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'You saved my life': Suicidal person's life is changed after reading a homemade bumper sticker

One kind note can change the world.

Photo by Tod Perry

A recreation of the note left on Brooke Lacey's car.

If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (273-8255) or text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line: 741741.


There’s an old Hebrew saying that if you “save one life, you save the world entire.” Who knows if Brooke Lacey, 22, had that lofty goal when she began a campaign in 2020 to help uplift people’s spirits during the first COVID-19 wave. But her kind efforts may have done just that.

Lacey has struggled with mental health issues throughout her life and she knew that people like her were going to have a really hard time during COVID-19 lockdowns. A study from May 2021 found that the New Zealand population had “higher depression and anxiety compared with population norms.” The study also found that “younger people” and “those most at risk of COVID-19 reported poorer mental health.”

To help those who may be struggling, Lacey printed 600 stickers with an uplifting message and posted them around places where people may take their lives, including trains, bridges and large bodies of water in Wellington, New Zealand. She also made a bumper sticker with the same message for her car.

The stickers spoke directly to those who may be contemplating taking their own life. “Please don’t take your life today,” the stickers read. “The world is so much better with you in it. More than you realize, stay.”

In 2022, Lacey parked her car in her university’s lot and when she returned to her vehicle to leave, she noticed a note was affixed to the windshield. Thinking it was someone complaining about how she parked or a ticket, she prepared for the worst but wound up being blindsided by the positive message.

“I left my house with a plan and asked for a sign, any sign, I was doing the right thing when I saw your car in the parking lot. Thank you,” the note read. At first, Lacey wasn’t sure what the person was referring to, then she remembered her homemade bumper sticker.

“I had these made so long ago, put one on my car and forgot about them, until now,” she tweeted on her since deactivated account. “I am so glad whoever you are chose to stay today. You never know who needs this reminder.”

Now, it’s unclear exactly what the person’s “plan” was, but there's no doubt that Lacey’s bumper sticker inspired them to choose life. Let’s hope that the sticker also inspired them to seek professional help for whatever difficulties they are going through.

Whether it was intentional or not, Lacey’s sticker was effective because it followed one of the most important strategies that people use at suicide hotlines. According to Science.org, it’s of utmost importance that people contemplating suicide are handled with “respect and empathy.”

Lacey's story is a beautiful reminder of the power that one simple, thoughtful gesture can have on another person’s life. Every day, there are people all around us who are looking for a sign to give them a reason keep going. Whether it’s a hug, a smile, or the right message in the right place at the right time, we should all be like Lacey and make sure everyone knows that the world is better with them in it. In fact, much more than they ever realize.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Maori members of New Zealand government perform unforgettable protest Haka in parliament

The protest of a proposed controversial law has become a rallying cry.

Photo credit: Canva

Haka preformed in protest on New Zealand parliament floor

By now most people are used to seeing the haka performed at sporting events or in celebration of life events. But the dance isn't just a dance of celebration, it's a dance that started as a war dance so it can be used in ways that are less jovial in nature. Maori members of the New Zealand parliament recently used the haka to protest a bill that would require the reinterpretation of a treaty between Britain and the Maori people from 1840.

The Treaty of Waitangi is 184-years-old and was originally signed between the British Crown and 500 Maori Chiefs. Maori people are indigenous to New Zealand and the treaty was to determine how the country should be governed. But the reinterpretation would restrict how the treaty can be interpreted just as Maori people continue to gain more rights in their native country.

The bill was introduced by the conservative, ACT New Zealand party, who are making a case than non-Indigenous people are missing out on opportunities due to policies designed to uplift Maori people, according to Reuters. There have been protests by the Maori since it was announced that the bill would be heard in parliament but the protest on the floor took some members by surprise.

Read World Cup GIF by World RugbyGiphy

In a powerful display of disagreement with the new bill one of the Te Pati Maori MPs stood and started the haka call that rang through parliament. As the haka started she ripped a copy of the bill in two while other Te Pati Maori MPs and people observing began to participate in the dance.

The form of protest seemed to fluster the man presiding over the meeting, causing parliament to be suspended briefly from the disruption. It doesn't look likely that the bill will pass as it doesn't have enough support outside of the initial readings. The protest caught the attention of social media and has since gone viral with over 188.9 million views and more than 14.5 million likes on the Whakaata Maori TikTok page.


@whakaatamaori Parliament suspended as Māori MPs perform haka joined by public gallery. @Te Ao with Moana @Te Ao Māori News @TUKU ♬ original sound - Whakaata Māori

Overwhelmingly people support the Maori MPs protest method on the parliament floor with one person saying, "This is what standing together looks like. I always get goosebumps when I come across a Haka. It’s so much passion in them."

"For people saying it was too much since 2023 the goverment in charge of new Zealand has been getting rid of things that are important to the Maori people such as their health authority also school language programs but the most recent one that has cause an out cry and protest from the Maori people is one of the government members wants to redefine the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi also known as Te Tiriti o Waitangi I'm not from New Zealand I don't want to speak over Maori voices but have seen videos from Maori people talking about it however I wanted add context for this," someone writes in a multipart comment thread.


