Weddings are such a joyous, love-filled occasion for the bride and groom, but they are also a huge celebration for their families, too.

That’s why it’s always difficult when certain loved ones can’t be there on a couple’s big day, due to unchangeable circumstances like sickness, travelling, money or an even more heartbreaking situation, like this bride faced at her wedding.

For groom-to-be Brian Kurtilik, his November 7th wedding was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life, so when his 91-year-old grandmother broke her ankle just before, he and his family were devastated she couldn’t attend.

The following photos from Rachel Nolan of Hello Gorgeous Photography show how delighted Grandma Peg was when the newlyweds surprised her at the rehabilitation center she had been staying at.

“She just kept saying, ‘I can’t believe you’re here!’ and ‘I finally have a granddaughter!’ and thanking them profusely for coming to see her,” the photographer told Buzzfeed Life.

Brian told ABC News his grandmother only found out that morning that she wouldn’t be able to attend and was heartbroken.

Sadly, Peg McCormack passed away just a month after her grandson’s wedding day, but the family feels so lucky to have these special photos and story to remember her by.

Please SHARE this heartwarming story with your friends on Facebook!

[Featured Image: hellogorgeousphotography.net]

We tend to take the small things in life for granted, but this teenager’s gratitude will make you rethink life.

Trevor Sullivan is a 15-year-old from Detroit who was diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy last February. He waited eight long months to receive a heart donation, an operation that would save his life.

And when he finally received the life-saving heart, his first words after surgery will bring you to tears. The boys father, Philip Sullivan captured the heartbreaking moment as he arose from his drug-induced slumber.

“I’m so happy. I’ve been waiting so long. I can breathe again… and talk,” the grateful teenager gasped.

“It promotes organ donation and people can see the outcome of it and how happy they [patients] really are.”

Videos like this make me count my blessings. If you’d like to know more about organ donation, you can find it out here.

I don’t often express gratitude for being able to breathe daily, but I’m certainly going to count my blessings now. If this video inspired you to make the most of your life, please SHARE with friends and family and inspire gratitude in them too.

[Featured Image Credit: Philip Sullivan]

Watching the news can be completely heartbreaking. Sometimes it feels like every time I turn on the TV, I hear about some heartless monster spreading hatred in the world.

Melissa Dohme and her new soul sister, Khalessi, both know how evil human beings can be, but even though their stories are soul-crushing, they are important to hear.

Both Dohme and pit bull Khalessi are victims of terrible acts of domestic violence and abuse.

Yet the important thing is that they are both survivors, and they have teamed up with photographer Lisa Otto to tell their incredible stories of triumphing over tragedy, hoping to inspire other victims.

“I wanted to bring these two together to show that even as much abuse these two went through, both of them have the amazing ability to survive. These two had an instant connection beyond the scars that are visible,” Otto wrote on her blog.

Otto wrote that Khalessi “Has an amazing ability to love and trust humans even after everything she’s been through.”

And although most people who have been through the nightmare Dohme has, she has chosen to turn her experience around to help others still fighting.

“You can’t keep us down and we won’t be silent.” she says in the following ABC interview.

“[We will] do all we can to help other animals, and help abused women, children…men, and show that love does overcome hate.”

Want to help spread these survivors’ message of hope and love? Please SHARE their incredible story with your friends on Facebook.

[Featured Image: ABC Action News]

While this furry creature bears a striking resemblance to the scavengers we’re all too familiar with, the unusual creature is not a raccoon, but actually a tanuki, or raccoon dog, which is part of the same family of mammals as dogs, wolfs, coyotes, and foxes.

Despite being a naturally wild animals in East Asia, Twitter user chibi_tori found the small creature, which he later nicknamed ‘Tanu’, alone and in need of care.

Tanu was abandoned and when Chibi_Tori found him last June, he took the adorable creature in, and has been caring for him ever since.

Like raccoons and dogs, Tanukis are happy to eat just about anything you put in front of them, and Tanu can’t contain his happiness as he gets his yummy dinner.

Despite being covered in a fluffy coat of fur, raccoon dogs hibernate during the colder months. Tanu spends most of his days curled up napping in front of a small heater to keep warm during the winter.

Watch the entire video below to see an adorable raccoon dog in action.

Would you like to have a raccoon dog as a pet? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this with friends on Facebook.

[Featured image credit: Twitter/@chibi_tori]

Doctors and nurses who work with pediatric oncology patients are no strangers to making each day count for the children. 

