Usually when someone walks into McDonald’s they expect to walk out with something to eat, not a baby.
But for new mom Alandria Worthy, that’s exactly what happened. Worthy was on her way to the hospital but needed to use the bathroom so she had her fiancé make a pit stop at McDonald’s.
After a few minutes of Worthy being in the bathroom, workers heard the mom to be screaming which prompted Tunisia Woodward, the manager on duty to check things out. The her surprise, she was about to turn into a labor and delivery nurse.
Woodward explained in an interview with 11 Alive that she saw feet under the stall door before saying, “I opened, and she was on this toilet lying back, screaming. Then I knew to tell my crew, ‘We’re having a baby today.’” Woodward was right, the baby was coming and the three moms are duty were there to help.
If you’re wondering where Worthy’s fiancé was, he was waiting in the parking lot growing concerned. When he went to see what was taking so long, he walked in on a surprise and had to get right to work in order to catch his baby. Deandre Phillips told 11 Alive that Worthy was frantic so he was focused on getting her to breathe and to lay down on the floor so she could deliver the baby, which only took a few minutes and three pushes.
Talk about a fast delivery, though I’m sure they likely would’ve preferred a fast pizza delivery and not a baby so eager to see the world that making it to the hospital was out of the question. But what do I know, watch the new parents tell you all about their new “Little Nugget” themselves below.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.
Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
If you’re a parent you’re likely in one of two categories: parents who have never heard of pinworms or parents who shuddered at the headline. Parents are not really given any sort of warning for all of the eyebrow raising situations that occur in childhood and one dad has found out that there was a lot left out of that non-existent parenting handbook. If you thought lice was bad, well, frankly, you have no idea.
Justin, a dad that runs the TikTok page parentingcheerleader took to social media to tell the world of the current nightmare fuel parenting situation he was experiencing. He’s also doing parents on social media a solid by giving them a heads up on the disturbing secret plaguing the parenting world: pinworms.
So what exactly are pinworms?
The viral video starts out with no trigger warning before he says though clenched teeth, “my son has worms in his anus.” Yeah, you read that right. It’s a thing. A slightly terrifying but totally normal thing.
These don’t look so bad until you realize where they live. By DPDx, PHIL – Public Domain
About 20% of kids will get pinworms at some point. They can affect anyone, but adults rarely get them because they generally have better hygiene habits and awareness about putting their hands in their mouth after touching surfaces. (You usually get a pinworm infection by accidentally swallowing the eggs. Yeah… sorry for that) The first signs will be an itchy butthole, trouble sleeping, and irritability or loss of appetite.
If you’re a glutton for punishment, read on! Pinworms are hard to diagnose, for obvious reasons. They’re very small and hard to see, plus they like to live in a very sensitive, hard to reach area. But they are visible to the naked eye, so diagnosis sometimes involves quite literally looking at a child’s butt with a flashlight. Sometimes doctors will use tape to see if they can collect eggs from the area, which can be seen under a microscope.
No word from Justin on how he figured out that his kid had pinworms, but that’s probably for the best.
“No one tells you about this stuff when you’re thinking about being a parent but apparently it’s like super normal for a child to just have worms in his booty hole,” a flustered, baffled Justin says. In the video, he’s on his way to pick up medicine for his kid while trying to somehow wrap his head around the reality of the situation.
Then a pediatrician made it worse
Dr. Cerissa Key, a pediatrician, chimed in on Justin’s disturbing revelation and assured him and every parent watching that pinworms are a common thing that happens in young children.
But she also dropped some info that others including Justin may not have been ready to hear.
“Justin, sir. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But if your son has worms in his booty hole, sir, politely and respectfully, you also have worms in your booty hole,” Key reveals.
Key goes on to explain that kids are “disgusting” and don’t wash their hands well so pinworms spread easily if a child at school or daycare has them. She advises that parents stock up on the chalky banana flavored medication that clears them up and to wash everything on hot while being sure to vacuum your floors well. Luckily, there are good over-the-cofteoaboutunter options for suffering families, as well as stronger prescription methods available. Typically, medication can get rid of the pinworm infection pretty quickly.
