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upworthy

Hello Humankindness

Dignity Health
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Dignity Health

Jany Deng never had a childhood.


Dignity Health

He was only 10 when civil war broke out in his homeland of South Sudan. Orphaned and faced with no other choice for survival, Deng had to flee the country alone, walking more than 2,000 miles towards Ethiopia. He often had nothing to eat or drink. "We have to walk for a month, a day, a year, just wondering wherever we can get safety," Deng recalls.

Months later, he reached a refugee settlement where he was able to live for several years. But in 1991, war broke out again. This time, Deng had to walk 2,500 miles towards Kenya.

Deng and the other boys he walked with became known as "The Lost Boys of Sudan" by the aid workers who helped them resettle in America.


Dignity Health

Deng came to this country not knowing the language or the customs. It was an extreme culture shock. But thanks to his foster mother, a "remarkable and nurturing woman," Deng learned he could expect some good from this new world, and others would be there to help him.

Sure enough, Deng realized that whenever he needed help, there was always someone to show him the way. So he made himself a promise — when he was in a position to do so, he'd help others, too.

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Dignity Health

The first time most of us learned about the importance of being kind was back in preschool, so let's travel back there (in our minds).

Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash.

Perhaps it was while you were sitting on your nap mat watching an episode of "Mr. Rogers"? Or maybe it was after you decided to share the Lego set you were working on with a friend? The particular setting doesn't matter; what does matter is that you were developing the fundamental building blocks to make the world a better place. All it took was a little thoughtfulness.

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Sharing your time with the elderly doesn't have to be hard.

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Dignity Health

Being a caretaker for an elderly loved one is a full-time job. It's tough. It's rewarding. It's life-changing.

So let's take a second to give it up for all the people who are taking care of their elderly loved ones and friends today.

The happiness and love these caregivers bring to the lives of the elderly can't be overstated. But it's not just transformative for the senior who's getting the help that they need — it impacts the caregiver's lives in a big way as well.

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Dignity Health

When Daniel the orangutan arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, he was in rough shape.

He was suffering from a respiratory disease, which, just like in humans, can worsen and even lead to death when untreated.

The stakes were high, especially considering that orangutans are a highly endangered species. And respiratory illnesses can be even more dangerous for orangutans which have an inflatable air sac that can be vulnerable when it becomes infected.Located in their throats, these air sacs are helpful in allowing orangutans to sustain the loud calls they're known for by creating a chamber for the sound to resonate within, but these air sacs are also prone to infection.

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