Oprah's Leadership Academy

As a principal, I think it is good news whenever the media highlights the power of education. This story is especially inspiring from what I'm told. I had two teachers pull me aside the day after it first aired and tell me about how it was so good to see. It will be aired again March 3 at 7pm central time.

What is nice about Oprah's Leadership Academy is not necessarily the 52 acres of campus, or the matching uniforms. It's not the murals or the beauty salon some are making fun of. To me, the beauty of the story is that the 152 girls who will be going to her academy will be safe. This is what was quoted by a primary teacher in this story. "Those girls who went to Oprah, they are going to be safe," Mohulo says. "They are much better off."

Why is it we have places left in this world where kids are hungry or orphaned or not educated? Every effort we make to help teach children is an effort to be applauded. Each tiny gesture we make to help kids be safe is an effort to celebrate and wrap around us like a quilt hand sewn by our grandmothers. Oprah is creating a space where girls can learn and be challenged and become future leaders of South Africa. More importantly (to me), Oprah is creating a space where girls can wake up and go to school and not worry about anything other than learning. The fear has been taken away and room is made in their world for knowledge.

Today I sat in a meeting about a girl in our school who has been acting out. She has recently begun to steal from teachers and fellow students. She has been caught on a few occasions, and we met to try and help her make better decisions. The girl seemed remorseful to an extent, but she also just seemed very tired. There is much in her world that makes her space unsafe. But there was this magical moment when a teacher was retelling what was stolen from her, and the girl just dropped her eyes and used her hands to cover her face to try and hide. The teacher reached out, took this girls hands and held them in her own. The teacher looked at this girl in the eyes and told her "I will not give up on you. I made your mother a promise. I will not let you go." The sincerity of the gesture warmed the room and gave this girl a safe place to be.

This is what education is about.

ps. You can donate to the Oprah Leadership Academy. Better yet, find a school in your area where the community is affected by poverty and go listen to kids read. It does make a difference.

(Image taken from this location:http://a.abcnews.com/images/ThisWeek/ap_oprah_070105_sp.jpg)

Pay it Forward

This is a real life version of pay it forward, just like in the movie. In this story, each member of a congregation was given a crisp $100 bill to use to make more and give back to the community in some way.

Through private donations, members of the St. Barnabas Church in Northfield, Ohio were each given the challenge to take the $100 and make good use of it. It was seed money to be built into something more. And it worked out fabulously.

One woman was able to raise $8000 through a bake sale. Another teenage girl used the $100 to make beaded bracelets and blankets to sell and she donated the money to a local hospital. She was able to raise $1,230.

This project, called The Kingdom Assignment, is a fun way for people to pull together their resources and make something new. It puts people in a place where they get to be creative and have fun while they brainstorm how to make the most out of their $100, all in an effort to give it away. What a great way to make good.

(Image located at this location: http://www.newsnet5.com/2007/0212/10989651.jpg)

Loving your Job

I'm starting to love the Daryn Kagan site for it's upbeat collection of stories. I try to spread the source of news around, but she seems to have a great eye for good stories. This one isn't any different.

Hartford's Officer Don Healey has been on the job for 49 years. He started in 1957. He could have retired at 20 years, but he didn't want to sit around and watch TV. He likes being a police officer, and people like him.

So often we talk about doing what you love for work. And when we talk about all of the possibilities, sometimes people choose what they think they "should" do for a living. And when we talk about The Secret, it is hard for some to believe that not everyone wants to be powerful and have a lot of money and somehow become famous. This story is one example that not everyone wants to be the same thing. Not everyone aspires to be beautiful or rich or powerful. Don Healey has been happy being a police officer. Now maybe he wanted to be the Chief of Police at some time, but I doubt it. He is doing what he loves, and it shows.

His badge number is #1.

Don Healey is a great reminder for me to follow my heart, and not do what others think I should do. If I stay in that job I don't like, what I'm really doing is taking away the opportunity for the perfect person to take their perfect job -- the one I hate. We are all here for our own unique adventure, and thank goodness. There are many jobs I wouldn't be very good at.

