrug things off, he doesn’t want people to know how much it’s affecting him, he’s so strong and confident but it’s times like these when you just see him crumble. It was just heartbreaking to watch, it made me feel helpless.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time for Quaden to want to end his life. According to his mom, he attempted suicide when he was six years old, after his granddad passed away. The pressure he feels and the bullying he faces on a daily basis trigger his suicidal tendencies.
“It’s the constant bullying, the name-calling, obviously pointing out his difference so now we have a … severely suicidal child who’s sick of the bullying that is [happening] every single day that he attends school or is in public.”
“I feel like I’m failing as a parent. I feel like the education system’s failing.”
Bayles doesn’t say that what happens to her son is solely the school’s fault, but she is certain that if bullying is taken more seriously and students are educated about different disabilities it would help decrease it.
“That would solve so many of the problems … it would protect the other kids with disabilities and help make them feel safe.”
Because of the severity of the situation, Bayles is considering home-schooling Quaden. At least until the whole society decides to do something regarding bullying and raise its voice for those with disabilities.
The video is so profound that it touched us to the core and made us cry. More than 8 million people who have seen it so far feel the same.
The family received thousands of comments expressing compassion and support.
One person wrote, “My heart breaks for you hun you are beautiful just the way you are.”
There were also those who judged Bayles for posting her son who was in complete distress on the social media, but she says that’s the only way she believes would help raise awareness. She said how she would keep posting videos whenever Quaden experiences bullying.
“I have copped a lot of backlash for it, I thought twice about deleting it… but I wanted people to see the effect bullying is having on my child. If I don’t stand up and speak out for him, who will,” she said.
Indigenous Australian Latrell Mitchell, a professional rugby league footballer, met with Quaden and offered his support.
Actress Teula Blakely saluted his act and shared a photo of the meeting on her Instagram saying:
“Well done to the Indigenous NRL All Stars Team for standing up to bullying and giving such a special honour to a very special young Indigenous son Quaden Bayles – Y’all know how I feel about bullying of any kind, people big or small, who are unkind can straight get in the rubbish where they belong. Life is for the loving.”
“Just want to wish you all the best brother. We know you’re going through a hard time right now but the boys are here, we’ve got your back. We’re here to support you, bud.
“We just want to make sure you’re doing alright and make sure that your mum’s on your side, we’re on your side.
“Just make sure you’re thinking the right things, bud, because we want you around – we want you to lead us out on the weekend.
“It’s going to mean more to us than it will to you, bud. Just make sure you’re looking after us and hopefully, we’ll get to see you in the next couple of days.”
Quaden now knows that despite being treated badly at school, there are millions of other people who love him and believe he’s handsome the way he is. We honestly hope his peers will start looking beyond his Dwarfism and realize how special Quaden really is.
Most parents of young children who have a full-time job turn to nannies and babysitters to look after their kids. When choosing such person under whose care they leave their most precious treasures, many moms and dads make sure its someone who they trust completely.
Babysitters basically take the role of a parent for a great part of the day and are expected to approach the child in a manner that will allow them to gain their trust and love. On top of that, they should not only make sure the little ones are well fed, but also teach them things and make their time enjoyable as much as they can.
One family from Lexington, KY, is sharing their harrowing experience and is asking from parents to be very careful when choosing a nanny.
Namely, their nonverbal son started acting strangely, so they decided to set up cameras and see what is going on behind closed door while they are not in the house. What they saw after going through the videos, left them raged.
The Fields also reported how their son Luke isn’t only autistic, but has epilepsy and a heart condition too, so they are convinced that treating him in such cruel manner as caught on tape is definitely worth prison time for the nanny named Lilian D. White.
Among the rest, it can be seen how White is dragging Luke across the floor and then sits on his chest.
The worst of all is that the poor boy was not able to tell his parents of the ordeal he had to go through while under the care of this woman.
Speaking of the case, the family’s attorney, Dale Golden, said: “It was very troubling. As you can imagine, the parents are in shock.”
