For Bruno Ferretti, family is the light of his life, but a few months ago, he feared his time with them was running out.

Bruno Ferretti, diagnosed with chronic kidney disease: “I was actually speaking to a dermatologist. He recommended, ‘Hey, let’s just get some quick blood work.’ Two weeks later, he calls me, and he leaves me a voice message, and he’s like, ‘Hey, you need to go to the hospital immediately. Something’s very wrong with you.'”

At 35 years old, Bruno was diagnosed with Stage 4 chronic kidney disease.

Bruno Ferretti: “Mine were so far gone that by the time that I found out, my only two options were going to be dialysis for the rest of my life or a transplant.”

Bruno has hypertension, which is one of the most common causes of chronic kidney failure. His kidneys went from functioning at 36% to just 7%.

When he was diagnosed, his wife was six months pregnant with their first child.

Bruno Ferretti: “Am I going to be OK, and is my wife going to raise a child without a father?”

But their neighbor, Chris Staton, refused to let that fear become their future.

Chris Staton, donating kidney: “He put it out there that, Hey, if anybody wants to donate,’ and by the time he said that, I was already on the website registering.”

Chris has saved lives on the front lines as a Miami-Dade County firefighter. He did not think twice about donating his kidney to save Bruno.

Chris Staton: “I love the guy. I love his wife, I love his kid, and I could never live with myself if he had to do three years of dialysis and may never get a kidney. That’s just not a question.”

After some grueling tests, screenings and evaluations, Bruno got the news he needed.

Bruno Ferretti: “One in a 100,000 chance. He was a perfect match.”

Arlette Cartaya: “Every time that I think about it, there’s no words to say how grateful I am for what he’s done and how he stepped up. There’s no way to repay him.”

Bruno could have spent the next three to five years waiting for a kidney. But in just a matter of weeks, Chris will give him a lifeline, here at Cleveland Clinic.

Chris Staton: “I never thought twice about it. I was proud to be the one that’s giving it to him.”

And Bruno will be forever grateful to Chris for saving his life.

Bruno Ferretti: “One of the things that he told me is, the most important thing to him was seeing his children grow up, and he told me, ‘I want you to share these things that I’ve been able to see with my children.'”

He hopes to use this experience to spread awareness about chronic kidney disease.

Bruno Ferretti: “Get your blood work done every six months. There were not a lot of signs. I did have a cardiologist. I would see him regularly. They never caught it.”

Now, Chris is not just a firefighter, or Bruno’s neighbor. He’s the man who’s giving Bruno’s family a brighter future.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

Since Chris Staton is the sole provider for his family, a GoFundMe page was created ahead of his surgery that is expected to keep him away from work for two months. Click here if you would like to donate.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com

Imagine going weeks without clean clothes or a clean blanket. It’s a reality for many South Florida families.

Rich Markiewicz, coordinator, Laundry Love South Florida: “They don’t make enough money, especially with the cost of rents and food and everything else.”

Rich Markiewicz is the coordinator of Laundry Love South Florida. It’s an organization that provides free laundry services for low-income and homeless families.

The idea came to him four years ago after a meeting with a church leader.

Rich Markiewicz: “She told us about the things that they did to help the homeless and poor in their neighborhood. I asked her, ‘If there was one thing you could do that you don’t currently do, what would that be?’ And she said, ‘Cleaning clothes for our clients.'”

He did some research, and came across an organization called the National Laundry Love Association.

Rich Markiewicz: “I was convinced that I wanted to kind of recreate what they were doing.”

Rich and members of his church formed Laundry Love South Florida.

With the help of donations, the group provides the detergent, and dollars, to help families wash their clothes once a month at a laundromat in Hollywood.

Rich Markiewicz: “We do closer to 300, 400 loads of laundry a month, so it’s grown a lot.”

Rich recently expanded Laundry Love South Florida to two other cities: Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

Billy Salter helped launch the Fort Lauderdale location last month.

Billy Salter: “To be able to be a part of providing some level of support for the folks in the community means a tremendous deal to me.”

For three hours, the laundromat was packed as guests were able to wash their clothes, shoes, even bedding, all for free.

Ashley Kendrick, Laundry Love guest: “It took a load off for me this week, and I’m really thankful.”

In the first hour alone, more than a dozen people got their clothes washed and dried.

Kerry Herndon, Laundry Love guest: “I have been homeless for 14 years. This is a blessing, really, you know what I mean? To help keep us looking decent.”

Billy says seeing so many people who needed help was a humbling experience.

Billy Salter: “We’re not doing anything massive, but for someone to come in and visit us and allow us to help them get clean clothes and leave feeling like they have a little more dignity when they leave than when they came, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Along with a basket of clean clothes and a free meal, Rich says many of the guests also leave the laundromat with a renewed sense of hope.

Rich Markiewicz: And just the fact, sleeping on clean sheets, having clean clothes to put on in the morning, is terrific.”

And for so many, a little love goes a long way.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Laundry Love South Florida
allsaintsfl.org

Diana Thar has congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. She needed oxygen and the help of a scooter.

Today she met us inside her Fort Lauderdale apartment building. But not long ago, she was sleeping outside.

