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Strangers raise almost $50,000 for sick stray dog

Cindy was so overweight she could barely move when Lana Chapman found her lying in the dirt outside a 7-Eleven. Chapman, an Australian living in Koh Samui, Thailand, immediately decided to take the dog in, and her kind act has inspired hundreds of people online. The Aussie woman has been helping local street dogs for years and was determined to give Cindy a better life. Weighing in at almost 45kgs when Chapman found her, she has helped the pup lose weight and tracked her progress online where she went viral. It was all going well until a few weeks ago Cindy stopped eating and had a lump on her neck. "Usually she runs around the house with excitement [but] it took her about two minutes before she started to eat. That was really out of the norm," Chapman told 9news.com.au. After a few vet visits she was diagnosed with lymphoma, a common cancer in dogs. "We started chemo the same day," Chapman said. "It was awful as the vet didn't think she would live for four weeks, but we wanted to try anything we could to help her." Initial tests alone cost almost $2,500, and Cindy needed at least 19 weeks of chemotherapy to survive. With pet insurance not an option as most vets on the island did not accept insurance claims, Chapman relied on the help of strangers and started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/cindys-lymphoma-fight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> in Cindy's name, hoping to raise $10,000 to cover for the cost of her care. "$10,000 still wouldn't cover the costs but I thought it would really assist us," she said. To her surprise, strangers flocked to help raising almost $50,000 for Cindy in a matter of days, with the highest donation so far being $5,000. The fundraising page was also filled with messages of support, with one writing: "Cindy you are the sweetest girl! I am sending you all the love, you can do this." "Wishing you well with your treatment Cindy, hoping for a speedy recovery. Sending lots of love to your humans too x," added another. Chapman said she was blown away by people's generosity, and never imagined that so many strangers would be willing to help the stray pup. "People have been following her from the day she was rescued off the streets so they have a major soft spot for her," she said. "We definitely would have struggled to pay for this [without donations]." Chapman added that the donations received so far will cover all of Cindy's cancer treatment, and the left over cash will be used to help other street dogs on the island. Images: GoFundMe/ Lana Chapman

Family & Pets

Stranger wanted after assaulting child in mother's arms

Police are searching for a woman who callously attacked a toddler who was being carried by her mother through a busy shopping centre in Western Australia. The shocking act unfolded in East Victoria Park shopping centre, in south-eastern Perth, with CCTV capturing the distressing moment. In the security footage, a mother can be seen holding her two-year-old daughter near the entrance of the shopping centre, who are then approached by the woman who lunges at the child before fleeing. Staff working in the surrounding shops say it all happened incredibly quickly, one only hearing a scream from the mother, as nearby shoppers rushed to help. The little girl has been left with facial injuries, as well as the mother and daughter being left shaken and scared by the incident. Police said the child sustained "facial injuries", adding, "A female approached a mother who was holding her child, before assaulting the child and leaving the area.” “The female is not known to the mother and child.” The woman behind the attack has not been found, as police have called on the public for information. The attacker is described as having a medium build and a shaved head, and was wearing a pink singlet and grey shorts. Police are asking anyone who recognises the woman or who witnessed anything in the area at the time to come forward, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Editor's note: On Wednesday morning, Western Australian police said they want to speak to 21-year-old Pamila-Raye Jetta over the attack, and appealed for public help in finding her. "Jetta is described as female, olive skin, 170cm tall, heavy build, shaved head and was last seen wearing green coloured shorts with white stripes, pink coloured singlet and blue trainers," police said. "Jetta has also recently been observed wearing a fluorescent pink wig." Image credits: Nine News