“The real tragedy about this case is that Luke was unable to communicate with his parents,” he added.
Once they went through the footage, the Fields reported the abuse upon which White was arrested and charged with criminal abuse. During her hearing, she pleaded not guilty and the judge ordered her not to get close to Luke or his family ever again.
If you’ve been feeling down recently and need something to boost your mood, you are at the right place. If this little guy from the video below doesn’t make you evaporate into a steam of swooning, I don’t know what will.
As it turns out, 1-year-old Albie Dunville is a real star and his action of rubbing pasta with sauce on his bare belly brings smiles all over the country and beyond.
The cute video was first shared on the Facebook Page Positive About Down Syndrome by Albie’s mommy, Emma Ayers.
She has been part of this group and worked closely with other parents of children with Down Syndrome ever since her little boy was born.
This beyond-words-adorable video has stolen the hearts of many and has been shared more than 400,000 times. Little Albie’s joy while playing with his dinner helped in fulfilling the mission of the Facebook group whose goal is to raise awareness and acceptance about children with the genetic condition.
Just look at him. He’s all smiles, and that triggers one on our faces as well.
“When there is so much wrong in the world, everyone needs an Albie to put a smile on their face,” wrote one Facebook user. “Albie, we love you.”
“What a wee cutie Albie is, and a lovely smile, too,” said another, adding that “there’s a certain logic to him — the food ends up in the tummy so let’s bypass the eating bit.”
Emma says that even though Albie doesn’t have any teeth yet, he’s a huge food lover and doesn’t miss the opportunity to munch on his favorite treats.
“Spaghetti is of course a firm favorite, and mealtimes can be very messy where Albie is involved,” Emma told Today.
However, “the food and belly combo was a new one to us,” she added. “Albie has absolute bags of personality and his smile is the most contagious I’ve ever seen. You can literally watch people around him light up.”
Albie was born January 2019, and his parents didn’t know he had Down Syndrome until they welcomed him into the world. When they heard the diagnosis it came to them as a shock mainly because the way the hospital informed them of it “was’t at all positive.”
But now, experiencing how special it is to have such a loving son as Albie, Emma and husband Adam embrace all the amazing parts that came with the diagnosis.
“Albie, I have had a terrible week,” one person shared. “But seeing this post and your infectious smile has cheered me up to no end.” Honestly, we felt exactly the same!
Paying it forward is what an elderly couple from New Jersey set as their New Year’s resolution some years ago, and they are doing good for random people and strangers ever since. Initially, they felt like they should be offering kindness to military members, but in fact, they step in whenever they notice someone’s down on their luck.
Since Wawa and Dunkin’ Donuts are the two places Ruth Reed and her husband visit most often, it’s usually there where they pick people’s tabs and pay for them.
Of all the times Ruth showed kindness to other people, one special encounter that took place at the local Wawa is one she will never forget. This retired elementary school teacher was waiting in line when she noticed the man standing in front of her was short on cash. She then approached and insisted to pay for his items.
Little did she know she would come face-to-face with one of the biggest stars in country music, Keith Urban.
She could say he looked like the musician, but couldn’t believe her ears when he introduced himself and said he was in fact him. She wasn’t certain if he was telling the truth or not, but she then noticed his bodyguards and “fell apart.”
Speaking of the encounter, Ruth said how Keith was very nice to her and everyone around and agreed to pose for a picture.
This kind teacher had no idea she would become sort of a celebrity herself. Many media outlets picked her story and she only agreed to appear on TV because she believes her experience would inspire other people to follow her example of paying it forward.
As the whole country prayed for little Faye Swetlik to be brought home safe, authorities came forward with the tragic news of her death.
The six-year-old was reported missing on Monday after she disappeared from the family’s home front yard where she was playing after getting back from school.
Police activity was intensified in the Churchill Heights neighborhood and the yellow crime tape prevented anyone from coming in, even the residents.
Houses, vehicles, and a great area of the wood and landfill was thoroughly searched.
