Swandeh Terhide

Most bus drivers operate on strict schedules, but one compassionate transit worker took the time to assist an older blind man navigating a construction site. Gene Hubbard, a 69-year-old man who lost his sight due to diabetes, has been commuting independently to work in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the past 20 years. He is familiar with his route from the bus stop to his workplace, but recent construction at an intersection posed a major challenge. “If I don’t have a regular locating point to start from, I may as well be in the middle of the ocean,” Hubbard explained. Fortunately, 28-year-old Thaddaus Turner, a driver for the Milwaukee County Transit System, noticed Hubbard’s predicament as he approached the bus stop surrounded by orange cones. Turner parked the bus, disembarked, took Hubbard’s arm, and guided him safely through the road work. An oncoming car stopped traffic to allow them to cross, and the driver, Sydney Kazmierczak, captured the moment on her phone to share Turner’s act of kindness with news outlets. “I feel like I was placed there at the right time to capture this moment!!” Kazmierczak stated. “I am so happy I quick pulled out my phone to snap the picture! Thad deserves to be recognized!!” Turner, however, remains modest about the incident, attributing the same level of kindness to his fellow bus drivers. “The route was barricaded, it was rough for me as a driver; I can only imagine how rough it was for him,” he told CNN. The Universe positions us in particular places and moments to either receive or extend the gifts of Nature’s generosity and compassion. Let us embrace this responsibility when it arises, rather than shy away from it.

When a man in a wheelchair approached a barbershop in hopes of getting a haircut, this barber was not about to turn him down just because their building was not wheelchair accessible. Victor Burgos is a barber at Joe’s Upscale Barber Shop in Webster, New York. On a certain day, he was working at the shop when he noticed a man in an electric wheelchair out in front of the store. The shop phone rang and Burgos heard an electronically-assisted voice asking if they accepted walk-ins – and he knew that it had to be the man outside. Burgos, who has worked at the barbershop for the last three and a half years, says that because they’re based out of an older building, it has not yet been made wheelchair-accessible. Instead of turning the man away, however, Burgos grabbed his tools and offered to give the man a haircut right there on the sidewalk. “He definitely needed a haircut,” Burgos told Inside Edition. “It looked like he hadn’t had a haircut in about a month. It was pretty shaggy [and] I know how good it feels to get that weight off of you. I could tell that he’s never had a good experience. I could tell without even asking him, and I just wanted to change it for him.” As it turned out, his efforts were a success. The man was so pleased by Burgos’s attitude and skill, he later sent his aide to the same shop for a haircut of his own. Social media users have praised Burgos for the gesture after a fellow barber secretly snapped some photos of the haircut. Joe Cocozza, the owner of the shop, made sure to praise Burgos as well by publishing the pictures on Facebook. “I wasn’t there, but a few days ago at the shop we had a man in a wheelchair come to the shop on a recommendation,” wrote Cocozza. “I couldn’t be happier when I was told this story. I couldn’t be happier to work and know a person of such kind nature as Victor. I’m proud to know that even when I’m not around our staff will go out of their way. Just to make someone happy!! “He did not have to do this,” he continued. “Vic is one of our busiest barbers and is always busy. So, Vic thank you for being that guys and not only always proving what type of person you are, but also being a CLASS ACT and bringing class to Joe’s Upscale Barber Shop. Vic had no idea these pics were even taken.” Furthermore, the incidence inspired community members to rally together and buy a ramp for the barbershop in the future. I kid you not, whatever you do and wherever you find yourself, put on the full armour of kindness, for you’d be doing some really great service to humanity and posterity will forever be thankful.

I can’t say enough about this beautiful young woman named Clara who didn’t think twice about helping her fellow passenger. It was a beautiful reminder, in this time of too much awfulness, that there are still good, good people who are willing to look out for each other…We are all starving for good news, and this is just what the world needs. She saw a gentleman named Tim, who appeared to be both deaf and blind, in Boston’s Logan airport. He was leaving town after visiting his sister when Lynette observed her signing into his hand so that he could feel her words. He had been assigned the middle seat of Lynette’s row on an Alaska Airlines flight.“The kind gentleman who had the aisle seat graciously gave it up for him. At this point Tim was traveling alone. The flight attendants sincerely wanted to assist him, but had no way to communicate.” “I watched as they didn’t flinch when he reached out to touch their faces and arms. They took his hand and tried so hard to communicate with him, to no avail. He had some verbal ability, but clearly could not understand them. “The man who had given up his seat did his best to assist Tim with things like opening coffee creamer and putting it in his coffee. When Tim made the attempt to stand up and feel his way to the restroom, his seat mate immediately was up to help him. The flight attendants were talking among themselves and someone suggested paging to see if anyone on board knew sign language. “That’s when this lovely young woman came into the picture. 15 years old, she learned ASL because she had dyslexia and it was the easiest foreign language for her to learn. For the rest of the flight she attended to Tim and made sure his needs were met. It was fascinating to watch as she signed one letter at a time into his hand. He was able to ‘read’ her signing and they carried on an animated conversation. “When he asked her if she was pretty, she blushed and laughed as the seat mate, who had learned a few signs, communicated an enthusiastic yes to Tim. “I don’t know when I’ve ever seen so many people rally to take care of another human being. All of us in the immediate rows were laughing and smiling and enjoying his obvious delight in having someone to talk to. “Huge kudos to the flight attendants of Alaska Airlines who went above and beyond to meet Tim’s needs. Life would be much easier if we all embraced kindness and shared it freely and without reservation.

