Goodable

Chris Farley, a comedic legend, shone in roles like Matt Foley on "Saturday Night Live" and Tommy Callahan, Jr. in "Tommy Boy." His untimely death at 33 in 1997 marked the end of a bright career. In 1995, as Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich rose to prominence within the Republican Party, Farley famously impersonated him during a House Republican Conference Meeting, celebrating the GOP's first 100 days in control of Congress, creating an unforgettable moment of comedy.

<p>Chris Farley, a comedic legend, shone in roles like Matt Foley on "Saturday Night Live" and Tommy Callahan, Jr. in "Tommy Boy." His untimely death at 33 in 1997 marked the end of a bright career. In 1995, as Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich rose to prominence within the Republican Party, Farley famously impersonated him during a House Republican Conference Meeting, celebrating the GOP's first 100 days in control of Congress, creating an unforgettable moment of comedy.<br></p>

Watch: SNL's Chris Farley's Hilarious Newt Gingrich Impersonation

BBC News

When James Lintern’s parents signed him up for drama classes in Gloucester, they were simply hoping it would help him come out of his shell. Instead, it led to a role in one of the year’s most celebrated films.

The 11-year-old, who had been attending Stagecoach Performing Arts to build his confidence, was encouraged by staff to send in some photos after the team behind Hamnet reached out looking for young talent. A few months later, he found himself on set at Elstree Studios with a script in hand — and two lines in Latin.

“It felt great because I had got a part in a film,” James told the BBC. He described the experience as “really cool,” especially getting to watch how a film set operates and working alongside stars like Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and Emily Watson.

James plays the son of Joan, a friend of Agnes, in the film’s story. Hamnet, which recently picked up two Golden Globes and is already generating Oscar buzz, is based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel reimagining Shakespeare’s marriage and the grief that follows the death of their son.

His dad Nathan says the whole experience has been a whirlwind. “He was a shy boy when he was younger so we wanted to get him into a drama club to boost his confidence,” he said. “Then about six months into that we got a phone call saying, ‘bit random, but can we have a photo of James’ — and before we knew it we were being asked to go to Elstree.”

Nathan emphasized that the original goal was simply to help James grow. “When we enrolled him into Stagecoach it was more about his development than ever imagining anything as wonderful as this.”

James admits he’s still shy, “but not as much as I used to be.” He’s made friends through the experience, and especially enjoyed the wrap party. “It was really fun because I got to meet up with all my friends and I got to see all the funny parts of the film instead of the serious parts — we had done some funny parts,” he said.

Hamnet is in cinemas now.

How This 'Shy' 11-Year-Old Landed a Role In an Oscar-Tipped Film Hamnet

Sunny Skyz

A 7-year-old girl from Chicago’s south suburbs is being celebrated as a hero after her quick thinking helped save her father's life.

Xavier Dates was spending a quiet evening at home in Lynwood on Wednesday night with his daughter, Mia, when he slipped while heading down the stairs. He fell several steps and hit his head against the wall.

Mia, upstairs at the time, heard the commotion and rushed to check on him. Seeing her father in pain on the floor, she wasted no time grabbing his phone and calling 911.

Paramedics Kevin and Bianca Rosas were among the first to arrive. They described the scene as chaotic — but were immediately struck by how composed Mia was under pressure.

“It was a pretty scary dog when we showed up, and right then and there it just causes a pretty hectic scene,” Kevin told CBS News.

Despite the tension, Mia handled the situation like a pro. She secured the family dog in its cage, found the house keys, and unlocked the door for the paramedics — allowing them to get to her dad without delay.

“If it wasn’t for that girl, honestly, I don’t know how long it would’ve taken to get to our patient,” Kevin said.

Xavier was taken to the hospital and is now recovering well.

The Rosas say Mia’s quick actions are a powerful reminder of how valuable it is to teach children how to recognize emergencies and how to respond.

Mia later explained she learned what to do from her mom, who had previously shown her how to handle situations like this.

Her courage didn’t go unnoticed. She was later visited by Lynwood’s mayor, as well as local police and fire officials, who came to recognize her bravery — and her dad couldn’t be more proud.

“I took it a little emotional, knowing that she was there for me,” Xavier said.

This 7-Year-Old Girl is Being Hailed a Hero After Saving Her Dad’s Life

Science Daily

On a family-run dairy farm in southern Michigan, soybeans are doing more than just growing — they’re transforming the economics of milk production.

