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His only catch? It had to go to a child who is “really into fishing.” Kerico knew that, for so many reasons, the child had to be Emma Dluhos. » A Patch Exclusive by Karen Wall for Brick Patch

The Journey To The Gong

We love, this story, too. Autism Awareness Month started with a bang, a literal bang on a gong, last Friday at BD’s Mongolian Grill in Naperville, Illinois, and 9-year-old Maddox Yates-Benter, who is on the spectrum, was the percussionist. He loves doing it. It makes him happy, his dads told Patch’s Lisa Marie Farver. How this milestone moment — and a $50,000 corporate donation to autism research — came about is where the real magic lies. A while back, Maddox convinced his dads to to make the hour-long drive from their home in Sandwich to Naperville — ostensibly for the food, they said, but also for the gong. The restaurant was closed due to a water main break, but after hearing the story, general manager Kirsten Simmons not only let Maddox ring the gong, but also gave the family discount vouchers to another of the chain’s restaurants in Bolingbrook. A month later, the chain surprised the family with a trip to Disney World. Exposure to a real child living his best life with autism was a turning point as well for BD’s Mongolian Grill, whose corporate team began brainstorming ways they could raise both awareness and money for autism research. And that’s how Maddox came to burst into BD’s Mongolian Grill with his by now trademarked unbridled exuberance, barreling past other guests to give the gong a few test runs. » By Lisa Marie Farver for Naperville Patch

‘Each Cog Helps’

After their son, an Army medic who treated horrific combat wounds during three tours of duty in the Middle East, lost his battle with PTSD, his parents, Pat and Jane Hipsley, of Catonsville, Maryland, wanted a meaningful way to honor his memory. A service dog might have helped their son, Chris, manage PTSD, but none were available. They learned of the Warrior Canine Connection, a Montgomery County-based charity that relies on volunteers to train service dogs that will later be placed with veterans with visible and invisible wounds, and signed up. The need is vast, with some estimates showing about 500,000 veterans who need service dog. “We are a small cog in that wheel,” Pat Hispsley told Patch’s Kristin Danley-Greiner, “but each cog helps.” » A Patch Exclusive by Kristin Danley-Greiner for Columbia Patch

‘I Want To Change The World’

Some middle school students in Fairfax County, Virginia, are helping to feed about 70 families through a project in their STEM class. They’re growing produce at their vertical “farm” through a process known as aquaponics that combines elements of hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and aquaculture (growing fish and other organic organisms). “This project has made me realize I want to do something that will change the world,” eighth-grader Cameron Swift told Patch’s Emily Leayman, noting the process can be easily replicated in homes. » A Patch Exclusive by Emily Leayman for Falls Church Patch

‘I Can Just Be’

“You can never control your circumstances, but you can control your attitude,” 20-year-old Natalie Merchant, a native of Cartersville, Georgia, told Patch’s Amanda Lumpkin. She is headed to Thailand for treatment of a condition that has caused her a lifetime of pain — topical steroid withdrawal. Diagnosed with eczema as a newborn, she became addicted to the over-the-counter hydrocortisone ointment used to treat it. The pain has been excruciating — even making a shower painful — and the interruptions to her life palpable. She has been bedridden since December, and the months since have been the “darkest” of her life, she said. The trip to for a promising treatment in Thailand, where she and her husband will live for a year, is possible through an outpouring of support on GoFundMe. It means “everything,” Merchant said. “I have never had normal skin … never not had to use moisturizer, The idea to just be literally sounds impossible. I look forward to smiling with confidence, knowing that I can just be.” » A Patch Exclusive by Amanda Lumpkin for Cartersville Patch

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‘That’s My Baby’

The accomplishments of an 8-year-old Homewood, Illinois, boy may seem typical and ordinary, but Jamilah Doyle promises you, they are not. Randall Walters Jr. suffered a series of what are called focal seizures that are isolated to one side of the brain. Randall was later hospitalized with COVID-19, and a series of brain scans showed the right frontal lobe of his brain had atrophied due to a rare condition called Rasmussen’s encephalitis. He underwent surgery and the prognosis is good, but he has had to relearn basic skills like walking and reading. So you’ll understand why his mother says “that’s my baby” when he accomplishes things like earning a yellow belt in Taekwondo and shares his dreams to grow up and become a police officer. “He’s very resilient,” his mom told Patch’s Lauren Traut. “I can appreciate him not too much focusing on what he can’t do, but what he can, but asking for help to navigate what he struggles with.” » A Patch Exclusive by Lauren Traut for Homewood-Flossmoor Patch