Parents on the internet did not take this well
People in the comment section of both videos were horrified that this was an actual thing while others commiserated with the stressed dad.
“I have no kids and now I’m paranoid I have pinworms with no symptoms,” one person writes.
“I’ve raised 4 kids and never had this happen. Tomorrow this will be my entry on my gratitude journal,” a mom confesses.
“Do I have kids? No…Do I even work around kids? Also no…do I still have the urge to take this medicine just in case anyways? 100000%,” someone says.
Several people were forced to question if they even wanted kids anymore knowing there’s a 20% chance they may have to deal with this at some point in the future.
Not everyone was stressed, some were thankful for the information. “Thank you! We haven’t experienced pinworms yet, but super informative and helps to make parenting normalized,” another commenter writes.
Key suggests that if your child has pinworms that the entire family should take a dose of the medication two weeks apart to make sure any left over newly hatched eggs are also killed. Why so thorough? Well, it’s estimated that one pinworm (or threadworm) can lay up to 16,000 eggs.
The coming-of-age era known as your twenties are a time for experimentation, branching out, learning about different aspects of yourself, and of course, having stupid fun.
Of course, every generation‘s definition of fun varies. Just what might Gen Zers, those who navigated their teenhood through TikTok and basically came of drinking age during a global pandemic, do to elicit feelings of fun?
Millennial content creator Ashley Tea wondered this very thing. In a video that went viral on TikTok in late 2023, she shared “I genuinely think millennials got to have a way better time than Gen Z does.”
Millennials are already nostalgic about their glory days
Tea then reminisced about her own experience of being “an emo kid in 2005,” going out to clubs, bars, and restaurants with her friends having a “fun, great, trashy” time.
That simply wouldn’t be financially feasible in today’s economic landscape, Tea noted, leaving her “mystified” as to how today’s college-age adults might enjoy themselves.
So again, Tea posed the question: “it’s a Friday night, a Saturday night…What do you do? Where do you go?”
Gen Z’s answers to this question were eye-opening
The responses to Tea’s question were illuminating, to say the least, and certainly different than how she spent her early 20s.
For starters, Tea’s joke about “Gen Zers not having any fun at all” rang true for many people of that age group.
“As a 23 year old: I don’t have any fun, hope that helps!” quipped one person.
Another joked, “sometimes I sit outside if I’m feeling extra.”
“As a 21 year old, the economy makes it difficult to have fun that way, I work 40 hours weekly and I’m either too tired or can’t afford it,” one person wrote.
Another reason, which isn’t maybe as obvious, is surveillance. Tea noted that a lot of young people said that since either of their “parents can track their phones everywhere,” they are deterred from doing things that could get them into trouble. Perhaps that’s a win for safety, but there is something to be said about excessive levels of control.
Then of course there’s the pandemic, which sucked the fun out of everything big time
“I got ROBBED of my early 20s bs COVID started when I was 22 Nwo things are normal but all the good bars and clubs in my area didn’t survive the lockdown,” one person wrote.
When Gen Zers do actually have fun, it tends to lean towards more wholesome activities, like house parties (sometimes even themed house parties) and crocheting. Lots and lots crocheting apparently.
Grocery stores are the new clubs.
Then there’s self care, which genuinely is fun:
Love that self care is considered entertainment these days.
As promised, crocheting and taking care of one’s body are really all the rage with Gen Z:
Fitness groups are a new way people are finding friends.
And who doesn’t love a good coffee shop?
Though of course, hanging out in coffee shops isn’t exactly anything new.
Gen Z will be just fine
So maybe things look quite a bit different for Gen Z than Millennials or other generations.
