Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Doniphan, a food service specialist aboard Cutter Alert in Astoria, Ore., poses for a photo in front of a Large Navigation Buoy on the Columbia River in Astoria. Doniphan swam to the aid of a young girl who was nearly swept underneath the buoy in September 2011. His actions most likely saved her life.

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The morning of August 23rd, 2010 started as a beautiful summer day.  Terry’s mom, Terry, and Terry’s little sister Alayna were in Ohio visiting family and were only twenty minutes into their six hour drive back to their home in West Virginia when they collided head-on with another vehicle at fifty-five miles-per-hour.
 
After surgeries on Terry’s spleen, spine, and abdomen, Terry was in the ICU room of Toledo’s Children’s Hospital for over a week before he was told that he was now paralyzed from the waist down.   Terry went through shock …

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We had to let Bling Bling, a member of our family that we love more than we can express, die this week because of a brain tumor. She was only 7. It was sudden and unexpected, but she passed surrounded by our love and she knew we all were there. Although paralyzed, she was able to raise her head when we came into her hospital room. She kissed our hands. She tracked each of our voices with her eyes, a slight motion of her head toward each voice as we told her we loved her and said goodbye.

We miss her so much. Get your bed, Bling Bling, get your bed and rest in peace forever in our hearts. We Love You.

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Close your eyes.  Now imagine someone who has touched your life so deeply that you know in your heart your world would never be the same without that person.  Think of someone who has enriched your life, brought peace to your heart, and understanding to your soul.  For me, this story is about admiration for that person, my Grandmother, Lola Jane.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to honor her and share this with others.
My grandmother has always been my guardian angel, a precious gift that protects, teaches, …

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Abby Vara spent her childhood in Ottawa, Ontario and on her eighth birthday, Abby vividly remembers the evening when a friend close to her father approached with some dreadful news. Upon observing a recent vacation photo, they had noticed it was apparent that Mr. Vara’s face was pulled to one side, showing signs of a stroke. With much puzzled speculation, the family rushed Abby’s father to the hospital where he spent the rest of that evening. It was his first time in a hospital as a patient instead of a doctor.

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When asked why non-animal lovers should care about these things, Beckley says, “I can’t even register why anyone can’t care. If people can do such intentional harm to an animal, they can’t protect their own interests or call for help, why are we surprised when they do such harm to human beings?”

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When Bart Saidel of Cherry Hill, NJ was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the Fall of 2005, family and friends offered unending support to Bart — a devoted husband and father of three children, senior account executive, and soccer/baseball coach — as he faced chemotherapy and surgery. Close friends even shaved their heads.

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The story of my friend, Lynn Lynum, begins in High School when he was shot twice in the back in a drive-by shooting and was given three days to live. As he lay there dying, Lynn prayed that God would heal him. Shortly thereafter, he was released from the hospital.
The day Lynn graduated from High School his parents packed his bags and told him that he was a man now and had to provide for himself and that he had to find a job and his own place to live. “I did not like that they did this to me, but what could I do?” said Lynn. So at 18 with no place to live and no source of income or food, Lynn went to live with an Aunt for about a month until he could get into campus housing at Cal Poly Pomona, CA. Lynn was his Aunt’s favorite nephew and he credits the incident as a character building experience. “It made me what I am today, a man that can stand on his own.”

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Eight-year-old William glides around a stripped down ice rink on rollerblades while they work, dreaming of the day he turns pro. In this neighborhood where lack of resources and crime rob kids of wholesome, supervised activities, William is having a blast. He’ll hang out here all day perfecting his performance instead of playing on the often dangerous streets.

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What separates 28 year old Jessica, however, is one immense blemish that would be hard to miss if you walked by Ms. Cox: she was born without arms. Prenatal testing did not show any birth issues, but when she came out, she had only two limbs. What may have been a disaster of a life to some soft-minded people became a life-long challenge that Jessica determined to beat. She said, “Desire is 80 percent of success. Persistence means never give up. Never allow your fear to stand in the way of your opportunity.”

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