Thanks, Hayden, Whoever You Are

Torey Shanklin is looking for the good Samaritan she says saved her life after she flipped her Mercedes into a drainage ditch while driving through Temecula, California, during a torrential rainfall. Hanging upside down in her car with the airbags deployed, Shanklin felt “trapped and helpless,” and that she was “going to drown right here,” she told reporters. That’s when a guy in his 20s, who she knows only as Hayden, helped her escape the car through the trunk. She’d like to thank him in person. » By Ashley Ludwig for Temecula Patch

‘The Matriarch Of Our School’

No matter how old you are, you can likely think back to your childhood to some person on the school support staff who made your life easier or more pleasant. For some students in Alexandria, Virginia, that’s Patricia Morgan, a custodian for 40 years. “Ms. Pat,” as she’s known, missed the students during pandemic remote learning, but found ways to stay connected and help them, going “beyond the job description every day,” Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School Principal Adaarema Kelly said recently. “ She is the heart and soul of Samuel Tucker, and she’s just been a gift to all of us,” she said. “She is the matriarch of our school.” » By Emily Leayman for Alexandria Patch

‘What Neighbors Do When There Is A Crisis’

A $200,000 gift from the Arlington (Virginia) Presbyterian Church means about 200 families still struggling to make ends meet after the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to stay in their apartments. The donation, called an “incredible act of generosity” will see their past-due rent erased. Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said the church’s donation comes as federal COVID-19 resources are drying up. “This is what neighbors do when there is a crisis,” said the Rev. Ashley Goff, a pastor t the church. » By Mark Hand for Arlington Patch

A Climb For Hope(cam)

Reston, Virginia, businessman Len Forkas, 63, made an abrupt change of plans, from as ski trip to the North Pole to a climb to the top of Mount Everest, but the purpose is the same — to raise money for the nonprofit he started 20 years go when his son was diagnosed with cancer. Called Hopecam, it provides connective technology to children stuck at home while going through cancer treatment. This helps them livestream with their friends and classmates, so they won’t feel forgotten or alone. “Every time I run a marathon or climb a mountain or do a race, I always honor a child from Hopecam,” Forkas said. “I call the kids. I give them the medals. I send them the shirts and I tell them, ‘Hey, when I was running, I was thinking about you and how brave you were.’ What it does, it really helps me. These kids motivate me, they hold me accountable to finish.” » By Michael O’Connell for Reston Patch

Smell This

A giant corpse flower — a literal moniker given it’s what Amorphophallus titanum or titan arum smells like in bloom — opened up at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx Tuesday and New Yorkers lined up to take in the rare plant’s pungent magnificence before it withered. It was a sight to behold, albeit smelly. The plant’s spike, which protrudes through its petals, can grow as tall as 12 feet, and the plant itself can reach 100 pounds. Titan arums, which are native to the island of Sumatra, can take from seven to 10 years to form buds. When they do bloom, the flower typically unfurls over 24 to 36 hours before withering and dying. Fun fact: In 1935 when the Botanical Gardens acquired its second corpse flower — the first was in 1932 — Bronx Borough President James J. Lyons proclaimed it as the official flower of the Bronx (for reasons not associated with its smell). It was replaced by the day lily in 2000. » By Cailin Loesch for Queens Patch

A Boy And His Dog

There’s no bond like the one between a boy and his dog. And when a 4-year-old wandered away from his Buena Vista, New Jersey, home one night late last month, he had his loyal black Labrador right by his side the whole time. They were missing for more than an hour before they were found in the woods, New Jersey State Police said, with the release of a video of the terrified child’s relief at being found. » By Veronica Flesher for Galloway Patch

A Timely Message At Easter

The way 61-year-old Christine Williams sees it, “every day is a blessing from God.” She says so seven years after a double-lung transplant at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. When she was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after two bouts of pneumonia that scarred her lungs and given only a few years to live, she recalls thinking, “This might be it.” Then, in 2013, her conditioned worsened and she was approved for a transplant. The surgery “was a very spiritual experience for me,” she said. “I saw light, and I felt like I was being carried by angels. I knew in my heart that I was going to be OK — I was never so confident in my life.” » By Eric Kiefer for Newark Patch

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