Sliver of Hope

[SubGod22]

There are a lot of good people in the world. Some simply do more than others.

"Mother Theresa of Vietnam" Ms. Huynh Tieu Huong Overcame Decades of Homelessness to Help Hundreds of Orphans

In Vietnam, a remarkable woman has adopted 346 children after overcoming a life of incredible hardship which started when her parents left her on a doorstep as a foundling.

Huynh Tieu Huong, whom national media has dubbed “Mother Theresa of Vietnam” runs a non-profit organization dedicated to the adoption, support, and free offering of loving kindness to foundlings, orphans, and homeless children. Thanks to support given by donors and volunteers, these 346 children are all able to receive education, safe places to sleep and play, and the proper medical care to ensure they reach adulthood healthy.

Huong herself doesn’t really know when she was born. An ID found on her didn’t include a surname, but did say 1968. In the years following the war, An old homeless woman dedicated what was left of her life’s energies toward trying to help Huong find a home—which she did in the hands of a young couple from the city of Vinh Phu.

These turned out to be sexual predators, and it took the neighbors to help her escape a permanent fate of sexual exploitation. Her life then became year after year of vagabondry, until she found a baby girl left on her doorstep when she was about 19 years old.

She adopted the child, and in this act of generosity, the universe finally began to smile on Tieu Huong, who met a Chinese man who gave her the money to rent an apartment and start a business. When she could readily support herself and her daughter Anh Dao, she started volunteering at the Vietnam Relief Association in 1993, helping orphans and the elderly.

[SubGod22]

Speaking of birthdays

Incredible Turn Of Events As Community Rallies To Save Little Girl's Birthday

A Texas community came together to celebrate a little girl whose birthday party seemed destined for despair.

"My little girl has counting down the days until her birthday party," mom Lex Fitzgerald said. "She's been so excited to celebrate with all her classmates and friends."

Despite Willa's excitement, the guests she had invited failed to arrive.

In a last desperate act, Lex posted on her local Facebook group in the hope a few families in the community might be available to join them and turn the day around for her daughter.

"If anyone has young kids and looking for something to do right now, no one showed up to my daughter's birthday party," she wrote online. "It's her first (and likely last) party. We'd love to celebrate with you."

"I didn’t want to have to tell my little girl that no one was coming to her birthday party," Lex said. "Quickly, I thought to reach out to my local Facebook group and send out a so called 'bat signal' of sorts to other families out there."

"The response was life changing," she said.

Families dropped what they were doing, grabbed presents and balloons, and flocked to the restaurant.

"Within MINUTES families were showing up ready to share the day with Willa," Lex said. "We went from not a single person at her birthday table to not a single table open."

[SubGod22]

Video of news coverage at the bottom of the article. I love this story so much. Probably because it involves dogs, but I love strangers stepping up to make someones day.

Hundreds Of Dogs Show Up To Celebrate Man's 100th Birthday

Residents of a San Jose community came together on Sunday to celebrate the 100th birthday of beloved local resident, Dr. Robert Moore.

Robert's daughter Alison put out the word on the Nextdoor app, asking people to dress up their dogs and parade them in front of their house to help their dad celebrate the milestone.

Alison told NBC Bay Area she was hoping for maybe 20 dogs to show up - but the response was incredible.

More than 200 dogs and their owners came by to wish him a happy birthday. There were dogs in cowboy hats, tuxedos, pups with disabilities, pulling carts and canines in classic cars. The line stretched all the way around the block and down the street.

Robert, accompanied by his family, was deeply moved by the outpouring of love and admiration from the community.

"My father, he was so touched. He pet every single dog that came through. Every person brought the dog up to him. It was so lovely," Alison said.

Dogs make everything better.

Everything.

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Magician Performs Tricks for Shelter Dogs So Their Enthusiastic Reactions get Them Adopted - Watch

John Stessel normally performs his A-list magic show to adoring fans and celebrities, but he has found another, equally enthusiastic audience for his tricks.

Stessel routinely performs now for shelter dogs at the St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey, where their adorable reactions help to get them adopted.

Reactions to magic? Yeah, dogs are smart, and making treats and toys disappear before their eyes evidently leaves them flabergasted and determined to find out the secret.

“One of my small little superpowers is I can just help dogs show off in a way that they couldnt without me,” Stessel told Inside Edition. “Typically in the video the dogs just go nuts and they all have really different reactions.”

Stessel must take 4-5 antihistamines because, as it hapens, he’s frighteningly allergic to dogs. Hives are a common sight on set.

