upworthy

inspiring

HarPURR has always been a force to be reckoned with.

In 2018, a 3-week-old kitten was found outdoors, paralyzed from the waist down. The kitten's mom, who was later rescued herself, had cared for him valiantly, but it was clear that his needs were more than she or even the initial shelter that took him in could handle.

He was taken to Mojo's Hope, a rescue in Anchorage, Alaska, focused on animals with special needs, and given an x-ray on intake. He had a spinal injury that had healed completely under his mother's care. The vet thought maybe he'd been crushed during birth, but whatever caused his injury, it was clear he would never be able to use his hind legs.

  - YouTube  youtu.be  

But that has never stopped HarPURR from living his best life. Pulling himself around with his front legs, the formidable "kitty warrior" runs, plays, climbs, snuggles, and does everything a non-disabled cat does—he just looks a little different doing it. HarPURR's disability means he has to wear a diaper, but again, that doesn't stop him.

Watch him go:

 
@harpurrkittywarrior

#CATurday antics with HarPURR & Lady Purrl! The #dynamicduo #handicapcats #handican #harpurr #purrl #specialneeds #purrfect

 

HarPURR can clearly get around on his own, but that doesn't mean it's easy or ideal. His first set of wheels opened up a whole world of possibilities for him, especially outdoors, where he found himself able to race around freely, chasing other cats, exploring, and raising all kinds of delightful havoc.

@harpurrkittywarrior

Hold on Charity, you don’t get a head start!!! HarPURR is flying into the weekend with his purrsonal drift turbo CATegory as he is our feisty purrnado of LOVE. Turbo 🏎️ button activated 💨💨💨 I just love the beautiful relationships and bonds that develop between the furry family members in our home. When that furiendship is so deep, the trust is there and then they can have as much fun as possible! HarPURR is one tough nugget of love and I am so grateful to each and every one of you who takes the time to send him love, share your comments about your loved ones and show us that this world can be a place of positivity, kindness and compassion. HarPURR and I hope your weekend is PURRtastic, filled with time with your loved ones and that you have the chance to slow down, breathe and cherish every moment. This week has been a whirlwind and we will be happy to have this time to “paws.” #harpurr #cancerwarrior #purrnado

 

The Dodo compiled a video of HarPURR's journey from rescued kitten to beloved family member to wheelchair warrior, and it's inspiring people everywhere.

"He was spunky from day one," said his owner, Shannon. "No matter what he was presented with, he just did it."

He got his first cart when he was about two months old, and he took right to it. "When he wants to do something, nothing gets in his way," Shannon said.

  

HarPURR's indomitable will to live has people celebrating him, but some people also have questions. One commenter asked why his owners don't have his legs amputated so that he doesn't have to drag them around, citing concerns about sores and infections.

Shannon responded:

"HarPURR was born outdoors in Alaska and survived for 3 weeks thanks to his ameowzing mom cat. When we took him into our program on August 27, 2018 he was already paralyzed. We work very closely with our vet clinic as my organization Mojo's Hope has a focus on special needs and we have the gamut of care in our home. Our vet determined the next day that based upon how the area was healed up the paralysis most likely happened during or before the birth process. His mom knew how extraordinary he was, which is how he survived in Alaska for 3 weeks outdoors (his mom and the rest of the 11 kittens were all rescued as well).

Our vet and I discussed at length about amputation, however that would only be a necessity if his legs became an issue. Our home is cushioned the the max. I understand that you may be seeing HarPURR for the first time and have no understanding of his time with us over the last 6+ years. He has never over the last 6+ years ever had a sore on any of his legs (knock on wood). His legs and body are checked over very carefully several times a day (along with manual expression/stimulation 3 x a day), and he gets daily massages for his legs. HarPURR is incredibly strong and usually lifts his legs and yes sometimes they gently whack into the side, however no damage (as I am extremely vigilant with his care and the rest of our household) has ever happened.

