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):

March 26 to April 1, 2015 

1. April Fool’s joke ends with a woman winning a new car 

A BMW dealership in New Zealand decided to print an ad on the front page of The New Zealand Herald, advertising that the first person to bring their old car into the dealership with the ad would get a new BMW. This was all part of their annual April Fool’s trick, but one woman saw the ad and was determined to get that new BMW. Tianna Marsh arrived at the dealership at 5:30 am with the ad in her hand and her old Nissan in tow. The dealership was sure no one would believe the ad, but Tianna was rewarded with a new $50,000 BMW for her dedication to the cause.

2. Baby born with half a heart survives nine operations, a stroke and being resuscitated three times 

At only 15-months-old little Jack Stevens has fought through some pretty tough situations. The infant was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) meaning the left side of his heart does not function normally. As a result, Jack has suffered a stroke, endured nine operations (four of them being open heart surgeries) and has been resuscitated three times. He is now at home with his parents and is getting some well needed rest after several gruelling medical procedures. “He’s been through so much in such a short space of time but he’s doing brilliantly,” Jack’s father told reporters.

3. Mother apologizes for her daughters’ bad behaviour at the movies and it goes viral 

Kyesha Wood dropped her two daughters and her son off at the movies hoping the kids would have a good time. When they got home, Wood heard from her son that her daughters were misbehaving during the movie and disrupted one movie goer’s night. She decided to address the issue on Facebook writing, “the woman I’m looking for addressed them and asked them to be quiet and they were disrespectful. After the movie she approached my girls and told them that her husband had been laid off and this was the last movie she would be able to take her daughter to for a while and my girls ruined that for her.”

Wood went on to say that she would use her daughters’ allowance money to pay for the woman to have another movie night. The post soon went viral and a woman named Rebecca Boyd came forward and admitted that she was the woman from the theatre. Both women got in touch and Wood says her daughters have learned a valuable lesson about good behaviour and respect. Boyd has received support for her family and job offers as a result of the story going viral.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs grant wish for sick boy 

The Toronto Maples Leafs made a young man very happy by signing him to a one-day contract with the team. Garrett Gamble Jr. is an 11-year-old  who loves hockey more than anything. He also suffers from a rare disease called Morquio Syndrome. The disease impacts his bone structure, his heart and his hearing. The Make a Wish Foundation decided to do something special for Garrett and he was was granted a one day contract with the Leafs. Garrett became part of the team right away and he met team president Brendan Shanahan, got a spot in the dressing room next to Dion Phaneuf and dropped the ceremonial puck at Sunday night’s game against the Senators.

5. Man carries senior out of wreckage from Air Canada Flight 624

Steve Earle is being called a hero after he carried 80-year-old Ruth Macumber from the wreckage of Air Canada Flight 624 after the plane crashed onto the runway at Halifax Stansfield International Airport. Macumber was having a hard time getting down from the stairs of the plane’s emergency exit as she uses a walker. Earle saw Macumber struggling and carried her to safety. “It’s not heroism, it’s being human. I just happened to be the guy that was there. I just happened to be the guy sitting in that row. That’s all,” Earle told the CBC.

6. Airline Passenger writes pilots a heartwarming thank you note

A heart warming letter written for a flight’s pilots has gone viral. A passenger named Bethanie left a note for the pilots of the plane she was travelling on, them for their service. One of the pilots named Jai Dillon posted the letter on Twitter and it has gained online popularity for its popular message. “At the end of the day, we are all humans just trying to live this roller coaster of a life we have been handed,” writes Bethanie in her letter. “You’re making a massive difference and you’re the reason I can smile tonight.” The kindhearted note comes after last week’s tragic plane crash in which a Germanwings flight was flown to the ground by the co-pilot, killing all 150 people on board.

7. Girl completes 600 acts of kindness so she can meet penguins at the zoo 

Alex McKelve is an 8-year-old girl with a big heart. McKelve just finished carrying out 600 random acts of kindness simply because she wanted to. She was also motivated by the opportunity to meet the penguins at the local zoo in Washington.The Woodland Park Zoo rewarded McKelve for her kind heart, with a trip to the zoo and of course, she got to hang out with the penguins. McKelve is a self-professed animals lover and ‘future zoo keeper’ so her acts of kindness definitely paid off as she enjoyed a day with the animals.

8. Stray dogs show up at the funeral of the woman who fed them

Margarita Suarez, from Merida, Mexico spent her days feeding the stray animals in her neighbourhood. As a senior, it helped her pass the time and she enjoyed knowing that she was helping the cats and dogs that did not have a place to call home. Sadly, her health took a turn for the worse and  she moved to another city before she passed away. Her casket was being kept in a funeral home and surprisingly, the stray animals began to show up.

At first it was thought that the animals were local to the area, but the workers at the funeral home had no prior knowledge of them. Soon, they realized that the animals must have been the ones Margarita had cared for. On the day of her funeral, the stray dogs followed behind the hearse and did not leave the funeral home until her body was cremated.

9. Daughter and wheelchair-bound mother travel the world after accident

An Rong and her 87-year-old wheelchair-bound mother are making the most out of life by traveling to as many countries as possible. The two started their world in 2009 and have been accompanied by Rong’s sister and niece. The women wanted to embark on their global journey after Rong’s mother suffered a horrible accident and was experiencing bouts of depression after she was told she would have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. They have traveled to 10 countries all together and don’t plan on stoping any time soon as their journeys have shown them the beautiful side of life.