His work pays off, and most of the dogs in the video below have gone on to find permanent homes and loving families.

Video in the link.

Anything that helps dogs find loving homes is approved by me. And props to this guy for doing this while being very allergic to the dogs. That's a guy with a good heart.

[SubGod22]

I've said it before, and I'll say it many more times in the future, but I truly believe most people are good and want to do good. Some maybe don't act upon certain things for one reason or another. Some maybe don't know how to do things or simply think they can't make a difference. But deep down, most of us are good. The news thrives on chaos and negativity and that's a big reason I've pretty much stopped watching the news, locally or nationally. I keep tabs on things but I don't need the negativity they put out.

I much prefer seeing and hearing about good things. Uplifting things. Encouraging things. Inspirational things. If a story I share gives someone some of that then that's fantastic. I just want to make sure that with all the negativity around us all, especially those who get deep into the political turmoil, that there's at least something positive to be seen if you choose to look for it. Not everyone wants positive and I get that. But I hope those who do want some positivity can enjoy the occasional post here.

I'm glad that you see the positives out there and hope you can continue to do so.

[shoxlax]

Thanks, Sub. I see good people, even our youth, doing great things every day. One just has to filter out the noise to see it.

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Elephant Fitted With a Prosthetic Foot So He's Able to Walk Again - LOOK

When one is dealing with elephants, everything becomes a bit bigger, a bit more extreme—such as in this video when CPR is delivered via two veterinarians jumping up and down on the animal’s ribs like a moon bounce.

Similarly, Chhouk, an 11-year-old Asian elephant living at the Wildlife Alliance conservation organization in Cambodia, walks with a 44-pound prosthetic foot made out of recycled car tires and tow truck strapping.

Chhouk’s foot had to be amputated after it was caught in a poacher’s snare, but thanks to some $1,450 in funding every year from the Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK, the multi-ton animal gets a new prosthetic every 6-months, allowing him to walk, swim, and even run without difficulty.

“The level of care that he gets is brilliant and he has a great life now. There’s no better feeling,” said 27-year-old Cam Whitnall from England who runs the Paradise Wildlife Park and Big Cat Sanctuary with his family.

“Because he’s still growing, it needs replacing often and we’ve been sending payments to cover that. They’re made out of recycled rubber and some Velcro to tie it up,” he said. “They weigh about 20kg (44 pounds) and we actually got them to send one over and it’s sitting in my office currently.”

There's something about those who have a heart for helping our animal friends that makes me feel good.

[SubGod22]

I like this story. From some of the worst possible beginnings, having member of the community rally around and help her as she grew up and now on to an Ivy League education. Our circumstances don't define us.

'I Was Born In Prison': Texas Girl Born In Jail Gets Accepted To Harvard

A young Texas woman, whose life began behind bars, has been accepted into the prestigious Harvard University after graduating third in her class.

18-year-old Aurora Sky Castner was born in the Galveston County Jail. Her father picked her up from the county jail and raised her as a single dad. Her mother was incarcerated at the time and has never been a part of her life.

"I was born in prison," reads the first line of her Harvard application letter.

Castner credits her mentor Mona Hamby for her success. Castner and Hamby met when she was in elementary school. The school staff introduced her to a community mentorship program where adult volunteers grab lunch with young students at least once a week.

"I was given a paper about her. Her hero was Rosa Parks, her favorite food was tacos from Dairy Queen and she loved to read. I thought this sounds like a bright little girl," Hamby told the Houston Chronicle. "I still have that paper today."

"She told me 'I've been to jail'. I said 'No, that can't be right.' I knew that I can't just go eat lunch with this kid once a week, she needed more."

Hamby became a major part of Castner's life since that day. She took her to get her first haircut at a salon, helped her get glasses and was there when she toured Harvard's campus.

Castner not only succeeded in getting accepted into Harvard - but she will also be attending the prestigious Ivy League school on a full scholarship.

Go get that law degree kid.

[SubGod22]

Eighth Grader's Act of Kindness Touches The Heart Of An Elderly Woman

In a world where acts of kindness often go unnoticed, a remarkable story has emerged that reminds us of the power of compassion and the impact it can have on someone's life.

It all started with a "Kindness Week Challenge" given to Brennan Gould by his 8th grade teacher, Ms. Watkins. Little did he know that this challenge would lead to a wonderful friendship with 84-year-old Ms. Ann.