That’s not entirely a good or bad thing, and it’s definitely to be expected in some ways. The struggle of rising costs and limited opportunities to form connections and have fun are undeniably issues that must be addressed. But the fact that Gen Zers are leaning into their creativity is worth noting too. If nothing else, it makes it clear that even though it might not look like it, there is still fun to be had.
Now, I wonder what Gen Alpha’s young adult fun will look like in a few year’s time? If their slang is any indicator, it’s going to be weird.
When it comes to keeping birds as pets, people usually think about parrots or canaries. Nobody ever considers having a crow. But research has shown that crows are incredibly clever, curious, and self-aware. They recognize the faces of people they like or don’t like, have the ability to use tools, and can even mimic human speech. Looking to experience the magic of crows yourself? A YouTube user named Alexandra from Germany made a video on how you can befriend the crows in your neighborhood in four easy steps. All it takes is “some food and some patience.”
Over a decade ago, Alexandra made friends with a crow named Krari. Krari and her friends visit her regularly and are considered part of the family. They also bring their “little ones” to Alexandra’s house to chill as well. “They come here to get food, to play, or just hang out with me and relax,” Alexandra says in an introductory video on her YouTube page.
How to make friends with a crow in four steps
1. Find a pair of crows
Crows tend to live in areas populated by humans, so chances are there are crows in your neighborhood. The best place to start is to find a pair with a fixed territory that you see on a regular basis. That way, you’re cultivating a relationship with the same animal day after day, and you can “slowly get to know each other.”
2. Offer food
Crows will eat just about anything, from insects to invertebrates to meat. They also enjoy nuts, worms, and vegetables. If you offer the food in the same place at the same time of day, you’ll establish a routine. Then, the crow may come by regularly to see if you have anything tasty to eat.
3. Be mindful
When interacting with the crow, make sure they aren’t anxious or displaying signs that they are prepared to fly away at any moment. Approach the birds with an open, indirect gaze so as not to cause alarm. Sit quietly while you wait for the bird to approach and avoid quick movements.
4. Let the birds come to you
This requires patience. The crow will be shy at first, but they know you better than you think. They will remember your face and your kindness. Give them a chance to observe you and earn your trust.
One important reminder before you start
At the end of the video, Alexandra reminds everyone that while we should make friends with crows, they are supposed to live free in the skies and not be stuck in a cage. “I hope this helps you build a relationship with these fascinating birds,” Alexandra concludes her video. “They are loyal friends and have brought much joy into my life. Please let birds have their freedom. They do not belong in homes or other forms of captivity. Thank you.”
If you succeeded in befriending a feathered genius, tell your new crow friend we say hi!
This article originally appeared five years ago. It has been updated.
Fred Rogers was truly one of humanity’s greats, in every sense that counts most. He wasn’t a titan of industry or a builder of empires. He wasn’t a man of great means or a wielder of political power. He was humble, gentle, and kind. He was a teacher, a learner, and a leader in his own way.
For generations of children, he was a consistent voice of compassion, curiosity, and caring. He was a calm haven in our television set, a safe space where we always knew we were loved just the way we are.
And yet he was strong, too, just not in the way we often think of strength. He was a fierce defender of children and a champion of justice. His testimony before Congress about public television totally turned around the sentiments of a senator who was extremely skeptical before Rogers started speaking. He wasn’t forceful and he didn’t yell or cry; he just shared his feelings, indicated his trust in the senator’s conscience, and explained the value of quality children’s television programming in a way that was impossible to disregard.
Watch:
No one could deny the wholesome awesomeness of Rogers. He was the real thing, tried and true, through and through and the world misses him greatly.
He was exactly the same off camera
It’s quite well known that Rogers was the same man off-screen as he was on his show, and a video of his cast and crew pranking him once during his opening song offers a bit of delightful proof.
Watch:
Seriously, he was the most delightful human. His laugh when he sticks his foot in the second shoe. Priceless. His “Thanks ever so much” was epic.
The internet can’t get enough of this clip
People have responded to the video on Reddit with gushing praise.
