UpLift Media

 There are few places worse for something to go wrong than in the ocean. Even fewer places where you would want to be alone, facing challenges like fatigue, thirst, starvation, drowning, or even being on the menu for a whole host of man-eating predators. But that is exactly where Dylan Gartenmayer wound up during a free dive adventure on one of his favorite reefs. As he dove down and honed in on his next target for the spear-fishing harpoon, a rogue wave and its associated current pinned him to the ocean bottom and moved him along the sea floor at a rapid rate. Dylan out spear-fishing By the time Dylan surfaced for a much needed breath, the boat that was hosting the adventure was almost out of view and definitely out of earshot. His cries and screams for help were left in the wind and no one was able to see where the man had been swept. Though proper procedures were followed with the Coast Guard alerted, when news of Gartenmayer's predicament reached his family, they were not willi...

Jeremiah with Davante  Good reporters with poise and professionalism are normally seasoned with years of experience. It makes sense, especially when dealing with celebrities, that one would have to work through rookie jitters and get a few exchanges under their belt before becoming truly polished. But even then, broadcasting professionals can still struggle and fumble with words or even become star struck themselves. Not the case at all for Jeremiah Fennell, a ten year old boy with a passion to become a sports reporter.  After his initial interview with Davante Adams broke the internet, the young man was invited to appear on Fox & Friends where a befuddled and seasoned broadcast team peppered him with questions about his ability to be so poised and professional. "I was just there talking to him [Davante] like a normal reporter. I wasn't really scared because in the end we are all people." Amazed with the maturity that is clearly beyond his years Rachel Campos-Duffy s...

  With the value of metals like copper continuing to go up, so are the cases of theft to commercial buildings where air conditioning equipment is accessible. You would think even criminals might leave a Christian Community Center in Buffalo New York alone but that was not the case. Two men decided it was a prime target and went about setting up a tall, heavy metal ladder (despite a wintery flurry) so they could climb on the roof and extract their coveted prize. Little did they know, they had stepped on the turf of Sister Mary Johnice who had no intention of making their heist easy. "As I was walking down the stairs, I heard pounding and noise. And that's what told me to open the door." where she noticed the ladder to be stationed. Putting the clues together the 76 year-old, crime fighting nun decided to maroon the man on the roof by knocking over his escape route. Despite the ladder's weight she managed to wrestle it free and disconnect it from the rooftop causing th...

 The term 'hole in a wall' usually refers to a little known but very good restaurant. But due to its unpretentious and out of the way characteristics many places that fit that definition never truly get discovered. In a post-covid world many independent restaurateurs having rolled the dice to open up their dream business were left with nothing to show for it except for tears, unpaid debts, and closed doors. That was the path Frank Steele, owner of Frankensons Pizzeria in Las Vegas was on prior to self made TikTok food critic Keith Lee entering the scene.  Keith had already developed a decent following and for him this was just another visit to a little known establishment to provide an online review of the food, whether it was good, bad, or something in the middle. After just one bite of the wings though he proclaimed it to be "one of the best wings I've ever had." Then holding up a slice of pizza he remarked about the enormous size of the pepperonis and then su...

Jaden & Kirk Williams  For some people all it takes is a beat and they cannot help but move their body to the rhythm. Add to the mix a 2nd grade holiday performance and the ingredients were ripe for Jaden Williams to put on an unscripted portion of the show that went viral. He and his classmates were indeed supposed to be singing and moving their bodies with some hand-motions and perhaps a sway back and forth. But that irresistible urge to put his own flavor on it which included some pop & lock, hip gyrations, a little robot, and some break dance vibes was not in the script but well received all the same.  Dad, Kirk Williams, who was in the audience saw Jaden start to roll his shoulders and knew what was coming, "As he was moving around I was like, oh he's about to start dancing you know. I kind of know how he starts to get. As soon as he hears the music, it just takes over." You see this kind of behavior was normal albeit contained to the confines of their home ...

Soldiers cradling Christian Though Uplift focuses on good news, its practically impossible for the bad news to stay completely out. Without the bad, how would we know what good is? Furthermore, we find that often uplifting stories are born out of tragedy with humankind rallying around one another to get through a tough time. This is one of those instances as US Army Specialist Chris Harris was killed by a suicide bomber while on deployment in Afghanistan shortly after finding out his wife at home was pregnant.  Left a widow so young with a child on the way Harris' bride, Britt had to think about what her husband would want her to do. It didn't take long for her to reach out to his "brotherhood" of "extended family"  knowing how much Chris depended upon them and they were happy to fill the gaps. A heartwarming video of the soldiers doing a gender reveal ceremony can be seen as pink confetti flies through the air and soldiers celebrate with dabs and joyful s...

Perez on The Price Is Right  Who wouldn't want to be part of the studio audience for the Price is Right? Even if your name isn't called, the iconic gameshow formerly hosted by legend Bob Barker is an epic opportunity. But what if your name is called? And what if, as a member of contestants row, you also win your bid and get to go onstage to meet the new host, Drew Carey continuing to play for more prizes? This was exactly the good fortune experienced by Danielle Perez, an aspiring comedian who had been disabled after a tragic trolley car accident in San Francisco. The incident left Perez falling under the car with her feet being run-over and sadly amputated. So imagine being in a wheelchair on a gameshow and not only playing for but winning a treadmill. In our sometimes overly sensitive, politically correct world, some might cringe at best or engage in some kind of cancel culture of the show at worst. Neither of those scenarios occurred nor anything in-between as Danielle hers...