But the staff at Melodies Center for Childhood Cancers in Albany, New York have gone above and beyond for a little girl named Abby, who is is battling Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

When Abby made a special request- that she wished to marry her favorite nurse named Matt Hickling, the hospital without hesitation, made it happen. 

In less than one day, they arranged a beautiful wedding for young Abby and Matt, equipt with flowers, cake, bridesmaids, and of course ring pops.

The groom wore a tuxedo t-shirt and scrubs, the bride wore a wedding dress, and each bridesmaid carried a bouquet of flowers down an aisle of rose petals. 

After the two said “I do,” they even fed eachother some cake.

Abby’s mom wrote on Facebook,

“I know the people at the Melodies Center and know their creativity and thoughtfulness but never expected all of this. Abby’s response… ‘This is the best day ever!’ We are both in awe from today’s visit and smiling ear to ear.”

The hospital staff truly made this little girl’s day, if not, life, in doing such a kind and meaningful thing for her, and it really inspired people everywhere. Some nurses even commented, “This is why I go into nursing.”

Please watch the beautiful thing this hospital did for a little girl named Abby, and SHARE it with your friends on Facebook!

[Featured Image Credit: YouTube- ALLTVCHANNEL2]

Firefighters are responsible for putting out fires, and making sure everyone is safe, yet these incredible firefighters from the Henrico County Division of Fire unit in Virginia went above and beyond the call of duty when they rescued three pups who were struggling to breathe from a fire.

When these firefighters were responding to a small fire in a garage, they quickly put the fire out before noticing a small puppy in a pen next to the garage door, and two other small puppies trying to find a way to escape.

The first responders immediately noticed that the three puppies were struggling to breathe after inhaling so much smoke, and set up special oxygen masks.

Yet the puppies were still struggling on their own even with the oxygen masks, and the Chief decided to drive them directly to an emergency center to get checked out. In a post to their Facebook page, the fire department explained: “Upon arrival all three puppies were given emergency treatment and their condition improved.”

Can you believe that these firefighters did so much to ensure these three puppies were safe and healthy? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this amazing story on Facebook.

[Featured image credit: Facebook/Henrico County Division of Fire]

You’re never too young to count your blessings, and 2-year-old baby Sutton is living proof. 

It all started one night when parents Kathryn and Caleb Whitt were putting their daughter to bed early so they could watch the NFC championship game. This would mean they had to rush through Sutton’s nighttime ritual of praying, but they didn’t think she would mind.

During a commercial break, Kathryn heard a noise coming from upstairs, and being the concerned mother she is, she checked the baby monitor to discover that Sutton was actually praying! Kathryn hit record, and the rest unfolded from there. 

Baby Sutton prayed for almost 2 minutes, thanking her parents, grandma, family, friends, neighbors and even Santa! She had a long list of people to pray for, and she was not leaving anyone out. 

When her parents watched the whole thing back, they were shocked to see that Sutton didn’t forget to pray, and she just jumped right in there. Mom Kathryn says, “We are thankful she is able to understand the power of prayer at such a young age.”

And the best part? At the end Sutton says a loud AMEN, and our hearts completely melted! 

Please watch this beautiful video and SHARE it with your friends on Facebook!

[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- Kathryn Whitt]

When a Tennessee dad and his daughter stopped by a Chick-fil-A on Monday, they witnessed an incredible act of kindness they were not expecting. 

Chick-fil-A is their normal daddy/daughter spot, and as dad Joey Mustain describes, “it’s clean, so good” and Stella enjoys playing in the playground.

Once they were done eating lunch, and Stella had worked up her dessert appetite from playing outside with the other kids, it was time to go back inside for some ice cream. Dad says, “She wanted to sit at a table to eat the cone (something we usually do in the truck), and I’m so glad she did.”

What they witnessed was a homeless man walking in and asking for some food. Mustain describes on Facebook:

“Mud was wet and caked on his well-traveled shoes. His hair was matted, and his beard wasn’t a statement as much as it was a necessity and a sign that he doesn’t get to shave as often as most of us do. People near him kept their distance, but that didn’t stop him from being kind. He spoke to people who reluctantly spoke back, and he smiled while he waited on a manager.”

All Mustain could really pick up in the conversation was the manager saying he’d love to give the man a full, warm meal (not just scraps or extras), and the only thing he required was that the man would let him pray with him. After the homeless man agreed, as busy as the restaurant was, the manager stopped everything to pray for him.  

