Steel yourself, folks

February 21, 2009 3:30 PM

I don't know if you like reading stories about construction workers bringing smiles to the faces of kids with cancer. If you like that kind of stuff, here's a story like that. You might tear up.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders (24 comments total)

I do indeed like stories like that.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:33 PM on February 21

Sweet gesture, guys. Well done.
posted by jonmc at 3:35 PM on February 21

Ah, fuck, you got me.
posted by middleclasstool at 3:37 PM on February 21

There's an ad that plays in the movie theaters in my area for the Jimmy Fund, about Capco steel guys doing the same thing in Boston.

Here it is.

The little girl kissing the window at 0:38 kills me every time.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 3:38 PM on February 21 [1 favorite]

That ad is what immediately came to my mind.
posted by smackfu at 3:43 PM on February 21

No honey, I just had a sneeze attack. That's why my eyes are all red.
posted by Nick Verstayne at 3:46 PM on February 21

Awwwwwwwww, that made my day.
posted by Chan at 3:47 PM on February 21

Talk amongst yourselves....
posted by Morrigan at 3:48 PM on February 21

I did not come in expecting to be so touched.

Amazing.
posted by Lemurrhea at 3:49 PM on February 21

Oh, wow.
posted by Maisie Jay at 3:49 PM on February 21

I could really use a high-five right now.
posted by orme at 3:57 PM on February 21

It didn't get me at first, until I what they were building was a new cancer care center, and that the names of these cancer patients would forever be part of the expanded care facility, for others like them. A pretty cool thing for these guys to do.
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:13 PM on February 21

Yup, I lasted about... four seconds... in the face of such overwhelming heartstring-plucking.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 4:14 PM on February 21

In addition to the Globe's embedded video, there's a slideshow.

Be sure to check out Dana Farber's story about the tradition between Boston Iron Workers Union Local 7 and The Jimmy Fund.

Here's another video.
posted by ericb at 4:18 PM on February 21 [1 favorite]

Today I had some extra time before work so I dropped by the theater to catch an afternoon movie. I decided on Coraline in 3D. It was just me, my wife and kid were home napping. I took my spot, put on my 3d glasses and settled in.

A dad and his son came up the stairs a little into the previews. They took seats right behind me. As they passed me on the stairs to my right, I noticed there was something funny about the boy's hat. And it clicked when the dad put his hand on the kids head to help guide him down the aisle. The boy's hat, and the hair underneath, slid to the left as one solid piece. I'm no judge of age, but I would guess that he was about six or seven years old.

Anyway, during the movie I heard him doing the little kid thing and asking his dad questions about what was going on onscreen. If you haven't seen the movie it gets kind of scary towards the end. The dad was shushing him. I let him know that the kid wasn't bothering me in the least. So the kid felt emboldened and started talking a blue streak. It was perfectly fine with me. I didn't hear anything that happened during the last ten minutes of the movie. His questions were awesome/charming/hilarious.

And when they got up to leave the dad thanked me for being so understanding. I told him it was nothing. The two walked out of the theater holding hands. I hope he was going home and not back to the hospital.
posted by tylerfulltilt at 4:46 PM on February 21 [12 favorites]

"A little in abundance is a lot." Wow.
posted by scody at 5:03 PM on February 21

Goddammit. Something in my eye. Something really really big.
posted by caporal at 5:48 PM on February 21

Forwarded to everyone I know.
posted by ColdChef at 6:31 PM on February 21

Thanks so much for posting this.
posted by dhammond at 6:37 PM on February 21

Stupid sweet stupidsexyFlanders!

*Sniffles*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:18 PM on February 21

*tears up the phone book*

lol, jk. Who has a phone book anymore?
posted by Eideteker at 9:09 PM on February 21

I kept it all together until ericb's links. Jeez Louise. *sniff*
posted by Joey Michaels at 9:31 PM on February 21

Aww, this gave me goosebumps. Thanks for posting. I needed a little positivity this morning.
posted by bunnycup at 7:10 AM on February 22

This is good. Thank you!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:20 AM on February 23