Faye’s lifeless body was found on Thursday around 11 a.m not far from where she was last seen. Authorities launched a homicide investigation but didn’t report how the girl died.
“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we’re announcing we have found the body, that the coroner has identified as Faye Marie Swetlik,” Cayce Director of Public Safety Byron Snellgrove told reporters. “We are now treating this case as a homicide.”
Officers found another body in the same area. It was of a deceased male who hasn’t been identified. They, however, believe the two cases aren’t related.
No arrests have been made so far, but the Lexington County Coroner’s Office reported how the community shouldn’t feel endangered as they are doing their best to solve the case and are asking from the public to come forward with any information that would help the investigation.
Crime scene tape covers the wooded area near the Churchill Heights neighborhood, this after the bodies of Faye Swetlik and an unidentified male were found. @wis10pic.twitter.com/9uzSFoIXJW
Sweet Faye was a vibrant little girl who loved art and had lots of friends. Her teachers, her classmates, and the whole community is left heartbroken and mourns her loss.
Police shared a touching post on their Facebook page assuring Faye’s family and the country this case is far from over. We honestly hope who ever committed this horrific crime would end up behind bars as soon as possible.
Most couple’s biggest dream is to become parents one day. For some, that comes naturally and with ease, but others spend years of trying before they welcome their bundle of joy into the world and into their lives. The latter often seek help from doctors, and they usually end up with miracle pregnancies.
Andrea and Mark Rivas were over the moon when they learned they were expecting a baby. Sadly, they experienced a miscarriage, and no matter how deep that affected them, they never stopped trying. After two years of unsuccessful attempts they underwent an IVF procedure and became parents of twins Conor and Avery.
Their fertility journey was filled with many sleepless nights, many mixed emotions, but at the end, it brought them children and friends for life. Sandi and Philip Palmisano were also trying to conceive for a longer period of time, but unlike Andrea and Mark, their treatments always failed.
Having experienced the struggle themselves, the Rivas knew what their new friends were going through so they decided to step in. Andrea offered to be their surrogate and Sandi and Philip were beyond thankful.
During a check-up, the families learned Andrea was carrying twins again, and the Palmisanos couldn’t hide their excitement. Andrea helped them fulfill their greatest wish of becoming a mom and a dad.
In February 2014, the Palmisano family got bigger. The new additions, babies EmmaLee and Grayson made their world a better place all thanks to Andrea and her husband.
The life of both the families was a busy one. They had their hands full with work around the little ones who became best friends just like their parents.
After the kids became toddlers, more great news came in. Andrea and Mark were expecting again and the ultrasound revealed something truly incredible. Are you guessing already? They were having twins again.
This story is so uplifting that it makes us become better people ourselves and do good for others the way the Rivas did for the Palmisanos.
Teachers probably have one of the hardest jobs, not to mention they are neither paid, nor respected enough, but still, seeing their students turn into respected citizens and members of the community knowing they had their share is sometimes enough.
We have heard of many stories where teachers go above and beyond for their students. They take it personally and not only make sure to pass down knowledge to everyone in their classroom, but also make sure they teach the students valuable life lessons.
One teacher in particular, named Trey Payne from the Logan Fontenelle Middle School, can say he did right job educating his students when it comes to practicing positive values and principles.
Namely, he bought himself some expensive basketball shoes recently and was glad he did, but someone stole them from his classroom. He could barely afford to get them in the first place, so replacing them with another pair was practically impossible.
His students knew how sad it all made Mr. Payne so they decided to surprise him.
They gave him a gift bag and a card and asked him to read it aloud. It can be seen from the video taken by one of the students that Mr. Payne is in complete disbelief. He reads the card silently and then reaches to open the bag.
As he pulls the paper out of the gift bag, he can see there is a box inside and says, “I hope this isn’t shoes guys…Oh my…are you serious?”
He then opens it and sees brand new shows. This made him cry tears of joy as he couldn’t believe what he students did for him.
