Heroic Harry, 11, Dies. Raised £500,000 To Help Others With Brain Cancer

Posted by Simon Cooper

Harry Moseley, the plucky 11 year-old who helped raise £500,000 (US$780,000) in the four years after his diagnosis of brain cancer, has lost his battle against the disease.

Harry – named Britain’s Kindest Kid in 2009 -started an online campaign to raise money for brain cancer research after his tumor was discovered in 2007. www.helpharryhelpothers.com

His campaign garnered the support of politicians, celebrities and sports stars. Sarah Brown, wife of former UK PM Gordon Brown, was also a supporter, On Monday she Tweeted:

“What a great guy who achieved so much in 11 years.”

Writing on the home page for Harry’s charity  – www.helpharryhelpothers.com – Richard Taylor, Executive Director of Fundraising & Marketing at Cancer Research UK, said:

“Harry was an inspiration to children and adults alike in his quest to raise awareness of brain cancer … Harry was a very special boy – even when faced with a life-threatening illness he retained his cheeky persona and his drive to help others. He truly touched the hearts of everyone that he met and the difference he made during his short life is remarkable.

“Our hearts go out to his family at this incredibly difficult time.”

Harry had been in a coma since August after complications arose during an operation. His mother Georgina, speaking shortly before his death said:

“It is the saddest day of our lives. We take Harry home to spend his last hours or days with us. So, so sad my boy’s journey is ending.”

You can still donate to Harry’s charity by visiting www.helpharryhelpothers.com

 

Watch The Daily Telegraph’s exclusive interview with Harry’s mother, Georgina.

 

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Marathon Man Nathan Farrugia Runs Over 1100km For Kids’ Charities

Posted by Simon Cooper

Nathan Farrugia will today complete a remarkable athletic feat, running his 27th marathons in 27 days in 27 different countries in aid of childrens’ charities.

The 37 year-old father of two and former member of the Maltese national basketball team has been on the road since September 11th, crossing Europe on his remarkable endurance journey.

Starting in his home country of Malta, Nathan has run one full 42.2km every day in a different major European city, following a specific route and accompanied by local running clubs.

He has run in cities including London, Paris, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Dublin, Helsinki and Rotterdam.

Nathan often has less than 18 hours to get from one run to the next, travelling in a camper van with just one member  of his support staff. Some days he has only managed one or two hour cat naps before having to get out and start running again. For the more distant ports of call, Nathan has hopped on a plane.

In an interview with Maltese website di-ve.com, Nathan said:

“There is no book that can tell you how to physically prepare for such an extreme event so I am using a mix of exercise physiology, nutrition, physiotherapy and extreme endurance knowledge with a pinch of common sense.”

As well as raising money for children’s charities such as the UK Childrens’ Society, Enable Ireland, Ronald McDonald House in Latvia and the Daniel Delicata Memorial Foundation in Malta.

At each 42.2km marathon, Nathan has been accompanied by local running clubs ‘as a show of solidarity and to strengthen awareness of the cause – that of promoting the value of volunteering and to encourage people to give up some of their time and money to help others’.

When Nathan crosses the finish line today of his last run in Limassol, Cyprus, he will have run a total of  1,139.4km and raised – to date – more than 33,000 Euros for his charities.

KissBank readers can track Nathan as he completes his epic achievement by following him on Twitter @27Challenge.

 

Send Nathan your Kisses and messages of support HERE.

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Tariq Jahan: Pride of Britain

Posted by Simon Cooper

Tariq Jahan – father of one of three young men killed during the UK riots in August – is the winner of one of 2011 Pride of Britain Awards.

Mr. Jahan, whose son Haroon was mown down by a car in Winson Green, Birmingham, became a lightening rod for peace , calling for calm and urging Britain to unite on a community and national level to heal itself.

At this week’s awards, Mr. Jahan received a standing ovation from 800 guests as he received his Special recognition award.

In a speech that reduced many of the audience to tears, Mr. Jahan spoke of his grief, but also of his great faith in the humanity of the British people.

“The response from the country has been ­phenomenal. I never realised there were so many good people in this country.

We seem to emphasise the bad but never emphasise the good.

The real heroes of this country in my eyes are people that do a great job every day.”

He added:

“The love I’ve seen in this country has come from every walk of life. We have a great community in this country and it’s a shame we don’t let the good people take control.”

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In Memoriam – Steve Jobs

Posted by Simon Cooper

There’s no doubt that apart from being a visionary and creative genius, Steve Jobs – who died yesterday – was a Hero to millions.

Apple‘s co-founder was 56. He died after a long battle with cancer.

But his legacy lives on, not only in the innovative products he created, but in the daily lives of all those who use, rely on and – frankly – love his iPods, iPads, iPhones and Macs.

Announcing his death, Apple said:

“Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

“His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.”