@harpurrkittywarrior

HarPURR’s back!! Resilience, strength, courage, determination, compassion, encouragement! #guapo #gato #catlife #catlover

I do apPURReciate you doing your best to ask the question without being too harsh. I just wish people would learn more about HarPURR and his ameowzing life. Our sweet boy turned 6 on August 13th, is fighting bladder cancer (since 2022) and despite that is the most remarkable, courageous inspurrational sweet and feisty boy. I also understand that it is so hard for people to process how his life is from a 10 second video compared to 6+ wonderful years. I would encourage you to learn more about his life if you are truly interested. I hope that answers your question and HarPURR sends you tons of purrs of positivity!"

HarPURR is just 100% kitty, even trying to become one with the concrete, as cats do:

@harpurrkittywarrior

On this Flashback Friday we take a trip down memory lane to last summer when our pawrecious Cinder was still with us and being HarPURR’s devoted & loving suPURRvisor. HarPURR is showing again how he is just like any other typical cat and that he just LOVES to roll on the ground. I truly hope that you’ll take the time to read the post and understand that not only is HarPURR dearly loved and well taken care of, he wants to do everything “cat.” I often get asked, why don’t I just let him roll on the ground without his cart. Great question especially for those who don’t have experience with paralyzed cats. As his caregiver it is my responsibility to always protect him and keep him safe. If you know anything about HarPURR he loves his cart, however he does not like to be restricted in anyway, for example, like in a drag bag. I do my best to prevent any stressful situations for him and find ways for him to have as much fun as possible while staying safe. HarPURR never for one moment wants people to feel sorry for him, post sad faces, or crying faces. Those comments clearly show that the words weren’t read and/or that HarPURR is new to someone and they make assumptions. In the almost 6 years (unbelievable that his 6th birthday is coming up on August 13th) we have been so fortunate to prevent him from developing any sores on his legs. That is a combination of him being ambidextrous and me being a helicopter caregiver. HarPURR is one of 23 in our household and we have the gamut of special needs that I care for all on my own because it is my greatest passion and seeing each one thrive in their unique ways is remarkable. The impact that HarPURR has when he rolls into your feed is mindblowing. I am so grateful to every kind comment, loving message and sparkles sent his way. He is exceptional and I am so looking forward to his children’s book being shared so more people can learn about him and share his mission to insPURRire, advoCATe, eduCATe, encourage and demonstrate compassion! #harpurr #letsgo #warriorcats #cinder

 

You can watch HarPURR's adventures on Instagram and TikTok and on his website harpurrkittywarrior.org.

Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi celebrate sharing the gold medal in high jump.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi both landed their high jumps at 2.37 meters, they were in the battle for Olympic gold. But when both jumpers missed the next mark—the Olympic record of 2.39 meters—three times each, they were officially tied for first place.

In such a tie, the athletes would usually do a "jump-off" to determine who wins gold and who wins silver. But as the official began to explain the options to Barshim and Tamberi, Barshim asked, "Can we have two golds?"

"It's possible," the official responded. "It depends, if you both decide..." And before he'd even told them how sharing the gold would work, the two jumpers looked at each other, nodded, and then launched into a wholesome and joyful celebration guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Just watch:

(If you are unable to view the video above, check it out on NBC's YouTube channel here.)

The two jumpers have been competing against one another for more than a decade and are friends on and off the field, so getting to share the gold is a win-win—literally—for both of them. It's also a historic choice. According to the BBC, the last time competing track and field Olympians shared the gold medal podium was in 1912 during the Stockholm Summer Games.

The friendship and camaraderie between the two athletes are palpable and their immediate decision to share the gold truly embodies the Olympic spirit.

"I look at him, he looks at me, and we know it," Barshim said, according to the CBC. "We just look at each other and we know, that is it, it is done. There is no need."

