LJ Compton has Down syndrome and is on the autism spectrum, so when his afternoon bus was late arriving to Garfield Elementary School in Marion, Ohio, the little boy had a hard time processing his feelings. Even though they live closer to another school, LJ’s mother Steph chose Garfield because of the care and attention their staff has always shown her son. 

She said LJ’s a happy little guy who almost always has a smile on his face, but sometimes, he gets overwhelmed and goes through a meltdown. This was one of those days, and Steph wasn’t around to help him through it. 

Thankfully, someone else was! Steph had no idea what happened until she saw a picture of her son on Facebook. It was posted by Amber McKinniss, a student aide, who commented, “I just had to snap a picture. It was the most amazing thing I’ve seen!” Stretched out on the pavement next to LJ was John Smith, a longtime teacher and the school’s newest assistant principal. The incredible educator didn’t hesitate for a moment before meeting LJ right where he was, dirt and all! The photo went viral, and soon everyone was chiming in with positive remarks about John and the school’s dedication to providing a supportive environment for every child. 

“Mr. Smith was the best teacher,” one person wrote. “So glad he carries that with him as a principal! Such a great guy!” Another said, “Mr. Smith is one of my favorite teachers. He’s the best.” It’s moments like this that reinforce Steph’s decision to drive her son a little further every day. 

“It’s really awesome to know from a parent’s standpoint that there are people that care that much about your child,” she said. This school administrator clearly understands that kids need time and comfort to process their feelings. John was not afraid to get a little dirty if it meant getting through to LJ — and we can all take a page from his book!

  There are few animals that have the presence of an elephant. The multi-ton, thick-skinned, proboscis-wielding herbivores are synonymous with “size.” Whales are the only other creatures that can claim to be so culturally synonymous with being so big. 

And when elephants get protective, very few animals will try to cross them. That posed a problem for people trying to help this elephant. At Addo Elephant National Park, a baby elephant got itself into a sticky situation and needed rescuing. The park contains dozens of African elephants. Do note that there’s two kinds of African elephants. The smaller species, Loxodona cyclotis, is called the forest elephant. 

They’re about half the size of their larger sister species, getting up to 4 tons. That’s still plenty big. And the other species is the one we’re all familiar with for its humungous size and iconic head shape: the bush elephant, aka Loxodonta africana. 

This baby elephant ended up in a small pit of dirt and mud. Climbing out proved to be a lot harder than the little one expected. The rest of the herd gathered around to try and help the little one out. The best they could do was spray water around the edges to make it easier to climb out, but that didn’t do much at all. 

With no fences or borders in this park, it meant any person who tried to intervene would have nothing between them and the elephants. The staff gave it a shot anyway. They drove up to the spot where the herd was and tried to dig out enough of the pit for the baby to climb out. That didn’t go so well. It went the opposite of well, in fact. It made things even worse. In a panic, the herd huddled around the baby and ended up pushing it deeper into the water. Well, time for a new plan. That baby was in deeper water now. 

Time wasn’t on their side to begin with, and now it just got worse. What was their new plan? Well, risky for one. It involved chasing off the adults using their park vehicles. 

An adult African bush elephant weighs over 6 metric tons. A particularly large one can get to 7-8 tons. Chasing one off in a car could end in one of two ways. An elephant running off, or the car and everyone inside it getting flattened. 

Thankfully, it didn’t play out like the 2nd scenario. The elephants ran off and this gave the rangers plenty of time to get the calf out of the water. A baby elephant is still plenty massive on its own. The park staff heaved and pulled the over 200 pound baby out of the water. The worst part was over. That’s one baby free from the water. 

Except now, the baby didn’t want to leave them. I guess the rescue really sold the little one on them being its friends. It wasn’t until the mother called for her baby that it finally came running back to her. 

Well, there’s a happy ending for you. But that’s not even the end! There’s an even happier ending. It sounds straight out of a movie, but the elephant started trumpeting to the rangers in gratitude. But is it really weird? Elephants are notoriously smart and emotional animals, so perhaps it’s all to be expected from an animal as extraordinary as the elephant. 

Even more reason why it’s of utmost importance that we work to protect animals them so future generations can appreciate them too. 

 Watch the video about it below, and please share this article too!

 
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  Blondie had a full coat of feathers when he was first adopted, but his feathers began to fall off over the course of the year and he had difficulty getting himself aloft. 

