Modern technology has been behind some of the most amazing stories of this century. This one comes from social media site, Instagram.

Nia Edwards, 23, had been out of touch with her 42 year old sister Brenda for roughly 18 years. After trying to find her through social networks Facebook and MySpace, Nia turned to Instagram, a photo sharing site. The two were reconnected about 2 weeks ago.

Nia found Brenda’s page and left a comment explaining who she was, asking if Brenda was indeed Brenda Edwards, the daughter of Milton Edwards and told her sister she hadn’t seen her since she was 4 or 5 but loved her very much.

Brenda responded that she was the right ‘Brenda Edwards’ and that she, too, had been looking for her sister. She asked if Nia had a phone.

Because of the social media hook up, not only were the 2 sisters reunited but Nia is going to get to meet an older brother she has never met before, Milton. He is planning a trip to visit Nia in Hazlehurst, Miss. over the summer.

Nia is excited because even though the 2 women barely know each other, it feels as if they’ve known each other their whole lives. The younger sibling is also hoping to reconnect with 2 other siblings, Maurice and Candace. In the meantime, they are keeping in touch via Instagram by commenting on each other’s photos.

We’ve all heard stories about the local fireman rescuing a cat stuck in a tree. What happens when the cat is stuck atop a utility pole with powerful electrical cables running off in several directions? That’s what one Las Cruces, New Mexico family found out about recently when the family pet climbed a utility pole and got stuck.

Athena, the cat, climbed the 60-foot power pole in Las Cruces and was unable to get back down. Her cries continued for 3 days as the family tried to determine what to do and prepared for the eventual probability that the cat would die.

El Paso Electric rarely gets involved in saving animals because of their policies concerning safety for their employees. This didn’t leave pet owner David Eason and his family many options but it was time to start weighing them. One idea floated out was to shoot the cat to prevent it from suffering a long, drawn out death from starvation and dehydration. Naturally, Eason’ 16 year old daughter who is the cat’s actual owner, was not in favor of this plan.

The Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Department got involved. Someone there convinced El Paso Electric to turn off the power to that line temporarily and to provide a bucket truck. Then, Lt. Mary Lou ward, a supervisor with Animal Control climbed in the bucket and was lifted to the top of the 60-foot pole where she coaxed Athena from her perch and the rescue was complete.

The family is very grateful for all the assistance they received. Eason says he believes Athena will become an indoor kitty after this adventure.

Lucas Irwin decided he’d had enough of being overweight and in 2013 set out to shed some of his 300 pounds. He kept his efforts a secret from his family for the entire year and surprised them when he came for the holidays at fit and trim weight of 170.

The big moment was captured on video and has been going viral on YouTube. Irwin hid upstairs until his parents entered the house. Then he came down stairs to gasps and excited exclamations as they laid eyes on the new Lucas.

In an interview with Today, Lucas said he only goes home to visit once or twice each year. He made an excuse for missing the summer visit so his family wouldn’t see how far he’d come already. Even though he’d achieved his goal, he felt jittery waiting for the moment of the big reveal. He described the moment as surreal and said he was shaking throughout it.

His parents, Jeff and Susan Irwin, were overjoyed to see him looking so healthy. Jeff said he was just stunned when he saw his son but on the inside was beaming with pride. Lucas’ stepmom, Susan was moved to tears by what he had accomplished.

Irwin, 25, lost 130 pounds by sticking with a strict eating regimen and changing his diet. He kept a food diary to hold himself accountable and wrote down everything he ate for the entire year. He says 95% of the weight loss came from simply making changes in his diet. He waited until 7 or 8 months into his jour4ney before he started exercising.

Because he was keeping his efforts a secret from his family, he couldn’t turn to them for support. Instead, he relied on the Internet and social media. He especially lauded the Reddit community “Lose It’ where he was able to post about his progress and find tips and other dieting help.

He has struggled with his weight his entire life and on Dec. 28, 2012, made a pledge to himself to make a change. Experts in weight loss Irwin’s method of keeping it to himself was a good one. Statistics show that when you make up your mind to do it for yourself, success rates are much higher than when you rely on others to hold you accountable.

