WWI Postcard Reunites Family

A postcard from home helped identify a World War I soldier more than a century after he died in the trenches, and ultimately reunited two long-separated branches of his family.

Private Thomas Whitaker was found during an excavation in western Belgium alongside five fellow British soldiers. He was still carrying a postcard from Bradford, England, where some of his relatives still live. That detail gave U.K. Ministry of Defence researchers the clue they needed to narrow down his identity from among more than half a million British soldiers still missing from the war. DNA analysis later confirmed his identity and those of the five other soldiers.

On June 10, six new white marble headstones were dedicated at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Zonnebeke, Belgium. Three members of the Whitaker family attended. Joe Whitaker, 22, read a poem he wrote for his great-great-uncle: “At peace in foreign hills, he finally drifts away to sleep, his mind on Bradford mills.”

“My children, my grandchildren, anyone, can come and know where Thomas is,” said family member Paul Whitaker. “That is a lovely thing to have.”

Britain’s Oldest Dancer Goes Viral at 100

Bernard Gilbert didn’t choose dancing. At 16, a broken leg ended his rugby career, and doctors told him to try dancing instead. A friend dragged him to a lesson, where he stood in the doorway until the instructor told him, “Clear off or come in.” He stepped onto the floor and never looked back.

Now 100, Bernard lives at Fernhill House Care Home in Worcester, England, where a 21-second video of his dance moves has drawn 1.5 million views. “Once I get on the floor, I forget everything,” Bernard said. “It brings me alive.”

After taking up dancing in 1942, he won awards, became a dance teacher at 74 after losing his wife and dance partner, and still impresses fellow residents with his foxtrot and jive.

Therapy Donkeys Help Patients in Paris

A psychiatric hospital outside Paris is using therapy donkeys to help patients with anxiety, depression, autism, schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions. One nurse summed up the program’s popularity with a simple observation: “Donkeys are my best colleagues.”

Five donkeys—Nono, Pitou, Oscar, Manolo, and Malraux—live on the grounds of the Ville-Evrard hospital complex in Neuilly-sur-Marne. Patients walk them, groom them, and clean their hooves as part of therapy sessions designed to improve emotional regulation, communication, social interaction, and self-esteem. Many sessions end with a hug.

The program was launched in 2016 by psychiatric nurse Ermelinda Hadey and her husband, François, who trained the animals for therapy work. Some of the animals were adopted from shelters after experiencing neglect or mistreatment. Since 2022, the program has operated as an officially recognized healthcare unit within the hospital.

“It brings relief,” said Nathalie, a 60-year-old patient. “You stop thinking about everything else.”

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Feel Good Flyover Podcast. Clicking the link will take you directly there:

➤ This World Cup moment going viral didn’t happen on the field. You have to see what Japanese fans did after the final whistle, and why a veteran NFL quarterback jumped in to help. (Listen Now)

➤ A Milwaukee garbage bin fell off a truck in a rare fluke, and what the crew found inside turned into a small miracle. (Hear Story)

➤ Ukrainian soldiers used a heavy combat drone for an unusual job—flying a cat and her five kittens off the front line. (Hear Details)

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➤ Huggies is joining Super Bowl champion Derick Hall and his One Percent Foundation to support fragile newborns, donating $1 for every eligible social media share. Hall was born at 23 weeks, weighing just 2 pounds, 9 ounces, and survived five months in the NICU. (See Details)

➤ When a father collapsed at 3 a.m., his 12-year-old son ran from house to house ringing doorbells until a former Navy reservist answered. She rushed over to find the dad unresponsive and performed CPR for 10 minutes, saving him after a heart attack. (Full Story)

➤ A misdirected text meant for her phone number’s previous owner sparked an unlikely friendship between a 24-year-old photographer and a struggling 72-year-old fellow photographer. After learning he’d gone without heat to cut costs, she raised over $60,000 to preserve his life’s work. (More)

➤ An Uber driver’s plea led popular landscaping channel SB Mowing to step in for a struggling Wichita woman, rallying its large online following to raise more than $625,000 in just three days. The crew also cleared years of overgrowth from her property and covered three months of rent. (See Video)

➤ After drifting through the North Sea for two hours, a dog was rescued more than 2 miles off the English coast. Bruce had been blown out to sea on an inflatable kayak when strong winds caught him and his owner off guard. (Watch Video)

➤ Four NICU nurses at a Connecticut children’s hospital wrote and helped illustrate a book to help young kids understand why their parents are spending so much time with a newborn sibling. It features coloring pages and spaces to write notes for the baby in the NICU. (Full Story)

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A California dog has become the family’s unofficial delivery assistant, fetching packages from the doorstep and carrying them straight to his owners, earning plenty of praise and likely a few extra treats.

video via abc news – Instagram

What did the bad soccer announcer get for Christmas?

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“I got a text message one day, asking for ‘Vern dawg,’ and I’m immediately like, ‘Who is Vern dawg?”

—  Lauren Stevens, 24, recalling the unexpected text message that led to her friendship with 72-year-old photographer Wernher Krutein.