“6 years ago in March, my wife gave birth to our first baby, a perfect little girl we named Annabel. I remember as soon as I saw her under the warming lights, I put my finger in and she grabbed it with a little tiny baby death grip. Best day of my life at that point.

Few days later, my wife was convinced something wasn’t right. Our baby’s oxygen levels were going down, and her lips would turn blue when she ate, which wasn’t often. My wife demanded they run some tests, which they finally agreed to, even over my objections that she was overreacting.

We had to to go home, leaving our little girl in the NICU, but we were convinced everything would be fine and we’d take her home the next day. The staff laughed as we left, saying to enjoy our last full night of sleep.

The next day, we were told they did some tests and found she had a serious heart defect. Had they not found it, chances were good at some point in very early childhood, she would have gone to sleep and never woke up. Talk about heartbreaking.

We were told she needed to have open heart surgery, pretty quick. So, we got scheduled for about a week later. They set us up in a little hospital room, close to the NICU so we could stay there.

The nurses were amazing, one namely: Natalie. Answered every question we had, and couldn’t have been sweeter in the process, making sure we understood everything. She spent many a long night with us, reassuring us that everything would be just fine. There was risk, and we were told we should have her baptized in the hospital before surgery.

Open heart surgery went great. Divine inspiration touched, and just so happened the hospital we were at had the best cardiac surgeon for newborns, not just in the country, but likely in the world. For him, surgery was just another day in the office, obviously not the case for us. Still blows my mind.

6 years and several checkups later she couldn’t be healthier. Typical little girl, energetic, goofy, loves to play, and fortunately got her mother’s good looks. She’s got me wrapped around her little finger, no question about it. We thank god everyday for people like Dr. Illbawi, and our nurse, Natalie, who stood by our side through everything, and saved our little girl’s life.

4 years later, we had another little baby girl, we named her Natalie.

Both kids are perfect, no health issues at all, and I learned to never take a day for granted. I’ve been a cop for the past 11 years, she thinks I’m a superhero. Little girl has no idea it’s just the opposite.

All she has to remind her is a little scar on her chest, which I joke and say no guy will ever see anyway, barring a *Bad Boys 2* type introduction to me, and a few of my closest work friends.”

– Bryan Harl

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here.

Being a kid is amazing. The freedom, the lack of responsibilities, the ability to do basically anything in public without repercussions that will haunt you for the rest of your life – it’s a time we aren’t fully able to appreciate until it’s gone. But for some, being a kid means facing struggles you aren’t equipped to handle. All it takes is one bully to turn the best time of your life into the worst. When you’re a kid being bullied, you often have to rely on others to stand up for you – unless, that is, you’re 7-year-old Cavanaugh Bell.

To say that Cavanaugh Bell was bullied feels like an understatement. The torment Cavanaugh experienced left him feeling lost, and at just 7-years-old, this brave young boy decided to do something about it.

“After I was bullied and I felt a darkness inside of me, I knew I didn’t want other kids to feel the same way I felt,” Cavanaugh explained on his GoFundMe page. “And, the more I gave back to my community, the more I wanted to keep doing it.”

 

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L ♥️ V E One of my many missions is to spread as much love and positivity as possible. I have heard about so many people being bullied because of their skin tone, abilities, and so much more. This STOPS with us! No justice, no peace! . . #gaithersburgmd #nojusticenopeace #loveislove #positivity #RingTheBell #bullyingawareness #youthactivist

A post shared by Cool & Dope (@cooldopeliving) on Jul 26, 2020 at 12:27pm PDT

After realizing his grandma was in the at-risk age group for COVID, Cavanaugh was determined to help her. But the 7-year-old knew his grandma wasn’t the only one facing a challenging situation – other people’s loved ones were at risk too, and Cavanaugh knew he had to help not just his loved ones, but everyone’s.

With his mom’s help, Cavanaugh poured everything he had into starting his own nonprofit, Cool & Dope. Rather than let the bullying keep him down, Cavanaugh used the feeling as motivation. No kid, no person, should feel the darkness he felt.

The Cool & Dope website states, “My name is Cavanaugh and I’m 7 years old. I used my own $600 savings to make care packs for the elderly in my area. I’ve been SO blessed to get help from people, like you, to create a FULL community pantry to help 5,000 people in need in Maryland.”

Cavanaugh is giving back, filling care packages with food and toiletries and distributing them throughout his community – he even opened a food pantry in a local warehouse. Just as importantly though, he’s empowering other kids to make a difference as well. In a video shared on Cool & Dope’s Twitter page, the little mover and shaker explained that he was tired of being told he was too little to help. According to Cavanaugh, nobody is too little to make a difference.

