“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.

This is the most dramatic video you’ll see all week. A cop in California was driving near train tracks when she spotted a man in a wheelchair who got stuck trying to cross the tracks. The disabled man was unable to free the chair, and the officer’s body-cam captured her dramatic attempt to rescue the man as the train comes bearing down.

The bodycam footage shows Lodi, California police officer Erika Urrea jump out of her squad car and run to the man as the oncoming train relentlessly hits its horn. She pulls him out of the chair and they both fall to the ground just milliseconds before the speeding locomotive destroys the wheelchair.

TO THE RESCUE: Bodycam footage released by police in California captures the moment Officer Erika Urrea saved a man in a wheelchair who got stuck on train tracks.

The 66-year old man suffered a leg injury and was transported to the hospital, police say. https://t.co/83T4XjQphA pic.twitter.com/mmINs8awAo

— ABC News (@ABC) August 13, 2020

It does not get any more dramatic than that. The man, in his mid-60s, suffered a leg injury but was spared from certain death thanks to the rescue. He is now in stable condition at a local hospital.

In a statement released to the media, Lodi police praised Erika’s heroic act.

“Officer urea risker her own life to save another, and her actions prevented a tragedy. We are extremely proud of Officer Urrea and her heroism.”

Rescuing someone stuck in train tracks feels very 1880s, but hey, it’s 2020, so of course, there’s going to be something as heart-stopping as this save. There is no denying the officer is a bonafide hero.

Talking to your kids about COVID-19 can be tough. None of us have lived through a global pandemic before, so there’s not exactly a playbook for this. Four high school students in California are trying to make it easier, as they created a COVID Coloring Book to help kids understand the basics of the coronavirus.

The four students, Lauryn Hong, Ella Matlock, Sofia Migliazza, and Erin Rogers, created a business plan for a hypothetical book as part of an economics class project. After some encouragement from their teachers, they turned it into a real thing.

 

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If you ordered a COVID Coloring Book off of the new Shopify website, your order will be getting shipped out hopefully next weekend! We are expecting a few thousand books but it’s taking a little longer than usual to get them printed because it’s such a large order 🙂

A post shared by Al E. Gator 🐊 (@bethechangecoloringco) on Jul 27, 2020 at 11:14am PDT

“We knew we wanted to do something for kids,” said Lauryn Hong said to the Washington Post. “We also knew we wanted to give back to the community. We considered doing a mask-decorating kit, but we decided on a coloring book because we wanted the kids to learn something. Covid is really confusing, even for us, and the coloring book is a way to keep them entertained and help them learn.”

 

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Thank you for all of the orders! Your books will be delivered sometime next week. 🐊💚💛 #SomeGoodNews

A post shared by Al E. Gator 🐊 (@bethechangecoloringco) on Jun 30, 2020 at 4:12pm PDT

They started ‘Be The Change Coloring Co.’ to create and sell the book. They expected to sell a couple of dozen to friends and family and planned to donate 40% of the proceeds to charities. They have since sold more than 7,000(!) books and donated more than $12,000 to charities including the CDC Coronavirus relief fund and local hospitals.

“I never thought that we would be at this stage in the business. I didn’t really think we would really have a business at all because it was supposed to be just a school project,” Rogers told a local news outlet. ”It’s really amazing to know that we’ve gotten to reach out to so many people.”

 

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We created a little video with a summary of what our business is about, please watch! 💛 + Erin’s editing with Sofia’s nonexistent feet

A post shared by Al E. Gator 🐊 (@bethechangecoloringco) on Jun 11, 2020 at 2:15pm PDT

According to their website, their main goals for the project are to educate young kids on the extreme issues of today and to give back to the community. The characters Al E. Gator, Wally the Narwhal, and Sam the Snail help kids entertained and informed about what’s going on.

You can buy a COVID Coloring Book for your kids at bethechangecoloringco.com

There’s not a ton of great news these days, so when Tony Hawk gets his own burrito at Chipotle and gives us a chance to get it for free, yeah, we’re gonna be on board. In a big way. Like, as big as a 2,000 calorie burrito for lunch way.

It’s tough to undersell this collab, as we are big Tony Hawk fans here (and the feeling is mutual), and everyone loves Chipotle. The two announced a special promotion where the first 2,000 people to order the “Tony Hawk burrito” before August 14^th would get a code to access the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 warehouse demo for PS4, Xbox One or PC.

Free Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 demo at Chipotle by ordering Tony Hawk’s Burrito pic.twitter.com/87e8PM3G3U

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 10, 2020

So, not only do you get a burrito, but you also get access to one of the most highly anticipated games. What is the Tony Hawk burrito? Good question. The recipe is as follows: brown rice, black beans, chicken, tomatillo-red chili salsa, cheese, and guac. It’s nothing revolutionary, but Hawk said it’s his go-to order to “refuel after long skate sessions.”

For those of you who like the idea of the burrito, but don’t like the idea of paying for the burrito, there’s something for you too. Chipotle’s Twitch page is being taken over this Friday, August 14, at 11 a.m. EST by Hawk, Jagger Eaton, and Finn Wolfhard, who will be playing the THPS 1 and 2 Warehouse Demo. During the stream, they are giving away 5,000 vouchers for a free burrito.

