13 Good News Stories: What Good Neighbors Do; Sister Jean To NCAA

ACROSS AMERICA — After wind-fueled brush fires ate structures, killed horses and displaced families, neighbors in Chester County, Pennsylvania, did what neighbors do: They rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help.

Nicole Henwood, a physician, lives next door to one of the hardest-hit properties, a historic stone barn with four apartment units. Seven horses that survived the fire were homeless along with the people who lived in the apartments.

The human tenants were college students who moved back home with the parents. The horses were another matter. They’re thoroughbreds and know only the farm where they live. Putting them in a trailer and moving them elsewhere would have been “next to impossible” and would traumatize them even more, Henwood said.

But leaving them to roam the pasture, with broken fences that wouldn’t hold them, wasn’t an option, either. The owner of the horses learned quickly he could count on his neighbors. By Marlene Lang for West Chester, Pennsylvania, Patch

Neighbors Also Defy Fire

The word “hero” gets tossed around so much the meaning is diluted, but Jimmy “The Cowboy” Johnson defined it when he rushed into his neighbor’s burning house. The Norristown, Pennsylvania, Marine Corps veteran kicked in the door when he heard someone was trapped inside. He was on fire when Johnson found him, and he’s being treated in a Philly hospital. As true heroes do, Johnson was modest about what he’d done. By Justin Heinze for Lower Providence, Pennsylvania, Patch

Sister Jean Is NCAA-Bound Again

When Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt returned home from the Final Four three years ago at the age of 98, she wasn't certain she would live to see another NCAA Tournament appearance by her beloved Loyola Ramblers. But three years later, now at 101, the longtime chaplain for the Loyola men's basketball team is poised to cheer for another deep tournament run when the annual college basketball rite of spring begins Friday in Indianapolis. By Jeff Arnold for Chicago Patch

Enough Love For One More

Dan and Lori O’Brien already have 17 children — 20 counting the nephew and two foster children they raised. The Brookfield, Wisconsin, couple also have more than 20 grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way. Then they met a 12-year-old boy who’s been in the foster care system for half of his life. “We met him and could see this little boy had great potential,” Lori O’Brien said. “We wanted to give him a chance.” By Karen Pilarski for Brookfield, Wisconsin, Patch

Christmas In March

Gordon Yunge hadn’t seen his wife, Jane, since Thanksgiving. The 82-year-old Briarcliff Manor, New York, resident missed seeing her at Christmastime because the nursing home where she lives was clamped down hard to control the spread of the coronavirus. The best he could do was sit under a tent erected to shelter visitors as they talked to their loved ones through a window. But then cold weather set in, depriving him of that. "I was devastated," he told Patch. "I know it's best, to protect her and me, but that doesn't mean you have to like it." On Monday, he finally got to do what he’d been waiting to do for three months. “Here’s your Christmas present,” he said, sliding a gift bag across the table. By Lanning Taliaferro for Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manor, New York, Patch

Prescription For A Hug

After spending a year in isolation due to the pandemic, Evelyn Shaw got just what the doctor ordered. It wasn't a new miracle treatment or the fact that, two weeks earlier, the New York City grandmother received her second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. What she needed was a bit more special than that. It came through a prescription written by her doctor. In seven words, the doctor gave Evelyn the perfect medicine: "You are allowed to hug your granddaughter." By Megan VerHelst for New York City Patch

The $2,021 Tip Challenge

The $2,020 tip challenge of last year to help out struggling restaurant employees has morphed into 2021. Two customers at a Cleveland-area restaurant were talking with their server about something they shared: grief. All three are widows. The guests’ tab came to $100 and change, but the tip went beyond the traditional 20 percent — it was for $2,021. “This is for you,” one of them said to the server. “Things are going to get better.” By Tim Moran for Cleveland Patch

Something Beautiful From A Tragedy

The 11 women who were raped and murdered in and around a decrepit house in Cleveland and whose bodies were discovered in 2009 had been forgotten by society. But they’ll be remembered when the property is beautifully restored as the Garden of 11 Angels, a project of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. The final piece of funding was secured this week, and the tribute garden should be open by fall. By Chris Mosby for Cleveland Patch

“Never Give Up Hope”

At 4 years old, Azraella Parker has made the absolute most of the last 365 days despite the pandemic. The Ada, Ohio, girl visited museums and zoos. She went on vacation. She made tons of friends, mother Keara Downing told Patch. She attended preschool and can't wait to go to kindergarten this fall. But being a kid wasn't always possible. On March 5, Azzy celebrated one year of being cancer-free. She was only 15 months old when she was diagnosed with leukemia. The tender moral to the family’s story? “Even though you may feel alone, there’s a huge support system behind you praying, sending love and things you need,” Downey said. “Never give up hope.” By Megan VerHelst for Cleveland Patch

A Girl Who Codes

Japleen Kaur joined the Girls Who Code Club as a middle schooler and discovered the power of HTML and other programming languages to solve problems. Knowing the importance of reaching kids when they’re young, the high school junior from Fremont, California, decided to teach elementary and junior high kids to develop apps while she worked on her own — an app to help students like her manage their schedules and stress. By Bea Karnes for Fremont, California, Patch

A Girl Who Bakes

Fighting breast cancer is very important to Jolie Strelzin. The Northbrook, Illinois, 13-year-old watched as two close family friends needed mastectomies in 2020 due to the disease. A cousin also has battled breast cancer. All that, combined with the loss of an aunt to pancreatic cancer and the challenges of living in a pandemic, made her anxious. She found an outlet in cookie dough. "Making the cookie dough made me feel very proud of myself because I was able to do something good for others, and it made people also want to do something to help out with breast cancer.” She’s raised $1,000 for charity. By Eric DeGrechie for Northbrook, Illinois, Patch

Now Playing: Local Love Stories

Big screens have been dark across America because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the marquee at the Tivoli Theatre (top photo) in Downers Grove, Illinois, has been used to herald love stories that blossomed over the past year. Two grooms-to-be have rented the marquee to announce their intentions. By Lisa Marie Farver for Downers Grove, Illinois, Patch

Dogs Dog Saved Ready For Homes

Cookie, probably the nicest pit bull in Oak Lawn, Illinois, found a couple of small dogs sheltered under a car during the brutal polar vortex last month. They were close to freezing to death. Cookie let his owner know of their predicament. He took them in and asked about posting a “found dog” notice on Oak Lawn Patch’s Facebook page. They’re ready for adoption now, and Cookie gets a lot of the credit. By Lorraine Swanson for Oak Lawn, Illinois, Patch

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