At first glance, the 400 acres of soybeans planted on Preston Farms look like any other crop field in the region. But these aren't typical soybeans. They're a high-oleic variety being tested in a research partnership with Michigan State University, and they’ve already made a measurable impact.

“We started feeding them and within three days, milk fat and protein levels increased,” said Brian Preston, who runs daily operations on the fourth-generation farm near the Indiana border. “Our purchased feed costs dropped by 20 percent per month, and that was huge. That’s a once-in-a-generation change.”

Furrows of soybeans now run across nearly a third of the family’s 1,500-acre farm, a bold move that replaced what would normally have been corn and grain. It was a risk — but one backed by years of MSU research.

Dr. Adam Lock, a professor in MSU’s Department of Animal Science, leads the team behind the study. For more than a decade, his group has been investigating how different dietary fats influence milk composition and cow health. Their focus turned to high-oleic soybeans — rich in oleic acid, a naturally occurring fat — with the hope they could improve not only milk quality but also farm profitability.

“High-oleic soybeans are a natural extension of our focus on practical, science-based feeding strategies,” Lock said. “Our work builds on over a decade of research in our lab.”

The idea was simple in theory: replace expensive feed supplements with a homegrown crop that enhances both yield and quality. The reality was even better than expected.

Roasting the soybeans before feeding them to cows, Lock’s team found, further boosted results. The soybeans could take the place of costly additives like fats and amino acids — making it possible for farmers to simplify their feed mix while improving output.

On Preston Farms, the results were immediate. After adding the soybeans to the cows’ feed, the quality of the milk improved, and with it, the price the farm could command for each litre. The financial impact was just as dramatic.

“There was a lot of relief,” Preston said. “That it was all coming together and that it paid off.”

The soybeans were developed with help from multiple funding sources, including the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture, the United Soybean Board, and the Michigan Milk Producers Association.

Preston Farms has long worked with MSU, stretching back to the 1940s when Brian’s grandfather took an agricultural short course at the university. But Brian Preston says this latest collaboration feels different.

“It could change our entire industry.”

They might not be alone in thinking that. Lock said demand for high-oleic soybean seed has skyrocketed. Seed suppliers across Michigan sold out last year.

There’s good reason. Michigan is home to more than 850 dairy farms and over 436,000 cows. The dairy industry contributes $15.7 billion annually to the state’s economy. Even modest improvements in feed efficiency or milk quality can add up to major savings — and higher earnings — across the sector.

According to the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, most fresh dairy products are produced in-state and move from farm to shelf within 48 hours. That means better milk quality has a direct and nearly immediate impact on consumers.

“Seeing our research in action at farms like Preston Farms is incredibly fulfilling,” Lock said. “It’s a reminder that the work we do at MSU doesn’t just live in journals — it lives in feed bunks, milk tanks and the day-to-day decisions of Michigan farmers.”

The timing of this breakthrough aligns with MSU’s investment in a new Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, which will help continue producer-focused research.

For Glenn Preston, Brian’s uncle and the farm’s owner, the research has been as practical as it is promising.

“Through MSU Extension and working with Adam Lock, we have access to the best and brightest minds in the world,” he said. “And what it comes down to in the end is that MSU helps our business, which means we’re able to be here for another generation.”

Michigan Dairy Farm Slashes Feed Costs with Breakthrough Soybean Crop Backed by MSU Research

People

For the first time in her life, 15-year-old Furugh can hear clearly—thanks to a groundbreaking series of reconstructive surgeries and a team that refused to give up on her.

The New York City teen was born with microtia, a rare congenital condition that left her without a right ear or ear canal. Growing up, the difference was hard to ignore.

"I wasn't confident or comfortable at all," Furugh told FOX 5 New York. "The people I was around—nobody had this problem but me. I just felt so left out."

That changed recently, after Furugh underwent multiple surgeries led by Dr. Thomas Romo III, director of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at both Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital.

Romo and his team partnered with the Little Baby Face Foundation, a nonprofit he founded in 2002 that provides free corrective surgery to children born with facial deformities. Furugh is one of nearly 40 children the foundation has helped so far.

In Furugh’s case, the process was anything but simple.

"We harvested rib cartilage from her chest, carved it into the shape of an ear, and placed it on the side of her head through multiple surgeries," Romo explained. "Then I released it so she could wear glasses."