After much research, his human Bella Escobar discovered that he had Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, a virus that attacks a bird’s immune system, feathers, and beaks. Escobar stated that Blondie became depressed over the loss of his feathers, so she took measures to ensure that he was entertained and enriched through other activities. 

"We tried bringing that beautiful and lovely side of him so we tried other options on keeping him entertained. Our goal was to let him know he could have fun without using his wings. We showed him that he was accepted and it was amazing it was really, really relieving." 

One such activity revolves around a dollhouse that he’s adopted as his own. "I have a big dollhouse that’s now his. If you touch the house, he’s going after you. He kind of thinks that that house is like his property."

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A post shared by Blondie🐥 (@blondiethelovebird)

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While many assumed the baby hawk would be lunch for the hungry eaglet, it was instead tended to by the eagle as if it was its own. Pictured below is Lola the eaglet (left) and Tuffy2 the hawklet (right).

  Photographer Jann Nichols captured the incredible moment and began making weekly trips to the nest. Her captures show how the bald eagles appeared to be feeding and caring for the hawklet along with their own eaglet. 

Nichols observed that the eaglet and hawklet seemed to be developing a sibling-type bond, she said, similar to that between baby eagles and their eaglet siblings.

  British Columbia-based Eagle Biologist David Hancock has been examining the case closely. He has documented three other occurrences of this type of phenomena: when an eagle mistakes prey for its own young—then nurtures and feeds it—instead of eating it. 

But he says the sibling-type bond is unprecedented.

  On June 17, another incredible shot was captured by Nichols, when she said the hawklet appeared to fall from the nest, but was rescued by the surrogate eagle mother.

  On Tuesday, June 27, Nichols shared an update about some misinformation being spread about the eagle nest situation. 

"There's misinformation in a lot of articles about this hawk in eagle nest and situation. The hawk isn't being abused by the mom eagle... The eagles weren’t confused when they started feeding a live hawk. They responded to their paternal instincts when they heard the begging call that sounds like their own. The eaglet Lola is not a bully or aggressive with the hawk. (I've seen eaglet sibling behavior and Tuffy2 is very lucky to share a nest with Lola). 

She continued: 

We are so lucky to have 3 other prior cases to learn from which has now been validated by 65 year Eagle Biologist David Hancock’s Scientific Paper using all of his numerous observations & documentations from 2017-2023."
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From there, chimps like 2-year-old Vanilla were transferred to California. Although this was a good step in the right direction, their new homes still weren’t what they deserved. 

The enclosure was larger, but she was still confined inside chain-link fences with very little grass. Then, when the refuge went out of business in 2019 due to the threat of wildfires, Vanilla was finally on her way to a 150-acre home in Florida with 226 other chimpanzees. It took Vanilla a bit to adjust to her new surroundings, but the look on her face when she saw the open sky for the first time is absolutely priceless. 

“When she’s not exploring the island with her friends, she can usually be found perched atop a three-story climbing platform surveying her new world,” Dr. Andrew Halloran, Save the Chimps’ primatologist said. 

“She gets along with all of the other 18 chimps on her island and has a particularly playful relationship with the alpha male Dwight — from whom she steals food.” 

 Watch Vanilla admire the open sky for the first time in the video below.

 
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  "I’m heading down to Gadsden right now. These are good, hard-working kids that deserve some gratitude," Smith, known as "The Lawnmower Man," told KMBC. Smith had been told that Taylor and Rice were sharing an old lawnmower that a neighbor had donated to them. When he arrived, he gave both teens a mower, a blower and a trimmer for their hard work, hoping they’ll use their new equipment to expand their business. 

"Giving these boys lawn equipment is teaching them discipline," Smith said. "If they tell someone they are going to mow a lawn, they need to mow the lawn." "Remember, this is not the end; it’s just the beginning," Smith added. "This could be the beginning of a successful lawn service."

Smith’s commitment to taking care of people’s lawns started in 2015, and the following year he went viral for helping a 93-year-old woman who could no longer mow hers. The photo of Smith and the woman received over 1 million likes. 

Five years ago, Upworthy profiled Smith for setting a bold goal of mowing lawns for free in all 50 states. His goal was to promote his initiative that "provides free lawn care to our elders, those who are disabled, single mothers, and our veterans, who do not have the time, resources, and/or money to manicure their yards." 

As part of this goal, he created the 50 Yard Challenge, which has been a smashing success. As of May 2023, 4,588 pre-teens and teens are participating in this challenge across the United States. 

If everyone completes the challenge, that will bring the total number of lawns mowed for free by Smith’s Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service to 229,400.

