Weekly Uplifting Stories - November 27th, 2023

Hello everyone, and thank you for coming back to another edition of the Weekly Uplifting Stories! 

“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” – Harold S. Kushner

We hope this weekly collection brings you even a tiny bit of hope that the world isn't full of nastiness and hate. There are all types of every day heroes and kindnesses all around us if we look for them - or better yet - if we become them ourselves.

Have a great week everyone, and enjoy this week's positive news stories!

This week, we have collected positive stories about:

• A 78-year-old grandmother who is admired for her fitness regime
• Cheerleading "Flash Dads" who encourage Kentucky elementary schoolkids
• A young British girl cleans a 55 mile stretch of beach
• A young mother leaves her legacy by paying off the medical debt of others

78-year-old woman inspires people with her fitness regime

It's never too late to take care of yourself!

Bai Jinqin got her first gym membership at the age of 60. Used to a more sedentary life of sitting for long periods of time and getting to bed late, Bai's health suffered, and she struggled with illness, including cancer.

After surviving three different operations, she decided to take a good, hard look at her lifestyle, and turned to exercise.

She started small.

“At the very beginning, my physical ability was poor and I didn’t know anything about workouts. But I strongly believe that what’s most important is to keep trying,” Bai said to the South China Morning Post

And try she did. 18 years later, Bai is approaching 80, and has worked her way from brisk walking and calisthenics to yoga, Pilates, and more high intensity workouts.

Thanks to a viral video of Bai working out, she has inspired people of all ages, and has been dubbed, "Most beautiful yoga grandma," admired by many for her dedication to her physical fitness. 

Dozens of ‘Flash Dads’ cheer on students at Kentucky elementary schools

Imagine showing up for school and having a row of people giving high fives, ringing cowbells, cheering for you, holding up signs, giving encouragement and cheering you on. In elementary schools throughout Jefferson County, Kentucky, the Flash Dads program aims to do just that.

The Flash Dads program was started seven years ago in Jefferson County Public Schools, where a group of men from the community surprise a different school once a month throughout the school year.

Many kids don't have a positive male role model in their lives, so seeing these men in their school can give them some encouragement and motivation to be at school. This initiative aims to provide students with those positive role models.

What's a Flash Dad?

"It's just dads, community members showing up for students who sometimes don't have anyone to show up for them." - Roger Collins, Flash Dad and police lieutenant

The Flash Dads make sure to reach out the kids as well, letting them know they are always there for support and mentorship if they need it.

"We're not there just that day. We're there whenever you need us. It's not a one day event, it's a lifetime event." - James Bogan, Flash Dad and army veteran

The same district will be starting a "Morning With Moms" program as well.

8-year-old girl spends her time doing beach clean-up

Rayer Waddell cares a lot about the ocean and has made it her mission in life to protect it from plastic and garbage. Her dedication has lead her to clean 300,500 plastic bottles from Blyth beach in Northumberland, in the United Kingdom. And she's only 8 years old!

Along with her family and her trusty sidekick, Cranberry the stuffed reindeer, Rayer uses her spare time to comb the 55 mile beach, collecting washed up trash and plastic bottles. They also maintain eight recycling bins along the beach, keeping them empty and clean.

‘I’ve been doing it since I was two years old. I want to keep doing it when I’m older, I want to help the animals so they don’t die. When we’re on the beach we sometimes find fossils and beautiful clam shells on the sand. I love coming to the beach.’ - Rayer

Despite her youth, Rayer is making waves when it comes to creating a plastic-free world. Teaming up with the Marine Conservation Society to lobby the government to take action against beach plastic pollution, they're pursuing a nationwide Deposit Return plan that would encourage using reusable cups for a small fee.

With people like Rayer in the world, the future certainly looks brighter!

A young mother leaves her legacy by paying off the medical debt of others

Casey McIntyre, a 38-year-old mother from Brooklyn, lost her battle with ovarian cancer earlier this month, but she leaves a legacy of kindness and hope in her wake. 

As a way to celebrate her life, and help others struggling with medical debt, Casey and her husband Andrew began planning for her memorial and debt-buying campaign back in May 2023, when she almost lost her life. 

RIP Medical Debt is a nonprofit organization that buys people's medical debt - working out to $100 of debt paid off for every dollar they receive. According to their website, they have erased over $10 billion worth of medical debt for over 7 million individuals and families in the United States. 

“What resonated for me and Casey is, you know, there’s good cancer treatment out there that people can’t afford,” he said. “Instead of dreaming of a cure for cancer, what if we could just help people who are being crushed by medical debt?” - Andrew Rose Gregory¹

After Casey passed on November 12th, her husband Andrew took to X with the message Casey had prepared, leaving loving thoughts and a link to the fundraising campaign, which will help pay off the medical debt of others.

You can find Casey's Memorial and Debt Jubilee, which has so far raised almost $700,000, on the RIP Medical Debt website. 

What Are Your Uplifting Stories? 

And there you have it! Hopefully, these stories will inspire you - or at least brighten your day with a little human sunshine. There are good things happening in the world right now too - we just have to look a little harder for them sometimes. 

If you want to get involved, you can send us your own links or Uplifting Stories by commenting below, or connecting with us on Instagram. If we publish your story, we will also give you a shoutout! 

Source: 

¹ Huffpost

Photo by Vlada Karpovich