Lacombe, La Residents Show Heart by Helping Orphaned Teens

Cheyenne and Tyler Osburn
Photo by Mark Asnin for People Magazine

Teens Tyler and Cheyenne Osburn have suffered tragedy and hardship throughout their young lives. Their father died when they were infants. In 2007, there mother was permanently disabled in a fire and died of a heart attack around Christmas time in 2011. Suddenly, Lacombe, La residents, Tyler and Cheyenne found themselves all alone and scared.

In an article for People Magazine, Cheyenne says, "I was so scared of not having a mom, having no one to come home to, having to deal with grown-up things like bills, I felt so alone."

Cheyenne and Tyler soon found they were not alone after all. People Magazine reports that friends, neighbors and total strangers came together to help the newly orphaned teens stay in their childhood home.

“Their mom's friends Gwen Babin and Karen Labatut agreed to be the children's legal guardians and started a rotation with family friend Pam Taylor, taking turns cooking dinner and staying overnight at the teens' home. A men's Bible study group mowed their lawn. A local pizza business donated meals. And Jackie Dantin, head of the local nonprofit Community Christian Concern, Inc..set up a fund to help pay their monthly mortgage, groceries and other bills through this summer.”

The community efforts on behalf of Cheyenne and Tyler have allowed them to stay in their home and finish high school. The teens still worry. Tyler is committed to making sure they can stay in their home. "I think about [my mom] every single day," After she passed away, I felt really lost. My sister gives me hope. It's my instinct to protect her. I'm going to be there for her no matter what."

The siblings are doing well. Tyler, 19, is working in construction, and Cheyenne,17, will start college soon. They are grateful for the support of their community.

Cheyenne adds, "I never thought all these people would want to help so much. It's been amazing."

The residents of Lacombe, La could have easily gone on with their busy lives leaving the teens to deal with social service agencies and fend for themselves. Lacombe would have none of that. The town came together and rallied to the aid of Tyler and Cheyenne.

The residents of this small town of 8000 have shown the country and the world how to do did the right thing when nobody is looking by not turning a deaf ear and blind eye to two of their community residents that needed them.

Lacombe, La has heart!

For more on the principle of “Heart,” see “Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.”

Be Great!

MB 

Share Some Enthusiasm in Honor of Fathers Day

In “Don't Seek Success – Be Happi” I define “Enthusiasm, the second core principle in the book, as “The cheerful giving of one’s time, attention and energy to particular activities, causes, goals, or persons.”

For Fathers Day yesterday, Marlo Thomas recalls a story about her legendary father, entertainer, Danny Thomas. In a touching video, she recounts how her dad was always on the road while she was growing up. At 12 years old in the 4^th grade, Marlo wrote an essay that basically said she wished her father was home more, not tomorrow, but today. She entitled it “Viva Today.” When her father called from the road, she read him the essay and it changed Danny Thomas and his families life forever. Thomas called his agent and told him to get him off the road. He returned to Beverly Hills and his family and became a television star with his long running comedy series, “Make Room for Daddy” which aired for more than a decade in the 1950s and 1960s. Watch MarloThomas tell the story on the video here. She recounts an interesting story of how the show got its name.

Marlo missed her father. She was wishing he would cheerfully give her his time, attention and energy on a regular basis and he simply could not do that on the road. Mr. Thomas got the message and found a way to share his enthusiasm with his family by returning home and staring in his own television series. Danny Thomas also found time to share his passion and enthusiasm for helping children with cancer by founding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 1962, passing that passion and enthusiasm on to his daughter who has championed the cause since the death of Danny Thomas.

My Father, Charles “Chuck” Brooks is also an excellent example of sharing enthusiasm. Whether it was coaching my little league team, spearheading a community fund raising drive and ballot initiative to build a new community swimming pool in his home town, Chuck was always cheerfully giving of his time, attention and energy. He also had an incredible gift for making everybody he came in contact with feel special and worthwhile.

I tell the story in Don't Seek Success – Be Happi about how it did not matter whether it was a waitress at a restaurant or a blackjack dealer at a South Lake Tahoe casino; by the time his visit was over he had made a new friend out of a complete stranger and knew their entire life story. He would listen and learn about their aspirations, challenges, joys and sorrows.

