An off-duty firefighter from Texas was out on the lake over the Fourth of July weekend when a boat carrying nine people capsized. He didn't hesitate. He repeatedly dove under the overturned boat and pulled three children out from underneath it.

One of the kids wasn't breathing when he got her out. He performed CPR right there on the spot until she came back around.

All three children survived without major injuries.

That's the definition of being in the right place at the right time — and actually being prepared for it. That firefighter had a pretty remarkable Fourth of July.

An off-duty firefighter from Texas was out on the lake over the Fourth of July weekend when a boat carrying nine people capsized. He didn't hesitate. He repeatedly dove under the overturned boat and pulled three children out from underneath it.
One of the kids wasn't breathing when he got her out. He performed CPR right there on the spot until she came back around.
All three children survived without major injuries.
That's the definition of being in the right place at the right time &mdash; and actually being prepared for it. That firefighter had a pretty remarkable Fourth of July.

Need a break from the news? Zack East rounds up the best GOOD NEWS stories out there, the kind of stuff that reminds you people are still pretty great. New episodes every weekday on 98.3 The Coast.

Need a break from the news? Zack East rounds up the best GOOD NEWS stories out there, the kind of stuff that reminds you people are still pretty great. New episodes every weekday on 98.3 The Coast.

Zack East rounds up the best GOOD NEWS stories out there, the kind of stuff that reminds you people are still pretty great.

Zack's Good News

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We're back. And we're focused on Lake Life, Wine Culture, and Modern Hits for Southwest Michigan.

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We're focused on Lake Life, Wine Culture, and Modern Hits for Southwest Michigan.

We're focused on Lake Life, Wine Culture, and Modern Hits for Southwest Michigan.

Off-Duty Firefighter Dives Under Capsized Boat, Saves Three Children on Fourth of July - Zack's Good News

Dave Whitlow, a 73-year-old retired local government manager in Virginia, spends his Tuesdays and Thursdays working the best gig of his life — serving as a volunteer cuddler in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Hospital of Richmond.

For the past eight years, Dave has shown up to hold, rock, and comfort some of the hospital's most fragile patients. On a typical shift, he cradles five to eight premature or critically ill infants — some weighing under two pounds — giving them the human connection and comfort they need while they fight for their lives. Dave works closely with the nursing staff, carefully tracking the babies' vital signs and monitoring their progress during every single cuddle.

Before placing each infant back into their bed, Dave quietly whispers the same heartfelt wish to them: "Grow strong, grow smart, grow kind."

Dave is happy he has the extra time in retirement to do this important job. "It's the best gig I've ever had. It just feels right. I pretty much just want to be with them," he said.

Dave Whitlow, a 73-year-old retired local government manager in Virginia, spends his Tuesdays and Thursdays working the best gig of his life &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/6259/This-Grandpa-Has-Spent-8-Years-Cuddling-a-Hospital-039-s-Tiniest-Fighters-Every-Week">serving as a volunteer cuddler</a>&nbsp;in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Hospital of Richmond.
For the past eight years, Dave has shown up to hold, rock, and comfort some of the hospital's most fragile patients. On a typical shift, he cradles five to eight premature or critically ill infants &mdash; some weighing under two pounds &mdash; giving them the human connection and comfort they need while they fight for their lives. Dave works closely with the nursing staff, carefully tracking the babies' vital signs and monitoring their progress during every single cuddle.
Before placing each infant back into their bed, Dave quietly whispers the same heartfelt wish to them: "Grow strong, grow smart, grow kind."
Dave is happy he has the extra time in retirement to do this important job. "It's the best gig I've ever had. It just feels right. I pretty much just want to be with them," he said.

A Retired Man Has an Incredibly Important Job at a Children's Hospital - Zack's Good News

Hannah Bomback, a seventh-grade teacher in Burton, Ohio, noticed that one of her students, Arieauna Johnson, was frequently missing class — and learned that Arieauna's mom, Melissa Johnson, was dealing with a serious kidney problem.

Hannah had also taught Melissa's four older children and wanted to help the family any way she could, so she stepped up and donated a kidney.

While Hannah wasn't a direct match, her donation to a stranger through the National Kidney Registry generated a priority voucher. This amazing golden ticket bumped Melissa to the top of the active waiting list for a living donor, giving Melissa a real shot at getting her life back.

Hannah says the transplant process went smoothly and is happy that Melissa and her family are getting a boost.

Hannah admits that she also got a boost. As she explained, "When you give to other people, your life is made so much better. It feels weird because I personally have gotten so much joy out of it. I've benefited so much."

Hannah Bomback, a seventh-grade teacher in Burton, Ohio, noticed that one of her students, Arieauna Johnson, was frequently missing class &mdash; and learned that Arieauna's mom, Melissa Johnson, was dealing with a serious kidney problem.
Hannah had also taught Melissa's four older children and wanted to help the family any way she could, so she stepped up and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-geauga/teacher-donates-kidney-to-help-students-mother-move-up-donor-list">donated a kidney</a>.
While Hannah wasn't a direct match, her donation to a stranger through the National Kidney Registry generated a priority voucher. This amazing golden ticket bumped Melissa to the top of the active waiting list for a living donor, giving Melissa a real shot at getting her life back.
Hannah says the transplant process went smoothly and is happy that Melissa and her family are getting a boost.
Hannah admits that she also got a boost. As she explained, "When you give to other people, your life is made so much better. It feels weird because I personally have gotten so much joy out of it. I've benefited so much."

A Teacher Donated a Kidney to Move a Student's Mom Up On the Donor List - Zack's Good News

A couple weeks ago, the charity group Wesley Family Services in Pennsylvania was facing some tough times. They were on the brink of shutting down its "Open Your Heart to a Senior" program because of a loss of federal funding — which left local senior citizens worried about how they would get their groceries.

The news startled local resident Diana Holcomb, who relied on the services provided by the program. Diana shared her story with a local TV station to make sure the community knew about the crisis.

Her emotional plea struck a major chord in the community — and inspired an anonymous donor to step forward with $100,000 to fund the food program for another full year.

When Diana learned the news, she was overwhelmed with emotion. "Wow, somebody out there cares," she said. "It brought me to tears. I just thanked the Lord for working this out."

A couple weeks ago, the charity group Wesley Family Services in Pennsylvania was facing some tough times. They were on the brink of shutting down its "Open Your Heart to a Senior" program because of a loss of federal funding &mdash; which left local senior citizens worried about how they would get their groceries.
The news startled local resident Diana Holcomb, who relied on the services provided by the program. Diana shared her story with a local TV station to make sure the community knew about the crisis.
Her emotional plea struck a major chord in the community &mdash; and inspired an anonymous donor to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/6252/Anonymous-Donor-Gives-100-000-to-Save-Senior-Food-Program-After-Woman-039-s-Plea-for-Help">step forward with $100,000</a>&nbsp;to fund the food program for another full year.
When Diana learned the news, she was overwhelmed with emotion. "Wow, somebody out there cares," she said. "It brought me to tears. I just thanked the Lord for working this out."

Off-Duty Firefighter Dives Under Capsized Boat, Saves Three Children on Fourth of July - Zack's Good News

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