With 2016 coming to an end, it’s time to finally take a deep breath and reflect on everything this year gave us. Sure, the past 12 months were full of ups and downs, but while it seemed like there were many negative stories in the news, there were also amazing acts of hope and positivity.
Throughout the year, we here at Babble have had the pleasure of covering stories of generosity, kindness, and just plain human decency that never failed to astound us. Here are just a few of our favorites that kept us going strong.
1. This family who spent Valentine’s Day delivering roses to 200 widows.
What started with Jimmy Chouteau helping out widows in his community turned into a non-profit organization that is providing 200 roses and handwritten notes to widows on Valentine’s Day, while also helping them out with anything they need all year long.
2. These men who rallied around a little boy who was mocked for wearing heart socks.
When 3-year-old Harry was mocked at school for wearing socks with hearts on them because he’s a boy, his mom posted her frustrations on Facebook, and the response was amazing.
3. This midwife who rode an inflatable swan through flood waters to deliver a baby.
Cathy Rude, a midwife in Texas, had to get to her patient who was in labor, but heavy rains had flooded her street. When the laboring mother saw a neighbor taking a leisurely float by in an inflatable swan, she asked her to go pick up her midwife. Believe it or not, she made it to the birth (and no, we’re not making this up).
4. These hundreds of dads who showed up to cheer on elementary school kids before their exams.
At a school in Mississippi, hundreds of dads, uncles, grandfathers, step-fathers, and other male role models formed a tunnel of high-fives and cheers to help get kids pumped up for the day of exams ahead.
5. These Texas high school graduates who took a “senior walk” through their local elementary schools to inspire younger students.
Before their graduation, the high school seniors of Van, Texas, took a walk through the elementary, intermediate, and middle schools to give them a sense of accomplishment, and inspire the younger students as well.
6. This teacher who wrote all over her students’ desks for one awesome reason.
Fifth-grade teacher Chandni Langford wanted to do everything she could to help her students with their upcoming exams, so she wrote an inspiring message on every one of her 19 students’ desks to help boost their confidence.
7. This policeman who was photographed comforting a scared toddler in the hospital, saying: “It was just human instinct.”
As police officer James Hurst would put it, he was just doing his job when he offered to comfort a toddler who he had found and brought to the hospital. He held the little boy, who quickly fell asleep in his arms, for two hours while he received medical care.
8. This 54-year-old custodian who worked nights to put himself through college, and finally graduated.
After the recession left Michael Vaudreuil, a married father of three, without many options, he took a job as a custodian at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He eventually started taking free courses that he was eligible for as an employee of the university. Sometimes only getting four and a half hours a sleep a night, he worked as a student by day and custodian by night. But it all paid off in the end.
9. These triplets and their heartwarming bond with their local garbage men.
No one will ever be as excited for anything as these 2-year-old triplets are for garbage day. The viral video of the identical twin boys Heaton and Wilder, along with their sister Holden, greeting and playing with their favorite garbage men is just too cute to handle.
10. This mom who unboxed a Chewbacca mask in a Kohl’s parking lot and became an overnight Internet sensation.
Oh, Chewbacca Mom. Possibly the funniest video to come out of 2016 was the hilarious laughter of Candace Payne trying on a Chewbacca mask that she purchased at Kohl’s. Her infectious laugh combined with the unmistakable cries of Chewbacca was an instant hit. The video, posted in May, now has over 164 million views! Thanks to her newfound fame, Payne got to hang out with James Corden and J.J. Abrams, visit the Facebook headquarters, and get a private tour of Lucasfilm Studios. Guys, I think she won 2016.
11. These celebrities who made a special trip to meet young Avengers fan who was battling cancer.
Today @ryanwilcox0303 got a little surprise. Thank you to the incredible #chrisevans and my better work half @robertdowneyjr for being the men you both are. And thank you to the Wilcox family for your hospitality! #ryanstrong
Eighteen-year-old Ryan Wilcox, who was diagnosed with leukemia for the second time, got a special visit from Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., and Gwyneth Paltrow after students at his school made a plea on his behalf. Paltrow was the first to see the posts, and brought along some of her famous co-stars for a surprise Wilcox would never forget.
12. This 10-year-old who knit 50 hats for kids battling cancer.
Although he’s widely known among his friends as a great baseball player, the children battling cancer at the Children’s Hospital Colorado know Garrett Lowry for his generous donation of 50 hats that he knit himself. This initiative started as a school project with the goal of making 15 hats, but he soon decided to “mega size it.”
