Monday, August 23, 2010
CNN Heroes
CNN highlights people around the world who are considered heroes because of their contributions to their communities. After looking over the list of heroes from 2009, write 200 words about who you like the best. Who on the list best exemplifies what a hero is to you and why? If you can copy/paste the individual's picture into your blog post.
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I think that one of the best heroes off of the cnn website is Jordan Thomas. Thomas was 16 in 2005 on a family vacation in the Florida Keys. As he jumped into the water the wake of the boat took him straight back and into the propellers of the boat. “I looked down-my black fins are gone and all I saw was just red everywhere.” Said Thomas. Thomas was an high school athlete he was the captain of the golf tem.
ReplyDeleteHe was rushed to the emergency room were the had to amputee his legs the cost of the surgery and prosthetic legs cost $24000 and insurance only paid $5000. With in the two weeks he was in the hospital he meet children with amputates.
By the time that he returned home they already had bracelets, cookouts, and golf charities, which raised $400,000 to the Jordan Thomas foundation. Which helps pay for prosthetic legs for kids instill the reach the age 18.
I like Jordan Thomas the best because he is really heroic and he helped out so many children with the same problem he had when he was a child himself.
Alex Griffen was abandoned at the hospital when he was born. He was adopted when he was 11 and a half months old. Alex wanted to give something back to the hospital 20 in Russia. He now lives in Maryland with his adoptive parents. His parents adopt other children who have contact with their birth parents while Alex does not. At hospital 20 Alex built a brand new play ground. Before he built this one there was one swing and a sand box. The swing was old, rusty, and the seat was wood. The sand box was more of a mud pit because of all the rain. Now there is a big play ground with about 5 slides and swings. After $600,000 raised and donated and about 800 hours put into the new play ground, along with many people to help him build it, the play ground is finished. When Alex was born he had many medical issues, he couldn't breath very well on his own. When he went back to hospital 20 he said he wished all the new borns good health. When Alex was growing up he was in boy scouts for about 5 years. The new play ground was his eagle project. When children play on the equipment they say they love it because all the sadness goes away.
ReplyDeleteI think Luis Soriano is one of the best CNN heroes because he rides a donkey around the Colombia countryside to deliver books for kids to read. He carries around 120 books at a time and goes from village to village teaching kids to read. Some of these kids have to travel 40 miles one way just to get to school by walking or mule. He goes to different villages. He meets 40-50 kids at each village. He gives them homework help and books to read. To travel from village to village it may take up to four to five hours. Luis says some days it is very hard to be on a donkey for so long.
ReplyDeleteLuis and his wife built the largest free library in Magdalene by their home. In Colombia he has made thousands of kids smarter and given some kids a chance to learn and read that they would never have had before. He has been doing this 17 years. Once when he was riding, he fell of his donkey and broke his leg. Another time some bandits jumped, and stole some of his stuff. They tied him to a tree when they found out he did not have any money.
My favorite 2010 CNN hero is Patty Webster. I chose her because she has all the good qualities a hero should have. When I looked at her picture she looked like everyone else in this world. The one thing that she does have that most people don’t is not something you can see, its something in your heart. Patty Webster is just as ordinary as the next person. In America she worked as a model and many other odd jobs until her dream job was presented to her. Patty moved to Peru to become a tour guide in the Peruvian Amazon. It was there where Patty learned what she was meant to do. After working in the rainforest for many years Patty learned that not everything about it was beautiful. She witnessed people dying there because of the lack of medical care. That is where she stepped in. She started caring for these people by lending them her medicine and other supplies they needed. This is when she realized she needed to step up and take charge. In 1993 Patty formed the organization call Amazon Promise. This is a nonprofit organization that helps bring medical aid to the people in need. She takes many trips around the poorest parts of Peru along with many medically knowledgeable people for up to four weeks at a time. After 17 years of running this organization Patty has never been paid a single penny.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone should be a little more like Patty. There are millions of people around the world who are in need of just a little medical attention. If everyone could have the same kind of heart as Patty the world would be a much better place. No one would be neglected and everyone would have the help they need. As Glick said, "She's an amazing person. She is sort of a cross between Indiana Jones and Mother Teresa and Susan Sarandon,"
Mackenzie Bearup is a true hero. At age ten she hit with excruciating pain in her knee. The worst part was it had no reason to start hurting. Days went by and she even had to start using crutches because of the pain. Her knee would no longer allow her to walk with out it collapsing. Finally after several treatments she was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). Mostly everyone gets around using their legs, but when Mackenzie wasn’t able too she found a new passion, reading. The only way to take her mind off the pain her knee was causing her was getting caught up in books.
