Good News Tuesday for September 27, 2022: Author Reconnects with Teacher, Blood Test for Early Cancer Detection, Regenerative Agriculture in Mexico, and a Special Police Dog

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Author Reconnects with Teacher Who Taught Him to Read

Jamil Jan Kochai was a baby when his family moved to the US from Afghanistan. Due to his family’s moves, by second grade he was having a very hard time with reading and speaking English. His teacher, Ms. Lung worked with him every day after school teaching him to read. As an adult, Jamil who is now an author, spent decades trying to find his second-grade teacher. I hope you will read this moving story and find out how they reconnected.

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A Blood Test Can Detect Multiple Types of Cancer in Early Stages

A recent clinical trial involved 6,621 adults over 50 who took the Galleri blood test looking for early-stage cancer. In the 92 patients who tested positive, none had symptoms though 35 had solid tumors which were either too small to be detected normally or are not routinely tested. The Good News Network has details.

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Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry Improve Yield While Restoring Nature in Mexico

In the Mexican State of Chiapas, farmers, ranchers, and conservationists are working together to restore natural processes. Maria Luisa Gordillo Mendoza stated that with technical assistance and working to boost soil health, her corn yields have grown. One strategy used was growing beans with the corn to fix nitrogen and create organic cover to maintain moisture and reduce the need for herbicides. You can read more from goodgoodgood.com.

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Police Dog Awarded for Lifesaving Retires to Run on the Beach

A German Shepherd named Luna was honored with the Thin Blue Paw award after saving 38 lives during her 8-year career on the Scottish Police Force. Luna retired in June and now gets to run on the beach. You can read about Luna in this article from the Good News Network. Plus, here’s a video of Luna with her handler and guardian, Linda McBride.

PS. I wish all police and military dogs only did search and rescue and got to retire safely to live with their handlers.

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Good News Tuesday for Oct. 27, 2020: Teen’s Research to Fight Covid 19, Conservation Progress, Drones in the Rainforest, and a Teacher Saves Grandma

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Middle School Student Wins 25,000 for Research to Help Fight Covid-19

Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old from Texas, won the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge, which has been described as “the nation’s premier middle school science competition.”  In her research, “….which included analyzing close to 700 million compounds,” Anika discovered a molecule that can bind to the spike protein of COVID-19. You can read more in this article from Good Morning America.

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Conservation Efforts Have Made a Difference

Up to 48 species would have become extinct without reintroduction programs, zoo-based conservation, and legal protections enacted since 1993 when the UN Convention on Biological Diversity came into force. Here’s more from The Guardian

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Drones Help Indigenous People Spot Illegal Logging in the Amazon Rainforest

With help from the World Wildlife Fund, indigenous Andean tribes are starting to use drones to help protect wildlife and collect evidence on illegal logging in the rainforest. This article from the Good News Network includes an informative video.

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Teacher Saves Grandma

On September 22, first grade teacher Julia Koch was teaching her virtual class when she got a call from grandparent Cynthia Phillips about technical difficulties. Ms. Koch noticed Ms. Phillips was having trouble speaking and knew something was wrong. It turns out Ms. Phillips was having a stroke. You can read about how Ms. Koch got help for her student’s grandmother and also sign up for CNN’s Good Stuff here.

Plus, here’s a video!

Thank you to all the teachers on the front lines, virtually and in person!

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Got good news?

Please share your good news in the comments or create your own Good News Post and link it back here!

Good News Tuesday: Immunotherapy, Rainforest Helpers, and Gifts from a Retired Teacher

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Immunotherapy Treatment Eliminated All Tumors in Woman with Advanced Breast Cancer.

A new immunotherapy approach removed all the tumors in a woman with advanced metastatic breast cancer. The research done by the National Cancer Institute was published in Nature Medicine and involves the enhancement of naturally occurring tumor infiltrating lymphocytes.  Here’s the story from Forbes.

Hope for the Rainforest

The news about the fires in the Amazon rainforest is far from good, but there are helpers. The article below headlines the Group of Seven countries vowing to help Brazil fight the fires. The article also mentions investigations into how the fires got started and strong voices of the people of South America demanding more protection for the lungs of the planet. This does not mean everything is going to be okay. Our planet is screaming for help. I’m thankful that some people are starting to take this seriously, and I hold up these stories in hopes of giving them, the helpers, power.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/08/25/g7-leaders-vow-to-help-brazil-fight-fires-repair-damage/23801225/

Leonardo DiCaprio is contributing five million dollars to the Amazon Forest Fund, an emergency response created by Earth Alliance. Here’s more from the Good News Network.

This article gives suggestions about what we can all do to help including reducing our consumption of paper, wood, beef, soybeans, and palm oil.

Finally, here’s the story of chief Ajareaty Waiapi, and her mission to save Brazil’s forests.

Please join me in praying for whatever is needed to stop the fires in Brazil and for the healing of our precious planet.

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He Remembered His Teacher

Chris is a 30 year old man with special needs and operates cognitively on a 6th grade level. He was wandering the streets when police stopped him. When they asked him who they could call to help him, Chris could only remember the name of his middle school teacher, Miss Gerard, who ended up taking him. Michell Gerard plans to become Chris’s guardian. She discovered he had never had a birthday party. Watch what happened!

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Good news is out there!

Feel free to share your good news in the comments or write your own Good News Tuesday post and link it back here.

