Community Corner
Feel Good Friday: 8 Inspirational People's Stories
Feel even better about Friday with these eight inspirational stories.
Ahh, it's Friday. And we've got one more reason for you to feel even better about Friday.
For more two monthsĀ now, Patch and Grape-Nuts have teamed up to present stories about your neighbors, neighbors who have faced challenges that would seem insurmountable to many of us.Ā
But not to the people we've featured in this series,Ā Journeys.
Not surprisingly, the stories have generated dozens of comments on Patch and on Facebook: "Great story..." "Thanks for sharing..."Ā "So wonderfully inspiring..."Ā
And, so, here they are again. Great stories shared to inspire. Take a look at what these people have faced. Then click on the story to see their responses. Then get that warm fuzzy inspirational feeling as you head into your weekend.Ā
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Paraplegic Military Vet Will Row From Santa Cruz to Hawaii
Mistakes inĀ Angela Madsen'sĀ surgeries done by Veteran's Administration doctors made her basketball injuries worseĀ and ended her chance of walking.Ā Then, it took 13 years of fighting the system to get her benefits. The Veteran's Administration destroyed documents and fought against giving her benefits.Ā She ended up homeless, depressed, she lost her relationship and attempted suicide.Ā She suffered depression for two years, but then someone encouraged her to participate in the Paralympics, athletic competitions for people in wheelchairs.Ā That brought back the traits she had before the injury.Ā
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Once Undocumented, Now a Lawman: Santa Cruz Police Officer Blazes a Rare TrailĀ
Miguel Duarte remembers the first time he saw an American police officer. He was 17 and had crossed the U.S. border illegally.Ā He was in awe. And he was terrified. Meeting up with la policia was his nightmare. But now, he's one of them. And he's one of the "good guys."
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Local Teen Raises $1M for Her StartupāBefore Her 18th BirthdayĀ
Brienne Ghafourifar earned her undergraduate degree at the age of 17. She's raised a million bucks to fund her Palo AltoĀ startup,Ā Entefy, the youngest college grad to do so. Next? Taking on Google.Ā
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KaiserĀ NurseĀ Stays Calm Through KidnappingĀ
Norma Camba didn't let fear takeĀ overĀ after being abducted with several others by Bedouin tribesmen in Egypt.
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Mother Remains Determined to Beat Aggressive Cancer
Fighting an aggressive form of cancer hasn't been easy for Liana Day Williams, who has stayed focused on one main thing: she canāt die because her family needs her.
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āI was asked to write a blog and that was embarrassing for me,ā Outfielder HunterĀ Pence said. To still interact with fans and avoid the keyboard,Ā Pence normally posts pictures instead of words fromĀ his twitter account.Ā āWhen people send me that stuff, I love looking at it. I really want to do that more often. [But] sometimes Iām afraid to write something because I donāt want people to get angry.ā Instead,Ā Pence allows his actions to speak for him instead of words
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Obamaās Former Campaign Co-Chair Scales Summits in Politics, Business and Academics
The former State Controllerās formidable journey has expanded beyond politics into funding clean technology, serving on Stanfordās faculty and starting his own foundation to help California kids at risk. But the greatest challenge? Being a father.Ā
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Oakland A's Manager Rides Rollercoaster of Firings and Successes
Bob MelvinĀ led the Aās to an unexpected American League West Division title last year and has them winning over 70 percent of their games early this season.Ā But he hasnāt always been at the top.Ā His first managerial stop was with the Seattle Mariners, where he led the team to a second-place in the AL West in 2003. He was fired after losing 99 games the following season. Now Bob Melvin is flying high with the A's.Ā
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