She Pursued Her Dream to Become a Doctor at Age 72!
When 72-year-old Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft was growing up, her mother predicted that Dawn would become a doctor.
She earned an undergraduate degree and considered going to medical school — but chose to put those plans on hold to get married and raise a family, as well as work as a neonatal nurse practitioner.
Fast-forward to 2020, Dawn was inspired to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. She and her husband dipped into retirement funds — and Dawn hit the books.
All that hard work and sacrifice recently paid off as Dawn is set to graduate from medical school and begin a three-year residency.
After 45 years of working in hospitals as a nurse, Dawn isn't just looking for a "trophy" degree. Instead, she’s bringing decades of real-world experience — and amazing passion — to her new role.
"I feel alive when I work in the medical field, she said. "I want to do this because I really enjoy this."
Free Scoops All Summer Thanks to Viral Social Media Video
An ice cream truck in Gardner, Massachusetts, is making an impact on kids in the community by handing out free scoops this summer.
It all started when a little boy approached Maddy’s Ice Cream and More, realized he didn't have any money, and started walking away in tears.
The owner of the truck — Madyson Silvagnoli — didn't hesitate. She called him back, whipped up a custom scoop with all the toppings, and told him, "You want an ice cream from Maddy, you get an ice cream from Maddy."
The video of that moment blew up on social media, racking up over millions views — and touching a nerve with people who remembered being that kid who couldn't afford a treat.
But the story didn't end there. Viewers from around the world started flooding Madyson with donations, asking how they could pay for the next kid’s scoop.
Because of that overwhelming generosity, Madyson has announced that for the rest of the summer, every single child who visits her truck gets their ice cream for free.
For Madyson, it’s about more than just sweet treats. It's about creating special memories for everyone involved. “Ice cream trucks are childhood and nostalgia," Madyson said. "People remember their ice cream truck.”
The Beat Goes On: A Vermont Drummer Is Donating Refurbished Drum Sets to Schools One Kit at a Time
Walter Hausermann is a 72-year-old drummer from Richmond, Vermont, who spends his days rescuing beat-up drum sets and giving them a second life in local schools. Along with his wife, Natalie Miller, Walter runs a project called The Beat Goes On, a charity group inspired by his belief that "music is king."
Walter scours the Internet for affordable or neglected drum kits, brings them into his garage, and refurbishes them until they sound like they just came off the showroom floor.
For Walter, this mission is about more than just a hobby -- it’s actually a vital part of his health. Dealing with kidney failure and regular dialysis, he found that the physical motion of drumming was the perfect therapy to keep his body moving.
And instead of keeping that joy to himself, he and Natalie have donated 22 full drum sets to area churches and schools with tight music budgets -- and they're already working on number-23.
For Walter, who’s been playing the drums since the 1960s, repairing the drums is an extension of who he is. He says, “It’s awesome, it’s a beautiful sight in my mind."
High School Student Gives His Grandmother a Chance to Attend the Prom She Never Had
It's prom season, which causes plenty of high school students to stress about who to ask to the big dance. But 17-year-old Avant Williams of La Crosse, Wisconsin, has known who his prom date would be since he was two years old -- his grandmother, Svala Heller.
Svala grew up in Iceland where prom isn’t really a thing. But after a lifetime of watching glamorous American movies, she always dreamed of experiencing the real deal.
It seems Avant took that wish to heart, promising her over a decade ago that he’d be the one to take her.
He didn't just fulfill the promise. He went all out, posing for traditional photos and even bringing along his best friend as a "second escort" for the night.
Svala says she soaked up all the glamour she’d seen on TV -- while Avant says it was the least he could do for the woman who’s been by his side his entire life.
As Svala explained, “We have such a special bond. I’m just taking every inch in and just enjoying every moment.”
A 99-Year-Old Artist Hosted an Art Exhibit at a Gallery...And So Can You!
If you’ve been putting off that hobby because you think you’re "too old" to start, Nita Draut of Parkville, Missouri is here to prove you wrong.
Nita is 99 years old and is being celebrated with a brand-new solo exhibit at a local art gallery. The art being displayed is amazing. But what's even more amazing is that Nita didn’t even start drawing until she was 70.
What began as a simple hobby has blossomed into a 30-year passion for graphite sketching that has captured the hearts of her entire community.
Nita’s secret is simple. If she sees a face she likes while she’s out at the store, she just walks up and asks to draw them. And she says in three decades, she’s never been turned down once.
Now -- as she prepares for her 100th birthday -- her healthcare team helped put together her life's work into a gallery show to share her "everyday people" with the world. Nita says the most satisfying part isn't the fame, but knowing her sketches bring people joy. And she hopes her story inspires others to try something new, regardless of their age.
A Nurse Jumped Into Action for a Roadside Rescue
Jim Ruff was driving through Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania, on his way to meet his grandson for a Saturday morning breakfast when his heart unexpectedly stopped behind the wheel. As his truck began drifting through front yards in a neighborhood, it looked like a tragedy in the making -- until Colleen Schnaekel drove by.
Luckily for Jim, Colleen wasn't just a witness to the commotion. She’s an ICU Assistant Nurse Manager who immediately knew this wasn't a nap, it was a life-or-death emergency.
Dressed for a bridal shower and standing in the pouring rain, Colleen jumped into action. After her father helped break the truck's window to get Jim out, Colleen performed life-saving CPR on the front lawn until paramedics arrived.
Jim woke up in the ER a few days later, calling it a miracle that a trained professional was the one to pull over. Colleen was in the right place at the right time to save Jim's life.
After a brief stay at the hospital, Jim was discharged, feeling great and back on his feet
While the whole adventure was scary for everyone involved, Colleen took it all in stride. She said, “I think it’s just a nursing instinct. You see someone that needs help, you jump in. I really didn’t think twice about it.”
An Artist Turned Autism Into a Superpower With Their New Business
Sometimes the best career move is stepping away from the overwhelming grind of a day job and into your own world. That’s exactly what Rhys Caldwell-Clarkson did when quit his retail job and picked up a paintbrush.
Based in the town of Malvern in England, Rhys launched Art on the Spectrum, a business where he views his autism not as a disability, but as something that helped him unlock a hidden talent for landscape art.
He says, "Autism affects people in many different ways. But instead of a disability, you've got to look at it as a superpower."
Rhys creates vibrant "floating islands" and scenes inspired by the local countryside from his home studio -- a safe space where the rest of the world just fades away.
After finding a massive boost of confidence from fans on Facebook, he’s now selling his work online with the ultimate goal of opening a physical shop where others can come to relax and find their own creativity. As Rhys explains, the moment that brush hits the canvas, he’s in a different world -- and one that he's sharing with more and more with other people else these days.
A Missing Dog Was Found on a 13th-Story Ledge and (Thankfully) Rescued Two Days Later!
A two-year-old Jack Russell Terrier named Elbie went missing from her Sydney apartment and her owner, Jake Dobrin, had no idea where she went. She'd slipped through a gap in the balcony railing — and somehow ended up on a narrow ledge nearly 13 stories up on the opposite side of the building. She was there for two days.
The only reason anyone found her was because a neighbor happened to be flying a drone near the building and spotted her. Firefighters showed up, and rescuer Joel Spillane geared up and scaled the building to get to her. It took almost 20 minutes to work her free from the spot where she'd wedged herself near an awning, but he finally got her through an apartment window to safety. The crowd watching from below lost it.
Elbie got water, a bath, and her person back. Dobrin said he didn't know if he'd ever see her again. "I was over the moon," he said.
Honestly, same, Jake. Same.