A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
Today's stories are about a paraplegic's trip to space, notable health care wins of 2025, philanthropy after loss, and a secret Santa's mission to boost the spirits of people in need.
AP:
Paraplegic Engineer From Germany Takes Historic Rocket Ride With Blue Origin
A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user in space, launching from West Texas with Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin. (Dunn, 12/20)
KFF Health News:
An Arm and a Leg’ Podcast: A Few More Good Things From 2025
'An Arm and a Leg' host Dan Weissmann breaks down how two states passed laws aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering. (Weissmann, 12/23)
The Guardian:
Five Big Global Health Wins In 2025 That Will Save Millions Of Lives
With humanitarian funding slashed by the US and other countries, including the UK, this year’s global health headlines have made grim reading. But good things have still been happening in vaccine research and the development of new and improved treatments for some of the most intractable illnesses. (Lay, 12/22)
The Florida Times-Union:
Canadian Family Pays It Forward To UF Health For Care After Crash
In March 2022, a Canadian attorney lost two of his children in a deadly car crash in Clay County while the family was returning home from a Florida vacation. Pieter Kort recently returned to UF Health Jacksonville, which cared for him, wife Jamie and two surviving children Ethan, then 15, and Hannah, then 16, after the crash. He made a $20,000 donation to the hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. (Reese Cravey, 12/22)
Good News Network:
Idaho Secret Santa Is Giving A Million Dollars To Local Residents Dealing With Chaos
Santa has arrived early in Idaho—in the form of a mystery donor who is giving away a million dollars to families in crisis. ... One of the earliest gifts was a 2025 Honda minivan and $1,000 for a family that has conjoined twins, which occurs about once in every 50,000 births. (Frederick, 12/21)