"He is one of my best friends," he added, "not only on the track, but outside the track. We work together. This is a dream come true. It is the true spirit, the sportsman spirit, and we are here delivering this message."

Barshim was the silver medalist in the event in the Rio 2016 Olympics, and Tamberi suffered a career-threatening injury prior to those games, which took him out of medal contention.

"After my injuries, I just wanted to come back," Tamberi told CNN. "But now I have this gold, it's incredible. I dreamed of this so many times. I was told in 2016 just before Rio, there was a risk I wouldn't be able to compete anymore. It's been a long journey."

What a beautiful display of sportsmanship, excellence, and genuine human connection. This is what the Olympics are all about.


This article originally appeared four years ago.

Parenting

Empty nesters share their genius—and surprisingly touching—secret to downsizing

"All I have to do is look in the eyes of my two girls—and they take me back, every time, to the most beautiful, colorful, emotional scrapbook I could ever dream of having."

Jimmy and Catherine Dunne figured out the secret to downsizing.

When your final child leaves the house for good, it's like a whole new world has opened up. The decades raising babies and children are full, rich, exciting and loud. Your house is filled with laughter and sibling bickering, school projects and kid collections, never-ending laundry and food purchased in bulk. Life is big during those years. It takes up space physically, mentally and emotionally.

Then come the empty nest years, when you find yourself swimming in a house full of unused rooms and piles of memories. Suddenly you don't need all that space anymore, and you have to figure out what to do with those rooms and those piles and those memories.

For one couple, the process of downsizing brought about a reflection on their family life, their relationship with their kids and their stuff. Jimmy Dunne shared that reflection on Facebook in a since deleted viral post that resonaed with many people who are at or near this stage in life.

man and woman standing beside fence during daytimePhoto by Caspar Rae on Unsplash

Dunne wrote:

"My wife Catherine and I recently moved.

I realized I had something I never knew I had.

Thirty-four years ago, I carried my wife in my arms over the threshold in our home. Thirty-four years ago. From newlywed days, to witnessing our babies go from little girls to young adults. So many great memories in every inch of every room of our home.

I didn’t think I was ready to ‘downsize.’ What an awful word. I liked walking through our girl’s bedrooms and still seeing their stuff on the walls and on the shelves. I liked our backyard. I liked imagining our kids coming down the steps every Christmas morning.

We put it on the market, it sold in a couple days, and suddenly agreements thicker than my leg were instructing me to clear everything I ever had and knew – out.

Every night I found myself saying goodbye to our backyard, to our garden of roses that Catherine would till and trim, to the sidewalk where the girls drove their Barbie cars and learned to ride their bikes, to our front lawn where we hosted tons of talent shows with all the kids on the block – and the red swing on the front porch.

We found a condo in town and started lining up our ducks of what we were keeping, and what we were tossing. We vowed, if we’re going to do this, we weren’t putting anything in storage.

I literally threw out half my stuff. Half. Half of the furniture. Half of my clothes, books. And the big one… way more than half the boxes in the attic.

The attic was more than an attic. It held our stories. Every thing in every box, every framed picture was a story. After we gave away almost all of the living room furniture, we split the room in half and brought down everything of the girls from the attic and from their rooms. We invited the girls over, handed them a cocktail and said, “There’s good news and bad news. We’ve saved all this stuff; your outfits, drawings, dolls, skates -- for you. It’s now yours. The bad news, whatever’s not gone by Friday at 10 in the morning, it’s getting chucked in that giant green dumpster in front of the house.”

The girls thought we were Mr. and Mrs. Satan. But they went through it, and that Friday, most of it went out the front door and right in the dumpster.

I filled the entire dining room with boxes of all my old stuff. Grade school stories and pictures, report cards, birthday cards, trophies, you name it. Boxes of old plaques and diplomas and just stuff and stuff and stuff like that. How could I throw any of this out? I may as well have been throwing me in the dumpster!