His reaction is as touching as the students’ act of kindness.
This teacher got his favorite sneakers stolen, so his students bought him a new pair of KD 12s. 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/mOXf9pEsHI
Speaking to KETV ABC 7, Mr. Payne said: “It’s more than a pair of shoes. It’s about doing things to build everyone up around you. I try to show my kids this and I think the lesson has sunk in for many, in turn, reaffirming my purpose and my ideals.”
What do you think of what the students did for their favorite teacher?
With all those TV shows and popular magazines showing celebrities and their lavish lifestyle and looks, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that ordinary people dream of ever getting the same.
However, most of us look up to our favorite actors, singers, and other public figures completely unaware that they have a bunch of stylists and other people taking care of their looks every single day. On top of that, they have lots of money and can afford expensive clothes and make-up.
Sarah Schmidt is a lovely young lady who wasn’t satisfied with her appearance. Or better said, she just wanted to look like someone famous, in her case, the oldest daughter of President Trump, Ivanka.
In order to achieve Ivanka’s signature looks, Schmidt underwent total of 9 plastic surgeries. Sadly, most people agree that even after the weeks of healing she had to go through after the procedures, she doesn’t resemble her idol even a bit.
Vanity Fair searched a bit further and reported how all of the surgeries were done by plastic surgeon Dr. Franklin A. Rose for free. Yes, Schmidt didn’t pay a dime for her new looks.
If you wonder why would someone be so generous, it’s because Dr. Ross was convinced he can make anyone look like Ivanka, and Schmidt was up to the challenge as she wanted that really badly. So it turned into a win-win situation for both of them.
Although she looks different than before, many believe Schmidt didn’t got was she hoped for. She, on the other hand, looks happy and confident and is convinced she achieved her goal to the extent that she could be mistaken for Ivanka on the streets.
Inside Edition shared the video of Schmidt’s transformation and most of the comments are not positive.
“Spent all that money and went through the surgeries but then ended up nothing like Ivanka,” one person wrote.
“She does not look like anything like her 😬😬😬😬 ask for refund,” another added.
One grief-stricken mother is sharing her daughter’s tragic story and is warning parents of children who suffer from allergies of the hidden dangers behind products like toothpaste.
Monique Altamirano said how her 11-year-old daughter’s allergy to dairy made her overly protective. Whenever the girl was about to try new food she would spend a lot of time going through the ingredients, making sure they were completely dairy free. However, that wasn’t the case with the toothpaste little Denise was recommended by her dentist.
As it turned out, the new toothpaste, MI Paste One, contained a protein found in cow’s milk, and it was enough to sent sweet Denise into anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction.
The moment Denise started brushing her teeth, she felt her breathing became heavy.
Speaking to Allergic Living, Monique recalled the moment her daughter died.
“She said, ‘I think I’m having an allergic reaction to the toothpaste,’ and her lips were already blue,” says Monique. “I picked her up and put her on my bed. I ran to the living room, told my daughter – ‘Call 911!’ – and I grabbed the EpiPen.” She administered it, and gave Denise her asthma inhaler.
“She was saying, ‘Mommy, I can’t breathe.’ I was saying, ‘I love you, yes, you can ….”
Monique is begging parents and caregivers to take anaphylaxis seriously and wants them to go through the ingredients of every product their children use, no matter if it seems irrelevant.
“Read everything. Don’t get comfortable, just because you’ve been managing for several years. You can’t get comfortable or be embarrassed or afraid to ask and ensure that ingredients are OK. Be that advocate for your child,” she added.
We are extremely sorry for your loss. Rest in peace little angel.
Please share this story to pass down Monique’s warning!
If you are into great music and dancing, then you are at the right place. We present to you young prodigy Hillary Klung from Fayetteville, Tennessee, the winner of the National Buck Dancing Championship, 2013, and the National Old Time Buck Dancing Championship, 2019.
Combining buck dance, a type of folk tap dance, and the fiddle earned this lovely girl a huge number of followers.
