The week's good news: February 2, 2017

It wasn't all bad!

Jahkil (front, gray shirt), his friends, and the makings of their blessing bags.
(Image credit: Courtesy IAmNaeem.com)

1. Babysitter gives infant the gift of life

Once Kiersten Miles decided she was going to donate part of her liver to Talia Rosko, nothing could change her mind. Miles, 22, of New Jersey had been Rosko's babysitter for just three weeks when she found out the now-16-month-old had an illness and required a liver transplant. Doctors told Miles that a person can only donate once in their life, and Rosko's parents urged her to take her time making a decision, but her mind was made up. "Some of her doctors said she possibly wouldn't have made it past two years old," Miles told Fox 29. "All I had to do was be in the hospital for a week and a five-inch scar." After six months of testing and filling out paperwork, Miles and Rosko had their surgeries in January, and are both doing well.

2. Boston Marathon bombing survivor to marry fireman who saved her

As Roseann Sdoia lay in a hospital bed in April 2013, love was the last thing on her mind. She was recovering from the amputation of her right leg, having been badly wounded in the Boston Marathon bombing. But Sdoia's mother was impressed with the fireman, Mike Materia, who'd accompanied her injured daughter to the hospital. "She was like, 'He's so cute,'" said Sdoia. "And I was like, 'Mom, I just got blown up.'" Materia, 37, continued to check in on Sdoia, 48. As the weeks passed, the pair fell for each other and recently got engaged. "I do feel that things happen for a reason," says Sdoia.

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New York Post

3. Strangers raise $117,000 to keep 110-year-old WWII veteran in his home

Richard Overton, 110, has lived in his Austin, Texas, home for nearly 70 years, and thanks to the kindness of others, he's not leaving anytime soon. Overton is believed to be the oldest living World War II veteran in the U.S., and when his caretaker had to retire, his family was worried he would have to move into a retirement home and leave behind his beloved house. A cousin started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for around-the-clock care, and $117,000 has been raised so far, enough to cover seven months. Overton, who has no major health problems, enjoys a daily cigar, a shot of whiskey, and keeping an eye on the neighborhood. "His front porch is a special place," third cousin Volma Overton told ABC News. "He always sits there and waves to people and everyone just comes by and talks to him."

ABC News

4. In this Colorado neighborhood, the paperboy has 4 legs

For the last 11 years, Paul Goldan's neighbors in Boulder, Colorado, haven't had to go far to get their morning newspaper. Every day, Goldan and his dog Quincy make the rounds, with Quincy going from house to house, fetching the newspaper at the end of the driveway and trotting it up to the front porch, so the receiver doesn't have to walk too far. "It's just nice to give to your neighbors," Goldan said. They do this every day, no matter the weather — in fact, Quincy loves digging for newspapers buried in the snow — and after every successful delivery, Quincy is rewarded with a treat.

KUSA

5. 9-year-old distributes thousands of 'blessing bags' to Chicago's homeless

After spending time with his aunt feeding the homeless, Jahkil Jackson, 9, of Chicago saw firsthand the difficulties they faced, and jumped into action. With his mother, Jackson launched the nonprofit organization iAMNaeem. They purchase everyday items like toothbrushes, socks, soap, granola bars, and deodorant and place them in "blessing bags." The bags are packed up in the back of Jackson's godfather's pickup, and distributed on the streets. So far, Jackson has handed out almost 2,000 bags, and he hopes to hit 5,000 by the end of the year. "In a perfect world, I would buy every homeless person a house," he told USA Today. "But since I can't do that, I will try to help as much as I can."

USA Today

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.