We would be able to charm or fight our way out of any situation, and we’d always come out unscathed.

That’s a nice little story we tell ourselves.

Unfortunately, most of us when the chips are down, end up just as down as those chips are.

We give in to terror and panic and far too many times end up as just another casualty for the late news to report. It’s the sad truth but fear is a powerful dictator.

Jasmine Block was just 15 years old when she was kidnapped and held against her will for 29 days; during that time she was continually assaulted and threatened with deadly weapons.

Now, most young girls would’ve turned into whimpering masses of fear, but not young Jasmine.

She never stopped believing that she would find a way out of the mess and get back home to her family.

It all began with an innocent event:

Like most of us do without giving it a second thought, Jasmine had accepted a ride from someone she knew. And thought she knew well.

As it turns out, she didn’t know the right things about him. She says that as soon as she was in the car, he sped off to a Carlos home where two other men helped him take Jasmine inside.

Once they had her inside, they trussed her up using plastic zip ties. They then reportedly took turns assaulting her.

Besides the physical abuse, over the next four weeks they would threaten her daily with weapons. It was a nightmare but not even the mental torture crushed her spirit.

And one day the men made a fatal mistake: They left Jasmine alone and drove away.

When no neighbors answered her cries for help, the weary and battered teen escaped her bonds, then actually swam across Thompson Lake to find someone who would care.

She found that in the form of a kindly farmer who helped her call the police and then took her to a hospital.

There, she was reunited with her mother, who had never given up hope that her little girl would return to her waiting arms.

She was surprised to learn that $7,000 had been raised as a reward to anyone who had offered the information that led to Jasmine’s return.

No one has commented as to the donors of the money, or what will happen to it now that Jasmine turned out to be her own rescuer.

The last time anyone saw Jasmine was the night of August 8 around 10:30 p.m. at her family’s home in Alexandria.

The teen had spent the day boating with neighbors but had returned home early complaining of a migraine.

Her mother told Dateline that on that night, Jasmine had been resting on the couch while she left to tend to a family emergency. When she returned home, Jasmine was gone.

Nothing but a pair of shoes was missing. Her cell phone, purse and other items that young girl would never leave behind were still in the home.

But Jasmine got free and told her story quickly, which meant justice was waiting for the three kidnappers when they got back.

Instead of returning home to the unwelcoming arms of their hostage, the three men were apprehended. They were identified as Thomas Barker, 32; Joshua Holby, 31; and Steven Powers, 20, according to the WCCO-TV.

Jasmine’s mother, Sarah Block, posted the following on Facebook following Jasmine’s return:

“I just want to say thank you for helping for never giving up!

I also ask to respect Jasmine myself and her sisters as we have been apart 4 weeks and it’s been a lot so give space.”

She added: “I will not share any details as this is an ongoing investigation and I tell everyone to respect that.”

We respect not only that but also we respect the heck out of any mother who can raise a daughter with that kind of moxy.

Kudos Jasmine for finding out that you are that hero among us who actually can remain cool, calm and collected when the chips are down.

Sources: KARE 11, New York Post

The post Teen Girl Kidnapped And Assaulted For 29 Days – Then One Day, She Decides She’s Had Enough appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Cows seemingly jump out of waves alongside dolphins. Watermelons are blue. Trees appear to have neon purple leaves.

We find out after we’ve shared our shock and awe that photos depicting horrifying moments are actually fairly innocent moments, doctored up to sadden and terrify.

If Photoshop and Instagram had a baby…it would be 7 feet tall, covered in purple hair, with bright pink lightbulb eyes and it would be using the Statue of Liberty as a rattle.

Who can you trust anymore?

At the moment, much of the Internet is debating whether or not to trust photos from an Instagram user whose regularly posted selfie photographs are some of the most astonishing anyone has ever seen.

And that’s coming from folks who daily see believable photos of dogs as big as horses and rabbits that a human can barely hold.

We think the selfies that ‘Pilotganso’ shares with the world are in a class by themselves though.

OK. We were kidding about them looking totally believable. But you have to admit, at first glance, you probably…gave it a second, longer glance.

First: We’re pretty sure that anyone who knows much about physics realizes that not even the best hair gel in the world would keep his hair looking that sexy in two hundred mile per hour wind.

Not to mention that having an open window in an airplane with a pressurized cabin would be catastrophic. But perhaps you are one of those science deniers and don’t believe in things like physics.

