Inspiring Stories

After welcoming their second daughter into the world, Jasmine Parent and her partner Jeremy Crawley made a commitment to transform their lives together. At 300 pounds, Parent was at her heaviest and while she was filled with joy that her family was whole, she was struggling both mentally and physically. “I looked at myself in

As the founder of Homeboy Industries, Father Gregory Boyle has helped thousands of ex-gang members and those formerly incarcerated turn their lives around by offering training, support, and hope. But, as Boyle puts it, he’s learned as much from them as they have from him. “It’s been the privilege of my life for 30 years

Welcome to Hero of the Week, where each week we celebrate the most extraordinary stories of heroism from all over the world. From putting another life before their own to making someone else’s dreams come true, these are ordinary people who are making the world a better place. We must lace up our shoes to

When people are living with Alzheimer’s, sometimes one of the most devastating parts for them is watching everything they knew and loved about their live slipping away. That can include their memories, and their ability to do their job and live on their own. Wouldn’t usually do something like this but there is a lot

It’s often hard to juggle it all, from being a parent to working to also studying and staying on top of other obligations and sometimes, one will get in the way of the other and everything seems to fall apart around you. Take for example Morehouse College senior Wayne Hayer, who didn’t have childcare available

Olivia Newton-John has been famous for decades, known to many for classic character Sandy in Grease, but for so much more, that she appears to be someone in our own lives, and in our homes. But her life hasn’t been all glamour and fame. And in her new book, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which is released

A lot has changed in the last half century. People have come and gone, history has been made, but somewhere, a purse lost in 1954 stayed the same, waiting to be found and reunited with its rightful owner. In 1954, 16-year-old Marty Ingham Everett lost her black purse behind a cabinet in the science room

It wasn’t so long ago that beagle pup Guy Markle was on death row at a high-kill Kentucky shelter, just on the verge of being euthanized. Everything seemed hopeless (this was only three years ago) and so far no adoption prospects were working out. He was already three years old, and that meant he wasn’t

There’s so many stories out there of children being kidnapped, and being in their teens before finding out their roots, if at all. But imagine if that story went down a different path entirely and a woman was well into her more mature years of adulthood before she discovered who she really was. That is

Many of us have fond feelings for the barista at our favorite coffee shop, but how many of us can say that their barista set off a seismic change in their life? That’s the story Ryan Estis shared about Lily Olsen, a barista works out of a Starbucks in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The

Sometimes, when it seems everything in life is stacked against us and we are, ultimately, all alone, we can feel hopeless. This is especially true when we do not have family by our side. A perfect example is this story of a Florida-based homeless man who had not seen his daughters in more than twenty

People with disabilities are often kept away from adventures, but with a little consideration and compassion, there’s no reason every child can’t experience the beauty and wonder of nature with their friends and classmates. Ryan Neighbors is a 10-year-old 4th grader based in Kentucky with spina bifida. She uses a wheelchair to get around, but

If you don’t know Lizzo already, you’re about to. There’s a very good reason AfroPunk has dubbed the future icon “the star we need right now.” The uber-talented 31-year old singer, rapper, and classically trained flautist (no joke) is becoming more and more recognized for her unique and delicious sound. Plus— she’s a bad-ass, body

Alisia McKennon had never made weight loss a priority, even as she struggled to keep up with her toddler. Her weight prevented from her realizing a longtime dream, but even then, she kept postponing weight loss.  It wasn’t until she had a health scare that she found her the motivation she needed to make a

Claire Mills is a young woman in her twenties who works a difficult and intense but incredibly important job. She makes her living working 12-hour nursing shifts in the neonatal intensive care unit at a Texas hospital. Being around struggling babies can be emotionally tough, but Mills does it because she cares about each and

Madonna, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha. These are just a few powerhouse, brilliant, women, forces to be reckoned with, who have often been misunderstood, their bold, platform changing ways being relegated to the status of “bad girl” or “troublemaker.” It might seem easy to dismiss Ke$ha as a party girl known for such raunchy songs as “Tik

Sometimes, people let us down, and it can be hard to trust again –- but friendship and renewed trust can come from the most unexpected of places — like man’s best friend. After Luke Salmon, a 15-year-old boy from Kent, England, was bullied at school because of his psoriasis, his mom Lauren was really worried

A former child refugee tracked down a man who, decades ago, gave her a special gift during an act of extreme generosity –- and then got to thank him in a poignant reunion! Mevan Babakar lived in a refugee camp in the Netherlands after she and her family fled the Gulf War in the 1990s.

Almost two decades ago, a bright star was lost. To this day, the world is still mourning that woman — and what she represented. August 25 marks the 18th anniversary of the very sad and untimely death of Aaliyah, when she was just 22 years old. But is the tragedy of Aaliyah’s death overshadowing the

The Amazon is on fire, and the damage seems insurmountable. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and think things are just too severe to make a difference, but there’s always something we can do to make a terrible situation easier to handle. With his latest Instagram post, Leonardo DiCaprio proved just that, announcing a major initiative

With the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death upon us, it’s a poignant time to look back at the important role she played in society and the royal family. She wasn’t just the former wife of a future king (and mother of the next king) and a style icon. She was a woman who used her

“When haters go after your looks and differences … you know you’re winning.” This is a powerful statement from a powerful young girl, and just one example of what makes Greta Thunberg so unique and special. Even at the young age of 15, Greta Thunberg is very well known for her environmental activism, but right

Justin Bieber has gotten a lot of flack in recent years, from the media and his fans alike, for his increasingly outlandish and bad behavior. From illegally bringing his pet monkey into Germany to peeing in a mop bucket at a restaurant, the newly adult Bieber has seemed a far cry from the teen singing

For most of us, true love happens just once in a lifetime. But for one couple, it ended up happening twice, in a most unusual way! Two years ago, tragedy struck and, at only 23 years old, Laura Faganello suffered a traumatic brain injury. It was a freak accident where a pole fell on her