Hope for Humanity Restored

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Newman’s Own is a food company and for-profit corporation founded by actor Paul Newman and author A.E. Hotchner in 1982. Newman received all of the profits from product sales and donated 100% of the proceeds, after taxes, to various educational and charitable organizations of his own selection. Newman’s Own has inspired other business, including Give Something Back Business Products, to adopt his social enterprise model. In 1982 Newman summarized his initial intentions regarding distribution of his company’s profits:

*My profits will be divided between a number of tax-deductible charities and causes, some church-related, others for conservation and ecology and things like that.*

 

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Redditor, ‘pentathlonme’ , wrote:
Lost my Dad to cancer on Thanksgiving and while going through some of his stuff I found this letter to me that he wrote to me on my first day of school in 1979.*

Tom Attwater is dying of a brain tumor, but he isn’t worried about his cancer. Instead, he is trying to save his 5 year-old daughter from her own.

He has vowed to raise approximately $820,200.00 for her cancer treatment, even if he wouldn’t be around to see her go through it.

Now Tom is almost half way to his fundraising target he is more adamant than ever to reach it. Tragically his deadline is short as his latest scans show his brain tumour is growing.

He says: *These days people make bucket lists, and the very top of mine – the one that matters most – is raising money to make sure Kelli gets the medical help she might need.

*Some people have advised me to slow down and concentrate on enjoying the rest of my days. But how can I knowing Kelli’s bright life might be cut short?

*Fundraising is a lot of hard work, especially on days when I feel too poorly to get out of bed. But I honestly feel I can’t relax until I know Kelli can have the best chance of a long and full life. I’ve run out of chances, luck and time but have had a wonderful life. So if I drop dead tomorrow, I know I will have done my best for Kelli.*

Kelli is only 5 years-old, but she has already beat the disease twice. She is likely to relapse and need treatment in the United States, so Tom is dedicated to leaving a legacy behind for her, as well as this touching letter. Read it below:

Darling Kelli,

I’m so sorry I will not get to see you grow up as I so want to. Please don’t blame people or the world for this. A lot of life is simply luck and mine is running out.

I wish I had the words to make you feel better. I wish I didn’t have cancer and you didn’t have to see me in pain as you often do now. I wish so many things were different but they are not.

Most dads and daughters have decades to chat around the kitchen table, their hands warmed by mugs of coffee, as the dad dishes out advice and their girls no doubt roll their eyes. We don’t have that time. I won’t be able to drop you off on your first day at big school, pick you up after your first date, hold you when your heart hurts or cheer when you graduate.

But while your old dad is still around I thought I’d try to give you some life advice in one go. I hope it gives you some comfort. I hope cancer never returns so that your life is long, fulfilled and happy.

School Everyone will say it’s vital to work hard at school. Hopefully you’ll always do your best. I did well at school but did it do me much good in life? Not really. School work IS important, but make sure you have fun too.

Boys At the moment you don’t make much distinction between girls and boys and see all children as friends. That’s typical of your sweet nature. But Kel, that will change as you get older. You might see them as stinky, pesky classmates in a few years’ time. But, probably at secondary school, you’ll realise they can be quite nice.

You’ll have boyfriends when you’re older – MUCH older hopefully! – and I won’t be here to grill them about their intentions. So here’s some advice from your old man. It’s very hard to describe how it feels to really be in love. You might remember seeing me and your mum laughing together and cuddling on the sofa, and once the love hearts and flowers fade that’s what real love looks like. Have fun finding it.

Always choose boys with gen*tlemanly values, manners and respect. Imag*ine them having tea and a chat with our family around our table and if you think they’ll fit in, you have found a decent young man.

Sadly, you will have your heart broken one day. It hurts like hell and will feel like the end of the world. But you will get over it. And even if a romance doesn’t work out, try to be kind. Boys have feelings too. Lastly, if you have a special boy pal who is always there for you when boyfriends come and go, don’t take him for granted. Don’t overlook him. He might really care for you.

Marriage I often dreamt about your wedding day and imagined filling up with tears as I walked you down the aisle before giving you away. I won’t be able to do that Kelli. Sorry sweetheart. But I will be looking over your shoulder on that day, proud and happy you have found a special someone to love you and care for you.