He showed FOX 5 the finished result, beaming: “She has a beautiful contour to the ear. This is rib cartilage, and the rest is all artificial.”

But restoring the ear’s shape was only part of the transformation. Romo’s team also implanted a bone-anchored hearing aid, which now allows Furugh to hear clearly through her previously deaf side. The device is controlled via an app on her phone.

The moment her hearing was switched on was caught on camera. Furugh, a high school sophomore from Queens, lit up with a wide smile as audiologist Dr. Phillip Vazquez confirmed she could hear his voice.

"Ever since I got my ear fixed, I feel more confident and more comfortable," Furugh said. “I can hear people better now. I don't have to ask people to repeat themselves.”

She celebrated the milestone by doing something she’d always dreamed of: getting her new ear pierced.

“I don’t feel left out anymore,” she said.

Romo said the courage of young patients like Furugh continues to inspire him. “They go through multiple surgeries to get to where they are. That makes them courageous.”

For Furugh, the gratitude is just as deep. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity to be able to hear more,” she said. “I’m just really grateful.”

Teenage Girl Hears Clearly for First Time After Life-Changing Surgeries in New York City

Good News Network

When a major coral bleaching event swept through Mauritius last summer, wiping out vast stretches of reef, one patch of coral stood out—for all the right reasons.

While wild reefs nearby saw bleaching rates of up to 80 percent, a set of experimental coral colonies overseen by marine biologist Dr. Nadeem Nazurally defied the odds, showing survival rates just as high, and in some cases, higher. These weren’t ordinary corals. They were part of an ambitious effort to breed heat-resistant strains, aimed at giving reefs a fighting chance against the twin pressures of climate change and rising ocean temperatures.

Mauritius, located off the east coast of Africa, is home to nearly 250 species of coral and hydrozoans. These reefs aren’t just beautiful—they’re essential. They support fisheries worth billions and serve as habitats for about one-quarter of all marine life found in Mauritian waters.

But those reefs have been under siege. Since the country recorded its first major coral bleaching event in 1998, four more have followed. The most recent came last year, when ocean temperatures soared to 31°C (88°F). Traditional coral restoration methods, like fragmenting and cloning strong individual colonies, have increasingly failed to keep pace with the stress climate change is putting on the reefs.

That’s why Nazurally and other scientists turned to selective breeding as a new line of defense.

With support from the Mauritian government and the United Nations, a network of research institutions—including the Mauritius Oceanography Institute, the University of Mauritius, and Odysseo Oceanarium—has accelerated the country’s investment in coral science. The goal: to breed stronger, more resilient corals that can better survive future bleaching events.

One major challenge is timing. Coral reproduction happens in synchronized mass spawning events that can last just a few hours on a single night, making it notoriously difficult to predict. But scientists at Odysseo have adapted techniques pioneered globally to better anticipate these spawning windows. They now collect coral eggs and sperm by boat and use them in controlled nurseries to breed new generations.

Corals that thrive in warmer waters are selected to reproduce, strengthening each generation’s tolerance to heat stress.

A recent study by Nazurally demonstrated just how promising this approach could be. Focusing on the hydrozoan genus Millepora, the team reported a 99.8 percent survival rate for heat-bred specimens during last year’s bleaching. That compares to an 88 percent survival average across all genera, and just 10 percent for corals bred using older, non-selective methods.

The study also examined different nursery techniques. Corals were grown both on the seabed and on floating platforms suspended in midwater. The findings suggested that in areas with heavy tourist activity—where sedimentation can be an issue—floating nurseries helped shield the young corals. In quieter, less disturbed zones, seabed nurseries performed better.

Together, these findings point to a future where coral reef management is more targeted and adaptive—responding to both environmental pressures and local human activity.

Nazurally’s work stands as one of the most hopeful signs yet that coral reefs, with the right science and support, might still have a future.

And in a region where so many livelihoods depend on the reefs' health, that’s more than good news—it’s essential.

Heat-Resistant Corals Offer Hope After Mass Bleaching in Mauritius

Smithsonian Magazine

Nearly 30 years after it was quietly installed at the Prague Municipal Library, a surreal tower of books has become one of the city’s most talked-about attractions—thanks to a viral boost from TikTok and Instagram.