Diana Thar, helped by Community Court: “Well, we lived literally on the street, on the concrete, for many, many months.”

Diana and her sister Carol were evicted last year and ended up homeless.

Diana Thar: “The most scariest moment a woman could ever have in her life.”

Last October, Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Michael Carabine found Diana sleeping on private property.

Diana Thar: “I could have been arrested by being on the property and charged with trespassing.”

But instead of handcuffing her, the deputy diverted Diana into a program that would change her life.

Diana Thar: “When they told me about it, I said, ‘I’ll do it.'”

“It” is Community Court. The specialized program launched in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, expanded to Pompano Beach last year, and is now set to start in Hollywood in January.

Despite the name, Community Court isn’t held in a courtroom, although it “does” have a judge.

Broward County Judge Florence Taylor Barner: “You know, there’s no fear, because there’s no judgment here.”

No judgment may seem like a surprising thing for Broward County Judge Florence Taylor Barner to say about her hearings.

Judge Florence Taylor Barner: “I know, but I am not here to judge anyone, what’s going on in their life. I just want to see what whatever I can do to help.”

And those in this room, care.

Judge Barner leads the proceedings.

Judge Florence Taylor Barner: “We do have a dentist that we can send you to as well.”

Nonprofits are there to help find people what they need, like housing, health care and jobs.

Judge Florence Taylor Barner: “The beauty of this court is putting all these folks in one room.”

Those eligible include nonviolent offenders charged with things like trespassing, disorderly conduct and public intoxication. The court also accepts walk-ins, meaning people not charged with anything, just needing something.

Judge Florence Taylor Barner: “I see children. I see full families come into community court.”

Those who follow the rules, and complete 10 hours of community service, get a graduation ceremony and their charges dismissed.

Diana had her trespassing charge dismissed.

Diana Thar: “They renewed my faith in people.”

People like Pompano Beach Social Services manager Cassandra Rhett.

Cassandra Rhett: “Diana has a degree in survival, a doctorate degree in survival.”

Diana Thar: “I probably wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for her. She was our guardian angel.”

Diana and Carol moved into their new apartment in May. She pays a portion of the rent from her Social Security. The rest is paid by a nonprofit.

Diana Thar: “I mean, that’s the first thing we did, was cried and said, ‘We made it.'”

Sadly, just weeks later, her sister passed away. Diana is grateful it was not on the street.

Diana Thar: “Yeah, we considered it our forever home.”

A reminder of the power of community — both in court and in life.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach Community Court
17th.flcourts.org/community-court
fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-a-h/city-manager-s-office/office-of-neighbor-support/homeless-initiatives/community-court

7’s Karen Hensel has today’s 7 Spotlight.

These mats were made to foster fierce martial artists. But more than that, they’re fostering hope.

Michael Fernandez/owner of First Order of Jiu-Jitsu: “The reason we opened up is to be different, and for a group that society doesn’t really touch much on. We have the Just Us Two program, a program that’s designed for kids on the spectrum.”

Friday nights at First Order of Jiu-Jitsu in Miami are filled with hands-on training specifically for children and teens with special needs.

Michael Fernandez: “So some of them don’t have motor skills, fine motor skills, and just holding a gi, holding somebody, holding somebody down, carrying somebody, it’s working the total body.”

But parents aren’t allowed to just drop-off and go. They’re required to hit the mat with their children.

Michael Fernandez: “This gives the parents one hour to really work with their child, get to know their child from all angles. It’s an hour for you and your child with no interruptions.”

Michael and his wife Christine opened First Order of Jiu-Jitsu in 2016. Together, they have years of experience in martial arts and working with special needs children.

Michael Fernandez: “It’s not just me that runs this. My wife helps, all the parents help. We integrate ourselves with all the students and that is what makes this place. I’m just one person.”

Between hours of school and therapy, parents say that one class with their children is priceless and they’ve found a family like no other.

Angely Angel: “We’re constantly looking at our kids behind a screen on an iPad, but we’re not engaging with our kids. And a lot of the time we feel like we’re losing time with our children because we want them to have these therapies.”

Through the program, parents have seen their children open up in ways they never imagined possible.

Charlie Weiss: “I’ve seen his confidence, I mean, skyrocket. He’s now involved in whitewater rafting, soccer, swimming, he does it all. And I really do attribute this program for giving him the confidence to do those type of things.”

For these families, it’s more than a dojo.

Angely Angel: “He’s given us a place for us to be able to have a home, and so, it’s been spectacular.”

This is a community where children can build confidence, strength and bright future.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

More Information:
First Order of Jiu-Jitsu

Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk neighborhood has a rich history.

Yana Danzig, founder, Brushstrokes for History: “This area was kind of the heart of the Black community in Fort Lauderdale for many years.”

Seventeen-year-old aspiring artist Yana Danzig has spent the past several months learning all she could about the area. She became interested after volunteering in a service project to help revitalize Sistrunk.

Yana Danzig: “They were already painting colorful and beautiful designs on pieces of plywood to put up on buildings like these.”

Yana says she learned so much about the history here, she wanted to share it with others. So she decided to do it in the way she knows best: through painting.

Yana Danzig: “I just really feel motivated and driven to help communicate with people through art.”

