Look no further than this week's Feel Good Friday round-up of inspiring stories for further proof that Tom Hanks is a national treasure.
The beloved actor donated a very special item to a child in need of a friend this week, with rapper Eminem also making a special delivery to healthcare workers in Detroit amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. You might just lose yourself in the thoughtful gesture.
In New York City, a woman is helping families fighting childhood cancer by raising money and delivering their groceries, while a dog in Maryland is performing his duties as a "Dogtor," helping out both the workers and the patients at the hospital his owner works at.
Meanwhile, the nation's leading disease expert took a break from his very busy schedule to ease the concerns of one child who was worried about whether or not she'd be receiving a visit from a famous fairy after losing her tooth.
Here are six stories to lift your spirits heading into the weekend...
When Runway Heroes, a non-profit organization that creates fashion experiences for children with cancer in collaboration with leaders in the fashion industry, was forced to post-pone their spring fashion know, founder Rachel Goldman knew they could help their community in other ways.
"We turned grocery aisles into runways and have been providing healthy foods and essential items to childhood cancer families, so that they can focus on their child's treatment," she exclusively told E! News, with Runway Heroes having already delivered groceries to 26 families, with another 12 families set to receive groceries this weekend. Rachel has been shopping for the food and delivering it herself across New York City's outer boroughs.
"This mission has been possible because of the most generous of donors that believe in making a difference during this tough time," Rachel said of the donations they've received. "To date, we have raised nearly $6,000 and are hopeful many more donors will be moved by the cause to support childhood cancer families."
After learning that a 8-year-old Australian boy was being bullied because his name is Corona, Tom Hanks decided to send him a special gift: one of his favorite typewriters.
"Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful," Tom wrote to the boy who had previously written the Oscar winner and his wife Rita Wilson a letter after they had been diagnosed COVID-19. "Thank you for being such a good friend. Friends make their friends feel good when they are down. I saw you on TV, even though I was back in the USA already—and all healthy. Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better."
He added, "Ask a grown up how it works. And use it to write me back…You've got a friend in me."
We're not crying, you're crying!
Sorry Tom Hiddleston, but we have a new favorite Loki: the therapy rottweiler that is delivering "Hero Healing Kits" to hospital workers, collecting over 4,000 so far, and helping to provide comfort to patients.
The "Dogtor" and his owner Caroline Benzel have been doing therapy sessions at the University of Maryland Medical Center since last December, with Benzel telling CNN that when new restrictions prevented in-person visits, Loki went digital.
"We started contacting people and just checking in and making sure they were doing okay," she said. "Then we started doing the FaceTime visits."
In another example of a celebrity donating a special gift, Eminem decided to surprise the frontline healthcare workers at Henry Ford Health System Hospital in Detroit, one fans of his song "Lose Yourself" and the movie 8 Mile will know very well.
"Our #HealthcareHeroes "lost themselves" in the delicious Mom's Spaghetti donated by Detroit's very own, @eminem," the hospital wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for providing a special meal for our team members!"
During his appearance on Will Smith's Snapchat talk show series, Will From Home, Dr. Anthony Fauci sweetly fielded questions from kids about the coronavirus pandemic, with one answer really warming people's hearts when a 7-year-old girl named Ava asked, "Can the Tooth Fairy still come if I lose my tooth because of the coronavirus? And can she catch the virus."
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director reassured Ava, telling her, "I gotta tell you, Ava, I don't think you need to worry about the Tooth Fairy. So when you get your tooth [to] fall out, stick it under the pillow and I'll guarantee you that that Tooth Fairy is not going to get infected and is not gonna get sick."
Let's end with this inspiring tweet from Cornelia Griggs, a surgeon in New York City:
"We are not out of the woods yet, but today, a Friday, for the first time in weeks...I hear laughter in the halls of the hospital...it's a palpably lighter mood. Smiles. Laughter. Wins. A weekend coming. Progress. #NYC."
Let's all laugh this weekend and savor the small things.