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After a lung disease reduced him to nothing, he decided to become a weightlifter.

Jaed Wells of Utica, New York, always wanted to be a professional bodybuilder, but cystic fibrosis held him back from his dream.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) causes a thick buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas and other organs. The infections and lung damage caused by disease reduce a person’s life expectancy to just 40 years.

About five years ago, at the age of 16, Jared’s health began to fail.

“For some reason, when I was doing my medications nothing was healing right. I just kept getting sicker and sicker,” he told WKTV.

“I got really close a couple of times that I was not even sure I was going to bounce back and after that it seemed really tough to get out of it but eventually I made my way though and I'm here now," he added.

At 21, his health began to improve and he was released from the hospital. But the years of battling CF had taken a toll on his body. Jared was was frail and had little muscle tone.

Hoping to get back into shape, last March, he began working out the Body Alive gym in Utica with his best friend, Vinny Donnelly.

Vinny’s father, Bob Donnelly, is the owner of the gym.  

He warned the community of bodybuilders not to make any “wise cracks” about Jared’s slight frame.

This is my son's friend Jarod.Before I hear any wise cracks. Jared has been fighting lung cancer and we almost lost...

Posted by Body Alive on Saturday, March 17, 2018

A few days after Jared started hitting the gym, Bob Donnelly posted an inspiring photo of Jared working his eight-inch biceps on Facebook.

The inspiring photo of Wells fighting back after years of struggle quickly went viral, earning over 19,000 shares.

“We expected it to get the maybe 200 likes that the page usually gets, then all of a sudden it was getting thousands," Wells told NBC News. “It’s kind of exciting, and it's all been really positive.”

Bob Donnelly kept the Body Alive community updated with posts of Jared’s progress.

Jared’s unwavering desire to get fit in spite of living with a terminal disease was an inspiration to many. The support he received from the Body Alive community and social media allowed him to push himself even further.

Vinny Donnelly started a GoFundme page to help with Jared’s medical bills and supplements.

“Jared has been a close family friend for years,” Vinny wrote. “He's strong willed and has been fighting since I've known him. I don't want him to fight alone.  We are going to keep hitting the gym and stay positive.”

By July, Jared gained 35 pounds and was eating 6,000 calories a day.

Here's the most recent photo of Jared from August 22,  just four months after embarking on his journey.

Jared’s story is inspiring on many levels.

Not only did he fight his way back from the brink of death to build a healthy body, but he did so without giving a thought what others in the gym might say. He walked into an intimidating gym filled with muscle-bound weightlifters and pushed his 121-pound body to the absolute limit.

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ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

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If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

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18-year-old took her college savings and bought the restaurant where she was a dishwasher

Samantha Frye, the newest owner of Rosalie's restaurant, is proving there's more than one way to invest in your future.

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There are many way to invest in your future

Eighteen year old Samantha Frye has traded college life for entrepreneurship, and she has no regrets.

Frye began working at Rosalie's Restaurant in Strasburg, Ohio at 16 as a dishwasher, working up the ranks as a kitchen prep, server, then line cook. All while working a second job, sometimes third job.

After graduating high school, Frye started college at Ohio State with plans of studying business or environmental engineering. But when she came back to work a shift at Rosalie’s for winter break, an opportunity arose—the owners had planned to sell the restaurant.
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Couple's Disney World proposal ends with a cute surprise twist that had them cracking up

The boyfriend’s laugh is incredible.

via herecomemac/TikTok

Mac proposes to their boyfriend Alex at Disney World in Florida.

There’s something undeniably romantic about proposing to someone at Disney World. The park is filled with wonder and built on the belief that big dreams can come true. That’s probably why after three and a half years of dating, Mac, 31, and their then-boyfriend, Alex, 29, got the same idea when they took a recent trip to the Magic Kingdom.

The couple arrived at the park in the morning and met with Mac's aunt and cousin. Mac’s real reason for inviting them on the trip was to film their surprise proposal. However, Mac didn’t know Alex had already told them he planned to propose during the fireworks show that night.