I wonder if you will play what you call *the family song* (which is really I’ll Be There by The Jackson 5). It meant so much to me and my brother and sister growing up, and I know it does to you too. I’ll be there on your wedding day in spirit.

Mummy You and your mum will argue at times, especially when you’re a teenager. Please remember she adores you and wants the best for you. Give Mummy a hug when she is feeling sad and help each other get through any horrible times when I am gone. When you’re a teenager you might think your friends are right and your mum is wrong. But she has to make hard decisions for you and, more than any friend you’ll ever have, has your interests at heart. Treat her well.

Family Nothing is more important than family and the values they give us. Nothing.

Friends Treat people as they treat you. Be nice to anyone who helps you, always. Bullying is horrible – never become one.

Christmas & birthdays On your first Christmas without me, I’d love if you and Mummy would light a candle and remember me for a few minutes. It would be great if you two did the monkey dance together. Jumping around shaking our bottoms always made us laugh. That’s something to make me smile from up above. I’d also love if you visit my parents on Boxing Day. They will be hurting too.

I’ve given Nanny Sue presents for all your birthdays. I wish I could be there to see you open them. Hopefully you will like everything as it’s hard to imagine you at 10, 15, 20. I wonder if you’ll still like One Direction. I wonder if they’ll still make you dance around the living room.

Career You were two when you told me you wanted to be a *princess astronaut* so you could wear nice dresses and find new planets. You might now realise that’s not possible. But so many things ARE possible for you, darling. Do what makes you happy and that you enjoy. If you do so, life suddenly becomes much, much easier.

You may need to start a few different careers to find the one you enjoy, but so be it. One life, one chance.

Manners Always remember your please and thank-yous. The reason Mummy and I drum manners into you is because they will help you throughout your life. Always be courteous, especially to elders. Never put a knife in your mouth. Remember to write thank-you letters for gifts of kindness as it is always nice to act with grace and gratitude. (And please note that poo jokes are only funny when you are five, you cheeky girl!)

Learn to drive Most dads teach their daughters to drive and usually fall out in the process. Make sure you learn how to drive as soon you can – it opens up the world for you. Also, make sure Mummy doesn’t teach you (just joking, Joely).

Travel abroad It’s a cliche to say travel broadens the mind, but it’s true. See as much of the world as you can. But never on a motorbike (too dangerous).

Be happy You never laugh at 50%: you always laugh at 100%. Your laugh takes over your whole body and is highly infectious. I hope you never lose that. There is no point in asking you not to be sad when I go. I know you will be, princess. And I wish I could be there to wrap my arms around you and snuggle you until you smile again. Remember the Eeyore teddy I bought you from a charity shop? You said you’d keep him safe and cuddle him when you miss me. That’s a great idea. You can feel sad and use it as a driving force throughout your life. Or you can just be sad. You know which one I hope you choose.

Be charitable Please give to charities. Charities have been good to you and I. You’ll probably always remember our trip to Disneyland. But I’ll never forget the sacrifices people made to pay for your healthcare if ever cancer returns. Elderly people sent prayer cards and £10 notes they couldn’t afford. Heads were shaved, miles were run, thousands were raised. All for you. It’s important to pay back. Doing good deeds uplifts the soul. Never forget there are people worse off than you who you can help.

Remember your life motto Always keep trying. You might remember that I taught you to say *giving up is for losers*. I failed a number of times in my life but never gave up. Kelli, never give up.

Believe in yourself In life, many people will say you cannot do things. You make up your mind. Can you? Do you want to? Big challenges involve risks so make smart choices. Those who told me I couldn’t do certain things didn’t want me to do them. If you want something, it is nearly always possible, so do your best. I’m sure there’s a hell of a lot you can achieve!

I know you will make me proud and do something great in my memory. I know you can do it – so let’s start now.

And finally… Thank you for being you, Kelli. Thank you for paying me the biggest compliment of all time by calling me Daddy. Having you as my daughter is the greatest honour of my life. Thank you for teaching me more about love and happiness than any other person.

Enjoy your life. Don’t rush through it. I will be waiting.