PS. I love being an elementary school principal.

Don't Give Up

Patrick Henry Hughes was born without eyes and he can't walk, but he is a member of the Louisville Cardinals marching band. This is a great story. With a little help from his dad, Patrick is able to use his talents as a trumpet player and play in both the pep and marching band.

Well, OK, it isn't really fair to say a "little" help. His father has to put in a significant amount of time to help his son, but dad feels he is still living a blessed life and enjoys it. Dad was working as a systems analyst, but traded in that day job for a night job with UPS working from 10:30 pm to 5:00 am. He then sleeps from 6:00 am to 11:00 am and gets up in time to take Patrick to his classes. Throw on top of the classes, rehearsals for the marching band and pep band and it's a full schedule. In the video, dad admits he gets tired once in awhile. But, dad adds, it is worth it when he can sit back and is see all that his son can do, and watch how his son inspires others. Again, he considers it a blessing.

You can see this story also on video and I find the visuals even more fun when you get to see Patrick as a little tyke at the piano.

Like the story posted a few days earlier about Kyle Maynard, Patrick Henry Hughes doesn't know life any differently, and he is going to make the most of it. How many times do we find inconveniences enough of an excuse not to start that book we've been meaning to write, or maybe we never seem to get enrolled in the classes we've been meaning to take. Truth is, today is the only day we know we have, because today is here. Yesterday cannot be lived again and tomorrow isn't a sure thing. So today is the day. What is it you have always been wanting to do. What dreams have you carried with you to "now"? If you know what they are, do one thing today to make those dreams closer to reality. You'd be surprised how a few small steps can make an avalanche of opportunity. Think about it.

(Image found at this location: http://media.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2006/oct/trumpet200x250.jpg)

Nice Guy Keeps the Store Going

In small town America, it is hard to keep things going. Often young people have to move away to find a job. Farming isn't quite like it used to be. There isn't much going on in regards to economy or opportunity. But in this story, there's a bit of hope in the air.

In Truman, Minnesota, the small community had lost its grocery store. The same had happened to my grandma's little town. Once the grocery store was gone, the life of the town seemed to slip away. Nick Graham had other ideas in mind for his hometown.

Nick had been working odd jobs and helped his uncle on the turkey farm. He was able to save up about $10,000 and used this money for a down payment to buy the grocery store in Truman. He reopened the grocery store, and now he works there whenever he can, keeping the place going. People are so thankful to have their store open again, some have volunteered to stock shelves. Everyone does their best to shop there. They are so happy for the convenience of a store nearby.

You have to watch the video of the same story if you can. Not just because it is an example of good, midwestern (Minnesota) accent, but also because this Nick Graham is such a great guy. He's only 17 years old, and he's changing his corner of the world in immeasurable ways, bringing a community together.


(Image found at this location: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/15/assignment_america/main2272837.shtml)

Peace Train

Now this isn't exactly what I would call news, but it did make me say "wow" out loud. It will make it obvious to everyone that I am a peace person. In my writing here, I try not to be political, and I apologize to those of you who think that's what I'm trying to do here. The truth is, I'm a people person. And look at these beautiful people, and the beautiful place that they live. Why aren't we seeing these images in the news?

Enough of me talking. Take time to look at this 2 minute video.
Check it out here: http://www.lucasgray.com/video/peacetrain.html

Pass it on.

(This image found at this location:http://beachblogger.net/pics/media/peace_train_400_060308.gif)

Amputee becomes Great Wrestler

Kyle Maynard has been competitive all of his life. Until tonight, I haven't heard about him, but it seems he's old news. Been in the news since 2004 when he began college and just after he was in the Georgia State Championships for wrestling. He was interviewd by Larry King and is on the Washington Speaker's Bureau. He is a weightlifter and broke the world record for modified bench press at the Arnold (as in Schwarzenegger's) Fitness Classic. Just a hardworking guy with a competitive spirit. Really isn't any big deal other than the fact he has no arms beyond the elbow and no legs below the knee.

