The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to get caught up in the spin cycle and let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
This week we have two, because one is not enough, unexpected acts of kindness.
Laura Snyder, a Florida teacher, posted on Facebook about how one of her fourth grade students was laughed at by other students when he wore a makeshift University of Tennessee shirt for his school’s college colors day. Not having a U of T shirt, he wore an orange one and taped a hand drawn logo to it. When he was laughed at for it, he was, according to Laura, devastated.
The University of Tennessee responded by making the boy’s homemade design into a shirt for people to buy. A portion of the proceeds of the shirt are going to an organization to combat bullying.
In addition to his shirt being sold and being sent a package of swag from the university, the University of Tennessee has offered the resourceful young man a four-year scholarship.
Our second act of kindness resulted from a text to a wrong number.
Abby Fink accidentally sent a text asking when she could drop dinner off to a number one digit off the one she intended to send it to, ABC 15 reports.
A gentleman named Bill, having received a text clearly meant for someone else, jokingly asked, “Oh, what are you bringing me? I’m allergic to seafood.”
Abby replied, telling him the text was meant for friends whose little boy, Noah, was gravely ill in the ICU.
Bill quickly replied, “What can I do?”
When Abby asked for prayers, Bill explained he isn’t the praying type, but offered to organize donations and food. Since the conversation, Bill has contacted a local charity which will be helping the family and has asked friends to send cards and gifts to Noah.
The single dad told Abby that it’s “just what people do” and that this was a teachable moment for his son. Abby says that Bill is an angel and was sent by God to help the Jakeman family in a really difficult time.
Noah’s mom, Alex Jakeman, told ABC, “We were just really touched and in awe that a perfect stranger, that all he knew was that a little boy was in the ICU and he just wanted to jump into action.”
Noah was in the ICU, with his life hanging in the balance, after he suffered a seizure that caused him to aspirate vomit into his lungs. He is now out of the ICU but is facing a long recovery at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Bill plans on visiting Noah next week to drop off a gift and meet Noah and his family in person. A GoFundMe has been started for the family to help offset the financial toll Noah’s medical crisis is taking.
Stories of random, unexpected and generous acts of kindness like these two stories remind us the world is full of goodness even when it does not feel so.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me Something Good!