Pro Skater 1 and 2 are now nearly two decades old, and the new release is a re-master and those and the first new title in the PS franchise in more than five years. Hawk is a big Chipotle fan, and you would be too if, like Hawk, you had one of the celeb VIP cards that entitles him to free Chipotle and free catering. He said he’s all on board with the partnership.

“It’s a blast to see the enthusiasm for Chipotle, skating and video games continue to grow and inspire a new generation,” he said. “Whether you’re a veteran THPS player or new to the game, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 has something for everyone.”

There may be the occasional pop-up shop but there’s only one true Blockbuster remaining on the planet, and it’s about to (temporarily) become the closest thing to a time machine we currently have. The last store standing for the iconic movie rental franchise is in Oregon, and for three nights in September, it’s turning into the coolest Airbnb ever.

The store announced this week that it will be listing the store on Airbnb for three one-night stays in September. The press release described it as a perfect “end-of-summer sleepover.” If you’ve ever wanted to sleep in the 90s, this could be your best shot.

Each stay includes an unlimited movie marathon, as the store’s owner has gone out of her way to recreate the perfect 90s at-home viewing experience (including a giant, clunky TV with a VCR). And the price is a pretty reasonable $4, which is only a penny more than the price of a rental at the store.

The store is turning into a rental as part of a promotion to say thank you to the community that has kept them in business, even as Netflix has eradicated the franchise from the rest of the globe.

“It’s our 20th year as a Blockbuster, we were hoping to celebrate that this year, but with Covid throwing a wrench into everybody’s plans, we were really excited to be able to pull this off,” manager Sandi Harding told CNN.

While the store will become available on the rental site on August 17^th for the September stays, they will be keeping the living room décor up for awhile for customers that want to see what it looked like. And if you aren’t lucky enough to get to book the sleepover in the past, you can avoid the late fees and still grab some nostalgic merch from the store’s website.

Years ago, when Daniel Craig landed the plum role of the most famous secret agent in history, fans were outraged. How could a blond man portray James Bond?! All the previous Bonds had had dark hair, and despite the fact I – and the majority of 007 movie fans, probably – have never read a single one of Ian Fleming’s books about the super spy, I assume he has dark hair in those too.

What’s cool about living in the modern age is that there is such a thing as hair dye. Eventually, after seeing the gritty new Bond Craig portrayed in Casino Royale and several more films (including the pandemic-delayed No Time to Die, supposedly the actor’s final Bond flick), most fans agreed that the formerly blond actor acquitted himself quite nicely.

But not nicely enough, it seems.

In a recent poll conducted by Radio Times, fans didn’t even rate Craig as a top 3 Bond!

Over 14,000 people cast votes in the poll, with Sean Connery immediately eliminating Craig in the first round, garnering 56% of the vote to Craig’s 43%, and Pierce Brosnan crushing George Lazenby, the only Bond portrayer to appear in just one flick (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), 76% to 24%. The biggest upset was when Timothy Dalton, who took up the mantle between Moore and Brosnan, defeated Roger Moore 49% to 41%.

The final round saw Connery defeating both Brosnan and Dalton, with Dalton coming in second. The final numbers saw Connery securing 44%, Dalton 32%, and Brosnan 23%. No shocker that Connery took the crown, but Dalton coming in second after starring in two largely forgotten outings was surely a surprise.

Radio Times readers also mentioned their preferences for the next Bond, should Craig’s promises to leave the role prove out. The front runner was Sam Heughan, from Showtime’s Outlander series, earning almost 30%, with Tom Hardy (14%), Henry Cavill (11%), Idris Elba (10%), and Tom Hiddleston (5%) rounding out the top five.

Bridger Walker became a worldwide inspiration when he selflessly stepped in to save his little sister from a dog attack. The boy suffered injuries requiring 90 stitches in the process, but as he later told family members, he thought “if anyone had to die, it should be me.”

As he was recovering from his injuries, his aunt shared the story on Instagram, and it quickly went viral. Bridger received messages from his “superhero” idols, including most of the Avengers. Strangers from around the world sent tributes and some even made fan art.

To the family’s credit, those who reached out inquiring about how to donate to his recovery were directed towards charities helping veterans. Bridger helped shine a spotlight on the Wounded Warriors Project and Mission 22. And since then, his family started the Bridger Strong website to share their story and the positivity around it.

There have also been a few other updates surrounding the story. The dog involved in the attack was put down, at the request of the owner. Bridger advocated for the dog, and his aunt said the family that owns the dog has been nothing but nice to the family.

Bridger did end up getting Brett Michaels’ guitar. His aunt said he was nearly in tears that Michaels said he was gifting him his guitar, because he was worried Michaels wouldn’t have one left and because Bridger doesn’t even know how to play. Somehow, I think Michaels will be OK.