David Schmitz was asked to appear on a local radio station as part of a “Christmas Wish” program. Schmitz was to hear a letter written by his wife before she died two years ago. You will need the tissues for this one.
Brenda Schmitz died in September of 201`1 from ovarian cancer. She left behind a blended family of four boys and her husband David. In August of that year, Brenda wrote several letters and gave them to a friend who has remained anonymous with instructions on what to do with the letters. They were to be mailed to the radio station “Star” 102.5 in Des Moines, Iowa when David found love again.

The station accepts letters each year and does what it can to grant a few of the Christmas wishes it receives. This year it received Brenda’s letter and everyone agreed they had never experienced anything like it.

It began “When you are in receipt of this letter, I will have already lost my battle to ovarian cancer.” Brenda continued to explain that she had asked her friend to mail the letter when David had moved on and found someone new to share his life with and help raise the boys. In her letter to the station, she asked for three things.

First, Brenda asked that the new woman be given a day of pampering complete with facial, manicure and massage. Brenda said in the letter that David’s new love would deserve it for being a stepmother to all those boys and wanted the woman to know that she would appreciate all her efforts.

The second wish was for a magical trip where the new family could start building memories of their own. The third wish on her list was that the doctors, nurses and staff at Mercy Hospital where she received treatment be treated to dinner, drinks and fun as a thank you for all they did.

Station manager Scott Allen said in the more than 20 years the station had done this program there had never been anything like it. As the DJ read the letter aloud, she and David were filmed in the studio. The DJ struggled to fight back the emotions she was feeling and David repeatedly dabbed at his eyes. Another letter written to Davis’ new lady, Jane, was turned over to David to be given to her privately.

When David regained his composure a bit, he said he was not surprised by Brenda’s words. He knew her to be a strong person, a great wife and mother. The station granted all three of Brenda’s wishes. The family which includes Jane’s two children will receive a four day vacation to Disney World where Jane will receive her day of pampering.

Following the devastation wrought by a series of tornadoes that ripped across Illinois this past week, one man finds a reason for joy when the family dog is discovered alive in the rubble.
Jon Byler Dann lost his home but he and his four kids were unharmed. Still, they were grieving for their dog, Maggie, who’d gone missing in the storms. When Dann and his friends examined the wreckage, though, they heard a faint barking coming from beneath the rubble. Piece by piece the wreckage was moved including a large piece of masonry that called on the teamwork of six men to lift. Maggie lay beneath, wrapped in a piece of carpeting and some insulation.
Maggie was dehydrated and suffered a dislocated hip in the ordeal. In spite of being in shock, she wagged her tail.
Aware of the impending tornado, Dann had tried unsuccessfully to coax Maggie out of her kennel and into the safety of a room where his children were. The dog was too scared and instead scratched and clawed at him. She escaped his grasp seconds before the tornado touched down.
It was then that Jon saw the debris pelting his house and felt the warm rush of wind. He bolted for the house, ran into the bathroom and pushed an amplifier in front of the door. In seconds the house was gone. He was pinned by debris and bricks. First responders freed him and his children within 15 minutes. Dann’s wife was working in Peoria, IL at the time and was unharmed.
As the storm passed, Dann and his children felt the spray of water from broken water pipes and saw clear skies above where the ceiling of their home had been just minutes before. Once he knew they were safe he began to worry about the dog. Guilt and panic riddled him so he was relieved when she was found alive.
Teegarden Veterinary Clinic tended to Maggie where her hip was reset and she was treated for dehydration. By the next day she was eating and drinking again and even began standing and walking on her injured leg.

A lone Kayaker out for some quiet time on the river is now being hailed as a hero after rescuing a family from their SUV after it went off road and careened into the river in April.

The SUV went out of control and hit a concrete mile marker, a tree and a boulder before it plunged into the American River where it came to a stop, Inside were three children and their parents. The accident occurred near Sacramento according to authorities.

Mark Divittori was on the river in his kayak when the crash occurred. He happened to be in the right place at the right time. The vehicle, badly mangled from hitting the other object, landed in the river just yards behind where he was kayaking.

Divittori told NBC reporters that he had been kayaking in that very spot just moments before the car took its plunge. He could have been hit and killed himself and counted himself lucky.

