With Season 3 of the pandemic keeping us in a perpetual state of uncertainty, we have once again relied on uplifting stories to give us hope and happiness. In Long Beach, these were the stories that tugged at our hearts and lifted our spirits—and maybe even inspired us to act.
From a courageous mother walking across the stage on the day her son should’ve been graduating from high school to a life-saving heart surgery of a 6-month-old baby, here are the most uplifting stories of 2021 in no particular order.
Long Beach resident Francis Orozco, 45, was among hundreds of city workers who stepped up to help during the pandemic and also suffered the devastating effect of the virus. The pandemic nearly uprooted her family, but it offered her a new calling to help others like her survive the pandemic.
A neighborhood group honors a local Tongva tribe with a new name as ‘a matter of respect’
North Long Beach residents of the former Grant Neighborhood Association, named for the Ulysses S. Grant elementary school in the neighborhood, voted this year to change its name to the Nehyam Neighborhood Association—”nehyam” meaning “my friend” in the Tongva language.
Customers step up to help a local bar in debt when it hosted a memorabilia sale
Hundreds of customers showed up one Sunday morning in January during a memorabilia sale Thirsty Isle owner James DeBois hosted. Their support helped him cover two month’s worth of his business’ rent after the pandemic caused financial hardships.
A GameStop stock craze that made dreams come true for two locals
A stock market kerfuffle on Wall Street that took place this January between hedge funds and average-Joe stock traders on Reddit led to some big wins for locals. One young man earned over $163,000 and made plans to buy the apartment building where he grew up in and still lives in Central Long Beach. For another local, it gave him enough to buy an engagement ring for his girlfriend and invest in buying a home for his parents.
The rescue efforts of Flipper (renamed Siren) the dog by passersby and lifeguards
In October, private citizens joined forces with lifeguards to rescue a dog who had swum to a buoy near Downtown. Long Beach’s Marine Safety chief was impressed with the dog’s stamina after swimming several hundred yards offshore, calling her “a really good swimmer.” The Shih Tzu mix was about 2 years old.
An entrepreneurial family’s success in a business empire focused on soul food and soul care
Mother-daughter duo Nora Tatum and Mya Pearson shared their desire to work for themselves after lac of work and a foot injury, respectively, found them with more time. Tatum turned to her love of cooking by opening a restaurant and Pearson combined her love of fitness and wellbeing to create healthy foods—right next door to each other.
A Long Beach MMA fighter reconnects with her Cambodian heritage to become a ‘little goddess warrior’
Called the “Sweet Savage,” Sovannahry Em handled situations like bullying and domestic conflict without anger or sadness. Not anymore. With skills that are equal parts precise and ferocious, she is now reconnecting with her Cambodian heritage and becoming a role model for women and girls who may not feel confident enough to stand up for themselves.
Jumped into gangs at a young age, these men now work to help the community they once hurt
Two Long Beach men who were once jumped into the same gang at 9 years old in the city’s Washington neighborhood now use their knowledge of the criminal justice system taught to them at the LA-based Homeboys Industries to better their communities. Specifically, they now lead others out of the gang life through conversations and trainings and work on policies that can better help those who find themselves in similar situations they were once in.
A restaurant was drowning in debt, then the community came to its aid
After a heartfelt video made by Oscar Rodriguez about how his restaurant was on the verge of closing due to the pandemic, customers heeded his call for help by setting up an online fundraiser and helping pay for bills. Even a fellow business owner and a nonprofit stepped to help Cantarito Molito’s Grill in Central Long Beach.
Even though Sean Phoenix Cole-Smith depended on a walker to get around, the 16-year-old used it like a car to zoom around from place to place. Being diagnosed with ataxia telangiectasia also didn’t prevent him from doing things other kids his age did. He learned taekwondo, was in a track and field competition and even experienced his first love. While he wasn’t able to graduate from high school, his teachers made sure his mother could take his place.
A baby’s life-saving heart surgery
Through a new partnership between World Pediatric Project and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, a 6-month-old and her mother were flown from their home island of Barbados to Southern California for a procedure to treat a heart defect the baby was born with. Spoiler alert: The life-saving surgery was successful.