“I heard love in that prayer. The homeless man wasn’t some untouchable stain on business. He was the reason that store opened its doors this morning (or any morning),” Mustain says.

And when dad explained to Stella the beautiful moment that she was witnessing, she stared on, and eventually bowed her head, too.

It was a day that Joey Mustain will never forget, and a life lesson that his daughter will have forever. 

Please SHARE this incredibly touching story with your friends on Facebook!

[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- JoeynKaren Mustain]

For Lance Cpl. David Pond, his military k-9 partner named Pablo was more than just a fluffy companion, he was the rock that kept them both alive during their 7-month tour in Afghanistan where Pablo’s keen nose sniffed out hidden bombs.

Pond and his Belgian malinois bonded instantly, and because of the trust between each other, they managed to survive countless hours sniffing for the roadside bombs that could kill an entire platoon, and more than 30 firefights.

“He was my rock, my foundation,” Pond, 27, said. “He saved my life more than once.”

Yet, at the end of their tour, Pond was sent back to Colorado and Pablo was sent to work stateside as part of the President’s secret service team. After fighting his way back from war, Pond was now facing a new fight: healing from a traumatic brain injury and his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Pond set out to adopt his best friend and protector who was the only one who could keep him grounded, and ultimately turned to setting up an online petition after being told Pablo wasn’t eligible for retirement.

Finally, his long journey came to an end, and the two are now helping each other heal.

“He’s the closest thing to a son I’ve ever had,” Pond said. “I love him with all my heart.”

Watch the entire video below to see the incredible moment this struggling soldier was reunited with the dog that continues to save his life.

Were you inspired by the bond between this soldier suffering with PTSD and his canine partner? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this incredible story with friends on Facebook.

[Featured image credit: NBC News]

A sweet video of a little boy with down syndrome reciting the alphabet is going viral, and you’re about to see why. 

Ever since John David was 6-months-old, mom, Hannah Marlin, has been taking him to early intervention and speech programs to help him achieve his learning goals. They had been practicing the ABC’s at The Bell Center For Early Intervention Programs for two weeks, but it wasn’t until January 24th that John David was able to recite it so clearly. 

Grandma Pam Gables Sapp grabbed her phone and started recording her daughter reciting each letter of the alphabet, and John David repeating each letter back perfectly! And when he got to the letter W, he paused for a second, but as soon as he said it, he started clapping, and was so proud of himself! It was such a special moment not only for John David, but for the entire family.

The stay-at-home mom describes,

“It’s definitely something that could give you hope. On the parents’ part, just know to keep persevering and don’t give up. They’ll reach their milestones when they’re ready.”

Marlin says that this was quite an accomplishment for John David, who can say single words, but doesn’t speak in full sentences yet. And now, people from all over the country are reaching out to her thanking her for the video, saying that they’re using it to help teach their children the ABC’s.

Marlin describes her son as the “most outgoing little boy on the planet. He doesn’t meet a stranger he doesn’t love. He’s always so happy.”

Watch this inspiring video of John David reciting his ABC’s and please SHARE it with your friends and family on Facebook!

[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- Pam Gables Sapp]

School teachers and principals dedicate their lives to giving students a safe, nurturing environment to learn and grow, yet this selfless principal did something unthinkable to save two students who were about to be hit by a school bus.

While helping students get to their buses after school had ended, one bus jumped the curb, yet just before hitting some children, Principal Susan Jordan sacrificed her own life by pushing kids out from in front of the bus. “Up to the minute she was alive, she was helping the kids,” said Rita Reith from the Indianapolis Fire Department.

Jordan’s being hailed a hero for her selfless actions, which saved the lives of two 10-year-old students, but she was a beloved member of the school well before the tragic accident.

In fact, she was so adored that people actually moved their families into the district because of her reputation as principal for over two decades. “It was for all the good things we had heard about Principal Jordan and everything that was going on (there),” said Adam Baker.

Since her death, a tribute video has resurfaced from her entire school. “She is everything I want to be when I grow up,” says one adult woman. “She is kind. She’s caring. She’s compassionate. She’s loving. She’s sincere, and she’s a professional. She makes all of us want to be even better.”

Even students loved their principal so much that they wrote a poem: “J — is for joyful to be around. O — is for organized in all you do. R — is for radiant, because you, Mrs. Jordan, are radiant. D — is for demanding because you demand we do our best every day. A — is for awesome because you’re an awesome principal. N — is for nice because you’re always nice to work with.”

Watch the touching video below to see just how much Principal Jordan was loved by her faculty and students.