Caring

Strangers lock toddler in plane bathroom to stop her tantrums

The video of a controversial incident on a plane has caused outrage, as two women reprimanded a screaming toddler by locking her in the bathroom on the aircraft. On a Juneyao Airlines flight from Guiyang to Shanghai, China, in late August, a one-year-old child, who was travelling with her grandparents, reportedly sobbed non-stop during the nearly three-hour flight according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/30/lifestyle/strangers-lock-crying-tot-in-airplane-bathroom-to-educate-her/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NY Post</a>. After being fed up with the toddler's tantrum, two women who were strangers to the family reportedly transported her to the bathroom to “educate her.” Shockingly, the child’s grandmother consented to the treatment. The punitive pair then shared the video of this alleged “potty training” on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. In the clip, the women can be seen seated in the locked lavatory with the screaming infant, as one of the women is heard saying, “If you stop crying, aunty will take you back to grandma” and “We won’t let you out unless you stop crying.” As the girl stopped crying, the woman filming the video picked her up and told her: “If you make any noise again, we’ll come back (to the bathroom).” One of the women was initially proud of her cruel and unusual-seeming form of discipline, as she wrote that the tantrum was so disruptive that “many passengers were using tissues to block their ears” while others “had moved to the back of the plane to escape the noise.” According to a statement from the airline, the little girl's mother, who was not travelling with them, reportedly sympathised with the self-appointed aeroplane posse’s behaviour. Since the video went viral, and was subsequently deleted, Juneyao Airlines’ reps have since condemned the pairs’ actions and apologised for the incident and “oversight of the crew”. Despite the video being wiped from the social media site, many were quick to slam the behaviour of the women, saying their discipline was completely unacceptable. “Adults in their 30s can have emotional breakdowns, but people don’t allow toddlers to have theirs,” one person commented, Another wrote, “The grandmother and the two aunts should be sued, and social services should intervene. If there are parents like this, children will suffer in the future.” “When will these people understand that babies have the right to cry and the right to travel, they are part of society, and so are babies!!!!!!!” declared a third. Image credits: Weibo

Travel Trouble

New details and pics emerge after baby scalded by stranger in Brisbane park

New photos and details have emerged of the nine-month-old baby who was scalded by a stranger in a park in Brisbane. Police have alleged that a man, between 30 and 40 years old, tipped hot coffee over a baby in Hanlon Park on Wednesday before <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/manhunt-after-stranger-pours-scalding-hot-coffee-on-baby-in-public-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fleeing the scene</a>. On Thursday morning, police released new images of a man they wish to speak to in relation to the alleged assault. Police said the man was of an average build and with tanned skin and was wearing a black hat, glasses, a checkered button-up shirt and shorts at the time of the attack. The plea from police comes after an image of the baby in hospital was released, with the nine-month-old completely wrapped in bandages. After the incident, the baby was rushed to Queensland Children's Hospital and has since undergone surgery for burns to his face and chest, reportedly suffering serious burns to 60 per cent of his body including his face, neck, chest and arms. A friend of the baby's mother, Zara Mazza, shared an update with The Project on Wednesday night, recalling how she was sitting down with her own son and looked up to see a man standing above her friend’s nine-month-old baby. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Nruwavg67/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Nruwavg67/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Project (@theprojecttv)</a> </div> </blockquote> “This man was standing above him, behind him, and poured a Thermos of hot coffee over him. He just started screaming,” she told the program. Ms Mazza said she tried to chase the man but he was “very fast”, and she tripped while attempting to keep up. “Essentially all I could hear was his mum screaming that it’s hot. ‘It’s hot, it’s hot coffee’, so I ran back and as I ran back picked up my water bottle and dumped it over him,” she said. “I removed him from his mum and we laid him down on the picnic rug and we peeled his clothes away, which revealed the peeling of his skin, his skin had started to blister.” Bystanders reportedly came over with filled water bottles to pour over the baby, before a nurse in training offered up a shower at her nearby apartment so water could constantly be running on him. “Very grateful. The ambulance came really quickly, I think it was within five minutes. Police, too,” Ms Mazza said. “It was chaotic. It happened really quickly.” The baby’s mother is reportedly “really traumatised” after the incident, as Ms Mazza said, “She’s got a lot of anxiety right now. She’s not been able to sleep very well, if at all. So definitely struggling.” “Bub is in a stable condition … they say that he’ll need regular dressing changes under anaesthetic over the next weeks. They don’t know how long, but, yeah. It’s gonna take a while.” Image credits: 7News / Queensland Police

Caring

Manhunt after stranger pours scalding hot coffee on baby in public park

Queensland Police have released footage of the man they believe burned a baby with a scalding hot drink in a public park. On Wednesday, the unknown man approached the family at Hanlon Park in Brisbane and poured hot coffee on the nine-month-old baby boy. He was rushed to the Queensland Children’s Hospital with burns to his face, upper body and arms, with the burns covering 60 per cent of his body. Queensland Police have now released CCTV footage from the area, showing a man running from the park. He appears approximately 30 to 40 years old, with a proportionate build and tanned skin, and was wearing a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts. Anyone who recognises the man has been urged to contact the police with information. An off-duty nurse heard the commotion in the park from the balcony of her apartment, telling <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/footage-of-man-who-burnt-baby-with-hot-drink-at-hanlon-park-in-stones-corner-released-c-15856522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a> she went outside to investigate when she heard screaming. She said she heard the child’s mother yelling “my baby, my baby”. The nurse rushed down to the park to help the boy, taking him to her nearby apartment where he was placed under a cold shower before paramedics arrived. Locals told 7News the attack was “terrible” and they were shocked it had happened in their community. “It’s really scary when you think that we haven’t got a community that looks after our young and vulnerable,” one woman said. Image credits: Queensland Police

