Some paths were meant to cross. Such is the case with Damon Walker and Dr. Michael Franks, two Baltimore residents who encountered one another on New Year’s Day of 1996. Walker had just exited a party and found himself standing by Hamburg Street Bridge, a few blocks south from Camden Yards where the Orioles play, when he was suddenly robbed and shot.
The Rock is at it again, spreading goodwill and a very special thanksgiving surprise for a lucky and deserving superfan. Dwayne Johnson recently hosted a special theater screening of his new action-comedy Red Notice, but also had a secret project in the works: a special one-of-a-kind gift for a one-of-a-kind fan, community leader and Navy veteran Oscar Rodriguez.
This year marks an auspicious moment for the California School for the Deaf’s varsity football team, with an undefeated run of 12 games right before the upcoming championship. The Cubs haven’t played a season like this in the 60+ years of football at the school, but 2021 looks to be the breakout for this tenacious team.
It’s a tale as old as time: another cat just climbed too high for their own good. This stranded feline in Colorado Springs, Colorado, climbed on top of a neighbor’s roof, and then ended up being stuck there, for three entire days.
What makes us different makes us special, and this lovely little formerly stray gray cat is emerging as a budding social media star with a head-turning look. Her name is Midas, and she’s blessed with a remarkable bonus: four ears instead of two!
When Naomi Pascal lost her teddy bear back in October of 2020, she was crestfallen. The six-year-old had held that bear throughout much of her life, ever since her parents adopted her from an Ethiopian orphanage and sent it across the ocean to her, where it was a trusty companion for her trip to Wyoming and beyond.
Any burglars planning a crime in a neighborhood in Brentwood, Tennessee now know one thing for certain: Gus the Labrador is on the watch, and he doesn’t go down easy. The spritely hero pup has just turned two years old, and neighbors are celebrating him in joyous appreciation of his courage, when he protected the area against a suspected burglar back in September, even putting himself in harm’s way.
A remarkable young man in Hawaii helped with a surprising rescue of two hikers who were out on the trail, alongside their dog. the couple, whose names were revealed as JD and Aimee, had been out on the Waimano Hiking Trail on Saturday but became completely lost, ran out of supplies, and were very lucky to run into 12-year-old Boy Scout David King and his mother Christine.
A Tennessee pup named Diego is a lovely Pitbull/Australian Cattle Dog mix, and he’s sadly losing his eyesight. His owner Jane Flanders Salazar had obtained a doggie’s DNA test from Boston-based Embark Veterinary and learned of this health condition, which has the potential to cause Diego complete blindness over the next three years.
Welsh broadcaster Owain Wyn Evans is taking a much-needed break. The weatherman, journalist, and broadcast personality is well known on the BBC, where he features on various different programs. Oh, and also, he’s a drummer, a talent which has developed into something of his trademark, with those skills now put to very good use.
William Apostol, a/k/a “Billy Strings,” is clearly looking to inspire scores of upcoming guitarists-in-training with a generous donation of brand new guitars. The happy recipients were students at Twin Rivers Elementary School in Muir Michigan, and a total of 208 students received their very own guitar to keep.
A New Jersey teenager was recognized for his brilliant approach to cancer treatment, receiving a generous monetary award by the Davidson Fellows Scholarship Program. Patryk Dabek is 18 years old and is working on an ambitious idea: a method of treating cancer that eschews traditional chemotherapy approaches.
Meet Abraham Olagbegi, a youngster born with a rare blood disorder that required a bone marrow transplant. Luckily, the 13-year-old was able to receive a transplant and the procedure proved successful, but he also had a qualification for the Make-A-Wish foundation, which turned great news into even better news: he wanted to use his wish to help people for the long haul.
Samson has a very special job: keeping spirits high for some of the hardest working front liners in Hawaii. He’s a furry member of the official staff at Queen’s Medical Center, a private nonprofit hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, and patrols the halls as an emotional support dog, going where he’s most needed.
It’s hard to even imagine what 100 koalas might look like, but this heroic six-year-old pup has saved more than 100 during his time spent working in the fray of the Black Summer bushfires.
A pair of incredibly good dogs rescued their owner recently, a 71-year-old man who reportedly collapsed on the mountain summit of Braithwaite How in Cumbria, England. The dogs and the owner have not been identified by names, but The Huffington Post reported on an announcement made by the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team regarding the event, and all parties seem to be doing just fine now.
A new series of painterly homages to famous pieces of historic art isn’t hanging up at the local museum, but at a nursing home in the county of Gloucestershire in England. It’s a project which sees these elderly residents having their hand at painting, with self-portrait riffs on beloved works of art like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” The folks at the Sandfields Care Home are taking part in the Big Draw Festival, a “worldwide celebration of drawing” that includes events and workshops by a vast series of individuals and organizations.
Christmas came in November for patrons of an Australian toy shop, as an anonymous pair of grandparents swooped in with a special surprise for 82 families. The location of this generous gift was Toyworld, a toy store located in the city of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia, which has been around for over 40 years.
Bronx’s own Evan Bisnauth is an 11-year-old superhero for shelter pups, and was named ASPCA’s “Kid of the Year” earlier this month. The annual award honors exceptional young members of the community, and Bisnauth has dedicated his time and care towards helping shelter dogs get adopted, regularly reading to them and even creating adorable animations to catch the eye of potential adopters.
We’re always happy to speak to the continuing success of therapy animals helping those of us who need a furry push. Whether it’s assisting young students with their reading classes or easing the stress of needle-averse patients as they receive their vaccines, therapy animals are an excellent way to introduce a comforting presence to soothe a stressful situation and provide ongoing psychological and emotional support.
A new tribute has been crafted to television host, writer, Presbyterian minister, and bastion of benevolent humankind Fred Rogers, better known to all of us as Mister Rogers. The sculpture at Rollins College presents Rogers peacefully entertaining a rapt crowd of children, housed at the liberal arts college where he would earn a Bachelor’s of Music back in 1951.
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