Yana has created her own nonprofit, called Brushstrokes for History.

Yana Danzig: “It’s really about empowering community members and students to really create art that represents how they want their own stories and community to be viewed.”

During the summer, she held art classes at local community centers.

Her students created paintings of the neighborhood’s early leaders, including its namesake, Dr. James Sistrunk, Broward County’s first Black doctor.

Yana Danzig: “So this portrait is kind of an anime version of the main famous portrait of Dr. Sistrunk.”

And now, the art is finding a home. This past weekend, Yana teamed up with Bbroward College for its BC Cares service project. They gave an old vacant building a new coat of paint, and used the children’s paintings to cover up the broken windows and doors.

Yana Danzig: “The building itself has so much history.”

The paintings were installed at the former Cone Plaza on Sistrunk Boulevard. The building opened in the 1950s as a hat shop that attracted both Black and white customers.

Yana Danzig: “Here we have a painting depicting Kathleen C. Wright, who was an influential Black school board member.

Yana knows the paintings won’t last forever, so she’s creating an online gallery where the paintings, and the stories they tell, can be shared with everyone.

Yana Danzig: “It would be really cool for people who don’t necessarily walk by here every day to still be able to learn about the history and understand why this area is so important to so many people.”

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Brushstrokes for History

Karen Hensel has today’s 7 Spotlight.

These kids are not here to create viral videos or post on Instagram.

Carlos Aleman/teaches anime workshops: “This is their chance to disconnect from technology and social media and all that.”

What these artists are here for requires just a pad, pencil and a passion for anime.

Carlos Aleman: “Anime is just the Japanese term for animation. So they are very inspired by western comics. The way we love Japanese anime, they love Marvel and DC and all that.”

Carlos Aleman is an artist in his own right, creating these Asian-inspired paintings that burst with color.

Carlos Aleman: “Well, it’s not good enough Art Basel, so they say. There’s highbrow and there’s lowbrow and I’m just the regular guy. I’m not very sophisticated.”

A humble artist, who teaches the next generation twice a week inside the Sunrise Civic Center.

This is where kids and teens have an opportunity to share a unique South Florida experience.

Carlos Aleman: “I’m not aware of anyone else doing anything like this. There could be, but I’m not aware of it.”

We had a chance to watch as Carlos started drawing circles and lines on a white board. His work ultimately becoming quite the “character.”

The young, budding artists are clearly “drawn” to anime.

Ella/10-years old: “I like the language of Japanese and the storyline. Most of the storylines in anime, they’re pretty epic.”

Leia/11 years old: “I really like anime because of the story and the character designs. I watch a lot of anime and it like inspires me.”

Kayden/10 years old: “Art makes me feel so good sometimes. Like when I feel like really, really, really, really sad, I just draw something. I forgot all about it.”

Thirteen-year-old Dylainey has been coming to classes here for about six months.

Dylainey: “The Japanese style is more free. You’re allowed to do more of what you want it to look like.”

And that was clear as they held up their work , each looking different even though they were drawing the same character.

Sabrina/10 years old: “When I started, like I hated my drawings and now it’s like, really good. I like it.”

Carlos Aleman: “So if you’re a geek like me and many others, in Japan they’re called the Otakus, you don’t care what people think. You just go where your passion leads you.”

A passion that is now instilling confidence in these young artists.

Carlos Aleman: “It’s just amazing how good they get over time.”

Carlos Aleman’s anime workshops cost $12 per class.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

More Information:
Japanese anime workshops 
Carlos Aleman’s art

They are soldiers clad in camouflage, serving their country with discipline, determination, and … rap?

Kervens Jackson, Piper High School band director: “A rapper in the Army? Is that real?”

It is now. Meet Staff Sgt. Lamar Riddick, an artist who rhymed his way into the ranks of the Army and hails from South Florida.

Lamar Riddick, U.S. Army Field Band rapper: “It’s so amazing to do this full time and to serve the country.”

Since 1946, the Army Field Band has allowed soldiers to serve their country through song.

Now, for the first time ever, they’re bringing hip-hop to the center stage.

Lamar Riddick: “It didn’t dawn on us until, I think, after we got the job that we were the first in military history.”

Riddick was a Christian rapper before joining the Army.

Lamar Riddick: “I’m definitely a believer. At the end of the day, my goal is to revive the culture and encourage people to be all they can be.”

He saw an opportunity to do that on a bigger scale, in the U.S. Army, auditioning for the field band in 2021.

He has performed on national TV and worldwide.

Lamar Riddick: “I think the world heard us when we went over there. The impact of bringing rap music in a place that hasn’t had rap music in that particular event, around all NATO alliances, that still feels like a fairy tale.”

Now a staff sergeant, Lamar Riddick got his start and made his mark at Piper High School in Sunrise. This is where his musical talents took off.

Kervens Jackson: “He’s right here.”

And his picture still hangs in the band room where he first met school band director Kervens Jackson.

Kervens Jackson: “I was really in shock because someone just – when you meet someone, you don’t just kind of give them a hug, but he just gave me a hug, and from there, I knew he was someone that’s very special. I think that’s one thing about him, his determination to be great in everything that he does.”

Lamar played the Scarecrow in his school performance of “The Wiz.”

