Pavin Smith is probably every parent’s dream son. At just 21-years old, he did something rather exceptional for his beloved mom and dad.
He paid for their entire home. Now they will never have to worry about another mortgage payment again.
Pavin managed to do this despite his young age because he was the seventh overall pick in the year’s baseball draft, signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. Read the full story here ▶
He may have been a fighter to the end, but this family had always been aware Jason Shipton’s time on this good Earth was limited early on.
Jason and Amanda Shipton were no strangers to the possibility of loss as it is.
The man himself was a U.S. Marine, and was regularly deployed to the front lines in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to partake in life-threatening combat.
In fact, after being engaged for only six weeks, Jason had to leave his newly-wed bride as a two-week-old husband for his second deployment.
The pattern over the next decade or so would be familiar to any military couple or family, with Amanda being constantly worried Jason might return in a box instead.
Miraculously, however, he survived the wars he was put through just fine.
Not only that, the two of them managed to build a warm and loving family in those ten years of marriage and had two children together.
Not bad for a couple that was initially engaged for just over a month!
Alas, their happiness was not to last. Just a few weeks after celebrating Amanda’s third pregnancy, the couple was blasted with some heartbreaking news.
Jason was diagnosed with brain cancer, at the age of only 37-years-old.
A shockingly young age – especially for one who was a father of a soon-to-be-complete trio of sons.
A fighter at heart, Jason was not going to take this prognosis lying down.
Armed with Amanda’s eternal support and the same kind of steely grit and determination and proved to be of great help during his service, Jason battled through radiation and chemotherapy to outlast the original five years the doctors had given him.
The tumor was successfully beaten into submission, and Jason was able to help Amanda raise their three sons for longer than they thought possible.
Although fate had given them a brief respite and a few years of happiness with the remission of cancer, the odds were stacked against them.
It was incredibly likely that the aggressive brain tumor would return, and possibly in a location that would render it untreatable.
The family did their best, but the predicted inevitable came true – the tumor was back, and this battle was one Jason could not win.
The family was, at the very least, prepared for this. Amanda showed just why Jason married her, by proving herself to be strong and courageous during this painful time.
Later, she wrote and posted on Facebook a message about her husband, and poured out her feelings in a heartfelt post.
There, she shared about just how she feels heartbroken, but is also encouraged and strengthened by her sons.
They have, at least, grown up knowing their father, thanks to just how hard he fought to be there for them.
Jason has left a wonderful legacy, and the family has clearly been inspired by the strength he had put into loving them.
Now, they just have to learn how to live without a father and husband and do their best to live up to the legacy he had left behind.
It’s been said that “bad things happen in threes.” If that’s the case, four California children better brace themselves for the final blow.
The kids are left orphaned, wondering who will care for them and tuck them in each night, after losing both parents in separate horrific incidents within days of each other.
Tragedy for the four, ages 1 to 14-years-old, began on July 6, while on vacation with their mother, 34-year-old Annalisa Santana. Read the full story here ▶
Taylor Swift and Lisa Kudrow’s Unexpected Duet at the 1989 World Tour
Celebrity collaborations on stage are always exciting, and Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on August 26th, 2015, was no exception. Fans were in for a delightful surprise when “Friends” star Lisa Kudrow joined Swift for an unexpected and humorous performance.
A Special Guest at Swift’s Concert
During the sold-out concert, Taylor Swift teased the audience about her special guest, hinting at a performer who had only ever played in coffee houses. The excitement in the air was palpable as Swift prepared the crowd for the guest’s big venue debut.
Phoebe Buffay’s Iconic Song Live
The crowd erupted in excitement when they realized that Lisa Kudrow, best known as Phoebe Buffay from “Friends,” was the surprise guest. The highlight of the night was the live acoustic rendition of the iconic “Friends” song “Smelly Cat,” a rare and nostalgic treat for the audience.
Watch Taylor Swift and Lisa Kudrow’s unique and entertaining performance of “Smelly Cat” from the 1989 World Tour in the video below.