The sculpture, called Idiom, is the work of Slovak artist Matej Krén. It consists of around 8,000 books stacked in a cylindrical column, with mirrors at the top and bottom that create the illusion of an endless wormhole. A single raindrop-shaped doorway invites visitors to step close and peek inside, giving the uncanny sensation of falling into a bottomless library.

Originally unveiled in 1995 at the São Paulo International Biennial, Idiom made its way to Prague the following year, first exhibited at the Jiří Švestka Gallery before being moved permanently to the Municipal Library in 1998. The gallery, fittingly, had once served as a communist-era warehouse for banned books.

For years, the sculpture was a little-known curiosity among regular library-goers in Prague. But all that changed in 2022, when the sculpture began gaining traction on social media—particularly on “BookTok,” a niche corner of TikTok where users share book recommendations, reading aesthetics, and literary hot takes.

“Kids that were in Prague looking into their phones suddenly saw a cool thing that they liked and they wanted to see it as well,” Czech journalist Janek Rubeš said in a 2023 interview with Radio Prague International. “And as it is in today’s world, everyone wants to have the same picture or same video, because it looks cool and they can get likes.”

The sudden attention has turned Idiom into a viral sensation and an unlikely pilgrimage site. During peak tourist seasons, such as Christmas and Easter, the library now sees more than 1,000 people lining up each day—often waiting over two hours—just to snap a photo inside the sculpture. The influx has caught librarians and staff off guard.

“We’ll have to deal with it in some way, because working with tourist crowds is a completely different service from that we have provided up to now,” Lenka Hanzlíková, a spokesperson for the library, told Agence France-Presse. “Most readers laugh about it and say it’s bizarre, but we have had people who wanted to return books and joined the queue.”

In response, the library has already converted one of its five main entrances into a dedicated doorway for tourists. Officials are also considering whether to begin charging a small entrance fee to help manage demand and cover the costs of crowd control.

Krén, for his part, never expected Idiom to become a mass tourist draw.

“I thought it would fall into oblivion. It was not designed for a mass presentation like this,” he told AFP. “I had no intention of creating a tourist attraction.”

The sculpture was always meant to evoke something deeper. As described on the library’s website, Idiom “symbolizes the infinity of knowledge,” with books acting like bricks—ordinary in form, but packed with “information, destinies, stories and knowledge.” Krén shaped them into something that resembles both a dwelling and a portal.

In a strange twist, the sculpture was also featured on the cover of Science magazine in January 2011, when researchers used a trove of over five million books to study long-term cultural trends.

Krén is no stranger to using books as building blocks. He’s created several similar installations over the years, including Gravity Mixer, a mirrored circular chamber of books that debuted at EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. Others include Passage, Book Cell, and Beauty and the Book, exhibited in cities like Bratislava, Lisbon, and Jerusalem.

But none have sparked the same kind of selfie-fueled frenzy as Idiom in Prague.

And as long as the social media feeds keep pushing the sculpture to new audiences, it seems the line to look inside this infinite book tunnel isn’t disappearing anytime soon.

Swirling Sculpture of 8,000 Books Mesmerizes Visitors at Prague Library

The Cool Down

In a world dominated by fast fashion, Levi’s is trying something slower — and more hands-on. The 170-year-old denim brand has launched a new initiative to teach high school students how to sew, mend, and extend the life of their clothing.

It started with a missing button.

Paul Dillinger, Levi’s global head of design innovation, told Fast Company he was stunned when a friend shrugged off a torn shirt by saying he didn’t have time to throw it away and change. “It was an illustration of everything that's wrong with the current paradigm,” Dillinger said. “And it could be fixed with a little needle-and-thread evangelism.”

That moment sparked what would eventually become the Wear Longer project. What began as Dillinger offering impromptu lessons around the office turned into something much larger when Levi’s community affairs manager Alexis Bechtol helped turn the idea into a formal program.

Wear Longer doesn’t aim to sell more jeans. Instead, it teaches teenagers how to “repair, refresh and reimagine” their clothes — to make them last longer and look better in the process.

The initiative, developed in partnership with Discovery Education, lands at a time when fewer young people know how to handle a needle and thread. Levi’s own research found that 41% of Gen Z respondents had no sewing or mending skills — double the rate of previous generations.

“We’re seeing a resurgence in skills-based learning,” Kimberly Wright, instructional design manager at Discovery Education, told Fast Company. “Across the country, there’s a shift toward not just making students college-ready, but career-ready.”

