A California mom saw Syrian refugees struggling to carry their babies, so she did something.
It's a positively heartbreaking situation: Syrian refugees are arriving in Greece by the boatload — quite literally. If they survive the first part of the journey, they can then face hundreds of miles of walking to reach their next destination.
If you watch the news footage, you may notice something:
There are lots of Syrian moms, dads, and caregivers with babies.
After crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey, a Syrian couple holds their twin babies on the Greek island of Lesbos. Photo by Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP/Getty Images.
Babies too young to walk.
A Syrian mother, holding her one-month-old son after arriving in Lesbos from Turkey. Photo by Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP/Getty Images.
Babies that must be carried...
Remaining images in this article are via "Today."
...and carried. Despite cold and exhaustion.
California mom Cristal Logothetis noticed. After she saw the viral photo of the young Syrian boy who drowned as his family was trying to reach safety, she — like so many of us — was deeply moved.
"When I saw that picture, I didn't just see a little boy face-down on the sand," Logothetis told "Today." "I saw what could have been my son."
Logothetis and her son.
When we're so overwhelmed with emotion, it's easy to feel paralyzed. What can I possibly do in the face of so much tragedy?
So much! We can do so much.
Logothetis wasn't just moved emotionally; she was moved to do something. "It compelled me into action," she said. And action is what she took.
Logothetis started to collect baby carriers* to deliver to the Syrian families arriving in Greece with babies and young children.
*You know, those things we Americans like to use for convenience to keep our hands free or bonding with our babies, often referring to the practice as baby-wearing.
At first, she didn't think her plans would go very far. But she was wrong. So. Very. Wrong.
Tons of people were more than happy to help. In fact, they were honored to do so, with many attaching notes of encouragement and love to the donated carriers.
In addition to receiving donated carriers, Logothetis collected tens of thousands of dollars to purchase them.
After Logothetis had collected enough carriers to make a difference, she and 10 other moms headed to Greece.
There, they met families coming off boats and taught the moms and dads how to use the donated carriers.
One of the volunteers helping a family learn to use their new carrier. GIF by "Today."
Perhaps nearly as significant to the refugee families as the actual physical help is the simple knowledge that people care.
"All they're trying to do is get to a better place and protect their family," Logothetis said. "Not only do they have a problem solved for them by receiving a carrier, but they realize that people care about them, that people want to help."
One thing is for sure: A whole lot of people want to help.
"People out there, they really care. They do. They just need the right opportunity to get involved," Logothetis said. "If everybody does something, no matter how small or big, there will always be a positive impact on this planet."
It's easy to feel overwhelmed in moments of crisis. Sometimes, though, it's just a matter of looking in the right place.
As beloved TV personality Mister Rogers said: "Whenever there would be any catastrophe ... [my mom] would say, 'Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers.' ... Because if you look for the helpers, you'll know that there's hope."
Well, we're looking at the helpers. And that means there's hope.
If you're interested in helping supply carriers for Syrian refugee families, you can visit the Carry the Future Facebook page to learn more about where to send your gently used carrier (or where to donate money).
And there are so many other easy ways to help! You can visit this page to find other organizations who are helping refugees and need support.
Watch the helpers from Carry the Future in this wonderful "Today" feature:
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."