I will agree that these things can be made up. but like they say the truth is stranger than fiction. and it is heartwarming to read these, I believe such things do happen, whether or not THAT did.
I will tell one story is is true and I am not lying. if you don't believe it , I don't care.
when I was about 16, around that age, I was in the car with my parents and some family friends, going to a national park. a truck going the opposite way, with big logs, one of them came unbundled, and I swear, it hit the road, bounced over the car in front of us, hit the road in front of our car, and bounced over us. it would have killed us if it hit the car. then it rolled to the side of the road. that scared the crap out of me.