Sliver of Hope

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Teen Floundering in Foster Care Finally Gets to be a Sister With Real Family for First Time

At five years old, Merriah entered foster care after enduring abuse and neglect from parents with mental health and substance abuse problems. For nine long years, she went back and forth between multiple foster homes and her mother’s home, never experiencing the stability of a real family.

For years Merriah was afraid she might never get adopted.

“I knew what adoption was, but I just didn’t think that was something that was going to ever happen to me,” said Merriah. “I felt invisible.”

That all changed when she was referred to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Their signature program hires adoption professionals dedicated to finding permanent families for youth in foster care who are too often overlooked.

One of the ‘recruiters’, Megan, got to know Merriah, and built her a network of mentors and supportive adults—two of whom were like Emilie and John. The couple got to know the New York teen through community activities and dinners where they’d listen to what was happening in her life. Over time, Merriah began to trust Emilie and John and open up like never before.

They forged an unbreakable bond, until finally—just before her 15th birthday—Emilie and John announced they wanted that bond to be forever. They adopted her as a daughter.

“It took a huge weight off my chest knowing that I didn’t have to worry about not having a home anymore,” said Merriah. “I haven’t felt relief literally at all in my life.”

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'All She Needed Was A Second Chance': An Opioid Addict's Redemption Story

In a remarkable display of the triumph of the human spirit, a former opioid addict turned Ivy League-educated lawyer returned to the very courtroom where her life-changing journey began.

This time, however, she stood not as a defendant but as a legal defender, successfully exonerating an innocent man accused of murder.

Between 2012 and 2015, Sarah Gad had seven felony drug convictions, going in and out of jail in Pennsylvania and Hennepin County. She landed in the Cook County Jail during a trip to Chicago, which she described as "27 days in hell".

"I was beaten, I was stabbed, I was raped and thrown in solitary confinement when my family started making noise and reaching out to people. And Kathleen Zellner was interested in my case because I think she's had a lot of negative experiences with the Cook County Jail and just how they treat people," Gad told FOX 9.

Zellner, a well-known attorney made famous by the Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer", stood by her side and invited her to help at her law firm. This was the chance Gad needed to change her life.

"I found the work to be very rewarding. I had the privilege of being able to be present when a person that I had helped prove they were wrongfully convicted of murder. I was able to be at the prison and be with him as he took his first steps up to freedom, hugging his family," Gad said.

That case and that moment inspired Gad to go to law school. She was accepted into the University of Chicago Law School.

But, there was one more hurdle. She had to face a judge who could have sentenced her to prison.

I love a good redemption story, and this one is pretty good.

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KSN - Camp at Wichita State teaches disabled children to bike

The camp took place on Thursday at Wichita State University’s Heskett Center.

Wichita State’s physical therapy department teamed up with iCan Shine. Students and staff worked to offer those support and balance.

“Riding a bike is huge for kids because a lot of times if they’re not gonna be able to drive a car as they get older. This is their most independent way to get place to place,” Jennifer James, assistant professor WSU physical therapy department, said.

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This Woman Has Spent 3 Days Crawling Through Cockroach-Infested Storm Drains To Rescue Puppies

A Houston woman has spent three grueling days crawling through cockroach-infested storm drains to rescue a litter of helpless puppies trapped deep within the city's sewers.

The rescue mission began after someone reported seeing a litter of puppies crossing the street, but lost sight of them and could only hear whimpers.

Callie Clemens, her dog Giselle, and a group of volunteers have been scouring storm drains looking for the dogs ever since.

"I can't sleep knowing there are puppies in there going to die," Clemens told KHOU 11.

The group has managed to save two of the lost litter. Clemens said there are two others underground that she can still hear.

There's video of the story at the bottom of the article. I was hoping this would be entirely positive, but with two puppies still unaccounted for it makes me kind of sad too. But at least they're still looking for the poor babies.

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Another touching story of kids stepping up to help a beloved teacher.

High School Students Rally Together To Cover Beloved Teacher's Wife's Heart Surgery

In an inspiring display of compassion and solidarity, the students of Arcadia High School in Phoenix, AZ, have come together to help their beloved teacher, Mr. Guy, pay for his wife's much-needed heart surgery.

Clayton Guy has been a teacher for over 25 years. He has taught government and economics at Arcadia High School since 2004.

But last spring, the students sensed a change in Guy's demeanor.

"Overall, Mr. Guy [is] always in a great mood, he brings just a great vibe to the class, and he's always energetic," said Parker Bond, one of his students.

Bond was a senior at the time and says he and his classmates could tell their favorite teacher was stressed.

"We could tell that something was off. We didn't know what it was, but he did end up telling us," he said.

Guy eventually explained that his wife, Angel, had been having chest pains and needed open-heart surgery.

Good teachers matter. Good people matter.

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It's no secret how much I care about animals, dogs specifically. This effort by these three men makes me very happy.

