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Teens from alternative high school leave class to save man who fell on busy railroad tracks

The teens made sure he safely made it to the bus stop

Photo credit: Canva

Teens bolt out of school to rescue man on railroad tracks

Typically when people think of an alternative high school, they think of children that have pretty intense behavioral problems that have been kicked out of regular school. Things that come to mind are usually truancy, excess physical and verbal altercations, or teens that simply seem to struggle with keeping up in a typical school setting. There aren't many great pictures painted about the youth that attend these types of schools, so it's not surprising that the teens within those doors are oftentimes labeled as "bad."

But writing off all children that attend alternative high school as unredeemable would be a mistake. Many kids that attend those schools aren't inherently bad and three teens from Iowa prove just that. Clinton Ring, Paul Clanery and Davidson Hartman are seniors at Gateway High School, an alternative school in Iowa who sprung into action after Paul noticed a man fall on the railroad tracks from the window of their classroom.

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The teen watched the man struggle to find his footing, then realized he needed to do something because the railroad track is one that is frequently busy. That's when Paul rallies his two friends to go with him out the door, without permission.

"All we hear is Paul calling our name, like 'hey I see an old man falling,' and we're like 'what,' and we went and checked it out. We didn't think twice we just went out and you know, helped him out," one of the teens shares with CBS Mornings.

The teens did inform a teacher they were leaving the building as they ran past his classroom out the front doors. This fly by announcement prompted the science teacher, Matt Earlingson (Mr. E) to follow the three boys to see if the boys needed assistance. Everything was caught on the school's surveillance camera and once their teacher saw their heroic gesture, he snapped a photo of the teens helping the man.

It's unclear if the man was injured but he had difficulty walking without assistance, so the teens supported the man for his two block walk to the bus stop. They haven't heard from the man since but Mr. E certainly won't let them forget their heroic excursion to save a life.

GIF by Pudgy PenguinsGiphy

"Kinda by the time I was out there, they were getting to him and helping him up off his feet and then they started walking him to the bus stop and that's about two blocks away. And I decided to pull out my phone and take a picture. It was these two young men on each side of this older gentlemen with you know, his arms around them and it was just a selfless act. They didn't wait and ask for permission. They just said, we're doing this," the science teacher says.

The teens are well aware of the reputation of high schoolers that attend alternative school and hope that their act of kindness will shed new light. They explain that they hope their story inspires people to not judge a book by it's cover and to "be righteous to the people around you." These teens may be spending their senior year at an alternative school but they've already got one life lesson mastered–look out for your members in your community.

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Wellness

Baby boy meets the woman who risked it all to give him a second chance

Their unforgettable first encounter will make your heart swell.

Courtesy: Katie White

Sandy Flash meets Sonny for the first time.

It takes a special sort of someone to donate a portion of an organ to a person in need. The gift is even more generous if the recipient is someone the giver hasn't ever met. Sandy Flash, a resident of New York, is just such a person, having selflessly donated a portion of her liver without even knowing who the recipient would be. She would later come to learn that her courage and generosity saved the life of a one-year-old boy named Sonny, and the moment they met is melting hearts across the internet.

Facing a rare and life-threatening condition

Sonny was born a healthy baby, but within months, his family faced a devastating diagnosis: biliary atresia. This rare condition blocks bile ducts in the liver, leading to liver damage. Doctors attempted to treat Sonny with the Kasai procedure, a surgery designed to reroute bile flow. But like many children with biliary atresia, Sonny's condition worsened. By his first birthday, he was battling end-stage liver disease, and his family learned he would need a liver transplant to survive.

"When they tell you your child needs a transplant, you start thinking, ‘How are we going to get this organ?’"

— Katie White, Sonny's mom

A stranger's extraordinary decision

Meanwhile, Sandy Flash had already decided to become a living organ donor. Her husband’s own liver transplant at Cleveland Clinic had inspired her to give back in the most profound way. With a trusted team led by Dr. Choon Hyuck David Kwon, Director of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Sandy underwent a rigorous screening process to ensure her safety and compatibility as a donor.

Sandy’s procedure was performed laparoscopically, a minimally invasive technique that reduced her recovery time and postoperative pain. In May 2023, Sandy learned she would be donating a portion of her liver to Sonny, a child she’d never met but whose life depended on her gift.

"Next to having my own children, this is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done."

— Sandy Flash

A life-saving transplant

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Sonny’s condition had reached a critical point by the time the transplant was scheduled. He was battling end-stage liver disease, and his other organs were beginning to show signs of strain. The transplant, led by Dr. Koji Hashimoto, Director of Liver Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic, gave Sonny a new chance at life. The small portion of Sandy’s liver transplanted into Sonny’s body will grow as he grows, allowing him to live without the devastating effects of biliary atresia.

The recovery process was not without challenges, but Sonny soon began thriving. He returned home to his family and, over the following months, caught up on milestones he’d missed, becoming a bubbly, active toddler.

"As of today, Sonny’s so happy and bubbly. You wouldn't even know he’s gone through everything he did."

— Katie White

A meeting filled with gratitude

In July 2024, after both Sandy and Sonny had recovered, the two families met for the first time at Cleveland Clinic. Sandy didn’t know much about the child whose life she had saved, and Sonny’s family was eager to thank the stranger who had changed their world. The moment Sonny toddled over to Sandy with a bright smile on his face left everyone in tears.