People love her performances so much that some of her videos have been seen more than 3.5 million times and all for the right reasons. She truly is one of a kind and her talent is undeniable.
One of her most incredible dance routines involving playing the fiddle is that of “Cotton-Eyed Joe.” Mesmerizing both to watch and listen to, Hillary is definitely one of our favorite young musicians. She is a star in the making and her name is about to become even more popular in the years to come.
Her love for dancing was always present and she couldn’t help herself but take the ‘dance floor’ whenever she would hear some good music on the radio. But it wasn’t until she first heard a fiddle performance at a music festival that she knew that instrument was her call.
Although no one in her family is musical, Hillary is an exception. She learned from the best, including famous buck dancers and fiddle players from the South, and took parts in various competitions. In 2013, she became the Kentucky State Dance champion.
She loves both playing and dancing and as she didn’t want to neglect either of her talents, Hillary decided to combine them.
“I needed slower music for my students to be able to practice. But I couldn’t find any recordings of slow fiddle music. So I brought my fiddle and played it myself. The next week I played another tune. We started getting faster with each class until I was able to dance and play at the same time, out of necessity,” she said speaking to Strings Magazine.
Hillary wanted her passion for dance and music to be heard and seen and she decided to share it with the rest of the world when she got into busking in Nashville. She went there for a competition she was eager to attend but worried about the costs of the trip and decided to perform on the street to cover her stay there.
“Parking was, like, 20 bucks each day for two days. I didn’t know if I’d even be able to break even. But I knew that busking was a thing on Broadway, so I took my fiddle and played for 15 minutes. Nobody wanted to hear it; they just kept walking.”
Well, if you wonder why, it’s because street performing is common in Nashville, but Hillary had an ace up her sleeve, her talent for dancing.
“Then, I started dancing. I had my cowboy boots on. And everybody stopped. It was astounding. I got a $20 tip from somebody right away. That’s how I discovered that doing both together is very entertaining.”
The news of a girl who stole the hearts of the passersby spread around and many were eager to check her YouTube channel and enjoy more of what she had to offer.
Hillary is now planning on taking a tour and even adding some vocals in her performances. Well, we can’t wait to see how she would sound.
This is definitely something you wouldn’t want to miss.
The general rules are that if a child wants to visit the bathroom or the nurse’s office during lesson time, they should ask their teachers for permission. And although some students tend to abuse their right to excuse themselves in order to embark on ‘adventures’ around the school halls, most only ask for permission when they really feel the need to go.
One teacher named Mrs. White from the Aspire Hanley Middle School, a charter school in Memphis, Tennessee, decided to come up with her own rules when it comes to taking bathroom breaks. Needless to say, parents were outraged about what she had to say. The mom of one of Mrs. White’s eight-grade students shared the note her kid brought home and it spread all over the Internet like a wildfire.
Namely, Mrs. White wrote how her students are only allowed to two bathroom breaks a month during her lessons, and that’s it.
In case they leave the classroom more than that, then they get either a detention or zero points on the assignment they decide to walk out on.
What’s most, she even confirms she is petty.
She then goes on and writes how her students can speak to her about the rules, which we believe are pure nonsense, but nothing will change.
And in case a kid loses their pass, she says, “I’m sorry, try again next month.” If this isn’t the purest form of cruelty, I don’t know what is.
Once the original photo was deleted, other parents came forward and posted it again. Many people took their stand against this teacher and shared their opinions about her rules which are not in accordance with the school rules whatsoever.
“This shows someone with control issues who has no power or authority at home, so they bring what little power they have to the one place where they will have no resistance: the classroom,” said a person named Jaadee Sykes, who shared the note on her Twitter and referred to it as “abhorrent.”
However, when the superintendent of the school, Nickalous Manning, heard of this from Facebook, he asked for an investigation to be completed.
“There is no policy in place at our school that restricts students’ access to the bathroom or to the nurse’s office,” said Altovise Boyd, the regional director of the charter school. Further, he added the school has “convened [the] full team to review all relevant policies and procedures.”
