With its ups and downs, 2023 seems to have flown by.
Neighbor helps boy who knocked on his door looking for friends: “He’s a beautiful soul”
When 11-year-old Shayden Walker knocked on his neighbor’s door looking for a new friend, he didn’t expect to end up with many new friends from around the world.
Shayden, who has been diagnosed with autism and other challenges, went to his neighbor’s house looking for kids to play with in July.
Shayden said in a doorbell camera clip in Amarillo: “I really need some friends, like really bad.”
While the neighbor only had a small child, he posted a video of his interaction with Shayden on TikTok, where it garnered over 50 million views and received lots of love and well wishes for Shayden from around the world.
Community members also created a GoFundMe page for Shayden, where they raised over $37,000 for the 11-year-old boy to use for anything he wants, including video games, school clothes, and amusement park tickets.
Teen reminds her neighbor she is loved in a video that went viral online
13-year-old Jackson Briel was playing with his friends in Minnesota in July when they decided to play “ding dong ditch,” an old game that involves ringing doorbells or knocking on doors and then running away.
The kids hoped to confuse anyone who opened the door in central Brainerd, Minnesota.
But Jackson didn’t have the heart to prank anyone that day, so he left a positive message on two doorbell cameras.
Jackson said in the video: “You matter, right? There will always be someone who cares about you. You’re a good person, no matter what people say.”
The young teenager said he just felt that the person on the other side of that camera needed to hear the message, having fought with depression himself.
One of the homeowners loved Jackson’s video so much that she shared it on TikTok, where it went viral and was viewed over 5.3 million times.
Amazon delivery driver helps teen in Chicago tie his tie before heading home
Amazon delivery driver, Eliga Bryant, delivered more than just packages when he was dropping off an order at a home in Chicago in October. He also offered some fashion advice.
Bryant, 42, was delivering the order to the home on October 7 when he saw the family gathered around their teenage son, Luke Breyer. The boy was struggling to tie his tie, so Bryant stepped in to help.
Family members stood by smiling and laughing as he encouraged the boy and made sure his tie was neat and in place.
Bryant told the high school student in the video shared online: “You’re doing great, young man.”
Swimmers rescue massive shark stranded on Florida beach
A small group of people in Florida rescued a massive shark trapped on the beach by pulling it back into the coastal waters in September.
The group, all in knee-deep water, grabbed the shark’s tail and tried to pull it to the sea while the fish faced the ground and flailed. Eventually, the group managed to turn the shark’s nose toward the ocean, after which it was able to swim away.
This kind gesture, captured on video, took place in Pensacola on the Florida coast.
Barber gives haircuts to children with special needs. Parents call him “life-changing”
Vernon Jackson, a barber based in Cincinnati, dedicates part of his time to cutting hair for children with special needs.
He says…
the barber, who has more than a decade of experience, books specific time slots so he can allocate more time for each child. Haircuts are free through community donations.
Jackson says he tries to meet the child where they are “not where I want them to be,” using several tactics like dancing, singing, and playing to make them feel comfortable during the process.
Jackson had provided over 300 haircuts by the time the article was published in February 2023.
Jackson told USA TODAY: “I’ve seen parents get emotional, grandparents get teary-eyed, and dads welling up. It always leaves me in awe.”
In the midst of the devastating Maui fires, a Denver pilot intervenes to evacuate hundreds home
When the devastating fires swept through Maui in August, Vince Eickelcamp was among 330 passengers stranded at Kahului Airport.
Their flight back to the U.S. was delayed due to logistical issues and staff shortages, and was on the verge of cancellation.
That’s when Eickelcamp, a pilot and United Airlines training director, volunteered to fly the plane and evacuate people to safety. This kind gesture from the Denver resident helped more than 300 people escape Maui as the fires intensified.
He said, “If I hadn’t stepped in, or if I hadn’t been there, the flight would have been canceled,” he told USA TODAY. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was able to do the right thing.”
A mom sets a record in breast milk production, helping babies around the world
Elizabeth Anderson-Cierra, a mother of three from Oregon, has set a Guinness World Record after donating over 350,000 ounces of her breast milk to premature babies worldwide.
Her generous efforts over the past nine years have helped save thousands of infants, many of whom have been described as “failing to thrive,” a term used for infants and babies who are not developing normally and have not gained weight or length properly.
Ms. Anderson-Cierra, who suffers from oversupply syndrome, set the record for the largest breast milk donation by an individual by donating nearly 1,600 liters of milk to a milk bank between February 2015 and June 2018.
Anderson-Cierra says her diagnosis is both a blessing and a curse, but she likes to focus on the positive side.
Over the years, Anderson-Cierra says she has met dozens of recipients, some of whom send her photos of their thriving children.
She said, “When I see the chubby baby or the little leg rolls, they are so cute! I think I helped make that happen! I am so happy about that! It’s encouraging to see that I’m making a difference in their lives.”
Hundreds of dogs participate in a 100th birthday party for a man
When Robert Moore’s family began planning his centennial birthday party in June, they wanted to ensure that it would be special. There would be a big family dinner, of course, but since many of Moore’s friends were no longer alive, his daughter Allison suggested including man’s best friend in the celebration.
A few days before the party, Allison shared her idea with friends and community members in San Jose, California, asking them to come to the party with their dogs if they could.
Allison had low expectations and was prepared for just a few people to attend. But hundreds of dogs and their owners patiently lined the streets outside their home to be petted by the centennial.
It was even more exciting when the furry creatures arrived in various outfits, from suits to cowboy hats and bee costumes. There were puppies riding in classic cars, and dogs with disabilities pulling carts behind them.
It was…
The entire neighborhood is buzzing with excitement, and Allison said the centennial celebration was very joyful.
A Woman Delivers Meals and Dignity to the Homeless in Los Angeles
A woman in Los Angeles, known as the brown bag lady, serves city residents without homes hearty meals and a dash of inspiration.
Jacqueline Norville says, “Not everyone has a strong family unit or insurance to get treatment or has a mother or father or uncle or aunt who comes and says, ‘Stop by my couch,’ it’s tough, it’s tough, and it won’t get better.”
Norville started cooking meals for people in Skid Row in Los Angeles about 10 years ago in her two-bedroom apartment after she received some extra cash from her Christmas bonus. She bought several turkeys and prepared all the side dishes for about 70 people, driving to one of the most dangerous areas of Los Angeles to distribute the meals.
She says people were grateful and she realized the huge demand. Since then, Norville has continually cooked delicious meals.
She says, “We have to help each other, we have to.”
America’s Best Young Scientist is a 14-Year-Old Who Invented Soap to Treat Skin Cancer
Himan Beekel, a 14-year-old from Annandale, Virginia, won the title of “America’s Best Young Scientist” in October after inventing soap that treats skin cancer.
This ninth-grader developed a soap bar based on a compound to treat skin cancer.
Himan hopes to improve his invention and create a nonprofit to distribute the soap to needy communities over the next five years, according to 3M and Discovery Education, the award sponsors.
Himan said in his acceptance speech, “I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas. I believe young minds can make a positive impact on the world.”
Source: https://www.aol.com/barber-cuts-hair-special-needs-170038940.html
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