Years ago, I accompanied my father to his favorite Tahoe casino. As we were walking through the casino floor on our way to have dinner, I was amazed at the warm greeting he received by what seemed like every blackjack dealer working that night. My father was not a high roller or an especially big tipper by any stretch of the imagination, yet the dealers who were not busy wanted him to stop and talk. They all had a story they wanted to share. He listened, asked questions and encouraged them.

You could see, from their expressions and demeanor that they enjoyed him and appreciated his interest. He was sharing his enthusiasm with them by cheer-fully giving them his time, attention and energy and they loved him for it. Over an hour later we finally arrived at the restaurant where he immediately struck up a conversation with the young hostess.

My Father passed away several years ago, but his enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. Today, Charles “Chuck” Brooks has a park and swimming pool named for him in our home town of Woodland, California.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad. I miss you.

In honor of Fathers Day, why not share your enthusiasm with family, friends, and total strangers. It will make their day and yours too.

For more on the principle of “Enthusiasm,” see Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.”

Be Great!

MB

Cameron Lyle has Heart! Shortens College Athletic Career to Donate Bone Marrow and Save a Man's Life

University of New Hampshire Track and Field athlete Cameron Lyle was looking forward to his senior year conference championship meet when he received a one in five million phone call that would ultimately cut his college athletic career short.

That call informed Cameron he was a potential bone marrow match for a complete stranger in need of the transplant. After more tests, the match was confirmed. Lyle had a huge decision to make, end his college track and field career early to save a strangers life or decline the donor request. Transplant patients are not told of a potential match until the donor agrees, so the stranger would know any different if Cameron Lyle declined.

Cameron tells Good Morning America/Yahoo News, that the decision was easy, "It was kind of a no-brainer for a decent human. I couldn't imagine just waiting. He could have been waiting for years for a match. I'd hope that someone would donate to me if I needed it."

Watch the GMA Video with Cameron Lyle here.

After saying yes, Lyle slowly realized his season was over and he had to tell his coach, a conversation he was nervous about and not looking forward to having. After the procedure, Lyle, a Shot Put and Hammer Throw specialist will not be allowed to lift more than 20 pounds over his head, effectively ending his season. "It's just a sport," he said. "Just because it's Division I college level doesn't make it any more important. Life is a lot more important than that, so it was pretty easy." (Good Morning America/Yahoo News.)

It turns out there was no need to be nervous about telling his college coach that he would no longer be able to compete. UNH Track and Field Coach, Jim Boulanger was supportive and proud of his athlete whom he had coached for four years.

"Here's the deal," Boulanger told Lyle. "You go to the conference and take 12 throws or you could give a man three or four more years of life. I don't think there's a big question here. This is not a moral dilemma. There's only one answer. “

“I don't have any doubt that he's very compassionate and it was just a given that he'd do it. "You can't ask for any more out of a person than to help another person," said Boulanger.

Cameron's mother, Chris Sciacca is more than pleased with her son's choice too. "I am beyond words proud. He is my hero," Sciacca said. "When your children inspire you to be better people, you know it's come full circle and he's inspired his mom to be a better circle." (Good Morning America/Yahoo News).

Cameron competed in his final event in April and a few days later he was in the hospital to complete the donor procedure. The transplant patient is a young man with leukemia. Lyle was told that the man only has six months to live without the transplant. Lyle and the recipient have to remain anonymous for at least a year, but can then sign consent forms to release their identities should they choose.

"I really want to meet him," Lyle said, "and I hope he wants to meet me."

Cameron Lyle has “Heart” in a big way. He sacrificed his senior season college athletic career to save a man's life whom he had never met. Cameron used his “Moral Heart” to do the right thing.

In a self centered world Cameron Lyle is truly an inspiration.

Do you think most people put in a similar situation would do the follow Cameron's lead? What would you do? Comment below.

For more on the principle of “Heart,” see Don't Seek Success – Be Happi.

Do you know of an inspiring story that exemplifies one or more of the core principles of Don't Seek Success -Be Happi (Belief, Enthusiasm, Heart, Attitude, Passion, Purpose and Imagination), email me at pbi2012@aol.com.

Be Great!

MB