9 Good News Stories: Romance Is Kismet; Couple Reunited At Last

ACROSS AMERICA — Years ago, newborns Courtney Mahnken and Nick Monguso lay side by side in hospital bassinets — a portent of something yet to develop between the two that no one recognized at the time.

Why would anyone have seen what 26 years later can rightly be called kismet?

Oh, there were signs along the way that there might be something between them beyond their births a few hours apart in a New Jersey hospital back in 1994. As 14-year-olds in 2008, Monguso and Mahnken were boyfriend and girlfriend.

That’s when their moms met and recognized something familiar in each other’s faces. The kids broke up, though they remained friends. Both went on to Rowan University. They reconnected as seniors and plan to marry next year. By Kimberlee Bongard for Berkeley, New Jersey, Patch

So Much Better Than A Dog

Clara Zanotto’s excitement was palpable when she asked her mother if she was getting a dog. It was the 9-year-old Redondo Beach, California, girl’s initial conclusion in the message her mom was flashing in a series of hand-written notes. But when the final card was flashed, she collapsed in joyful tears — and the video of her reaction is surely relatable to other kids whose homes have been their classrooms for the past year. By Nicole Charky for Redondo Beach, California, Patch

Symmetry Of The Shot

Michael Catania (top photo) was mighty sick when he was admitted to a suburban Chicago hospital last March for treatment for COVID-19. He was resuscitated several times and had to be intubated. He and Dr. Halleh Akbarnia, whom Catania credits with saving his life, have remained in touch since then. The physician injected Catania’s second vaccine shot, something he requested. “We started the journey together, we're ending the journey together, and I wanted that to be a part of what we both experienced,” he said. By Amie Schaenzer for Libertyville, Illinois, Patch

How She Earned Her Wings

Katja Hom isn’t a techie. But the McLean, Virginia, woman can find her way around websites to schedule coronavirus vaccinations — something some of her neighbors found excruciatingly difficult. After the woman called a “neighborhood angel” helped several people snag appointments — including a Spanish-speaking family and a nonagenarian and her sexagenarian son — she put her skills out in the universe, offering to help anyone who needed it for no reason other than she was raised to help others. By Mark Hand for McLean, Virginia, Patch

He Trashed The Trash

Jake Baron is an "old soul" for an 8-year-old, his mom says. And his teacher described him as a natural-born leader. So it’s not surprising that when he saw trash and debris piling up in his East Haven, Connecticut, neighborhood, he did something about it. “He walked over to pick up trash and stopped and said, 'Mom, we gotta do something about this,'" Kris Baron, his mother, told Patch. "I said, 'OK, Jake. Let me get some bags.’ ” And that's how it started. By Ellyn Santiago for East Haven, Connecticut, Patch

A Shot Of Love

After spending 72 years together as husband and wife, a year apart took a toll on Bill and Lola Fuller — especially because they were living in the same Doylestown, Pennsylvania, care center when the coronavirus separated them. Bill lived in the independent living wing of the campus, while Lola was in the health center. Both fully vaccinated now, they’re able to resume their regular Sunday brunches. “They looked younger to me on Sunday,” their daughter said. “They just looked on the top of their game.” By Peter Blanchard for Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Patch

Vaccine House Calls

These days, it’s unusual to find a doctor who still makes house calls. It’s been so long since that was a thing that for many, the tradition exists only in folklore. But an ambulance delivered Dr. Daksh Rampal to a mobile home park in Vernon, Connecticut, where 50 people got their coronavirus vaccine shots. It was an important stop, authorities said, because some of the city’s most vulnerable residents live there. By Chris Dehnel for Vernon, Connecticut, Patch

They Gave A Hoot

Animal control officers in Montclair, New Jersey, had a unique challenge when they got a call about a federally protected great horned owl that had become tangled up in a soccer net. Rescuers were able to free the raptor, which lifted its massive wings and soared. By Eric Kiefer for Montclair, New Jersey, Patch

Giraffe On The Run

Cedora, the 2-month-old giraffe calf at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, is now running freely in a 65-acre, multi-species habitat after spending her first months with her mother. Zoo guests can get a closer look at her by boarding the Serengeti Express or by booking a Serengeti Safari, which includes a chance to hand-feed the animals. By D’Ann Lawrence White for Tampa Patch

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