In that case, we noticed right off that although the shadow on the plane and the tie flapping in the “breeze” were a nice touch, the reflection in the sunglasses is that of a tarmac. Not the wild blue yonder.

A lot of people didn’t notice or even care, though.

“Dude! Weren’t you like scared?” Or, “Come on. This can’t be real. I’m sure his company has rules against this kind of thing.”

Yeah. That’s why he shouldn’t do it. Because his company wouldn’t like it.

Pilotganso recently posted this photo of himself with the easily recognizable Palm Islands in Dubai in the background.

He told his 43,000 followers that “It’s already my second hometown.” And then added the hashtag #dubaiselfie.

Again, way too many people didn’t make note of the whole pressurized cabin and wind speed velocity vs. hair things. More than one questioned the more obvious.

“Why do you do such dangerous things? What if you fell out? Your passengers would die.“

Following that reasoning, we should inform that concerned citizen that it’s okay. Pilotgansa is obviously shooting from the co-pilot’s seat, so there would still be someone to land the plane, even if he fell out.

But not everyone was fooled; one follower said petulantly, “I know it’s fake because you can’t open the windows in a pressurized plane.”

We gave them big kudos for realizing that. But another follower immediately responded with, “Actually, those are the only two windows that do open.”

He went on to explain that you can’t open them when the cabin is pressurized, but it was too late.

He had already verified that the believers were right, as the window that Pilotganso is hanging out of does open. Nobody remembered to add, “if the plane is on the ground.”

Pilotganso is just the latest of many Photoshop geniuses to spark our wonder and tweak our curiosity. But he may well go down in Instagram history as one of the best.

This last photo of him with his now famous selfie stick extended to show his entire plane should prove one thing to all the naysayers out there that say he’s a fake.

They are right. But, you have to admit, he is one heck of a good fake!

And I personally second Mavis Mavis from Newcastle’s comment after the photos were shared on DailyMail.com:

“All these idiots on here droning on about how it’s not real – who cares! He’s GORGEOUS – how do I fly on his plane???“

Yeah. What she said!

Keep the skies safe for us, Pilotganso. We can’t wait to see what friendly skies you’ll be flying next.

Source: INDIA.com

The post Pilot’s Insane Selfies Instantly Go Viral – Then The Internet Spots Something Strange… appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Some of us have a single dream that keeps us focused. Others of us dream as many dreams as our hearts can hold; all of us hoping that just one will come true.

Jen Bricker spent the first few years of her life in a Romanian orphanage. Those years were spent fighting to survive more than dreaming.

She had been placed there by parents who didn’t want her simply because she wasn’t perfect. That would be a pretty big dream killer for anyone.

Some people’s imperfections aren’t obvious and they can slide by without a lot of attention. Jen wasn’t that lucky.

As soon as the doctor had told Jen’s father that their baby had been born without legs, he told them to take her away. They never wanted to see her again.

Her mother never held her, never smelled the scent of her fresh washed hair. She didn’t see her first smile or hear her first gurgling laugh. Her husband had said “the baby must go” and so it was gone.

When a couple from a small town in Illinois (a spot on the map so small that they say the population is 50…if you count the dogs and cats) were told about Jen’s plight they immediately said, “we want her.”

They made the arrangements and soon Jen came to live with Sharon and Harold Bricker and their three boys.

From the beginning the couple had decided that they wouldn’t make any sort of distinction between their kids because of Jen’s difference.

Jen never knew the meaning of the word can’t and from the time she met the Brickers she was told there was nothing she couldn’t do.

If you are never given limits, you never know where they are. Jen soon realized she could do anything her brothers could do. 

She could do some things even better.

Being born without legs means you develop a lot of other muscles to be able to get around.

Jen quickly learned that those muscles could do things for her that most “normal” people couldn’t do. She had never spoken her dream aloud but one day she told her parents:

“I want to be a gymnast.“

Some people might have rushed to remind their daughter of all of the ways she could be disappointed by that dream. Not the Brickers. They told her, “If you think you can, you can.”

And Jen thought she could. She started at age 7 on the family’s trampoline.  Soon she was competing seriously in tumbling and gymnastics. Always against kids who had no physical abnormalities.

It didn’t take Jen long before she had become a force to become reckoned with, and a household name to anyone who knew anything about gymnastics.

Being good wasn’t good enough for Jen though. She wanted to be the best.