  Kids and teens can take part in the challenge by sending them a photo holding up a sign that says, “I accept the 50 Yard Challenge,” and in return, they’ll receive a white Raising Men/Women shirt along with shades and ear protection to get started. For every 10 lawns cut, they will get a new color shirt. 

 • 10 lawns earn an orange shirt 

 • 20 lawns earn a green shirt 

 • 30 lawns earn a blue shirt 

 • 40 lawns earn a red shirt 

 • 50 lawns earn a black shirt 

After completing the challenge, the child or teen will receive a mower, a blower, and a trimmer, just like Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice from Alabama. Smith’s story is an incredible example of how one good deed from a kind-hearted person can lead to an outpouring of kindness across the country. 

It also teaches young people the values of giving back and self-discipline as well as the entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more about Smith’s nonprofit and donate at Weareraisingmen.com.
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  There are so many rescue groups and organizations that rescue animals and bring them to shelters, or environments, where they can be safe and learn to live a normal life. 

These groups may not be able to get to EVERY animal in need, but they make it a mission to get to all the ones they can, without wasting too much time — the quicker they work, the more animals they can save. 

Going back to Free the Bears, this organization saved Blue, a Cambodian sun bear cub. The rescuers noticed that the poor bear could barely walk. He seemed to have spinal cord injury, and they guess that it was caused by some sort of physical trauma, from when Blue was really young. 

Although Blue took a couple of steps, he would easily tire out and lay back down. He wasn’t mobile enough to match the likes of other bears of his breed and age. Free the Bears ensured that Blue keep trying to walk properly, and for a longer period, so he could get accustomed to being mobile again. At first, the cub would easily give up. But, with months of practice, everything changed, and now Blue is on a roll! 

 Click on the link below to watch the improvement this cub has made!

 
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His post, which has garnered 14.3K retweets and 132.3K likes, said: “I’m not clout chasing or looking for likes. I just think we should start calling out rich people who think they can treat people like cr*p.” Scribbling out the addressee’s name in the letter, Lee wrote that the diner and his group ran up “the biggest bill we’ve ever had on one table here.” While that was a good thing for his business, Lee learned that it was a different story for Lily, the employee who served them. 

“Unfortunately throughout the evening I was made aware that your party’s behavior was inappropriate towards lily, who runs front of house,” the chef said. Lily, 22, had told him she was “talked down to, disrespected, and touched unwantedly” by the members of the group. 

“I have spent the last hour having conversations with her that break my heart, make me feel like a s**t employer, and a terrible dad having my own daughter,” he continued. 

He asked the diner for his bank information so he could refund their entire bill of £1,000, deducting the £100 that Lee believed they should have tipped Lily because they actually didn’t leave her anything at all. Lee also asked them to never come back to the restaurant. “Lily means a lot more to me than money,” he concluded. 

“I also think you should assess the people you surround yourself with.” People on Twitter praised Lee for being a good employer, with some suggesting that he shouldn’t refund the money. Upon reflecting, Lee realized they had a point. 

He made a follow-up tweet the next day to explain that he “reacted too quickly and emotionally.” With that, he decided not to refund the customer’s money and transferred it to Lily instead. 

Lee’s tweet included a screenshot of a bank transfer of £1,000 to Lily, whose full name is Elisabeth Griffin. If you aren’t familiar with Lee, he is a renowned chef who has worked with Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, and Tom Aikens. 

Cora, which opened in January this year, is the first restaurant he has owned. In February, he managed to raise £30,862 on Kickstarter to buy a commercial kitchen for the restaurant. Lee previously used domestic equipment to whip up meals for diners, including “a small oven held together with duct tape.” 

“I have an incredible, very small front of house team consisting of the excellent Lily who’s just 21 and runs the show, myself when I have a spare moment to serve, and we’re sometimes helped by my incredibly supportive partner Hannah when she isn’t at her full time career!” he wrote on the Kickstarter page. 

You may have also heard about Lee a few years ago in the news. In 2017, he was almost killed in a hit-and-run accident involving a truck carrying a crane.

“By the time I saw the lorry coming at us I could pretty much touch it,” he told Wales Online. “I just panicked and pushed my son as hard as I could. He was on wheels, luckily, before the lorry hit me. It just completely wiped me out into a wall.” 

