Connect with us

Best Of

Single mom of 5 faces jail time for leaving her teen to babysit

If you’re a parent then the chances are high that you’ll be no stranger to stress, nor to cutting corners in a bid to make ends meet.

A lot of stress is around childcare. As a parent you must always make sure there is someone available for babysitting or entertaining the kids when you are not there.

No mother or father is perfect. We all make mistakes along the way – put simply, that’s part of the process that is parenthood.

And yet one single mother of five from Georgia is apparently facing jail time for doing something that I’m fairly certain others are guilty of. Unsurprisingly, her case is diving opinion online, with many of the opinion that she’s being treated harshly.

According to reports, Melissa Henderson is a busy mom who tries to make ends meet by working to provide for her children.

Of course, playing the role of family provider while also being the sole carer for five kids is no easy feat. Usually, her youngest son, Thaddeus, attends day care, but when said day care was closed down due to a COVID-19 outbreak, Melissa was forced to look for someone who could mind him.

Unfortunately, after exhausting her options, the hardworking mom was left with no choice but to ask her oldest daughter, 14, if she could babysit Thaddeus while she went to work. The teen agreed to do the babysitting.

At some point during the day, Thaddeus is said to have slipped outside while his older sister was doing schoolwork. He played for around 15 minutes before the 14-year-old realized that he had gone and went outside to bring him in.

No harm was done, but a neighbor had spotted the boy playing alone and, concerned for his well being, called 911.

Two weeks later, the police showed up at Melissa’s home and placed her under arrest for criminal reckless conduct.

Speaking to Inside Edition, Melissa confessed: “It was the most embarrassing and humiliating day, honestly, of my life.”

Credit – Melissa Henderson/Facebook

As per Little Things, the police report focused on what might have happened to Thaddeus while he was outside alone, including being “kidnapped, run over or bitten by a venomous snake.”

If convicted of the crime she’s charged with, mom Melissa could face one year in jail and $1,000 in fines.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is a bit of an overreaction on the part of the authorities.

Sure, it’s not good to have a 4-year-old potentially placed in harm’s way by being outside alone, but I don’t see how Melissa did anything majorly wrong in trusting her teenage daughter to look after Thaddeus.

What do you think? Should this mom face possible jail time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box on Facebook.

Meanwhile, share this article on social media to help us continue to generate debate.

Best Of

Why jeans have a tiny pocket inside the bigger one

Have you ever found yourself wondering what the tiny pocket-within-a-pocket is for on your jeans? You know the one I’m talking about; that small, seemingly useless space that doesn’t appear large enough to hold anything.

If you’ve ever tried to see what fits in there, you’ll know it’s far too small for a cellphone, while it’s awkward to jam cash – be it coins or notes – in there. The same goes for a ring of keys; there just isn’t room.

So what are those little pockets for? Well, fortunately for our curious readers, we have something of an answer… and it might not be at all what you were expecting.

Be they male or female models, chances are if you look at a pair of jeans, you’ll find two pockets on the front and two pockets on the back. What you might also find, however, is a strange little pocket inside one of the front pockets.

Go ahead and have a look. Almost all jeans have them, though their presence is enough to leave most of us scratching our heads.

As mentioned above, these pockets are far too small to hold anything of real significance (even getting two fingers into them is a challenge). So what purpose do they actually serve?

Credit / Wikimedia Commons

Interestingly, to find the origin we have to go back almost two hundred years. That little thumbnail-sized pocket isn’t a modern addition to jeans; instead, it was a practical solution for something that’s no longer a real problem today.

Behind the invention is none other than legendary jean manufacturer Levi’s.

According to UK newspaper The Independent, the first ‘extra’ pocket came into use in the 1800s. The reason? To assist the most common wearers of jeans at that point in time… cowboys.

Cowboys usually carried their pocket watches on chains or inside their waistcoats, but both of these methods put the watch at great risk of being broken during their owner’s day-to-day duties.

