1. Never underestimate the power of brotherly love
8 year-old Noah completed a mini-triathlon with his disabled brother Lucas, who is confined to a wheelchair. Lucas was born with lissencephaly, a rare brain malformation, which literally means 'smooth brain'. Children with this disorder do not have the normal folds and wrinkles in the cerebral cortex and consequently, this can result in seizures, difficulty swallowing and other serious health problems. Lucas is unable to walk and talk but he loves being around people and gets especially excited when he sees his brother. When Noah heard about the YMCA youth triathlon, he decided to take part alongside Lucas.
2. Boy risks his life to save a drowning fawn
A photographer in Bangladesh captured photos of a daring young hero who risked his own life to save a baby deer, which had been separated from its family. This young boy braved the rainwater and took it upon himself to reunite the fawn with his family.
3. 9-year-old boy creates a no-kill animal shelter in his garage
9-year-old Ken from the Philippines, fulfilled a wish he's had since he was 8 - to open and run a no-kill dog shelter. Most dogs are put down because only 20 to 30 percent of owners claim their dogs, and because no animal welfare organization is doing something about it, Ken's goal is to save as many dogs as he can from being killed for no reason. Upon posting photos of himself feeding stray dogs online, strangers from all over the world expressed their support and helped him achieve his dream, alongside his father who also supports his son's project.
4. Kids tie coats to street poles to help homeless prepare for winter
Worried about what the homeless people would do during the winter months, Tara Smith-Atkins, her 8-year-old daughter and seven of her friends, collected winter coats and tied them to street poles around the city of Halifax, Canada.
5. This boy endured bullying for 2 1/2 years to grow his hair long for a special purpose
Then 6-year-old Christian McPhilamy decided to grow his hair long and donate 10-inch-long locks of his hair to make wigs for children being treated for cancer. Despite other children calling him a girl, the bullying never stopped him from completing his mission and donating his hair to children with hair loss.
6. 8-year-old boy won $1,000 and donated his winnings to his little neighbor, who was battling leukemia
Instead of using his money to buy toys and games, Wyatt Erber gave his winnings to the family of his young neighbor, 2-year-old Cara Kielty who is battling cancer. He entered a scavenger hunt, telling his mom that if he won, he wanted to give the money to Cara. He returned victorious, and so his money was used to help Cara's parents with her treatments.
7. Children practice their reading skills to calm, shy dogs
The Missouri Humane Society alongside the Shelter Buddies Reading Program asked kids aged 6 to 15 to read to fearful dogs, preparing them for a life in a permanent home. The kids had to undergo a 10 hour training program and sit in front of a dog's kennel, reading pages from a book to them. The program director believed that this would help shy and fearful dogs without having to force physical interaction. The dogs that showed interest, were then given a treat, to reinforce the behavior.
8. This boy wouldn't let anything stop him from doing his homework
A young, homeless boy was spotted diligently doing his homework by the light of a McDonald's restaurant. The third-grader, Daniel Cabrera and his mother, Christina Espinosa, lived in a wall-less food stall because their house burned down. Yet despite the difficulties, Daniel, aged 9, does his homework every night on a home made bench using his only pencil. Since this photo caught on, he has since received scholarships and support from Fillipino politicians and people around the world.
9. 9-year-old girl builds shelters for the homeless and grows food for them too
Hailey Fort is only 9 years old, yet she has already done more to help the homeless and needy than many of us have. She spends her free time building mobile shelters for the homeless and grows food for them too. But, what inspired her to get started? At 5 years old she asked her mother about helping a homeless man she saw in Bremerton, Washington. They have since been working together to help the needy. "It just doesn't seem right that there are homeless people. I think everyone should have a place to live."