Ebony Harris, a cashier at a Walmart in Burton, Michigan, went above and beyond to help a customer in need. When Angela Peters, a woman in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, was turned away from the store’s nail salon because her hands shake due to her condition, Harris stepped in to make sure Peters still got her desired manicure. Harris offered to paint Peters’ nails herself during her lunch break. The two women picked out a sparkly blue polish that Peters liked, and Harris spent her break sitting with Peters at the Subway seating area inside the store, carefully painting her nails. “I just wanted to make her day special. I didn’t really want her day to be ruined. That’s why I did it. Plus she’s a sweetie,” Harris told News outlet. Peters kept apologizing for moving her hands, but Harris reassured her, saying “You’re fine.” Tasia Smith, a Subway employee, snapped a photo of the heartwarming exchange and posted it on Facebook, where it was shared thousands of times. While some social media users suggested boycotting the nail salon, Harris emphasized that her intention was not to bash the salon or make them lose customers, but rather to raise awareness that people with disabilities deserve the same love and attention as anyone else. “She’s a girly girl. She’s just like you, me, Tasia, my daughter, anybody. She wants to look pretty, you know, and so why can’t she?” Harris said. Peters and Harris have since become friends, and they already have plans to get dinner together in the near future.

Courtney Ruth Pedigo has been singing the praises of her Olive Garden waitress, Nianni Rudder, after a heartwarming encounter during dinner last month. Pedigo was dining with her father, stepmother, and 18-month-old daughter Harlynn when the toddler became restless. As Harlynn struggled to stay seated, Pedigo felt increasingly overwhelmed. “She did everything but sit in her high chair and eat her dinner like I picture in my dreams,” the frustrated mother remarked. In the heat of it, Pedigo approached Rudder to request her meal in a to-go box so she could eat in the car with Harlynn. To her surprise, Rudder firmly declined, stating, “No, she’s not bothering anybody. You’re going to go over there, you’re going to enjoy your dinner with your family, and I’m going to be over there in a second.” True to her word, Rudder soon returned with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. While Pedigo finally enjoyed her meal—“still hot,” as she noted—Rudder took the time to spoon-feed Harlynn and clean up any messes. Throughout their dinner, the family engaged with Rudder, who shared that she was not only a waitress but also a full-time student aspiring to become an anesthesiologist. She had recently been coping with the loss of her mother, which made her kindness even more remarkable. Moved by Rudder’s compassion, Pedigo took to Facebook to express her gratitude. “Girl, you will never truly know how appreciative I am for tonight,” she wrote. “I seriously admire you, not only because you took the time to bribe my bratty little human with sweets so I could eat, but because you are so strong! I know your mom is looking down from Heaven with the BIGGEST smile, so incredibly proud of the woman you are.” We may be going through very unspeakable things but it shouldn’t be reason enough to dim the light of our kindness.

A 15-year-old boy, Waylon Klitzman from Evansville, Wisconsin, faced a serious challenge in overcoming his stage fright to honour his beloved teacher, Kim Katzenmeyer, who was retiring to focus on raising funds for neuroblastoma research. Heartbroken by her departure, Waylon initially attempted to bribe her with his savings of $52, but this gesture only sparked a greater realization about the joy of helping others. Inspired by Miss K’s dedication to the Beat Nb charity, which she championed after her niece was diagnosed with cancer, Waylon decided to auction off a pig he had raised, hoping to contribute to her cause. Waylon’s plan took a different turn when he reached out to local businesses, pleading with them to bid higher than the typical price of $3 to $4 per pound for his pig. The auction began, and to his astonishment, the bidding quickly escalated to $11 per pound. Dan Drozdowicz, one of the bidders, proposed a remarkable idea: he would win the bid and then donate the pig back to be auctioned again. This act of generosity set off a resonance, as subsequent bidders followed suit, each winning the pig and then returning it for another round of bidding. By the end of the auction, Waylon’s pig had been sold four times, ultimately raising a staggering total of $10,070 for the charity. The final bid came in at $5.50 per pound, but the cumulative effect of the bidders’ kindness transformed what Waylon initially thought would be a modest contribution into a reasonably huge donation. He expressed disbelief at the generosity shown by the community, stating, “I did not see that happening. My dream got bigger and bigger every time they said, ‘Give it back.’” Waylon’s kind efforts did not stop with the pig auction. He is now preparing to sell pumpkins from his three-acre patch, with plans to donate all proceeds to Beat Nb. His teacher, Miss K, expressed immense pride in Waylon’s thoughtfulness, and the impact he is making in the fight against childhood cancer. She said, “He doesn’t know the impact that he is having… Someday he will.” May neither age nor social status deter us from acting kindly.