Cowboy rides into the sunset. Credit / Shutterstock

In order to combat this, Levi’s introduced a small pocket designed to carry a watch safely. By keeping their watches in these tiny pockets, cowboys could ride without fear of them being smashed on a ride.

How’s that for innovation?

If I’m honest, I had no idea. If you ask me, it’s incredible that the design has stuck with jeans all the way through to modern day. Cowboys might no longer be around, but their watch pockets certainly are!

Continue Reading

Best Of

Inside the love story of Hasnat Khan and Princess Diana

Princess Diana was known for her heartfelt visits to hospitals, where she brought joy and hope to those in need.

However, one visit turned into something far more — a passionate love affair that remained shrouded in secrecy for years.

It’s 1995 – just two months prior to the infamous Panorama interview that would forever alter Diana’s life. You might remember that interview, when Princess Diana came clean about her struggles with mental health and the trials of her marriage, capturing the world’s empathy.

Two months before that interview, Diana crossed paths with a handsome doctor, a Muslim whose dark good looks were compared to the charming actor Omar Sharif.

The dashing heart surgeon, Dr. Hasnat Khan, worked at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. But how did this unlikely pair end up together?

Diana at Royal Brompton Hospital / Getty Images

Well, that’s because Joe Toffolo, the patient who underwent surgery, was married to Oonagh Shanley-Toffolo, an Irish nun and acupuncturist who was a close confidante of Princess Diana.

After the initial visit, Diana returned to the hospital almost daily for three weeks, eager to pursue the handsome surgeon. The connection was electric.

Smoked cigarettes and loved KFC

Today, when we look back at countless photos of Diana visiting the hospital, it’s officially stated that she went to cheer up sick children or raise awareness for cystic fibrosis.

That’s definitely true. However, she also had personal reasons. Beneath the surface, her motivations were deeply personal. Because at 35, Diana had discovered a reason to smile once more.

Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan, identified as an “ex-lover” of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales.
(Photo by Stan Karczmarz/Sygma via Getty Images)

When Diana and Khan started seeing each other, it marked Diana’s most serious involvement since her separation from Prince Charles three years earlier.

But it came shrouded in secrecy. Few knew about their budding romance, a bond that seemed improbable at first glance. Dr. Khan, then 37, was a heart surgeon
that was running fat and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day,

He had penchant for late-night jazz clubs and Kentucky Fried Chicken — an unconventional match for the Princess of Wales.

But this didn’t stop Diana.

”He’s drop-dead gorgeous,” Diana reportedly told Oonagh Toffolo.

Secret messages

To keep their love under wraps, Diana cleverly disguised her messages for Khan, using the alias ”Dr. Armani.” They met in secret, often in unconventional spots to avoid prying eyes.

On one occasion, Diana donned a black wig to sneak into Ronnie Scott’s, a famous jazz club in Soho. In another instance, Khan hid in the boot of a car to slip into Kensington Palace, aided by Diana’s loyal butler, Paul Burrell.

Their romance flourished even during casual outings.

Diana, Princess Of Wales, arriving at The Royal Brompton Hospital, Fulham Road, London. The Princess is wearing a high-buttoning pale blue jacket designed by Versace / Tim Graham / Getty Images

One day, when Diana was feeling low, Khan whisked her away to a pub near Harefield Hospital where he had worked. The name? The Prince of Wales.

”She thought it was hilarious,” he recalled with a chuckle.

Diana was so enamored that she even asked her butler to find a priest who could marry them, despite Khan’s Muslim faith. Their love deepened as they spent time together, sharing laughter and discovering each other’s worlds.

Diana reportedly read books on Islam and cherished a photograph of “my dishy doctor.” She even visited Khan’s family in Lahore, Pakistan, where she embraced their culture and enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea.

Met William and Harry

This whirlwind romance took a more serious turn when Diana introduced Khan to her sons, William and Harry.