It’s a little hard to believe, even for Jen, she admits, but while she was in high school she became the tumbling champion of the State of Illinois!

Can you believe it? The photo above may be a bit fuzzy, but it’s easy to see that it’s Jen in the forefront.

Jen didn’t stop at learning how to tumble. She played Little League softball with her brothers. She played basketball with her school team. She excelled at every sport she tried. Even volleyball.

She hadn’t ever learned to say “I can’t” so she had no problem “just doing it.”

When we all are beginning to dream, we can usually always remember the person or the event that sparked that desire in us. Jen always knew exactly who her inspiration was.

She used to sit glued to her TV set watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team compete.

Dominique Moceanu, the 1996 Gold Medal winner, was her hero, the person who gave her the inspiration to start dreaming what sounded at first like an impossible dream.

Many years later Jen finally asked her parents about how she had come to be with them. She asked if there were any facts about her history that they hadn’t shared with her.

There were. Jennifer’s birth surname had been…wait for it…Moceanu! Dominique Moceanu was in fact Jen’s biological sister.

Jen was floored. Her life had been focused on being like someone that, as it turns out, in a normal familial relationship would have been the big sister that was her idol no matter the situation.

Jen held that news close to her heart for four years before she finally got up the nerve to send a letter and documents proving their relationship to Dominique.

She says she will never forget the date, December 10, 2007. It was a date that she says changed her world.

She told the New York Daily some of the words in that letter:

“I feel that I have one chance to show you and prove to you that I’m not some crazy person, but I’m sure after seeing all of the papers, you’ll see that I’m serious.”

Dominique was stunned when she received the letter. She immediately went to her mother and demanded to know the truth. And the truth was exactly what Jen had stated.

So Dominique wrote back to Jen and told her she thought they should meet.

As it turns out, Dominique told Jen later, what had happened was probably the best thing that could have happened for her.

Her birth parents were not good role models and her life with them would have likely been as rocky as Dominique’s had been.

In fact, Dominique had legally emancipated herself from her parents at the age of 17. They were gymnasts and had forced Dominique to begin training at age 3.

Hence, she did not get to choose her dream. It was demanded of her.

Not only did they control her life but Dominique later presented paperwork to the court proving that her parents had squandered her hard-earned fortune.

At one time she even took out a restraining order against her father who was stalking her and she feared had killed two of her friends.

Yes, Jen was definitely better off growing up safe and happy among the Bricker clan! Even though they didn’t grow up together, Dominique and Jen have since developed a close bond and continue to marvel at their similarities.

“The tones in our voices, our handwriting, the way we laugh and chuckle. It’s mind-blowing,” Dominique told ABC.

Jen described her own feelings about her sister in an interview with The Mirror.

“Since then we’ve become close and I feel like a piece of the jigsaw of my life has fallen into place.”

Not only did Jen find out she had a sister, a year after meeting Dominique she was introduced to their younger sister Christina. Again she said, “it was like looking in a  mirror.”

Jen never saw her lack of lower appendages as a handicap. When one of her friends mentioned her handicap in conversation Jen stopped her.

“I don’t have a handicap,” she protested.

The friend stuttered a bit. “B-b-but you have to use a wheelchair.”

Jen rolled her eyes.

“Not because I have to,” she said firmly. “It’s just to keep me from getting dirty.“

With that kind of attitude it’s no wonder that Jen Bricker has walked taller and prouder than most people born with working legs. And we know she will keep doing that throughout her life.

Thanks to her own strong will and good parents who proved that you can give a child wings just by saying to them “you can do it.” And believing it right along with them.

Keep flying high, Jen Bricker. You’re an inspiration to all of us.

Source: GIMUNDO

The post Legless Gymnast Shocks The World, Then She Finds Out Who Her Sister Is…And Her Jaw Drops appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Some days it seems like you just can’t win.

Then there are morning runs like the one a kindhearted public bus driver in Northern England had that had all of his passengers applauding.

Most even told him they didn’t care if they were going to be late; that’s just how much they appreciated this man’s chivalry.

The public bus on the number 16 route in Leeds, England was running on time that morning when everyone got on board.

It was full of people waiting anxiously to reach their destinations, as is often the case.

Then, somewhat abruptly, the driver made an unscheduled stop. He opened the door and passengers heard him asking someone on the sidewalk if they were okay.

