Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

First responders saved a man's life. Then they saved him from an HOA fine.

The first responders returned after the emergency was over, but the family was stunned to learn why.

first responders, firefighters, kindness, acts of kindness, viral good news, heart attack, Melissa Ann Work, community, HOA, feel-good story

Paramedics rush to save someone's life

Canva
By Adam Albright Hanna,
Adam Albright Hanna
See Full Bio
GOOD Staff
GOOD Staff
See Full Bio
Oct 06, 2025

When first responders rushed to save Melissa Ann Work's husband from a massive heart attack, they performed their duties flawlessly. But it was their return visit the next day, for a reason that had nothing to do with medicine, that left the Florida family speechless and overwhelmed with gratitude.

The emergency in 2018 began while Melissa's husband and his brother-in-law were in the middle of a stressful project: laying new sod in their yard to meet a looming deadline from their Homeowner's Association. The pressure was so immense that it remained his top concern, even as his life was in danger.

"While he was having his heart attack, literally in and out of consciousness, he kept begging me to figure out the sod and have it put down," Melissa recalled in a post about the incident. "I calmed him and kept saying, ‘Jesus will help us. It’s okay. Jesus will figure this out, babe.’"

first responders, firefighters, kindness, acts of kindness, viral good news, heart attack, Melissa Ann Work, community, HOA, feel-good story Man laying sodCanva

After her husband was safely transported to the hospital, Melissa’s brother-in-law stayed behind, hoping to finish the yard work to avoid the hefty HOA fine. He was working the next day when he suddenly "heard huge trucks driving back down the road." It was the fire and ambulance crew.

His initial confusion turned to disbelief. "Before he knew it, 7 firefighters and EMTs jumped out and put on gloves," Melissa wrote. The crew, knowing the patient would be unable to do physical labor for weeks, had returned to finish the job for him.

first responders, firefighters, kindness, acts of kindness, viral good news, heart attack, Melissa Ann Work, community, HOA, feel-good story A firefighter rolls up a water hoseCanva

The unexpected act of service left the family overcome with emotion. "They came back! They came back! They saved his life, dropped him off and then cared enough to save our grass!" she exclaimed.

What made the gesture so powerful was that the first responders had no idea about the HOA deadline or the financial sacrifices the family had made to afford the new lawn. They simply saw a family in need and decided to step up.

"They didn't know all we have been through as a little family. They simply saw someone in need and did this for us. We have no words. Just sobbing," Melissa said.

This article originally appeared earlier this year. It has been updated.

acts of kindnesscommunityfeel-good storyfirefightersfirst respondersheart attackhoakindnessmelissa ann workviral good newspast events

The Latest

viral story, fashion fail, hidden pattern, optical illusion, imgur, funny fashion, nsfw, mom
Past Events

Mom wears summer dress for years before finally noticing the risqué pattern in plain sight

1963 poll, Vern Hause, woman president, Minneapolis Star Tribune, vintage newspaper, viral Reddit, X social, gender norms, history snapshot, retro opinions, public opinion, feminist history, presidential debate, street interviews, viral clip, trending archive, culture shift, then vs now, internet reacts, social media buzz
Past Events

A 1963 newspaper went viral for one man's answer to 'Would a woman be a good president?'

food labels, marketing buzzwords, advertisements, consumer reports, economy
Money

Experts and consumers reveal 11 marketing terms and phrases that mean absolutely nothing

More For You

parenting, child psychology, effective parenting, phrases for kids, what to say to kids, parenting hacks, communication, positive parenting, toddlers, discipline

Parent scolds their child

Canva

Child experts reveal the 5 phrases that don't work on kids—and the 5 that do

Every parent has been there. You're frustrated, your child isn't listening, and you're just done. In that moment, it’s all too easy to let a "Because I said so!" slip out. But as child psychologists and parenting experts continually point out, the problem might not be that your kids aren't listening—it might be that the phrases we're using are completely ineffective.

Luckily, child psychologists have found five of the least effective yet common phrases parents use on their kids and offer some quality alternatives that work. There are also five phrases provided by child psychologists that parents can use to help their children and strengthen their relationships.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jimmie Smith, lottery winner, New York Lottery, expired ticket, $24 million, jackpot, good news, lucky, New Jersey, retired security guard

A man collects an over-size novelty lottery check

New York Gaming Commission

Man finds $24 million lottery ticket in his shirt right before the winning numbers expired

It’s a story of procrastination that could have been a $24 million tragedy. For an entire year, the New York Gaming Commission had been searching for the mystery winner of a $24.1 million New York Lotto jackpot, sold in May 2016. As the one-year deadline to claim the prize approached, they launched a media blitz.

"A lucky New Yorker has a $24 million Lotto payday just waiting — but the winner has to act fast as time is running out," Gweneth Dean, director of the commission's Division of the Lottery, said in a statement reported by The Washington Post. "We urge New York Lottery players: Check your pockets. Check your glove box. Look under the couch cushions. If you have this winning ticket, we look forward to meeting you."