ReplyDeleteAbout six years later she thought if she found this much pleasure in reading, why would other kids not? Surely enough a center had just built a library but with one problem, no book to fill it. Mackenzie took matters into her own hands. She asked everyone she could to donate books. Going even more out of her way she put flyers in mailboxes, placed ads in newspapers, and made a web site. Only expecting to get a few books she made a goal of three hundred books. She soon got way more than she expected, a whole three thousand! With this great success she went on giving more and more books.
Her goal of helping kids is an amazing thing to do. The way she went about it too was very heroic. She put her pain aside to help other kids who were in pain. She could of just thought of it and let it be. She showed how much she really cares about helping others and that is what being a hero is all about, right? Putting aside your problems for someone else’s? I hope many others can learn from this and will follow in these young ladies footsteps.
I chose Brad Baluster for my CNN hero. I chose Brad because he looked extremely happy in the picture that was posted. When the saw the picture that was with the story I knew he was a good person. In the picture he is standing next to a young boy that is in a wheelchair. I liked this picture because I love little kids and anyone who helps little kids are a hero to me. Little kids mean a lot to me. I have grown up with little kids and I baby-sit kids very often. Every time I see a kid that has a disability, I feel the need to help. This is why I liked Brad’s story. Brad is from Texas and came to Iraqi because he was a civilian contractor. He quite his job as a contractor so he could spend more time distributing wheelchairs even though he doesn’t receive money giving out wheelchairs. He talked with a doctor and the doctor said he had to send parents back home with their disabled kids because he didn’t have wheelchairs to give them. So Brad did some research and figured out how he could get wheelchairs to kids in need. He gives wheelchairs out to kids from two years old to fourteen years old. He brought hope to family’s that didn’t think would ever find any. Before the kids had their wheelchairs their parents would have to carry their child around. With Brad’s help these families finally know what it is like to have a normal life. He also gives kids opportunities to do things they couldn’t do before. Brad had been living in Iraqi for over four years now, which means he hasn’t seen him family in over four years. This takes a lot of bravery and heart to live away from your family to help other families out. It also takes a real man to give up his job and time with family to help others in need. On the bright side Brad gets to see how he affects many kids and families. The smiles he receives and the tears he sees keeps him doing what he does. Brad his definitely a hero due to all the love and care he has in his heart.
ReplyDeleteI decided that my CNN hero is Lidia Schaefer. Lidia grew up in Ethiopia and she moved to the United States in the 1970’s. While in America, she had two children and a job where she worked for twelve hours for 6 days a week. Her job was as a manicurist. She eventually went back to her hometown, which was Feres Mai in Northern Ethiopia. When she arrived, she saw that there were a bunch of children walking to school eighteen miles away. And it wasn’t even a school, it was a tree! In Ethiopia, they were taught under a tree. When Lidia saw this she didn’t like it and she wanted it to change. Shortly after she returned to America, she discovered some very terrible news. One of the little girls in the village was attacked by a hyena on her way home because she got behind the rest of the children. Once she found this out, she decided that she wanted to build a school so children didn’t have to walk so far away just to get to school. She collected a third of her salary and tips and people donated windows and doors, but that wasn’t enough. She needed more so she did something drastic. She sold her home and her car to get enough money and it came out that she had $250,000. She went back to Ethiopia and built a school. She says it’s small but simple. She wanted to name the school after Medhine, but the Ethiopian government said it was named Lidia Secondary School because they wanted more people to be like her. She wanted children to be safe and educated. Now that the school is built she wants to put in computers so they can talk with the whole world.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think that Lidia Schaefer is a true CNN hero because she wanted the children of Ethiopia to be safe. She wanted them to talk to the world and to be educated. The one quote that is my favorite in this story is, “I don't work with my head. I really work with my heart.”