That shift comes as the downsides of fast fashion become harder to ignore. Since the early 2000s, brands like H&M, Forever 21, and later Shein and Temu, have flooded the market with cheap, trendy clothes meant to be worn a handful of times and discarded. Amazon Prime's rapid shipping helped solidify the expectation that anything — including clothing — should be instantly available.

But cheap often means flimsy. Americans now discard an average of 81.5 pounds of clothing every year. Some estimates put the total closer to 103 pounds when factoring in other household textiles. Globally, textile waste adds up to more than 100 million tons per year.

In 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office warned that landfilled textile waste is rising fast, with fast fashion being a major contributor. It now makes up nearly 8% of landfill waste. As those clothes break down, they release pollutants into the air, soil, and water.

While Gen Z may not be reaching for a sewing kit, they are increasingly turning to thrift shops and vintage stores — a trend that Fast Company notes is partly driven by the higher quality of older garments. In that way, Wear Longer is tapping into something younger consumers are already open to: more durable, individual clothing choices that push back against throwaway culture.

Whether Levi’s program leads to a wave of teenagers darning socks and patching jeans remains to be seen. But it’s a move that challenges the logic of planned obsolescence and fast turnarounds — and revives a skill many had assumed was fading into history.

Levi's Teaches Gen Z to Mend Clothes, Tackling Fast Fashion Waste

Fox News

A leatherback turtle named Riptide has completed a rare and remarkable 7,000-mile journey, earning the attention of scientists tracking her long-distance swim across the Atlantic.

Riptide was tagged and released by researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy on May 22 off the coast of Panama. Since then, the female turtle has crisscrossed international waters, moving north past the Caribbean, nearly reaching Canada, then doubling back to the southeastern coast of the United States — all in just seven months.

“This is one of the first turtles we have tracked from Panama that went all the way to the North Atlantic and then back down to the coast of Florida,” said David Godfrey, executive director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. “Her 7,000-mile migration is not the longest we have seen, but it is definitely up there for less than a year.”

After leaving Panama, Riptide reached the Turks and Caicos Islands by July 11. She kept moving north, approaching the Canadian coast near Nova Scotia on September 14. From there, she turned south, passing near Fire Island, New York in late November, and eventually reaching the waters off Jacksonville, Florida, by January 11.

Her journey is part of a growing database of tracked leatherback migrations, but Riptide’s route stands out. “Turtles do their own thing,” Godfrey said, “and it will be fun to watch and see if she surprises us back in Panama this summer.”

That return would mark an unusually quick turnaround. Most leatherback turtles don’t nest in back-to-back years. Riptide, who laid 93 fertile eggs in Panama last year, is more likely to keep feeding and migrating until she returns to the Caribbean in 2027, according to Godfrey.

It’s not clear exactly how old Riptide is, but she’s believed to be at least 15 years old — and possibly much older. Leatherbacks can live for decades and, once fully grown, have few natural predators aside from large sharks.

Human activity, however, remains a major threat. “Unfortunately, we humans are their greatest threat,” said Godfrey, pointing to commercial fishing, boat strikes and habitat disturbance as key issues. He also flagged the continued poaching of turtle eggs and adult turtles on nesting beaches. These are the very issues the Sea Turtle Conservancy — the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group — works to combat across Central America, the Caribbean and Florida.

Leatherback turtles are the largest of all sea turtles and one of the most migratory. Their movements often span entire ocean basins, making satellite tracking like this essential for understanding how and where to best protect them.

For now, Riptide continues to swim off the Florida coast, with her next move unknown. But if her first seven months are any clue, she’s far from finished surprising the scientists watching her.

Rare Sea Reptile Embarks On Impressive 7,000-Mile Journey From Tropics To Northern Seas And Back

Two hundred ducks crammed into a box truck were rescued by authorities north of Los Angeles last week, after their owner died unexpectedly, leaving no clear plan for their care.

The ducks were discovered in Palmdale on January 14. According to the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC), officers from the Palmdale Animal Control Center were called to the scene after the California Highway Patrol requested help with an unusual case: a truck full of ducks and no one to claim responsibility for them.

"This morning, our Palmdale ACC officers responded to a heartbreaking and unusual situation," DACC shared in a Facebook post. "CHP requested assistance with around 200 ducks who were found inside a box truck after the owner/guardian passed away."

