CNN 5 Things 5 Good Things: The TikToker Who Changed a Veteran’s Life
Dec 6, 2025
A heartwarming daddy-daughter dance at a prison restores family bonds, while one creator raises over $1.5 million to support an elderly veteran in need. Two innovative teens develop a resource that helps New Yorkers find affordable housing. New research reveals that our brains may remain in adolescence until around age 32, shedding light on maturity. Additionally, a social twist on chore nights helps friends tackle mundane tasks together, making them more enjoyable. Small acts of kindness and community continue to inspire and uplift.
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Prison Father–Daughter Dance Reunites Families
- At Angola prison, nearly 30 incarcerated fathers donned custom tuxedos to take their daughters to a first-ever father–daughter dance hosted by God Behind Bars.
- The event let men shed labels and create emotional reunions, with dads choreographing a surprise dance for their girls.
TikToker Helps Veteran Escape Lifelong Work
- 88-year-old Detroit veteran Ed Bombas kept working full time after losing his pension and selling his home following his wife's illness and death.
- Australian creator Samuel Wiedenhofer found Ed and launched a GoFundMe that raised over $1.5 million in days to let him stop working.
Teens Build Tool To Find Affordable Housing
- Brooklyn high school seniors Beckett Sahedi and Derek Webster Jr. taught themselves to code and launched Realer Estate to surface below-market NYC apartments.
- Since June, about 60,000 people used the free service and one early user closed on a property found via the site.