The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Toledo, Ohio police veteran surprises needy family with food

TOLEDO -- When Toledo Police Officer Melvin Woods responded to an attempted suicide call, he never imagined what the impact of what he was responding to would make.

When he arrived at the scene Saturday, he found a woman on the brink of taking her own life. "She told me that her and her husband wasn't working." said Woods. "They didn't have no food in the house. The kids was hungry."

After one stressful day too many, Faith Dashner had had enough. "I just wanted to say goodbye world. I don't want to be here. I'm done," said Faith, who was threatening to end her life by taking a bottle's worth of prescription pills.

She told Officer Woods that she was upset because they had no money for food.

"They said they hadn't had food in the house for four or five days. I said, 'How are you feeding the kids?' She said, 'we're not.' That's when the little one told me she hadn't eaten in two days," explained Woods.

After leaving the house, Woods decided he wasn't going to let the story end there. He said something had to be done, starting at the grocery store.

After spending $100 on groceries at Kroger, he then went to his own freezer and took out roasts, steaks and vegetables. On his day off, Woods took all the food and hand delivered it to the front door of the Dashner family.

Woods recalls arriving at the home, "I knocked on the door and said remember me? Oh yes. I said I got some food out here for you guys."

Faith Dashner and her entire family were shocked. "I gave him a bear hug. I was crying. The whole family was crying," admits Faith.

She says the gesture is something that has taught her a lesson in life about having faith in human nature. "Mel has opened our eyes a lot," she said.

As for Woods, a 29-year veteran of the Toledo Police Department, he hopes this may inspire others to pay it forward, and says he was only doing the right thing. "I believe it was something I was supposed to do...from my heart," said Melvin.

The family has received an outcry of support. So much so that they are donating anything in excess to other family members that are in need.

[kuhio98]

Valentine Surprise

I just recently moved to a new apartment complex and found out that I have an amazing neighbor. Bobby's retired and lost his wife last year. He's done many kind acts for me, including bringing me a loaf of banana nut bread he'd just taken out of the oven on the day I moved in. This was his first Valentine's Day without his wife, Evelyn. She spoke her last words to him on Valentines Day 2011 so he was having a tough time of it. But, even in his grief, he knocked on my door and presented a box of chocolates to me. He said he'd always given a box to his wife and this year he was giving them to me. He is a precious man!

[kuhio98]

Clearwater Fire crew saves ducklings

CLEARWATER, FL - When a mother duck called for help, the Clearwater firefighters answered.

The Clearwater Fire Department officials say a citizen called them Monday afternoon and told them about a duck standing over a drain on Court Street and making noises of distress.

It turned out the ducklings were trapped in the drain under the grated cover. The firefighters got them out in no time, according to the Department's report.

The mother duck and six babies seem to be doing fine.

[Scooter's Mom]

[kuhio98]

Snow plow driver praised for steering Sylvania wrong-way driver to safety
SYLVANIA, Ohio -- They often don't get much respect, but now one Ohio Department of Transportation snow plow driver is being cheered for what he did to save lives.

Around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, highway tech George Seambos was driving his snow plow along US 23 in Sylvania near the Michigan border. Seambos was on snow and ice patrol in the frigid temperatures. While driving, he noticed a set of headlights coming right at him in the wrong direction.

Immediately, Seambos called 911 and turned on his flashers to warn oncoming traffic. He then maneuvered his truck in a way that forced the driver of the wrong-way vehicle to turn around. Seambos then followed the vehicle, of which he assumed an intoxicated person was driving, until police caught up to it.

The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence, and due to the quick-thinking of Seambos, a 17-year ODOT veteran, possible tragedy was avoided.

"Every day, ODOT employees do amazing things but what George did for everyone on the road that night is beyond amazing," said ODOT Director Jerry Way. "We will never know if his actions avoided a tragedy...but what we do know is George had the courage to do something..."

The courageous act came less than a year after multiple wrong-way crashes in northwest Ohio killed five six people in a two-week span. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, alcohol is the leading factor in wrong-way crashes that kill hundreds of people each year.

[kuhio98]

Andrea Roberts Helps Orphans With Down Syndrome Find Homes

Andrea Faris Roberts figured her new son, born in 2002, got his almond-shaped eyes from her husband, Rich.

But when doctors confirmed that Reece had Down syndrome, "I couldn't stop crying," says Andrea, whose prenatal tests were normal. "I thought, 'What's tomorrow going to be like?' "

The answer: Reece has not only enriched his parents' lives but inspired his mom to save kids with Down syndrome around the world. Researching her son's condition, Andrea learned that in many countries, babies born with the disorder are often abandoned and left in orphanages.

Launching Reece's Rainbow in 2004, the former account manager wrote grant applications and networked with adoption agencies, ultimately dispersing over $4 million to fund adoptions of more than 850 children from Russia, China, Mexico and elsewhere.

Parents like John and Charissa Urban of Owasso, Okla., wouldn't know the love of Ava, now 8, adopted from Ukraine in 2008 without the help of Reece's Rainbow. They turned to the organization to help with funds to bring home little Ava – who weighed only 19 lbs. and was unable to roll over at age 3.
Though she initially had to use a walker to get around, Ava is now running, jumping and playing with her six siblings, including two who are adopted also (one of whom also has Down syndrome). "She's the center of our family," Charissa says. "We're so grateful."

Andrea says that families are being built every day.

"What is wonderful about Reece's Rainbow, is that families can go and see children's photos on the website and know that money is being raised to help with the adoption costs," says Andrea. "They see that it is a better possibility for them to be able to afford to adopt without the years of painful heartbreak in waiting to try to raise funds."

Today, 10-year-old Reece is in the 5th grade and loves playing basketball with his little brother, Owen, 7, in the family's yard in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He's also challenging his father at golf.

"He's got a better golf game than my husband any day of the week," laughs Andrea, 40. "He's got a wonderful swing."
Andrea insists that children with Down syndrome in institutions around the world are not forgotten and would be adopted if more families could afford the typical $25,000 fee (which includes home study costs, travel and adoption expenses).

"After six and a half years, all I can say to the world is, 'I told you so. I told you these kids were wanted,' " says Andrea. "Today, 850 children are not hidden away in institutions anymore. We have new connections every single day."

She adds: "If we had a full grant for every child on our website, we would have no children on our website. The cost is what is hard for people but every life is worth it. If we had more sponsors who could write a check for each of these kids and they would all have families. All of them."

And the proud mother says that her son Reece continues to be an inspiration.

"Reece," she says, "has helped so many families begin."

[kuhio98]

The Gary J. Lynn Foundation

I was born with Cerebral Palsy with no hope of ever functioning. Although I am still in a wheelchair I am now in college and an A student. My mother always had my three brothers and I do volunteer work a few times during the year. I decided since I have cp I should start my own foundation and raise money to help with the research of cerebral palsy hoping to one day eradicate wheelchairs and give a voice to those who cannot be heard. Since I have wonderful doctors that I am so grateful for I am raising money for the things they need in their research for cp and to help improve the quality of life for those already afflicted with this disorder. I feel so good being able to give back to the doctors who do so much for me. They have now become more than doctors and their concern for me is overwhelming. My website is www.thegaryjlynnfoundation.org and I am raising money for my doctors at Texas Children's Hospital, cerebral palsy division.