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Happy ending for four-legged wedding crasher

When a couple’s special day was interrupted by a stray dog, not only did he steal the show, but he stole their hearts too. Tamíris Muzini and Douglas Robert were preparing for their wedding ceremony at a church in the city of Vila Velha, on Brazil’s southeastern coast, when a stray dog joined the 150 invited guests in attending, as reported by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/08/a-stray-dog-who-was-adopted-after-crashing-a-wedding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NY Post</a>. “Before the ceremony started [the dog] entered the church and went straight upstairs, where he met the groom and guests,” Muzini told the outlet. After that he returned downstairs, where he lay outside the door until Muzini arrived. “He stayed there, just waiting for me to enter,” she said. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/wedding-dog2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> A stray dog that gatecrashed Tamíris Muzini and Douglas Robert’s wedding has since become a member of their family. Image: @caramelodejesus (Instagram) As the crowd turned to watch her come down the aisle, they were greeted by the sight of the stray doing the same. “Everyone was delighted with him because he is very cute and was super comfortable there,” Muzini added. The sweet pooch watched as Muzini and Robert exchanged vows, then ran up to them as they left the church, jumping up to pose for photos with them. “When he greeted us at the end, he asked, “Take me home. Take me,’” she told TheDodo.com. Having stolen the couple’s hearts, they made him a part of their family - and quickly came up with a name for him. “Everyone started calling him Caramelo, and that was it,” Muzini told the Post. With a first name fitting his golden coat, Muzini and Robert decided his full name would be Caramelo de Jesus “because, without a doubt, he was sent to us by God”. “It was surreal and inexplicable,: Muzini said. “He marked an important day in our history. He was part of our big moment and he enchanted us with his charisma.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/wedding-dog1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Caramelo even posed for photos with the newly-wed couple. Image: @caramelodejesus (Instagram) Ever since, Caramelo has become an inseparable part of the newlywed’s family - even earning himself his own social media profile where the family’s adventures are shared. “In the one month we’ve shared, we have had several adventures with him,” Muzini said. “Each day is a different surprise. “One day he pees in the kitchen, another day he climbs on top of cars, then he steals grandma’s bread and runs away with it. “But every day, he is sad when we go out to work. He welcomes us home with jumps, hugs and kisses when we return.” With all his antics, Muzini said Caramelo is preparing her for motherhood. “Undoubtedly, Caramelo is a beautiful training for a not-too-distant future with a human son,” she said. “He’s like a naughty child, but he is also very docile and super loving. He fills us with so much love all the time.” Image: @caramelodejesus (Instagram)

Family & Pets

Community unites to help long-lost teddy find its way home

A teddy bear, thought to be lost in the outback, has been reunited with his family after their appeal for help went viral online. Godron Wilson had been photographing his son’s ‘Pooh’ bear to keep the family entertained on their 5000-kilometre trip from Bowen, north Queensland, to Perth. But, while snapping a photo of the cute stuffed animal on a fence post along the Barrier Highway near Broken Hill, Mr Wilson was “distracted by flies” and drove off with the family - only to realise hours later that the teddy was more than 150km away. Though he decided against going back to retrieve it, he and his wife Lois took to social media to try and find the bear instead. They posted in several Broken Hill Facebook groups asking if someone had seen or picked up the bear, and what came next shocked them. Their appeals for help quickly spread all over the internet. “I was actually quite amazed by the reaction and how many people were following the story,” Mr Wilson told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-12/lost-teddy-bear-reunited-with-family-after-being-lost-in-outback/101059032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. Grazier Mitch Rodgers became one of many interested in the story, and took matters into his own hands. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/bear2.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="575" /> Mitch Rodgers found the bear and planned to send him home by mail - until he had a better idea. Image: Mitch Rodgers He drove out from Comarto Station near Wilcannia to find the bear - but that’s not where the story ends either. Initially planning to send the bear home by mail, Mr Rodgers and Mr Wilson thought the adventure should continue and decided to find more people who wanted to travel with the bear on its journey home. “Mitch went to great trouble and started to share the story on social media with some great photos,” Mr Wilson said. “The story then took on a life of its own and if it wasn’t for Mitch it probably wouldn’t have got off the ground like it did.” Mr Wilson said the story even gained fans in Scotland, where he has relatives. He said Pooh travelled 150km to Broken Hill, then visited Silverton before heading south to Mildura, Victoria. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/bear1.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="575" /> Mitch Rodgers with Pooh. Image: Mitch Rodgers “He then received a lift from a couple to Adelaide and from there flew to Perth,” he said. “I’ll tell you what it took off pretty quick,” Mr Rodgers said. “It was just good to hear that people were getting a bit of joy out of it.” Ben Wilson, 24, has had the bear since he was a baby and is still stunned that so many people went to such great lengths to return the teddy. “I thought that was it, and I was never going to get him back,” he said. “I’m grateful for Mitcch, the Broken Hill community along with anyone and everyone who was involved.” When asked if Pooh would be heading out for another adventure anytime soon, Ben said it was “unlikely”. “He’ll be staying with me until I have my first child and then when he or she gets old enough, I’ll tell them the story of what happened here,” Ben said. “Because it’s not something we’re going to forget anytime soon.” Image: Gordon Wilson