Mackenzie Bearup was the CNN hero I chose. She stood out to me above the rest of them, because she was just a young girl. I clicked on her link and read her story. It turns out that when she was ten years old she got Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which is a disease that makes the blood vessels and veins in the affected area tell the brain that there is an injury there, even if there isn’t. She says it causes a lot of physical pain, and even compares it to “a bomb going off in her knee.” There is no cure for it, and sometimes it hurts her so much that she has to spend a lot of time in her bed. She started reading a lot, to keep her mind off the pain. She then learned from her pediatrician that the treatment center for badly abused children in her area had just built a library, but had no books to fill it. Since she knew what it was like to be in extreme pain all the time, and books helped escape from it, she contacted everyone she knew to donate books. She continued to spread the word by putting flyers in mailboxes, placing ads in newspapers, and making her own Web site. She had a goal to raise 300 books, but exceeded 3000. Since the year 2007, Mackenzie has donated more than 38,000 books for underprivileged kids in six different states. In 2009 her and her mother together made a nonprofit organization called Sheltering Books.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked most about Mackenzie was that she has a passion about reading, just like I do. I think that it will help you with many different things in your life. For one, it will make you smarter, and not only by increasing your vocabulary. I’ve learned many things from all sorts of different books. Some books are even inspiring. So I think that what she’s doing is a great thing. Not only for the kids she’s helping, but also promoting reading all around.
There are so many people in this world, some are heroes and some are not. When I saw this boy and read about what he did, all I could do is feel proud for him. I read this amazing piece about a boy named Alex Griffen. Alex was adopted from a hospital in Russia 11 months after he was born by 2 wonderful people from Maryland. When Alex was 16, his adopted parents took him to the hospital he was born in. When he got there and saw the park for the kids, he decided he wanted to help. This playground consisted of a swing with a sand pit that looks more like mud underneath it. Alex wants to be an eagle scout and he decided he wanted to raise money and build, the hospital that kept him alive, a new playground. Alex spent 2 years raising money. He had bake sales, and got over 500 volunteers for 5 different countries. He raised $60,000 and built this hospital an amazing playground. Alex is a hero to me because there are not many 16-year-old people out there that would do something like this. When kids play on this new playground, they are no longer sad. They are happy.
ReplyDeleteI think the article ‘Surfing makes me feel like I’m flying’ was very interesting. Since Dana Cummings, survived two tours of combat duty with the Marines. He served the first Gulf War without injury. Then 10 years later, he lost a leg in a car accident. In 2003, being a disabled vet he dedicates his time to a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. This organization he help to create is the Association of Amputee Surfers. He teaches people with disabilities, mostly vets how to surf.
ReplyDelete1. Is hard to get the funding for the AmpSurf?
2. Does the same group arrange transportation?
3. Is most of the surfers’ men or women?
4. Are there enough volunteers to help-out in all areas?
5. How would a person hear about this group?
This group inspires people to move on and just be active and live full lives.
The group builds self-confidence.
The group feels empowerment with the program.
They can do whatever they want with all these qualities.
They share stories, become friends and usually feel like flying.
For Dana Cummings, Ampsurf is more than just surfing; it’s also about personal happiness, not just for the participants, but also for him and his volunteers. Every day is different for the Ampsurf organization.
I chose Oscar Aranda as my CNN hero. After researching my first two hero’s I was just not interested in them, Then I saw Oscar’s link as Hero of The Day with a picture of him and a sea turtle on a beach. When I became a freshman we researched careers to study after high school and I chose to be a biologist. That’s why I am interested in Oscar. Every night he walks the beach to help save sea turtles. Aranda's conservation group, La Sociedad Ecológica del Occidente, is dedicated to protecting turtles that nest along Mexico's northwest Pacific beaches. From June through December, prime nesting season, Aranda and his unpaid volunteers watch over the shorelines where the turtles lay their eggs. There are seven species of sea turtles world wide and six of them return to the shores of Mexico each year and each of the are endangered. The group as also known as the Vallarta Rescue, they rely mainly on private donations. To earn a living, Aranda works during the day as an ecotourism boat driver. After reading these stories I have become very inspired to volunteer and help others within my community.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion everyone should be more concerned about our wildlife, they are key to survival and we need them to live. They are endangered because of us so I think everyone should give back to the animals.
