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Heroes

A group of Memphis grandmas save toddlers and hold man until police come.

This summer in South Memphis, a group of grandmothers witnessed something horrific. Instead of looking the other way, however, the women worked together to become heroes in their community. The incident happened outside of a local gas station across the street from an apartment complex. One of the women heard screaming before seeing a man attempting to drag two small children into his car. The children were just one and two years old.

No one knows how they'll react when they notice someone in need of help. Most people hope they and others will have the wherewithal to spring into action when they see someone in need, but until a possibly risky situation arises, the average person can only hope they'll act heroically.

memphis; memphis grandmothers; grandmas save toddlers; community saves toddlers; memphis grandmas save kids Suspect in handcuffs as officer observes the scene.Photo credit: Canva

In this situation, the kids and the group of grandmothers had no connection to one another; they were complete strangers. However, the elderly women thought the kids appeared to be in extreme danger and were willing to risk their lives to save them. One of the women involved was Shirley Anderson. Anderson told WREG News Channel 3 that the man the children were with claimed that both children somehow fell off of the bathroom sink when he was first confronted. They didn't buy his story.

"He said they fell off of that sink in the bathroom. We don't think so because of all their bruises, the neck swelling on both of those babies," Anderson explains to the station.

memphis; memphis grandmothers; grandmas save toddlers; community saves toddlers; memphis grandmas save kids Police activity behind caution tape on a city street.Photo credit: Canva

Anderson wasn't at the scene for the initial confrontation. She heard women yelling for help while driving down the road and witnessed one of the women pulling the kids out of the arms of the man accused of abusing them. "She managed to get the babies out of his arms, passed them back to the grannies. We locked the babies in this washer [laundromat] back here," Anderson says.

Once the children were safe inside the laundromat, the grandmothers comforted them while awaiting help. The man reportedly attempted to flee the scene, but the grandmothers remaining outside were not going to let him get away. They ran after the man, tracking him to a nearby apartment complex. Outside of the complex, a few younger men witnessed the women chasing down and attempting to restrain the man. Immediately, those men sprang into action as well.

"We apprehended him down the street at the apartments until the police came, and a little street justice," Anderson said before adding, "Usually, people will keep on going. This lot right here was full of grandmamas yesterday, you hear me? Grandmothers. They showed up and they showed out. We had a few kings that did what they supposed to do. They apprehended him, and held him down, and a little street justice until the police came. So as a community, I'm proud of Memphis right now."

The children were taken to the hospital, where they were declared to be in critical condition. There is currently no information on whether the man, 21-year-old Kae'Ren Pullen, is related to the children in any way, but, according to reports, the situation stemmed from some sort of domestic disturbance. Pullen is currently charged with two counts of child abuse and two counts of child neglect. At this time, there isn't an update on the health status of the children involved.

Utah teens break down neighbor's door to rescue dogs from house fire

House fires are devastating for everyone involved. Not only are homes lost, but irreplaceable items within the home are often charred beyond recognition or turned to ash. That outcome is considered lucky if no one lost their lives. Recently, some concerned teens put their rescue skills to the test when they noticed their neighbor's house on fire with one of the family cars in the driveway.

Rescue workers were already on their way when the three boys attempted to get their neighbor's attention. Their attempts and subsequent success to enter the burning home were caught on the family's doorbell camera. In the video, you can see the boys run up to the door when one begins pounding to get the attention of the people inside. The teens yell and bang, hoping to wake up anyone inside before realizing that the people who live there aren't home.

Utah teens; West Jordan; house fire; burning home; propane tank fire; teens rescue dogs; teens save dogs Damaged house awaiting repairs after fire incident.Photo credit: Canva

It was then that one of the teens says that he saw the two family dogs in the window. An older man, who appears to be the father of one of the kids, begins trying to break the door down with his shoulder. After a few failed attempts and a reminder from one of the boys about his shoulder, the man stood back as one of the teens began kicking at the door. It seems to take a lot of time and effort by the teens before the door finally gives way and they disappear inside.