They assumed the answer was negative when the driver immediately got up and left the bus. Passengers looked out the window and saw the driver consoling a young girl.

Lynsey Jayes was a passenger on that bus and at first she was a bit peeved that the driver had stopped. Like everyone else on the bus, she had a schedule to keep.

She peered out the window and watched as the bus driver gestured for the girl to sit back down while he got back on the bus.

Then the driver told his passengers there was going to be a brief delay; he pulled out his cell phone and Jayes heard him making a phone call.

He told the person on the other end that there was a young girl who had gone to the wrong bus stop, and now was afraid she was going to be late for her first day of high school.

As it turned out, the person on the other end of the call was a taxi driver. Yes, the kindly bus driver had arranged for a cab to come and pick up the girl and deliver her to her new school.

But this good-hearted samaritan wasn’t done.

As soon as he knew the taxi was on its way, he got back off the bus and escorted the little girl to a nearby grocery store to wait.

On top of it all, after making all the arrangements and making sure she was somewhere safe, the driver then gave her money for the cab fare out of his own pocket.

When he got back on the bus he was afraid all his passengers were going to be ready to riot. But, they surprised him.

Everyone, including Jayes, told him that this was something they didn’t mind running late for. They arrived at the next stop about 10 minutes late, but everyone on the bus was still smiling.

Jayes wrote about the bus driver’s deeds on Facebook.

“This bus driver on the number 16 this morning deserves a huge pat on the back… a young girl waiting for the bus at the wrong side of the road and was upset she would be late for her first day at high school…

The driver not only phoned her a taxi, he walked her to Tesco and he paid for it… now that is a reason I don’t mind my bus running late for.“

She had taken a photo of the driver and posted it to her page as well, hoping someone could identify the Good Samaritan. So far, no one has come forward.

But whoever he was, he made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives that morning.

The comments to her post proved that people do notice when you do good things, and that they too believe karma takes care of those who take care of others.

“It was just lovely to see, it certainly made everyone on the bus smile and he certainly brightened up a very wet and miserable morning,” Jayes, 33, later told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

A spokesperson for First Bus told the BBC they were “delighted” with their driver, who had shown “exceptional customer awareness and consideration for this young girl, who was clearly very upset.”

“First West Yorkshire is grateful to Lynsey Jayes for highlighting our driver’s actions and to the many customers and other members of the public for their kind comments,” the spokesperson said.

We are grateful to both of them, too. We bet that his actions made a huge impact on that young girl, and we know for sure it impacted the passengers on his bus.

It’s nice to see proof that there are still good people out there, isn’t it?

It’s even more uplifting to know that other good people will take notice of such deeds. Even when, or maybe especially when, the Good Samaritan thinks no one is watching.

Sources: Facebook, HuffPost

The post Bus Passengers Shocked When Driver Stops And Jumps Out – Seconds Later, They’re Cheering appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Certainly it’s difficult to come up with something that doesn’t have a “been there, done that” feel to it.

Thanks to social media, though, we see grandiose proposals every day. So many, in fact, that it makes it even harder for a poor guy to come up with something totally unique and precious.

When faced with the daunting prospect of coming up with a one-of-a-kind proposal, Dario Ramirez did what he has done with every other difficult task in his life:

He met it head-on and came up with an amazing plan…one no other man will be able to copy. At least, not very easily.

Ramírez is a former lawmaker and political exile who left Venezuela in 2014 and is now living in Panama.

The human rights activist is seeking refuge from the totalitarian Maduro regime that does not look kindly upon those who challenge their authority.

But moving on to happier things, he had met the woman in his life in a church and he thought it would be fitting if he proposed to her in the same setting.

He was at the Vatican to discuss what was going on in Venezuela with Catholic legislators, and that’s when inspiration struck.

Incredibly enough, Ramirez had been granted an audience with the Pope. His girlfriend, Maryangel Espinal, was traveling with him and would be present as well when he met Pope Francis.

Coming to face to face with a religious icon is always a heart-pounding experience. What Maryangel didn’t know was that the man by her side had even more of a reason to be suffering from a jumping heart.

When they met Pope Francis they exchanged the usual pleasantries.

Then Ramírez spent a few minutes chatting with the Argentine pontiff about the political and economic upheaval in his home country before changing the subject to something happier ― a surprise for his girlfriend.

After taking a deep breath, Ramirez readied himself for one of the biggest moments in his life.

