Ten 2017 stories of thanks and inspiration from The Kansas City Star
At a time of giving thanks, here are 10 inspirational stories that have appeared this year in The Kansas City Star.
My wife gave her boss the gift of life: her kidney
Natalie Frese, wife of The Star’s David Frese, donated her left kidney to Ty Poell, her boss and principal at Tonganoxie Elementary School. Natalie, a second-grade teacher at the school, found out she was a donor match last fall. Ty was suffering kidney failure as a result of Alport syndrome, a genetic condition.
KC man buys enough instruments to build an urban youth orchestra — and a community
Darryl Chamberlain teaches music and life lessons as he conducts the St. James United Methodist A-Flat Youth Orchestra. Chamberlain started the organization to give inner-city youths a chance at formal music education.
Lost engagement ring is found — and kept secret for days
Seth Dixon was in the process of proposing to his girlfriend, Ruth Salas, when the $3,000 engagement ring popped out of the box and fell into the pond at Loose Park. It got them an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” A stranger found the ring.
After the Kansas fires, a time to be thankful for friends and all the ‘unsung heroes’
Grass fires in Kansas this spring killed livestock and destroyed property. They also brought out the good in people who volunteered to fight the blaze and who donated hay, food and clothing for those afflicted.
The teacher who flunked Frank Mason: a Kansas basketball success story
A high school teacher in Virginia flunked basketball talent Frank Mason, inspiring him to attend prep school to improve himself. He ended up a point guard at the University of Kansas and player of the year. He was later picked up by the Sacramento Kings.
Baby born after wreck sees parents clearly for the first time
Jevon and Julie McBride were in a bad auto crash that caused their daughter, Juliana, to be born prematurely with vision problems. Special glasses provided the girl with the gift of sight.
The doctor helped her talk to her dying mother half a world away. Then they met in KC
Alfred Jacob Aidoo, a doctor in Ghana, helped Katie Stakolich in California connect by phone with her dying mother. Later, Stakolich and Aidoo met in an emotional scene at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
The story behind the ‘Family Wanted’ plea of five Kansas siblings
Five Kansas siblings were looking for an adoptive family, and they wanted to stay together. Their story in The Kansas City Star went viral and prompted responses from across the country.
With each yard gained, SM North football players help a kid with a rare disease
Shawnee Mission North football players Reese Sila and Noah Laird befriended and raised money for Bo Macan, a 7-year-old boy with a rare genetic disease.
Maybe people won’t think I’m weird: ‘Wonder’ movie gives these Kansas girls hope
Children with facial anomalies find inspiration in others who share their condition.
This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Ten 2017 stories of thanks and inspiration from The Kansas City Star."