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At McClure Elementary in Dallas, Texas, the students are taught and encouraged to perform acts of kindness. Last January 8-year-old Katelyn Indelicato and her friends approached their teacher about having the desire to help someone in need. Jodie McCloud, Katelyn’s third grade teacher had heard of a story on the news about a 21-one-year-old being an innocent bystander that was severely injured in a drive-by shooting. This innocent bystander was Lukas Da Cruz, who can no longer walk and will need physical therapy to learn how to use his wheelchair. Lukas and his family are having a hard time paying for the cost of the physical therapy.

When Katelyn heard Lukas’s story, she felt the need to help him by donating money to assist him for paying for his physical therapy.  First she donated $40 from her piggy bank, then she raised $250 by having a lemonade stand at her grandmother’s house, and then during Easter, she gave a speech to her friends and family about her mission. They were inspired by her desire to help so they contributed $400. There is even a retired woman that sends Katelyn money at the end of each month to help her with her cause.

All the money that Katelyn has collected has been donated to Lukas’s physical therapy sessions at Project Walk in Dallas. Katelyn began this journey of giving through simply hearing Lukas’s tragedy, however, after all of her donations, her mother Shala, surprised her by taking her to Project Walk to meet Lukas. At first, when Lukas had heard of Katelyn’s generosity, he was confused and did not understand why she wanted to help. Lukas’s aunt explained to him that she understood why Katelyn was doing this; it was because it made her feel good to help someone in need.

Upon meeting, Lukas presented Katelyn with one of his soccer trophies to show her how much he appreciated her efforts for helping him.  This Thoughtful Thursday, we are showing our appreciation for Katelyn and her desire to help others through the gift of giving.

If you would like to make donations to Lukas’s therapy at Project Walk, a donation can be made to:

Project Walk Dallas
15046 Beltway Drive
Dallas, TX 75001

On May 29^th, 2010, Garrett Bazany’s life was changed as he suffered a serious spinal cord injury, which paralyzed him from the chest down when he was performing flips on a trampoline. Since his accident, he has been unable to walk. That is, until the day of his high school graduation.

For the past three years, Garrett has worked hard in rehab to make sure he met his goal of being able to walk again someday. When Garrett walked across the stage at his graduation, his classmates and teachers were stunned!

This Thoughtful Thursday, Garrett proves that hard work, determination, and faith can help you reach your goals. Garrett will be attending college in the fall to either study engineering or pre-med in order to someday help develop technology that will help those with spinal injuries to learn how to walk again.

Paralyzed teen walks at graduation

Eighty-seven-year-old Charles Mowbray is a World War II Navy sailor that often speaks at North Salisbury Elementary school in Salisbury, Maryland. He brings with him many stories of heroism and courage to tell to the young students of North Salisbury. However, 8-year-old Leanna Morris realized that although Charles had many stories to tell and pictures to show, he had no medals that signify what a hero he was during World War II.

Leanna decided to write to local Senator Barbara Mikulski about this injustice. “Because he fought for our country and our freedom and everyone deserves something for that,” she said.  Leanna’s heartfelt proposal was accepted and embraced by the senator and her elementary school. Her school decided to surprise both Leanna and Charles by having an assembly where she would present Charles with a medal for his heroic efforts in World War II.

This Thoughtful Thursday is dedicated to both Leanna and Charles for being heroes in their own way. Leanna realized that Charles was a hero and deserved recognition; little did she realize she was being a heroine for fighting for someone who deserved praise.

Tom and Elizabeth Hug from Plainfield, Illinois wanted to help residents that were affected by the floods in Illinois that occurred a month ago. Now that a tornado has devastated Moore, Oklahoma, Elizabeth and Tom want to help out again. Through social media, Tom and Elizabeth created the Helping Hugs Facebook page. The page was originally created during the April flooding. On Tuesday, May 21^st, Tom and Elizabeth posted on the page asking for donations to be sent to the EMS responders in Oklahoma. They are asking for a collection of snacks, coloring books, crayons, socks, and cards to create care packages for the residents of Moore, Oklahoma.

Other items that are needed to help the people of Moore, Oklahoma are:

• Large Ziploc bags
• New or used DVDs
• Travel sizes of shampoo, body wash
• Candy
• Gift cards to fast food
• Gift cards to Walmart/Target
• Playing cards
• Pens
• Small notebooks
• Drink mix (for water bottles)

If you would like to make a donation, email HelpingHugs@ymail.com.

In addition to Tom and Elizabeth doing their part to help, the Plainfield Fire Protection Station has offered to be a drop-off location for care package donations. Also, firefighters from Plainfield are working with other firefighters from Channahon, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois to travel to Moore, Oklahoma to assist the people that were affected by the tornado.

This Thoughtful Thursday is dedicated to the brave men and women that want to help those affected by the tragedy in Oklahoma. We can fight through tribulations with the assistance of kind people that want to make a difference.

There are other ways you can help. Visit the Red Cross’s website to make a donation or text REDCROSS at 90999 to make a $10 contribution. You can also visit the Salvation Army’s website to make a donation online, text the word STORM to80888 to contribute $10 for relief efforts, or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

In 2009, SPPRAK (special people performing random acts of kindness), a nonprofit organization was launched by Kim Grubb, Robin Heng, and Susan Short.  SPPRAK’S mission is to encourage acts of kindness that make a difference in the lives of others. In February 2013, SPPRAK received permission to place banners inside schools, encouraging students to write on sticky notes when their classmates and teachers performed a random act of kindness for them. A first grade teacher in Terre Haute, Indiana, where SPPRAK banners were placed, asked her students to write down each act of kindness that their classmates and teachers did for them. This was only meant to be a two week program but due to its popularity it has become a long term program that has become popular in other local schools and even at many high schools. American comic strip creator and author Scott Adams once said, “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”  This quote is true for the students partaking in SPPARK; they are proving that kindness is contagious. This Thoughtful Thursday, we thank SPPARK for teaching children at a young age how to be kind to others.

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“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others,” said Classical Greek Philosopher, Plato. This quote describes, ten year old, NaSeaph Williams perfectly. NaSeaph is battling Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, a rare genetic condition that weakens his heart, muscles, and lungs. He is unable to walk and is prone to seizures.

NaSaeph’s mother describes her son as a giving person that always wants to make others happy. During Christmas, NaSeaph used $60 that he was given to buy toys for children at the Saratoga Spring, Florida homeless shelter.

Laurel McAdoo, founder of Myles of Smyles, and Erin Musto, founder of Maddie’s Mark, met NaSeaph at a charity event put on by the  Starlight Children’s Foundation on March 29^th . When Laurel and Erin found out that NaSeaph’s  birthday was in a few weeks, they asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted to have a party and for everyone who comes to his party to bring canned goods to donate to the food pantry.  The reason why he wanted to donate food to the hungry for his birthday was because he was appreciative for the help that he and his mother received from others during his life.

Although NaSaeph does not want anything in particular for his birthday, he has four wishes; he wants a wheelchair van to help get him to his doctor visits, meet Tom Brady from the New England Patriots, meet Jon Cena from WWE, and to be free from pain. NaSeaph wants to continue to give back for the kindness he has received. When he was asked what makes him so nice, he said it was his mother.

An unknown author once said “kindness and honesty can only be expected from the strong.” NaSaeph is an incredibly strong young man who will keep fighting for himself and others. This Thoughtful Thursday, we honor his willingness to give to others and pray someday that there is a cure for his rare disease.