Homeless Teen Named Valedictorian: 'Never Give Up'

A Florida student who lost his mother to leukemia and became homeless, has finished every homework assignment on time and finished with a 4.65 grade-point average to become valedictorian of his class. Griffin Furlong always clung to one belief: Never give up, which is written inside his baseball cap.

By Jeanne Goddard

31 May 42 Views

3 Steps to Heal Any Kind of 'Dark Night of the Soul'

Dr. Rajiv Parti, MD has written a book detailing his journey of overcoming personal injury, cancer and a dependence on pain medications to emerge as an alternative medicine advocate and crusader for wellness. I experienced my own ‘Dark Night of the Soul' when I was hit with prostrate cancer, surgical complications (life-threatening sepsis), chronic pain, depression and, finally, a dependence on pain medications. I had to sell my house and quit my job, all while feeling my marriage teetering and my health suffering. Healing from my ‘dark night of the soul' was not easy, but I succeeded.

By Gilbert Atwood

08 July 39 Views

Soccer Star Doesn't Let Losing a Leg Deter Her From Goal

Avid soccer player Bree McMahon was undeterred after an accident took her leg in her final year at high school. Keeping herself fixed on her goal, she is now running again.

By Jeanne Goddard

18 November 41 Views

Alaska Inmates Find Identity in Orchestra

After serving a 14-year sentence for murder, no one would have expected Sarah Jane Coffman to go anywhere near the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center once she was released. But every Saturday she makes the 10-mile drive with a viola in tow for orchestra practice at the prison just north of Anchorage. Coffman is a founding member of the women's string orchestra at the prison, playing since 2003.

By Jeanne Goddard

04 December 51 Views

Man Hitchhikes Across Canada in Only His Underwear Raising $30K for Testicular Cancer

People have bicycled, walked, even roller-bladed across Canada for charity. But Mark McIntyre is likely the only one who has ever hitch-hiked across Canada wearing nothing but his underwear and a smile. As a testicular cancer survivor, he teamed up with an underwear manufacturer that agreed to donate $20,000 for men's cancer research. He also wants to educate men on how to check themselves regularly, like women do.

By Jeanne Goddard

06 December 43 Views

The Benefits of Optimism Are Real

Two Academy Award nominated films, Silver Linings Playbook, and Life of Pi, resonated with so many millions of people because their themes of resilience speak to each of us -- and are grounded in a growing body of scientific research. Far from being delusional or faith-based, having a positive outlook in difficult circumstances is the most important predictor of resilience -- how quickly you will recover from adversity.

By Jeanne Goddard

02 May 41 Views

Town Turns Tables on Bullying School Prank

A tiny farming town in Michigan is rallying around a 16-year-old girl who became humiliated when her high school voted to elevate her to the homecoming court as a joke and then laughed at her in the hallways for having so few friends. In an inspiring turnaround, Whitney Kropp's embarrassment gained her thousands of friends.

By Jeanne Goddard

25 September 44 Views

Chinese Woman Goes From Sweatshop To Becoming Self-Made Billionaire

How did 47-year-old Zhang Xin go from working in a sweatshop to becoming one of the richest women in the world? She got her start on Wall Street, but missed her homeland and returned to become a real estate mogul, building the futuristic buildings that mark the distinctive skyline of Beijing.

By Jeanne Goddard

06 March 41 Views

From Fast Food Fail to Unlikely Super Bowl Hero: Malcolm Butler

A guy, who just five years ago was working part-time at Popeyes after being kicked out of school, became the unlikely Super Bowl hero on Sunday stealing the ball from Seattle at the goal line with just seconds to play, giving his New England Patriots the NFL championship.

By Jeanne Goddard

02 February 51 Views

Why Can't This Grandma Stay Out of Prison?

Grandmas, by their very nature, don't want trouble. But 81-year-old SuEllen Fried of Prairie Village, Kansas, has defied that stereotype and brought her sweet, soft touch to prisoners behind the razor-wire walls for over 30 years. I am addicted to personal transformation, she told CBS's Steve Hartman. Fried started coming to Lansing Correctional around 1980 for what she thought would be a little volunteer work, but ended up committed to these guys — for life.

By Jeanne Goddard

27 November 58 Views

Woman Who Lost Both Legs in Boston Bombing Just Found a Reason To Smile

A mother who is recovering in the hospital after losing both legs below the knee while watching the Boston Marathon went from being devastated to feeling better. The woman and her daughter -- who is also recovering in the hospital -- were visited by U.S. Marines, men who understand what it's like to lose limbs.

By Jeanne Goddard

25 April 42 Views

Disabled in Iraq, Now Making Life Easier for Other Wounded Vets

A National Guardsman lost both legs in Iraq, but found a new mission helping others. It was a life-altering injury, but from the beginning, Dale Beatty had a positive attitude about it. Beatty created an organization Purple Heart Homes after a Builders Association -- of which he was a member -- helped him build a wheelchair-accessible home with wide doorways and roll-in bathrooms.

By Jeanne Goddard

15 February 46 Views

UPDATE: 'Golden Voice' Ted Williams - Once Homeless Now Giving Back

Do you remember the story two years ago about the homeless man with the golden voice who was discovered pan-handling for change on a cold Ohio street? It turns out, he didn't fall back into old habits and end up on the street again as some had worried. Williams now helps the homeless and addicted whenever he can. He maintains an apartment and continues recording voice-overs for Kraft Mac and Cheese commercials.

By Jeanne Goddard

05 January 35 Views

Female Iraq War Vet Who Lost Legs is Elected to U.S. Congress

Not only is she one of the historic class of 2012 women elected to the US Congress this week. Not only is she the first Thai-American woman to be sent to Capitol Hill. Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War veteran, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot who lost both of her legs in combat. The impressive Duckworth was born in Bangkok, Thailand, to an American father, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who traced his family's roots in America back to before the Revolutionary War.

By Jeanne Goddard

09 November 38 Views

Filipino Street Kid Wins $130,000 Peace Prize

An abused Filipino child who lived off a garbage dump has won a prestigious award for the work of his children's charity, which benefits his fellow street kids. Cris Kesz Valdez, aged 13, was handed this year's International Children's Peace Prize at a glittering ceremony in The Hague on Wednesday, where he received a $130,000 prize presented by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

By Jeanne Goddard

24 September 39 Views