The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to 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.
Today’s something good is a life saved.
It is a story that captivated the entire world five years ago. Thirteen boys – twelve soccer teammates and their coach – entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand and were quickly trapped by heavy rainfall. For 18 days, the world held its breath as first hope faded for the boys to escape then hope was revived and turned to joy when they, against all odds, were all miraculously brought to safety by an elite group of cave divers.
Adul Samon, then 14, was one of the boys and spoke some English. When Rick Stanton, one of the British cave divers, finally found the boys, it fell to Adul to translate. Cave diving is inherently dangerous and this cave, filling with the rain from a heavy monsoon season, was a nightmare. Bringing the boys out alive required every bit of knowledge and skill Rick and his team possessed, plus thirteen miracles.
Adul is now 19 and living in the United States. In 2020 he received a full scholarship to The Masters School in New York, where he became the captain of the school’s soccer team. The head of the school, Laura Danforth, told World News Tonight, “What I heard about his work ethic — and who he was in the cave, and who he was before the cave and after, I knew that he was gonna be just fine here.”
Adul graduated last week and there was very special person present during the ceremony: Rick Stanton was there and gave the commencement address. Speaking of the daring rescue, Rick told the students, “I hadn’t realized that my entire life had been spent preparing for that moment.” When Adul received his diploma, Rick was able to give him a hug.
Rick told ABC, “I’m very proud of the fact that I was partly responsible for his, you know, his life, in a way. And to see him make the most of the opportunities he’s had.”
Adul will be attending Middlebury College and plans to become a doctor.
“We have to keep adjusting to the environment where you are in order to survive. You have to keep adapting your life,” Adul said. “This is just incredible, it is this miracle. I never thought I would come this far, and I would be sitting here in the United States.”
To see a boy who, by conventional wisdom, should not have survived, be rescued and go on to study to be a doctor and save lives himself, is definitely something good.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!