His former choir director, Traci Fuller, still works as his vocal coach.

Traci Fuller: “When I speak with him, and when we talk about some of the things he’s working on now, he has that spirit of excellence in everything that he does.”

Lamar says Jackson and Fuller were more than just his teachers.

Lamar Riddick: “Because I was living in a kind of a split household, you know, back and forth between my mom and dad, sometimes during the school days, they were really like my school parents.”

Now, Lamar is impacting lives here in South Florida. His name is used as inspiration for students at Piper High.

Kervens Jackson: “If you’re in my class, you know about Lamar Riddick. I share this with the students to show them that they can strive to do excellence in every level in their lives.”

Because it was that kind of determination that landed Lamar literally center stage.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

“If you can see it, you can be it.”

Members of the Miami Marlins are sharing that message with some of baseball’s youngest fans, especially the girls.

Miami Marlins President Caroline O’Connor and general manager Kim Ng are the only all-female executive team in professional sports.

Kim Ng, Miami Marlins general manager: “Very humbling. Very humbling when I sit back and think about it.”

Kim was hired as the Marlins’ general manager in 2020, making her the first woman to ever serve as a GM in Major League Baseball. The team made history again when Caroline was promoted to president of business operations. She is only the second woman in the league’s history to reach that position.

Caroline O’Connor, Miami Marlins president: “It’s a privilege to have this role and have the platform that comes with it.”

Reaching the top ranks didn’t come easy for the two women. They both grew up with a love of baseball, but knew pursuing careers in the sport would be tough.

Kim Ng: “I never really had women to look to. Watching the young women and young girls and, you know, knowing that this is now a possibility for them.”

Women hold less than a third of the front office positions in Major League Baseball.

Kim and Caroline see their time with the Marlins as a way to help change those numbers.

Caroline O’Connor: “We’re one of the first teams to step up to participate in the league’s initiatives around diversity.”

The team has been holding special events geared toward women.

Kim Ng: “For those of you who this is your first time to loanDepot Park, welcome!”

The Women’s Empowerment Night at a recent game was all about networking. Everyone had a chance to meet with some of South Florida’s female CEOs and business leaders, and hear their stories of overcoming adversity.

Kim Ng: “That was a lot of fun and a lot of energy and a lot of great ideas, and really, you know, incredible, you know, empowered women with great resumes. And I think it really shows the power of what we’re trying to do here.”

And it’s that power that’s really scoring a home run.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Bella Duarte-Crespo was born with spina bifida. Over the years, the 16-year-old has had four surgeries.

Bella Duarte-Crespo, lost wheelchair on international trip: “My left leg is a little more smaller and a little weaker than my right side, because I’ve had to overcompensate my whole life when it comes to walking, or even just standing for long periods of time, I have pain.”

It’s why Bella needs this wheelchair, which also turns into a walker. But what happened in June, left her without a crucial piece of her life.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “I’m low-key freaking out a little bit.”

Bella and her family left from Miami on an American Airlines flight to London to catch a connecting British Airways flight to Rome.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “We’re like, ‘OK, my luggage goes straight to Rome, my wheelchair, we also want to go straight to Rome.'”

But Bella’s wheelchair didn’t make it to Rome.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “We had to wait in line to file a claim. It was a whole fiasco.”

An Apple AirTag showed her wheelchair was still at London’s Heathrow Airport. They called the airport and both airlines.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “The more we called and called and called, we kept being reassured that, OK, it would be on the next flight over, or the next flight over or, ‘Sorry about that. It’ll be on the next flight over.'”

It wasn’t, and frustration grew.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “They’re like, ‘At this point, you should just buy a new one,’ and I was like, ‘You’re kidding, right? Buy a new wheelchair, when I’m in a foreign country?'”

The family was able to secure a rental wheelchair for Bella just in time for their cruise.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “Without that safety net, I definitely would have been hindered and limited. Overall, I was still able to do a good chunk of the things, which I’m really glad for.”

It took 15 days, but…

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “Finally it arrived. Ironically enough, it arrived the day before we were coming back to Miami.”

Bella has long advocated for those with disabilities, and this time is no exception. But she didn’t want to make this just about airing her complaints to the airlines.”

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “It’s more about what can we do to improve rather than pointing fingers at people.”

In 2022, major U.S airlines mishandled more than 11,000 wheelchairs and scooters.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “I am willing to be the voice for disabled travelers.”

Bella wrote an open letter to the CEOs of British Airways and American Airlines.

She proposed ideas, including an “innovative tagging system” and “dedicated case managers” to handle lost or damaged mobility aids.

Bella Duarte-Crespo: “I’m here to provide a solution, to collaborate and kind of make whatever airline decides to reach out, [make them] the pioneers for accessibility in air transportation, because this can be a huge movement.”

In a statement to 7News, British Airways said: “We’re investigating the matter and are in direct contact with our customer to apologize and address their complaint.”

American Airlines told us: “A member of our team has been in touch to apologize for her experience and thank Bella for her efforts to improve air travel for those with disabilities.”

Teresa Crespo, Bella’s mom: “Coming from a 16-year-old, that perspective, and the fact that she’s open to listen and include any other people with disability, that’s definitely a no-brainer in my eyes, of course. Then again, I’m the mother.”

