Buzz
If this week’s headlines have brought you down, this list is here to lift your spirits. We focus solely on stories that are heartening, lighthearted, or motivational. For a twist, if you’re also curious about the stranger events of the week, click here for the offbeat list.
This week, we highlight everyday heroes who risked it all to help others. A teacher in a kimono raced against a tornado to warn people, while a group of teenagers bravely ran into a burning building to save an elderly neighbor. Also in the news, a woman collected two tons of trash, a disabled man won a treasure hunt, and the oldest footage of an eclipse was revealed.
10. Heroes Wear Capes, and Sometimes Kimonos
A Texas elementary school teacher is being celebrated as a hero after running ahead of a tornado to warn parents and students to take shelter.
They say a picture can speak a thousand words, and this one certainly does. The viral image features Megan Parson, a teacher from Hays Elementary in Rockwall, Texas. She’s seen sprinting barefoot down a rain-soaked street with a tornado looming behind her. Adding to her “heroic” appeal, she appears to be wearing a red cape, though it was actually a kimono.
Parson was rushing to warn the people stuck in the carpool lane about the approaching tornado and to urge them to seek shelter immediately. In the end, everyone made it to safety, and no one was harmed by the storm.
Parson was widely praised for her quick thinking, but she made sure to emphasize that she wasn’t the only teacher involved and gave credit to the other individuals who helped look after the children.
9. One Person Can Make a Difference
A Canadian woman has dedicated the past year to collecting over two metric tons of garbage from the beaches of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.
Karen Jenner admits she wasn't always focused on environmental issues. In the past, she'd sometimes cut apart plastic packing straps to prevent animals from getting tangled. But for the most part, she paid little attention to the trash that washed up. That changed about a year ago when she became acutely aware of how much plastic ended up on the shores and decided to clean up as much as she could for as long as possible.
Since then, Karen has managed to collect over 2,200 kilograms (4,850 lb) of trash. She visits the beach two to three times a week, filling several five-gallon buckets each time. At home, she separates, weighs, and photographs the garbage before posting the images online to raise awareness.
Sometimes, Karen feels disheartened, thinking her efforts are just “a drop in the bucket” and might not make a difference. But she's inspired by the local birds and marine life she’s helped, and she’s noticed more people beginning to pick up trash on the beaches, which she finds encouraging.
8. A Different Type of Roadside Assistance
A doctor performed a life-saving emergency heart surgery on the side of the road after a man went into cardiac arrest following a motorcycle crash.
During the Emergency Summit Conference in Nelson, British Columbia, on June 1, Dr. Mark Forrest from Delamere, England, shared the story of how he saved a man’s life with an emergency roadside surgery. In October 2018, he arrived at the scene of a motorcycle accident and saw first responders performing CPR on John O’Brien, who had gone into cardiac arrest.
Realizing there was no time to transport O’Brien to the hospital, Dr. Forrest knew he had to perform surgery right there. Although he had trained on mannequins and simulations, he had never done a real surgery in such circumstances. He opened O’Brien’s chest and managed to revive him with a pulse.
The patient made a full recovery and was able to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. In May, Dr. Forrest and O’Brien reunited at a local ceremony where the doctor was honored for his heroic actions.
7. A Blast From The Past
We now have access to the oldest-known footage of a solar eclipse, thanks to the British Film Institute (BFI) and the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), which restored a film made in 1900.
The film was captured in North Carolina by Nevil Maskelyne, a British magician-turned-filmmaker and member of the RAS. Using a special lens on his cinematograph telescope, he filmed the eclipse and later showed it as part of his magic performance.
The original film was shot at around five frames per second on celluloid and had been kept by the RAS. They teamed up with the BFI to scan and digitize it in 4K at a remarkable nine frames per second. The footage was made freely available as part of the BFI’s Victorian Film series to celebrate Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday.
This film was actually Maskelyne's second attempt at capturing an eclipse. In 1898, he traveled to India for his first try, but the movie was stolen, and its fate remains unknown.
6. A Heartwarming Welcome
A whole kindergarten class in Maine began learning American Sign Language (ASL) to help greet their new deaf classmate.
The corridors of Dayton Consolidated School are decorated with sign language posters. The updated curriculum taught students the ASL alphabet and basic words. Teachers even dedicated their free time to exploring books and videos on special education.
This effort was made for the benefit of six-year-old Morey Belanger, the new deaf student at the school. Her mother has been deeply touched by the incredible support her daughter has received. Principal Kimberly Sampietro mentions that the other children instantly bonded with Morey and love spending time with her.
To celebrate everyone's dedication, the principal invited Cinderella, a performer who can sing and sign simultaneously, to demonstrate to the kids that this skill is useful in many situations, not just with Morey.
5. An Emotional Commission
A 101-year-old war hero traveled over 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) to watch his grandson be sworn into the United States Air Force.
