The week's good news: December 27, 2018

1. Dad books 6 flights on Christmas Eve to spend time with flight attendant daughter

Flight attendant Pierce Vaughan was scheduled to work six flights on Christmas Eve. So, in order to spend some time with her, Pierce's dad, Hal Vaughan, booked tickets for all of them. During the flight from Fort Myers, Florida, to Detroit, he was bumped up to first class, where he sat next to Mike Levy of Ohio. Levy shared what Hal was doing on Facebook, writing, "What a fantastic father!" Hal told Levy it wasn't easy to navigate the different airports and get to the right planes, but it was fun and completely worth it to be with his daughter. On her own Facebook page, Pierce thanked all of the "patient, wonderful gate agents around the country and my perfect crew" for ensuring that her dad made it on every flight.

USA Today

2. Child uses Boy Scout skills to save mom's life

When Myles Harris saw that his mother Karmen was in distress, he kept calm — and his quick thinking saved her life. Myles, 14, and his parents visited Maui in July, not long after the Boy Scout from Oceanside, California, had taken a class in water safety and lifesaving techniques. Karmen blacked out while snorkeling, and when Myles saw she was face down in the water, he yelled for help, flipped her over, and pulled her onto the boat. By that time, she was in cardiac arrest, and a defibrillator was used to restart her heart. "You never know how you're going to react in a situation like that," Myles told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "I'm glad I was prepared and that everything turned out." The Buena Creek District surprised him with a Medal of Merit, an honor from the Boy Scouts of America. "I'm really proud of my son," Karmen said.

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The San Diego Union-Tribune

3. American becomes 1st person to cross Antarctica solo and unassisted

After 53 grueling days trekking through Antarctica, American adventurer Colin O'Brady on Wednesday became the first person to cross the continent solo and unassisted. O'Brady, 33, embarked on the journey on Nov. 3, and traveled 932 miles, finishing the last 80 miles in 33 hours. O'Brady had to drag a 375-pound sled containing all the food and materials he needed, boil ice and snow for drinking water, and sleep with his wet clothes so his body heat could dry them. While vacationing in Thailand 10 years ago, O'Brady sustained burns on 25 percent of his body, and after recovering, began racing in triathlons. He has since climbed the highest peaks on every continent and in every U.S. state.

BBC News

4. The world's only known albino orangutan is loving life back in the wild

Alba was starving and dehydrated in an Indonesian village a little more than a year ago. Today she's back in the wild and thriving. The world's only known albino orangutan, Alba was being kept in a cage as a pet when conservationists discovered her in 2017. The five-year-old is part of a critically endangered species, found only on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. After recuperating in a rehabilitation facility and tripling her weight, conservationists decided she was ready to move on, and she's been doing great since being released into Indonesia's Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park on Friday. She spends her days climbing 15-foot trees and foraging for food. The park is stocked with staff to deter poachers, and Alba is being electronically tracked in hopes that she can keep loving her jungle home for years to come.

The Sydney Morning Herald Channel NewsAsia

5. 22 artists transform unsightly grain silo into the world's largest outdoor mural

Thanks to a lot of paint and the imaginations of 22 artists, a dull grain silo in South Korea is now the world's largest outdoor mural. The city of Incheon and its port authority commissioned the mural, wanting to show people that old industrial facilities don't have to be eyesores. The nearly two dozen artists designed a mural that tells the story of a boy as he grows up and lives through different seasons. The mural cost $487,000 and took more than 224,546 gallons of paint to finish. It was just certified by Guinness World Records.

AFP