[Featured image credit: CNN News]

A mother of two boys received a random act of kindness from a local repairman when her furnace stopped working.

Bridget Stevens returned to her Pennsylvania home earlier this month to discover her home chilly and her furnace dead.

Her husband Bobby, who is deployed with the National Guard, typically takes care of these things, however, he was unavailable to fix it for obvious reasons. 

But when she was handed the bill, Stevens was shocked to see the price:

“My grandfather was a milkman during the Great Depression and many times he’d go to the door and the woman didn’t have any money for milk. But the baby was crying in the background. So he’d put the milk on the table,” he explained.

“And when I heard about Bridget with her husband being deployed…I put the milk on the table.”

This story is so inspiring it will make you cry:

Betlyn insists he isn’t a hero, but rather the troops deployed overseas are the real heroes.

If you think both these men are heroes, please SHARE with friends and family!

[Featured Image Credit: Facebook]

These panda bear cubs might grow up to be 350 lbs., but for now, these tiny babies need all the love and affection they can get, which is why this panda research and breeding facility brought in a professional panda-hugger.

As part of a volunteer program, this lucky woman gets to spend all of her time watching and interacting with the panda cubs, cleaning them, and showering the babies with loving hugs and cuddles.

Volunteer programs like this are common in China, where people get to spend one-on-one time playing and caring with the baby pandas who need extra attention.

At first, one needy baby panda monopolizes all of the volunteer’s attention and cuddles, as all the other brothers and sisters crawl around on the floor next to them.

But soon enough, another baby gets jealous of the attention, and makes the girl know that he wants some of the affection.

Watch the entire video below to see how this lucky woman gets to spend her 9-5.

Would you like to cuddle baby pandas all day long? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this on Facebook.

[Featured image credit: Youtube/Most amazing pictures on the Internet]

This is just the story of a boy and his duck.

19-month-old Tyler and Beaker, a one-year-old white crested duck, are an unlikely pair of best friends who do everything together.

Parents Jennifer and Christopher Young of Magnolia, Texas already had 10 ducks in their family. 

“I don’t know the how and why they bonded,” said Jennifer. “They were just two peas in a pod.”

Unlike the other ducks, Beaker was trained to live inside the house with Tyler and the rest of the family.

Here’s an adorable video of these two best friends having play time together:

Tyler is lucky to have this companion by his side. It’s such a heartwarming story of love and affection. If you enjoyed it as much as us, please SHARE with friends and family.

[Featured Image Credit: Facebook]

Sometimes I wonder what’s worse for a dog: to live on the streets alone, trapped in a shelter with no hope, or to live with evil humans who have no business being pet parents.

After hearing the following story out of Moriches, New York, I’m not so sure life under a roof is the best place for some animals.

The Suffolk County SPCA on Long Island is offering up a $2,000 reward to anyone with information about a medium-sized dog who was reportedly tossed from an older model tan-and-white Jeep Grand Cherokee on January 18th around 4pm, says Pix 11.

According to a witness, the evil driver tossed the dog out the passenger’s side door and drove off. The confused canine continued to chase the SUV down Jerusalem Hollow Road when a car moving in the other direction struck the dog.

Miraculously, Pix 11 reported that the mixed breed dog only suffered minor bruising and is now under the care of the SPCA.

If you have any information regarding this horrific crime, please contact the Suffolk County SPCA as soon as possible at 631-382-7722.

[Featured Image: Facebook]

By now, you have likely heard about Zika, a relatively new virus transmitted by mosquitoes and understandably has people around the world up in arms due to babies being born with microcephaly

According to CNN, the disease has been confirmed in 24 different countries around the world and although The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website that the symptoms of this virus are pretty mild, the horrifying aftermath of this disease speaks for itself.

The Zika virus is known to cause terrible birth defects in newborns and women in many Caribbean and Latin American countries are being warned against getting pregnant, with other countries reconsidering their abortion laws, according to the New York Post.

Although the CDC doesn’t predict a large number of outbreaks in the United States, the fact that there is no cure or vaccine for this mosquito-borne virus is terrifying.

In Brazil alone, there have been more than 4,000 babies born with abnormally small heads and brains due to Zika since October 2015, according to BBC. Medical professionals around the U.S. are scrambling to learn what to look out for, but the best way to prepare ourselves for a potential outbreak is to know the signs.

Medical professionals around the U.S. are scrambling to learn what to look out for, but the best way to prepare ourselves for a potential outbreak is to know the signs.

Learn more in the video below and please SHARE this information with everyone you know.