For nearly three decades, John and Stella Chhan have opened their beloved donut shop, Donut City, in Seal Beach, California, at the crack of dawn, serving customers with warmth and a smile. However, a recent health crisis changed everything when Stella suffered a brain aneurysm last month, leading to her recovery at a nursing care facility. As Stella began her recovery journey, John took on the responsibility of running the shop alone, supported by Stella’s sister. The couple’s loyal customers quickly noticed Stella’s absence and were shocked to learn of her condition. In response, they threw their weight behind John, coming up with a plan to buy donuts in bulk, allowing him to close the shop earlier each day and spend more time with his wife. This grassroots effort took off on social media, prompting locals to purchase dozens of donuts, croissants, and muffins. As a result, John often found himself selling out of pastries hours earlier than usual, sometimes closing as early as 10 AM. He couldn’t conceal his gratitude for the community’s support, stating, “We are so thankful,” while clutching his heart in appreciation. Despite offers to set up a GoFundMe page, John declined, emphasizing that he had enough financial support and simply wanted to be by Stella’s side during her recovery. The Seal Beach community, deeply connected to the Chhans and their shop, kept raining love and support on him, ensuring that Donut City maintains its spot as their top choice shop for pastries. The deeds of men sure live with them, so let’s stay true to the propagation of love and kindness.

Hassan Al Kontar, a Syrian refugee, has finally found a home in Canada after enduring a harrowing seven-month ordeal living in a Malaysian airport. At 37 years old, he fled Syria in 2011, seeking safety from the civil war. Initially working as an insurance manager in the United Arab Emirates, his visa was not renewed, prompting him to seek refuge in Malaysia. Unfortunately, a flight cancellation led to the expiration of his work permit, leaving him stranded. His attempts to escape deportation included a failed journey to Cambodia, where he was sent back to Malaysia, ultimately forcing him to live in the airport’s “Arrivals” section. During his time in the airport, Kontar shared his experiences on social media, gaining thousands of followers. He documented daily life, from tending to plants and crocheting stuffed animals to using the airport’s automated walkway as a treadmill. Compassionate airport staff provided him with meals, while he expressed his yearning for a country that would accept him. His plight caught the attention of Laurie Cooper, a Canadian woman from Whistler, British Columbia, who felt compelled to help him after seeing his videos. With the support of her community, they raised over $20,000 for his sponsorship and secured him a job at a local hotel. However, Kontar’s journey took a dark turn when he was arrested by Malaysian authorities and detained for two months, facing the threat of deportation. Cooper and her team worked tirelessly to negotiate his release, which was a success. Upon receiving his ticket to Canada, Kontar expressed disbelief until he arrived in Vancouver, where Cooper awaited him with open arms. Their reunion was emotional, marking the end of his prolonged struggle for safety and stability. Now settled in Canada, Kontar is living with Cooper and is grateful for the warm welcome he has received. He is excited to adapt to his new life and has expressed a desire to avoid airports in the future, humorously stating he would prefer to travel by horse. His journey from statelessness to finding a home in Canada symbolizes hope and, not just for himself but for countless other refugees seeking safety and a fresh start. May we remain kind, thoughtful and compassionate to others for no reason in particular.

In the midst of the devastating Ebola outbreak that swept across West Africa in 2014, a Nigerian physician named Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh emerged as a pillar of courage and selflessness. When the first case of Ebola arrived in Nigeria, Dr. Adadevoh’s quick thinking and dedication to public health prevented a catastrophic outbreak in the most populous country in Africa. Dr. Adadevoh correctly diagnosed the index patient, Patrick Sawyer, as Nigeria’s first case of Ebola in July 2014. Despite pressure from Liberian officials who wanted Sawyer discharged to attend a conference, Dr. Adadevoh refused to release him, stating “for the greater public good” she would not allow him to leave. Her actions were crucial in containing the virus and preventing the Nigerian index case from spreading it further. Tragically, Dr. Adadevoh contracted Ebola while caring for Sawyer and died on August 19, 2014. However, her selfless actions saved countless lives. By isolating the index patient and alerting authorities, Dr. Adadevoh set off what became Nigeria’s successful Ebola containment strategy. As a result, Nigeria was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization just 3 months after the first case. Dr. Adadevoh’s heroism serves as an inspiration to put the greater good above personal interests, even in the face of grave risk. Her legacy lives on through the Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust, an organization working to improve public health in Nigeria. Dr. Adadevoh’s courage and dedication in the darkest of times reminds us of the power of one person to make a difference and save lives.