“Yes, lets all make poor children hold their bladders bc them going to the restroom is a nuisance for you. My child has my permission to walk out of whoever’s class if they tell him he can’t go,” one mom tweeted showing her outrage.
There were also those who supported Mrs. White, with one of them saying, “My god, people. Teacher makes a mistake in handling a situation that is obviously very frustrating for her and you folks are prepared to destroy her.”
Honestly, I would be really angry in case my kid comes home with such absurd note. How would you react?
There comes a time in our life when we dedicate all our strength to make those around us happy and forget about ourselves. And then, something that turns our world upside-down happens and we realize we’ve been neglecting the most important person in our life – ourselves – for so long.
For a woman named Heather from Amarillo, Texas, such wake-up call was the separation from her husband of many years. This 48-old-divorcee needed a change that would remind her she’s alive and beautiful, and our favorite guy, Christopher Hopkins, was more than willing to give it to her.
The ‘Makeover Guy’ is known for the happiness he brings in people’s lives with his creativity and out-of-this-world talent.
This time, he was determined to give Heather the so much anticipated change and help her improve her self-esteem.
Speaking of the time of her divorce, Heather said, “Eventually I just kind of gave up for a while,” referring to the way she looked.
She had no idea what to expect, she only knew that she trusted Christopher so much that she decided to leave her complete appearance in his skillful hands. And she did the right thing.
When Christopher asked Heather if there was something she didn’t want to see, she answered she didn’t want to see “ugly” as if that was even possible in this guy’s salon.
He started off with Heather’s gray straggly hair. He gave her a cut and dyed it in a light auburn color. It’s truly incredible how a simple hair cut can wipe off 20 years of someone’s face.
The make-up he applied highlighted Heather’s natural beauty.
“I really wanted Christopher to do whatever he thought was best, and I think he kind of nailed it,” Heather said. “I feel sexy!”
Honestly, we can’t agree more. You look absolutely stunning!
Take a look at Heather’s transformation in the video below.
Talent shows never cease to amaze us because they prove us over and over again that ordinary people with special skills and talents do get the chance to shine and leave the world speechless.
The Voice Kids, the Belgian edition, brings us an incredible moment of a shy boy who took the stage and looked around in confusion. But it only took him a line of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” for all the three judges to press their buzzers and see the boy with the voice of an angel.
13-year-old Abu stole the hearts of everyone in the room and got standing ovations.
I believe that no one really expected for such energy and emotion to come from such a young man.
We all knew this would be a night to remember for Abu and his family at the backstage who were keeping their fingers crossed when two of the judges started smiling widely.
Josje Huisman and Laura Tesoro knew they were witnessing a star being born.
Their facial expressions spoke louder than words and showed their amazement in a perfect manner.
All the tree judges were now facing Abu who smiled back at them as a thank you for turning towards him.
The family couldn’t hide their excitement when they realized the crowd and the judges loved what their little boy had to show on that stage.
People were cheering as Abu sang along. He added his own touch to the song and it sounded perfectly.
At this point, judges were clapping and singing and they all hoped this little music prodigy would pick them to be in their team.
As the performance continued, everyone was even more convinced Abu is a star in the making.
At the end of the powerful performance, judge Sean Dhondt ran onto the stage and sat cross-legged in front of the artist, showing his admiration.
The video of Abu singing on the show has been seen more than 23 million times since it was first posted in April 2017.
Well, he didn’t end up winning the competition but we are sure that if he decides to pursue a career as a singer one day, his name will quickly become famous in the industry. Because with such talent one wouldn’t expect anything less than huge popularity.
Take a look at the performance below and make sure you share it with your friends.
Everybody loves dancing. No matter if you think you have two left feet, when your favorite song is on, you just dance to the rhythm. However, it takes special skills to master many styles all at once.
Modern swing dance is a combination of a number of styles and the best thing about it is that people of all shapes and sizes with the right amount of talent can master it.