Shortly after going into the home, one of the teens can be seen exiting while carrying a dog, followed by another. The owners of the home weren't there when the fire broke out but thanks to the quick action from these neighborhood teens, their two dogs were saved.

Utah teens; West Jordan; house fire; burning home; propane tank fire; teens rescue dogs; teens save dogs Couple embraces while watching house fire unfold.Photo credit: Canva

When speaking to KSL TV5, one of the teens admits, "Without a second thought, we just jumped the fence, he says. "We got down there to see if we could help, see what we could do.” One of the other teens added, “When we got down there, the propane tanks exploded.

While the boys ran towards danger with the intention to save people who could've been trapped inside, it's important to remember that firefighters do not advise running into burning structures. These boys saved two beloved family pets and ,luckily, they didn't sustain any injuries themselves from their selfless act. But people who see a burning home should call 911 to report the fire. Attempting to alert the people inside the home may also be a safe option for bystanders, but professionals warn that people should stop short of entering a burning home.

Thankfully, it doesn't appear that these kids suffered any smoke inhalation damage or burns for their brave rescue, but that house wasn't the only one to burn. The back of the home next door was also engulfed in flames, unfortunately. Neighbors have started a GoFundMe for the people who have been displaced by the fire with hopes of helping them get back on their feet. Currently, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

@tushboy/Instagram

For someone whose catchphrase is "You can't see me!" he sure knows how to make others feel seen.

So many of our favorite celebrity moments are when “stars” treat everyday people with the same honor, respect, and admiration the world often bestows upon them. When they break through any preconceived hierarchical structure caused by fame and simply exist with their fellow humans.

In July 2025, Peacemaker star John Cena shared this kind of moment while on the red carpet for the premiere of Amazon Prime’s Heads of State.

john cena, john cena interview, peacemaker, peacemaker season 2, celebrity news, heads of state, amazon prime A snippet from the notorious Peacemaker intro. media4.giphy.com

Tushar Joshi, a journalist who had traveled in from India, asked Cena who he would like to have an interview with, and what he might ask this person. Rather than naming some arbitrary icon, Cena simply makes the interviewer the interviewee. And it ended up being a truly wholesome exchange.

“So if we get to swap places, and I get to ask you a question,” Cena begins, "you flew in when?” He then quips, “That’s not my question.”

Joshi then reveals he flew about ten hours, from Bombay, to Abu Dhabi, to London, where the premiere was being held.

Then Cena says, “You flew all this way to be in the heat, to be behind the camera, and drive a journalistic interview…why do you do what you do?”

To Joshi’s credit, he didn’t miss a beat in delivering a pretty awesome answer, one that Cena couldn't help but smile at.

“Because I absolutely love the movies, it’s in my blood. And I can’t think of anything else than doing this. This moment that I’m sharing with you right now is exactly why I think I was born, and why I’m here. Absolutely love my job.

Grinning ear to ear, Cena replies, "That's one hell of an answer. I dig your passion. And I think that's who I would ask and why I would ask it. Thanks for making me think that way. I appreciate you.”

In Joshi’s caption, he would later share that it was a moment he was totally “unprepared for” but one that really gave him a dose of confidence.

"What came out of my mouth as he was rushed out on the carpet was also an eye opener for me,” he wrote. “So when you have those moments of doubt and you wonder, if what you do is worth it, it helps to get a perspective from someone else. And if that someone else is John Cena, then that moment becomes one the most memorable moments of your life..”

Perhaps this display of kindness should come as no surprise, considering that Cena has made notable positive impact through his charitable work, particularly with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he famously set the world record for most wishes granted (650), as well as being an outspoken ally for the LGBTQ+ community and veterans. Then again, it’s one thing to do charitable acts, and another to be able to simply make another human feel seen, which is what viewers really commended him for after watching this video.