A mother, proud of her teenager’s tenacity and passion to help drive change in the skies.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Disability advocate Bella Duarte-Crespo’s open letter to British Airways and American Airlines.

U.S. Department of Transportation information on flying with wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

Whether Americano, espresso, or cafecito, South Floridians love their coffee.

That includes our first responders.

Jason Patton, Fire Department Coffee: “We just need that caffeine motivation to make sure we’re getting through the day appropriately.”

Jason Patton is a South Florida firefighter. He’s also the vice-president of Fire Department Coffee. The company, started in 2016, developed a large selection of specialty roasts and blends.

Jason Patton: “So we came up with, obviously, all the different types of espressos and blends, but we also have our full spirit-infused line — Irish whiskey, vanilla bean, bourbon, all the fun stuff.”

But this coffee is more than just a delicious brew. A portion of each purchase helps support a special cause.

Jason Patton: “The main mission of it was to create premium, high quality coffee, but also have a foundation of giving back to sick and injured first responders.”

Jason says firefighters are not only at risk of physical injury. They can also develop mental health issues.

Jason Patton: “So many firefighters and first responders deal with it, just because of the the things that we see and hear every day.”

The company wanted to help firefighters across the country, so each month, they create a new coffee for a local department with proceeds going to help those firefighters.

Jason Patton: “We’re going to make that roast specific to the area.”

It’s called the “Fire Department Coffee Club. This month, Fire Department Coffee is honoring Miami-Dade firefighters with a brew called Salty Flamingo.

Jason Patton: “This being Miami, we wanted a high-caffeine espresso roast. I mean, it’s Miami; it’s highly caffeinated all the time.”

People can buy the coffee and a matching T-shirt online or at select stores. A portion of the proceeds goes to the local union, which created a foundation to help Dade firefighters receive counseling.

John Lancaster, First Responders Resiliency Foundation: “The image that people see is, we can handle everything, but in the end — you know, 18 years, I can tell you — everything sits in the back of your head, and when you’re able to talk to someone and kind of let it out, it helps ease it.”

For Jason, knowing he’s helping ease the pain for his fellow firefighters is like a dream come true.

Jason Patton: “It’s humbling because I believe a lot of us want to make a difference, but sometimes we either don’t know how or just don’t have the means to be able to do it.”

If you want to help, click here to buy Salty Flamingo.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

From the classroom to the kitchen, these students are learning what it takes to work in the restaurant industry. And one chef is making sure they cook up the best they have to offer.

Chef Christian Velez: “So we’re definitely not just making peanut butter and jelly.”

Chef Christian Velez spent years in the kitchen at one of South Florida’s most well-known hotels.

Chef Christian Velez: “I was executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton.”

He knows how to work under pressure.

Chef Christian Velez: “Oh, yes. Yes, I was previously on the Spring Baking Championship of Food Network.”

Now, he’s going behind the scenes to help create the next generation of great chefs.

He is the instructor for the Arc Culinary program, which is part of Arc Broward. It’s a 16-week course for young adults with developmental disabilities.

Chef Christian Velez: “We talk a little bit about nutrition, education, definitely food safety, pretty much getting them ready for the work field.”

He started volunteering for Arc Broward two years ago and was recently hired as a culinary instructor. Even with his experience working for major hotels, and competing on TV, he says this is the most rewarding job he’s ever had.

Chef Christian Velez: “It’s about equality, it’s about empowerment, and so, who doesn’t want to be in an environment like that?”

His students feel the same way. Julian Coker says Christian’s course hasn’t been easy, but he’s enjoyed the challenge.

Julian Coker: “I think it’ll just help get me more experience, because my experience was a little down.”

All of the students’ hard work is put to the test at the end of the term, and it happens in the center’s Emeril Lagasse Foundation Innovation Kitchen.

Chef Christian Velez: At the student luncheon, it’s the culmination of everything that they learn throughout the program.”

Christian and Arc Broward help students find jobs after the course ends.

Patrick Jones didn’t have to go far. He now works at Arc Broward, in the same kitchen where he first learned how to cook.

Patrick Jones, program graduate: “It makes me busy a lot, instead of staying home and doing nothing and then bossing my parents around whenever.”

Christian hopes all of his students come out of the program with not only some cooking experience, but also the confidence to know they can handle whatever life throws at them.

Chef Christian Velez: “And that’s a big part of the program, too, is letting them realize that, and so they know that they’re more than capable.”

And thanks to Chef Christian, they will be ready for the challenge.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

For more information about Arc Culinary, click here.

And if you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

We headed out on the water off the coast of Boynton Beach, but this fishing expedition wasn’t for mahi-mahi, wahoo or even spiny lobster.

Our eyes were set on lionfish.

Nate Sorensen, Lionfish Extermination Corp: “The biggest problem with this fish is, it has zero predators in this area.”

Make that marine predators, because divers Nate Sorensen and Alex Borsutzky of Lionfish Extermination Corporation are a two-man creature catching machine.

Nate Sorensen: “The fact that we only target lionfish and our brains are triggered, focused on lionfish, that’s all we want.”