As a human rights activist he was very used to asking for help in helping others. Now, here he was preparing to ask the Pope for something that was important only to his own future, not that of his country.

I said “There is something else that I want to ask you.” As he said later, he was pretty sure that his statement scared his now-fiance.

She was afraid that he was going to ask for something totally undignified and inappropriate. Something like asking to take a selfie together.

But, what he asked for was much more solemn and precious than asking to take a selfie.

 “I explained to the Holy Father that the woman next to me is the woman of my life,” Ramirez told the National Catholic Register. 

“I met her in church, that God put her in my life, and I want to propose to her. So I got down on one knee and asked.”

There was silence for a few moments after he asked his question.

The Pope broke the silence when he said, “Wow, in front of the Pope!”

He added. “She’s not speaking — he asked you to marry him, what do you say?”

It took Maryangel a second to answer, a second I’m sure almost stopped Ramirez’s heart.

Then suddenly she answered with an emphatic “Yes!”

All of the delegates in the hall whooped and hollered in a manner not usually seen at such gatherings.

The Pope wore a wide smile as well as he watched Ramirez put the ring on Maryangel’s finger. He then blessed the couple and their upcoming union.

He later admitted that he was as much in the dark as Maryangel; he had had no idea what the young man was going to ask him.

Ramirez did follow the proper channels before he used his audience with the Pope in such a manner. The Pope and Maryangel were the only ones in the hall who didn’t know what was about to happen.

We’ve all heard this referred to as “popping the question.” In this case however, it seems more fitting to say that Ramirez “Pope-d the question.”

May all of the rest of the surprises in store for Dario Ramirez and his beautiful bride-to-be be happy ones.

And may the blessing of Pope Francis follow them throughout a long and happy life together.

Amen.

Sources: National Catholic Register, Good News Network

The post Watch What Happens When These Two Lovebirds Visit The Vatican – Even The Pope Can’t Believe It appeared first on Addicting Stories.

If that is true, then Laurel Police Officer Bennett Johns proved beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what kind of man he is.

Johns took a shoplifting call from a Giants store in the middle of a shift one day, and he had no idea that he was about to become a viral phenomenon.

The first interesting part of this story is that cops don’t usually like taking shoplifting calls.

For one thing, they can get messy as very few people admit to having shoplifted, even if they get caught redhanded. It’s also a lot of paperwork for what is usually a low-dollar, no-violence crime.

But Johns had a job to do so he quickly made his way to the store, not expecting the call to be all that exciting.

He went into the store thinking it was most likely a teenager trying for a thrill. Or it could’ve been someone trying to hoist something to hock immediately for quick cash.

It used to be that cigarettes were the most popular target for shoplifters but now that they are kept behind the counter, the focus has shifted to a wider range of items.

These days chewing gum is the most likely item to be stolen. Other commonly stolen items include:

Painkillers, diet drugs, Rogaine hair renewal (who wants to bring attention to their baldness by paying for the treatment?), hair products, cosmetics, tooth whitening strips and deodorant.

Officer Johns expected some combination of the above when he walked through the door, but he was floored by what he found instead.

A young mother with a two-year-old son had been caught trying to steal, not something to make quick cash from, but instead two packages of diapers.

She hadn’t gone there intent on committing a crime, either. She only attempted to shoplift the diapers after she realized she didn’t have enough money to pay for everything in her cart.

Despite the sad situation, the store manager had called the police, and Officer Johns knew that the manager was well within his rights and that justice had to be served.

But, as a child of a single mom he also knew what a battle that young woman was facing every day. He remembered well the times his own mother didn’t have the money to pay for family necessities.

Furthermore, the woman (who remains unidentified) was aware that what she did broke the law.

She just didn’t see any other way to continue to take care of her son, and that just about broke the soft heart of the hardened police officer.

After checking to see that she had no open warrants against her and her identification was valid, he issued her a criminal citation.

That meant that although justice was served and her crime was registered, he did not have to take her (and her son) to jail.

Then he went a step farther and opened his wallet to pull enough money out to pay for the diapers. The young mother couldn’t believe her eyes.

She listened, her eyes glistening with tears, as the officer explained to her that there are always other options.

He gave her a phone number of a local agency that would provide necessities to parents who were having problems providing adequately for their children.

He also made sure that her toddler wasn’t traumatized during the entire process; he remained calm and quiet and simply explained what he was doing and why.