He was born with a condition known as congenital amputation. It is rare that this condition affects all four limbs, but for Kyle it did and he has not missed a beat.

You can see him on a video clip living his life (writing papers, typing, and hanging out) as well as a video displaying his skills as a wrestler.

Next time we find ourselves all worried about what's not working in our life, it will be good to remember how much some people have to overcome. It will help me keep to things into perspective. I'm looking forward to reading his book No Excuses. It's true.

And I love what he said in his interview with Larry King. . ."We have to have a crutch, though, at times. And I have -- I do believe that I was blessed in the sense that the challenges that I have to face in life really mold the person that I've become today. I think without that, then I wouldn't have ever been able to succeed."

Now there is gratitude in action.

There is so much to be thankful for when we take time to look.

(Image found at this location: http://www.csw.edu/209647.ihtml)

Snow Angel Record

When was the last time you made a snow angel? When was the first time? For 99 year old Pauline Jaeger, she was trying it for the first time with about 8,900 other people. These North Dakotans have all joined together to try and break the snow angel record, which until this point has been held by students at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, who had made 3,784 snow angels.

Lots of different people are joining in. Grandma and grandpas, snow plow drivers, kids with their parents, teenagers...just about anyone willing to lay in the snow and wave your arms and legs around.

You forget about how much fun snow angels can be. Besides throwing your body down, there is the delicate business of getting up and out of your snow angel without disturbing your "wings" or your "garments". It helps to have an extra hand around to give you a boost. We used to also draw in robe belts and a halo to add to the effect. Showing our four year old how to make snow angels adds to the magic. Too bad I wasn't in town for the event. I would have signed up and brought my warm wraps just for an excuse to play in the snow.

(Image found at this location: http://hosted.ap.org/photos/N/NDWK10202172020-small.jpg)

From Rags to Riches

This is a real life story that I have been missing all along. I stumbled across this story on 20/20 and then came to realize it is the story the movie Pursuit of Happyness is all about. Now I've got to go see the movie.

The story is about Christopher Gardner who came from a tough background and challenging childhood. He joined the Navy and once he completed his four years, began working as a medical supply salesman in San Francisco. He was married and had an infant son. He then met a man in a red Ferrari who was looking for a parking space. Gardner gave up his parking spot in return for two questions. 1) What do you do? and 2) How do you do that? Turned out the man was a stockbrocker and Christopher Gardner decided that was what he was meant to be.

He began to knock on doors and make phone calls and continue to reach out until he finally found a position as a trainee. Unfortunately, the man who had given him the trainee position was later fired. Gardner was back looking to learn. At some point Gardner was faced with $1200 in parking fines and couldn't pay. He was placed in jail. His wife left him. And he was starting over. (Sidenote: isn't it interesting that parking a car brought both the best and the worst to Gardner's life?)

After spending his time in jail, his ex-wife brought Chris Jr. to him. Gardner had decided earlier in his life that he would always be there for his kids, so he kept Chris Jr., even though the boardinghouse where he was living would not allow kids. Now he was united with his son, but they had no place to stay. They were homeless.

Gardner was receiving a small stipend as an intern with a new company, but like many who receive minimal pay, Gardner could not afford all that they needed. He struggled to find daycare, and often they had to decide between food and a cheap hotel. Gardner remembers how some of the local "ladies of the night" would give his baby boy a $5 bill as he pushed the stroller along. He remembers how those few dollars were often the only way they could afford dinner.

Gardner and Chris Jr. used the train bathroom to clean up, and at times could lock the door if they needed time. While waiting in a food line, Gardner met Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. Rev. Williams was setting up a shelter for young mothers. Gardner asked to be considered for the program, and Rev. Williams found a way to give him support.

In 1981 Gardner passed his stockbrocker's exam on the first try, and his career took off. They eventually found an apartment and Gardner became the top producer of his company. He moved to another company and also became the top producer there before he broke away and began his own firm. Now Gardner is a multimillionaire with offices in three cities...and a book and a movie about his life.