With no paperwork, no destination, and no idea where the ducks were supposed to go, the officers prioritized getting the animals out of the truck and into safety. The rescue involved teams from three different animal care centers — Lancaster, Palmdale, and Castaic — who worked together to transport the ducks to holding facilities for food, water, and care.

“All of the ducks have now been safely transported to our care centers,” the agency said. “When the unexpected occurs, teamwork and compassion matter.”

Just a day later, DACC confirmed that the ducks had been returned to their legal owner, a company called Never Ending Quails, which contacted the Lancaster Animal Care Center on January 15.

While the incident made headlines for its scale, it’s not the first time ducks have found themselves in trouble — or been rescued in unique ways.

In 2021, a Hayward Police Department animal control officer named Susan Perez rescued 11 ducklings trapped in a storm drain using a simple but clever trick. She played “mama duck” sounds on her phone to lure the babies out of a pipe and safely reunite them with their mother. Perez had first noticed the mother duck pacing anxiously near the drain and acted quickly.

Other ducks have shown a remarkable ability to make themselves part of human families. In England, Phil and Julia Garner took in a single duckling named Freda in April 2021. By October 2022, Freda had grown up and left — but returned the following spring with 11 ducklings of her own. The couple decided to take in the whole group.

“Going from one duckling to 11 was chaos,” Phil said at the time. “They need to swim, they need to wash themselves. So we've got tubs everywhere. The garden looks like a bomb site, but I'm not bothered.”

In the Palmdale case, the outcome was far more orderly — but no less meaningful to those involved. In the absence of a clear plan, it was quick coordination and compassion that kept the ducks from being left behind.

After Owner Dies, 200 Ducks Were Rescued From a Truck And Safely Returned Home

Talker News

A 12-year-old boy is being praised across the UK after saving his mother’s life—and potentially others on the road—by taking the wheel when she collapsed while driving at 60 miles per hour.

Zac Howells was in the passenger seat as his mom, Nicola Crump, suddenly lost consciousness while driving along the A40 near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire on December 14. Her foot remained on the accelerator, causing the car to speed up. That’s when Zac grabbed the wheel and steered the vehicle into a barrier to bring it to a stop.

Once the car had stopped, he turned off the engine and called emergency services.

“Basically I'm driving on a highway and my mom just fainted so I had to crash the car to stop,” Zac calmly told the dispatcher in the newly released emergency call audio from West Mercia Police. “Her foot went down on the pedal and it started accelerating, so I had to crash into the barrier.”

The call handler can be heard asking if everyone is alright. Zac, still composed, replies, “Well I mean, she's snoring, so I think she's okay. I dunno, I'm really scared.”

Body camera footage later showed Nicola regaining consciousness as Zac gently reassured her.

“Mum, it’s alright. Calm down, it’s fine. Hold my hand, you OK? Mum, breathe,” he told her.

“I passed out?” Nicola asked, still dazed.

“Yeah, and then you accelerated,” Zac explained. “No mum, it’s fine. I just drove the car. It’s really easy.”

Nicola repeatedly apologized, but Zac stayed focused on her. “It’s fine, Mum, you’re OK. I know we’re fine, I knew we were going to be fine.”

This week, Zac was awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation from West Mercia Police, who described his actions as nothing short of heroic.

Chief Constable Richard Cooper said, “I am delighted to present Zac with this award today following what must have been an extremely frightening experience for such a young boy. For a 12-year-old to react in such a calm and mature manner is magnificent and I would like to express my gratitude for his actions that day. His display of bravery certainly extinguished any danger to them both but also that of other members of the public who were on the road that day.”

Zac and Nicola, who live in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, had been driving from Wales to the Birmingham Christmas market when the incident happened. Nicola later told the BBC, “It’s been incredible. I’m just so proud of him and I’m so appreciative of the effort that everyone has gone through to make such a fuss of Zac.”

Zac, for his part, doesn’t quite understand all the attention.

“Even to this day, I don’t see it as a big deal,” he said, “but from other people’s perspective, it is.”

He recently visited West Mercia Police headquarters in Hindlip, Worcestershire, where he met the call-handlers and officers who responded that day.

Despite the drama of that afternoon, Zac remained characteristically lighthearted about the whole thing. “It’s really easy,” he joked about driving, before quickly adding, “I’m worried about you, not me.”

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