All my love, always, to you princess and to Mummy,

Daddy xxxxxxxxxx

http://www.justgiving.com/helpkelli



*…A Dad’s Promise Ought to be Kept.*

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Scott Nagy thought a dad’s promise ought to be kept. He kept his.
The cancer invading his body doesn’t give him much time. A volunteer team of medical professionals gave him enough on Saturday to keep a vow to his daughter on her wedding day. He made the crosstown trip by ambulance, from an intensive-care bed at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center to First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Strongsville. Monitor cords ran from under his charcoal tuxedo, and a tracheal tube loosened his tie.

*We did it,* Nagy said with a reassuring smile, telling his daughter he was just a small part of her day and warning she’d streak her makeup.


Jacky Uljanic, the UH nurse practioner who turned wedding planner for the occasion, passed around tissues. Nagy kissed a rambunctious ringbearing grandson and gave a thumbs up.

*It was a promise I made in March, to walk her down the aisle,* he said. *She’s my princess. This is my definition of walking down the aisle.*

*There are no guarantees in life,* Nagy said at the hospital. *This is a bonus.*

 

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He’s pushed his disabled son’s wheelchair through 85 marathons. He’s also towed Rick in a dinghy, swimming the 2.4 miles before pedaling with his son in a seat on the handlebars as they completed stages of triathlons. It’s all part of this extraordinary father-son effort to transcend disability.
When technology allowed Rick to type, he said, *Dad, when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore.*
That sentence changed Dick Hoyt’s life. He and his son qualified for the Boston marathon in 1992, finishing 35 minutes shy of the world record. Then somebody suggested a triathlon. So far, they’ve done 212, not to mention four Ironman contests.
Someone suggested Dick try racing on his own. *No way,* he says

Man feeding a disabled beggar.

Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas is overcome with emotion as he embraces Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. during the Dallas Veterans Day Commemoration at Dallas City Hall in 2005. Sgt Graunke, who was a member of a Marine ordnance-disposal team, lost a hand, leg, and eye while defusing a bomb in Iraq in July of 2004.

Cody Green was a 12-year kid in Indiana who was diagnosed with leukemia at 22 months old. He loved the Marines, and his parents said he drew strength and courage from the Marine Corps. as ...
he bravely fought the battle into remission three times. Although he was cancer-free at the time, the chemotherapy had lowered his immune system and he developed a fungus infection that attacked his brain. Two weeks ago, as he struggled to fend off that infection in the hospital, the Marines wanted to show how much they respected his will to live, his strength, honor and courage. They presented Cody with Marine navigator wings and named him an honorary member of the United States Marine Corps. For one Marine, that wasn’t enough ... so that night, before Cody Green passed away, he took it upon himself to stand guard at Cody’s hospital door all night long, 8 hours straight.

 

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Brace Yourself.......'

 

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Brace Yourself.......'

It only takes one. One person. One encounter. One conversation.

 

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It only takes one. One person. One encounter. One conversation.

Can you believe that after 57 years his brother who had given up all hope...I mean who wouldn't after 57 YEARS!
...but they were united! WOW!

 

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Thanks for keeping this going Paintball. I should probably buy stock in Kleenex now.

 

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More please

 

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Thought you'd like this one Paintball.

This is WELL worth your time folks.

You WILL Laugh, and be moved.

 

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Thought you'd like this one Paintball.

That was awesome.

 

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Mr. Hoyt's story gets me every single time!

 

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This man got off of his motorcycle to halt traffic, so an elderly man could cross the street.

Jim Zetz, 62 of Pennsylvania, has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Jim and his wife, Grace, were referred to a photographer, Lindsey Villatoro, to take a final family portrait.

The family realized their daughter, Josie, 11, was missing the magical moment and decided they needed to do something special for her upcoming birthday. Villatoro then came up with a pretty awesome idea.

The photographer suggested a mini *daddy and daughter* wedding so her father could walk Josie down the aisle.

Grace immediately agreed but kept the event a secret to surprise Josie and Jim.

*She (Grace) mentioned (Josie) was so emotional about her dad not being there for memories down the line, so I figured we would make some now,* wrote Villatoro.

Villatoro continues, *In 72 hours I managed to make one little girl’s wish to have her daddy attend her wedding come true.*

She then contacted all of her wedding vendors, from hairstylists, caters, to a pastor, to create the special day.

*One day (you) wake up and realize you’re given the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better. You get an idea, don’t think twice and run with it,* wrote Villatoro.