And it is the only fish allowed on this boat.

Alex Borsutzky, Lionfish Extermination Corp: “I tell you, it’s a passion for the reef.”

Reefs that have been harmed by a lionfish invasion.

Experts say they were first found along the Florida coast in the mid-1980s, likely released from aquariums.

And, as these red dots show, their numbers have exploded over the decades.

Alex Borsutzky: “Just eating as much as they can. It’s a free buffet for them. All they do is eat and sleep, eat and sleep and reproduce.”

That’s why Nate and Alex are out here at least once a week.

Alex Browning: “You feel like you guys are making a difference?”

Alex Borsutzky: “I think so. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”

In late July, the pair caught something else: fire on social media.

Their TikTok videos have gone viral. A few racked up millions of views each.

Nate Sorensen: “Within 16 days, I had 100,000 followers.”

It’s now more than 170,000 and counting.

Nate Sorensen: “It blows my mind that people, everyone’s seeing this. I’ve had friends call me from across the country and say, ‘Hey, I’ve seen you on TikTok.'”

Alex Borsutzky: “Then you have the other comments where they say, ‘Oh, my God, you’re killing such a beautiful fish,’ and then you have to explain why we’re doing it.”

Nate Sorensen on TikTok: “It brings me no joy killing these beautiful fish, none at all. But they’ve got to go, unfortunately.”

From Goliath groupers to sea turtles, sharks to shipwrecks, the videos open a window into the underwater world.

One I got to experience diving with Nate. Propelled by a scooter, he used a pole spear to snag lionfish after lionfish after lionfish.

Even picking up a piece of trash along the way.

Alex Borsutzky: “Since we’re here, we might as well clean the reef.”

Nate Sorensen: “Sometimes, we get two to three times this in one dive, in a single time. We do five dives; add that up, and we’ve got 100 pounds in a day sometimes.”

With millions of views online, many are wondering, what happens to the lionfish once they’re on ice.

Alex Borsutzky: “Whatever we catch, we sell it to a restaurant.”

Nate Sorensen: “With the lionfish, are all these venomous spines. You want to make sure not to get poked. So the smartest thing to do is to just take a trimmer and clip them all off. This is just like any other fish when you’re filleting. And this is completely edible.”

Alex Browning (after tasting lionfish): “Mild fish. Bite with Belkys?”

And with every bite of a captured lionfish, more of our native marine life will get to survive and thrive.

Alex Browning, 7News.

Learn more about lionfish: 

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish

NOAA Fisheries
fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/ecosystems/impacts-invasive-lionfish

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Whether on the ground, or in the air, emergency medical technicians are trained to help save lives. Now, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue has a new tool they say will save even more.

Broward Sheriff EMT’s are the first in Florida to carry and administer blood to trauma victims at accident scenes.

Chief Medical Officer James Roach came up with the idea after a family member was involved in a bus accident and didn’t survive.

James Roach, Chief Medical Officer, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue: “What tools do we provide for our rescues? Because currently, what we do is, we think about stopping the bleed, but we don’t really have a way to resuscitate.”

Now they do, and the blood can help keep patients stable enough to make it the hospital.

James Roach: “We replace exactly what the human lost, and that reverses the effects of traumatic shock.”

Division Chief Heath Clarks says EMT’s usually give IV fluids to a patient, but they don’t really help when someone is losing blood.

Heath Clark: “It turns out, when you’re bleeding out red stuff, the best thing to replace it with is red stuff.”

BSO started testing the program in 2021.

Heath Clark: “We’ve given blood 116 times since January of ’21. Of those 116 times, 73% of those patients have made it past the 24-hour mark, which is a remarkable thing.”

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue uses O-positive, Rh negative blood. It’s kept just above freezing at two locations in Broward; one of them here at the BSO Air Rescue Unit.

James Roach: “Putting this kind of therapy in the hands of fire rescue is a game changer in terms of helping our community.”

EMT’s pack the bags of blood into an insulated box and head to the scene either by vehicle or helicopter.

Dionny Baez, whole blood recipient: “It saves lives. I’m not the only story; there are many other stories of lives that have been saved by it.”

Dionny Baez was one of the first recipients of the blood. While spearfishing off the coast of Broward County in 2021, he was run over by a boat.

Dionny Baez: “So I had a collapsed lung, open head, lacerated liver, broken leg. I was dying.”

EMT Capt. Dean Meadows came to Dionny’s rescue, and says blood was exactly what he needed.

Capt. Dean Meadows, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue: “Within three to five minutes, his blood pressure came up. He was able to lift his head at that point and speak; he whispered to me, whatever I’m doing to keep doing it.”

Dionny spent two weeks in the hospital. He is now one of BSO’s biggest advocates for the blood program.

Dionny Baez: “I believe this really can save lives as it saved my life.”

The program is not limited to patients in Broward County. If blood is needed, BSO says it will respond to accidents all across South Florida.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials say you can help keep the program going by donating blood. If you would like to donate, click here for more information.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

From the moment he picked up a camera, John Bouma knew he wanted to photograph pets. So he decided to get some practice at a local animal shelter.

John Bouma, pet photographer: “I was looking for ways to volunteer that would allow me to practice, and I found out that animal shelters love having volunteer photographers come.”