Although it originates in the U.S., swing dancing stole the hearts of people from every corner of the world and gained its popularity very quickly.
And no matter how many dancers who practice this style you know of, no one really does it in a more mesmerizing manner than Bianka Locatelli and Nils Andrén. She’s a native Italian who moved to Sweden in her teens, and he’s a native Swed. Together, they comprise one of the best pairs in modern swing dancing. At the moment, Locatelli and Andrén dance on Sweden’s national team in “Boogie Woogie” and take part in numerous “Lindy Hop” competitions.
This dancing couple leaves audiences from all around the world in awe as they showcase their routines and talent during their global travels.
Their vintage flair is on point ever since they met back when they were both 16.
If you want to know how popular they really are, just take a look at the video of their performance at the Rock That Swing Festival at the Deutsches Theater in Munich, Germany, which has been seen more than 13 million times.
In the video that is beyond satisfying to watch, the former Swedish national champions show their greatness and their love for dancing in all their glory.
It looks as though they are floating on air and not touching the floor. The choice of song, Bruce Channel’s 1961 hit “Hey Baby!”, only adds to the magic of their routine.
People were so overwhelmed by what they saw that they only had words of praise:
“They have so much fun I can’t take my eyes off of them! Great!!!” one person wrote.
Moving in perfect harmony and with huge smiles on their faces throughout the whole time, these two made their routine look like a piece of cake. It’s all so smooth and fun-to-watch that we can’t help by play it over and over again.
“I love this! That guy can really dance! That guy’s dancing is pure art. He was meant to do that. He told the whole song with his dance I must have watched this 10 times already. I can’t stop watching this guy dance. His partner is perfect also. But he’s a real actor to this song,” a person gushed.
I honestly doubt that any other couple can ever achieve this level of excellence.
“They love swing dancing because it brings people together and spreads joy between them, but also because it has a technical and ‘nerdy’ side. The dance challenges them in keeping practicing, creating and expressing,” Bianca and Nils’ Facebook bio states.
This routine is definitely something you don’t want to miss. Share it with your friends to make their day.
The Super Bowl is here! One of the most anticipated events in the country is about to gather millions in front of their TVs on Sunday. And as most of them are there to enjoy the game and cheer for their favorite team, a great number of viewers are eager to check the commercials out.
Among the companies who were willing to pay millions for their products to be featured during the annual championship are the Doritos. And as much as their Nacho Cheese was in the spotlight for so long, they are now updating the flavor of their Cool Ranch. And the taste of it? Well, if two big names like that of 20-year-old rapper Lil Nas X and actor Sam Elliot are “fighting” for a bag of it, it has to be exquisite.
The two are dressed in their cowboy outfits, somewhere in the Wild West, and ready to duel.
But instead of a game of quick draw, the pair gets into a dance-off battle. The song, as you are guessing already, is Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” that brought him two Grammy awards.
For Elliot, who is well known for his mustache and his roles as a cowboy, filming this commercial was a totally different experience from everything he’s done before.
“I was a little concerned about having to dance at this point in my life,” Elliott told Adweek. “I used to love to dance, I’ve always been athletic but, you know, at 75 things slow down… I wasn’t worried about opening my mouth and talking, but the dancing was a challenge.”
Elliott was first introduced to Lil Nas X’s music by his daughter and says working with the young rapper was a real pleasure. “I found him a pretty solid kid. He worked hard,” he said. “He’d never been in front of a camera on film set before, and he was up to the challenge. And he couldn’t have been nicer to be around.”
Getting a job and working hard to earn our living is what most of us do. So when we finally get to retire it should lead to a peaceful life free of the stress the job brings. We have enough free time to dedicate ourselves to the things we have been neglecting for so long, such as our favorite hobby, traveling the world, and embarking on new adventures.
Societies should pay retirees utmost respect because they have done their share for the country, but sadly, that’s not always the case.
I have heard many times of incidents where elderly and vulnerable people are the target of thieves and muggers and that makes me lose faith in humanity. Imagine what would a pensioner do if they are left without their only income?