People always ask me why I started Cool & Dope. And the answer is simple, I wanted to do my part to make the 🌎 a better place! pic.twitter.com/co6PaohWb6

— Cool & Dope (@cooldopeliving) February 19, 2019

The most recent update on Cavanaugh’s GoFundMe page explains that his original goal was to help 1,000 people. A lofty goal, when a 7-year-old is in charge of the operation. But Cavanaugh has proven that he is no ordinary 7-year-old. With fierce tenacity, Cavanaugh has helped over 8,100 people to date. Filling trailer after trailer with supplies to distribute, opening a food pantry, and speaking out against bullying, Cavanaugh proved once and for all that no one is too small to be a hero.

🙌🏾 WE DID IT AGAIN 🙌🏾

You guys are SO amazing!!!!! Last Tuesday we filled ANOTHER 53 FOOT TRAILER to take to the Pine Ridge Reservation and it was FULL of essential winter supplies, food, and cleaning supplies for them.

A BIG thank you to each and every one of you who donated! pic.twitter.com/xsBhaZ5tMp

— Cool & Dope (@cooldopeliving) September 26, 2020

“My fiance Shawn and I met in May 2019, when I was a single mother of 7 kids.

My ex was abusive to my daughter. She suffered from shaken baby syndrome, so here I was, conquering the world as a single mother, with no support from my ex.

My fiance went from bachelor to stepping up to the plate and taking on the father role to 7 kids, aged 13,12,8, 7.5, 4, and 3, and he does it so well.

He goes from taking my son (13) out for guys’ time, then turns around and plays princess with my daughter. He works hard long hours that take a toll on his body so I can stay at home and pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer.

He goes without a lot of the time, not because he wants to, but because he puts the kids first, and back in March we welcomed our daughter. He loves her to the moon and back.

He has shown me what a good dad is and I am so blessed to have him in my life.”

– Ashley Bybee

Jeff Bridges is a beloved actor. He’s literally the Dude from The Big Lebowski. From Tron to True Grit, a handful of Oscar nominations (and a win for Best Actor in Crazy Heart), Bridges is a Hollywood legend. On Monday, he took to Twitter to announce he has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

“As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light. I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.”

As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light.

I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good.

I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.

— Jeff Bridges (@TheJeffBridges) October 20, 2020

There was an immediate outpouring of good wishes from many admiring fans and fellow celebrities. It’s honestly harder to find a more universally beloved actor than Bridges, given his history of work and his awesomeness as a person on Earth.

Bridges is currently working on a series for FX, which was among the many parties sending well wishes to the actor.

“Our thoughts go out to Jeff and his family during this challenging time and they have our love and support. We wish him a safe and full recovery. And, as Jeff always says, ‘We are all in this together.’ Jeff, we are all in this together with you,” the statement read.

Bridges thanked everyone for the support at this early stage and used the attention to remind people of their civic responsibility over the next few weeks:

I’m profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends.

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together. https://t.co/6sAU4MYixl

Love, Jeff

— Jeff Bridges (@TheJeffBridges) October 20, 2020

“I’m profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together. Vote.org. Love, Jeff.”

If you’re anything like me, you can’t wait until the end of October. Not only does the month culminate in Halloween – which will be (safely) celebrated one way or another, COVID be damned!, it also brings the premiere of season two of The Mandalorian.

The new season hits Disney+ on October 30th, and over the past few months, we’ve got a trailer and a bunch of hits about what the second season will entail. We know Mando is attempting to take The Child, aka Baby Yoda, to find his people, and that the bounty hunter is avoiding the wrath of Moff Gideon and his darksaber as he does so.

He will have the help of his two friends, Greef (Carl Weathers) and Cara (Gina Carano), who are wary of encountering “a race of enemy sorcerers,” and may or may not run into Ahsoka Tano, who may or may not be played by Rosario Dawson.

According to the new footage Disney+ just released, Mando will also be seeking assistance from his fellow Mandalorians (“If I can locate other Mandalorians, they can guide me,” he says), and the jetpack he coveted last season.

Check out the new footage, and get ready. Only ten days away!

“Welcome to the club.”

