Welcome to the twentieth edition of the David Begnaud newsletter! This week, we're honoring the helpers — those who practice it and those who preach it.
Mister Rogers used to say that in times of tragedy, his mother always told him to “look for the helpers.” And boy, did they show up during last week's brutal cold snap.
What you're about to read proves that even a deep freeze can't stop the warmth of human kindness: the Texas store clerk who ran into the cold to save a life, the community that rallied to keep a stranger off the icy streets, and the police officers who wouldn't give up until they found two abandoned dogs in the snow.
Also, keep reading till the end for a special Mister Rogers surprise from Lady Gaga!
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Giving Hope A Leg Up
Meet Joe Ryan from Columbus, Ohio.
He’s a 58-year-old man with progressive primary multiple sclerosis who transformed a debilitating condition into a way to help others.
The Heart
On December 8, 2016, Joe’s world came crashing down when he received his MS diagnosis — an incurable disease that makes you more and more disabled over time.
For a 5K runner and active golfer, Joe suddenly felt like he would be counting the days until he could no longer enjoy those activities anymore. It was heartbreaking. But Joe decided he was going to fight back, starting therapy sessions at Ohio Health Neurological Rehab, and eventually undergoing knee replacement surgery.
It was there that Joe heard about Bioness — an assisted-walking device that goes around your calf and sends an electrical impulse to help lift your toes. It’s literally designed to get your feet off the ground. The problem was that the device cost $5,500. Insurance wouldn’t cover it, and Joe didn’t have that kind of cash lying around.
But luckily, Joe’s uncle helped him purchase one, and it was a game-changer. He started to feel like himself again.
Joe then learned that there were so many other people that also struggled with his same neurological issues and were denied insurance claims… but didn’t have the same financial lifeline. So Joe decided he would be the “insurance company.”
Courtesy: J. Ryan Foundation
Courtesy: J. Ryan Foundation
The Journey
Turning to GoFundMe, Joe raised $11,000 to purchase two more devices for a little girl named Brooklyn, who has cerebral palsy. When she put them on, she was able to jog around the indoor track at the local children’s hospital.
Joe called it “incredible.” He was now hooked, and wanted to do everything he could to keep helping others.
He reached out to the Bioness team to offer his support, and a sales rep named Christina Metzger told him about another girl, Amelia, who also needed a pair. Once again, Joe stepped up, raising another $11,000 and changing another life.
With the encouragement of a friend, Joe soon created the J. Ryan Foundation Strides of Hope, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It was a natural next step to grow his mission, which has now raised $70,000 to help distribute eight more devices.
The Takeaway
For Joe, his generosity stems from wanting to pay back the generosity offered to him.“I'm just very lucky that I've had so many people supporting me, and if I can pass that support on, I have an obligation to do it,” he said.
Joe wants anyone with an incurable neurological disease to experience the same new lease on life he got thanks to his uncle and the assisted-walking device. “If we can find something that gives people hope that they can improve their condition, why wouldn't we?”
Sometimes, hope really is the best medicine. Click here to see these life-changing devices in action.
More Good Stories
☀️ This store clerk in Texas didn’t just do his job — he saved a life. During last week’s deadly winter storms, Faris Hussain was told by a good Samaritan that a woman was freezing outside his store. He ran into the cold, found her unresponsive, and carried her inside to safety. Thanks to his quick action, she survived the night.
Courtesy: KTVT
Courtesy: Austin Police Department
☀️ Police officers in Austin, Texas refused to give up until these dogs got home safe. After reports of caged dogs left behind a church during last week’s winter storm, police searched through the freezing woods until they found them. Cold, scared, but alive — both are now warm and safe at the shelter.
What kind of neighbor do you try to be?
Last week’s results are in! We asked you, “When you’re tired of small talk, what do you crave instead?” Over 40% of you answered that you seek time with people who get you. Next in line were honest conversations, quiet perspective-shifting moments, and stories that make you feel less alone. Nothing beats not having to explain yourself.
Spotlight:
A Story That United A Town
“WOW."
That’s what the motel manager said when he saw Chris walk in with clean clothes, a fresh haircut, and his dog Mowgli by his side. It wasn’t just a transformation in appearance. It was a transformation in hope.
I first heard about Chris and Mowgli from Paula Metcalfe in Charleston, South Carolina, who came across a post on a Walterboro community Facebook page. A passerby had spotted a young man with ice in his beard, giving his own coat to his dog to keep her warm during last week’s deep freeze.
Within hours, the community mobilized.
Chris and Mowgli were moved into a hotel with 12 nights of lodging prepaid to ride out the cold. They were fed, given warm clothes, and supported by a local fundraiser that brought in over $700 in its first weekend.
By Monday, Chris had a fresh look and new shoes — but the generosity didn't stop there. One neighbor stepped up to give him a haircut. Another covered his stay for the following week. Something much bigger than a one-time donation was starting to happen.
Paula told me something I’ll never forget:
“I’m fourth generation here, and I never in my wildest dreams imagined that so many people from different backgrounds could come together to help one stranger and his dog stay warm — and possibly not die from the cold.”
What a beautiful story. In the middle of a deep freeze, strangers became neighbors. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to give someone a new lease on life.
The $20 Kindness Challenge
Click image to watch
A Pennsylvania woman is showing us how to transform grief into kindness and generosity.
After her sister Kate died in a 2014 car accident, high school English teacher Kristina Ulmer kept the cash from her sister's wallet in a drawer for four years. It was the money Kate had earned as a waitress on the morning of her death.
In 2018, Kristina had an idea: give each of her 9th-grade students $20 from those tips to perform an act of kindness. That's how the "$20 Kindness Challenge" was born.
Since then, hundreds of students have completed hundreds of good deeds — pooling money with classmates, donating to community projects, and filming reflections about what they’ve learned. As donations have poured in over the last six years, the challenge has become more than a classroom project; it has become a way for Kristina to heal.
"Every time the kids would share with me what they did,” she says, “I felt a little better."
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One More Thing…
Lady Gaga has been on my mind this week, and not just because she won two Grammys last night.
For an upcoming Super Bowl ad, she covers "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" and says something that has stuck with me: "I just think about my earliest memories as a kid watching Mister Rogers, and I think about how much he meant to people, especially kids at home."
And you know what? From Pennsylvania to Ohio, Texas to South Carolina, people are still living out exactly what he taught us. The helpers are everywhere. We just have to look.
Made with love by David Begnaud and the team.
Stories that set your soul on fire.