He remembers his mother telling him he could be a millionaire, and Gardner believed it. That is the power we have as grown ups. Remember that if you talk to a kid today, say something that will inspire. Everything we ever say to children should only bring hope and courage. And in this case, the words Gardner's mother spoke fueled the fire that kept him going. Sometimes all it takes is one person to believe in you, and then you can believe too. We all have the power to be anything we want, if we truly want it. The key is to believe.

Check out the written transcript of the 20/20 story here.
Check out the 20/20 video with Gardner himself filmed with part 1 here and part 2 here.
Another great bio can be found here.

(Image found at this location: http://www.csw.edu/files/images/hws%20and%20dls/gardner_Resized_228x289.jpg)

John Gebhardt Comforts a Small Girl

I know, I know...this story will cause many to raise up and take their stand on the Iraq war. "We shouldn't even be there in the first place", some will say. "We are fighting for freedom for the Iraqi people, and for our freedom from terrorism", others will say. Wherever you stand and whatever you believe in, the truth is, there are moments when people do good things for other people and I want to celebrate that.

I'm glad to find a story about the Iraq war that puts a kind human face on Americans. I am not a veteran. I have never been in a war. I do not know what it is like to be in a foreign country where some people like you and others hate you and perhaps a large group of people don't trust you. I don't know at all what it is like to be away from family for extended periods of time. I don't know how I would respond if I found myself in the middle of an armed conflict.

This story (as confirmed in Snopes) gives me a bit of hope. The picture tells the real story, but the background information helps to explain. The little one resting with John in the chair is a little girl who lost her family when gunmen came to her house and shot everyone, including the little girl. She received extensive gunshot wounds to the head, but was not killed. In the hospital, the girl was recovering, but had trouble calming down, unless John was holding her. So, John volunteered to hold her and they would sleep. For four nights he came and held her so she could get some sleep. He didn't have to. But he did.

If we could all take time to hold each other and comfort those who are afraid, we would be further down the road to enlightenment, I believe. Maybe a bit sappy, but something to strive for anyway.


p.s. I love this quote from Officer Gebhardt:

"I pray for the best for the Iraqi children," he said. "I can't tell the difference between their kids and our kids. The Iraqi parents have the same care and compassion for their children as any American."

(This image found at: http://airforcemedicine.afms.mil/sg_newswire/2006_11/photos/HumbleChiefPHOTO.jpg)

Car Santa

I know it's not Christmas anymore and Christmas is a long ways away...but this is a great story about a guy who used to sell cars for a living and now just gives them away. He is known as the Car Santa.

Terry Franz is just a nice guy that started off giving a few cars away when he was a used car salesman. It made such an impact on the lives of people he touched, he kept doing it. Finally he realized he was better at giving cars away than selling them, so he set up a program called "Cars for Christmas".

Through Cars for Christmas, mechanics volunteer to fix the cars, and a non-profit organization helps to screen the requests and manage the process. Terry gets to be Santa.

If the video doesn't work above, you can also watch the video on YouTube here. It's worth watching. You can see how one woman is touched by the gift and is so incredibly grateful. Heartwarming and a good reminder how sometimes we take life for granted.

By the way, Terry Franz stopped getting most of his income when he started becoming Car Santa. He fell behind on his own car payment and ExxonMobil, a sponsor of CBS's Assignment America, has agreed to completely pay off his loan. Good all around.

(Image found at this location: http://www.cars4christmas.org/DSC00727_261.JPG)

It's Never too Late for Dreams Come True

This is a great website I just found. Daryn Kagan used to be a CNN anchor and she resigned to start her own news venture. It's an online news site with the subtitle "Show the world what's possible!". I really like it and it does what I was hoping to do here...remind people that life does work out and we don't need any news other than good news.

This story just tickled my insides. It reminds me of my grandma so much -- although my grandma is a Twins fan. Alice is a Red Sox fan and never misses a game. She knows all the players and has opinions about the Yankees. She loves the game of baseball.