The three children managed to unfasten their own safety belts and exit the vehicle on their own. Divittori then helped each of them to safety. The driver however, was pinned in the vehicle. His wife remained with him to hold his head above water.

As though a mysterious guardian angel was working overtime, the family had another stroke of good fortune. A fire truck happened to be in the vicinity and was able to assist. They were able to get to the parents in an astounding three minutes and rescued the parents. Using a life jacket to help keep the driver’s head above water, the El Dorado County firefighters cut the roof away from the SUV.

Fire Marshal Mike Pott said the lack of recent rainfall in the area played a factor in the rescue. It kept the river from being as high or as fast-moving as it usually is. A higher, faster river would have hampered their rescue attempts and the father might not have survived his brush with death.

Officials said only the driver sustained serious injuries.

Billy Ray Harris, 55, is starting over after one event changed the entire course of his life for the better.

Attending a family reunion recently, many thought Harris was dead. They were thrilled and delighted to find him well and very much alive. Harris himself was shocked at the course of events that brought him here.

It had been more than 16 years since Harris gad seen anyone from his family. It was his sister, Robin Harris Williams, who recognized her big brother’s face when she saw a story online about a homeless man who returned an engagement ring. The story had gone viral otherwise she might not have seen it.

Billy Ray had been standing on a street corner in Kansas City, Mo. holding out his cup in hopes of generating some donations. Sarah Darling had left him a donation and along with it, had accidentally dropped her engagement ring in the cup. Harris didn’t spot the ring until he was packing it in for the day.

Curious, Harris took the ring to a local jeweler for an appraisal. The jeweler offered him $4,000 for the ring. Harris could have used that kind of money and considered accepting the offer. Instead, he chose to hold onto it for a few days to see if the owner returned. A couple of days later, Sarah Darling returned.

The story of Billy Ray’s honesty and integrity hit the media and led to him being reunited with his family. Robin says it means the world to her to have her big brother back in her life.

Robin says she began yelling as soon as she saw her brother’s picture in the article. Living in Texas, about 490 miles away, she was still able to track him down and let other family members know.

Harris’ brother Edwin Harris and sisters Elsie “EJ” Johnson and Nellie E. Vaughn also attended the reunion. Vaughn said Robin had been looking for Billy ray all this time and this was very good news.

Harris had long given up on ever seeing his family again though he never stopped worrying about them. He said he lost touch back in the 90’s. It was a rough time for him. He was depressed and on the verge of giving up.

As for Sarah Darling, she and her husband Bill Krejci have become very attached to Billy Ray. They have established a donation fund to help him out. Sarah had hoped to raise $4,000 to give Billy Ray because that was the amount he could have gotten for her ring. The fundraiser has surpassed her wildest dreams with more than 8,000 people making donations that total more than $183,000 and counting.

The experience has led to a new part-time job, some new friends and a place to sleep. With his arm around his little sister, Harris says he has it all now.

 

 

 

Ed Muir hadn’t seen his younger brother Kenneth Corcoran for 80 years but the lapsed time did not diminish Muir’s ability to recognize his sibling when he stepped off the plane last weekend. The moment he saw Corcoran, he knew he has found his long lost brother.

The last time Muir, 84 and Corcoran, 81, saw each other was in 1932 when their mother died. It was the Great Depression and their father was unable to care for five children on his own. He made the awful decision and Corcoran along with two other siblings were put up for adoption. The siblings lost track of one another. Their father remained in Chicago where he raised Muir and the remaining brother.

The reunion became possible in part because of the nine years that Corcoran’s daughter, Pam Gregerson, devoted to the research. She was ultimately unable to locate her father’s siblings and abandoned the search. In July, her teenage son took up the cause and within 15 minutes had located Muir of Naples, FL.

The meeting was arranged and the brothers were reunited last weekend. The chemistry was there and the men learned they shared many similarities including a love for the same song, “The Wabash Cannonball.”

Gregerson who attended the reunion said the men could be identical twins because the similarities are strong. She said the resemblance goes beyond the visual – the men act alike and even raised their families similarly. Are there any differences? Certainly – Corcoran is a Democrat while his brother is a Republican.

