u/VirtuesVice666

Then and now. This is "Ashley Elizabeth Cromwell" or simply "Ash." I drove to my aunts house 2hrs away with my wife and one of our sanctuaries vet techs to find and rescue this kitten. We spent half a day trying to find and capture her. She was starving and severely dehydrated. After rehabilitating in my sanctuary, once she turned 3 months old, she was promptly adopted.

Her third birthday is right around the corner. She is thriving and living a happy life in a loving home. It fills me with happiness when I receive pictures of cats that once lived in my sanctuary. I love rescuing cats ❤️

What happens when a simple cheek swab leads to a friendship that lasts a lifetime? For Hayden Hatfield Ryals and Skye Savren-McCormick, it created a truly special connection.

In 2015, 26-year-old Hayden Hatfield Ryals registered with Be the Match by giving a simple cheek swab. A year later, she learned she was a match for a baby girl who urgently needed a stem cell transplant.

That little girl was Skye Savren-McCormick, who had been diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia shortly before her first birthday in March 2016.

Hayden donated her stem cells, but because of the required one-year anonymity period, she and Skye’s family could not immediately meet. Once that period ended, Hayden reached out to Skye’s mother, Talia.

Their story took an even more beautiful turn when Hayden invited Skye to be the flower girl at her wedding in Hartford, Alabama.

After receiving medical clearance, Skye and her parents traveled from California for the special day. At the wedding rehearsal, Hayden saw Skye in person for the very first time and immediately dropped to her knees, overwhelmed by the emotional moment.

On the wedding day, Skye walked down the aisle scattering flower petals while wearing a pearl bracelet Hayden had gifted her, engraved with her name.

What began with a cheek swab and a stranger’s decision to help became something much bigger—a bond between two families who now hope to remain part of each other’s lives forever.

This is baking dough

Credit: @thehouseofautomata on TikTok

He’s most horrifying when cooked