Then he helped her gather up her packages and said goodbye.

He says he didn’t think much about it after that.

It had made him feel good to help someone the way he wishes more people had helped him and his mother. But, he didn’t feel that his actions should have gotten a lot of attention. After all, he was just doing his job.

But a lot of other people noticed his actions. A lot. And they all thought he deserved to be recognized for being a very good guy doing a very hard job.

Over the next few weeks even the Laurel, Maryland mayor and the Chief of Police, Richard McLaughlin got involved in heaping accolades on the shoulder of the young officer who thought he was just doing his duty.

They both made statements that their officers make these kinds of heartwarming gestures almost daily.

It’s part of their training to have empathy as well as an understanding of the law and the ability to enforce it.

But they also said that Johns’ effort had been especially thoughtful and had made a great impact on everyone involved.

“Though it’s but a snapshot of some of the work your officers are doing daily, we still wanted to take a moment to thank Officer Johns for not just fairly enforcing the law, but also showing empathy to an innocent child put in a difficult situation,” the department wrote on their Facebook page.

The Laurel Police Department should be commended, for not only encouraging but also applauding the above-and-beyond efforts of the men and women who practice “community policing” and not just doling out punishments.

This kindly offier showed the world that indeed what makes a man great is what he does when he thinks no one is watching.

We were watching…and we are proud.

Source: HuffPost

The post Cop Shows Up To Arrest Her For Shoplifting – When He Walks In The Door, His Heart Breaks appeared first on Addicting Stories.

It’s not uncommon to hear bands talk about playing at bars so rough that there was chicken wire around the stage to protect performers.

Street musicians brave the elements every day to bring a smile to passersby, and a dollar to their pocket.

Stars play to crowds in strange towns when they’d much rather be with their families.

But one man who played his instrument somewhere out of the ordinary wasn’t doing it to make a buck. He wasn’t doing it to entertain.

He wasn’t doing it for practice, either. He wasn’t even doing it just because he felt the urge to play.

No, believe it or not, he was actually playing in a surgery theater while a surgeon worked on his brain. Yes, DURING the operation.

This sudden internet sensation is Dan Fabbio; some years back, he was 25 and working to get a master’s degree in music education. One day he realized he could no longer hear music in stereo.

Extensive testing showed a tumor on Fabbio’s brain, which of course was a huge blow.

The good news was that it wasn’t malignant, but the bad news was that it was attached to the portion of the brain that is active when people listen to or perform music.

Playing music had always been a huge part of Fabbio’s life, and when he thought it was going to be taken away from him he was heartbroken.

He told his doctor that music was his passion as well as his profession and he would do whatever it took to keep it.

So, he was sent to see Dr. Web Pilcher, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and his colleague Brad Mahon. They had developed a special brain mapping program.

For over five years they have used the program to treat all kinds of patients with different types of brain tumors: a bus driver, a carpenter, mathematicians and lawyers. But Fabbio was their first musician.

Most of their work had been on the language center of the left side of the brain, and Fabbio’s plea sent them to the right side of the brain to begin mapping it for the first time.

But they had to be sure they knew exactly where the music center of his brain was.

They contacted Elizabeth Marvin, professor of music theory with the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music and together they came up with a series of music tests for Fabbio.

Because Fabbio’s tumor was very slow growing, doctors allowed him time to help the team with their brain mapping before heading into surgery.

All told, it took them six months to study the structure of Fabbio’s brain.

Once they were certain the mapping was complete, it was time to schedule him for surgery. Brain surgery is not only tricky for surgeons, it’s tricky for patients.

Fabbio had to be completely awake during the entire surgery; he had to be able to answer the surgeon’s questions so they would know that they were doing the right thing.

Yes, with his brain exposed.

Once the tumor was removed, but before sutures had been put into place, Fabbio was given his saxophone. There he was, on his side with his brain exposed to the room, but he played.

“”He played it flawlessly and when he finished the entire operating room erupted in applause,” said Marvin. “It made you want to cry.””

Fabbio has now completely recovered and has returned to teaching music within six months of the surgery. The beat, for Fabbio, goes on.

This story is amazing on about a half-dozen different levels; wouldn’t you agree?

Source: Good News Network

The post Sax Player Has Brain Tumor That Will Destroy His Career – Then Doctors Find A Brilliant Solution appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Like the theme song from the Friends TV show, “It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear. When it hasn’t been your day, or week, or month, or even your year.”