“Mr. Rogers thanking that man for a delightful practical joke just changed something in me for the better,” wrote one commenter. “Off to go thank my husband for some stuff.”
“What a magical person that just a clip of him having a laugh is making me well up,” wrote another.
“My childhood was a scary place but when I turned on Mr. Roger’s, it all disappeared for awhile,” shared another. “Thank you for being a light to so many children. May you Rest In Peace.”
“An amazing human being and an utterly sweet person,” wrote another. “We should all aspire to be the person Mr. Rogers knew we could be.”
Indeed, we should.
Even Candid Camera couldn’t rattle him
Fred Rogers’ response to the prank was not only a look into his kind and gentle character, but his consistency as well. In a 1998 episode of the prank show, Candid Camera, host Peter Funt played a prank on Rogers and he responded just as kindly and wholesomely as he did before. Rogers is staying in a hotel while attending a PBS conference where he will be the keynote speaker. Hoping to frustrate him, Funt (as a bellhop) relays to Rogers that his room has no TV (that’s the gag!). Instead of responding with annoyance, however, Rogers surprises Funt and viewers by kindly saying he “doesn’t use the television anyway” and has “enough TV in [his] life.”
The shoe prank outtake can be found on the Mister Rogers Neighborhood website, which also houses tons of content about the show, the neighbors, the puppets, and Fred Rogers himself. They also upload five full, new episodes every other Monday for fans to enjoy. The first Monday of the month features episodes from the early years (1968-1975), and the third Monday of the month features episodes from the “Theme Weeks” (1979-2001). Fans can also watch Mister Rogers Neighborhood on PBS Kids,Pluto TV, and Prime Video.
There may be many wonderful people who walk this earth, but there will never be another Fred Rogers. What a precious gift that we have so many hours of him on film to enjoy and share with generations to come.
This article originally appeared five years ago. It has been updated.
Those of us who have had multiple cats throughout our lives know that some cats are quirkier than others. Maybe they like to sleep with their face in a shoe (true story). Maybe they won’t stop tearing into bags of Styrofoam packing peanuts and eating them, necessitating a shipping business to switch to cornstarch-based packaging (also true story). Maybe they can catch a crumpled-up piece of paper you toss into the air with their paws and bring it to you in their mouth like a dog playing fetch (awww, I miss that cat).
Chase belongs to Kareem and Fifi of the TikTok channel @dontstopmeowing. The couple have become Internet famous for their three very chill cats. Their “spaw day” videos showing how their cats, Chase, Skye, and Millie, get pampered went viral in 2021, and they’ve gained a huge following sharing life with their cats.
All three are adorable, but Chase…oh, Chase is a special one. I’ve seen some clingy cats before, but nothing like this.
And just because it’s so dang cute, check out this video of Chase meeting a baby for the first time. (Warning: Wicked adorable baby giggles incoming. Hold onto your ovaries if you have ’em.)
It’s a good thing Chase got on with the baby so well, because the couple welcomed their first (human) baby, Taj, in January 2024 and Chase certainly had a hard time adjusting.
When Avant Williams was just a toddler, he made a promise to his grandma, Svala Heller. While sweet, promises from kids around age two aren’t expected to be kept. But now in his junior year of high school, Williams kept his 14-year-old promise and took his grandmother to his prom.
“Since I was like a little kid, my grandma’s been telling me she wanted to go to prom. It’s her dream, and then today I just feel like I should make that come true,” Williams said to KBTX News through WXWO.
Grandma’s first prom experience
“She didn’t have a prom, so then my junior year of prom she told me I have to take her, so that’s why we’re here,” Williams said with a big smile.
Heller grew up in Iceland where high school proms aren’t common. However, she was intrigued and loved the idea from years of watching American television. Many shows she watched featured the extravagance of the high school dance.
“I’ve always wanted to go to a prom,” said Heller. “Watching American TV and all that glamour that goes with it, and you know, for 14 years he’s been saying, ‘Yeah, one day I will take you to prom.’”