Legal

"I almost cried": Mum shocked by stranger's random act of kindness

A mother-of-two has almost been reduced to tears by a stranger's random act of kindness in a busy cafe. The mum, a woman named Tyne, was at a cafe in the Sunshine Coast suburb of Mooloolaba with her husband and two young sons, when she struck up a conversation with a woman reading a book nearby. She said she felt a wave of guilt that her rowdy children were disrupting the woman's peaceful morning, and leaned over to apologise. The woman assured the mother there was nothing to apologise for, with the woman's next act leaving the mum speechless. “A beautiful (and full on) weekend away with Mr 3.5y & Mr 1.5y my husband and I sat with coffees at a beautiful cafe waiting for breakfast for us,” Tyne wrote in a Facebook group called The Kindness Pandemic, where people share stories of their heartwarming interactions with strangers. “I immediately apologised to the lovely lady sitting near us as she had a book and I was afraid the boys wouldn’t be too peaceful." “We were chatting for a little and then she left after her breakfast.” When the mum went to pay for her family’s bill, the cashier informed her that the stranger had “taken care of it” and handed her a heartwarming note. “It was such a pleasure sharing my brekkie space with you,” the note read. “Please keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve got a beautiful family.” Tyne said she “almost cried” when she realised that the stranger had paid for her family’s entire breakfast. The cafe was situated close to one of the Sunshine Coast’s most popular attractions, Sea Life Aquarium, where the family had planned to spend their day. “Hopefully you can splurge a little more at Sea Life today,” the stranger added in the note, before signing off, “Love Em.” The mum said she was overwhelmed by the stranger’s incredible act of kindness, saying she "almost cried". “She paid for us … And her kind words were what I needed to hear.” Tyne said the stranger was an “amazing soul” and vowed to pay it forward”. “If you are Em staying in Mooloolaba for work and went to a quirky local that’s your favourite … YOU ARE AN AMAZING SOUL!” she said. People in the comments also shared their reactions to the heartfelt gesture. “Lovely lady. Your children would be being just that, children. Don’t apologise about them,” one wrote. “What a beautiful person Em clearly is. This was so gorgeous to read.” Image credits: Facebook

Family & Pets

Stranger’s “kind” act for a struggling single mum

A struggling single mother has been moved to tears by a stranger’s random act of kindness while doing her grocery shopping. The mother, hailing from Ipswich in Queensland, was doing her shopping ahead of the school term starting up as she paced the aisles mentally tallying the cost of her groceries to not go over her strict budget. As she continued to add carefully selected items to her trolley, a young girl approached her with a gift. The girl handed her a $50 note saying it was a gift from her mother, in a random act of kindness that left her “shaking and crying”. “I had the most incredible thing happen to me today. I'm in Woolies Riverlink in Ipswich QLD getting a few things for back to school and I'm adding my shopping up on my calculator and checking the price of EVERYTHING,” the mum wrote in a Facebook post. “Next, a lovely little girl came up to me handing me a $50 and said 'My mummy wants to give you a gift', I said 'Thank you, have the wrong person, honey'.” The young girl assured the woman she was the person her mum wanted to give the $50 to and ran off before she could say anything else. “I looked up at her mum shaking and in tears and she gave me a nod and a thumbs up,” the woman said. “She had no idea just how much I needed this right now. Her kindness meant the world to me.” Many applauded the stranger’s generosity as more families are feeling the pressure with sky-rocketing costs of living, with like-minded budgeting mothers sharing how they were touched by the sweet story. “Made me cry this lovely Sunday morning. Always gives hope to know there are some really wonderful people out there,” one person said. “There are some truly wonderful people in the world! You don't have to give someone $50 to make their day - any small kind gesture can change the course of someone's life,” a second agreed. “There are some absolute angels out there for sure!” said another. Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