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ReplyDeleteMy CNN hero is a nanny from Los Angeles, California; her name is Marie Da Silva. Marie was born and raised in Malawi, Africa in a country where half a million children have become orphans because of AIDS. Marie herself knows what it is like to have a struggle with AIDS. She has lost fourteen family members to the disease. Marie heard that the local school in Malawi was closing down so she called up her mother and asked her to transform their house into a school for the children. Marie funds the school almost entirely by herself. She gives the 200 students breakfast every morning; usually porridge, but more importantly an education. One of the most remarkable things is that there is no charge to any of the students. Marie pays the teacher’s and head master salary and purchases supplies on one thousand dollars a month. She named the school Jacaranda, after the Jacaranda tree that she believes symbolizes hope. Marie also hopes to someday build a new school for the students and a real library. Marie De Silva has all the characteristics of a true hero compassion strength, faith, hope, and the vision for a better future and that is why I chose to write about Marie De Silva.
ReplyDeleteI was most touched by the story of a 2009 hero whose name is Roy Foster of Palm Beach, Florida. He graduated from high school and immediately enlisted in the army. During the next six years he began to drink and use drugs. Mr. Foster had an addiction problem by the time he returned to the civilized world. When he went to get help he was turned away from several facilities. This is when his mission began to form a place where other veteran addicts could get help. Ten years after leaving the army Roy Foster had conquered his addiction and was now a substance abuse counselor. With the help of Don Reed they formed the Faith, Hope, Love, Charity. Six years later this nonprofit organization created Stand Down House. Stand Down House is a place where veteran addicts can go to receive help and be with others struggling through the same problems as they are. Most of the people that come to Stand Down House have been recommended by the Veterans Administration. Roy Foster also found people by working with the sheriffs homeless outreach unit. The Stand Down House has helped around 900 people since 2000.
ReplyDeleteThis story touched me because I cannot imagine what it would be like for our Veterans to live like this. After all that they have given to protect us. It just doesn’t seem fair. I am grateful that someone is there to help those in need and that are struggling. There are nearly 150,000 veterans that are homeless nationwide per night. We all need to do our part to help them after they have done so much for us.
I think, Narayanan Krishnan one of the best cnn heroes, because he give up a great job as a star chef, to help homeless people with food and a shave.
ReplyDeleteHe selected his way of living after he saw an old man eating his own human waste for food. He feeds nearly 400 people a day, and he is not paid for it. He don’t do for the money but for the pleasure of helping other persons, with the small thing in live.
He has a sponsor but that doesn't pay all the bills, so he have to pay 88$ a month to keep it going. He work all 365 days a year, he has a team who helps him with the cooking and deliver the food. The get up at 4am to make it, they work in heat up 100 degrees, but they keep doing it. I think it’s amassing that some people feel a need to help people and give up there job and this man gave up a big job as a head chef, to become a persons who feed the homeless. He has probably served more 1,2 millions meals to homeless people, and that’s what I think a hero. I man who think about other before him self, and live for helping other person in world.
Sabrina: I can understand how you can relate to this person. Like you said your person looked happy in their picture. Your pretty much always happy and you like helping people out.
ReplyDeleteKarissa: I can understand how you can relate to Mackenzie Bearup. One because you love to read! Even if your in German class and Frau tells you to put you book away, I will look over and your nose is still in your book. :)
Ben: From reading your blog I see why you choose this person. You have a common interest in become a biologist. You also live next to the beach and sometime hang out and go swimming.
Drew I think that your CNN hero was a good pick you. I think that it was interesting how he travels from village to village on a donkey delivering books to children. You relate to him because you both help others.
ReplyDeleteEmily i think that Alex was a good pick for you. I thought was interesting was that his parents just abandoned him at birth. You and Alex are alike because you are always trying to help others.
Frederik I think That Narayanan was a good CNN hero for you to pick. I thought what was interesting was that he gave up a great job just to help out homeless people eat. You relate to him because you are a nice guy and would stop everything to help someone else.