13. This mom of twins who was “blessed” by a rent-a-car employee’s small act of kindness.
Mom Coty Vincent was trying to get a rental car after a hit-and-run incident, and when she literally ran out of hands to hold her twins, an Enterprise employee offered to help. The employee, named John, held one of the babies while she sorted out the paperwork, and Enterprise even made the story better with an extra gift.
14. These two Chick-Fil-A employees who stepped up when kids refused to play with a young Star Wars fan.
Eight-year-old Caleb Merriken, who has spinal muscular atrophy, was excited to attend a Star Wars-themed event at their local Chick-Fil-A. When he asked to play with a couple of other kids, and they refused, he was upset. But two Chick-Fil-A employees engaged him in an epic lightsaber battle that changed everything.
15. This grandson’s sweet surprise for his nan’s 86th birthday.
David Goodings gave his grandmother, Iris Howard, the best birthday surprise she could’ve asked for. She thought she was just driving around with her grandson, but then the radio started playing recordings of all of her family and friends wishing her a happy birthday. Grab the tissues.
16. This local police department who walked a little boy to school on his first day of pre-K.
For 4-year-old Jackson Scherlen and his family, his first day of pre-K was both exciting and tinged with sadness. Scherlen’s father, a police officer, had passed away from an injury sustained in the line of duty just two weeks earlier. But when it was time for him to go to school, he was surrounded by the family of police officers, showing him that he will never be alone.
17. This heroic 7-year-old cancer patient who raised over $20K to help other kids battling the disease.
Benjamin Burke, while in the middle of ongoing treatment for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, teamed up with the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation (ARFF) to help other kids battling cancer. He set up a lemonade stand that raised $10K, which was matched by The Case Law Firm. Thanks to Burke’s hard work and the support of thousands, over $20K was donated to ARFF.
18. This 10-year-old boy who grew out his hair for nearly three years to donate to kids with cancer.
After learning about cancer and the tough side effects of chemotherapy, Thomas Moore decided to grow his hair out to donate to kids battling the disease. Although his growing afro was hard to tame, he stuck it out for two years and five months, finally cutting off enough hair to make three wigs for children in need.
19. These college students who bring magic to children with cancer by dressing up as Disney princesses.
Margaret McAndrew and Kylee McGrane started a volunteer organization at the College of Mount Saint Vincent that visits children who are battling cancer, bringing a little magic with them everywhere they go. When they’re not visiting hospitals in costume, they are holding princess lessons for all of the volunteers on how to give the children the most magical experiences.
20. Tommee Tippee, who gave this teen with autism a lifetime supply of his favorite discontinued sippy cup.
Reward for cup like this! Son has severe #autism & would rather go to A&E dehydrated than use ANY other cup – colour shape etc PLEASE SHARE pic.twitter.com/iglWs9IKA9
— Grumpy Carer (@GrumpyCarer) November 14, 2016
One dad’s plea for his son with autism went viral on Twitter and had the perfect happy ending. Marc Carter took to Twitter to ask if anyone had any of these discontinued sippy cups left in their cabinets. His son, Ben, has autism and will only drink out of this exact cup, and their supply was quickly diminishing after constant use. In an amazing turn of events, the manufacturer of the cup searched their warehouses and found the mold for this cup, and promised Ben and his dad that they would make as many cups as he needed, for the rest of his life.
21. These police officers who bought a bike for a teen who was walking two hours (each way) to get to work.
Jourdan Duncan didn’t want to burden his family with driving him to work every day. His __parents thought he was getting a ride from someone, but he was actually walking two hours to get to and from work every day. When police officers stopped to ask why he was walking so late, they were shocked to hear about his dedication. Together, the Benicia Police Officers Association gifted Duncan with a bike that would cut his commute in half, and change his life.
22. This all-female biker crew who deliver breastmilk to babies in need.
When the New York Milk Bank was having a hard time quickly delivering breastmilk throughout Manhattan, they turned to The Sirens Women’s Motorcycle Club, New York City’s oldest and largest all-female motorcycle club. These amazing ladies strap donated breastmilk to their motorcycles and deliver liquid gold to thousands of babies all over the city, and they do it all for free.
23. This single dad who donated his frequent flyer miles to strangers who couldn’t fly home for the holidays.
For the second year in a row, Peter Shankman racked up so many frequent flyer miles that he decided to donate his extra miles to those who couldn’t afford to be with their families for the holidays. He left it completely up to the Imgur community to choose the winners, and invited others with extra miles to donate them as well. While he originally wanted to send two to four people home, thanks to other donations he was able to fly 10 lucky people to be with their families.