It’s the first message that greets you upon visiting The Dad, a nod of acknowledgment that may seem like little more than a cool tagline – that is, until you realize what being a member of the club actually means. Being a dad is an experience like no other. It’s beautiful and stressful and exciting and exhausting all at once. It comes with challenges that only other dads can understand. Being a member of the club means being surrounded by people like you, and people very unlike you – but with one important thing in common: fatherhood. It doesn’t take long to realize just how deeply members of The Dad community care for each other, and that level of support extends far beyond things strictly related to fatherhood. When a member of our community celebrates, we all celebrate. If one of us needs help, the response is so enormous it’s almost deafening. And when we experience a tragedy, we mourn together.

On October 7, one of our own tragically passed away. RJ Barry was a father, gamer, and a valuable member of The Dad Gaming’s Rocket League community. RJ loved playing Rocket League and Call of Duty, racing 4 wheelers, skateboarding, but most importantly, the 29-year-old loved his friends and family. Particularly, his daughter Vivian.

The loss of RJ hit The Dad’s gaming community hard – RJ had been an active member of The Dad’s Rocket League group since February, participating in weekly Tuesday game nights and befriending dads around the world. RJ was a skilled gamer, regularly making the playoffs and winning tournaments. But more importantly, RJ was a great friend and an amazing dad.

Jon Melo was just one dad who RJ befriended through The Dad’s Rocket League group, as the two dads played regularly on the same team (and somehow, lost regularly on the same team). Of course, the one week the two separated, both made the semi-finals before RJ’s team went on to win the tournament. “We always said we’re going to win it together,” Melo recalled.

“Honestly I can’t say enough about him,” Melo said. “He just was such an easy-going person and always there to listen to you if you needed someone. A lot of dads on here would say he was one loving outgoing fun guy to play with and was always positive.”

But for gamer friends and non-gamer friends of RJ, there was one constant: “That man loves his daughter and he would do anything for her,” Melo concluded.

The loss of RJ left gamer dads near and far both shocked and saddened. But with the enormous grief that came with the RJ’s passing came something beautiful – a community coming together to mourn and celebrate the life of a friend.

A post shared by Garrett Van Ginkel, The Dad Gaming – Rocket League’s admin highlighted the true nature of what it means to be a member of “The Club.” It’s about far more than gaming and memes – it’s about having a place to celebrate life’s wins and grieve life’s losses, and never having to do either alone.

Garrett’s touching post explained how after RJ’s passing, members of the community came together to honor their fallen teammate. Together, the group came up with ideas to honor RJ, who played by the name Tartarus. “We will be holding a 1 minute moment of silence at kick off of the first round of play,” Garrett explained.

“During the moment of silence, each team of 3 loaded in with only 2 players to symbolize that we were all missing a player,” Garrett told The Dad.

And silently, beautifully, the incomplete teams paid their respects.

“We are permanently retiring Team 21,” Garrett continued. “It was a common team for him to be on due to his rank, and it was the last team he played for in our tournaments. Moving forward, it will be known as Team Tartarus.”

Watch the moment of silence:

The group even moved their efforts outside the confines of the internet. Garrett explained, “I have set up a PayPal account to take donations for his daughter Vivian and his family. We will be promoting it on stream during the tournament, and have it displayed on the overlays so anyone that tunes in will see it. Once all donations are in, I will personally write a check to his family for the full amount in the PayPal account. The email address to donate is: [email protected]”

As dads, we want nothing more than to be there for our kids, to take care of them. In RJ’s memory, the group is collecting money which will go to a trust in Vivian’s name. Though the trust will provide financial assistance to Vivian one day, it represents so much more than money – it’s emblematic of the true nature of being a dad. If there’s a problem, you try to fix it. If you can’t fix it, you do everything you can to help, and you do it with a whole lot of love.

RJ will be forever missed by both his friends and family, but he will always be remembered – and he will always be a member of The Club.

The plot from Space Jam 2 has leaked online and it sounds pretty bonkers. Details from the LeBron James led sequel have been pretty sparse, but the plot synopsis was (insert requisite allegedly and supposedly here) leaked online by a screenwriter. And this is not going to be your father’s Space Jam and it’s even wilder than Tony Hawk’s Skate Jam.

We do know a little about the upcoming movie, like the name and accompanying merch, so helpfully modeled by Mr. James himself (a 4-time NBA champion, if you aren’t aware). And now we have a little bit of the plot, and it’s about LeBron as a dad. Here’s the synopsis that was shared on Twitter from Ben Mekler:

The synopsis for SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY is certifiably bananas and I for one cannot wait to see it pic.twitter.com/BLmc4x5uHb

— Ben Mekler (@benmekler) October 18, 2020

“During a trip to the Warner Bros. studio, NBA Superstar LeBron James and his son accidentally get trapped within a world that contains all of Warner Bros.’ stories and characters, under the control of a malfunctioning, all-powerful force named Al G (played by Don Cheadle).