Little did he know, his practice would become a passion.

For the last 10 years, John has volunteered to spend a morning a week with the dogs at Miami-Dade Animal Services.

John Bouma: “The shelter brings in a lot of dogs, so they’re only able to take a quick photo of the dog when it first comes to the shelter. Obviously, the dogs are confused and a little sometimes scared, so it doesn’t come across really well in their photos.”

He takes pictures of dogs that have been at the shelter a long time. The hope is to find them a home.

John Bouma: “Providing my photos to the shelter, as well as sharing them on my own social media channels, I believe it’s helped a lot of dogs and cats get adopted quicker or just adopted in general.”

But all of us who have tried to photograph own pets know it’s not easy. So how does John manage to get great photos of dogs he just met?

John Bouma: “We use a number of techniques. We always have yummy treats, sometimes a squeaker toy to get their attention when looking at the camera.”

And even on a day when there is a raging thunderstorm, John is able to put the dogs at ease and get a great shot.

John Bouma: “Ideally, the goal is, when photographing a dog, you want it to look its best. With a dog, that typically means ears forward. If we’re lucky, we might get a head tilt and smiling.”

Seeing the dogs relaxed and playful is part of the fun for John.

He hopes his photos will show people that these shelter dogs are loving animals in need of a happy home.

John Bouma: “People that don’t know think that there’s something wrong with the dogs at the shelter, that the whole reason they got here was because they’re broken in some way, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

And the truth for this photographer is, being here, in a raging thunderstorm, with these dogs is exactly where he wants to be.

John Bouma: “I find doing this a little more satisfying, because I know I’m helping these dogs, and it’s really rewarding.”

And he believes the biggest reward is for the family who finds the picture perfect dog.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

If you like fashion, but hate the high price, there’s a way to look great without busting your budget.

Rossanna Ceccato, founder of ReDress: “It’s fun, because this is the first time that some somebody has created a startup of exchanging garments in this way.”

Rossanna Ceccato has created a way for women to swap clothes once they get tired of wearing them. It’s a website called ReDress, and you never have to leave your house to go shopping.

Rossanna came up with the idea while working in retail.

Rossanna Ceccato: “I was surprised at how every weekend my clients came to any of my retail stores to buy clothes as if they were naked.”

Her clients were businesswomen who felt they couldn’t wear a dress more than a few times. But buying new outfits comes with a hefty price tag and a closet full of barely-worn clothes.

Rossanna takes those clothes and then helps you find almost-new pieces.

Rossanna Ceccato: “You just have to go to myredress.com. You are going to have the opportunity to upload a picture of the garments you want to swap with us.”

Once the dress is approved, you pay a fee to pick another one.

Rossanna Ceccato: “Right now we have almost 1,000 in our warehouse. You are going to recoup the value of your barely-used garments, in another garment.”

Redress has grown so quickly that its Miami warehouse was turned into a store for local shoppers.

So even if you don’t have a dress to swap, you can still buy one of these off the rack at a big bargain.

Matias Hercovich, co-founder of Redress: It’s for people that want to go and party, it’s for people who have a job interview. We have something for everybody.”

But what you see for sale or swap today, may be gone tomorrow.

Rossanna Ceccato: “We have done almost 8,000 transactions.”

Matias Hercovich is the co-founder of ReDress. He says it’s a smart way to keep people from throwing away good clothes just because they don’t want or need them anymore.

Matias Hercovich: “So I think people after the pandemic got really conscious about their actions and how those actions affect the planet as a whole. Now, here is a budget-friendly but also an eco-friendly way in order to dress with what you want.”

ReDress is planning a second location in New York to help even more people dress for success.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Plenty of people are scared of snakes. Elle Barbeito is not one of them.

Elle Barbeito, fashion designer: “Burmese pythons, they are from Southeast Asia, and they’re a really beautiful snake, they really are. They grow really, really big.”

Big snakes that cause big problems ravaging native wildlife in the Everglades.

Elle Barbeito: “It’s a really intense environment.”

And it’s where Elle discovered her artistic passion back in 2018.

Elle Barbeito: “Because now my dad was hunting, so I was just going with him all the time, and just like, sitting in the back of the truck. I loved it. I just was like really obsessed with it.”

Elle, a South Florida native who went to fashion school in New York, says she became disillusioned with waste in the fashion industry.

Elle Barbeito: “I don’t want the things I make to end up in like trash or end up in a landfill or like have a short lifespan. I want it to be able to last a really long time.”

Which is why she chose to use python skin from her dad’s hunts as the material for her handcrafted creations.

Elle Barbeito: “I think just the whole process in itself, of just having to kill something and kind of bringing, like, a new life to its skin.”

Elle does her leatherwork in this warehouse, where she explained the process to us.

Elle Barbeito: “To preserve the skins, we start off by skinning it, and then you have to remove all of the fat and muscle. And then, after that, you put it into a solution. The most traditional method is with alcohol and glycerin, and once you have it in that solution for some time, you go ahead and stretch it out on a wooden plywood board.”

Once it dries, Elle begins her detailed designs.

