Author: Kelly Brant

Zach Vraa was given an ice cream machine from his mother for his birthday. After he started to work remotely during the pandemic, he found that he had some free time at home. He started experimenting with whipping up different ice cream flavor combinations, one the most bizarrely tasty ones being lucky charms with black cherry frosting. He started posting pictures of his culinary masterpieces online. He was met with a wide demand. People commented below his pictures, asking if they could buy his ice cream. Vraa started out small. He sold about ten pints of each flavor. He must’ve gotten over a thousand requests, many of which he could not fill. Vraa decided to expand. He invested in a commercial kitchen to make his ice cream from scratch. He now makes 300 pints a week. He has two rules, one- he never repeats a flavor and two- nothing is too weird. Seriously, nothing. Not even Everything Bagel ice cream with a garlic cream cheese garnish. Vraa makes one flavor per week and his pints sell out in one minute flat. People line up down the block to pick up their orders. Vraa has turned his hobby into a booming business. When asked about his success, he says seeing the line out the door is a “feeling that never gets old.” Customers can’t wait to see what outlandish combinations he comes up with next. One thing is for sure: they know it will taste good.

Two fishermen walked into a podcast recording studio. They thought they were going for an interview about their harrowing rescue of a 9-year-old girl whose family died in a shipwreck off of the California coast 35 years ago. They left the studio having been reunited with the girl herself—now, a 44 year-old woman whom they hadn’t seen since the accident took place in 1986. In a heartwarming reunion orchestrated by fishing podcast host Philip Friedman, fishermen Paul Strasser and Mark Pisano got to meet Desireé Campuzano. In 1986, Strasser and Pisano’s charter was coming back from Catalina Island. They came upon a capsized boat and a young girl in an orange life vest floating in the ocean. The fishermen rescued Desireé, bringing her onto their boat and returning her to shore. Desireé had been in the water, alone, for twenty hours before Strasser and Pisano came to the rescue. Her mother, father, sister, aunt, and uncle all died in the shipwreck. That day 35 years ago was the last time Strasser, Pisano, and Campuzano ever saw each other. Strasser tells Faith Pinho of the Los Angeles Times that “Desireé was a ghost. "We saved her, she's out in the world. And that's all we know. We had no clues on anybody that knew how to get ahold of her." Meanwhile, Friedman saw an opportunity to connect the now-grown woman with her rescuers via his podcast Friedman Adventures, which delivers nautical narratives to the masses. After Pisano appeared on the show to talk about the rescue story, Friedman was set on tracking down the girl whose life had been saved. When Desireé’s former co-worker, Pablo Peña, listened to that episode of the podcast, he reached out to Friedman to say that he thought he knew the woman whom the fishermen hadn’t seen since their heroic rescue. Peña connected Friedman with Campuzano, and the two then decided to team up in planning the emotional reunion. The fishermen were invited to be guests on Friedman's show to talk further about their rescue story. Meanwhile, Campuzano joined the studio under the alias of “Raquel”, pretending to be a Spanish translator who would prepare the fishermen’s story for Spanish TV. When Campuzano revealed her true identity shortly into the episode, Strasser and Pisano both immediately broke down into tears and finally got to hug the woman whose life they had saved over three decades ago. After reunion, the fishermen brought Campuzano back out onto the ocean for the first time since the shipwreck. They visited the exact site of her rescue, where the three brought flowers as a way to memorialize the family Campuzano lost.

When Graeme Richardson, now 42, proposed to Helen Marshall, now 41, as a teenager, his parents feared they were too young. Now, 22 years later, the couple has finally reconnected for good, getting married with the same ring used at their initial proposal so many years ago. The two lovebirds first admired each other from across the halls of their high school. For nine months, the teens dated, taking romantic walks, attending school dances, and even sneaking in a kiss or two – all the ingredients for a storybook teen love story. It was only after 9 months that Richardson decided to propose – a proposal that would be stopped by the parents of the young adults. A year later, Richardson was off to college and the couple drifted apart. Oddly reminiscent of the plot from Nicholas Sparks’ novel The Notebook, Richardson and Marshall’s story did not end there. The two went on to have other long-term relationships and eventually had children of their own. They reunited from afar when their children attended the same school. When Marshall’s other relationship eventually ended, she took it upon herself to reach out to Richardson to rekindle their love from 20 years prior. It turned out that Richardson too has longed for her for years and got down on one knee to propose once again – with the same ring from 22 years prior nonetheless. On April 17th, the couple tied the knot. In a quote to the Daily Star, Helen said: “We just feel so content now. We live in the family farm he lived in when we were growing up. We’re the other half of each other. I just feel like I’m home. Like I’m whole. He’s my soul mate, and I’m his.” Graeme added: “It just feels like the right ending.” This lucky couple truly achieved the happy ending that so many hope for after reading romance stories. It looks like the Nicholas Sparks’ might not be so far-fetched after all, with this demonstration of true love winning in the end.