Brennan's commitment to sending her little goodies every day for a week blossomed into a habit of checking up on her and delivering gifts regularly, long after the challenge was over.

Their friendship has now lasted for over five years, and Brennan still visits Ms. Ann every month with flowers, smoothies, chocolates and more.

They talk about everything from his high school life to his college goals - the pair has found that they share a mutual love of chocolate. Ms. Ann is always eager to hear about what he's doing and loves to share her own stories from a different time. They have become the best of friends, with Brennan treating her like an adopted great-grandmother.

There's a news story at the bottom of the article.

I remember in middle school having elderly pen-pals from somewhere. I don't remember if they were nearby or not, but I want to say they were in Andover maybe. It really was fun writing to and reading his response and thoughts. I do remember we talked a bit about hockey as I was really into the NHL at that time and he was unfortunately a Blackhawks fan. I always regretted that it ended and kind of wish that maybe I'd written to him more beyond just that semester at school. I thought about him over the years and wonder what happened with him.

So props to this kid for keeping it going for five years. Getting a perspective of a different time and place can be of value, and those who have lived life will often have different eyes in which to see things. It can be good to have that and sometimes it's just fun to hear what they have to say. Heck, it's a little different, but I remember as a wee little lad how much I loved sitting around my mom and her family (much older than I) and just being mesmerized with the stories they had and the people they talked about. That never faded as I got older. I still enjoy listening to her and others talk about life growing up and the different things they did or didn't have or did or didn't do.

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13 Years After Losing Both Legs in Afghanistan, Veteran Summits Everest Establishing World Record

A Nepali veteran of the British operations in Afghanistan has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the world’s tallest mountain.

Hari Budha Magar, who lives in Canterbury reached the top at 3 PM last Friday, having started the climb on April 17th—13 years to the day since he lost his legs in an IED explosion.

Anyone with knowledge of the history of warfare knows about the almost mythical bravery and exceptionalism of the Ghurkas. Hari is one of these people—Ghurka being a historical term for a Nepali warrior, and a modern legal term for a Nepali foreign fighter that isn’t considered a mercenary under the Geneva Convention.

In the face of that legacy, Hari’s accomplishment is perhaps to be expected, though he certainly didn’t feel like that 13 years ago, battling alcoholism and depression.

“I grew up in Nepal, up to age of 19, and I saw how the disabled people were treated in those remote villages,” he said. “Many people still think that disability is a sin of previous life and you are the burden of the earth. I believed this myself because that is what I saw. That is how I grew up.”

He tried to kill himself a pair of times, but eventually decided to climb Everest instead. However, there was a legal summit to conquer in his native Nepal before he could tackle the Mountain So High No Bird Can Fly Over It.

Quite the feat, and just another example that shows we put our own roadblocks up and limit ourselves more than our actual circumstances do more often than not.

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Homeless Man Hailed as Hero for Rescuing Family from Apartment Fire: 'He was an angel'

A mother in Arizona woke to find she was trapped in the second story of her apartment home as it quickly engulfed in flames.

Claudia Jimenez opened the window and called out to anyone who could hear, needing somehow to find a way to escape while the front door was blocked by the fire.

The first person on the scene wasn’t a firefighter, it was Joe Hollins, who lived in a homeless encampment with his wife near Jimenez’s house.

“All I see is a lady pull open the window and she’s screaming ‘Please help me, please help me,'” Hollins told CBS News.

The mother of two then had to make a difficult choice. It’s not unusual or prejudicial to be wary of people living on the streets, but for her one-year-old daughter Valerie and eight-year-old Natalie, Hollins may have been their only hope of survival.

Under the window, Hollins called to Jimenez saying that he would catch the children in his arms. She trusted the man, and not only dropped Valerie and Natalie, but the two dogs as well. It took Jimenez herself a while to summon the courage to jump, but she managed it, and Hollins still had the strength to catch her.

As things calmed down, the family thanked Hollins profusely, though the man said that he did what anyone would do in that situation.

“Yes, anyone would. Those were children,” he said.

[SubGod22]

This one made me smile. I never had a deep connection with any of my grandparents.

Grandson Accompanies His 93-year-old Grandma to Visit All 63 National Parks: 'Greatest privilege of my life'

If you asked any American what they’d like to do after they retire—and you offered them the chance to go on a road trip to see all 63 national parks—most might consider that a great way to sail into the sunset.

Well more than just saying it, a 93-year-old grandmother has done it—all 63 parks in about 8 years time, becoming the oldest person ever to do so.