She described him as “Mr. Wonderful” and, according to her butler Burrell, she referred to Khan as her soulmate. Friends of Diana stated that he was ”the love of her life” and that she expressed distress when their relationship ended.

Yet, as love stories often go, their fairytale faced obstacles.

Muhammad Iqbal, Lady Diana and Jemima Michelle Khan (wife of Imran khan) and his son / Wikipedia Commons

The mounting pressure from the media began to take a toll on their relationship. While Diana was accustomed to the limelight, for Khan, the intense scrutiny was daunting.

He feared that pursuing their relationship publicly could jeopardize his career.

They discussed possible solutions, including moving to Pakistan — a plan that nearly came to fruition. Talks of relocating to Australia or South Africa were also on the table, but nothing materialized. According to The Guardian, Diana’s desire for public acknowledgment clashed with Khan’s reluctance, leading to a heartbreaking conclusion: the romance ended in July 1997.

Khan finds out about Dodi

Just a month later, tragedy struck. In the early hours of August 31, 1997, Diana died in a car crash in Paris, alongside her partner Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul.

Khan was blindsided by the news of Diana’s relationship with Dodi, discovering it only after it became public. ”When I found out, I was really mad; mad as hell,” he confessed in a 2012 interview.

Khan attended her funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Dr Hasnat Khan in 1997. (Photo by Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images)

The shadow of her tragic death looms over him still. “Sometimes I feel like screaming,” Khan shared, reflecting on the emotional turmoil. “There have been very bad times. I have moved on, but it keeps coming back.”

Despite the heartbreak, Khan fondly remembers Diana: ”We all have our drawbacks, but I found her a very normal person with great qualities and some personal drawbacks, like bad habits.”

Hasnat Khan today

In 2006, Khan married Hadia Sher Ali, a 28-year-old woman descended from Afghan royalty, but the couple divorced two years later.

He now lives in the UK, continuing his work as a heart surgeon and engaging in humanitarian efforts in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Reflecting on his life, Khan shared: ”It is very good to be home. I am quite relieved to be home. My blood pressure is stable—I go fishing, I go for walks. It feels like a sanctuary. It’s very peaceful.”

Though the romance between Princess Diana and Dr. Hasnat Khan was short-lived, it remains an interesting chapter in her life, a testament to the complexity of love in the face of royal duty and public scrutiny.

As we remember the Princess, we celebrate not just her legacy, but also the love she shared with a man who saw her for who she truly was—a normal person with extraordinary qualities.

Continue Reading

Best Of

Carer fulfills dying woman’s last wish with song

We all get old and die eventually.

I’m not especially scared of dying, I think it’s something beautiful and natural. On the other hand, I’m terrified of getting old and not being able to look after myself.

To be completely dependent on someone else, not be able to go to the bathroom on your own or remember your childrens’ names. That’s no kind of life.

Maria was living out her final days in a care facility. And she knew that she didn’t have long left to live.

Maria had been a singing and piano teacher her whole life and missed being surrounded by music.

But she was in luck, because one of her old students worked at her care home in Austinburg, Ohio.

Joshua Woodard had been taught by her from when he was 9 years old, so they knew each other well.

Maria’s greatest wish was to hear the song ”How great thou art” before she died.

Of course, Joshua was eager to fulfill Maria’s final wish.

With the song lyrics on his phone, he sang a heartfelt rendition of Maria’s favorite song.

Even sweeter, it turns out that Joshua had known Mary since he was just 9-years-old.

“Hospice workers are angels but this hospice aide is special,” said Marti Adkins Redmond.

“Mary taught voice and piano in her day and this aide Joshua Woodard was one of her students as a kid. Special people hospice workers are!

Maria’s sister-in-law managed to capture the emotional moment on film:

Sadly Maria is no longer with us, which makes this whole clip even more moving.

Make sure you share this beautiful clip with all your friends on Facebook to honour all the staff working tirelessly to take care of our elderly loved ones.

Continue Reading

Trending