The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Agoura Hills Girl, 11, Donates $500 Worth Of Toys For Hospitalized Children

AGOURA HILLS (CBSLA.com) — A $1,000 windfall is not much to some adults, but to an 11-year-old girl, that kind of money could mean a new gadget, new clothes or a whole lot of makeup. But for Melissa Souza of Agoura Hills, that money was a chance to help others less fortunate.

“Some kids need things more than I do,” Melissa said as she dropped off $500 worth of toys at the CHiPs for KIDS kickoff event at the Studio City Broadcast Center Thursday. Melissa says she would like the toys to be donated to hospitalized children.

Over the summer, Melissa won a Radio Disney contest, receiving a trip for four to Charlotte, N.C., a chance to meet Ryan Seacrest, a $15,000 donation to his foundation and a $1,000 gift card to use at Walgreens.

“Well, I didn’t know what I was going to do with $1,000,” Melissa said. “But then, I just decided to give it to charity.”

Besides donating to the CHiPs for KIDS toy drive, Melissa also bought $500 worth of school supplies that she donated to needy children.
Melissa’s selflessness is not lost on the California Highway Patrol officers collecting toys for less fortunate children.

“I think it’s fantastic,” CHP Officer Leland Tang said. “Anyone at that age who thinks of others rather than themselves is also fantastic.”
Melissa’s parents, Caroline and Brad, say they are proud that Melissa is absorbing some of the lessons they are trying to impart.

“It is kind of something we discussed as a family,” Caroline Souza said. “To think beyond yourself is kind of our goal, to hopefully teach them to think beyond themselves.”
“We are very fortunate with everything that we have and so to be able to give back and to have her learn that lesson as well was really important,” Brad Souza said.

[kuhio98]

Woman rescues infant on JetBlue flight


WESTWOOD, Mass. (WHDH) -- When a baby stopped breathing mid flight a local woman jumped in to help save the baby’s life.

“The baby had been unconscious so many times I was literally flipping the baby back and forth freeing as much as I could,” Jeanne Gallahue

Gallahue, a CPR trainer and first responder, is used to heading into emergency situations.

But the 63-year-old was on her way to Puerto Rico with her family and wasn't expecting to be performing CPR on a 6-month-old in the middle of her flight.

“All of a sudden I heard screaming that they needed medical help,” she said.

The family was on board Jetblue flight 1347 and a baby girl in the back of the plane was unresponsive.

For two hours Jeanne and another nurse on the flight worked to save this infants life.

“She would come to and then all of a sudden she would become rigid and unresponsive, no heart beat, no breathing and I would resume CPR,” she said.

The pilot made an emergency landing in North Carolina where Jeanne handed the baby off to a medical crew.

She says she's been told the baby survived and she knows it's because of the team that came together onboard that flight.

“Together everybody achieved a miracle that day. There is no question in my mind; there were so many people that were involved in that. It was truly a miracle,” Gallahue said.

A flight attendant took detailed notes of everything Jeanne was doing so they could pass that information along to the medical team in North Carolina.

[kuhio98]

OC Girl Undergoing Chemotherapy For Brain Tumor Reunited With Missing Family Dog

ORANGE (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County family reunited with their dog last month after he went missing in Arizona more than a year ago say his return offers new hope to their family.
Meko, the O’Brien Family’s 4-year-old Brussels Griffon, vanished during a family vacation in Parker, Arizona.

“I woke up and I wondered where Meko was,” said 7-year-old Mady O’Brien. Her family looked for him everywhere, putting up signs and praying for his safe return.
“He was just gone,” said Mady’s mother, Dana.

Mady was devastated never forgot her best friend. But everything changed in May, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
“It’s been a rough six months,” Dana O’Brien said.

After an intense surgery, almost 30 chemotherapy and radiation treatments and countless hospital visits, Mady struggled to walk again.

Last month, Dana O’Brien got a phone call as she and Mady were on their way to another round of chemotherapy. The Yavapai Humane Society was calling to say Meko had turned up on the streets of Prescott, Arizona.

A microchip led volunteers to the O’Brien’s phone number, and James O’Brien made the 400-mile trek to pick him up.
“Meko’s back,” Mady said, smiling.

For Mady’s parents, Meko’s return was more than just a story of a girl and her dog. They believe his return was one almost impossible prayer answered, and now they have one more to go. Mady O’Brien has three more rounds of chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

“We can just move forward, it’s the start of things going right,” James said.
“This was, you know, kind of the answer that things are going to be okay,” Dana said. “This was good news that our family had gotten and that it would be the start of more.”

