Life
27th Dec 2014
The world can be a cruel place. We’ve all experienced our fair share of dark days, so every now and then it’s nice to get a reminder that sometimes goodness overcomes and people are capable of truly lovely things.
You might need the tissues for this one, as we look back at some of our most touching and heartwarming stories from the year that was.
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Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose
This is the kind of coach/teacher/life mentor every parent wants for their child.
After his team Cumberland American was eliminated from the Little League World Series last August on an 8-7 scoreline, coach Dave Belisle made sure that the heartbroken young boys knew exactly how to face defeat with dignity, grace and pride in their achievements. Amazing.
One Incredible Rescue
One of the saddest images to emerge from the animal kingdom this year is the sorry sight of a poor dog covered in tar after falling into a pool of the hot, liquid road covering in India. Though the situation looked dire, there was a glimmer of pure, human goodness in the reaction.
Workers from Animal Aid Unlimited were alerted to the dog’s plight, before arriving to the scene and beginning a two-day operation to remove the tar from the poor pooch’s coat. Happily, he was brought back to his old self with some dedicated love and care.
Video via YouTube/ Animal Aid Unlimited, India.
The Real Life Notebook
Noah? Allie? Is that you?
In a story that broke our hearts this year, a couple who were married for 73 years died just over a day apart.
Helen and Joe Auer from Ohio passed away within 28 hours of each other last week. During Helen’s final moments, Joe leaned over to kiss her goodbye and whispered “call me home.” He passed away the following day.
The couple had 10 children during their life together. Their youngest son Jerry said: “They were simple, humble people. They wanted nothing and got everything in return.”
“If somebody were thinking of getting married, they could do a lot worse than to look at my parents.”
Princess for a Day
Back in February the town of Dickinson, Texas show dup in force to make on Claire Lankford a princess for a day.
Five-year-old Claire suffered from a rare type of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma, which affects connective tissues.
Given her love for princesses, her community came together to make sure she had one very special day indeed.
Claire wore a dress similar to Belle’s from Beauty and the Beast and was picked up by Prince Charming (her father), who brought her to a horse-drawn carriage.
Claire sadly passed away in May.
Up, Up and Away
It’s fair to say most people would be overcome with emotion to learn that they are set to bring a baby into the world.
This announcement, though, received one of the best reactions we’ve ever seen.
When Erika Jackson found out she was pregnant with partner Jacob, she decided to surprise him after their time trying in a pretty special way.
Buying a print of the house in Disney’s Up, Erika decided to pen her partner a poem letting him know that two were soon to become three.
Erika then captioned her partner’s reaction when he got the news he was going to be a dad for the first time. *Weeps*
Video via Erika Jackson
Every Dog Has His Day
This is the perfect example of animal magic.
Anyone with a four-legged friend will tell you that no human can rival their capacity for selfless love and devotion. Derby’s owners might come close though.
After lots of research and work with a 3D tech company, Derby’s foster owner Tara Anderson was able to fit the pup with his very own prosthetic legs so he could run, jump and play with other dogs in the way he craved. The result is simply wonderful.
Video via gdgtsbuzz
Sweet Like Chocolate
Life is sweeter with best friends like this one. 2014 is the year in which Dylan Siegel raised $1million by selling a book of all things that he thinks are awesome, all in aid of research for gene-therapy treatments.
His inspiration? Best friend Jonah Pournazarian was diagnosed with a rare liver disorder with no known cure. Deciding he needed to help, six-year-old Dylan put together a book of all things as awesome as a chocolate bar. It went on to copies in 60 countries and raise a magic million dollars, donated to a research team in the University of Florida. The funds allowed the institute to hire a new geneticist and finance studies in new treatments.
You are #SoChocolateBar Dylan.
Video via ChocolateBarBook
A Dance to Remember
Emotions run high at the best of times on a wedding day, but we’ve rarely seen a dance as special as this one.
Shortly after meeting his fiancée Michelle, Sgt Joey Johnson was involved in a motorcycle accident that left in him in a wheelchair. Sgt Johnson had taken up riding to help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he had suffered since returning from Afghanistan. The couple continued with their wedding planning in the face of the sad news, but Joey had a very special surprise for Michelle when it came time for their first dance.
On the day of the wedding, Joey’s friends rigged a harness system that would pull him from his wheelchair into a standing position, allowing him to dance with his wife for the first time.
“If you know Joey, he cannot keep a secret. But he made my dreams come true and I never knew how special our day would really be. It was so amazing to be eye to eye with him again and such a dream come true,” said Michelle.
Hair’s To You
Back in October, we featured a seven-year-old girl with a heart of gold. Hannah Gorsegner declared that she was going to shave her own head to support her little’s sister’s battle against cancer, as she wanted to raise money for other children who were suffering.
Natalie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just three years old and the tough chemotherapy treatments which followed caused her to lose her hair. The five-year-old is now in remission.
“I’m shaving my head,” vowed sister, Hannah in an interview on the Today show. “This is one of the ways that I can help kids with cancer and inspire them to be brave during their treatment,” she added.
Later the same month Natalie went through with her pledge, having raised an incredible $350,000 for children’s charities.
Player Turns Coach for Daughter’s Big Fight
There’s something very special about the bond between a daddy and his daughter. NFL player Devon Still’s acts as a tough Bengals defensive lineman while he’s at work, but he’s as soft as it gets when it comes to his 4-year-old daughter Leah.
Back in September, Leah underwent surgery to remove a tumour. Driving her to the hospital, Devon captured a special moment between the two on camera. In it, the sports star gives his little princess a pep talk. Sharing the video on Instagram, Devon said; “Pre-surgery pep talk…I might be nervous and scared beyond words but I’ll never let her see.”