Sometimes it seems almost too much trouble just to get out of bed in the morning.

Melissa Simms, poor thing, had lots of those days. In fact, it got so bad that she ultimately required multiple surgeries and was unable to work.

Money kept getting tighter and tighter and she couldn’t contribute anything to helping the family get in better shape. She never complained, though.

She knew she was lucky she’d made it through her surgeries and had her husband and her son, Trey, to keep her going.

But still, she was losing faith that things were going to get better.

Seven-year-old Trey was home sick from school the day that all that changed; he had to go with his mom as she ran errands.

First, however, she was in her surgeon’s Pell City, Alabama office for a followup to her latest surgery, and that’s when it all seemed to catch up with her.

She was embarrassed to have to tell the receptionist that she wouldn’t be able to pay her bill that day.

The doctor agreed to go ahead and see her, but realizing how close to the bottom she was made Melissa almost ready to give up.

“Me and my husband woke up and split out last ten dollars for gas, for him to go to work and for me to make it to my doctor’s appointment,” she said.

“All day I was stressed about how am I going to make supper for my kids.”

While Melissa was seeing the doctor, Trey stayed in the waiting room listening to music. When Melissa came out, he told her a strange woman had stopped and talked to him.

As they walked out to the car, Trey added, “She gave me a note to give you.”

Immediately thinking the worst, Melissa took it from him and tentatively opened the envelope.

Instead of being something negative, it was one of the nicest things Melissa had ever had done for her. The words on the note sent hope soaring to her heart.

The note said:

“I’ve had days like you’re having today. Hang in there.”

Written below that was “Joshua 1:9”, referencing the Bible verse, which states:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The words weren’t the only thing that made Melissa’s heart leap. The note had been wrapped around a $100 bill.

Simms immediately started to cry.

“If I would have known what it was I’d have said thank you,” Trey said in a voice that trembled. He knew what kind of money troubles the family was having, and knew just how far that $100 would go.

Melissa went back in and paid for her doctor visit. Then she went and bought food for her family’s supper and purchased a few other necessities.

“It is a complete feeling of peace, just like everything is going to be OK,” she explained.

The uplifting note and the money put a brighter spin on her future and she is determined to do as commanded. To not be afraid. And to not be discouraged.

“I don’t know what she looks like, I don’t know her name, but I hope I get to meet her to say thank you,” she said.

Melissa snapped a photo of the note and money and posted about the gift of hope on her Facebook page.

She urged her friends to share her story, hoping to find out who her mystery angel was.

So far no one has come forward but Melissa still hopes she will get to meet her someday. As she said:

“It’s the kindest thing that’s ever been done. Truly from the bottom of my heart I thank this woman.

I would love to repay it and to pay it forward one day just like she did.”

But even if they never meet, Melissa hopes somehow she knows how much it meant to her and her family. And she promises that whenever she is able, she will pay it forward as many times as possible.

She likes the idea of being someone’s angel.

After all, she knows just how much an angel can change your life in a matter of mere seconds.

Source: Right Wing News

The post Stranger Sees Little Boy Crying In The Hospital, Then Slips Him A Note That Changes His Mother’s Life appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But by the time he got back home, he was hailing his fishing partners as heroes and feeling very grateful to be alive.

It all started when his 14-year-old son Nick asked if he could invite a couple of his fellow freshman friends from Houston High School to go fishing with them.

Knowing they were good kids, Bob said sure. Little did he know that hours later, he would be very glad that he said yes.

When they got to the launch in Tunica Lake, Mississippi, Bob started to back the boat down the ramp. His truck transmission had been giving him some problems and it started acting up again.

It suddenly went into park and wouldn’t move. Bob wasn’t too worried, though; he knew the trick to get it moving again.

Unfortunately, that meant he had to crawl up under the truck and manually move the levers to get the truck out of park.

He’d done it before but on this day, he made a potentially fatal mistake: He forgot to put on the parking brake.

As soon as the truck went out of park it began to roll backwards, and Bob’s head was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Only 3 inches from the wheel, he had no time to move out of the way before the tire rolled onto his head.

“It went right on his head, and his head was pinned between the concrete and the tire,” said Nick Staub. 

“He was under there for about 45 seconds and he passed out for about 10 of those seconds.”

Once Nick regained consciousness he realized how much trouble he was in. If he had been alone that day, it’s likely things wouldn’t have ended up the way they did.