Online forums, Twitter, Facebook and news comments sections were flooded with tributes to the man who founded Apple in his garage after dropping out of arts college.

“Heaven got a major upgrade today.” – Chris Calloway, a reader of the technology magazine Wired.

“3 Apples changed the world: the one that Eve ate, the one that fell on Newton’s head & the one that Steve built.” – @blackpigsweets

“There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than fact that much of world learned of his passing on a device he invented. ” – U.S. President Barack Obama.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Media, Telecoms and Technology Editor Katherine Rushton said:

By combining technology with beautiful design, Jobs not only brought technology into the mainstream, making it cool and covetable – he also inspired a generation of talent from diverse backgrounds to eye technology up as a sector to work in.

For creatives, marketers, graphic designers and product designers, Apple is one of the most desirable companies to work in, and technology has transformed from the annexe of the uncool to one of the most rapidly changing and creatively challenging industries there is.

He may have gone, and his absence may rattle Apple, but his legacy in energising a generation of talent is unlikely to fade at all.

Steve Jobs’ KissBank profile page – where you can also send him and his family Kisses – is HERE.

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Animal Charity Wants To Find Good Samaritan Who Saved Drowning Kitten

Posted by Simon Cooper

An animal rescue charity in the U.S. town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, wants to find and thank a good Samaritan who risked her life to wade into flood waters and rescue a drowning kitten.

The town was devastated by freak floods in September, with many people left homeless.

However, in the midst of the destruction caused by the flood waters, a good news story emerged.

Seeing the kitten swept away by a flooding creek, an unknown woman waded into the water to grab the drowning animal and bring it back to the safety of dry land.

According to a report in the Lancaster Sunday News:

…if it weren’t for the heroic intervention of one Good Samaritan, a 6-week-old kitten wouldn’t be here today.

The young feline, taken to the Humane League of Lancaster County following the rescue, is one of a growing number of animals the organization has sheltered after the recent devastating floods.

The newspaper further reports:

The 6-week-old kitten was pulled from a flooded stream near Lime Rock and Middle Creek roads in Clay Township, said Humane League Director of Marketing Becki Meiss.

The woman who rescued the cat apparently waded into the water to get him, she said. The League doesn’t know her identity, Meiss said, and “I would love to track down the person” who saved him.

The kitten, since named River, was brought to the shelter by ORCA, the Organization for the Responsible Care of Animals.

A tiger cat with white paws, River was lethargic when he arrived and is suffering from an upper respiratory infection that’s being treated with medication, Meiss said.

The good news is, he’s responding well, she said.

River is being fostered by a Humane League employee until he recovers and is old enough (kittens must be at least 8 weeks) to be adopted, Meiss said.

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‘Total Stranger’ Defends Car From Riot Mob

Posted by Simon Cooper

Tory Pearson became an Internet sensation after footage of her defending a BMW from a riot mob was published on YouTube.

Ms Pearson was filmed repeatedly fighting off hoards of rioting hockey fans, who rampaged through the Canadian city of Vancouver following their teams elimination from the prestigious Stanley Cup.

As dozens of violent fans surrounded the car Ms Pearson was filmed battling the mob; even grabbing one rioter and bringing him to the ground as he attempted to damage the vehicle. Everyone assumed she was the car’s owner.

But, it now emerges she was not.

Nor did she even know the car’s owner.

She simply refused to allow the mob to carry on their violent rampage unchallenged.

The car’s owner, Jazmin Perez, says she was locked inside her apartment as the riot raged outside. But, in an email to an Internet forum she wrote:

There are some people in Vancouver who are good people and stand up for things they don’t believe is right. Tory Pearson was one of them. Although I do not know her personally, she defended my vehicle and believed what those hooligans were doing was wrong. She did her best to fight them off for as long as she could.

Ms. Pearson was eventually beaten off by the mob, who then destroyed the car.

She has declined to be thanked in person.

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Councilman Chases Down Horse Thieves

Posted by Simon Cooper

A UK Councilman did ‘more than his civic duty’ when he chased a horse thief for more than five miles.

Alex Stevenson, a councillor in Derbyshire, UK, was in his Land Rover at a local market when two men ran over saying their horsebox had been stolen. Inside were three valuable racehorses.

Mr Stevenson and the two men followed the horsebox down miles of winding country roads, often at speeds of more than 60mph.

According to the Derby Telegraph:

Police said the owners had been returning home from races at Matlock, where one of the horses had done well, and had stopped at the French Horn pub to use the toilet.

When they came out they saw the horsebox being driven away and appealed to Mr Stevenson, 41, for help.

Mr Stevenson said: “I went off after the horsebox down the A610.”

Mr Stevenson’s wife had watched him drive off and feared the worst.

He said: “I was on the phone to the police the whole time so my wife couldn’t get hold of me. She thought I had been car-jacked and called the police as well!”

Although the thief was initially captured, he managed to break free and run away.