On Josie’s birthday, March 14, Grace told Jim and Josie about the wedding. They were overwhelmed with emotions and gratitude.

*Your dad may not get to see you get married, but he is here to walk you down the aisle today,* said the pastor, Gary Galbraith.

Jim walked his daughter down the aisle in her wedding dress and Pastor Galbraith then pronounced them daddy and daughter.

After the wedding, the two returned to a reception with family and friends to celebrate the day,

*Down the road, this will mean a lot to her,* Jim Zetz told the Press-Enterprise. *She will always remember it.*

‘O_McG_had_a_pharm’ wrote:

My only brother, older by 2 years, was terminally ill with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy. I got a call from my mother at 5am and she only needed to say three words to me.. *It’s your brother*.

I threw some clothes on and sped to their house. He was clearly on his way out. I gathered myself, laid with him and did my best to comfort him.

As he began to slip away, my brother and best friend, who had been wheelchair bound since he was 8 years old, and was then 25, said to me the most beautiful and haunting words I will ever hear.. *I’m running so fast*

 

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*Like father, like son* does not apply at all to this kindhearted teen.

After his dad allegedly mugged a woman visiting her husband’s gravesite in Moore, Okla., Christian Lunsford made sure to make amends.

The 15-year-old asked to meet with the victim, Tona Herndon, so he could give her the $250 he’d recently received from his dad, News 9 reported.

Shane Lunsford, 39, had been arrested on Friday, after allegedly trying to use one of Herndon’s credit cards. He remains in custody, according to Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office records.

*When I found out this whole situation, I didn’t know if [the money] was hers or his or how,* Lunsford told the station. *I just knew I needed to give the money to her.*

But when the families met at a local church on Sunday, Herndon had her own surprise — she immediately returned the cash to Lunsford.

*He gave and I received, and I gave and he received,* she told News 9. *So it worked out.*




Jessica Eaves of Guthrie, Oklahoma

Jessica Eaves from Guthrie, Oklahoma recently had her wallet stolen by a man while she was grocery shopping. Most people in that situation would immediately get the authorities involved, but she found a way to resolve her problem herself.

*I saw this gentleman down the aisle from me,* Jessica tells us. *He walked behind me, and when I got a couple of aisles over, I realized my wallet was gone.*

*I spotted him in a crowded aisle and approached him,* she continues. *I’m a pretty out-there personality, but I was quiet and calm.*

*I said to him, ‘I think you have something of mine. I’m gonna give you a choice. You can either give me my wallet and I’ll forgive you right now, and I’ll even take you to the front and pay for your groceries.*

The alternative? Jessica reporting him to the police.

*He reached into his hoodie pocket and gave me my wallet,* she recalls, adding that the man was extremely grateful for her help and forgiveness.

*He started crying when we walked up to the front,* she says. *He said he was sorry about 20 times by the time we went from the pickle aisle to the front. He told me he was desperate.*

She spent $27 on his groceries, which included milk, bread, bologna, crackers, soup and cheese. *The last thing he said was, ‘I’ll never forget tonight. I’m broke, I have kids, I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry.’*

*Some people are critical because I didn’t turn him in, but sometimes all you need is a second chance,* she adds.


Girl Saves Suicidal Boy With a Kiss

In Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, a sixteen-year-old boy was standing on a bridge, threatening to jump off and end his life. Hundreds of onlookers watched in horror as he refused to cross back onto the safe side of the guardrail. Police had arrived and were talking to the boy, but no one could get through to him.
Just then, Liu Wenxiu, a nineteen-year-old hotel waitress, was walking home from work when she saw the boy and knew that she had to do something to help him. Wenxiu had once been suicidal herself, so she knew how the boy felt. Telling police that she was his girlfriend, the girl managed to get close enough to talk to the boy. She shared her own sad and difficult life story, listened to his, and showed him the scar on her wrist from where she had tried to commit suicide herself.
*He said he’s hopeless, ‘so don’t waste your time to save me’. But I told him, ‘I’m not saving your life, I just want you to realize how silly you are being. Look at me, I’ve been there and I’m now here,’* Wenxiu said.
Finally, the girl was able to lean in and give him a hug, and then she unexpectedly gave him a kiss, as well. Police were then able to take the knife that the boy was holding and lead him back over to the safe side of the bridge.