In October 2006, Derek Amato dived into the shallow end of a swimming pool at a party in Colorado, hit his head on the concrete bottom, and woke up a pianist. He had never touched a piano in his life.
He was diagnosed with a severe concussion and lost 35% of his hearing and some of his memory.
Four days after the accident he sat down at a friend's piano and played complex, emotionally rich melodies for five hours straight.
He describes the experience as seeing black and white squares moving in a circular pattern in his mind, which guide his fingers across the keys.
“I just follow what the blocks tell me to do," he told CBS News.
He cannot read sheet music and cannot play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but can improvise beautiful original compositions on demand.
Doctors diagnosed him with acquired savant syndrome, a rare condition in which dormant abilities emerge after a brain injury. There are only around 50 well-documented cases globally.
He was named Independent Artist of the Year by the LA Association of Independent Artists in 2007, released his debut album Full Circle, and has given a TED Talk about his experience.
He has continued playing piano for nearly 20 years since the accident and says he would not change what happened to him.
The injury cost him his hearing. It gave him something he still cannot fully explain.
This lady was reunited with her dog after it went missing during a car accident! I can't imagine how relieved she must have been to finally know he was safe! Happy reunion! And that's one big dog!
It's one of my biggest fears! To have one of my critters go missing! What's one of your biggest fears?
Porter, the world’s first driving dog learned how to drive in just 47 days.
He was trained by a driving school in New Zealand that specializes in teaching dogs to drive.
A firefighter vanished during the 9/11 attacks and was never found. Eight years later, his family discovered a photograph capturing him running toward the World Trade Center as crowds rushed away from danger. The image showed Gary Box in his final known moments, heading into the chaos on September 11, 2001.
The story of firefighter Gary Box is a heartbreaking but true account of courage during the September 11 attacks. A 35-year-old member of FDNY’s Squad 1, Box was among the first responders who raced toward the World Trade Center that morning. For years, his family had no clear understanding of his final moments and believed his unit’s vehicle may have been trapped in the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel when the towers collapsed.
That uncertainty ended in 2009 when a Danish photographer who had been in New York on 9/11 came forward with previously unseen photographs. One image showed Box running through the traffic-clogged tunnel in full firefighting gear, carrying his helmet as he headed toward the burning Twin Towers while civilians and vehicles moved in the opposite direction. For his family, the photograph provided a measure of closure, revealing that he had made it through the tunnel and spent his final moments doing what he had always done—running toward danger in an effort to help others.
He never drove a luxury car. Never bought designer stuff. Never took lavish vacations. Never chased attention.
Dale Schroeder worked as a carpenter in Iowa for 67 years at the same company.
He grew up poor during the Great Depression. College was never an option for him. Life was about work, not dreams.
He lived in a modest house. Owned 2 pairs of jeans. One for work. One for church.
No wife. No children. No visible ambition beyond showing up every day and doing his job.
When he passed away in at 86, people assumed there would be little left behind.
They were wrong. Very wrong. He had quietly saved nearly $3 million.
But he did not leave it to distant relatives. He did not fund a building with his name carved in stone.
He created a scholarship fund, and 33 students from his community went to college because of him.
Many studied medicine, education, therapy, and other service professions. Every one of them graduated debt free.
Most people measure success by lifestyle. He measured it by opportunity.
He never had the chance to attend college. So he built that chance for others.
He told nobody of his plans after he left this earth. No headlines while he lived. No viral speeches. Just decades of quiet discipline.
Sometimes the richest person in the room is the one wearing work boots and saying nothing.
Now that's a great man ❤️
Ted was trapped in a well for four days. His sister Penny stayed by his side the entire time, refusing to leave until help arrived. When Ted was finally rescued, he couldn't stop wagging his tail. Today, they're together again. 🐶❤️
People who NOW say Golden Tempo should have run in the Preakness miss the concept of maybe he won today because he didn’t race in the Preakness. The owner and Trainer made a decision for the horse and it led to a win today. Just appreciate a great horse and Trainer!