"Broke my heart": Mum's outrage at stranger's comment about her disabled son

A Sydney mother has shared her shock and outrage after a stranger made "rude" comments about her son. Tori Boyadji and her friend Lyndal were walking through Collaroy Park in Sydney's north with Tori's two-year-old son Isaac, who has Down syndrome. The friends were stopped by a woman who looked at Isaac and exclaimed, "Ohh is this a little downsie?" Tori, 28, went on to recount how the stranger said she would "never want a kid with Down syndrome" herself. Ms Boyadji told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-mum-tori-boyadji-shocked-by-strangers-taunt-to-her-son/news-story/d8e3ee46ad9ed07ded6776987ff220f7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a> that the stranger's comments left her feeling very upset. "Lyndal and I just looked at each other in disbelief – I’m not easily offended but this comment truly broke my heart," she said. "Why would you say that to two mums with their adorable kids right there?" Tori said Isaac is just like any other toddler, as he loved The Wiggles and going to the beach. "He also happens to have Down syndrome — but this is the least interesting part of him," she said. Rhonda Faragher, Associate Professor of Inclusion and Diversity at Queensland University, weighed in on the exchange, and shared her thoughts that the major issue lays with the fact that people believe those with Down syndrome need to change in some way. "In my view, it's not the language itself, it's what's behind the language," she explained to <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/sydney-mums-shock-at-strangers-rude-comment-about-disabled-son-073246046.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News Australia</a>. "That somebody in the community would feel [a child with Down Syndrome] would not be a child they'd like to have in their family without even knowing the child." "I think it's [disappointing] that other people don't understand that this is not a tragedy," she added. "Having a person with Down syndrome in your family, in your life, is actually a terrific blessing." Image credits: Instagram

Caring

“Thank you stranger”: Woolies shopper left stunned

A shopper at Woolworths was left shocked after a cashier’s unexpected act at the checkout. The single mum shared her feel-good story in a post on Facebook. “There was such a beautiful young lady working the checkout register tonight,” she wrote in the post. “I had a rough day, and when she asked how my day was, I answered with: ‘Not a great one’.” The mum-of-three was paying for her groceries with vouchers she’d been gifted from friends who wanted to “lend a hand” as her family was struggling. After she put her shop through the checkout, the vouchers didn’t cover the entire cost, so she asked the cashier to take a bag of bread rolls off the total. The Woolies worker surprised the mum by covering the cost of the bread rolls herself. “I don’t recall her name, but I feel that she deserves a massive thank you, as she made my day and turned it around with her kindness,” the mum said. “So thank you stranger - you made an old tired mum have faith there’s still kindness in the world.” Woolworths responded to the mum’s Facebook post and said they would share her feedback with the store’s management team so the staff member can be acknowledged for her random act of kindness. Image credit: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

“That’s not my mum”: Funeral mix-up sees grieving daughter farewell a stranger

A grieving woman has said a mix-up has meant the body in the casket at her mum’s funeral was actually that of a total stranger. When Dianne De Jager realised what had happened, her experience was made even more distressing when she was told by the funeral director to carry on with the service regardless. Recounting the event to A Current Affair, the Adelaide woman said it made her feel sick and “not want to be there”. “Everybody in that room thought they were saying goodbye to my mum, and it’s not her,” Ms De Jager told the program. “It made me feel sick. It made me not want to be there.” Her mother, Margaret Locke, was due to be farewelled at the service on August 1 at the Enfield Memorial Park, with around 100 people gathering for the service. But, when Ms De Jager looked inside the casket one last time, she realised a terrible mistake had been made. “That’s not my mum,” she told the funeral director. "He said, 'that's definitely Margaret, she was tagged as Margaret', and I said, 'this is not my mum'," she recalled. He only relented when Ms De Jager showed him a recent photo of her late mum. "I zoomed the face in and I put it next to the lady in that coffin and I said, 'that is not my mum'.” Despite the mistake, the funeral director suggested they carry on with the service while the mix-up was investigated. "How can you say goodbye to your mum when it's not her?” Ms De Jager said. "None of that eulogy really sunk in, or hit me because I wasn't really listening properly, I wasn't there. It just made me feel so empty and blank.” In a statement shared with A Current Affair, Clarke Family Funerals admitted a “mistake” was made with Ms Locke’s service and that the decision to continue the service was an error. "We have always striven to provide beautiful and respectful funerals that offer a lasting tribute but we fell well short of our own high standards,” they said. "This situation is deeply regrettable and we continue to offer our sincerest apologies to the family. "This decision was made under the stress of the situation and on reflection we should have sought a different outcome." Adrien Barrett, the president of the Australian Funeral Directors Association, said that multiple measures, such as various tags and checks, were used to ensure the person in a casket was the person being mourned. But, if there is any doubt, he said the first thing to do would be to stop the funeral. "The first thing that would need to happen would be that the funeral service should be stopped," Mr Barrett said. "The person whose funeral it's supposed to be isn't at the funeral. "We also have a person whose funeral it's not supposed to be at the funeral." After the service, Ms Locke was located and cremated, with the De Jager family then presented with her ashes. Ms De Jager said all she could do during the service was make the best of the situation. "So I said goodbye to this lady, I said 'rest in peace' and 'I hope you find your family'". Images: Channel 9

Family & Pets

Woman discovers her home was listed on Airbnb by a stranger

A woman has shared her terrifying experience of when she discovered a stranger had listed her home for rent on Airbnb. American doctor Shireen Heidari tried desperately to contact Airbnb after realising her home had been listed without her knowledge or consent. Taking to Twitter to speak about the incident, Dr Heidari said when she initially contacted the person who posted the fraudulent listing, they offered her the option to book her own home. She said, "Someone has listed my home as their rental, and when I messaged them asking them to take it down, they offered option to book my own home." "We reported it, but the listing is still active. This is not ok." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/Airbnb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Airbnb</a> - I would really appreciate you contacting me. Someone has listed my home as their rental, and when I messaged them asking them to take it down, they offered option to book my own home. We reported it, but the listing is still active. This is not ok. — Shireen Heidari, MD (@ShireenNHeidari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShireenNHeidari/status/1503606888725770243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2022</a></blockquote> After sharing the public message online, Shireen's tweet went viral with supportive people reaching out to Airbnb on her behalf to have the listing taken down. The company eventually responded and took her home off the site, after Shireen showed proof that the house was in fact hers. She updated her Twitter followers saying, “Update: the listing is down after being reported as fraudulent. We provided proof of ownership. Still not clear what next steps are.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Update: the listing is down after being reported as fraudulent. We provided proof of ownership. Still not clear what next steps are. There were many messages and calls throughout today. With gratitude to the customer service rep who stayed on line at 11pm to help sort it. <a href="https://t.co/tS5ewuOoOD">https://t.co/tS5ewuOoOD</a> — Shireen Heidari, MD (@ShireenNHeidari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShireenNHeidari/status/1503626984441606144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2022</a></blockquote> She also went on to thank the Airbnb representative who stayed on the phone with her until 11pm to help her sort out getting the listing removed. In response to Shireen’s ordeal, many people chimed in to share similar experiences with Airbnb. "When we were selling our house, someone hijacked the pictures and were trying to rent it. Several people came over to tour it," one person said. "Be careful.” Image credits: Getty Images / Twitter<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">

Home & Garden

Alec Baldwin shares story of touching act of kindness from a stranger

In a candid video shared on Instagram, Alec Baldwin spoke about a random act of kindness from a stranger that he experienced soon after the <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/alec-baldwin-allegedly-shot-and-killed-cinematographer" target="_blank">shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins</a> on the set of the movie Rust in October 2021. Describing it as the “worst situation I’ve ever been involved with”, Baldwin went on to recall an encounter with a kind stranger he met in a cafe soon after the incident. "A young woman, a senior in high school or maybe she was in college, she walked by with a guy and she handed me a packet of Splenda and on the perimeter of the package, there was a modest amount of space to write on. “She wrote me a note on both sides of the package, and it was, 'So many people care about you,' or something… it really very kind and very thoughtful.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYNafHQrRnL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYNafHQrRnL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Alec Baldwin (@alecbaldwininsta)</a> </div> </blockquote> Baldwin continued, "It was really so amazing that she handed me this Splenda packet. And I said, 'Oh thank you'. And she left. And I was sitting there and took it home, I was going to photograph it … and I lost it." He said he was “overwhelmed” by her kindness but lost the packet, soon becoming “obsessed” with finding it. "I searched for it yesterday, like you would search for your phone or your keys or your wallet. I was obsessed with finding it, I'm still obsessed with finding it, because I want to screenshot it.” He finished, "If you are the young woman that gave me the Splenda packet at John Pappas the other day, then send me a message here, because I was so grateful for it. It was so lovely. It meant so much to me… it meant a lot to me." The actor thanked his fans who have supported him since the tragedy, adding that he was hopeful that “the truth” would soon prevail. "This has been surely the worst situation I've ever been involved with and I'm very hopeful that the people in charge with investigating this whole thing get to the truth as soon as possible. “No one wants the truth more than I do." Image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

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Nicole Kidman shares the moment she knew Keith was 'the one'

Nicole Kidman has revealed the sweet moment she knew she was "a goner" for her husband Keith Urban, when he turned up at the door of her New York apartment at 5 am with flowers. The Aussie actress told Jimmy Fallon about the special moment during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "He sat on the stoop of my New York apartment,” she said. “I came out, it was 5 am in the morning and it was my birthday, and he had flowers," Kidman recalled of the day back in June 20, 2005. "And that was it. I was a goner. I'm like, 'Yes I'll marry you'," she added. Kidman didn’t elaborate if that was the moment Urban proposed to her or just the moment she realised she wanted to marry the country singer. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uk9wV_Cm7qE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Celebrating 15 years of marriage The couple, who first met at G'Day LA in 2005, married on June 25, 2006 in Sydney. In the interview on The Tonight Show, Fallon congratulated the pair on their recent 15th wedding anniversary in June of this year. "For a second there, I thought you said 50 years," Kidman laughed, before adding: "Hopefully one day, but 15 years, which is pretty amazing, right?" Fallon tried to get the actress to divulge how the couple celebrated their relationship milestone but Kidman kept details of the celebration private. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ca21f771ab00460e9382cb079b8d38f0" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 359.70636215334423px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844350/nicole-kidman-1-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ca21f771ab00460e9382cb079b8d38f0" /> No joint albums coming out soon It's certain the happy couple won't be marking the milestone by creating an album of duets together because the actress was horrified when Fallon asked if that will ever be on the agenda. While Kidman has sung in musicals like Moulin Rouge and Nine as well as a duet with Robbie Williams, she says she's not confident as a performer and would rather "stay in my lane" and leave the music to her hubby. Kidman previously told People magazine in a 2019 interview it was her 38th birthday when she knew Urban was the one for her. "I believed by that point he was the love of my life," she said. "Maybe that's because I am deeply romantic, or I'm an actress, or I have strong faith as well, but I just believed, 'Oh, okay, here he is,'" she added. And speaking of their relationship in 2007 with Vanity Fair, the actress described it as the right timing. "I would probably say that two very lonely people managed to meet at a time when they could open themselves to each other. We were a mixture of frightened and brave," Kidman said. The couple share two daughters together Sunday Rose, 13, and Faith, 10. Image: The Tonight Show and Instagram

Beauty & Style

Stranger’s act of kindness warms mother’s heart

A Brisbane mum of a newborn bub has shared a beautiful moment to Facebook, thanking a kind stranger who left a thoughtful note and baked treats at her door. The mother said she had placed an item on Facebook Marketplace for free and had been overwhelmed by a number of eager people looking to take the listing off her hands. She went on to say the first message was from a “kind” woman named Vijayata who wished her a good morning. “We proceeded to make pick-up arrangements and I left the item outside for collection as my daughter was soon due for a breastfeed,” she said. “As I so often do, I left my phone in the kitchen while filling up my water bottle before the feed. I missed the 'I'm on the way message ' [and] I missed the 'I have arrived message’.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841851/stranger-kindness-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a440c17eb5eb422e9f2e26e7e8367f80" /> After finishing feeding her newborn daughter, the woman said she ran to check her phone and found a message from Vijayata who had thanked the mum and let her know she’d left something outside her door. “I was immediately taken aback. Vijayata, this beautiful, kind and generous stranger had left me this package,” she said, alongside an image of a homemade mango coconut cake with a loving note. Vijayata listed the cake’s ingredients in case of allergies and packaged it with a packet of tea. “Have a cuppa on me,” she wrote. “Look after yourself for you are a superwoman. “Giving birth is no easy feat and raising a human, well, is no less than a super power. Take care.” The new mum said she was “shocked” by the act of “true kindness”. “When my daughter is old enough to understand, I can tell her the story of a generous lady named Vijayata. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” the mum wrote.

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"My son loved cake!" Woman's heartwarming gesture for stranger

A US woman's unexpected kind gesture for a stranger at a bakery on her late son's birthday has gone viral online. The woman from Indiana, Toni Wilson-Taylor has found a way to keep the memory of her son alive, after his death at 29 in 2015. The beautiful gesture allowed the grieving mother to learn about her son's legacy on his birthday. According to WRTV, Toni called up Kroger Bakery to purchase Tyler's favourite cake on May 16 and asked staff to give it to someone who had the same birthday as her child. The publication said Tyler died in July 2015, a short time after he completed his hospital residency. The cake receiver Carolyn Mick took to Facebook last week to share the note after she learnt the random stranger had already paid for her son’s birthday cake when she tried to purchase it. The gesture came with a handwritten note from Toni, which Mick shared on social media. “Dear Toni.. you know who you are and I want to express how moved I am,” the Facebook post said. “This means so much that my husband and I cried together. “With the turmoil of things going on it reminds us of what really matters!” “Today is my son’s 35th birthday, his 5th one in heaven,” the note said. “In his memory, I’ve paid for your cake. <img style="width: 392.379679144385px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841406/screen-shot-2021-05-25-at-10758-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a0c765f408b6411c8687b2ba8a3c343b" /> “Please enjoy, make special memories and hug your children and loved ones tight. “My son loved cake!” Several people jumped in the comments to share how beautiful they thought the gesture was. “My brother also celebrated his 5th birthday in heaven recently and would have been 36,” one person said. “It’s nice to see people reaching out (even anonymously) to support each other during those sad times.” “Later this year, I will be celebrating my daughter’s ten year rebirthday,” another added. “Ever since her passing, I have done something, even if it is little, to celebrate her birthdays and rebirthdays.”

Family & Pets

"I'm not judging you": Stranger leaves heartwarming note for mums camping in caravan park

A heartwarming note posted in a caravan park in Victoria has welcomed mums during the school holidays. The letter, posted to Facebook page Mum Central, was addressed to "all the mums" and has since been liked over 1,200 times. “To all of the mums, when I look at you or are in ears reach of you trying to discipline or comfort your child I want you to know I am not judging you,” the note reads. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMumCentralAU%2Fposts%2F1901262980032974&width=500&show_text=true&height=609&appId" width="500" height="609" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> “I admire you, your strength, patience and the pure determination you have to try to give your family beautiful memories is priceless. “Love and respect to you all! Happy Easter.” Mums of course loved the note and shared their joy at the understanding note leaver. “Think we would have appreciated this note that time we camped at Shoal Bay,” one person said. “I’ve had a retired couple say that to us in Mildura, it was so lovely to hear and talk about when they’d travelled with their three kids. Kids and camping can be mayhem(but worth it),“ another added. “I wish all campers thought like this. Taking children camping is sometimes difficult,” a third chimed in.

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Toddler found in pool bathroom with stranger sparks investigation

A swimming pool in the southwest of Sydney was forced to close down after a two-year-old boy went missing and was later found in the toilets, naked, and with a stranger. Police are investigating a possible assault after the boy was reported missing in Bexley Aquatic, or Angelo Anestis Aquatic Centre, at Bexley North, on Saturday. <div style="width: 190px;"> <div class="fb-page" data-href="{url}" data-width="420"></div> </div> He was found half an hour later, in the pool bathrooms with clothes removed and in the company of a male stranger. The centre addressed concerned parents on its Facebook page, confirming that police are investigating an allegation of a possible assault. “We appreciate your concern on the matter regarding a child separated from their parent at the facility yesterday,” it said on Sunday. “The facility was closed this morning as a precaution in case further investigation was required. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840273/daily-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e726c65dce34b0d921ef558e8a15e4a" /> Image Facebook / 7 News “The safety of our staff and patrons are our number one priority and the facility remains safe to attend. The pool has since reopened and the centre said it was “not aware of any risk to child safety”.

Legal

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban fight stranger at the opera

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban had an eventful experience at the Sydney Opera House after an altercation with a gentleman. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/high-drama-when-nic-and-keith-went-to-the-opera-20210204-p56zjy.html" target="_blank">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>, the couple fought about opera etiquette with the man and it resulted in him being escorted from the building. The couple attended a showing of The Merry Widow and were so thrilled with the performance that they both rose to give a standing ovation to the cast. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Last night we were joined by two familiar faces (recognisable even with face masks) at The Merry Widow... Thanks Nicole Kidman and <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithUrban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KeithUrban</a> for your support! We were honoured to have two great Australian artists in the audience and hope you enjoyed the performance. <a href="https://t.co/bfj2oM57d6">pic.twitter.com/bfj2oM57d6</a> — Opera Australia (@OperaAustralia) <a href="https://twitter.com/OperaAustralia/status/1349867238887624705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote> The gentleman behind them allegedly took issue with the fact that the pair were on their feet and told them so. After the famous couple didn't sit down, the man swatted Kidman with his show program, which was where Urban accused the man of assaulting his wife. Kidman was left very upset after the incident, which prompted a call to police. NSW Police confirmed that two officers were called to the opera that night. "Police have been told a 53-year-old man and a 67-year-old man were both attending the entertainment centre when an argument broke out. Officers spoke to both men and no further action was taken," NSW Police said in a statement.