When she turned 100 she decided she would like to throw out the first pitch for the Red Sox. Why not? She loved baseball and she was certainly one of their most long standing fans. She just turned 103 years old, but last fall, her dream came true.

You gotta watch Alice as she lives her dream with humor, excitement, and a very classy form of bravado. What an inspiration.

I read recently a study about a group that was looking at the connection between happiness and aging. They looked at journals written by nuns. Basically, what they found was that happy people live longer. The nuns that wrote more postively in their journal, lived an average of 7 to 11 years longer than their peers.

Watch Alice in the Daryn Kagan video above. Based on happiness and on her good health, it appears that Alice has another 20 years ahead of her.

(Image found at this location: http://www.darynkagan.com/resources/images/NeverTooLate/os_070110_alice102/alice.jpg)

Gifts for the Children of Afghanistan

In this story we see how two people have made a difference for 1000+ kids. Vicky and Brian Sutton are friends with Major Anthony Boyda who has been serving his tour in Afghanistan. Major Boyda forwarded a message from Major Walter Woodring explaining to the Suttons that the kids in Afghanistan need school supplies.

The Suttons ran out and purchased enough notebooks, pens, and pencils for 1000 kids. They also threw in some candy, toys and kazoos for kids to play with (thinking every kid deserves to have a treatof some kind). They sent this parcel off and then turned to others in the community to do the same.

The Suttons sent of forty-one boxes to Afghanistan in time for Christmas, and American soldiers distributed the gifts.


You can also help out. Here's how:
-------------------------------------------------------------

Into one 10x13" plastic zip-lock bag please put:

one 9x12 spiral notebook, one pen, two pencils, a small toy and a hard candy (i.e. Jolly Rancher, Lifesavers) Chocolate melts. Please do not send chocolate. Then put them in a box or padded bag.

Would you like to do one MORE nice thing? Before sealing and mailing your bag or box, how about adding some VALENTINES for U.S. soldiers? Plain or fancy, it doesn't matter. Just send them with love.

Then seal and mail to:

Major Sean Gustafson, 207th RCAG West, HERAT, AFGHANISTAN, APO AE 09354

(same cost as mailing in the U.S.)

More details and photos of Afghan children receiving their gifts are on www.DoOneNiceThing.com.

Thanks in advance if you can send even just one package out.

Miracle League

While searching for good stories, I found the link to the miracle of Don Karkos. Near it was this story and once I researched it a bit more, it rang true as an example when people come together and life is fun. This story is about the Miracle League. It is a baseball league where every kid gets a chance at bat, there are no outs, and everyone has a good time.

It started out in 1997 when a little league coach noticed a little boy in a wheelchair who was always there behind the plate. This little boy was always there watching the game, cheering his brother on. They decided to do something to help all kids get a chance to play.

The biggest problem was making a baseball field that was accessible to everyone...the blind, those in wheelchairs, kids with walkers, etc. So they started a fundraiser and now there is a standard for all Miracle League fields. Cushioned special synthetic turf, wheelchair accessible dugouts, flat surfaces, and the bases are painted on so wheechairs can roll over them, And there are so many around the country. How wonderful and exciting. When I watch the videos, the joy of it seems to fill me up.

Here are the basic rules:

• Every player bats once each inning.
• All base runners are safe.
• Every player scores a run before the inning is over (last one up gets a home run)
• Community children and volunteers serve as "buddies" to assist the players
• Each team and each player wins every game.

Check out the video of the Michigan Miracle League.

When you visit the national page, they run their own video on the main page to give you a sense of what Miracle League is about. I love the words they scroll through the images...

It's not about playing.
It's not about winning.
It's about making friends.
It's about building self-esteem.
It's about being just like other kids.
Making dreams come true.

They have come.
Let's build it.