"Now that's how you make a statement! The fact the house was suspended, means it was heard," another shares.

"This protest gives my body chills.. powerful demonstration. these are the rally cries of all our ancestors," someone else chimes in.

The Maori people currently only make up 20 percent of the population of New Zealand and have been the subject of oppression and discrimination. While the Maori people enjoy more rights and privileges than previous generations, the gains were hard fought, relying on the Treaty of Waitangi as a guide. This bill would essentially strip the Maori people of the full equality they're after and the haka protest was a strong stance against backsliding into a not so distant history.

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Joy

Bullied 'Rabbit kid' gets beautiful smile after kind strangers donate $100,000 to help

His family couldn't afford to fix his teeth.

via Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

A dentist improves someone's smile.

A touching story out of New Zealand shows a community's power to fight back against bullying and uplift the spirits of a young boy who badly needed medical attention.

It all began in 2011 when 12-year-old Evan Hill of Christchurch appeared on “Campbell Live,” a local current affairs show. Hill had severely buck teeth, and it made him the target of relentless bullying. Because of his appearance, the kids at his school called him “Rabbit kid.”

"They make me look funny and silly," Evan said about his teeth. "(The kids at school) call me a bunny rabbit and I'm not."

To add to the problem, Hill’s family was going through some very hard times after a devastating earthquake that struck New Zealand earlier that year. One hundred eighty-five people died in the quake and thousands of homes were destroyed.

"Since the earthquakes, I've had a death in the family, my mum passed away and my dad's house was virtually in the red zone. He found it hard to cope with that and had a stroke, and now he's in a rest home,” Evan’s father, Stephen Hill, revealed on the show.

The family didn’t have the $12,000 needed to pay for Evan’s dental work or a car to drive him to any appointments. Dental care is free in New Zealand to people under 18. However, Evan’s case was too severe to qualify.

If Evan didn’t get his teeth fixed, the bullies wouldn’t be his only problem. According to Medical News Today, buck teeth can lead to difficulty with chewing or eating, problems speaking, teeth grinding, mouth breathing, jaw problems, tooth decay and headaches due to pressures in the jaw joint.

The family’s neighbor, Phil Cooper, appealed to the people watching the show to help the family. "A lot of us judge others by their covers and who they look like on the outside, but actually he's a really nice kid,” Cooper said.

Boy bullied for buck teeth gets new smile after donations pour in | Newshub

After Evan’s story aired, “Campbell Live” was inundated with donations from its viewers and thousands of contributions added up to over $100,000 for the family. The money was used for Evan’s dental work and for the family to get a car. The family placed the rest of the money in a trust to pay for other children with similar dental problems.

Five years after appearing on television and sharing his story, orthodontist Ronald Sluiter took Evan’s braces off, revealing a beautiful smile. Over the course of the procedure, Evan’s teeth had to be moved 15 millimeters (⅔ of an inch) to be in a healthy and aesthetically appealing position.

“It’s about time,” Evan’s mother, Barbara Erickson, told Newshub. “I don’t know where we would have been today without the generosity we had. We had been looking to mortgage the house to pay for them.”

When asked how he looked after having his braces removed, Evan said: “Good.” Now, Even is looking forward to a career as a train driver.

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Teen performs emotional haka at mom's college graduation in honor of her achievement

People have collectively gotten something in their eyes.

Shay Ana|TikTok

Teen does the haka at mom's college graduation.

Graduating college while also raising children is a huge accomplishment and should be celebrated. One family sat waiting for their mom to walk across the stage to receive her bachelor's degree when her teenage son decided to honor her. The teen stood up in the wide aisle between folding chairs right before the announcer called his mother's name.

It was clear that his focus was on the woman that raised him when he started the familiar call and stance of the haka. He stood alone in his suit while his sister, who was filming their mother getting ready to walk, noticed her brother starting the dance.

The haka is a ceremonial Māori dance generally performed in groups to represent pride, unity and strength according to New Zealand's official website. Thanks to the internet, the passionate dance has been seen all over the world, from players doing it at sporting events to people sending off loved ones at the airport.

The haka is performed in all sorts of contexts, including celebrations, so it feels beyond fitting that this son would honor his mother in this way. You could feel the pride in his voice, and the graduation halted while he finished, with the master of ceremony waiting to call his mom's name. Even others in the crowd joined in singing the ceremonial chant with him in support.

In the text overlay, his sister wrote, "My mom graduating her bachelor in social work & my little brother getting up to Tautoko the best way we know how."

"Tautoko" means to support, prop up, verify, advocate, accept, agree, according to the Moāri dictionary. Support and propping up is certainly what this proud son did. Thankfully, it was caught on video so others could take part in his pride.

Currently, the video posted by Shay Ana on TikTok has over 4.3 million views, and commenters shared their support, with one person writing, "He didn't care what anyone thought. He was going to pay his respects to his mother."

"Whenever I see these done I always get so emotional! They are so powerful. What a beautiful part of your culture," another wrote.

See the moving tribute below:

@shay_anar

Very proud of you mum 4 very long and hard years finally paid off!! 💯

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