The week's good news: July 27, 2017
It wasn't all bad!
- 1. Student saves CPR instructor's life after he has heart attack in class
- 2. Bride writes sweet vows for 4-year-old stepson
- 3. Triple amputee jiujitsu fighter clinches first victory in Texas
- 4. Wish comes true for 9-year-old when he becomes CEO for the day
- 5. Toddler bikers from around the world race in Salt Lake City
1. Student saves CPR instructor's life after he has heart attack in class
A retired nurse teaching a first aid class was saved by another retired nurse taking his course as a refresher. David Knowles, 77, was just starting the first CPR class he was instructing at his church in England, when he started to feel ill. Not knowing how much time he had before he might pass out, he started instructing the class on what to do to help him. "The whole group was up on its feet, looking like they weren't doing very well, either," Knowles told Inside Edition. Once he stopped breathing and the students knew this wasn't part of the lesson, Karol Chew, a retired nurse, gave Knowles CPR. Knowles was placed in a medically induced coma because the damage to his heart was so great, and when he woke up more than two weeks later, he couldn't remember much — except that Chew's CPR is likely what saved his life.
2. Bride writes sweet vows for 4-year-old stepson
At Emily Leehan and Joshua Newville's wedding in Ripley, New York, last weekend, the bride declared her love in front of friends and family not only for her husband, but also her new stepson, Gage. In vows she wrote for the 4-year-old, Leehan said, "I want you to be safe and to try your hardest and to be a good person. I know that you and I will butt heads, but I hope that with all my heart, that as you become a grown man, you will understand my methods and realize that I have only done what is best for you and that I love you." She added, "I may not have given you the gift of life, but life surely gave me the gift of you." Her words moved Gage to tears. Leehan, a senior airman in the Air Force, told HuffPost his reaction "meant everything" to her.
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3. Triple amputee jiujitsu fighter clinches first victory in Texas
Joey Bozik is one of the most remarkable jiujitsu fighters in the world. The Iraq veteran is a triple amputee who competes with no legs and an amputated arm — and who uses his other arm, which has about 70 percent capability, to overcome opponents. He has traveled to Brazil numerous times to compete in international competitions, but only clinched his first win last week in Texas. This time around, Bozik, 36, forced his opponent to tap out with only half a second left on the clock by locking the man’s arm into an L-shape. "This single experience has been years in the making," said Bozik.
4. Wish comes true for 9-year-old when he becomes CEO for the day
Adrian McKinney II is only 9, but already has his future planned: He's going to be a CEO. The Ohio resident got a taste for the executive life on July 10, when he was CEO for the day at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. McKinney has sickle cell anemia, and last year, while recovering from a bone marrow transplant, Make-A-Wish sent his family to Hawaii. During a gala earlier this year, McKinney met Doug Kelly, CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. "He said, 'Have you been thinking about the future for your wish?'" McKinney told InsideEdition.com. "I said, 'Yes. I want your job.'" On the spot, Kelly told McKinney he could take over for one day. "It was pretty amazing," McKinney said. He showed up at the office in a suit and bow tie, gave a speech, accepted a donation, and led a staff meeting.
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5. Toddler bikers from around the world race in Salt Lake City
Last weekend in Salt Lake City, some of the world's youngest bike riders faced off in the 2017 Strider Cup World Championship. Toddler balance-bike racing is "the country's cutest sport," Strider Bikes said, and nearly 400 racers, from 18 months to 5 years old, participated in the championship. They came from all over the United States, plus 14 countries, including Japan, Australia, Thailand, Tahiti, and Sweden, taking on a 750-foot course filled with obstacles, water features, and ramps. There were also Special Needs Races, open to racers of all ages and abilities, with several Special Olympics teams involved. Mom Melissa Clark, whose 9-year-old twins Sara and Emma participated, said riding balance bikes helps them with their "balance, coordination, and confidence. They loved the race. It was so exciting and fun for them to do something like this."
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.
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