A joyous day took a dark turn when Rebecca Chaukria dropped her engagement ring into the waters of England’s largest lake. But for Angus Hosking, all it took was a wetsuit, goggles, and 20 minutes underwater to came up with the piece of jewelry. The rescue story which has turned heads for its dramatic circumstances and quirky charm began when Chaukria and her fiancée, Viki Patel, were taking engagement photos together on a jetty on Lake Windermere. Patel had proposed just two days prior, and the engagement ring was fresh out of the box when it slipped off of Chaukria’s hand. Cue the panic. Patel leapt into the water after the ring, but the frigid and murky waters of Lake Windermere denied visibility. At a loss for what to do, the couple were able to connect with Hosking. The 21-year-old has garnered local fame for his business, Lake District Diving, which helps clean trash and lost valuables from the bottom of Lake Windermere. Hosking responded to the scene with his wetsuit and underwater metal detector. His first reaction to the situation was not encouraging. The diver told CNN’s Sarah Dean that “the visibility [in the water] was absolutely terrible.” Regardless, Hosking’s aquatic prowess prevailed. He came out of the water with Chaukria’s ring in 20 minutes. In exchange for the ring rescue, Patel said Hosking would be welcome to their wedding, pending COVID-19 restrictions. Recently, Lake District Diving has made other splashes in the world of lake rescue. In a May 29th post on their Facebook page, they included a video of a recovery of an iPhone 12 that had sunk to the bottom of Lake Windermere. After 10 hours searching underwater, the Lake District Diving team came up with the phone—which seemed to still be functioning.

Having compassion for others is one of the most meaningful traits a person can possess and spread throughout their everyday life. For people who have special needs children, this fact rings especially true. Natalie Fernando, mother to 5-year-old Rudy who has autism, is accustom to the disapproving stares from strangers she receives when her son has an uncontrollable public meltdown. And a recent meltdown while on a walk alongside the beach was no exception. “My son loves to walk, but he hates to turn around and walk back, we usually try to walk in a circuit to avoid this but on his favourite walk with the boats we have no choice but to turn back. This will often lead to a meltdown, one which I can normally handle but on the back of two weeks out of school today was too much for him and me,” Fernando explained on her Facebook page, Better to Be Different. Prepared for what might be an hour-long meltdown, Fernando was apologetic to passersby, yet stares and comments quickly ensued. In came the hero of the story: a man named Ian. Ian stopped first to ask Fernando simply if she was ok. After explaining the situation, Ian did something most people would not be brave enough to do – he laid alongside the young boy and began engaging in a conversation with him. This singular act quickly turned the situation around and enabled Rudy to calmly return to his mother’s car to go home. Ian’s kindness and compassion changed this mother and son’s day, but it also helped to inspire other. “It’s said a lot at the moment, ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind,’” Fernando wrote. “Words are easy, these actions are not always so easy. This man is living the words and I couldn’t be more grateful…We’re all walking our own path and navigating the journey the best we can. Sometimes it takes a moment of kindness from a complete stranger to completely change your day.”

This is a story straight out of a Hollywood movie. Lisa Wright was adopted as a baby, but little did she know how close her birth mother would be without her even knowing. Wright always knew she was adopted and that her birth mother was an 18-year-old girl at the time she was born. "My (adoptive) mom told me, 'Your mommy loved you, but she was really young, and she knew she couldn't take care of you. I wanted a baby so bad, and that's why your mom let me take care of you. You weren't abandoned. This was just the best thing for you,'" Wright told Today. Connecting Wright with her birth family would have been at one time very difficult. The adoption was closed, meaning that the records containing information on her birth mother and family are sealed. Further, Wright’s adoptive and birth families did not know each other. So, it really never crossed Wright’s mind to begin any sort of search in hopes of a reunion. It was her son who suggested she take an at home DNA test to find out her genetic heritage. And just like that, she was matched with a biological family member who had also taken a DNA test. She was matched with a person who was said to be her uncle. It was at this point that she reached out saying, “If you're open to it, I would love to chat with you to see what all of this means.” It was days later that Wright and her uncle connected via a phone call. And it was this conversation that led Wright to her mother. According to her uncle, Wright’s mother lived in Los Angeles, which just happens to be where Wright also lives. Moments after the initial phone call with her uncle, the phone rang again. When she answered, the voice on the other line simply asked “is this my daughter?” and the rest is history. The two women met up the next day, a reunion 50 years in the making. But the surprises don’t end there. It turns out actress Lynne Moody is Wright’s birth mother, who also just so happened to be the star of Wright’s favorite childhood television show, That’s My Mama – something that sounds straight out of a movie script itself! The two women are now connected and will be for life. And after this half a century long experience, Moody has some wise words for us all: “Life is full of surprises sometimes, so hang in there no matter what your circumstances are, be open to miracles, be open to surprises, and keep the faith.”  