Keep ReadingShow less
marriage, wedding, relationship, husband, wife, couple, healthy relationship, healthy marriage

A couple in a loving embrace

Canva

There’s one key aspect to a healthy marriage that could make your relationship last a lifetime

When sharing the secrets to a happy marriage, there’s one golden rule that comes to mind consistently for experts and longstanding couples alike: friendship. Because while love and lust are nice, of course, being real, honest, and true friends with your partner is the most important part of any relationship, particularly a marriage you’d like to see last.

While studying love and relationships during his professorship at Harvard, Dr. Arthur Brooks has shared that the most important kind of love is companionate love. According to the American Psychological Association, companionate love is “characterized by strong feelings of intimacy and affection for another person rather than strong emotional arousal in the other’s presence.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Vamarr Hunter, Lenore Lindsay, Give Me Some Sugah, bakery, adoption, reunion, Chicago, NBC Chicago, genetic testing, family

A young boy's school photo, a mom and grown son pose, a man with a beenie

TikTok | @nbcchicago

Man's 15-year search for parents ends after discovering owner of his favorite bakery is his mother

For 15 long years, 50-year-old Vamarr Hunter of Chicago's South Shore was searching for his biological parents. As reported in a story by NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago on TikTok) that's capturing hearts online, his search just ended in the most unbelievable and heartwarming way.

Hunter discovered that his biological mother, Lenore Lindsay, is the proprietor of "Give Me Some Sugah," his favorite local bakery, which he has been visiting for a decade.

Keep ReadingShow less
green flags, dating, relationships, Reddit, men, women, what men want, communication, empathy, independence

Happy woman giving the thumbs up

Canva

Men share the 10 biggest 'green flags' they have seen in women and it's eye-opening

When we're dating or thinking about starting a relationship, we often look out for subtle cues that speak volumes about a person's character. From good communication skills and a positive outlook to healthy boundaries, some noteworthy traits make a person likable instantly.

These traits, also called "green flags," top the list when one is looking for a suitable partner to live their life with. In a Reddit post, u/SealeDrop asked other men on the platform, "What are the biggest green flags in a girl?" Many flocked to the comments section to share what they find the most impressive in a girl that makes them feel she's a keeper. Here are 10 of the best responses.

Keep ReadingShow less
workplace boundaries, unpaid labor, quiet quitting, great resignation, Reddit, viral stories, employee rights, micromanagement

A reddit comment

Reddit | u/heyyslat

A boss demanded his employee come in 5 minutes early. The worker's 5-word question shut it right down.

A recent viral story online is highlighting the growing tension between management expectations and employees' rights to be paid for their time. The post, from user u/heyyslat, shared a screenshot of a text exchange with a manager from a former warehouse job that perfectly captures the modern push for clear workplace boundaries.

The conversation began when the manager sent a text about punctuality:

Keep ReadingShow less
message in a bottle, Clint Buffington, Evan Buffington, Peter Thompson, Pentucket Regional, West Newbury, oceanography class, Pepsi bottle, Coast Guard, Bahamas beach, Emily Maher, WCVB, People magazine, reunion story, viral discovery, human connection, time capsule, beachcombing, found note, Massachusetts teen

The bottle contained a message from the past.

Photo credit: Canva

14-year-old tossed a 'message in a bottle' into the sea, nearly 50 years later, he received the call

In 1976, 14-year-old Peter R. Thompson was a ninth-grade student at Pentucket Regional Junior High School in West Newbury, Massachusetts. As part of an oceanography class, he wrote a short note, sealed it in a glass Pepsi bottle, and had it launched into the Atlantic by the Coast Guard. The assignment was meant to be a science experiment, which, nearly fifty years later, turned into a reunion.

A 1976 classroom experiment

West Newbury, oceanography class, Pepsi bottle, Coast Guard, Bahamas beach, Emily Maher, WCVB, People magazine, reunion story, viral discovery, human connection, time capsule, beachcombing, found note, Massachusetts teen Who knows what adventures the bottle had before being discovered. Photo credit: Canva

Keep ReadingShow less
Allie Phillips, @.allie.phillips, TikTok, viral video, 6-year-old, love triangle, diamond ring, kindergarten, first grade, parenting

A young girl wears a diamond ring

Canva

6-year-old girl returns from school wearing a massive 'diamond ring'

Some parenting stories are so specific and hilarious they are destined to become viral classics. This is one of those stories, shared by mom Allie Phillips (@.allie.phillips) on TikTok, in a video that began with a very necessary warning: "Buckle in. This is hilarious."

Phillips set the scene: her 6-year-old daughter, Adalie, was in first grade and had been "in love" with her "boyfriend," Brandon, since kindergarten. They were in the same class, and she often talked about how they would one day get married. It was a sweet, stable, first-grade romance.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025