Caring

Court 'approves' young boy's appeal to adopt teddies

The Family Court of Western Australia has granted a seven-year-old boy approval to adopt several teddy bears, in a gesture described as “humanity at its best”. After writing a letter to the court, the young boy received a sweet yet official-looking response, complete with a reference to the fictitious International Teddy Act of 1908 and a description of the adoptees as “a hug of teddy’s”. “In the matter of Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny,” the unofficial court order <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/good-news/family-court-gives-sevenyearold-boy-approval-to-adopt-teddies-in-heartwarming-letter-exchange/news-story/acbf28abee7da98ed1c794731b61b71c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a>. “Before a Teddy in Chambers. “Application having being [sic] made under the International Teddy Act 1908 for an adoption order in relation to a hug of teddy’s known as Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny who reside in … Western Australia. “It is ordered that the said Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny be adopted by (the boy) to be treated lovingly as child and teddies.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/court-teddy-adoption.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /> The Family Court’s order was shared on social media. Image: Twitter A photo of the court order was shared on social media by the boy’s uncle, Dr Stephen Bright, prompting dozens of responses. “Not sure how many similar requests they get, but this seemed to go above and beyond. Thank you,” he wrote on the since-deleted post. Many shared how the story brought a “tear to the eye”. “That is absolutely adorable, your nephew must be so happy! Such a beautiful, yet simple gesture, definitely put a smile on my face and a tear to the eye,” one person shared. In a follow-up post, Dr Bright <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/stephenjbright/status/1495448183614283778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: “I don’t usually post personal stuff on Twitter, though I’m glad I did share this as it seems to have touched so many people. It’s nice to be able to pay it forward.” Some dubbed the gesture as an example of “humanity at its best”, while others shared their well wishes for the boy and his teddies. “It’s lovely. These warm and kind actions show humanity at its best. We need this in our lives,” one person wrote. “Sometimes it’s good to start my day with a happy cry. Thank you for sharing,” another said. “This reminds me to have faith in humanity, both in adults and the next generation. My best to your nephew, his teddies and family.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

"Truly life changing" moment sees new mum win a mansion

Just months before their daughter’s first birthday, a young family has seen their fortunes change dramatically - all because of a £10 lotto ticket. UK resident Becca Pott <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/new-mum-wins-66-million-mansion-with-18-lotto-ticket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> an extravagant $7.1 million, allowing her and her husband to move with their newborn baby from a camped two-bedroom apartment into a sprawling five-bedroom, four-bathroom mansion. The 32-year-old, who hails from southeast England, entered the <a href="https://omaze.co.uk/pages/ascot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Omaze</a> Million Pound House Draw and was the lucky winner after buying a ticket for just $20. But the family almost missed out on the prize. “My husband [Ben] had entered every Omaze Million Pound House Draw prior to this one, but somehow he’d forgotten on this occasion,” Becca told Jam Press. “But luckily I decided to buy a £10 ticket bundle in January without him knowing after seeing the house on television. “I’m never going to let him live this down!” Prior to their win, Becca was on maternity leave from her job as a financial analyst after giving birth to Ava, their eight-month-old daughter, last summer. Their new white stucco home in the upscale neighbourhood of Ascot features views of a private garden, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and high ceilings throughout. “The house is incredible. We’ve been wanting to move to somewhere bigger since our daughter Ava was born, now she’ll be having her first birthday in a mansion,” Becca said. “We didn’t have space for her grandparents to come and stay in our two-bedroom flat, but now they can have the entire third floor when they visit.” Not only did the couple win the home, the prize also covers all property taxes and legal fees associated with it, and comes with an extra $40,300 to help them settle in. Becca and Ben are also free to do with the home as they wish, with the option to live in the house themselves, rent it out or sell it out. For the moment, the family will enjoy their win before deciding what they’ll do heading into the future. “This win is truly life-changing for us,” Becca said. “We’ll stay here and enjoy the house for the summer at least, but whatever we decide to do, we know Ava is set for life.” But the couple aren’t the only winners from the draw, which raised nearly $729,000 for Cancer Research UK. The donations will help the charity fund projects such as TRACERX, the largest genetic study investigating how lung cancer evolves and why treatments stop working, Jam Press reports. The draw is also backed by the charity’s long standing ambassador, Ronan Keating. “So many of us, myself included, have been affected by cancer,” he told Jam Press. “I’ve been a proud supporter of Cancer Research UK for many years and have seen first-hand the difference research makes to those affected by cancer.” Images: Omaze UK (YouTube), Jam Press/Omaze