“Bro pulled out the uno reverse and the result was UNREAL 👏👏👏”

“It doesn’t matter to me how much money someone has or how famous they are. It’s how they treat people and respect them that matters to me. John Cena is a class act and he has a great heart. This was a beautiful, touching exchange by the both of them. He made the journalist feel seen and that he matters.”

“So nice to see someone who’s ‘made it’ act like a human being. Rare but commendable.”

“John saw the moment, and rose to the moment's occasion, creating a moment between the two that was mutually shared in kindness and uplifting positivity. This, this is what it means to be superhuman. ❤️”

This is the kind of celebrity news that we should be inundated with, don't you think?

Heroes

Woman with terminal brain tumor shares her truly inspiring outlook on finding meaning in life

"Pretty soon, all the beautiful days stacked up into a beautiful life."

Photo Credit: Amber Stratton

A woman is living her best life, despite terminal health issues.

Amber Stratton had her world turn upside down nearly five years ago. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and she fought it with every tool in the proverbial medical tool box. After chemo and a double mastectomy, it remained—so she did it again, along with radiation, and was finally deemed cancer-free in early 2022.

That is until two months later when she was told she had a terminal brain tumor. Her prognosis? About two years to live. But there has been something inside of her, despite such a scary diagnosis, that drives her to grab every day and fill it up to the brim with joy. She lives each day as fully as she doubling down on wearing pink and going all in on motorsports.

Amber Stratton, brain tumor, living life, positive thinking, cancer Amber Stratton stays extremely active in the face of health issues. Phtoto Credit: Reddit, Amber Stratton

Upworthy first reached out to Stratton last November via Reddit after she posted "Yearly post, 3 years into terminal brain tumor. Beating the odds and loving life!" She (like many) didn't realize there was a direct messaging system on the site but responded just last week with the subject header, "I'm still alive, woo hoo!"

We had the honor of talking to her about how she's doing and, more specifically, how she has trained herself to live in a present state with true grace that makes all the past hardships and future prognoses seem blurry in comparison to the crystal clarity of what this exact moment holds.

Stratton encourages others facing similar battles on Reddit, in particular commenting on a post to someone struggling with positivity. She writes, "A friend of mine I met in a support group told me to just 'live a beautiful day and then another.'"

We asked her about this and she responded, "I started telling myself I wanted to live a beautiful day and then another and pretty soon all the beautiful days stacked up into a beautiful life."

She says this way of thinking anchors her. "It helped me focus on the day in front of me and not worry about the future or things outside of my control. And on those days, I told myself I would do something I loved, something for someone else, or learn something new each day. I gotta tell you that’s been a blast and I think a fun way to live."

When asked for specifics on the new things she's tried, Stratton reeled off a list of exciting ventures. "I started riding stand-up jet skis shortly after the brain tumor and fell in love. Then tried snowmobiles and got to build a vintage snowmobile with my husband this winter and race it on ice 100 miles, which was super fun. I plan to race this winter too. And I got into riding dirt bikes and rock climbing. My husband taught me to weld, which was challenging since I have vision loss, haha, but I’m getting the hang of it. And I bought a 1971 Chevy I’m learning to put an engine in. We’re doing an LS swap."

Amber Stratton, cancer, brain tumor, best life, gratitude. Amber Stratton poses with her Chevy truck and dog. Photo Credit: Amber Stratton

She also discusses how her diagnosis has helped her sift through what really matters: time and how we spend it. "I spent time traveling with my mom and fishing with my boys and… just living."

This doesn't mean she lacks awareness of what's going on in her body; her reality gives her perspective. "Cancer changes you and being aware that you're living with a ticking time bomb in your head gives you perspective. I have two boys who are now 7 and 9 and I want them to see me as someone who didn’t give up, no matter what the odds. And even if my body shuts down eventually, I won’t let the cancer take my spirit and who I am while I’m here. Then the cancer wins and I’m so much more than cancer. I’m going out living full and if I live a long time well, then heck yeah it will be an awesome ride!"