Photo of Jordan Reeves, from Born Just Right.
By Tayvie Van Eeuwen
@tayvieeee
I don’t know about you, but this summer weather is bringing some much-needed joy to my soul. We all deserve a moment to breathe and see the good in the world. Read on for snippets of happy news!
Local
Edmonton family cat comes home after missing for nine years
On March 24 of 2010, a west Edmonton woman went looking for her lost tabby cat named Bert. Upon arrival at a lead’s house, the owner, Liz Massiah, realized it wasn’t her cat.
Massiah still took the stray to a local Animal Care and Control centre, where they discovered a microchip and the veterinarian personnel to began to search for the cat’s long-lost family.
The tabby, named Loki, was lost in 2010 by the Ahmet family. Their search efforts at the time proved unsuccessful and despite adopting other cats over the years, the family remained heartbroken over Loki. However, almost a decade later Loki’s story changed.
After Messiah’s selfless efforts, the animal centre was able to contact the Ahmet’s. Though matted and in need of medical attention, Loki instantly remembered his family when reunited.
“He jumped into my arms and it was crying all around,” mother, Laura Ahmet told Global News.
For Laura’s son, Kalob, the moment was even sweeter. Prior to going missing, Loki was bonded to Kalob and many recounted them over the years as “best friends.”
“It started as pure shock, but then you couldn’t stop me [from] crying for another 20 minutes,” Kalob said to Global News.
The family says this is proof that the system of animal microchips and tattoos work. Who knew Loki’s simple microchip would one day bring him home?
Recovering addict from Vancouver’s downtown eastside searches for unknown man who ‘saved her life’
13 years ago, Krisi Ferris was living on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. While wandering East Hastings Street one night, an off-duty police officer, spoke to her from the window of a black SUV. He offered her help that ultimately saved her life.
Krisi recounts this as the lowest point of her life, where she contemplated suicide. She had ended up in Vancouver’s homeless central after being trapped in an abusive relationship. Parallel to this, she was also addicted to crack cocaine at the time.
After escaping the abusive relationship, she was left to the streets with no one to turn to. Originally a Calgary native, Krisi had only moved west with her ex-boyfriend and had no other connections.
Fast forward to that spring, Krisi was mixing a cocktail of drugs, including heroin, morphine, and crack. The night the black SUV pulled up beside her was the very time she planned to overdose.
When the off-duty officer first approached her, Krisi’s instinct was fear.
“I kept walking. He kept driving. Then his passenger window started to go down and I thought, ‘Great, I’m going to die tonight, this person’s going to shoot me,'” Krisi told Vancouver Is Awesome.
He asked if she would like help, but Krisi declined and kept walking. However, he didn’t relent and yelled out “I really don’t think you belong down here!”
To this day, Krisi says this was the work of angels. After her guard was let down, the man was able to explain he was a cop and simply wanted to help.
“He showed me a badge. I reached for the handle, opened the door, and asked to see it. It was a badge all right, and the relief made my knees buckle and I almost fell. I climbed in,” explained Krisi.
The man told her that he would take her money to buy her a bus ticket home to Calgary, and in exchange, he’d pay for her hotel that night.
The man continued saying, “I will be back at exactly 11AM and I’ll be waiting to take you to the bus, if you’re truly ready to end this.”
To calm Krisi’s nerves about going home, the man even called her mother to talk about the transition. The next day, the man returned and took her to the station. Accompanying him was a brown paper bag with food and a Cabbage Patch Kids doll.
“The food my wife packed is for your trip back to Calgary, the doll is for your daughter when she meets you at the bus station with the rest of your family,” he explained.
Krisi is now a mother of two and step-mother to two others. Her move back home has marked a decade of sobriety and her reunion with her immediate family and high school sweetheart.
After 13 years, Krisi is searching for her good samaritan.
“I would love to express my ultimate gratitude to such a wonderful, caring human being, who was not in anyway obligated to help me.”
Langley creates first “dementia village” to personalize patient experience
“Embrace normal” is the vision for Canada’s first Dementia Village, as told to Daily Hive by project lead Elroy Jespersen. Now with “The Village” opening in Langley, dementia patients will be able to live in a concept village community and live “normal” lives.
The idea for the village stemmed from approaching care in a less institutionalized way. In almost every aspect, the village reflects a daily routine that is catered to each resident. Instead of traditional care approaches, the village hopes to offer the feel and look of a “regular” home.
On the property, there are six single-story cottages which house 12 people each, for a sum of 72 residents. Each cottage is fully-staffed and functions as its own residence.
