Mary, Mother of God Parish collects, donates 1,000-plus books for city kids
— FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
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Jennifer Pitts loads books into a car at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. Members of the Mary, Mother of God Parish collected books during the Lenten season to donate to those in need. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Books collected during the Lenten season wait to be loaded in cars at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. Members of the Mary, Mother of God Parish collected books during the Lenten season to donate those in need. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Elieen Mallas hands a box of books to Jennifer Pitts at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Jennifer Pitts loads books into a car at Holy Rosary Church in Scranton on Monday, May 19, 2025. Members of the Mary, Mother of God Parish collected books during the Lenten season to donate to those in need. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Dad recalls horrific moment 10-year-old son was attacked by shark in Florida: ‘I heard the screaming'
It was a sunny August Saturday when Mary and Jameson Reeder took a boat nine miles out into Looe Key Reef with their four children, for a day of swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of the Florida Keys. 'The kids were diving, splashing, just having the best time,' writes Jameson in 'Rescue at the Reef: The Miraculous True Story of a Little Boy with Big Faith' (Worthy). As Jameson swam with his youngest son, Nehemiah, his oldest boy, 10-year-old Jameson Jr. grabbed a GoPro video camera and dived down to the seabed to see what he could find. 9 Jameson Reeder Jr. was 10-years-old when he was attacked by a shark on a snorkeling trip with his family. ABC News 'Then I heard the screaming,' Jameson recalls. On the boat, Mary Reeder thought her son had been stung by a jellyfish. But when she and her husband dragged him back on the boat, she was shocked by her son's leg. 'I saw some of his ragged skin and then just bone – way too much bone – and it seemed to keep going and going until his bloody foot rose past me,' she writes. 'His lower leg was all bone. Just below the knee, all the way to the ankle. And then the foot.' Instantly, the couple knew it was a shark attack. 'Nothing else could do that damage,' she adds. 'It was a horrific, almost unreal sight.' But the family was still nine miles off-shore, and the nearest hospital was another 20 miles away. As Mary writes, a 'terrifying realization was still settling into my chest. I'm going to lose my son!' 9 His parents, Mary Catherine and Jameson Reeder, tell the harrowing story in a new book. They weren't totally alone, though. Other boats soon came to their assistance including one with a nurse onboard who swam to the Reeders with a first aid kit, despite the fact that the shark was likely still nearby and there was blood in the water. Racing back to the shore, Mary feared the worst. 'He had lost so much blood, more than I'd ever seen,' she remembers. 'I was trying to keep him awake, to get him to keep his eyes open, praying that he wouldn't die.' When they reached the marina, an ambulance was waiting to transport Jameson to a nearby church — where a helicopter would airlift him to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, a thirty-minute flight away. There, as doctors examined his injuries, the extent of the damage was clear. As the Reeders explain, the surgeons couldn't save Jameson's leg, because there was nothing left to save. 9 Through footage obtained with Jameson Jr.'s GoPro camera, they were able to ascertain that it was a bull shark — eight to 10 feet long, weighing between 300 and 500 pounds. ABC News 'I had been worried that my son might lose his life. Then I'd been worried that Jameson would lose his leg, but in this moment I realized he had already lost it,' adds Mary. While she and her husband deliberated over giving permission to amputate their son's leg, a doctor intervened. 'You don't have to make this decision,' he told them. 'The shark made it for you. You're off the hook.' The family learned that it almost certainly had been a bull shark — eight to 10 feet long, weighing between 300 and 500 pounds. 'We hadn't seen it,' adds Mary. 'A quarter‐ton animal twice as long as our kid had snuck up on us.' 9 The boy had to be airlifted from the marina to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. Jameson Reeder Jr / Instagram In a wild twist, their suspicions were confirmed when the boy's GoPro video camera was recovered — and the Reeders could see exactly what had happened. First there was a shadow. Then a tail and a fin. A cloud of blood filled the screen before a shark's tooth appeared and then drifted out of view. 'It wasn't an exaggeration to say he had fought a Goliath and won,' says Jameson Sr. Statistically, write the Reeders, you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning on five separate occasions than you do of ever being attacked by a shark. 9 Doctors said there was no way to save the boy's leg. Jameson Reeder Jr / Instagram What's more, there had never been a single recorded shark attack at Looe Key Reef in recorded history. Jameson had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the boy awoke after 10-hour surgery he said he couldn't feel his toes. A doctor asked what he remembered of the incident and why he thought he couldn't feel them. Then the realization kicked in. 