But this little jerk on my shoulder kept asking -- what are your kids going to do with all this a week after you're six feet under? They’re gonna chuck it all out!

Here’s the crazy thing. The more I threw stuff in there, the easier it got. And I started to kind of like throwing it up and over in that thing. I started to feel lighter. Better.

And we moved in a half-the-size condo – and the oddest thing happened.

It became our home.

A picture here and there on the wall, Catherine’s favorite pieces of furniture, all her knickknacks in the bathroom. We blinked, and it looked and felt just like us.

And then I found that thing I never knew I had.

Enough.

I had enough.

The wild thing was that having less – actually opened the door to so much more. More in my personal life. More in my career. More in everything.

All I have to do is look in the eyes of my two girls -- and they take me back, every time, to the most beautiful, colorful, emotional scrapbook I could ever dream of having.

All I have to do is hold my wife’s hand, and it hypnotizes me back to kissing her for the first time, falling in love with everything she did, seeing her in that hospital room holding our first baby for the first time.

It sure seems there is so much more to see, and feel, and be – if I have the courage, if I have the will to shape a life that’s just…

Enough."

man kissing woman on check beside body of waterPhoto by Esther Ann on Unsplash

People shared Dunne's post more than 24,000 times and it's easy to see why. He's speaking a truth we probably all know deep down on some level. Things don't make a life. Things don't make relationships. They don't even make memories, though we tend to hold onto them as if they do. We may associate places and things with memories, but we don't need the places and things for our memories to live on.

Kudos to Dunne and his wife for looking ahead to what their children would have to go through after they pass if they didn't go through it now themselves. And kudos to them for truly embracing the freedom that comes with having raised your children to adulthood. The empty nest years can be whatever you choose to make of them, and this couple has figured out a key to making the most of theirs.


This article originally appeared four years ago.

Heroes

A man called 911, then his 5-year-old picked up the phone. Life-saving adorableness ensued

"I don't know what I'm gonna wear, but... he really needs oxygen, real fast."

Brace yourselves, folks, because this is almost too friggin' adorable to handle. A 911 call can be a scary thing, and an emergency call from a dad having chest pains and trouble breathing is no exception. But thankfully, an exchange between that dad's 5-year-old daughter and 911 dispatcher Jason Bonham turned out to be more humor than horror. If you missed hearing the recording that has repeatedly gone viral since 2010, you have to hear it now. It's perfectly timeless.

When an Indiana dad used his cell phone to called 911 and couldn't talk, his daughter Savannah picked up the phone. Remaining remarkably calm, cool, and collected, the articulate 5-year-old expertly answered Bonham's questions—and added her own hilarious commentary as well.

At Bonham's request, she made sure the front door was unlocked so the emergency crew could get in. She told him about their dog, Lou Lou, who was "small" and "barks a lot," but was "friendly." She consoled her dad—who may have been in the middle of a heart attack—with "Don't worry, Dad," and "Stay calm, Dad." She also kept the dispatcher up to speed on what was happening, repeatedly saying, "So far, so good."

But the pièce de résistance was when Savannah told Bonham that she and her dad were in their "jammies" so she'd have to change. "I don't know what I'm gonna wear, but...he really needs oxygen, real fast."

Five. Years. Old. This kid is seriously something else. Watch:

Little girl calls 911 - Adorable - "He can't hardly breathe"youtu.be

Bonham said he was surprised by how Savannah handled the call. "Most people when you talk to them, they're hysterical," he told Eyewitness News. "Every time I've listened to it it's amazing. She's just a little person."

Thankfully, despite the scare, everything turned out fine for Savannah's dad. When the story went viral, her mom posted on Facebook, "We are so grateful & blessed that Savannah's 911 call is still being circulated. It makes the whole entire night worth while. The more awareness it brings & the more adults that teach children what to do the better!"

Well done teaching that kiddo, mom and dad. She was truly amazing.


This article originally appeared four years ago.