Others have shown their appreciation for his story as well. His aunt said they weren’t sure if he’d ever be able to smile again, but that he hasn’t stopped smiling for weeks because of all the goodwill people have extended. He was a VIP at a local air show, got a care package from WarnerBros. With an awesome Flash figurine, a new camera from Canon, and a candy shopping spree.

 

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This is another gratitude post: When Bridger went in for his initial surgery, we weren’t sure if he would be able to smile again. The thought of my nephew’s smile being taken away was emotionally crippling. But, as I hope you can see from his photos, he has not stopped smiling for two weeks. He’s looking great, and I hope that all of you understand the role that you played in his recovery. Your kind words and letters and gifts—the use of your time and talents—have assisted in the healing of this sweet little hero. And these same things have restored my own faith in humanity. The world is not only full of good people, it is full of good people who are willing to do good things for one another. And, after all, I guess that’s what Bridger’s story is all about. Description of pictures: 1-3. Bridger was a VIP guest of @f22demoteam at a local air show. Maybe he’ll be a geologist and a pilot someday? 4 . Bridger received a care package from @warnerbrostv that was bigger than he is. His favorite was the Flash figurine. 5 . Bridger is going to love taking pictures of his growing rock collection with his new camera from @canonusa. 6 & 7. Bridger has a bigger sweet tooth than any kid I’ve ever known, so he was beyond excited to get a candy shopping spree with his family from @itsugar.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 29, 2020 at 11:34am PDT

He also got a shoutout from Mr. Beast, his favorite YouTube personality, and a visit from Batman himself (well, the Batman of Spring Hill, which is close to the real thing!).

 

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Such a variety of communities have reached out to us. We were thrilled to get this message from Bridger’s favorite YouTuber. Thank you, @mrbeast .

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 25, 2020 at 9:25pm PDT

 

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Bridger has his favorite DC characters too— Shazam, the Flash, Green Arrow, and a certain Caped Crusader. Bridger has been on cloud nine ever since his visit from @batmanofspringhill and his induction into the Justice League.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Aug 9, 2020 at 7:12pm PDT

His family did make one request on the Bridger Strong website. According to their statement, this was their hope for what his story may accomplish:

After Bridger’s actions, our family has settled on a simple request: may we each actively strive to bear one another’s burdens; stand up for and protect those that are weak, oppressed, or those whom the world might forsake; mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that need comfort, and love one another. May we follow Bridger’s example, approach the world as a child, and bring greater peace to our own homes, communities, states, and countries.

Bridger’s bravery captivated people around the world, but his actions have clearly touched far more people than the 4-year-old sister he saved.

Back in the 80s, a little movie about three bachelors who are suddenly saddled with caring for an infant – who may or may not be one of theirs – became a blockbuster. Starring Tom Selleck, Ted Danson, and Steve Guttenberg (the eighties were WILD), the movie blew up and even spawned (get it?) a sequel (Three Men and a Little Lady).

Along with everything else that you’ve ever held dear or even simply flipped by on HBO when you were a kid, Three Men and a Baby is now being remade for modern times, with a modern star: Zac Efron.

The former High School Musical star has slowly but surely been testing his range over the years, from starring in raunchy comedies alongside Seth Rogan, portraying notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, and starring in a new ecologically minded Netflix reality show, Efron is now taking on his biggest challenge yet: fatherhood. At least on screen. It won’t be easy with someone with that many abs to convincingly portray a character with a dad bod, but if Efron has proven anything over the past decade of his career, it’s that he’s game for anything. (He even got pee’d on in The Paperboy.)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this version of the movie – which was itself a remake of a French flick – is being developed for Disney+. In the original, not only did Selleck, Danson, and Guttenberg have to learn how to care for a baby, they had to keep her safe from drug dealers who were trying to harm her for some reason. Honestly, all I remember about it is the urban legend that there was a ghost in the background of a scene (spoiler alert: there was not).

No word yet on how the plot will be updated for 2020 or who will costar alongside Efron, but I sort of hope it’s Danson and Selleck again. It’s Three Men and a Baby, so who really cares? Just go nuts. I’m sure Efron is up for it!

A year ago, we shared a trailer for a fake reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Unlike most fan-made trailers that reimagine and/or update beloved shows and movies, this trailer was made by a bona fide filmmaker, and the finished product was slick, professional, and provocative. It took the characters and basic fish-out-of-water set-up of the classic 90s sitcom that made Will Smith a household name and helped him crossover from the music industry into dramatic roles. The “gritty reboot” is old hat, but Cooper’s version was far more legitimate than most, and it got people thinking.

That thinking has coalesced into something real, and now Cooper’s vision is coming true. THR broke the news that Cooper was co-writing the script to a series reboot, and this time the Fresh Prince will be a drama.

Apparently, this project has been in the works since the four-minute trailer went viral last March and Smith caught wind of it. Suitably impressed, he got his production company involved, and now the show is in development.

THR describes the new series as “an hourlong dramatic retelling of the beloved ’90s sitcom that leans into the original premise of Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions, and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show.”

Cooper is both co-writing and serving as executive producer, and as a filmmaker and Fresh Prince superfan, he struck gold.

Stay tuned for more news as the project develops, and check out the trailer that started the whole thing: