👋 Happy day-after-Thanksgiving!

Hope you survived the turkey coma. Speaking of survival…when Skyler and BJ Stelz found one of their home-reared butterflies with a shattered wing, they had two choices: watch it die, or try the impossible to give it a second chance. They chose tweezers, glue, and butterfly microsurgery. What happened next captivated millions – and it's just one of this week's incredible stories.

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Feel good stories from Happilynews.com guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

When a butterfly with a broken wing finally took flight after an intricate surgical repair, Skyler Stelz shouted "Go, girl!" as her camera captured the moment that would later captivate millions online.

Skyler, 32, and her husband BJ, who raise butterflies at their Saint Johns County, Florida, home, faced an agonizing decision last June when they discovered one of their butterflies had sustained a wing injury severe enough to prevent flight - and mean its chances of survival were next to zero.

After waiting 24 hours to assess whether the damage would heal naturally, the couple quickly realized the butterfly would never fly again without some help.

"Of course, I had high hopes, and it's been done before, but that didn't mean it was guaranteed to work. It's pretty hard to perform surgery on a butterfly," Skyler said.

The pair decided to attempt what amounts to microsurgery for an insect. Skyler positioned her camera on a tripod to document the delicate procedure while BJ identified which section of the butterfly's wing had become inactive.

Using butterflies that had died of natural causes from a shadow box Skyler keeps for art projects, they carefully selected a donor wing from the same species. Then, BJ meticulously cut a matching piece and attached it to the live butterfly using glue.

"The fact that it actually worked was insane," Skyler said.

Skyler reassured her husband throughout the process that butterflies don't feel pain in their wings. After completing the repair, BJ carried the butterfly outside as Skyler continued filming.

With gentle encouragement, the butterfly spread its newly repaired wings and flew away.

"It made me want to cry," Skyler said. "To know she can enjoy an additional few hours, minutes or days because we helped her is incredible.

"People are amazed and definitely shocked that we did that.

"It's been amazing getting love from so many people for the sake of the butterflies."

Skyler, who describes herself as passionate about butterflies, said the response has been overwhelming.

"I love butterflies so much," she said

Watch the video of the surgery here:

It’s not all doom and gloom out there. Here’s some positive news items from publications around the world.

📍New York, USA
89 Turkeys and a Miracle: Thanksgiving Kindness Brings Hope to Cancer Patients
When COVID prevented Travis Goodson from celebrating Thanksgiving 2020 with his hospitalized dad, he and friend Rob Michie smoked 89 turkeys for cancer patients and their families—a one-time gesture that's now an annual tradition serving nearly 100 families, including domestic abuse survivors and orphans. (Read more 👉 Woman's World)

📍Minnesota, USA
‘I’ve Never Swam in My Life’: School Bus Driver Rescues Missing 4-Year-Old From Lake
Heroic school bus driver Mebal Kaanyi leaped into action when she spotted a missing 4-year-old running toward Lake Owasso in just underwear and a t-shirt, then conquered her lifelong fear of water to pull the struggling boy from the deep end after he'd already stepped in. (Read more 👉 Sunny Skyz)

📍UK
Authorities Ban Reselling Tickets Above Face Value to Stop Touts From Cashing In
Britain just outlawed reselling concert, sports, and theater tickets for profit after fans complained about prices inflated by 50% or more, with the government estimating the cap will save ticket buyers £112 million per year and make resale tickets £37 cheaper on average. (Read more 👉 BBC)

📍New York, USA
Thanksgiving Kindness Brings Hope to Cancer Patients
When COVID prevented Travis Goodson from celebrating Thanksgiving 2020 with his hospitalized dad, he and friend Rob Michie smoked 89 turkeys for cancer patients and their families – a one-time gesture that's now an annual tradition serving nearly 100 families, including domestic abuse survivors and orphans. (Read more 👉 Woman's World)

📍British Columbia, Canada
Volunteers Send Over 1,000 Christmas Cards to Seniors Who Might Receive None
What started as Christiana Conway writing a few cards during the pandemic has exploded into nearly 100 volunteers sending over 1,000 handwritten Christmas cards this year to isolated seniors, many of whom cry because it's the only card they'll receive. (Read more 👉 Sunny Skyz)

📍Louisiana, USA
Community Pays $2,247 Utility Bill to Restore Power for Former Paramedic
After months without electricity or running water, former paramedic Caroline Deville finally got to cook dinner and take a hot shower when strangers rallied to pay her overdue bill after a local news story revealed Boyce's no-payment-plan policy left the 28-year first responder in the dark. (Read more 👉 29 News)

📍New York, USA
Teen Saves Stepfather's Life Using CPR Learned in Health Class
When 15-year-old Anthony Killinger found his stepfather unconscious at the bottom of the stairs, he performed CPR for eight straight minutes until paramedics arrived, beating 9% survival odds and proving his health class lesson was anything but theoretical. (Read more 👉 Spectrum Local News)

📍Colombia
Colombia Bans All New Oil and Mining Projects in Its Amazon
The South American nation declared its entire Amazon territory – 42% of the nation – off-limits to new oil and large-scale mining projects, blocking 43 oil blocks and 286 mining requests from breaking ground while calling on neighboring countries to follow suit. (Read more 👉 Mongabay)

📍Texas, USA
Baylor Coach Finds Mystery Meow Under Her Hood, Gets New Furry Point Guard
Coach Nicki Collen heard meowing from her car and discovered a 4-week-old kitten hiding behind the fender cap, leading to a late-night Walmart run for kitten milk and a new family member named Sailor who's already become best friends with her labradoodle Scout. (Read more 👉 AP News)

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Flight attendant secrets to survive Thanksgiving travel

Thanksgiving weekend means airports are busier than a kitchen on turkey day. But before you stress at the gate, take advice from the people who fly all the time - flight attendants.

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”

― John Lennon

Identical twins don’t have the same fingerprints. So, you can’t blame your crimes on your twin, after all. This is because environmental factors during development in the womb (umbilical cord length, position in the womb, and the rate of finger growth) affect your fingerprint.

1789: First national Thanksgiving in the US.

1895: Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel establishes the Nobel Prizes through his will.

1922: English archaeologist Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun’s nearly intact tomb.

1966: Highest scoring NFL game takes place, with Washington Redskins defeating NY Giants 72-41!

2013: Frozen, the highest-grossing animated film of all time is released.

Below are eight, eight-letter words with only their endings remaining.

Can you figure out the words?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

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*Studies show that watching cute, heartwarming videos can boost your mood. So sit back and start your weekend positively!

🧠 Brain Teaser Answer