Santa Gets Some Help: 5 Most Uplifting Stories

It's almost crunch time for holiday shopping, so no surprise that some examples of generosity make this week's list of uplifting stories:

• Woman Pays $20K in Others' Layaway Costs: Shoppers who couldn't pay for items on the spot at a Massachusetts Toys 'R' Us no longer have to worry about paying at all. That's thanks to an anonymous woman who paid off every single account at the store—all 150 of them—at a cost amounting to $20,000. She's got a simple slogan to explain her generosity.
• Walmart Worker Gives Own Cash to Help Customer: A Walmart cashier in Rotterdam, NY, was helping check out an elderly customer when she realized he didn't have enough cash on hand to pay for his whole order. She fixed that by digging into her own wallet.

• Dad Rushes Into Fire to Save Young Son: As Johnathon Robertson's home in Grand Prairie, La., went up in flames last Friday night, the 42-year-old Navy veteran shunned his survival instincts and heeded his paternal ones. He died as a result—but his young son is alive.
• Troopers Drive Woman Across Utah to See Sick Son: When 87-year-old Helen Smith of Nevada learned that her son was near death in a Utah hospital, she hopped in her car and began the 350-mile trip. The problem is she got stopped by a Utah state trooper, who took away her keys. He made sure she got to see her son, however, with a little help from his fellow troopers.
• Baby Born Between Airports: A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Phoenix from San Francisco made an emergency landing with one extra passenger aboard. It helped that a doctor and nurse were on board, to safely usher in the new arrival.

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