Monticello Miracle

In 1941, Don Karkos signed up to fight in the second great war. He wasn't quite 17, but they let him enlist anyways. He became a sailor and worked on the USS Rapaden. The mission of this ship was to avoid the German U-boats and refuel Allied battleships. In the summer of '42, Don's ship was hit and shrapnel from the blown up ship was thrown everywhere. One piece caught Don above the right eye.

Don woke up in the hospital and couldn't see out of that right eye. They told him he would never see again out of that eye. They offered to remove the eye, but Don wanted to keep it there. At least it would look more normal. He returned to the farm in Maine and worked with his father, trying to adjust to not having full vision. He would bump into walls and at times had trouble with balance, not knowing what was coming around the corner.

When he started to get cataracts in his left eye, he checked with doctors to make sure it was still true. Was his right eye still unfixable, even with all of the advancements in medical technology? They shook their heads and sadly told him he would never see again out of that eye.

Don continued his work. In 1972 he had bought a small horse farm and last month was out working with the horses. He was getting a horse ready for the morning workout when the horse lowered his head and lifted it quickly, knocking Don in the head. Don stumbled back, dazed. He returned to his house and laid down, feeling woozy.

When he woke up he could see.

Miracle? God's work? Coincidence? Power of positive thinking? Does it matter? Now after 67 years, Don can see out of both of his eyes. He has full peripheral vision, and can enjoy sunsets now unlike ever before. What a great gift.

Head Needs Help

This isn't a news story, but I did find it on a posting of stories shared by truck drivers. Driving all day and seeing the countryside, these truckers see their share of the world, I would imagine. In this case, one truck driver was in need of help and another one came to his rescue.

Turns out a truck driver was trying to make his delivery time, but he was feeling tired and needed a power nap. He was worried that if he crawled back into the cab, he would fall so soundly asleep, he wouldn't hear his alarm. So instead, he just laid his head down on his arms as they rested on the steering wheel. He slept that way for an hour or two, and when he woke up, his head was stuck through the steering wheel! He tried for a few hours to get his head back through the wheel, but couldn't seem to get the angle correct. He tried for another hour to reach his CB radio microphone, but couldn't quite reach it. Somehow he was able to speak through the radio from across the cab. He called for help and finally reached another driver who heard him on his same CB channel.

The rescue driver got the location and pulled up to the semi with the stuck driver, but was a little wary because there were no other vehicles nearby. Even though the situation seemed wierd, and he couldn't see anyone in the cab of the lone semi truck, the rescue driver approached the semi truck and found that the story was indeed true. The driver did have his head stuck in the steering wheel and really had no way to move or get his head out. The rescue driver and his partner tried to pull his head out by helping him readjust his body. They poured oil over his head to see if they could slide the head back through. Nothing seemd to work. After another few hours of working, they finally cut the steering wheel to pull his very stiff head and neck out.

Good news for the guy who was stuck for some time. And a feel good day for the guys who finally helped get him out.

There are so many times when we think we can do it on our own, but in the end we need each other to help get our head out of the stuck steering wheel...literally.

Caleb Miller - Gifts for Good

Kids can surprise you some days. I love working as a principal because this is true everyday. And when you are a kid, everything seems big and important and immediate. Now. What I want, how I feel, let's do it now. That's more typical for a kid.

In this story, Caleb Miller postponed his need for presents. He found out his neighbors were struggling with some health problems. Mom next door was recovering from surgery. Dad was struggling with chemotherapy treatments. They had a little eight year old girl. Caleb was about to celebrate his 11th birthday and instead of typical birthday presents, he asked his friends to bring food donations to his birthday party. So, when the big day came, he ended up with 6 bags of groceries to bring over to the neighbors to give them a boost. He didn't want anything for it, and he wasn't expecting anything in return. He simply felt he had enough and he could share.

The family was very grateful and told others which resulted in Caleb winning some recognition. The St. Germain Wisconsin organization called Angel on My Shoulder, works to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. They found out about Caleb and gave him the Angel on my Shoulder award along with some more typical 11 year old birthday gifts. It all worked out.

