Stories

Adam Gorlitsky was not always bound to a wheel chair, growing up he was just an average kid. At the age of 19, Adam was in a car accident, which left him paralyzed from the belly button down. But sometimes when life throws you lemons, you find a way to make the best lemonade that anyone ever tasted. That's exactly what Adam Gorlitsky did.

When Hillary Harris first embarked on her search for her long-lost sister, Dawn Johnson, she thought that she would have to scour the country to find her. As Dawn looked further afield to find her sister, she didn't realize her sister was closer than she would have ever imagined. As fate intervened, let's unravel the journey that eventually brought these two souls together.

If you've ever wondered what the craziest wedding venue could be, we might have just found it. After deciding to tie the knot with her husband at her New Jersey high school, English teacher Kimberly Dickstein has been celebrated by many as one of the most loyal teachers we've ever heard of. It's safe to say, the job is more than just an average 9-5 for this woman!

Some people say that family is all about DNA. But for this adorable five-year-old Michael, family is all about the special people that cross your path. Michael Orlando Clark Jr. had a special milestone coming up. He was about to be adopted by his foster parents, David Eaton and Andrea Melvin. So he couldn't think of a better way to celebrate by inviting all his extended family from his kindergarten class to his adoption party.

This young Iowa native had everything going for him. He was a promising footballer that played for his college team until he suffered an accident that left him paralyzed. After a dark and difficult period, Chris Norton decided to defeat the odds and find it within himself to stand, whatever the cost. His strength of character shone through, seeing him move on to bigger and better things. Now 27 years of age, he found purpose in helping others and changing their lives for the better. At Popular Everything, we're bringing you the details about his extraordinary journey.

Toshiyuki and Yasuko Kuroki were dairy farmers in the Japanese countryside and had been happily married for 3 decades when she suddenly lost her sight due to a diabetes complication. To Mr. Kuroki's sadness, she fell into a depression and isolated herself in their home. In his desire to see her happy again, he came across an ingenious idea that he hoped would work, but wouldn't be easy to execute. At Popular Everything, we're bringing you the fascinating story behind one man's will to put a smile on his wife's face.

At just 20 years old, Nick Ercoline and Bobbi Kelly were two young lovebirds living in New York, working and studying - nothing too out of the ordinary. However, a perfectly-timed image of them embracing at Woodstock festival in August of 1969 would come to symbolize the infamous summer of love. Not only that, their puppy love would blossom into a long and loving marriage, as they now celebrate 50 years of life together since that famed photograph. Read about the fascinating story of Nick and Bobbi, from their hillside hug to their relationship spanning half a century.

Welcome to the incredibly wild and captivating world of Tippi Degré; the little French girl who was raised in the rolling plains of the African Savanna. As you can see, Tippi is just as comfortable riding an ostrich as she is chilling with a five-ton elephant named Abu. Naturally, she also considers Abu her big brother. And her best friend is a leopard. Just like in the Jungle Book, Tippi Degré has often been labeled the real-life Mowgli. Now she is older, she wrote a book about her life. So let's delve into her unique, magical, and magnificent story.

It's 2012, and a Wisconsin man has walked out into Lake Superior with his dog, Schoep, in his arms. Fully clothed, he proceeds to rock Schoep to sleep in the water. Thankfully, his friend was present to capture this tender daily ritual and share it with the world, in a photo that went viral and resulted in huge global interest. One man proved just how unbreakable of a bond a man and his pet could have was when this picture made the rounds on the internet. At Popular Everything, we're bringing you the amazing story of John Unger and his arthritic dog Schoep.

When these two high school sweethearts, Adrian and Vicki, fell for each other in the 1970s, they thought they would live happily ever after. But life has a mysterious way of throwing a few curveballs. As Christmas approached, Vicki handed over her gift to Adrian, but dropped an unexpected bombshell. That day Adrian vowed never to open it, but kept it. After 47 years, Adrian decided to finally unwrap the gift. This lead to a mysterious journey into his past, that triggered an unexpected chain of events.

One man went above and beyond in his unique proposal idea. Edi Okoro devised the perfect way to make girlfriend Cally Reed's proposal special, by proposing in front of her every day for a month without her knowing! He documented the whole month of "secret proposing" while she was none wiser, taking daily pictures of him and his girlfriend in which she is completely clueless to the engagement ring. Take a look at Edi's series of lucky escapes in which he manages not to get caught... just about!

While Hurricane Dorian has been wreaking havoc across the East coast and leaving a trail of destruction; it's also left behind a trail of hope. That hope came in the form of a young seven-year-old from Florida, Jermaine Bell. A few weeks ago, Jermaine caused a media storm when he selflessly announced that he would give up his dream of going on his dream birthday trip to Disney World. Instead he committed an act of kindness. While he was praised for his efforts, he didn't expect that he would be rewarded in the most magical way possible.

What's the greatest thing you've ever given your mom? You're unlikely to have gone as far as Donny Pinto, who won the title for best son of the year in 2018. Witness the touching moment Donny reveals his labor of love to his unsuspecting mom, in a gift that meant so much more than it's market value. Having spent $37,000 and 6 years building Jeanie "Nonni" Pinto her dream Chevrolet, she received the biggest surprise of her life that left her completely speechless. Find out just how far one son went to surprise his mom!

You hear fictional stories about travelers getting lost out at sea all the time, but we've never actually considered it as a real-life possibility, that was until now. Introducing you to the story of Jose Salvador Alvarenga; a fisherman who intended on spending 30 hours out on a fishing mission. A sudden twist of fate not only prolonged the man's journey, but left him stranded in the middle of nowhere for 438 days. Here's how the skilled fisherman overcame his complex past.

During medical procedures and life-saving surgeries, there is no doubt that every second counts. The emergency room can make for a chaotic scene where the pressure is on and there is zero room for error. Unfortunately sometimes avoidable mistakes do happen, especially during some of the more time-sensitive procedures. Throughout his career, Sydney-based anesthetist Dr. Rob Hackett has seen these mistakes happen and has come up with a very simple solution.

Since 2015, Brad Ryan and his 89- year old grandma Joy have been taking the nation by storm and capturing the imagination of strangers across the world. When Joy said she had one regret in life, that she had never seen "the ocean or mountains," Brad took her on her first hike. This then spiraled into an epic road trip across the country. It also sent them both on a life-changing personal journey like no other.

60-year-old Joe Toles, has dedicated the past ten years of his life to providing teenage boys, with rough childhoods a second chance. As a former guidance counselor from Queens, New York, Toles was more than aware of the many children and young adults out there who were struggling for a chance to live a happy and healthy life. Not only this, but Joe was already familiar with what it is like growing up in the system. He did not have a secure home growing up and is able to relate to the struggles that young teenagers growing up in similar situations can face.

We all wish we could be one of the lucky few that wins the lottery. How great would it be if we could purchase that winning ticket? Unfortunately, we are one in a million with this dream, and the chances that it will come true are basically slim to none. One man, by the name of Stefan Mandel, was not willing to accept that reality and found a way to guarantee not one, but 14 lottery jackpots. Popular Everything has done the research and we are here to tell you all you need to know about Mandel's fascinating story and the details of his simple yet effective winning lottery strategy.

Floyd Martin is no ordinary mailman. He's a hometown hero on wheels. Known for his contagious personality, he delivered mail to the same families for over 35 years. Floyd really became the heart and soul of his community in his small town in Atlanta. Still, it was only when he made the life-changing decision to retire, that he realized just how attached his community was to him too.