“With the help of Bugs Bunny, LeBron must navigate through a never-before-imagined world filled with iconic movie scenes and characters as they re-assemble the Looney Tunes to rescue his lost son.

“Now to get back home, LeBron and the Loony Tunes must unravel AI G’s mysterious plan and win an epic basketball game against a team of digital gamified super-versions of NBA and WNBA superstars while the whole world watches.”

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Exclusive: It's Real, It's Freaking Real. Told Y'all That This Isn't fake. None of y'all believed me, but yes it's very MUCH true, characters from the WB Properties will appear in The Untitled Space Jam Sequel. – there you have it, we even have voldemort in this footage. The rumor is the sequel will expand so its not just the Looney Tunes, but other WB properties. So we are looking at DC, Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter potentially, etc etc ( 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 @dcuverse )

A post shared by DCUVERSE | Your #1 DC Source ⚡ (@dcuverse) on Mar 10, 2020 at 11:30am PDT

So…pretty wild, right? There’s a lot of fun potential if you throw in a bunch of random WB universe characters. But the whole “rescue his lost son” thing has a bit of a “Taken” vibe to it. Although just replace angry Liam Neeson doing bad-ass fighting scenes with LeBron James throwing down some alley-oops off passes by Bugs Bunny.

The iconic movie scenes and characters WB-world does seem pretty cool and also hard to imagine. When I first read it, I was kind of hoping the synopsis was fake, since, on the whole, it seems pretty out there. Then again, here’s the synopsis for the original:

“Michael Jordan gets sucked through a golf hole into another world where he teams up with Looney Tunes to beat aliens who stole NBA talent in a basketball game.”

So, in light of that, this is the perfect sequel. And while LeBron is world’s better at acting than Michael Jordan, I’m not sure there’s anyone in this movie who can fill the Bill Murray-sized void, but I guess we’ll find out for sure in 2021.

One of life’s greatest joys is a well-manicured lawn, but as you get older, pulling out your trusty mower isn’t always the relaxing activity it used to be. 80-year-old Prince Pinkney, an army veteran from Fort Lauderdale, was mowing his grass on Monday as he’d done countless times in the past. Before he was able to finish the cardinal task, Pinkney started to feel unwell.

After having a stroke several years ago, Pinkney has weakness in one of his legs. When he began feeling ill, Pinkey’s leg buckled underneath him. The elderly veteran fell, and though his wife tried to help him up, he was unable to stand. Fortunately, a passerby noticed the couple struggling in the Florida heat and contacted the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR).

Within minutes, help arrived and Pinkney was treated for heat exhaustion. However, the paramedics knew their job wasn’t done. As soon as Pinkney was safe, one of the paramedics grabbed the mower and got to work.

Though their job was technically done once Pinkney was cooled down and out of danger, the FLFR crew wanted to help the elderly man finish his job as well. Plus, Pinkney is a veteran. Not only did they want to thank him for his service, but with the courage and determination it takes to serve your country, it’s entirely possible that Pinkney would have gone right back out to finish the job himself.

Fortunately, someone caught this amazing act of kindness on camera, and The Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue shared the footage on Facebook. The caption read, “Monday morning Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Station 47 was dispatched to a pass out. Upon arrival they found an 80 year old Army veteran suffering from heat exhaustion while working in his yard. They immediately treated the man and cooled him off. Once his medical emergency was over the crew stepped in and finish cutting his grass! This is truly what it is all about.”

The Facebook community was quick to applaud the three paramedics for going above and beyond, expressing pride in the FLFR and the huge amount of good they do for the community. Some comments even offered to contribute to a GoFundMe, so the elderly couple could pay for a lawn mowing service. The FLFR said it best – when communities come together to support each other, that is truly what it’s all about. That, and a freshly-mowed lawn.

Being stuck at home for too long always leads to finding more things you want to fix up. With most of the country under some form of quarantine slash social distancing, people have taken to home improvement even more than usual. And that can lead to some fun discoveries, like finding caches of century-old bootlegged whiskey hidden throughout your house. OK, so that scenario is extremely unlikely, but that’s the reality for one couple that started renovating their home.

Nick Drummond and Patrick Bakker moved into an old home that neighbors said was built by a bootlegger. When they finally got to fixing the place up earlier this month, they were in for the surprise of a lifetime; they found old packages of bootlegged whiskey in secret walls and hiding places throughout the house.