Cassie: I think you made a good choice on picking her to do for CNN heroes. She has made a great contribution. Also she kind of reminds me of you, because you both put things aside to help others. Now i understand on why you picked her.
ReplyDeleteFrederik: You picked an awesome person to blog about. The fact that he feeds 400 people a DAY is AMAZING! Mostly because other people wouldn't give that kind of time to such a cause. Great pick Frederik.
KnzKnz: While reading your article i was touched. What he did for that hospital is proof that no matter who you are you can make a difference. I still can't believe that he was able to raise that much money. In my book he deserves an award because that is so phenomenal.
Way to pick them KnzKnz!!
doug i liked yours because being in the marines for 10 years and getting through it without injury then to get in a car accident and loss a leg would be very hard for that person but it's cool how he can still teach people how to serf and many other things.
ReplyDeleteDrew: I liked your person not only because donkeys and mules rock, but so do books. You're person is kinda awesome because he rides donkeys to deliver books, and thats amazing. :)
ReplyDeleteJacinta: Wifey, I think that your person is amazing because not very many people are so kind to do that! I think you relate to her because you are SUCH a nice person. ;) Also, I think it's pretty rad that she gives a free school to a lot of poor people.
Catrina: I loved you're person because, as you stated, it's just not fair for our veterans who gave so much for us to be living like that. It is amazing that someone is there to help them out, even if he was in their same shoes. I totally agree with you on this, way to go. You're person rocks, and so do you. :D!
Catrina: The story touched me too. I know why you picked Roy Foster. He's a good choice for a CNN hero. Why would they turn away a Veteran. I'm upset that I didn't pick this story, but I'm glad I read it. It's a good story and I liked it.
ReplyDeleteKarissa: I know why you pick Mackenzie Bearup as you're CNN hero. It sounds terrible that she just got unexpected pains in her knee, but it's great that she reads to get over the pain. It was a good story.
Ben: No wonder you picked Oscar Aranda as you're CNN hero. It is so nice what he did for the sea turtles. It's nice that you chose him because he did a great thing for sea turtles.
Miss Jacinta Quinn: I like your choice because it is a great thing when someone helps children who are not able to help themselves. I think it is a really great thing that the children can go there for free and not have to worry about the food or education.
ReplyDeleteFrederick: I am glad your chose this person for you hero, because he truly is. He puts his time and money into something that helps millions of people. He goes out of his way just so other people can have a healthy life.
Drew: I really liked your hero. He was sort of like mine in the way that he helped children learn how to read. He is so brave to help children after all he has been through. It is a great thing to keep going. He knows he is doing the right thing, helping hundreds of kids learn, so he keeps persevering through it all. Nice pick!
Frederik: your blog was amazing. i think that your cnn hero was a good choice. there is not many people out there that will give up their jobs to serve the poor. that is a really great thing to do. way to go Frederik!
ReplyDeleteBen: i loved your blog. i didnt know that you wanted to be a biologist. I think that your cnn hero is a great man.
Emily: by reading your blog, i saw that this 16 year old boy, named Alex Griffen was a very special kid. i think that its great that he earned $60,000 for a new playground in Russia. that is so cool. Great post emily.
Yo brando i like what u said about your guy because i did him to and i think he did a good job for raising money for kids that got in accidents! stay strong brother!!
ReplyDeleteYo Ben i liked what you said about your person because you fells have things in common you like goining to the beach and you want to be a biologist.Stay strong brother!!
Yo Dougy i liked what you said about your person because i wanna be a marine some day and i like how he survived 2 years in the marines so i really liked what you said about this marine. Stay strong brother!!
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ReplyDeleteEmily: I am very inspired by your post, he was abandoned at birth and he is helping hospitals build playgrounds for kids and he wishes all of the new borns good luck.
ReplyDeleteCassie: I can see why you chose this person. In many ways she is just like you, always willing to help others.
Doug: Its very nice that your person is willing to help others after being through what he has. I can see why you chose this person
Karissa: I think that Mackenzie Bearup is a great example of a hero. Even though she had a problem of her own she still helped other kids. I think reading is really important. So the fact that Mackenzie helped donate over 38,000 books is inspiring.