@clevelandclinic When Sandy Flash first saw Sonny’s bright smile, she knew her decision to become a living organ donor was worth it. Sonny’s mom, Katie White, was overwhelmed to meet the stranger who selflessly donated a portion of her liver to save her son. “Sandy gave a piece of herself to save my baby’s life. Organ donation is truly an unconditional gift,” says Katie. “Next to having my own children, this is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done,” says Sandy. After Sonny was born, doctors diagnosed him with biliary atresia, which affects liver function. He would ultimately need a transplant. “When they tell you your child needs a transplant, you start thinking, ‘How are we going to get this organ?’ Sonny’s Cleveland Clinic Children’s team mentioned all the potential options, including an anonymous living donor,” says Katie. When becoming a living organ donor, Sandy didn’t know who she’d end up helping but felt called to do it after her husband, Jim, needed a liver transplant. In 2022, Sandy and Jim traveled from where they live in Western New York to our main campus in Cleveland, Ohio, for his transplant. Later, when Sandy ultimately decided to become a living donor, she knew she wanted to come back. She decided to donate a portion of her liver’s left lobe. Up to two-thirds of the liver can be safely removed as long as the tissue is healthy and able to regenerate. The portion of the liver transplanted will grow with the child’s body. In May 2023, Sandy and Sonny were matched and their surgeries were scheduled. Sandy is thankful she underwent her procedure laparoscopically, or minimally invasive, as it cut down on her recovery time. Once 1-year-old Sonny reached a good place in his recovery, they met for the first time. “It was amazing to see this beautiful, energetic boy with a huge smile. When it comes to organ donation, I think many people, like me, don't think about it until it touches you personally. I’m sharing my story to hopefully inspire others to consider becoming a living organ donor,” says Sandy. Katie adds, “This weight lifted off our shoulders when we met. I felt a sense of relief being able to see the person who saved my baby’s life.”
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"It was amazing to see this beautiful, energetic boy with a huge smile on his face," Sandy recalled. "I asked what his name was and when Katie said Sonny, I thought, ‘Perfect.’"

The case for living organ donation

Living organ donation provides a unique opportunity to save a life, often with better outcomes than transplants from deceased donors. Organizations like the American Transplant Foundation and Mayo Clinic emphasize the importance of this option, highlighting the shorter wait times and higher success rates it offers.

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For Sandy, the experience was life-changing: "The rewards of the experience, knowing that you helped someone in dire need, are incredibly fulfilling." Sonny’s story serves as a testament to the life-changing power of organ donation, and his family hopes their journey inspires others to consider becoming donors.

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Heroes

CCTV shows the heart-stopping moment a passerby catches a toddler falling from a building

His quick action saved the little girl's life.

Photo by Frank McKenna on Unsplash

Passerby catches toddler falling from window

Have you ever watched something that instantly made you sweat? Yeah, that's the response watching this heart-stopping video of a toddler falling out of a sixth floor window and being caught by a man chatting on his cellphone. The miraculous moment was caught on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in China and was uploaded to Twitter recently by China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian.

In the short clip you can see the man seemingly walking while talking on his cellphone when he notices what's about to unfold. He quickly runs to the front of the building nearly falling when he attempts to stop and another person runs behind to help him. The two put their arms up and before you know it there's a toddler landing safely in the man's arms. In another angle you see the toddler dangling from the window before free-falling to the pair below. His quick action saved the little girl's life.

According to China Daily, the man, who has now been identified as Shen Dong, said he heard a bang on the top of the apartment building before looking up and seeing the toddler. The bang he heard was the toddler hitting an advertisement sign and Shen was on the phone with the police before the girl moved again causing her to fall. After he caught the child, Shen drove the girl to the hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released to her mother.

Shen told the outlet, "I'm also a father of two children and I don't want to see any children get hurt."

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Shen was simply about to walk into the bank where he worked before the loud noise grabbed his attention. Pretty sure he has a good excuse for missing a day of work. Hopefully the little girl continues to have a speedy recovery.


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Joy

Drive-thru worker at Chick-fil-A rescues customer's daughter from choking on a coin

The mom was franticly screaming for help before the worker ran over and pulled the girl out of the car.

11Alive|YouTube

Drive thru worker rescues choking little girl

Every parent has made that split decision to grab a quick lunch or dinner by pulling into the nearest drive-thru. You're going through your mental check list of all the tasks you have left to complete when you realize it's been a few hours since you've fed your tiny human. So instead of switching stations in your brain to mentally flip through what's in your cabinets, you pull into a fast food place and call it dinner.

Most people aren't expecting a life changing experience while in the drive-thru but for one mom, it was. Liliana Leahy pulled into the Chick-fil-A drive-thru to grab lunch when her daughter started to choke. Leahy explained that she panicked when her daughter struggled to breathe and was unable to communicate what was wrong. The mom began began screaming.

"So I started like screaming, like hey help me. Somebody help me. My daughter is choking. Just panic," Leahy tells 11Alive.

Thankfully, the scared mom's screams were answered by a Chik-fil-A employee who jumped into action. Mia Isabella Velez saw the little girl was choking and got the 3-year-old out of the car to do the Heimlich maneuver. It took about three tries before the large coin came flying out of the girl's mouth. Velez is only 18 and just recently moved to Georgia from California, but that day she just happened to be at the right place in the right time.

After the incident took place, the little girl just wanted an ice cream. It was well deserved. What a scary situation for everyone involved.

Watch the video below:

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