The driver sped away but was arrested hours later and pleaded guilty. He lost his license due to the crime. Lee’s son, Jackson, suffered minor injuries, but his dad’s leg was completely crushed. But through rehabilitation, 

Lee was able to walk again. Kudos to Lee for being an excellent and compassionate employer! His workplace is indeed fortunate to have him.
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“No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mother’s love.” – Edwin H. Chapin Every year, we read stories about the sacrifice, love, and devotion of our mothers. Who wouldn’t feel grateful to have a loving mother? When we talk about a mother’s love, we just don’t talk about human mothers. In the animal kingdom, we would be able to see equally amazing and loving mothers. 

A great example would be this video of a gorilla that takes care of her infant, similar to how we, humans, take care of ours. Gorillas are amazing animals and are very similar to us. In fact, science backs this up. 

“The big picture is that we’re perhaps 98 percent identical in our sequences to gorillas. So that means most of our genes are very similar, or even identical to, the gorilla version of the same gene,” said Chris Tyler-Smith, a well-known geneticist at Wellcome Trust. That being said, it’s not only in the physical form that we’re similar. 

Gorilla mothers are also known to exhibit human-like traits when it comes to their children. Gorilla mothers have a strong bond with their babies. 

They take care of their children in their first few years, providing shelter, food, protection, and of course, love. In documentaries or photos, we usually see Gorilla mothers carrying their infant child on their backs or against their chests, bringing them everywhere they go. Two years ago, a video garnered 14M views because of its beautiful and heartfelt content. 

The video was uploaded by Reproduction Live TV at the Smithsonian National Zoo located in Washington, DC. It shows the video of Calaya, a western lowland gorilla. The short clip showed Calaya giving birth, unassisted, to her first offspring, a male. 

For all women that have already given birth, we all know how difficult it was, right? We see their parents struggle in keeping their little one out of trouble. 

See Calaya’s give birth and immediately kick into mom mode right after the delivery.

 
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The orchid mantis resembles a beautiful pink orchid flower. It is a very rare species of bug. This unique bug is native only to Malaysia and can be spotted on different plants in humid and tropical forests. 

Now, don’t you be fooled by their looks? Even though they seem pretty and delicate, they are also rather dangerous as well. These bugs use a hunting tactic called aggressive mimicry. They climb on top of flowering plants to disguise themselves and patiently wait for their prey to come near them. 

The prey is fooled into thinking that the orchid mantis is a harmless flower. Just then, out of the blue, the orchid mantis strikes as soon as the prey is close and has its guard down. Their appearance that is similar to a flower, is very useful in hunting and even when hiding from the eyes of predators. 

Bees and butterflies approach the orchid mantis looking to pollinate. They have no idea that they aren’t sitting on a flower. This is why the orchid mantis is a master of disguise. They feed on small insects that are comparatively easy to hunt, using their aggressive mimicry technique. What is rather interesting is that these deadly bugs even hunt larger prey such as frogs, mice, and lizards. 

Despite their miniature size, their effective hunting tactic acts as a secret weapon that allows them to outsmart their prey. The female adult orchid mantis stretches about 6cm long and the male-only grows up to half of that length. 

Although dangerous, these creatures live very short lives. Their average life span is less than 8 months. They have become quite popular pets because of their mesmerizing outward appearance. Is it an orchid? Or is it a bug? Camouflage as its best. The beauty of nature right here in one picture. This video about Orchid Mantis will amaze you!

 
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Even if someone saw a shark in need and felt sympathetic they would probably be too afraid to do anything about it. One exception to this likelihood, is Iñaki, a scuba diving instructor near Byron Bay, Australia. While on a dive, Iñaki noticed a shark who had a fishing net hanging out of his mouth. The shark seemed weak and Iñaki knew that if he didn’t do anything, the shark wouldn’t survive as nets often keep entangled animals from being able to eat. 

Iñaki swam up and began his attempt to free the shark from the life-threatening net. The shark seemed to understand what was going on and allowed Iñaki to help him. It took a few attempts, but finally, Iñaki was able to pull the huge net from the shark’s mouth! A few moments after, the shark returned with another shark and shared eye contact with Iñaki before swimming away. 

Now Iñaki educates people about the harm that ocean Pollution causes and encourages people to protect marine animals by properly disposing of their trash.

   

 The trust and bravery that both Iñaki and the shark showed, inspire us beyond measure. We are so glad that someone was there for this poor animal before it was too late. 

We hope that Iñaki’s story is just as heartwarming for you as it was for us.
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These heroic actions can save animals’ lives. That was the case recently, as one firefighter crew came to the aid of a baby deer drowning in a lake. According to a Facebook post, the Rogers Fire Department, in Rogers, Arkansas, got a call from a concerned citizen who saw a baby deer stranded in Lake Atalanta. 

