This year may have seemed like a lot of the same gloom and doom of 2020. However, 2021 wasn’t all bad! Check out a few good news stories that happened in the world this year.
Boone the Rescue Dog Named Hero Dog of 2021
After having his legs amputated following abuse as a puppy, rescue dog Boone was fitted for a wheelchair by his adoptive family to improve his mobility. His family describes the hound mix as having a “sweet nature” and an “enthusiasm for life,” making him the perfect therapy dog to visit children in the hospital.
His work as a therapy dog and an ambassador for a nonprofit that provides mobility devices such as Boone’s to dogs around the world helped him best more than 400 other good boys and girls to be named the 2021 Hero Dog of the Year by American Humane.
Man Receives First 3D-Printed Eye
As 3D printing technology continues to improve, its uses have expanded into new areas. Steve Verze, a 47-year-old from London, has needed a prosthetic eye since he was 20. Now, he’s the first person to receive a 3D-printed prosthetic eye and will become a test case for the clinical trial to follow.
The process for developing a prosthetic eye takes a long time to produce and can be rather invasive. With the production time cut down and a simplified process for modeling the eye socket, not only can a patient receive their prosthetic quicker, but the eyes are more accurate.
More 3D Good News: First 3D-Printed School Opens
In a world where conventional construction leads to shortages of housing and classroom space, 3D printing is beginning to fill the gap. This year, the first 3D-printed school opened in Malawi, Africa – a country that is short 36,000 classrooms and would require more than 70 years to build using conventional construction methods.
Already open to students, the walls were made in just 18 hours. According to the company that built the school, this speedy technology could bridge the infrastructure gap in Malawi in 10 years. As a result of the school’s success, projects are currently planned for Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Couple Marries at Canadian Border to Include Family
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in so many ways, including those planning and celebrating weddings. New York state residents Karen Mahoney and Brian Ray were no different – however, how they decided to adjust certainly was.
When they planned their Sept. 25 wedding, they hoped the U.S.-Canada border would be reopened so Karen’s Canadian relatives could join. But when that didn’t happen, they married in a small ceremony at the border the day before the planned wedding so Karen’s family could watch from the Canadian side.
While hopefully next year brings an end to the current pandemic, there will surely be other happy stories in the meantime.
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