Man Heads Into Wildfire to Rescue Dozens of Pets After Northwest Territories Evacuation: 'I didn't want them to be forgotten'

As town after town in Canada receive evacuation orders, one man from the town of Yellowknife drove toward the fires: on a mission to rescue any pets left behind.

Square in the fire’s path was the town of Behchokǫ, in the country’s province called the Northwest Territories, and when it received an evacuation order Jason Card drove to the nearby SPCA, loaded up his truck with dog crates, and headed off for the fire zone.

Onboard were his teenage child and 80-year-old stepfather. They drove the 63 miles from the city of Yellowknife up the highway to Behchokǫ where they found people in the midst of evacuation. By 8:00 pm they had a truck filled with pets.

“Literally as soon as we got into town and people heard that we were rescuing dogs, we had people coming up to us asking us to get the dogs and if we had room. We filled every kennel that we had,” Mr. Card told national news.

Despite being after dark, they unloaded the crates of mostly dogs, turned around, and went straight back to Behchokǫ, this time returning to Yellowknife at 5:00 am.

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Armless 7-Year-old Boy Gets to Finally Go Fishing - After Donation of a New 'Hero Arm' (LOOK)

A seven-year-old boy born without an arm has been able to hold a fishing rod with two hands for the first time.

Alex Sparkes spent birthdays ‘wishing his arm would grow’, but now he’s happily casting alongside his dad using a new ‘life-changing’ $16,000 prosthetic limb.

The Black Panther-themed arm was a gift from ‘Britain’s kindest plumber’ James Anderson, a 55-year-old who was touched by Alex’s tale.

His mother Dionne, now 33, said she’d had a normal pregnancy but Alex was born without a limb. It was heartbreaking, especially later, when the boy went to school and young kids were afraid of him because of his missing arm.

He’d been on the list of UK patients due to receive a prosthetic arm from the National Health Service before the pandemic, but three years later, he was still waiting in Lancashire, England.

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Hero Teen Saves Brother Being Swept Away: 'Mom...I Might Not Be Back'

In New Zealand, a young boy has become the world’s youngest recipient of the Mountbatten Award after saving his younger brother from a treacherous stretch of coastal water last year.

The hero was Kalya Gamage, 14, who must have paralyzed his mother with fear when he saw his brother Kithmi being pulled out to sea by 3-meter waves and said to her ‘Ok Mum, I’m going out. I might not be back.’’

12-year-old Kithmi was a good swimmer in his own right, but couldn’t resist being ripped off his feet by several large waves that broke ashore on Chrystalls Beach in South Otago. Quickly tiring himself out trying to fight his way back to land, he was out around 60 meters (180 feet) treading water in a “notoriously-dangerous” patch of coastal ocean where the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) notes “no one survives.”

Kalya jumped into the frigid water and had little difficulty reaching his brother, but became nervous about whether he could reach the shore.

But he was relieved that they did, cold and tired, but alive.

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I'm not sure why I'm still amazed at what some people will do for complete strangers, but I am. I love this story.

A Teen Lost Her Ring With Her Father's Ashes. Strangers Dug Through Piles Of Trash To Find It

An Iowa teen lost a ring with her father's ashes in it at a Corpus Christi beach.

A Parks and Rec employee dug through tons of trash to find it for her.

On July 7, Emily Dickerson and her school choir from Glenwood, Iowa, stopped at McGee Beach in Corpus Christi after performing at a Texas Six Flags.

Emily always wore four rings on her left hand. She didn’t want to lose them in the water, so she slipped them into her Subway box before heading into the water.

A few hours later, Emily glanced down at her hand and it was bare. She had left her rings at the beach, including one that contained her father's cremated ashes. Her dad passed away when she was just 8 years old.

The bus was already in San Antonio by this time and it was too late to turn around.

"I realized where I had left them, and I was in a complete panic," Emily told KRIS. "I called my mom and told her the situation. I was a mess."

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The miracles we see always amaze me. A child that wasn't supposed to survive is now thriving.

Tiny Baby That Fit Inside Mom's Hand is Home Laughing After 181 Days in Hospital Not Expected to Survive

A first-time Pennsylvania mom who was told her baby “wouldn’t make it” because he was born so small, now says he is “thriving” at home following 181 days in hospital.

Zaylan was born when Krysten Risbon went into labor 16 weeks early.

He had a hole in his heart and needed constant oxygen, but he made it—and Krysten is now studying to become a NICU nurse, inspired by the care they received.

“When I first held him he could fit in my bra,” said the 22-year-old from Altoona. “Now only his foot fits in.”

“He’s a little fighter.”

The expecting mom and the young father Janerio Reed were over the moon when they found out they were expecting their first baby in August 2022, but she started bleeding at 23 weeks/six days and suddenly was in intense pain. Turns out, she was 4cm dilated.

“They said, ‘You’re going to have this baby today… He’s probably not going to make it’,” recalled Krysten.

I also like that they received such great care that mom has been inspired to go to school for nursing and wants to work in NICU.

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This kid!