Today, in my school, one boy came to another girl and apologized about the way his mom had treated her. The mom had been somewhat confrontive and had upset a group of 3rd graders. He didn't have to apologize, and he certainly could have ignored the whole situation and pretended it didn't happen. But instead, he gave the girl a sincere apology and with such a small gesture made an impact on her. The girl had started the day sobbing and a bit afraid, and ended the day with the thought that she had another friend.

I love it when kids are nice just because.

Project Cuddle

This story is from People magazine It is one of their hero stories and it made me smile. For 564 babies, Debbe Magnusen is a part of the puzzle that helped them find families. She is in California, and one day she read a story about a baby who had been found dead in the trash near her home. She was so affected by this, and wondered why someone just didn't bring her the baby. Then she realized there was no way for these people to know she was there and willing to help. She needed to let people know she would help them with their babies that they maybe didn't want or couldn't take care of. So Debbe worked to create Project Cuddle.

Project Cuddle is a non-profit organization that helps moms who are pregnant and need help. No pressure. No judgement. No hassles. Just help. And Debbe and her organization has so far helped 564 babies find homes. She has helped moms in so many ways. She brought food to one girl who was living under a bridge and was pregnant. One girl had hid her pregnancy from her parents and her boyfriend and had started labor and wanted to leave the baby in the park. One mom called and hung up a few times before she finally talked to Debbe. The baby she was about to deliver was a result of a rape and this mom knew she couldn't love it. All of these moms have found great support in Project Cuddle and so many adoptive parents have found kids to love and raise as their own.

We can do so much when we put our minds to it. I watched a teacher today give every one of her kids a hug as they left class to go home. Every one of the kids willingly and happily gave her a hug and she gave them each a specific word of encouragement. We are surrounded by such gentle spirits as this teacher and Debbe, and I'm inspired.

Oops in the Lab May Lead to Cure

Thank goodness there are people out there who are interested in scientific experiments. Not me. I don't have the patience for it and those little germs and cells and such don't say much. But, in this case, the dead cells were a dead giveaway that the researchers were on to something.

Turns out Katherine Schaefer thought she was having a bad day. Those darn cells she was working with just kept dying. She had chosen to work with cancer cells of a certain type because cancer cells can put up with just about anything, but they couldn't take the treatment that Schaefer was giving them. So she was frustrated and was about to toss the whole experiment away. She had made a calculation error and had used too much PPAR-gamma compound. Then she and a colleague realized she was killing cancer, for heaven's sake! So she dug the experiment out of the garbage, repeated it under numerous variations and multiple trials, and even within mice, the cancer couldn't survive this compound.

They are working to make this available for human trials soon. Sometimes our greatest achievements are our greatest mistakes.

Conrad Buchanan

I didn't stumble across this story until today. It was lost in the shuffle like so many other stories, but I think it is one worth reading. Basically, it is a celebration of a life that was offered up in an act of heroism. Was, because Conrad died December 27, 2006. Most of what is on the net right now are obituaries. He was 34 when he died.

His fame comes from an attempt to save the life of a woman who was attempting suicide. Julie Light was an aging actress who was suffering from cancer and was grieving the loss of her husband. Ms. Light stood six floors above Conrad as he tried to talk her out of jumping. She jumped anyways and he attempted to break her fall to save her life. She died soon after the fall, and he suffered from a broken neck that left him a quadriplegic. He was 26, and when asked if he would do it again, he said yes. He did not think of it as an act of heroism (so few do, it seems), but instead he thought it part of his job as a security guard at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

After the event, Conrad required 24 hour care and was never able to hold his infant daughter, who had not yet been born at the time of the accident. But, he remained upbeat and never complained and continued to live his life as best he could under the circumstances. He did receive some recognition soon after the event, but the notoriety wore off and time slipped by and people went along with their business.

This is my tribute to another ordinary guy doing extraordinary things. Conrad is the kind of person I wish we could clone -- personality and courage included. Thanks Conrad. May the space you find yourself in now be filled with light and no more pain.