A California woman and mother of three was beyond shocked as her body virtually began to shut down. Come to find out, she was slowly becoming paralyzed after ingesting a common food that many people eat — and now, a scary four weeks later, she’s still in the ICU and unable to walk.
It was a day like any other for Lavinia Kelly as she was running a few errands around Walnut Grove, California.
Of course, it really doesn’t matter how busy we may be, there are a few things we all need to do – and eating is one of them. Unfortunately for Lavinia, the moment hunger struck was the moment a mundane day would turn into anyone’s worst nightmare. Read the full story here ▶
A St. Louis mother says a funeral director refused to let her see the body of her 9-month-old baby after he died in a house fire.
“These weeks have been the worst weeks of my life since I lost my son,” Dashia Martin told KCPQ.Martin’s 9-month-old son, Dashawn, was killed in a house fire.
The mother left her baby with her cousin that night so she could start searching for an apartment early the following morning. It was the first time she had left his side, she says. Read the full story here ▶
What do you like to do after a long, hard day? Go out or hibernate? After a long day at work, many of us like to go out to dinner to relax and unwind.
We may stop off at a restaurant with some of our co-workers and have a nice dinner. Sometimes we can get away at lunchtime to get away from the hectic day.
It also gives us the opportunity to relax and commiserate. Nine police officers took a moment to grab a bite to eat at a local Red Robin in Gemini Place, North Columbus. Read the full story here ▶
Both parents, Josh and Katie, were like many other couples, and they had longed to have their own family, so when Katie announced she was pregnant, they were very happy. Unfortunately, when Katie was 20 weeks pregnant, the couple received terrible news. During an ultrasound examination, the doctors reportedly discovered that there was some thickening of the neck and that the baby had club feet. Those were all markers for genetic conditions, the doctors said.
Unfortunately, with each ultrasound, his hands were clenched, and sometimes, it was very difficult to find his heartbeat. Their baby’s heart rate kept dropping, so doctors performed a c-section. When they pulled him out, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck several times. According to the parents, the doctors also had to give him a pacemaker because he couldn’t live with his heart in the rhythm it had gone into. Unfortunately, baby Dewey didn’t make it through the operation.
The lovely couple was devastated and determined to begin grieving the loss of their newborn, as is typical. But, a miracle occurred when the couple began to heal with God’s assistance. A nurse called them and informed them that they had a newborn on the fifth floor of the hospital who was in need of a mother and father. At 27 weeks, Brax was born prematurely, and now at 11 months old, he had never left the hospital. He had chronic
“I had been praying that I wanted another baby. I had tasted for the first time what it is to be a mother,” Katie decided to adopt Brax right away. The couple were inspired by their religion and knew that God brought them to this child while they were in their saddest moment after losing Dewey. “Once we brought him home, his health started to improve,” said Katie. He still needs oxygen but his movement and feeding have improved so much. He knows us and he smiles at us and can identify us. Our family has really taken to him. We have all this love because of Dewey and want to pour this love into Brax.”
Owning a pet is a lifelong commitment. You bring the animal into your home and are supposed to be responsible enough to care for them. Sadly, many people are not prepared to make that commitment.
They think getting and owning a dog is something that can be undone – that they can just dump the animal out in the world and it will all be okay. It is not okay. Blanca Cushman and her cousin live in South Carolina.
They were out running errands when they saw a small dog tied to a tree. There was no owner around. The two women didn’t want to leave the poor creature alone and tied to a tree.
When they approached, they saw the handwritten note.
The dog, Scooter, was being given away because his previous owner, Eric Dugwyler, had been arrested for narcotics possession. Eric didn’t want the police to take custody of his dog, so he gave Scooter to two of his friends.
As soon as Eric was taken away, the two friends abandoned the dog (some friends they turned out to be). At least Eric had tried to do the right thing for his dog. Unfortunately his friends were uncaring and just dumped to Scooter. Blanca posted Scooter’s story on Facebook asking for help.
Paula Langford, the operator of South Eastern Homeless Shelter, replied.
Scooter is in Paula’s capable hands, and she hopes to be able to give him a loving forever home really soon.
Share away, people.