Vivian Cunningham is quite a woman. As a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she is busy. Yet, she managed to earn her college degree this year as well. On May 8, the 78-year-old graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Cunningham is no stranger to hard work. She worked as a custodian and then a mail room attendant at the Alabama Power Company while raising two children by herself. She retired in 1992, and began to complete her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies. She slowly worked towards her degree while raising her children, Donald and Tarra. A testament to her positive impact on the workplace, Alabama Power Company reimbursed her college tuition in full. When asked about her recent accomplishment, Cunningham stated, “The only thing I can say is I was just elated. It feels good to be, you know, have gone through that educational process.” Cunningham has big plans. She hopes to pursue her master’s degree. She was invited to speak with “World News Tonight” and was asked to share a few words. She began, “I would like to tell all the viewers that if you have a dream, and you are passionate about that dream, pursue it.” She finished, “Don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be done.” Cunningham is a shining example of putting your mind to something and achieving it, despite the twists and turns that may arise.

Thousands of crested toad tadpoles were sent from ZooTampa to their native island, Puerto Rico. Scientists hope that this is a step towards restoring the critically endangered amphibian in their natural habitat. The Puerto Rican crested toad is the islands only native toad species. For centuries it flourished, but for the better half of the 20^th century, it was believed to be extinct – that is up until 1967. The crested toad is an essential part of the island’s ecosystem. It is estimated that fewer than 3,000 adult toads remain in the wild outside of the current breeding initiatives. As a participating zoo in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan (one of only a few around the world), ZooTampa’s toad breeding program works toward re-populating this species through the transplanting of tadpoles. ZooTampa’s herpetology and veterinary teams worked tirelessly to replicate the natural reproduction process for these toads – from temperature-controlled habitats to playing mating calls. These needed steps were taken to ensure the toads’ success in dropping fertilized eggs. The transplant process task is easier said than done. There is only a small-time frame for the tadpoles to be safely sent to Puerto Rico. Along with this, very particular temperatures need to be maintained to ensure strong tadpoles along with ample oxygen in their shipping packages. The tadpoles arrived in Puerto Rico and are now being released into protected managed ponds where biologist will monitor their progress. "These tadpoles represent hope for this critically endangered species," said Dan Costell, associate curator of Herps & Aquatics Department at ZooTampa. "Many amphibian species, such as the Puerto Rican crested toad, are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, pollution, infectious diseases and other factors. Bolstering the population of these toads in their natural environment is a real win for conservation."  

It is no secret that going to university in the United States is an extreme luxury, with the various costs associated with attendance quickly adding up to be more than most can afford. Nonetheless, students take out thousands in loans to fulfill their dream of achieving an upper-level degree. Though graduation marks an exciting beginning for university students, it is also the beginning of a prolonged period of stress as students with loans slowly begin to pay off their debt. One university took it upon themselves to offer a helping hand to the 2020 and 2021 graduates, who have continued to succeed even in the most trying of times. Wilberforce University, America’s oldest private historically black university, surprised its graduates with the ultimate graduation gift: complete student loan cancellation. The president of the university, Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard, announced at the end of his commencement speech that the school will cancel any and all student load debt and fines owed from the classes of both 2020 and 2021. “As these graduates begin their lives as responsible adults, we are honored to be able to give them a fresh start by relieving their student debt to the university,” Pinkard said to Forbes. The loan relief comes to approximately $375,000, provided with financial support from the United Negro College Fund, Jack and Jill Inc, as well as emergency financial act through the Cares Act, the $2.2. trillion stimulus package that Congress passed last year. As we all look to navigate our new world – one that seems oddly familiar and foreign at the same time – these graduates will lead us into a better future. Wilberforce University gave these students a fresh, debt-free start – one where they can enter a world forever changed by COVID with their education as their greatest resource, ready to change the world.

Kamryn Gardner, a 7 year old from Bentonville, Arkansas likes pockets. That being said, when she reached into the sides of her pants to keep her hands warm, she was shocked to find that her pockets were sewn shut. “They were fake pockets,” said Kamryn, “It bothered me that they weren’t real pockets.” She didn’t understand why her pants did not have the pockets as her brother’s pants. Kamryn had just learned about persuasive writing and school and she decided to put her skills to the test. Kamryn’s mom also thought it would be a good life lesson to write Old Navy about her problem. Kamryn wrote, “Dear Old Navy, I do not like that the front pockets of the girls jeans are fake. I want front pockets because I want to put my hands in them. I would like to put things in them.” She continued, “Would you consider making girls jeans with front pockets that are not fake? Thank you for reading my request. Sincerely, Kamryn Gardner, age 7.” Neither Mr. or Mrs. Gardner thought it would end there. Mr. Gardner, who works in the retail industry, stated, “We honestly thought it would end there.” “We just want our kids to learn to use their own voices and solve problems. We didn’t think we’d hear from Old Navy, and that if we did, it would be a generic email.” Nobody was expecting Old Navy’s sincere response. They sent Kamryn two new pairs of shorts and two pairs of pants with real pockets. The attached note read: “Kamryn, thank you so much for taking the time to write to us about pockets on girl’s jeans...The Old Navy kids product team appreciate your information. It’s great feedback as we develop new product. In appreciation, please accept some girls bottoms for you to enjoy.” Kamryn brought the note and pants to show and tell at school. “The girls in my class are really happy about it,” she said. “They like pockets, too.” Old Navy appreciated Kamryn’s feedback and Kamryn certainly appreciates her new “real pocket” pants.  Photo Credit: Courtesy Bentonville Schools