This put Mac’s cousin and aunt in a funny place because they had to hide two secrets.

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Family

Mom's comics perfectly illustrate the double standard of how society treats mothers and fathers

Why are expectations for mothers and fathers so different?

via Momlife_comics/Instagram

"Fun" dad versus "lazy" mom.

Last November, Upworthy published a popular story about Chloe Sexton, a mother who went viral on TikTok for a video she made explaining “daddy privilege” or the idea that fathers are applauded for doing things that mothers are supposed to do.

"In my opinion, 'daddy privilege' is that subtle upper hand men sidestep into as parents that allows them to gain praise for simply…being a parent," she said. "You fed the baby? What a great dad! You held the baby while mommy bathed? So considerate of you! You picked up something for dinner? What would your family do without you?! It's all the little ways mothers do exactly what the world expects of them without a second thought and then watch fathers get praised for simply showing up."

Sadly, the post resonated with a lot of mothers, because it's true. Expectations for fathers are so low that men are commended for handling basic parenting tasks. But if a mother falls short of perfection, she faces harsh criticism.

Mary Catherine Starr, a mother living in Cape Cod who owns a design studio and teaches yoga, is getting a lot of love on Instagram for her cartoon series that perfectly explains daddy privilege.

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Community

Retiring choir teacher invites all of his past students for one last glorious song

These people stopped what they were doing to send their high school teacher off with a beautiful sound.

Maggie Smith Kühn|TikTok

Retiring choir teacher invites 30 years of past students to sing

Teachers make a lasting impression on their students and that seems to be amplified when you have the same teacher for multiple years. Students that take certain classes like band and choir have more time to spend getting to know their teachers through long rehearsals, competitions and ceremonies. You build a bond with the teachers and classmates which makes goodbyes at graduation hard.

When a teacher retires, there's no coming back to visit your old teacher because you were in town and eventually you just settle for carrying them in your heart. But what happens when they call you back for one last song? You show up. Jim Stanley was retiring after teaching choir for 30 years, and instead of a typical retirement party, he decided to invite all of the alumni from the past three decades to sing one last song together.

Stanley knew his crew because they had one rehearsal together before they were due to perform with him directing the group. This mash-up of old and new alumni sound as if they've always sung together under his directorship.

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Family

Woman asks her dad who he loves more: his kids or his grandkids. His answer is touching.

"Ask your parent questions. They might be very healing."

@finding_torrie/TikTok

"Ask your parents questions. They might be very healing."

Sometimes our parents can surprise us with the most meaningful insight, heartfelt compliment or some other completely unexpected display of love. These moments might be rare to some more than others, but when they do happen, they can be profound.

A woman named Torrie just had one of those deeply impactful moments with her father, and a video telling the story of their heartwarming interaction has gone viral online.

Torrie had asked her parents who they loved more: their kids or their grandkids. Considering the well documented phenomenon of grandparents often being closer—even nicer—to their grandkids, perhaps Torrie was expecting to hear the latter. Maybe she anticipated hearing a joke about how the grandkids are less of a handful or any other number of insensitive half-jokes.

Much to her surprise, Her father gave a response that was thoughtful and comforting all at the same time.

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Pop Culture

These ridiculously comfortable socks offer the perfect blend of comfort, quality, and philanthropy

Right now, new users can use Coupon Code ‘UPWORTHY20’ for 20-percent off Bombas Women's Ankle Socks.

Editor's Note: Upworthy earns a percentage of revenue from products sold in this article.


In the grand scheme of things, socks seldom take center stage in our daily wardrobe decisions. They're usually tucked away, hidden under shoes and pants, quietly supporting us through our day. Yet, these unsung heroes make a considerable impact on our comfort, productivity, and overall well-being. Think about it - a poorly-fitted sock can turn a simple walk into an uncomfortable trek, while a high-quality, comfortable pair can feel like a warm, loving hug to your feet. In their own understated way, socks are the foundation of our daily attire.

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