Williams enjoyed having his grandma as his prom date alongside his best friend, Ruben Smith. After having dinner together, all suited and dressed to the nines, they went to the La Crosse Central High School prom in Wisconsin.
“I was definitely excited,” said Williams. “I mean, I’ve only been looking up to this moment since I was like two years old. So, like it’s a big deal for my grandma, and it’s like I feel very special that I can take her to this prom.”
Grandson and grandmother’s big dance
Heller got to have everything about prom she dreamed about. Posing for pictures with Williams and his friends, dancing, and everything else the American teens she saw on television experienced. Only for Heller, it was even better enjoying it with her loving grandson.
“It’s so special,” said Heller. “We have such a special bond. I’m just taking every, every inch in and just enjoying every moment.”
Being her grandson’s prom date won’t just be a wonderful memory for Heller, but a lasting one for Williams.
“It means the world to me. Like, I love my grandma. She’s been there for me like my whole life. I’m just happy I can make her dream come true,” he said.
Over the years, there have been other grandsons who have taken their grandmothers to the big high school dance. In 2014, Ohio teen Austin Dennison took his 89-year-old great-grandmother “Granny DD” to his prom because she couldn’t afford to go when she was a high schooler. South Carolina student Connor Campbell took his 93-year-old grandmother to his prom in 2017. In 2022, North Dakota student Dakota Wollen took his great-grandmother to what was both his and her first prom.
in 2014, Austin Dennison made a choice most wouldn’t think of. instead of a typical prom date— he invited someone special. his great-grandmother, Delores Dennison. at her age, it wasn’t just another night out. it was her first prom. something she never had in the 1940s, when life—and its limitations— took that moment away from her. but that night, everything changed. they shared dinner. laughed. stepped onto the dance floor together. and as the music played— a song her late husband once sang— it became more than just a dance. it became a memory, a bridge between past and present. a moment she had waited a lifetime for. and when the room saw them… they stood. a standing ovation. because sometimes, the most beautiful gestures aren’t about grand plans— they’re about giving someone a moment they thought they’d never have. dm to share your story with us ❤️ #calov#wholesome#family#love#storytelling
Traditionally, prom is a ritual to celebrate that current generation before they get into adulthood. It can create lasting fond memories as that teen grows into adulthood. However, based on Williams, Heller, and other grandson-grandmother prom pairings, it can also create wonderful family memories, too.
Flying is frustrating, especially lately. Flight delays are surging, costs are going through the roof, and airlines are squeezing customers to maximize their profits. It can be pretty infuriating.
When you’re flying and run into obstacles, you have three choices: become irate and make a scene (not recommended), grin and bear it, or, if you’re really bold, have a little fun with the situation.
Annoyed passenger makes sarcastic announcement
One traveler passing through Los Angeles International Airport recently took matters into his own hands when he needed assistance from a Delta Air Lines employee but couldn’t find one. The Delta desk at his gate was completely empty and unmanned, and he needed help with an issue related to his flight.
And that’s when he noticed the intercom.
Video footage from a fellow airport traveler captures the man approaching the desk, picking up the intercom, and saying, “Hi Delta associates that aren’t paying attention, please come to 30B. You have a customer waiting. Thank you.”
When no one comes, he grows more annoyed and even more sarcastic, activating his best pilot/flight attendant voice: “Delta, Delta, Delta. Please come to 30B. You have a customer waiting.”
Suddenly, in the middle of his next announcement, he’s interrupted by an automated message regarding baggage information. He responds in kind: “OK, that’s fine if you want to do the baggage thing, but what about customer service? Customer service is needed at 30B. Please come and help the customer at 30B. Uh, anybody on shift? Delta, Delta, please help! 30B, thank you!”
Intercom man is hailed as a hero
A few of the weary passengers visible in the video get a good chuckle out of the performance, but it took social media to really give the man the props he deserves.