'He didn't say anything,' writes Mary. 'He was processing the question, trying to find his way from it to an impossible and horrible answer.' 9 Shortly after the attack, Jameson Jr. was intent on going back to the reef where it happened. ABC News Jameson required three more surgeries as physicians attempted to graft new skin to what was left of the bottom of his leg. But he shocked his family by saying he wanted to go back to the reef, just four days after the attack. 'Dad,' Jameson said, 'I don't want the shark, this hospital, and my leg to be my worst nightmare. I want to face my fear and move forward.' The attack also had profoundly different effects on his three siblings. Brother Noah, 8, for example, wanted to stick close to Jameson to make sure he was all right. 9 Jameson Jr. got a prosthetic leg three months after the attack. Jameson Reeder Jr / Instagram 9 'I don't want the shark, this hospital, and my leg to be my worst nightmare. I want to face my fear and move forward,' the tween said. Credit: Reeder family Six-year-old sister Eliana, meanwhile, didn't even want to talk about what happened. 'Whenever we tell the story to someone, Eliana goes into another room or covers her ears or puts on headphones,' writes Mary. Youngest brother Nehemiah, 3, thinks his brother is a superhero. 'He brags about it to people,' says Jameson Sr. 'He just thinks it's so cool: 'My brother got bit by a bull shark.'' The family, meanwhile, attributed their son's miraculous survival to their faith. 'I felt so certain that God was leading every snap decision,' writes Jameson Sr. 'Every moment felt like we had been guided into doing the best thing.' Jameson told his parents that in the aftermath of the attack, while he was drifting in and out of consciousness on the boat back to shore, he had seen a 'person on fire' standing on the boat. 'I knew it was Jesus,' he told them, adding: 'It was the worst and best day of my life.' 9 The family attributes their son's miraculous survival to their faith. Jameson Reeder Jr / Instagram Three months after the attack, Jameson — who still swims and skateboards and plays basketball with friends — received his first prosthetic leg. Before the year was over, he went surfing. On the one-year anniversary of the incident, the Reeder family returned to Looe Key Reef to swim in the same waters. 'We did see some sharks when we got in the water. That definitely made it more frightening, more intense,' recalls Jameson Sr. 'But Jameson still jumped in.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
"When Someone Calls Me 'Bro' But Then Calls Me 'Sir' Immediately Afterwards": People Are Sharing The Slightly Funny Moments That Made Them Realize They're Officially Old
The age at which someone feels "old" definitely depends on the individual's perspective of it. So, when we asked some of our readers to share the moment they realized they were old, the responses varied a lot! Here is what was said... 1."When you mention your age, and no longer get the, 'Aww, you look so much younger.' Just an awkward silence and tumbleweed." —pangalacticgargleblaster 2."You know you're old when most of the contacts on your phone begin with 'Dr.'" —silkylight667 3."You no longer give a flying fig newton about what you wear. Comfortable? You wear it, period." —greenjaguar162 4."When high school classmates post selfies on Facebook, and I'm shocked into the realization that I look as 'old' as they do." —fizzy59 5."Two little shits said 'okay auntie' to me when I told them not to eat the unripe cherries from the tree because they will get a tummy ache." —himalayall 6."I was at Ross, cashier very sweetly 'had to ask' if I qualified for senior discount. I asked the age required, she told me, I said, 'Oh no, not yet!'... Then I got in the car and thought about it (did math). I DID QUALIFY, WTAF!?! oops. 😆🤣🤣🤣" —teamglatz3 7."For me, personally, it's when someone calls me 'bro' but then calls me 'sir' almost immediately afterwards." —djn6ix88 "When people started calling me 'sir.'" —icychinchilla458 8."The way I can see through all the tricks that used to work when I was under 35. I know I am old because now I see them coming a thousand yards away!" —trendykid572 9."I knew I was old when I began regularly checking my bathrooms to be sure there was an ample supply of toilet paper…" —icychinchilla458 10."My sister and I were finishing our meal at a restaurant where tables were close together, and we were talking with a couple of guys in their late 20s, early 30s at the next table. When we got up to leave, I said, 'You boys enjoy the rest of your dinner!' I was immediately struck by the thought, 'OMG, when did I become my mother?' Normal me would have said you 'guys,' not 'boys.'" —blinky_bo 11."I'm a 37-year-old woman. I just shaved my head because I felt like it. First time going from medium to short, I also have very dark hair. I knew I was greying on the sides in the front, but OH MY GOD EVERY CLUMP I SHAVED OFF HAD GREY IN IT! WTF." —secretauthor 12."When I started referring to ppl in their 40s as young." —bittersnail65 13."I knew I was getting old when I lost the battle with my weight. Even now, I can lose weight with lots of effort, but no matter how many vegetables I eat, I gain it back eventually. And it just gets harder the older I get. Of course, there are the things going wacko with your