Everything pairs better with booze, even, apparently, home improvements. But Bakker and Drummond got a lot more than they bargained for when they started fixing up their old house. Drummond started an Instagram account, “bootleggerbungalow”, to follow the home rehab, without expecting to find the actual proof of the home’s origins.

He told NBC he was removing trim outside when a package fell out of the wall.

 

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OUR WALLS ARE BUILT OF BOOZE! I can’t believe the rumors are true! He was actually a bootlegger! I mean I thought it was a cute story, but the builder of our house was ACTUALLY a bootlegger! #bootleggers #prohibition #historicpreservation #bootleggerbungalow #secretcompartment

A post shared by Nick Drummond (@bootleggerbungalow) on Oct 9, 2020 at 9:30am PDT

“When I saw the edge of another package it hit me, like holy crap, this is bootleg booze,” he said. “The thing is, it wasn’t just one, then it wasn’t just two, it was the entire wall.”

 

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This is too cool! It looks like these all date to the 1920s! #bootleggerbungalow #secretcompartment #hiddentreasures #historicpreservation

A post shared by Nick Drummond (@bootleggerbungalow) on Oct 9, 2020 at 9:32am PDT

They’ve found dozens of bottles of the bootleg whiskey so far, dating back to around 1923, during Prohibition in the state. The couple said they want to try at least one bottle of the whiskey and aren’t quite sure what to do with the rest of the discovery. They are contemplating leaving some of the packages there and putting in a glass panel on the floor, so you can see the hidden whiskey.

 

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The flat head screws beneath the floor are rusted in place, but we were able to get a board off that was covering the side of the joist bay, where the hatch was. More packages! #secretdoor #whatsinside #secretcompartment #historicpreservation #prohibition #renovation #bootleggerbungalow

A post shared by Nick Drummond (@bootleggerbungalow) on Oct 11, 2020 at 5:59am PDT

If you want to learn more about the house, and their quest to learn more about the history of the bootlegger who built it (and what happened to him), you can follow along @bootleggerbungalow@bootleggerbungalow.

You know how sometimes you’re doing laundry, and – no. Ok, you know how sometimes you’re working out, and – let’s start over. Brandon Fraher and his family were struck with a very similar sort of boredom that many of us have been facing during the quarantine. The kind of boredom that makes you try to teach your dog Spanish, broadcast play-by-plays of everyday life, or sing about your mysterious butthole. Brandon Fraher found a similarly ridiculous activity to quell his boredom – he got on a treadmill.

I know, I know. “Treadmill” and “fun” are not two words that typically go together, but maybe you’re just not using your treadmill in the right way. You’ve been using it to exercise? You amateur, you absolute fool. The madness of quarantine has driven many TikTokers to find new uses for their treadmills because realistically, it’s way more entertaining than using them for their intended purpose. One such TikTok challenge has people recreating the thrill of running late for a flight (since we have no idea when we’ll get to experience the real deal again), suitcase and all.

@lukasgeorgasmy parents thought I was working out😅 ##comedy ##funny ##memes ##lmao ##funnyvideos ##tiktoktravel ##fyp ##airport ##airportlife ##planes ##missit ##jokes

♬ Crowd – Loud Airport Terminal Sound Effect – Hollywood Sound Effects

Another ridiculous treadmill-related TikTok challenge that has inexplicably gained popularity lately is something called the Mario Kart Challenge. Basically, this challenge lets you play real-life Mario Kart, you know, minus the racing part, and the part with the “?” boxes, and the fun racetracks – aside from that, it’s exactly like Mario Kart. You know, that part of the game where you sit in a laundry basket and fling yourself across the room on a treadmill at various speeds (I think I’ve been playing the wrong Mario Kart)? That’s the part that you get to do if you participate in the Mario Kart challenge.

Well, the boredom got to him, so that’s exactly what Brandon Fraher did. What else do we really have to lose at this point, right? In the video, you see Fraher (thankfully wearing a helmet) sitting in a laundry basket at the top of his treadmill. He proceeds to scoot himself forward, riding the basket until the treadmill dumps him off the other end. It starts off safe, at 1 mile per hour. Then 2 MPH, then 3, all the way up to 9 MPH at which point the treadmill mercilessly launches the poor dad at the cushions he wisely set out, tossing the basket in a completely different direction as his family watches and laughs. Well, that successfully crushed at least 3 solid minutes of boredom. Well done, Brandon, we can only hope there isn’t a Super Smash Bros challenge next.