Watt tearing up during tribute  If you know nothing about the NFL and its superstars, one would only have to Google JJ Watt and the first option is a Wikipedia bio that states, "Considered to be one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time, Watt received the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times in his first five seasons." It goes on from there to list countless other accolades including a franchise record when playing for the Houston Texans for number of sacks and forced fumbles. If that kind of research isn't convincing enough consider his surprise retirement video. In the last team meeting, Cardinals Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph takes time out to share a tribute video and to make sure the team understand this is Watt's last game. As the touching memorial piece gets going you see the likes of his two NFL brothers TJ and Derek Watt, Aaron Rogers, Peyton Manning, Dak Prescott, Tom Brady and many others taking time out to honor the veteran o...

 Buffalo has been in the news quite a bit lately. The blizzard has been a history making event blasting the area with record amounts of snow resulting in stories of heroism and tragedy. The Buffalo Bills NFL team just a couple weeks ago saw the sudden collapse of Damar Hamlin after a jolting blow to his chest. In all of these stories the common thread seems to be a community of resilient people rallying around and with one another to endure whatever is thrown at them. So it should be of no surprise that the Buffalo Police department would join in with a gesture of goodwill of their own.  Captain Beyer noticed a young man named Nyejay trying his best to get to school on a broken bicycle. His pedal had fallen off making it difficult to operate by the teen's resolve was not shaken as he attempted to use a socket from a socket wrench set to replace the broken part. Though potential ingenious, the idea barely got the bike moving so when the captain saw the struggle, he gave th...

Hillis on Madden game cover  If you are a parent, you likely understand the notion of "doing anything" for your children especially when it comes to their safety. Rarely do parents get put to the ultimate test of sacrificing life and limb but most would agree doing so is just part of the job. Former NFL running back Peyton Hillis was dealt a scenario that tested his very limits and its no surprise he sprung into action despite it costing him greatly. He and his family were enjoying a beach vacation in Pensacola when two of his kids were swept away in a powerful riptide current.  Peyton dove in without a second thought and fought valiantly against the pounding waves and unrelenting undertow successfully making it at first to one kid, then the other, ultimately rescuing both. However, the pure exhaustion and unceasing effort got the best of him as he himself became the victim of the waves taking water into his own lungs and collapsing on the beach. First responders came to ...

 While Uplift does what it can to keep the stories heartwarming and encouraging, this one has a bit of bad news that we hope you will forgive us for. You see, two year old Alex from Florida is outraged and once we realized why, it seemed appropriate to cover his story and come to his aid. All a kid his age can ask for is a mom that gives him kisses, especially if she plans on leaving the house for the day to go to work. Sadly this was not the case on one particular morning where mom got in too big a hurry.  Though she could not be contacted for comment, insiders tell us that mom was running late. She misplaced her keys and upon finding them dashed out the door in hopes of getting to the morning meeting on time. Left behind with a hurting heart and sad feelings was Alex who was noticeably emotional when dad came to the kitchen with video set to record. Though struggling at his age to enunciate, its easy to tell with the verbal utterings and body language what Alex wants ev...

Paige with her police pals  Paige Vazquez is both wise and mature beyond her years with a Christian faith that just oozes in her daily interactions with others. So it should be no surprise that she would see a group of policemen sitting at a restaurant table and offer to pray for them. But because that kind of gesture is so rare, even for adults, it caught the attention of onlookers who snapped a photo of this heartwarming interaction and made it go viral on social media. In a climate where we argue about who's life matters most and efforts to demonize and defund the police are rampant, its a breath of fresh air to see that people still care and especially children like Vazquez.  "I know they have a rough time sometimes. And sometimes a little prayer could make someone's day, so I decided to do that in case they were having a rough day," says Paige when reporters asked about the motivation to boldly approach their table. Little did she know that this specific group of...

 Most of the news stories covered on Uplift contain lots of detail. Peoples names, events, locations, and a full backstory. This one however, did not render much when researching and taking a deeper dive but perhaps that is ok because this narrative really could be anyone's story and even without specific details will encourage and uplift your spirits. What is known is the boy in the video is named Kowyn. He is wheelchair bound and clad in his Christmas morning PJ's holding a gift of vital importance that he wants to present to his step-dad. As the exchange occurs the onlooking family blurts out to the receiving dad, "You have to read it out loud!" The bearded man in a White Sox hat takes a handwritten note, lets his eyes focus on the words and soon he utters the contents out-loud as requested: "I want to thank you for always being here for me. Thank you for teaching me how to be a man like that. Thank you for always treating me like your son. You have always bee...

 Last week presented a flurry of good news. If you missed any of our posts please watch the playlist below to catch up. Four of the twenty stories received the most views and engagement from you, our beloved audience: But which one is your favorite? Be sure to vote by commenting here on the blog or back on the Facebook Page poll. If you need to review these stories first, check out the YouTube playlist below. And if there is a story you think deserves a vote that isn't one of these four, you can always cast a write-in nomination.