First Story
In Massachusetts, a state trooper is trying to spread a bit more cheer during this time of crisis. Jim Burke learned about a young girl who's bike had been stolen. Apparently the family left her bike at a pavilion as they walked the beach and when they got back, it was gone. Burke went back to his home and grabbed the bike that his daughter had outgrown. The state police congratulated him on their Facebook page saying, "That's dedication to community. Thank you Trooper Burke for going the extra on this one!"
Second Story
Donna Molina came down with 103 degree fever late in March and was taken to the hospital where she was placed in a medically-induced coma. Infected with coronavirus, the doctors were forced to perform an emergency c-section and deliver her baby two months premature. Molina recovered from the illness but had to wait to see her baby until she tested negative twice for the virus. The moment finally came and she was able to hold her newborn. Molina told local news that "the hospital was amazing: they worked on me, they didn't give up, they took care of me in the ICO, they saved her life, which was most important to me." The doctors gave her the best Mother's Day gift ever.
Third Story
Two high-school sophomores were shopping for groceries in Prairie Grove, Arkansas when they came across $600 in cash on the floor. Instead of keeping the money, they turned it in to a store employee. A few minutes later, an elderly man returned to the store and was relieved to find out that his money hadn't been taken. The store manager posted about the event on Facebook, applauding the teens for doing the right thing.
Fourth Story
During this pandemic, when we're all being encouraged to stay socially distant, isolation can be tough on mental health. To try and combat some of that loneliness, Hita Gupta, a teenager in Pennsylvania has been taking puzzles and handwritten notes to senior citizens. She's even gotten her 9-year-old brother in on it as many of the notes are written by him. Gupta calls the nursing homes ahead of time to let make sure they can be received safely. So far, she's sent care packages to 23 nursing homes in the Philadelphia area and says she will continue to do so after the health crisis finishes.
Fifth Story
This last one isn't so much a story as it's quite possibly the cutest bulldog imaginable. Pop, or Big Poppa as he's affectionately known, is on Instagram as popthebulldog. He absolutely loves going outside and playing with the neighborhood kids. Recently, his fur-parents posted a picture of him on the balcony looking super sad and definitely encapsules some of the emotions that we're all feeling right now. I want to encourage you to check out the photo and give popthebulldog a follow -- and remember that even our pets are feeling the effects of this pandemic, but know that we will get through this and Big Poppa will get to play again.
Outro
That does it for this episode of the Happy Munday Podcast. I'd like to thank our Ecstatic-level patron, John Machnic, and our top patron, Rich Machnic. If you like what you heard and want to join them, please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/happy_munday or on our Anchor page. If you can't contribute financially, it would help immensely if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. If you have some friends who you think would love some great news, make sure and share it with them. You can get in touch on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and check out our website happymunday.online. We have some great swag like stickers, t-shirts, and coffee mugs if you search up happymundaypodcast on TeePublic. If you have a story that would be good for a future episode, send an email to happymundaypodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and here's the Happy Munday quote of the week from Socrates:
"Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live."