Good News Tuesday: Teacher Recognition, Alternative Energy, Welcoming Students, and BEES

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Teacher from Kenya Wins Global Teacher Award

The world is full of hardworking and dedicated teachers who deserve our respect, recognition and support. This story is about one teacher, Franciscan Brother Peter Tabici who was recently awarded the Global Teacher Award in Dubai. He teaches math and physics in a remote area of Kenya where most of his students come from very poor families. His school only has one computer with internet. They have no library, no kitchen, and a shortage of teachers. Brother Tabici donates 80% of his earnings to community projects and plans to use the one million dollar prize to help his school. After losing his mother at age 11, he was raised by his father who is also a teacher. In the following video, the father is invited on stage at the award ceremony.

 

 

You can learn more about Peter from his Global Teacher finalist video, including his starting a peace club which plants trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Good News for Alternative Energy

This article from The Guardian reports on a study showing that coal production in the US is more expensive than wind or solar.  We are now at a “coal crossover” point.

By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar, even when factoring in the construction of new wind turbines and solar panels.   (The Guardian)

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Students Welcome New Kid who was Bullied at Former School

This short, sweet video about Azzy – the new kid in school – will make you smile.

 

 

 

 

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Morgan Freeman’s Bee Sanctuary

Morgan Freeman, one of my favorite actors who played God in Bruce Almighty and the US President in Deep Impact, has turned his Mississippi ranch into a bee sanctuary. He imported 26 bee hives from Arkansas and and has planted bee-friendly Magnolia trees and lavender. I didn’t realize that Mr. Freeman is 81 which reminds me it’s never to late for a new project. Read more about the ranch and why it’s so important to save bees  here.

 

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Got Good News? Feel free to share in the comments!

Good News Tuesday: Diversity, An Inspiring Teenager, A Teacher’s Support, and Animals

Diversity in the Oscars

Though I don’t watch movies much these days, I was happy to see progress in this year’s Academy Awards recognizing and celebrating diversity.

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A New House

John Hudson Dilgen was born with epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin condition that brings challenges like open wounds, pain, sensitivity to cold, and limited mobility.  In one video, his father said 50 to 70 % of John’s body has no skin on it. His family asked the Tunnels to Towers Program if they would build a bath tub in their kitchen. Instead, they got a whole new “Smart Home.” John’s gratitude in the following video is very moving. In watching other videos with John, I was impressed by his maturity, intelligence, humor, and caring personality.

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Homeless Dog Becomes a Star and Moves in with Trainer

Shelby was a stray digging for food in a Tennessee Landfill near heavy traffic when an animal control officer found her. With her friendly personality, she was happy to get in the truck. Shelby’s adoption photo was spotted by Teresa Ann Miller, an experienced dog trainer looking for a dog to play “Bella” in the movie, A Dog’s Way Home.  The movie is based on a novel who’s author “insisted that the canine actor be a rescue dog in order to properly advocate for the novel’s message.”  Ms. Miller found Shelby’s temperament and intelligence to be perfect. Shelby now lives with her trainer and works as a therapy dog.

 

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Kindergarten Teacher Cuts Her Own Hair to Support Student

After five year old Priscilla had to get her  hair cut, other students made fun of her. They said she looked like a boy. She felt school wasn’t fun anymore and started to wear a hat all the time. Over Christmas break, her teacher, Ms. Grimm cut her hair waist-length hair short like Priscilla’s to support her student.

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Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Populations Recovering in US

Image from NOAA via Global Citizen

 

“When animal habitats are protected, animals tend to thrive.”

Global Citizen reports on research published in January showing the positive effect of the US Endangered Species Act (which may be in danger.) “A team of researchers looked at 31 marine populations and found that the populations of 78% of marine mammals and 75% of sea turtles rebounded after receiving protections under the law.”

Read More: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/sea-turtle-populations-increase/?mc_cid=bdfb9d403e&mc_eid=16420dc8f1

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Got good news? Please feel free to share in the comments!

It can be global, local, or personal.

A High School Teacher Faces The Day After

This isn’t exactly a NEWS story but it’s a story full of goodness and hope. I found it as public Facebook post belonging to a high school teacher who I do not know personally.  I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing it here. (It had over 13, 000 fb shares.) Her story made me cry in the best way.

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“Today was really hard for me. Today was the first time I had to teach the day after a mass school shooting. I dreaded facing my students this morning, and as the first students walked in, I began to feel the anxiety pooling in my stomach. I was dreading one, specific question. Soon after class began, a freshman asked me the question I had been dreading since I had heard about the tragedy in Florida.

“Mrs. Schimmoeller,” she asked. “What will we do if a shooter comes in your room?”

My stomach sank. I launched into my pre-planned speech about our plan of action. Then, I knew I had to say the harder part: “I want you to know that I care deeply about each and every one of you and that I will do everything I can to protect you. But – being in a wheelchair, I will not be able to protect you the way an able-bodied teacher will. And if there is a chance for you to escape, I want you to go. Do not worry about me. Your safety is my number one priority.”

Slowly, quietly, as the words I had said sunk in, another student raised their hand. She said, “Mrs. Schimmoeller, we already talked about it. If anything happens, we are going to carry you.”

I lost it. With tears in my eyes as I type this, I want my friends and family to know that I understand that it is hard to find the good in the world, especially after a tragedy like the one that we have watched unfold, but there is good. True goodness. It was found in the hearts of my students today.”

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A Perfect Match would be a Miracle

This story is about a teacher who asked questions. The student’s mom needed a kidney transplant, but due to her rare blood type, the odds were slim. A perfect match would be a miracle.

Here’s the good news:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teacher-donates-kidney-to-students-mother/

 

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