“Who is he? Upgrade him,” a commenter suggested.
“Rumor has it he’s still at 30B waiting to be helped,” joked another.
Others were just amazed that airline workers never seem to make announcements as clearly and loudly as this random passenger did:
“This is the clearest I’ve ever heard that mic.” (Over 81,000 people agreed with this comment, which says a lot.)
“So those mics DO work, they just choose to mumble”
Many viewers were quick to identify with the broader frustration:
“TSA not getting paid, Spirit died, now delta is self serve? what is happening?”
One commenter summed it up beautifully: “We are all this exhausted with 2026”
In part two of the video, a pilot approaches the man. The two have a brief discussion—slightly tense, but amicable—and then the pilot leaves. “So the pilot just walked away from me,” the intercom man announces.
The flying experience, in general, has had a rough couple of years.
For starters, passengers are worried about the safety of the planes they’re flying on. Issues with Boeing planes have been publicly documented and have definitely put flyers on edge.
Flight delays have become almost unavoidable. Equipment issues, boarding problems, and air traffic congestion have made sitting on the tarmac for hours an all-too-common nightmare.
And for the passengers’ part, their etiquette has been far from pristine. Reports of unruly passengers and in-flight confrontations involving flyers and crew have been all over the news in recent years.
An empty desk with no assistance for a flyer who needs customer service perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to fly in 2026. But the beauty of this story is the man’s playful, sarcastic, and yes, pointed outlet for his anger. He probably broke some airport policy, but no one got hurt or arrested, and the virality of the moment made his point perfectly.
Most neighbor stories begin with a simple wave across the driveway or a quick introduction by the mailbox. In Lakewood, Ohio, however, one friendship started with a paper airplane carrying a Taylor Swift song request.
As reported by WKYC-TV, eight-year-old Madeline Glynn heard guitar music floating in from the yard next door and immediately wanted to hear one particular song. There was just one problem: She didn’t know the neighbor yet.
Instead of barging into the backyard, Madeline came up with her own solution.
With help from her mom, Natalie Hulec, she folded a paper airplane, wrote a note requesting “Love Story” by Taylor Swift (great choice), and sent it soaring over the fence separating the two homes.
Waiting on the other side was 26-year-old musician Ethan Hayes.
Hayes had recently moved into the neighborhood last fall and spends much of his time playing music. He performs covers at bars and wineries while also writing songs of his own. Guitar became part of his life during the COVID-19 lockdown, and singing followed a few years later.
That day, he just so happened to be sitting outside practicing when the airplane landed in his yard.
Madeline’s stepdad, Russ Hulec, explained the situation through the window.
“Hey man, my daughter threw a paper plane over. She has a request,” Russ can be heard saying in the clip.
“Am I going to say no? Absolutely not,” Hayes recalled. So without skipping a beat, he pulled up the lyrics to “Love Story” and started playing. From the other side of the fence, Madeline enthusiastically sang along word for word.
One family video became something much bigger
Natalie recorded the exchange because, understandably, it felt like one of those parenting moments she’d cherish forever. Thinking friends and relatives might enjoy the clip as well, she uploaded it to TikTok.
Instead, millions of people watched.
Madeline woke up to news that the video had exploded online. She eagerly called relatives to share the excitement, repeating the same thrilled phrase again and again: “I’m famous! I’m famous!”
Meanwhile, Hayes had no idea any of it was happening until people started sending him the video.
“I didn’t know she was recording. I didn’t hear them singing along. I was just playing the song,” he told WKYC-TV.
The sweet neighborly exchange garnered thousands of positive comments from viewers, many of whom encouraged others to check out Hayes’ music on Spotify.
For Hayes, the response means much more than bringing attention to his work.
“What are we if we don’t have each other?” he asked. “Community is one of the most important things. As things get hard, it’s always nice to have somebody to lean on.”
Once strangers, the two households are now planning future cookouts and summer hangouts. And yes, more paper-plane song requests are very welcome.