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video...clipId=9621424

[kuhio98]

Dog credited with saving residents from burning Aliquippa apartment building

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. —
A fire at an Aliquippa apartment building forced evacuations and caused damage Thursday night.

The fire happened on Franklin Avenue at an old photography studio that was turned into an apartment building.

Six people lived inside the building.

One of the residents told Channel 11 that his dog, Peanut, started barking, and that’s how he knew to get out.

"She woke me up. I opened my eyes. The whole room was filled with smoke. She got everybody up. She saved the day," said John Drouin.

Peanut is a veteran service dog. She usually alerts Drouin to seizures.

Ten fire departments battled the blaze.

Buildings on both sides of the apartment building suffered water damage.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
http://www.wpxi.com/videos/news/dog-...urning/vCF8gz/

[kuhio98]

Girl collects hundreds of shoes for other children

Rachel surpassed her goal of collecting 900 pairs of shoes.
ATHENS, TX (KLTV) - A 7-year-old girl has surpassed a goal that could give lots of East Texans happy feet.

A few months ago, Rachel Beets told her mother that she wanted to collect 900 pairs of shoes for her birthday, but not for herself.

Rachel wants to donate the shoes to the Henderson County Rainbow Room, a non-profit organization that helps clothe children in Child Protective Services' custody.

People across the country pitched in and donated 946 pairs of shoes. Rachel's birthday is January 31, so she will continue to collect shoes until that deadline.

[kuhio98]

Newspaper carrier saves life of elderly woman found laying in snow

KENOSHA (WITI) — The brutal wind and cold in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day brought first responders to 61st St. and 43rd Ave. in Kenosha. While delivering the Kenosha News around 4:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day — January 1st, Ralph Sustaita discovered an elderly woman lying in the snow — and that’s when Sustaita jumped into action.

Sustaita says he was alerted to the woman when he heard her voice.

“Just to hear the sound of the voice — it was just unreal. It was very cold, very windy. Her hands were real red. Her gloves were laying far from her,” Sustaita said.

Police believe the woman, who is in her 80s, lived nearby and went out for a walk. Authorities say she may have been there for up to two hours.

“She was lost. She was really confused,” Sustaita said.

Had Sustaita not made the discovery he did — the woman could have easily died.

“I just like, jumped into action, you know — like it was my own grandmother laying there,” Sustaita said.

Sustaita wrapped a jacket around the freezing woman, and called 911. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment.

“I think it was from the grace of the Lord that I was in the right place at the right time,” Sustaita said.

The Kenosha News is reporting the woman was treated for hypothermia and frostbite and appears to be recovering.

[kuhio98]

Payless ShoeSource gives 200 kids new shoes

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) - When these Boys and Girls Club members walk back into school after Christmas break, they will do so with a new pair of shoes courtesy of Payless ShoeSource. Members from Boys and Girls Clubs in Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian each received $20 worth of new shoes and accessories.

"We were chosen last year and this year as well. Last year we were able to help around 100 of your youth and this year they increased the amount so we were able to help around 200 kids," said Tangie Carrillo.

Boys and Girls Club's directors say this program provides the necessities to their young members who otherwise may not get a new pair of shoes because of financial issues.

"Shoes are important just because they are a need. They're not just a pleasure. It's a necessity for children to have shoes and especially have cute shoes and good shoes to go back to school in is important," said Mindy Pizzetta, Director at Boys and Girls Club Qatar Center.

Tennis shoes and moccasins were some of the more popular choices. Still some children decided to opt for a more stylish pair of shoes.

"I like these boots because they are fuzzy and comfortable and I just love boots," said one of the lucky children.

Of the many programs the Boys and Girls Clubs offers to children, directors say this shoe giveaway brings excitement to a whole new level for members.

"Oh my gosh they were so thrilled. They couldn't wait," said Shannel Smith, Unit Director at the Boys and Girls Club of the Coast in Hancock County.

"They made sure that their permission forms were signed this morning. They made sure that their parents signed everything you know because they couldn't wait to come and see what type of shoes they could choose and try on."

"This is very awesome because this is a special opportunity that we got for our boys and girls club," said Catera Gibbs.

Over 200 members from all five of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Gulf Coast took part in the two day shoe giveaway.