But, Joy Ryan didn’t do it herself. She had a handsome young man—her grandson Brad—for company, who described the adventure as “the greatest privilege.” Their journey began in October of 2015 when they visited Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee and concluded last Monday when they made it all the way out into the South Pacific to American Samoa.

“We departed from our hometown of Duncan Falls, Ohio at 3:00 am on Saturday,” Brad Ryan told Good Morning America via email.

“We took a two-day break in Oahu before boarding our final flight to Pago Pago, American Samoa, on Monday. Three flights and nearly seventeen flying hours were required before we touched down in American Samoa on Monday evening.”

Throughout the recent parks, Brad and Joy have been documenting their trips on the @grandmajoysroadtrip Instagram account.

“Grandma Joy has taught the world that you are never too old to show up and live the adventurous life of your dreams. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be in the driver’s seat as Grandma Joy made history to become the oldest person to achieve this historic feat.”

Now they're starting a quest for her to touch all seven continents.

[SubGod22]

I'm pretty sure I shared the original story on here back in December/January. Here's a cool follow up to it.

American Couple Who Sheltered Korean Tourists In Blizzard Visit Korea

Last Christmas, we shared a story about a New York City couple who provided shelter to a group of Korean tourists during a snowstorm.

The couple has reunited with their guests in Seoul for a 10-day tour of South Korea.

On Dec. 23, 2022, a bus carrying 10 Korean tourists got stuck in the snow near Buffalo, New York. Two men in the group decided to knock on the door of a nearby home to ask for shovels to dig the bus out and keep moving.

Instead, they were invited into Alexander and Andrea Campagna's home until the blizzard passed.

Fast forward to May 2023, the Campagnas are now on a 10-day tour of South Korea. The couple arrived on Saturday at the invitation of the Korea Tourism Organization.

They have also reunited with their guests from that unforgettable Christmas.

I'm sure you develop a bit of a bond during that event. It's cool they they were invited over to reunite and get to experience Korea. South Korea is a country I would love to visit some day.

[SubGod22]

Good people helping good people.

Neighbor Offers Helping Hand To Struggling Mom After Her Husband Leaves

A neighbor showed a struggling mother that love and kindness still exist.

Mallory Mason lives in Canton, Ohio, with her children. Her husband recently left her and the kids.

Her new neighbor, John, noticed they were struggling and worked up the courage to knock on her door and offer to help.

"I'd like to come down and cut your grass for you," he says in the video (below).

Mallory thanks John and notices he has tears in his eyes, too.

"Are you okay?" she asks him.

"Nope," he replies.

Mallory posted the security camera video of her conversation with John to TikTok where it has garnered more than 1 million views.

"This MAN broke my heart as he looked at me! He has tear filled eyes and I myself couldn't help but cry! He blessed us by mowing this b**ch of a lawn. I can't thank him enough! I ran in and made cookies and Paxton painted him a picture. It's so nice that people actually care instead of just talking about the storm we are living in. My heart is full. We have so many kind people around us, it makes it a little easier to get through," she captioned the video.

[SubGod22]

I like this.

Canadian Family Turns Old School into Hydroponic Farm Growing Fresh Veggies Even in Winter For the Whole Town

A rural Saskatchewan winter is nothing to take lightly, and if there’s any farming to be done it better be in a greenhouse.

Or does it? It turns out that an old schoolhouse will do just fine for one farming couple, who provide fresh veggies to the whole town.

In Hudson Bay, June and Jan Nel run a hydroponic farm equipped with a drive-through window where they grow and distribute romaine, butter, baby romaine, red romaine, green oakleaf, red oakleaf, muir, and batavia lettuces, as well as kale, dill, basil, cucumbers, arugula, swiss chard, tomatoes, radishes, and parsley.

They do it in the old community school in the town of 1,504 after immigrating there from South Africa.

After arriving, the derelict schoolhouse next to their home was open for alternate-use plans, which is when Jan got the idea to start a hydroponics business. He made the pitch to the town and got approved to move in.

“I think when my husband first said ‘let’s grow lettuce inside an old school building,’ I did not really think that it would become what it has,” said June, who runs Let-Us Grow Hydroponics alongside Jan.

“I didn’t really realize how the community would love it and embrace it, and how much I would enjoy doing it.”

I'm not the biggest veggie guy, but I understand their importance. And being so far from distribution centers I can see why this is such a big hit in their community. It sounds like they plan to start using more of the old school to grow more items as well.