The councillor, who represents Shipley Park, Horsley and Horsley Woodhouse ward, said: “I wasn’t scared but the horses were.

“They were foaming at the mouth and everything – presumably because they had been banged about so much.”

A police spokesman said Mr Stevenson had “done more than his civic duty”.


							

	
			

									
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My Dad, The Hero – Ten Year-Old’s Plea For Fallen Father


			

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A little boy whose father was killed in Afghanistan along with 29 other U.S. soldiers reached out to the world to ask : ‘why is no one honoring my Dad?‘


Pilot Bryan Nichols was onboard the Chinook helicopter  ferrying U.S. Navy  SEALS into a combat zone that went down in Afghanistan’s Wardak province on August 6.


According to CNN’s iReport, 10 year old Braydon, of Kansas City, Kansas, could not understand why the Navy SEALs drew so much attention.


There were 30 Americans on board that Chinook. Why wasn’t anyone mentioning his father, a chief warrant officer with Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 155th Aviation Regiment?


My father was one of the 30 US Soldiers killed in Afghanistan yesterday with the Seals rescue mission,” he wrote. “My father was the pilot of the chinook. I have seen other pictures of victims from this deadly mission and wish you would include a picture of my father.”


The report continues :


Bryan Nichols’ aunt Sue Keller of Palco, Kansas, said Monday that Braydon, Nichols’ only son, was stung by the way the news of the deadly Afghan incident played out on the airwaves.


“They always say Navy SEALs. They never say my dad,” Braydon told his family.


Since Braydon made his post, it has been veiwed more than 100,000 times and attracted nearly 1,000 posts of support and sympathy, including this from one of his father’s fellow officers, combat surgeon Jaime l Torres:


You’re [sic] Father won’t be forgotten, Braydon. I was fortunate enough to have met him personally and served alongside with him. I know he loved to fly, he loved the ARMY, and he loved this country. He gave it all for you and me. We are all so proud of him. Be strong little man, you father did not die in vain.

							

	
			

									
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Community Spirit Thrives on Remote New Zealand Island


			

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When Stewart Island – a remote island off the far southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island – was left without electricity during an unseasonal snow storm, local store owners Jill Skerrett and Richard Wilson came to the rescue.


The pair, who own the island’s 4 Square Supermarket, took it upon themselves to make sure that elderly and isolated residents made it through the blackout during a cold and snowy snap.


Reporter Collette Devlin of The Southland Times reports how the island was blacked out when a car crashed into a power pole.


“We were prepared for the cold and the snow but not for no power,” Ms Skerrett said.


“We couldn’t imagine how the older members of the community would get through it.”


Stewart Island homes still require pressure pumps to access water and without electricity most homes were cut off from the supply, which worried the shop owners.


“We phoned older residents to see if they needed food or water or help, or if they needed to be brought into town to see the nurse. Thankfully no one was in a desperate situation,” she said.


One of the grateful residents they phoned was Nancy Schofield, 83, who lives alone at the deadend of a road.


“They phoned to see if I needed any food but my neighbours had looked after me. I really appreciate that they phoned me, it is good to see that people still care,” she said.


Stewart Island Senior Constable Dale Jenkins described how the pair went even further to support the community during the black out.


Mr Wilson and Ms Skerrett knew that the community relied upon their shop, so they kept it open without power, staying until the salmon farmers returned.


“[They] rely on us for their meals and next day lunches. We made them hot soup and pies using gas,” said Ms Skerrett.


“Their generosity extended beyond the community, when the engineers arrived to repair the lines. They supplied them with hot soup and lunch,” said Constable Jenkins.

							

	
			

									
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Hero Cop Risks Life To Stay With Australian Bomb Ordeal Teen


			

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A brave police officer put aside her personal safety to stay by the side of Madeleine Pulver after discovering the teen with what appeared to be a bomb strapped to her neck.


Constable Karen Lowden arrived on the scene at the Pulver family’s New South Wales home to find the 18-year-old with what appeared to be a bomb attached to her neck.


Despite not being equipped with protective clothing, the officer stayed by the girl’s side for three hours, keeping her calm until bomb experts arrived.   Her selfless actions have been praised as ‘outstandingly brave’, but Constable Lowden is quick to dismiss any hero tags.


Speaking to the ABC Newcastle News, Constable Lowden modestly said:


“I can’t say that I’m any braver than any other police officer. My team that were on with me… they’re all very brave.”


Rather than heroism, the female officer credits maternal instinct for her self-sacrificing behaviour by acknowledging that having her own child at home made her wary of leaving the young girl alone. She applauded the teenage victim’s bravery by dubbing her the “bravest girl in the world.”


Madeline spent a total of ten hours strapped to the device, which turned out to be a sophisticated fake. Police are now investigating the hoax as a possible extortion attempt.

							

	
			

									
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