Corcoran said the weekend was the best of his 81 years and that he wished they could see each other every day. Muir said he often what had happened to his three siblings and how they turned out.

As it turns out, Corcoran was eventually adopted and moved to North Dakota. His life saw him enter the Navy, get married and father six children. Following the service he worked as a railroad lineman. The other two siblings that went to the orphanage with him have since died.

The reason it was so difficult to find Muir, in part, was due to the fact that he took his mother’s maiden name. He worked as an electrician while raising his own four children.

Though both regret the lost years, they are glad to have finally gotten the chance to meet and find out about each other’s lives.

Following an exhibition game in the Philippines, Dennis Rodman, former NBA star and notorious wild man, greeted the father he has been estranged form for 42 years. The pair last met in 1969.

Philander Rodman Jr. has been trying to meet his famous son for years. His last attempt I n 2006 occurred when the younger Rodman was in Manila for a different exhibition game. This time he scored a victory.

The elder Rodman has been living in the Philippines for more than 50years and has admitted fathering 29 children by 16 women. He hoped to have time to explain to Dennis that he never abandoned him but the two only spent a few minutes together after the game.

With just seconds left in the game, Dennis Rodman took the microphone and publicly acknowledged his father, pointing him out in the stands. There was a huge sheer when 71 year old Philander stood, wearing a red baseball cap that proclaimed “Yes, Dennis Rodman is my son.”

Afterward, the two shook hands, something they had never done before and exchanged greetings as Dennis signed autographs. Philander said he felt it was the beginning of something new.

Philander passed along his phone number and Dennis promised to call. The meeting marked a momentous change in their relationship as six years earlier; Dennis would not even speak to his father. Today Dennis says he doesn’t hate the man but would call him a friend.

The elder Rodman will return to his business, the Rodman’s Rainbow Obamaburger restaurant in northern Angeles City. He can return to work a happy man.

Scooter the pit bull was used as a weapon of terror by a homeless man as he robbed a father and his teenage son walking with their bikes along a trail by the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Knowing how the general public has a phobia of pit bulls, he tugged on Scooter’s leash, making it look as though she was eager to break her bonds and attack the pair. Convinced they would be mauled, the two victims turned over their bags to the robber.

Officers captured the robber and his accomplice and Scooter was turned over to animal services. Shelter workers determined in short order that Scooter was not aggressive in the least. After a beleaguering journey, Scooter is now a therapy dog living a happy life on 5 acres in rural Oregon.

At the shelter, Scooter displayed a loving and playful demeanor. Because pit bulls are often passed over for adoption at shelters, her demeanor began to fade. She grew frustrated and depressed. After seven months, the only time workers saw her sunny disposition was when they took her out for daily walks. Her deteriorating demeanor prolonged her stay at the shelter.

Angela Adams, 31, founded Born Again Pit Bull Rescue in 2007, where Scooter had been staying, and in late January, a spot opened up for Scooter. Merissa Micochero, 27, who owns Paw n Hand K9 and trains dogs there, took Scooter into her own home to rehabilitate her, hoping it would help Scooter find a permanent home.

Though it was evident that Scooter hadn’t lived in a home before or spent much time around kids, she adapted quickly. Her spunk and loving nature were restored almost immediately, much to Michochero’s surprise. Scooter was extremely loyal and followed her new owner around everywhere. It wasn’t long before she was welcoming belly rubs from the kids. In little more than a week, Scooter was behaving as though she had been in the family for months.

Scooter gives hope to animal service and shelter workers for other dogs of dubious breeding. All she needed was a chance to be a dog and be loved. If Scooter can bridge that gap, then so can many others.

In March, a family adopted Scooter and she went to live on 5 acres in the home of Kris Beattie, 70, a retired nurse. The 4 year-old pit bull helps Beattie cheer up nursing home patients. She also enjoys the company of Beattie’s two grandchildren and their parents who also live with her. Beattie’s 5 year old granddaughter loves to walk Scooter and put her through her paces with commands like ‘walk’ and ‘sit.’

When asked if Scooter could return to a life of crime, Beattie says sure, if I tugged on her leash but really the biggest danger you have with her is from drowning if she starts licking you.