body. Started with a little high blood pressure, acid reflux, arthritis, gallbladder, then tearing rotator cuffs just doing every day stuff, and now a stroke. It feels like a cascade effect that I only have minimal input or control over." —truthmatters 14."Just this morning, I picked up an empty trash can — it was narrow, about waist-high, seven pounds max — and sprained my back." —certified_drapetomaniac 15."When the fitness instructor at the gym I was touring said they would play Elvis music if I requested it." —copperadmiral496 16."My daughter said watching bands break up. For me, it's watching them all die! And making sure all my plans end at 8 p.m." —greenjaguar162 17."When they just automatically give you the senior discount." —angryghost237 18."You know you're old when a nun calls you ma'am!" —lorijpain 19."I remember watching Football and thinking, 'Wow, the players all look so young!' Now I think the same thing about the referees." —alwayspickdlast "I was OK when the athletes playing on TV looked like kids to me. Then one day I realized that the COACHES had started to look so much younger." —messysmoothie29 20."I'm 25 and admire people's landscaping and think about houses. I still live with my parents, so I think it's me wanting to move and do my own thing." —smileymug493 21."I refer to myself as 'older.' Old means someone older than me. I'm 73. I flipped out a little when my firstborn turned 50! Of course, I couldn't have a 50-year-old child 😜!" —psychicghost195 22."Saving good boxes is a dead giveaway. Also, realizing that I will be 80 in two months. Seems as though I was only 49 when I went to sleep last night. Still, it beats the alternative." —linnster 23."I knew I had crossed into the old lane when a store clerk called me precious. And now I have the crepey skin! For God's sake, how does that even happen?" —grouchylion27 24."I realized I'd become old when half the attendees at a rock concert had walkers and canes, and the band had their kids and grandkids playing with them." —copperadmiral496 25."I realized I was getting old the first time I saw an old person and realized they might be younger than me." —poeticcadet1782 26."Told a friend about a recipe I loved. When I went to make a copy of it, the notation I made on the recipe was dated 1970. Since we are in 2025, I realized that I had been making it without the cookbook for over 55 years. I suddenly felt ancient." —boringdaredevil43 27."I knew I was old when I saw the article about how they had dug up a time capsule and marveled at its contents. It was buried in 1975 when I was already 25 years old." —skimsword791 28."I really learned I was old when I realized the new pope is much younger than me!" —lovelymug3762 29."I had to stop at a college campus recently to pick up some records. Hadn't been on that campus since I'd gone there almost a decade ago. Looking at all the students my first thought was, 'Why do they all look like babies?!' That's when I realized I was getting older lol." —minibubble32237 30."I knew I was old when I saw a picture where I was in the background facing the wrong way, and my hair was all either gone or half gray!" —collapse finally: "The ultimate realization: In your 20s, you're really worried about what people think about you. In your 30s, you're not really worried about what people think about you. In your 40s and beyond, you realize no one was really thinking about you anyway." —the_great_bambino Do you relate to any of these, or have additional thoughts to share? Let us know in the comments! Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
The Pittsburgh Project is empowering the city's youth through camps and after school programs
The Pittsburgh Project is helping connect with kids in western Pennsylvania with the goal of making a better community. On the city's North Side off of North Charles Street, you'll find Rick Mason. He's one of many adults who likes helping the community's youth. "I love to see kids expand their minds to open up to trying new things," Mason said. The youth are trying new things through the nonprofit's summer camp and after school programs for kids for kindergarten through 12th grade. "It's hard being a parent, I'm a partner and I know that's not always an easy thing," Mason said. It's helping all kinds of care takers from single moms to dual parent households. "To fill the gaps that maybe a school can't fill, so that's our goal, to work with everyone in the community, to make a better community for our youth," Mason said. The faith-based organization provides a third space where kids can enjoy electives like robotics, fitness, and gardening. Some kids in the program are second generation. "My mom was here when she was a kid," said Omari Nicholas. "Pittsburgh Project is good, you should come to Pittsburgh Project." Program directors and teachers articulate the impact of the Pittsburgh Project. "We're excited to just be here to be able to walk along kids in their journey to be able to help them understand their neighborhood is a place that they can be safe in, that their neighborhood is a place they should take care of," said Natasha Thrasher, the Pittsburgh Project's Director of Programs. Mason says that being able to invest in the youth now will empower them to be upstanding citizens for life. The Pittsburgh Project has open registration for its after school programs that start on September 15. More information about the project can be found online.