[Featured Image: BBC News]

When it comes to cutting-edge equipment for the U.S. military, the navy is currently leading the way with amazing technology…

And it’s probably just as well seeing as the United States is surrounded by water in some areas, making her as vulnerable to attacks by sea as she is from land. That being the case, and in light of the threats faced by America from terrorist groups like ISIS, it’s a good thing that the Navy is getting three new ships to help protect the shores.

One of the three has just be unveiled and has a lot of people very excited indeed. That would be because the Zumwait destroyers are the very best vessels to ever grace the seas and give the U.S. an advantage, at least by sea, when it comes to dealing with enemies.

Here is a candid look at the first of the three new Zumwalts, a ship we know you will be utterly impressed with, as we were…

Corporal James Bass had been deployed for months in Kuwait, but he decided to return home to surprise his son, on what just so happened to be picture day.

8-year-old Joshua Bass was posing for his third-grade picture when dad James jumps behind him in the most epic soldier photobomb ever! Jazz-hands and all, dad smiled in the photo, imagining the incredible look on Joshua’s face once he realized who was behind him. 

So as the photographer is showing Joshua his picture, he points to the boys father, and says, “Your dad? How is he in the picture?” And when Joshua turns around, it’s pure water works. He jumps up and hugs his dad so tightly- it was definitely a homecoming for the books. 

“You still got it,” Joshua told his dad.

It warmed our hearts and it will certainly warm yours. Check out this adorable photobomb below and please SHARE it with your friends on Facebook!

[Featured Image Credit: SmashTV- Rumble]

Training a newborn puppy takes a lot of time, patience, and dedication, and this woman learned the hard way that sometimes there’ll even be a few setbacks.

Things seemed to be going really well with this newborn puppy when he quickly sits down after his owner tells him to sit, but it looks like his owner should be spending a bit more time focusing on potty training since he leaves a giant puddle of pee on the ground after his training session.

Samson, the 11-week-old puppy, was happily minding his own business chewing on his toy doll when mom decided to interrupt him and start puppy training.

However, as soon as Samson walks away from his spot, his owner finds out that while he was listening to her command to sit down, he was also leaving her a wet surprise on the floor.

Watch the entire video below to see the hysterical moment this woman realized her training session with her new puppy went terribly wrong.

Has your puppy ever done something like this when you least expected it? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE this with friends on Facebook.

[Featured image credit: Rumble/brenmichelle]

Mom, Lauren Nordberg was shocked when a complete stranger did something so kind for her and autistic son, that it restored her faith in humanity.

On January 18, Nordberg was taking her 6-year-old son Elliot for lunch at their favorite restaurant, Madison Diner, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Elliot had just finished at the dentist, and mom promised if he was good, she would take him there for some pancakes. 

It happened to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day that day, and the diner was more packed than usual, so Lauren and Elliot weren’t able to sit at their regular table. This didn’t sit well with Elliot.. 

“On top of all the chaos, I forgot to bring his ‘calm down tools’ — headphones, games, iPad,” Nordberg told TODAY.com. “Once we got seated in the wrong spot, it was just a recipe for escalation.”

In an attempt to escape the nasty looks that Nordberg was getting during Elliot’s meltdown, she took him outside to try and calm him down. 

“Without the calm down tools, there’s not a whole lot I can do to calm him down,” Nordberg said. “He was fine once we went back inside and the food came, but after he ate, he freaked out again.” 

Nordberg asked for the check, and when the owner Cyndi Moody brought a note over to her, she was floored:

A stranger had paid for their bill, and wrote a note saying, “Have a great day! You are doing a wonderful job! God bless From a mother who knows.”

Mom was so overwhelmed, she started hysterically crying. She today TODAY.com, 

“I’m used to getting stared down, not used to getting my lunch paid for and having someone write a note to demonstrate compassion. He has autism, so no matter what I do it’s not going to change him.”

She continued saying that she and her husband are used to having strangers vocalize their opinions are how they should parent Elliot. “Without knowing the circumstances, people have told me to punish him, spank him, tell me that he needs to learn respect. So to have a mom not judge me, but instead tell me I’m doing a good job was a huge moment for me,” Nordberg said. 

As much as she wished she could have thanked the compassionate woman who paid for her bill, she’s happy she kept it anonymous because she’s “viewing the world now with much more respect for humanity.”

Watch Lauren’s video below and please SHARE this incredible story with your friends on Facebook!

[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- Lauren Copp Nordberg]