Swandeh Terhide

A woman who broke her leg while hiking was rescued by a trio of strapping young whipper snappers, who carried her all the way down the mountain on their backs. Even realizing she’d be alone for the 3.2-mile trek, Ursula Bannister had been confident of getting to the place where she scattered her mother’s ashes 23 years ago; she had gone up many times before. For anyone who’s taken the trail to High Rock Lookout, a viewpoint near Ashford in Washington, they’ll know it’s hard and steep. As the 79-year-old Bannister predicted, she made it to the top, left some flowers, and began heading back down. Catching a hole in the trail bed with her foot, she fell forward hard and by the time she turned herself right side up, she saw her foot was pointing the wrong way. In pain she cried out for help, and before long a group of 3 young hikers came to her side and called 911. A search and rescue team said they’d be there in 5 hours, discouraging everybody. 20-year-old Troy May, an Air Force Airman, was hiking up to the lookout that day with his fiancé and a friend Layton Allen. Bannister asked them if they had any painkillers, to which they replied they did not, and realizing the woman had nothing to help her strap in for 5 upcoming hours of agony, May took action. “I knew I was capable of carrying her down,” May told the Washington Post. “I really didn’t make much of a decision, I just knew I needed to carry her down if I could.” Lifting her gently onto his back, he began the careful descent, covering three-quarters of the remaining 1.8 miles of Bannister’s journey, while Allen managed the final stretch. During their descent, they encountered occupational therapist Emily O’Brien, who guided Bannister through breathing exercises, and physical therapist Tim Meyer, who applied a splint to her leg. With the extra hands, May was able to move more assuredly, and keep enough puff in his lungs to talk to Bannister on the way down to try and keep her mind off the pain. They asked her about her life as a child moving to the United States from Germany in 1959, having been born just after the fall of the Third Reich, and May would later recall she had a lot of cool stories. Once they arrived at the trailhead, Allen sped Bannister off to Tacoma General Hospital where doctors told her she had a compound break of the tibia, fibula, and heel bone. They were impressed with Meyer’s splint, and said it might have been a lot worse. She would leave the hospital late that night as her leg was too swollen and inflamed to operate on. She would eventually receive 11 screws and a titanium plate, and embark on a long road to recovery that saw some of her rescue team come and visit her, including May who won an Air Force medal for his efforts. “I was just overwhelmed with gratitude that these people literally came out of the woods to help me and they were totally unselfish and kind,” Bannister said, adding that the friendship she gained in May and the others was worth more than the pain and discomfort.

A North Carolina youth bravely rescued a man and woman from drowning just before their truck slid into deep floodwaters. Kenji “Flash” Bowen, a former standout baseball and football player in high school, was driving home last week with his girlfriend and their baby near Wilmington after a near-tropical storm flooded parts of the state. Nicknamed “Flash” by teammates at East Columbus High School because of his speed, he needed every bit of it when, after being turned back by flooding on a secondary road, he saw a pickup truck inching along towards the torrent on the opposite side of the road. According to Flash, it looked a lot more like the opposite side of a river. “We turned down Woodyard Road, and got to the place where it was flooded,” Bowen told Columbus County News. “There was no way I was going through that with my family, so I got ready to turn around.” “There was a truck pulling into the water from the other side, and I tried to flash my lights at him to tell him to stop, but I guess he didn’t see me.” Though the man from nearby Kelly realized he couldn’t make it through the water, he was too late, and his tires began to spin while reversing as the water gradually shifted the car to the side. The truck started to float towards a ditch on the side of the roadway where the water was much deeper—then began to sink. The young father then lept into the water and moved as fast as he could towards the truck. “That water was flowing stronger than anything I had ever seen. I got to the truck and grabbed hold, then started working toward them,” he remembered. Inside the cab, the man and woman began making the mistake of trying to open the doors, which can’t be done once the car is partially submerged. Bowen helped the woman crawl out through the window, where Bowen’s girlfriend Caitlyn was waiting to help her make it up the grassy bank to dry land. Bowen then went back to rescue the man and his dog—both through the window as the car was sinking. Though a standout athlete, Bowen has no interest in swimming, and generally doesn’t like deep water, he said laughing. In such situations, the faster one realizes the car is a coffin, the greater their chances for survival. As soon as your car hits the water, immediately unbuckle your seatbelt and try to get out through the window as it can often still be rolled down. The door won’t open if it’s even partially submerged as the water pressure is too much to push through. The best place to kick a window that won’t open is near the top of the window pane, and the metal prong of the headrest can provide a tool that might help break it. If the window isn’t opening or breaking, the door can be opened only when the whole car is submerged and filled with water. Steady your breathing, but don’t try to get out immediately—Mythbusters demonstrated that even after the driver is fully underwater, the equalization of the pressure in the car needed for the door to be openable took 1 minute and 51 seconds. Fortunately, for the couple and their dog, “Flash” Bowen was faster than the surging water.