Captain Australia raises over $100K for children’s cancer research

A real-life superhero has set out on a quest to walk 2,000 kilometres in ten weeks to raise funds for children’s cancer research, and has already raised over $100,000 in the process.Captain Australia, also known as Simon, began his ‘Big Walk’ from Brisbane to Melbourne in December 2021, and hopes to raise $250,000 for the Kids Cancer Project by the time he reaches the finish line.<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/capt-austr-jpg-5f960e.jpg" alt="" width="1279" height="720" />Captain Australia began his journey in Queensland to raise funds to fight kids’ cancer. Image: Captain Australia’s Big WalkSimon was inspired to undertake the Herculean feat after he was diagnosed with head and neck cancer four years ago.“I had a 40-60 percent chance that chemoradiation would beat the disease, and six months to live if it failed. I got lucky,” he said on his fundraising website.“But even when you survive cancer, you have to pay a horrible price, dealing with side effects and the threat of recurrence for the rest of your life.“No child should have to endure that.”This won’t be the first time Simon has undergone a journey of this magnitude, having walked from Brisbane to Sydney to escape a dangerous domestic situation when he was 15.During that journey, Simon said he found himself and discovered a renewed sense of hope for the world that he wants to share with kids fighting cancer.Simon reached Sydney on February 12, and still has about 700 kilometres left to go.When asked where he was on his journey, Simon told OverSixty: "I'm headed for Federation Square in Melbourne which something like 750 kilometres straight down the freeway but I take the long and winding road (less travelled)."It's 1200 kilometres plus back to Brisbane but I would easily have come 1400 or more so far so it's hard to say precisely."I've come a long way, literally and figuratively."You can support his trek by donating to The Kid’s Cancer Project <a href="https://captain-australias-big-walk.raisely.com/donate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.Image: Captain Australia’s BIG WALK (Facebook)

Caring

“Pint-sized explorer” takes on Kosciusko to honour his late mum

A six-year-old boy has spent a day conquering Australia’s highest peak for a cause that is incredibly close to him and his family. Ollie Finnane, accompanied by his cousins Finn Gibson, ten, and Ted O’Hare, eight, trekked to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko for a good cause: to raise money for the Torie Finnane Foundation, established in honour of Ollie’s late mother. “The boys wanted to do something for the foundation,” Ollie’s dad Liam Finnane told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/torie-finnane-foundation-schoolboy-climbs-mt-kosciuosko-raise-money-for-mum/09f55c71-4a8b-41fc-abb2-148549d06dfa" target="_blank">9news.com.au</a>. “So they set the goal of climbing Australia’s highest peak on Australia Day, and hoped to raise $5000 to $10,000 along the way.” When they made it back to Thredbo on Thursday night, they discovered the figure was well over $20,000. “There was no whinging and no sore feet,” Liam said. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZLHV_BPK-w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZLHV_BPK-w/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Torie Finnane Foundation (@toriefinnanefoundation)</a> </div> </blockquote> Torie Finnane, Ollie’s mum, was a popular and respected midwife at the Orange Hospital, in the city of Orange in NSW’s central west. In December 2020, while celebrating the birth of her third child Maisie and the family’s first night at home as a family of five, Torie began experiencing headaches. Within just a few days, Torie had succumbed to bacterial meningitis, passing away in the very same hospital where she had assisted in the birth of so many babies. Her death greatly affected the close-knit community, with Liam now caring for three children under five on his own. With her family and friends wanting to honour her passion for healthcare, the Torie Finnane Foundation was established in December 2021 - a year after Torie’s passing. The foundation aims to provide the highest quality midwifery and nursing services in regional areas by purchasing much-needed equipment and providing training scholarships and placements. Through the foundation, regional midwives and special care nurses will spend a month training and learning from experienced obstetricians in Sydney, before returning to regional areas to utilise their skills. “Investing in nurses and midwives means we invest in patient safety and clinical care in our community,” Orange Hospital General Manager Catherine Nowlan told the ABC in December. Ollie, Finn and Ted’s climb marks one of the first fundraising efforts for the foundation, with their climb announced on social media little over a month before it began. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXkB9rGPx3K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXkB9rGPx3K/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Torie Finnane Foundation (@toriefinnanefoundation)</a> </div> </blockquote> “Look at these little legends! Meet Torie’s son Ollie Finnane (6), nephew Ted O’Hare (8) and nephew Finn Gibson (10),” a post on the foundation’s Instagram page reads. “These pint sized explorers are going to tackle a 13km walk across the top of Mt Kosciuszko on Australia Day to honour Torie, with the aim to raise $10,000 for TFF.” “We thought we can make a difference,” Liam said after the climb. “Even on Kosciuszko, people saw the boys in their Torie Finnane Foundation shirts and were offering them cash halfway up the mountain.” The <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.toriefinnanefoundation.com.au/" target="_blank">foundation</a> is still accepting donations, with the first nurse placements expected to start later this year. Image: @toriefinnanefoundation (Instagram)

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