9 good things that happened around the world this week

Every time we try to catch up on the news, negative stories constantly seem to dominate the headlines. There’s a reason why we say some things “restore our faith in humanity” – it’s because we rarely get exposed to the wealth of good things happening around us everyday.

That’s why each Wednesday, we will be bringing you a roundup of some of the biggest news stories about good things that happened around the world to help brighten your day. Here’s 9 positive things that happened last week that you should know about (in no particular order):

February 26 to March 5, 2015

1. Parents get tattoo of daughter’s birthmark 

Honey-Rae Phillips was born with an unusually large birthmark stretching from her foot to her lower back. The 18-month-old’s parents decided that they wanted to show their daughter that her birthmark was special and unique so they got matching tattoos of the rose coloured mark on their legs. The tattoo took two hours to complete and Honey-Rae’s mother, Tanya, told reporters it “really hurt,” but it was all to make their daughter feel comfortable with herself. “There’s not many people with that birthmark, so to us it is really, really unique. We love it and we are going to teach her to love it,” Phillips said. Read more

2. Elephant gets new leg after stepping on a land mine 

Mosha the elephant is getting the chance to walk on four legs again. Since losing her leg when she stepped on a landmine in 2007, Mosha has had several temporary artificial legs attached to her stump. The MaeYao National Reserve in Lampang, Thailand, has now provided Mosha with a new prosthetic leg. Mosha is the first elephant in the world to be fitted with a this type of artificial limb. Read more

3. Ontario man wins lottery and plans to give it all away 

Michael Schlater received the surprise of his life when he found out that he won a $250,000 lottery jackpot. The 54-year-old decided that he was not going to keep the money for himself. Instead, he will donate the money to a local high school. “The school is in need of a computer system upgrade and this donation will help them get it,” Schlater told reporters.

4. Husband, 108, and wife, 105, celebrate 82 years of marriage 

With a combined age of 212, Duranord Veillard and his wife, Jeanne are celebrating a milestone. The New York couple has been married for 82 years, and last Saturday Duranord turned 108 years old. In May, Jeanne will turn 105-years-old, making them one of the world’s oldest couples. The pair married in 1932 and have five children, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

5. 91-year-old woman hired as tech designer in Silicon Valley

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Barbara Beskind is not your average senior citizen. At 91 years old she is fulfilling her dream of being a tech designer in Silicon Valley. She had always wanted to become an inventor, but after graduating high school, her guidance counselor told her that women were not accepting to engineering schools. Instead, Beskind joined the army and became an occupational therapist. Two years ago, she came across a position at technology firm, IDEO, and she has been working the company ever since. She offers ideas to designers who are working on projects for seniors. “I think the beauty of being 91 is that you can look back and see how the little pieces fit into the big pieces of life, and life is a complete puzzle,” Beskind told Today.com.

6. NHL player traded closer to home after daughter writes heartwarming letter 

NHL defenceman, Jordan Leopold, received some good news this week after he was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Minnesota Wild to be closer with his family. The trade came after Leopold’s daughter wrote a letter requesting that her father be traded back to Minnesota, where the family lives. “I am lost without my dad and so is my mom, my two sisters, and my brother,” Jordyn wrote. She goes on to ask if her father can be traded back to Minnesota because the team could use some defence men. Jordyn’s wish came true, as the family will soon be reunited. Read more

7. For the first time in 100 years, baby tortoises born on Galapagos Islands

After being on the brink of extinction, tortoises are making a comeback on the Galapagos Islands. Ecologists have discovered new hatchlings born on the island in over a century. In the 1960s, there were only 100 Pinzón Island saddleback left in existence. Black rats were found to be the cause of the depletion of tortoises. Thanks to a rat eradication program, the species appears repopulating on the island.

8. Man proposes to girlfriend with worldwide scavenger hunt 

On the day of her university graduation, Amy Linville’s boyfriend surprised her with a scavenger hunt around their neighbourhood. The last clue was a slip of paper telling her to pack her things and be ready at 7 a.m. the next day. When Linville arrived home, she found travel pack with a one-way ticket to Tokyo. Arnold told her that her graduation gift was actually a scavenger hunt around the world, and the first stop was Japan. The final destination was for San Sebastian, Spain where her final clue was an engagement ring. “Our love for travel runs deep, as you can tell from this engagement story!” Linville told BuzzFeed. “He is my biggest fan, my travel partner, my compass,” she said. Read more

9. Stranger buys a wedding dress for a bride-to- be

Liz Jensen was looking for a wedding dress, when she came across the perfect one for her big day. Unfortunately, at $480 it was out of her budget and the university student decided to try to find another dress. However, a kind stranger was also in the same store looking for a dress as well. The anonymous bride-to-be left money with a saleswoman for Jensen to buy her dress with. Although the woman has not come forward, Jensen says she has an open invitation to her wedding.

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Do you know a local Good Samaritan? Send in your stories and photos of positive things you see in Vancouver to [email protected].