A heartwarming incident unfolded on the London subway, where a Good Samaritan stepped in to assist a blind man who had lost a shoe. This story was shared by a passenger named Sami, who originally posted about it on Reddit. The event took place at Kings Cross station as Sami, a blind man, and another individual of South Asian descent were descending the steps to the Circle Line. As the train approached the platform, the blind man stumbled and fell, prompting a wave of assistance from those nearby that left Sami feeling emotional. Sami recounted, “A few of us on the train then helped the gentleman find a seat. Once seated, he realized he had lost a shoe,” explaining that it had slipped between the platform and the train. Despite attempts to alert the Transport for London driver, miscommunication led to the train departing, causing the blind man to panic over his missing footwear. In an act of remarkable kindness, another passenger immediately removed his own shoe and offered it to the blind man. This gesture was particularly significant given the cold weather, as the Samaritan exited at Liverpool Street station to search for a replacement pair. Sami described this person as an “absolute hero,” proclaiming how selflessly he acted in such a situation. British social media has since been abuzz with efforts to identify this Good Samaritan after Sami chose to protect his identity by blurring his face in his post. “He was worried about his shoe. Then this dude just took his off and said ‘here take mine’. It was such an act of kindness,” Sami noted, emphasizing that it showcased the inherent goodness in people and their willingness to help one another. Staff at Kings Cross station expressed their appreciation for witnessing so many people come together to assist the blind man back onto his feet and onto the train, though they were unaware of what transpired inside. One subway worker remarked on how rare it is to see such altruism amidst the usual chaos of daily commutes, stating, “There’s so much empathy that we see but this was a case of someone going out of their way to help.”

For many young people, teachers play the role of mentors, counselors, and friends, but for one isolated New Jersey student, his teacher became a guardian. Outnumbered 5 to 1, a student at William Shemin Midtown Community School in Bayonne, was set upon by his peers, only for his teacher to intervene, shielding his prone body with her own. Recorded by nearby security cameras, the scene saw 56-year-old Cathy Hurley try and prevent violence from starting between a group of teens while she was walking to her parked car. Hurley’s daughter, speaking with ABC 7 News, said her mother must have known that something was wrong, and because she was “raised to stick up for the underdog,” tried to talk the teens out of fighting. They ignored her. Throwing one boy to the ground, repeatedly punching and kicking him, Hurley tried to push them away before eventually lowering herself over the defenseless student, dissuading the assailants from throwing further blows. ABC 7 reports that all five teens were charged with assault, endangering an injured victim, and rioting, while the young boy was taken to the hospital. Bayonne School District Superintendent John Niesz in a statement said in part, “I can tell you this, that teacher embodies what each and every one who works and lives in Bayonne is all about.” “She was raised that way,” said Hurley’s daughter Frankie Sielski. “I was raised that way to stick up for the underdog and I know that her responding was an instinct.” Sielski added that her mom is living proof that society is full of good, selfless people.

 “It’s really just a publicity thing,” says Michael Zervos, a man who’s currently on course to set the Guinness World Record for the fewest number of days needed to visit every country in the world. But as he told me, that’s just to bring eyes onto his real mission: to hear the happiest moments from the lives of people in every country in the world and to share them on social media, to help remind us we are all connected, if not by parentage, then by aspirations. Dubbed Project Kosmos, he has more or less reached the halfway point of his journey, having already passed through 100 countries in under a year. Barring a few pariahs, his passport has been stamped in all of Asia, Oceania, Africa, and some parts of Europe. His brilliantly shot videos are arrayed very cleverly on his Instagram. Areej, in Jordan, recalled the moment she bought her first bike and learned how to ride it—after she turned 30. Sam, in Brunei, said it was the day she arrived at her tram stop, and a homeless man whom she had treated to a hot chocolate days before, was waiting there for her with a hot chocolate in return. They’re curated and produced by Zervos who all the while is traveling at a breakneck pace across the face of the Earth. “Amazingly, I’m still on schedule,” Zervos, a dual citizen of the US and Greece, told me in May during a stopover in Cyprus. “I had to make several adjustments about 30 countries in, and my intention wasn’t to come back to Greece at this time. But still, I visited all the countries I expected to go to save for a couple I had to kick down the line, like North Korea which still hasn’t opened.” “I’m amazed I’m on schedule,” he admitted. “Occasionally it means maybe spending a day less in a certain place but I’ve tried to make the most out of those situations.” If you couldn’t tell by the hair, Zervos was already an avid globe trekker before he concocted the idea for his “record-breaking journey of happiness,” but also a self-described fan of logistics and planning, having worked in documentary filmmaking before embarking on his trip. Knowing that he only had a few days in each nation, he spent much of the planning phase seeking out personalities and “fixers,” as Anthony Bourdain would call them. Finding them through social media, he’d open a dialogue and see if they could give him a crash course on what it means to be happy in the Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Mongolia, Burundi, etc. The world over, the emotion of happiness does remind us of our shared humanity and kindness somehow happens to be the portal through which happiness could be easily accessed. You’d never know how much happiness that little act of kindness would bring to the life of another. Credit: World at Large.