The poor animal was helpless and drowning, but thankfully the dispatched crew soon came to its aid. May be an image of 1 person, climbing and tree. Photos show the firefighters using equipment to save the deer. The poor animal was reportedly “exhausted” but was able to be safely removed from the lake. The rescued deer was then released to animal control. 

The Rogers Fire Department said it was an unusual mission, but it’s all part of the job. “You never know what calls might come in when you work at the RFD!” they wrote. Many Facebook users commented on the story, praising their actions. “At least someone cares about rescuing baby animals,” one comment reads. “Thank you for helping that little guy.” “It’s just a wee newborn. So glad it was rescued!” another wrote. “I’m sure it was terrified but grateful to have been rescued!” 

 Thank you for saving this poor baby deer! We’re so glad he’s safe now!
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  Frances Connolly, 55, won the EuroMillions in 2019. Sports cars and mansions are the usual answers together with luxury goods like bags and shoes. 

But for this UK woman, it’s all about giving back. The former social worker and teacher from Nothern Ireland scored a whopping £115 million fortune or about $145 million. The first thing they did was share their blessings with friends and family. In fact, she has a list prepared in advance just in case she won – and it was something she believed in since. 

But their biggest beneficiary wasn’t family. With the money, Connolly set up two charitable foundations. One was named after her late mother Kathleen Graham. The foundation is currently based in Northern Ireland. 

The other one is the PFC Trust which supports local carers, the elderly, and refugees in her hometown.

  At that point, she estimates that she has given away more than half of her total winnings. She even had to keep it a secret from her husband. 

Giving back to the community isn’t new to Connolly. Just as people say, money doesn’t change you, it only amplifies who you really are. 

Connolly has volunteered with St. John Ambulance as a child. She was also part of an AIDS hotline while she was studying in Belfast.

 

“If I had any advice for a winner… I’d say money liberates you to be the person that you want to be.” She said as quoted by BBC.

  Currently, she’s still involved in their community, especially with the unemployed, refugees, caregivers, and elderly. 

She also provided tablets for the seniors so they can regularly keep in touch with their families. Connolly shares that helping others is addictive. 

When asked by local news outlets whether she was happy to give so much money away, she just said: “Why wouldn’t you? I’ve done that all my life.”

She also added that she would’ve been a millionaire anyway if she took back all the money she gave away over the years. She also spent £5,000 to buy clothes and toiletries for Ukrainian refugees. They didn’t forget themselves, however. 

To date, the couple’s biggest purchase was a six-bedroom house in County Durham with seven acres of land. Mr. Connolly is also driving a second-hand Aston Martin.

  Living luxuriously is something she frowned upon. She shared that she saw on a TV show that someone spent £25,000 on a bottle of champagne. She thought that kind of money could’ve been used better by helping people. 

The couple still lives normally. Mr. Connolly still runs their plastics businesses while she works with the foundations she established. And even if she’s spent so much helping people, she doesn’t regret any of it. 

“If you can do good things for deserving people, why wouldn’t you just do it?” she said, as quoted by Mirror UK, “It makes no sense to me to have that kind of money and not use it to do good in the world.” 

 Watch how this lottery winner did with half of her total winnings.

 
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Since 1939, “Leader Dogs for the Blind” has utilized canines to assist in jail rehabilitation, according to this inspiring concept. And it certainly appears to be a win-win situation! Image Source/Story Credit: Leader Dogs For The Blind Channel via YouTube Video
Inmate volunteers are helping to expand the program, which is funded by numerous generous contributions. 

Prisoners learn how to become service dogs while also producing hundreds of puppies each year. This not only offers the inmates a sense of purpose, but it also lowers their chances of recidivism upon release. 

What stands out most, though, is the strong emotional bond that has developed between them and the pups! This program, which is sponsored by a variety of generous contributors, allows inmates to breed hundreds of puppies every year while also teaching them how to become service dogs. 

This not only gives the criminals a sense of purpose but also reduces their risk of recidivism when they return home. 

The strong emotional bond that has developed between the prisoners and the pups stands out the most! This remarkable initiative tries to restore offenders into society as assets, rather than perceiving them as a despised liability. 

The inmates are never alone while learning how to train dogs for the real world since they will never feel alienated from society. This is rehabilitation in its most fundamental form, and it has helped millions of people across the world — both inside and outside jail facilities! 

 Click below to watch this incredible story:

 
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