Boy Stops at Random House to Leave a Pep Talk on Stranger's Doorbell Cam (Watch)

A young boy was headed down a neighborhood sidewalk when he made a stop at a random house with a doorbell camera—to leave a positive message of encouragement for a stranger.

The video, posted on YouTube by South West News Agency, does not identify the boy or the location, but the youth is an American walking with a few friends in a tree-lined neighborhood.

He looks directly into the camera with an earnestness and wisdom seemingly beyond his years.

“You matter, alright?

“There’s always going to be someone who cares about you.

“You’re a good person. No matter what people say about you; you matter.”

“I’m just trying to say something nice.

“You matter, man, or girl. Whoever you are, you matter to someone. Just keep that in mind. Don’t forget that.”

Video at the bottom of the link is about 30 seconds. Props to this kid who seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

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A little different, but pageant winners aren't just about strutting around being pretty. Not all of them anyway. I love this girls ambition and the inspiration she can become to many.

Miss England Inspires Girls to Be Rocket Scientists After Graduating With Aerospace Engineering Degree

Crowned Miss England, Jessica Gagen is on a mission to become an astronaut, and has just graduated from university with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering.

The 27-year-old became the first ever redhead winner of the prestigious beauty pageant last year in October and, after juggling competitions on the catwalk alongside her studies at the University of Liverpool, was delighted when she graduated alongside her classmates this week.

She now wants to use her degree and beauty queen title to inspire the next generation of female engineers and get more women into STEM subjects.

Her university journey was fraught with obstacles as she suffered insomnia and chest pains while combining her studies with being Miss England.

“I think it’s important that today’s youth know that sometimes things don’t go entirely to plan, and that’s perfectly okay,” said Jessica, who’s from Lancashire, near Liverpool.

“But I’m incredibly proud with what I have achieved. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet.

“Aerospace engineering was very challenging, covering topics like aerodynamics, structural mechanics, programming, and advanced materials. It equips candidates with a range of skills sought after by different industries, making them highly employable in the fields of science, technology and finance.

“I absolutely loved it. It certainly opens up a lot of opportunities for me and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

I've had friends involved with Miss Kansas and been connected to a few of the winners. I've volunteered a little time with them for a few pageants over the years as well, and some of those girls have a really good head on their shoulders and are in it for more than just the scholarship money and other perks. Some truly have really good hearts and want to make a difference and this girl seems to fit in with that.

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A celebrity doing something good on the quiet only to be outed by those she's helping.

Taylor Swift Is Secretly Donating To Food Banks Across The Country During Her Eras Tour

Renowned singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has once again demonstrated her commitment to philanthropy by extending a helping hand to those in need during her highly anticipated nationwide tour.

The multi-platinum artist is secretly donating to food banks across the country.

wift made a sizable donation to the Arizona Food Bank Network ahead of taking the stage in Glendale, Arizona.

Swift herself didn't publicize the donation. Instead, the food bank shared its reaction to the act of kindness.

"It's not every day that you get a call from someone who works in PR for Taylor Swift, so we were dubious at first, but happily, it turned out to be absolutely real," said Terri Shoemaker, Vice President of External Relations at the Arizona Food Bank Network.

Shoemaker said Swift's PR agent had told her that Swift planned to make a positive impact in the communities where she was touring, beginning with Arizona's food banks.

Three Square — a food bank based in southern Nevada — revealed the singer had also made a massive donation there ahead of her back-to-back shows in Las Vegas.

Swift made a donation to Food Bank of the Rockies before playing two sold-out stadium concerts in Denver.

"This fantastic gift means we can purchase enough food to provide 75,000 nutritious meals!" the non-profit organization wrote on Twitter.

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Couple Extends Heartwarming Friendship To Lonely Boy Who Knocked On Their Door

A couple in Amarillo, Texas, extended a warm welcome to a lonely young boy who recently knocked on their door in search of friendship.

On July 3, 11-year-old Shayden Walker walked to a neighbor's house looking for children his age.

Brennan Ray saw Shayden on his doorbell camera and struck up a conversation with him.

"Um, I just wanted to see if you knew any kids around like 11 or 12, maybe," Shayden can be heard saying in the video. "I need some friends, like really bad."

Brennan decided to post the video to TikTok, hoping to find Shayden some friends.

"You never know what people are going through until you get a chance to talk to them. This young man is well mannered, kind, and brave. So TikTok can we help Shayden make some friends?" he captioned the video.

Shayden's mother, Krishna Patterson, says her son has trouble connecting with others. He has undergone a series of diagnoses, including autism, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD and others.

Thanks to TikTok, Shayden now has friends all over the world

[Shockm]

I love things like this. Divorce doesn't have to lead to crazy.

Father Keeps Bride's Secret Wedding Plan, Grabbing Stepdad So They Could Both Walk Her Down the Aisle



Respect can go a long way.

Nice story. Every divorce is different, and whatever healing that is necessary will vary.

Bottom line is, nothing that happened was the daughter's fault, and this was her day. It's perfect that she was the focus of her wedding.