But, he wasn’t alone. His son and his friends were there.

Together, they lifted the truck off Bob’s head and rolled it a few inches back up the ramp.

Bob was conscious enough to roll out of the way before they let the truck back down. It actually rolled back down into the water while they called 911 and attended to Bob.

Despite everything that could’ve gone even more wrong that day, Bob Staub realized immediately how lucky he was:

Not only that the truck stopped when it did and didn’t roll completely across his head, but that he had strong and willing company that could get the weight off his head before his skull gave way.

Despite the ugly mark on his face, a CAT scan and X-rays showed that no lasting damage had been done. Amazingly Bob has nothing but a few bruises to remember the accident by.

He and Nick and pretty sure they will never forget that day though, no matter what.

“It makes us feel lucky that he’s still here ’cause the chances of him surviving, that was not in our favor,” said Nick Staub.

He and his friends have started a fishing club at Houston High School so they expect to be spending a lot of time out on the lake. They’ll probably invite Nick’s dad along, too.

We hope he gets his SUV fixed before he attempts docking the boat again.

But, he knows now that in case of emergency, he has built-in heroes standing at the ready to save the day. Again.

Source: Good News Network

The post Dad Crawls Under Truck To Fix It, Then His Son Sees The Wheels Start To Roll… appeared first on Addicting Stories.

The stories have been flooding out of Texas almost as fast as the waters rose.

And of course, we love a good rescue story. Take this one, for example:

Corporal Reed Clark, a supervisor of community public relations for the Harris County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office, had been assigned to a high-water rescue team for children with urgent medical needs.

His job was especially dangerous on many levels.

The water in the area he would be searching would not be calm and placid. It was nearing “white water” status in some places and had the potential to rise rapidly.

Not only that, but the survivors he was seeking were children in a high risk situation; some would require special patience and care.

If they couldn’t get near the home with their car, things could get bad very quickly.

Clark and his partner were being sent to pick up an asthmatic child that was nearing the point of distress. So time was of the essence and off they went.

“The water was so high that we couldn’t see the street signs,” Cpl. Clark told TODAY.

“I only knew to turn onto the street because I saw a light pole … the current was picking up very fast, like rapids almost.”

They had to abandon their car much sooner than they had anticipated. But they didn’t let that deter them from their job at hand.

They saw two jet skis on a trailer parked in what had been someone’s driveway, so they borrowed them and kept moving…heroes on the waves!

Once the asthmatic child had been taken to safety, the two men went back out to search for other children.

It was at that point that they noticed a group of a dozen or more people wading through the neck deep water. They each were carrying duffels and boxes held high above their head.

“They were screaming, ‘Baby! Baby!'” he recalled.

“I saw debris floating by, and I thought the baby was in the water … they saw me looking and pointed back to a woman holding what looked like a blanket.”

One of the women was Dajauh Zhane Henix — and she wasn’t holding belongings over her head. She was shielding her baby, Paige, from the water.

“I turned around to come back, and the water went over her head,” Cpl. Clark recalled.

“She held the baby above the water … I grabbed the baby and told her to (meet me at the designated rescue area).”

Clark left the baby with volunteers and went back into the water to save more children. He heard a couple of hours later that the baby still hadn’t been claimed.

TODAY reported that  Cpl. Clark at that time shifted his rescue efforts towards tracking down Henix to reunite her with her baby.

His idea was perfect:

He posted a photo to the precinct’s Facebook page, where it was spotted by a friend who saw that Henix had shared her own photo from a local shelter.

Then, through the magic of social media, the two were reunited.

They haven’t been able to meet yet in person but they have corresponded via social media. When the water recedes and things get back to normal, Clark hopes to meet with Henix and get to know baby Paige better.

He was impressed with the love Paige’s mother showed for her baby.

“She’s a true hero,” said Clark. “She never said, ‘help me’ — she said, ‘get my baby out of here.’“

Corporal Clark is quoted as saying:

“Even though we’re in a sad situation, it’s heartwarming to see how not only Texans and people in our community, but people from all over are helping and coming together.

This is what being an American is all about.”

We agree with him. God Bless America.

And also bless all the weary and storm-battered heroes like Corporal Clark that remind us in these troubling days of what is truly important.

Source: TODAY

The post Officer saves baby from raging flood but can’t find the mother. Then he gets a genius idea. appeared first on Addicting Stories.