In the centre of the land is a Village Plaza and Community Centre. Here, residents can find an on-site salon, workshop, medical clinic, art space, and general store. Each space functions without the exchange of money, with the intention to give residents the familiar feeling of assistance-free shopping.
In addition, residents are encouraged to visit their barn (with animals!), a vegetable patch, water and “sensory” gardens, activity lawns, and multiple pathways.
The advanced methods of “The Village” also extend to family care givers.
“Because we are privately funded, people and families can self-refer,” stated Executive Director Adrienne Alfort-Burt. “They don’t need to go to a local health authority and wait for an assessment to be done. They can call us directly, and then we work with that person one-on-one – usually very quickly – to complete those assessments.”
With a fast-tracked and straightforward process at “The Village”, families are relieved of stress associated with BC’s long wait for beds at alike facilities.
So far “The Village” has 65 people registered a just a few weeks before opening. Congratulations to those who created such an incredible facility!
Richmond welcomes new permanent lgbtq+ rainbow crosswalk
Downtown Richmond has recently welcomed a new rainbow crosswalk. Hooray!
Just a month after Richmond’s city council approved the installation, the colourful crosswalk was completed across from Richmond Public Library and Richmond Centre shopping mall.
The art piece is a positive step for the city. Both officials and the community hope to recognize and celebrate the LGBTQ+ population through not only the crosswalk, but the awareness it generates.
We hope not only Richmond, but other Metro Vancouver cities continue to illustrate inclusivity in the future.
Worldwide
Elephant and rhino populations in tanzania skyrocket thanks to conservation efforts
Environmentalists rejoice! A significant increase in elephant and rhino populations in Tanzania has sparked a worldwide celebration.
Globally, both animals are considered vulnerable and endangered, but thanks to conservation efforts in Tanzania, both populations have seen significant increases. As stated by the nation’s government, in 2014 the elephant population was a mere 43,330 and have since increased to over 60,000. Rhinos have grown to 167 since 2015’s count of just over a dozen.
“As a result of the work of a special task force launched in 2016 to fight wildlife poaching, elephant populations have increased from 43,330 in 2014 to over 60,000 presently,” said Tanzania’s government, according to Sky News.
The illegal poaching of wild animals has been a large issue in the region for over a decade. Between 2009 and 2014, over 50,000 elephants were murdered for their ivory or trophy hunting merit.
Some ways the government has closed in on illegal activity has been through arrests and an organized task force. Looking toward the future, environmentalists and Tanzanian’s alike hope that populations will continue to rise.
13-year-old girl creates glitter-shooting prosthetic arm to change perception of disabilities
At only 13, Jordan Reeves has already made an impact in the lives of amputees and disabled individuals.
Born with only one arm, Reeves learnt from an early age to use her creativity to challenge people’s misconceptions.
“I wanted to show people that our differences don’t necessarily hold us back, in fact, they can give us more opportunity,” she told WGN9 News.
Her unicorn-shaped glitter cannon can shoot a stream of glitter up to six feet. In just over year, Reeves went from creating a DIY prototype to landing on the final 3D-printed design named “Project Unicorn.”
“I have always been a fan of glitter and unicorns, so I thought: what if I could make this thing magical?”
Beyond inspiring other’s with her story, Reeves has also co-founded an organization called “Born Just Right.” The non-profit aims to build creative solutions for children with disabilities. Through their resources in design and STEM, kids are able to create their own fun inventions.
Reeves hopes that through her work she will be able to help other kids make an enjoyable life for themselves. I think it’s safe to say Jordan is already accomplishing her goal!
Check out her published book, too!
Adoptable pets go viral for “Area 51” facebook initiative
Since the start of the viral Area 51 Facebook event, more than 3 million users have stated they are “attending”. Take into account sharing on other social networks and the reach of this trend is in the hundred millions.
Seeing the online buzz, Oklahoma City Animal Welfare, posted pictures of dogs in tinfoil hats saying to, “Come storm our shelter… Adoption isn’t that far out of this world!”
The shelter receives almost 22,000 animals over the year, with most intakes coming in the summer. To combat being at almost 100% capacity they shared the themed pictures, not expecting the post to go viral.
Since then, OKC Welfare has extended their gratitude, thanking the public for their overwhelming support, donations, and many adoptions.
So cute!
A self-declared witch, Tayvie spends her time with all things magic. Her circle is small, but her joy is large. She splits her time between over-thinking and visiting Disneyland. Read her articles to take a peek inside the world of mental illness and happy news, because it’s all about balance, right?