With frustrating delays on the tarmac during holiday travel at one of the busiest airports in the world, one might expect only cranky people to make the news. But on flight 1238, stuck in Atlanta, Georgia, some unexpected holiday cheer broke out—and everyone joined in for the chorus. Passengers aboard the packed Delta Airlines flight had already been waiting for well over an hour to depart, when they were given more bad news—the replacement flight crew was stuck in traffic. The beleaguered flight attendants were trying their best to keep people comfortable and calm on the plane, but the travelers were hot, tired, and cramped in like sardines. Kate Dailey could “feel the tension rising in the air,” but then something magical happened. A man stood up and began assembling his saxophone. Soon, he started playing Christmas Carols wandering up and down the aisle. The mood on the plane was immediately elevated although the aircraft was still on the ground. “I was surprised and delighted,” Kate told GNN. “People were clapping, singing along, and cheering this man for his playing. The sax player was Wayne Hoey, who served in the U.S. Army band for 20 years, performing and traveling the world during the Vietnam War in order to boost troop morale—and that’s what was needed yesterday during the long delay. “It was such a lovely thing to witness, and such a gift to everyone during a stressful travel time.” He even played Baby Shark for the kids, and made everyone laugh with his teasing horn. “He played really well—and everything from memory!” Kate reported. After retiring from the Army, Mr. Hoey got his masters in music education and taught a middle school band in Colorado Springs. Today he lives in Augusta, Georgia, serving as a substitute music teacher, and jamming for audiences with his Wayne Hoey Big Band. He’s known for telling students, ‘Always bring your sax,’ exactly so they could have the opportunity he had on his flight to Augusta last night—to entertain and delight. An impromptu kindness from strangers is a living example of the holiday spirit, and Wayne is a shining star.

From Chicago comes the story of a sweet reunion between a mother and son, who despite having met many times, never knew of their relationship. At Give Me Some Sugah bakery, recently-hired employee Hunter Varmarr is particularly proud of his pound cake. He had always loved stopping in for a sweet treat or breakfast at the cafe, particularly because of the service from the baker behind the counter. Her name was Lenore Lindsey, and though he didn’t know Varmarr’s name, he knew him as a valuable customer. But their relationship went far deeper than that. Though neither knew it, they were mother and son. Lindsey gave up her newborn son for adoption when she gave birth to Varmarr at just 17 years old. Varmarr for his part didn’t know he was adopted until 34. After finding out, he gradually became interested in finding out who his birth mother was, and so submitted DNA for a test. One day, he received a strange call. “I was on the phone talking to my friend when a call came through from the bakery,” said Varmarr to the Washington Post. “I was like, ‘Why is Give Me Some Sugah calling me?’” Even though he was told to expect a call from his biological mother, he didn’t suspect even for a moment any connection between it and the bakery. The Post heard from Lindsey, who said if she had seen Varmarr’s photo, the shock would have been immediate. Instead, with only a name, the call began with a slow awkwardness that eventually shattered with loud enthusiasm when the lost family members connected the dots. “When I knew who he was, we just started screaming on the phone,” Lindsey said. “We were beside ourselves,” with Hunter adding “It was just so unbelievable.” “When I called him, that connection was so immediate. I can’t even explain it. It was just like everything in my heart just broke open,” she said, this time to ABC 7 Chicago. After a bout of health issues, Varmarr even started working there while Lindsey recovered, having no prior baking experience. “It’s been a great experience. It further strengthens my faith. You can’t make up for time and days gone by. What you can do is properly utilize the time that you have,” he said. Along with Lindsey, Varmarr got to meet a long-lost sister, and an extended family to boot, incorporating his own four children into a new network of sweet, sweet, affection.