ReplyDeleteJacinta: Some people think that because people who need help live across the world that it is not their problem. Marie Da Silva shows that it is. I know that most people would never give up their time for this cause even though most people know about it. That is what makes Marie so special. You picked a great person!
Catrina: The story of Roy Foster is one of many across the world. He had an addiction. But unlike others he conquered it and is helping many other veterans across the country. Overcoming an obstacle is difficult but to help others with the same problem is what makes him a hero. His story is so inspiring!
Emily: Your hero's story as a kid is so sad. He knows what it is like for those other kids so the fact that he built a play set is very nice of him. He has such a kind heart to make those kids feel better.
ReplyDeleteSadie: You hero is for sure a hero because with out a school learning would be so much harder. I can't believe she went through everything she did to raise the money. By doing that she made life for those kids much easier and safer.
Catrina: Without your hero life wouldn't be the way it is today. For one those the Veterans would be living a hard life along with their family and we would be living a dangerous life with them and their addiction to drugs. Your hero did something that helps everyone out and the fact that he got over his addiction is amazing.
Emily: I agree with you since Alex was adopted he's been trying to help out other Russian children to have a better life.
ReplyDeleteSabrina: Great Hero you picked, I agree that anyone who makes a difference for a disabled kid is a hero.
Frederik: Rock on to your everyday hero, he helped the homeless from starving.
Drew: i think it's a good person you selected, to be your cnn hero. Because it's imported to lean to read, and spell. it's pretty good done by the person to ride out with all the books
ReplyDeleteSadie: i think it's a good person you selected because, it's a person who want's to help people so much that she sells her house and car to make a school for the children i her hometown.
Karissa: it's a good person to chose, because she shows us that you can think about other, even when you sick. she was thinking about the kids there didn't had the books to read.
I chose Harmon Parker as a CNN Hero because I think what he does is great for the people of Kenya. He has very good reasons for building bridges that help save lives. He makes it easier for people to get to school or to get medical attention that they may need during a flood. It’s sad to listen to some of the stories of Kenyan people that lost their loved ones because of the river.
ReplyDeleteWe live along the river but don’t really have the same worries that they do. Although this summer with all of the rain and the flash flooding we’ve had, it did make me stop and think about what I would do if I couldn’t get across to where I needed to go because of the water.
I wish there were more people to help donate to his cause. I think it’s great that he builds 6 bridges a year. It doesn’t really cost that much to build a bridge of this kind. $6,000 doesn’t seem to be too much money to make a bridge that helps the community stay alive and running. If I could pick a place to help raise money for, it would be for this. I like the way he includes the people in the building of the bridges. I think it helps them be proud of what they’ve accomplished, as well as giving them the know how to take care of the bridges for repairs and maybe even the knowledge to start making some on there own someday.
I give Harmon credit for doing all the work he does. He not only gives a lot to the people of Kenya, but his wife gives a lot as well. She puts up with him being gone for long periods of time.
For my CNN hero i did Jordan Thomas. I chose him because when he was sixteen he lost both his legs in a boating accident. Since that day that he found out that he had lost both of his legs Jordan has wanted to help other families that have children that need prosthetic limbs. He has raised so much money for kids in need. When i first read this article I knew this was the article that i would blog about. Just reading about how he can still play his favorite sport ,golf, and how it hasn't stopped him from doing all the things that he still wants to do. In my book Jordan is a true CNN hero.
ReplyDeleteKarkar, I like the person you chose also. I think it's great that she was able to raise over 3000 books for the library. It's nice that she likes to read so much and that reading helps ease her pain.
ReplyDeleteSadie, the person you chose was pretty heroic too. I think it's great that she was so willing to help the children with their education that she sold her house and car. WOW! She definitely cares about those Ethiopian kids. Hopefully no more kids are attacked. It's a good thing we don't have to worry about that here.
ReplyDeleteFrederik, I think the person you chose is a stand out guy. I like the way he is willing to help so many others and doesn't expect anything in return. It's too bad that he has to work 365 days a year. I'm sure the homeless and less fortunate people in this world think a lot of good things about him and that's all he needs to keep cooking up those meals.
ReplyDelete