During World War II, Walter Kloc served as a pilot and bombardier. Now, seventy years later, his grandson Joseph is following in his footsteps by joining the same branch of the military as part of the Air Force Academy’s Class of 2019.
The academy is situated near Colorado Springs, Colorado, while the elderly Kloc resides in Amherst, New York. Despite the long distance, Walter wasn’t going to let a few thousand kilometers keep him from being there for Joseph’s graduation. He not only attended, but was also able to commission his grandson into the Air Force, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. On social media, Joseph Kloc called the moment “one of the best days of [his] life.”
4. Pain-Free And It Feels So Good
Alison Cameron from Dorset, England, has a “permanent Cheshire cat grin” after finally becoming pain-free, following 40 years of suffering.
As a teenager, Alison underwent an appendectomy, but something went wrong during the operation, leaving her in severe pain. After three years of testing, doctors discovered she had sustained nerve damage.
For over 30 years, Alison underwent more than 50 cryoblock injections, which numbed the nerve damage site. However, these only alleviated the pain for about six months, requiring her to take high doses of painkillers that left her unable to eat or drink without a feeding tube.
Five years ago, a cryoblock injection caused Alison to suffer a collapsed lung. She was seen by neurosurgeon Girish Vajramani, who began implanting electrodes along her spinal nerve as the cryoblocks became too risky. Even so, they only provided a 50 percent reduction in pain. To keep the electrodes in place, Alison had to wear a body brace for two years.
In a final attempt, Dr. Vajramani developed a hybrid model using both a paddle implant and a spinal cord stimulator. After they were implanted in December 2018, Alison’s pain vanished as soon as they were activated.
Since then, Alison, now 56, hasn’t stopped smiling. She can eat, drink, and socialize again. Her grandchildren call her their “bionic granny” because she needs to charge her implants twice a week. She’s eagerly looking forward to Christmas, where she plans to enjoy a large holiday meal.
3. Through The Fire And Flames
Four teenagers from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, heroically rushed into a burning building to rescue their 90-year-old neighbor.
A few weeks ago, Catherine Ritchie, preparing for bed in the home she had lived in for 58 years, stepped out of the bathroom and was met with the horrifying sight of her bedroom in flames.
Initially, she tried to put out the fire herself, but the flames quickly grew uncontrollable. In a panic, Catherine called 911 and activated her emergency alert. Although she wanted to escape, the smoke had become so thick that she couldn’t see her way out.
Fortunately, Catherine’s teenage neighbor and a few friends were passing by on their way to the store. They noticed the fire, heard the alarm, and immediately rushed to help.
One of the teenagers called 911 while the others struggled to break down the door. Fourteen-year-old Nick Byrd succeeded in opening the back door, entered the smoke-filled house, and found Catherine in the hallway. Everyone made it out safely, and firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading further.
2. Cupcakes Fund Disney Adventure
A teenager from Madison, Minnesota, used his baking talents to raise enough money by selling cupcakes to treat his entire family of seven to a trip to Disney World.
Fourteen-year-old Isaiah Tuckett dreamed of visiting the theme park but knew his parents couldn’t afford it. So, he started brainstorming ways to raise the funds and struck gold with cupcakes. The only bakery in Madison had recently closed, forcing people to travel 48 kilometers (30 mi) for their sweet cravings.
Isaiah began selling his cupcakes for $20 per dozen. Having baked for various events before, he already had a local reputation for making delicious treats. He soon catered for birthdays, weddings, confirmations, graduations, and even funerals. To support his endeavor, his parents bought him new baking supplies and a larger oven.
Within a year, Isaiah earned enough to take all seven of his family members on their dream trip to Disney World. With business thriving, he has no intention of stopping anytime soon, and he even earned a few champion ribbons at local fairs for his baking skills.
1. Treasure Hunt With A Rewarding Outcome
A man receiving disability benefits struck it rich after winning a $100,000 treasure hunt in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Jeff Lerue hails from Edmonton, where a company called Gold Hunt buried a chest containing gold and silver pieces worth $100,000. Treasure hunters could purchase a map for $25 or a premium version with additional clues for $45 to join the search.
Lerue had heard that the treasure in Edmonton had been discovered in under 20 hours. So when the company organized a new hunt in Calgary, he bought a map. He figured the prize money would be a great help, especially since he had been out of work for two years while waiting for knee surgery.
Although he was unfamiliar with Calgary, Lerue and his girlfriend dedicated most of Monday and Tuesday to searching the city's streets.
Eventually, they found themselves in a neighborhood where several other treasure hunters were also searching. They checked a secluded spot that others had overlooked and discovered the treasure chest. Lerue plans to use the winnings to pay off his bills and take his girlfriend on a well-deserved vacation.