Legal

Don't be a d**k: Sam Armytage's blunt appeal after copping abuse from strangers

Samantha Armytage has asked Australians to show more tolerance and “try really hard to not be a d**k” after copping abuse from strangers. Writing for Stellar Magazine, the Sunrise host spoke about a dew recent incidents while out and about in Sydney. The first run-in saw Armytage sworn at by a driver at the traffic lights after he abruptly swerved into her lane while she drove her ill parents home from hospital. “We were driving along, minding our own business in the centre lane of traffic, when a bloke pulled out of a side street,” she penned. “He swung dangerously into my lane, almost T-boning us.” “I’m not ashamed to tell you, he gave me a fright. And he terrified my country-parent passengers. So, yes, I beeped him, and yes, he bloody deserved it,” she added. “Now, I can hold my own. You don’t survive a career in TV and an all-girls boarding school and be faint of heart.” “But the abuse this guy dished out to me at the traffic lights would have made a sheepdog blush.” “There were some words in there even I hadn’t heard, and I pride myself on my potty mouth. And it was TOTALLY HIS FAULT. It was full-on, even by Sydney-traffic standards.” Another time, Armytage said she was scolded at a local park after she ran out of plastic bags to pick up her dog Banjo’s poo. “I won’t go into too much detail about Banjo’s bowel movements that day, but let’s just say we had a two-poo situation and I only had one bag,” she wrote. “So, at the point of the second turd, I stopped and waited patiently (as any good parent would) for another lovely, kind dog owner to walk past with a spare plastic bag. It’s called karma and I’m a big believer in it.” “Well, old mate from the traffic must have had a twin brother walking in the park. Because another abusive fellow walked past and started shouting some more four-letter words at me about picking up the poo.” “It was ridiculous, unnecessary and just plain dickery.” “At this stage I considered picking up the poo in my bare hands and pegging it at that idiot.” “But this wasn’t the Serengeti, even though people were behaving like animals, so I ignored him.” Samantha concluded by saying while it’s normal to feel stressed and anxious during these uncertain times, she believes it’s important that we continue to respect each other. “We’ve all been socially isolated for so long; it could just happen. So be a bit tolerant. And just try really, really hard not to be a d**k,” she said.

Strangers raise $250,000 for pregnant mother of triplets after husband's suicide

More than $250,000 has been raised for a devastated mum-to-be of triplets after her husband passed away in a self-harm incident involving a car. Matt and Ashleigh Conwell had been tightly budgeting to prepare for the arrival of their three babies before Matt took his own life on September 2nd. With the three children due just before Christmas, strangers took it upon themselves to help out the heartbroken family. Nicola Britton, GoFundMe's Australian senior regional manager, said the heartbreaking story resonated with members of the community, The <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queenslanders-help-raise-250k-for-cricket-coachs-pregnant-widow/news-story/0f377cb7074c0cb57db6be05ea36aff0" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">Courier Mail</a> reported. "The more close-knit a community, the quicker donations come in, and this one escalated very quickly due to the circumstances," she said. "Generosity hasn't slowed down this year, and that's really surprised me; at a time of such social and economic uncertainty, people are turning compassion into action and donating is their way to show they are there for someone." Devastated Ashleigh agreed to let her friend Alex Nesevski set up a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/ashleigh-amp-her-beautiful-babies" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">GoFundMe</a> page. "Ashleigh isn't the sort of person who would ask for help, and money can never replace the loss of her husband, but she knows she needs support," Mrs Nesevski previously told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8789691/Ashleigh-Conwell-GoFundMe-raises-250-000-husbands-sudden-suicide.html" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">Daily Mail Australia</a>. She explained the costs of pregnancy, delivery and caring for triplets that would be "challenging for any couple" are especially difficult for a jobless single mother. "They were already stretching every dollar and budgeting tightly for the arrival of their unexpected but so very wanted family ... the financial hardship she now finds herself in is significant," she said. "She has to see a specialist every two weeks because carrying three babies is a huge physical strain - growing bones and brains." Ashleigh's sister Emily said that her brother in law wasn't thinking clearly when he took his own life. "It was a snap decision, a moment of clouded judgement, and totally out of character," she said. "This year's been tough for everyone, even the strongest people you thought could get through it ... it just shows suicide doesn't discriminate," she said. "It wasn't meant to be this way".

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Alec Baldwin shares story of touching act of kindness from a stranger

Nicole Kidman shares the moment she knew Keith was 'the one'

Stranger’s act of kindness warms mother’s heart

"My son loved cake!" Woman's heartwarming gesture for stranger

"I'm not judging you": Stranger leaves heartwarming note for mums camping in caravan park

Toddler found in pool bathroom with stranger sparks investigation

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban fight stranger at the opera

Don't be a d**k: Sam Armytage's blunt appeal after copping abuse from strangers

Strangers raise $250,000 for pregnant mother of triplets after husband's suicide

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