A video taken from an alley in a town in Russia is a lesson why one should never mess with old people. They may not be as vital as they once were, but they are full of experience and knowledge, and some of them happen to be retired boxers, just like this elderly guy from the video below.
The muggers had no idea that they would end up knocked down on the ground when they decided to steal from this man.
They went on him with their “fierce looking” attitude hoping to scare him, but the boxer wasn’t afraid to show off his boxing skills, and boy, we are so glad he wasn’t.
We hope the muggers learned their lesson to never mess with older people and start working their as*es off for a change.
More than 440,000 people have seen the video so far and they all agree these muggers got what they deserved. One person wrote, “Fists like bullets, those where fast, accurate, full face punches!”
Check this boxer’s skills in the video below and share it with your friends.
Who doesn’t enjoy watching talent shows? I guess why most of us love these shows is because we never know what to expect. Maybe the next super star and the country’s new sweetheart is performing for the first time right before our eyes and we really don’t want to miss that moment.
In fact, people are fond of preschool talent shows for the same reason, and a group of four young boys are here to prove that to be true.
The moment the piano music was on and one of the boys walked to the stage dressed in a suit, a hat, and a chair in his arms, everyone knew it would be a performance worth seeing.
He placed the chair on the stage, sat on it, and slapped his lap in the beat. Another boy, dressed exactly the same, carrying a chair, joined the first one.
The rest of the group then walked from opposite sides of the stage and the show was on.
This cute quartet stole everyone’s heart by dancing to the rhythm and in perfect harmony. It was obvious this incredible routine was a result of many hours of practice and hard work.
But, it definitely paid off as people were stunned by the moves which involved placing legs one over another, slapping, and moving to the side and onto the center.
Next, these little gentlemen got off their chairs and walked behind them, danced around, and then danced behind the chairs again.
What followed was sitting on the chairs facing the audience with their backs and twisting around the chairs as the music started playing again.
The peak of the performance was when the boys climbed onto the chairs. No one at the audience could hide their amusement and cheering and clapping can be heard during the whole thing.
And just when we though this couldn’t get any cuter, the boys jumped off the chairs one by one, and then sit on them again and lifted their hats.
It’s truly amazing knowing this comes from such young children. Their confidence only adds to the outcome that stunned everyone who got so see them dance.
After it was uploaded on YouTube, the video of the performance has been seen more than 1.7 million times. People can’t help by comment on it:
I am sure the popularity they gained with their incredible dance moves will make them consider performing again in the future. All these four young boys are artists in the making, don’t you think so?
Make sure you check the video out, you’re going to love it!
All a child needs while growing up is to feel loved and safe knowing they have by they side someone who cares. Although most parents are overly protective of their children and would do all in their power to see them happy and thriving, there are also cases of child abuse and neglect that break our hearts into a million pieces.
Such devastating case that deeply disturbed the whole country was reported in Alabama. Allegedly, five children have been kept locked in cages on several occasions by their mother and grandparents.
Thankfully, authorities were able to step in and save the poor children from the hands of their cruel family.
ABC News reported that authorities were alerted of possible child abuse on January 13.
When they visited the home, which is situated in Smiths Station, in eastern Alabama’s Lee County, investigators were welcomed by four of the children aged 3, 4, 10, and 11. An 8-month-old baby was also living in the house.
Inside the place, there were two wooden cages with hasps and locks. The sight was devastating knowing those kids were spending time inside those cages.
“[The] investigation revealed evidence that the children had been locked in the cages on multiple occasions,” Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, released on social media.
Thankfully, authorities acted immediately and the children’s mother was arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse of a child younger than 6 years old, and two counts of reckless endangerment. The grandparents who were also involved in the abuse of the children were charged under the same counts as the mother.
We are so glad none of these five kids would ever have to be treated in such cruel manner again. We hope they will be able to overcome the stress and trauma they were forced to go through while living with people who treated them as objects.