Elle Barbeito: “There is a lot of work that goes into this. It is a lot of work. Especially with the stitching, I have people ask me that all the time, they’re like, ‘Oh, what machines do you use?’ I’m like, ‘This, this, every snake is different,’ so I think that’s kind of like the cool part.

From belts…

Elle Barbeito: “All the buckles are – I make them with snaps so that they’re interchangeable.”

To wallets and handbags, Elle even crafted a python skin bike and lawn and rocking chairs.

Elle Barbeito: “There’s a story to it, you know, and I think people really appreciate the fact that there’s a story to it.”

A story that begins in the Everglades, and one that sometimes prompts misunderstanding.

Elle Barbeito: “I’ve had people where they’re like, ‘Oh, my God, why are you doing this?’ And then they think I’m just doing it to all snakes, and once I explain what it is and they’re invasive, they’re like, ‘Oh.’ I think it’s more so people that are not from Florida that have a kind of a hard time understanding it.”

In May, Elle received an award from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for her work.

Elle Barbeito: “There’s only one Florida, there’s only one Everglades, and we need to preserve it, because once we lose it, we cannot get it back. I love this state, and I’m very thankful to be here and thankful for this award.”

Elle Barbeito’s inspiration for her designs actually comes from Western wear, but always combined with that only-in-Florida feel of the Everglades.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

To view Elle’s work, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It may look like this is the work of an interior designer.

Tehila Hecht, CEO of Safe Sensory Room: “We’ve made nice recessed lighting that, they can change colors and make it red, blue.”

But Tehila Hecht is actually a physical therapist.. She creates safe spaces for special needs children.

The idea came to her after treating a child with autism who was having a tantrum.

Tehila Hecht: “So I sat him on my lap, tried to calm him down, and he flung into me, and I blacked out for a moment. And I kept thinking, ‘Oh, I wish the therapy room would be padded.'”

Tehila also thought many parents would like the same thing, so she came up with the Safe Sensory Room Foundation.

It’s an organization that provides free sensory rooms for families of children with severe autism.

Tehila Hecht: “I want safety first and then sensory, in just the aspect of making this room sweet and that the child should love it.”

The parents of 7-year-old Justin Arida say it was important his bedroom have padded floors and walls and a swing to keep him occupied.

Tony Arida, Justin’s father: “He’s nonverbal, very hyper, very active kid. So it’s always a challenge with a kid that hyper and that active to keep him in a spot where he’s not dangerous.”

Not only has the Safe Sensory Room changed his son’s life, it has made a difference for the entire family.

Tony Arida: “We can sleep easy, and I’ll tell you, the greatest sleep I ever had was the first night that we had that room.”

Word about the foundation has spread so fast, that Tehila had to create a wait list.

Tom Jacobs recently got the news that his son Spence is next on the list.

Tom Jacobs: “Oh, it’s elation. You know, it’s like we could see a much easier and and safer period on the horizon. I’m so grateful for for this opportunity.”

And that feeling is what inspires Tehila to create as many rooms for as many families as she can.

Tehila Hecht: “To just give some sweetness to their home and to know that we’re here to just make their life a little bit more manageable.”

Safe Sensory Room is raising money to create rooms for two more families this year.

If you would like to donate, or get more information on signing up your family, click here.

And if you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

Hiking the tallest mountain in Africa isn’t for the faint of heart.

Jessica Raffo: “I think, I always crave adventure.”

And adventure is just what 18-year-old Jessica Raffo got.

For years, she dreamed of hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Last month, her dad, Jaime Raffo, helped make that dream come true.

Jessica Raffo: “One day he called me when he was at work, and he was like, ‘I got the tickets,’ and I called all my friends, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, like, this is real.'”

They bought new hiking boots and cold weather gear, and off they went.

Jaime Raffo: “I was very excited, more so to be able to do it with my daughter.”

With the help of guides, their group began at the base of the mountain where the temperature is warm.

Climbing to the top would take seven days and six nights through five different climate zones.

Jessica Raffo: “The terrain changes by the day every few days, so you never really know what you’re getting yourself into for.”

The higher they climbed, the colder it got. When it was time to stop for the day, they would make camp and sleep in tents.

Jessica Raffo: “We were so tired every night that those tents felt like a luxury suite.”

Eating carbs at every meal gave them energy to face challenges like the Barranco Wall on Kilimanjaro’s south side.

Jessica Raffo: “It is just this thin, like, rock wall, and all the porters are walking, like, single file line because there’s not enough space, like, on the rocks for multiple people.”

As they climbed higher, they faced another challenge: altitude sickness.

Jessica Raffo: “I just got immediately extremely nauseous, my head sort of pounding, and you kind of lose your, like, stability and also your strength.”

Some 30,000 people climb Mt. Kilimanjaro every year, but only about half make it to the summit.

The guides sing special songs to encourage climbers to stick it out.

On the day they pushed to the summit, they started at midnight and reached the top at sunrise, more than 19,000 feet high.

Jessica Raffo: “Just being above the clouds and all that adrenaline, you feel the happiness.”

Jaime says it was an experience he’ll never forget.

Jaime Raffo: “I was so proud of her. It was just such a special feeling.”

Now they’re home, and mom Kerri Raffo is breathing a sigh of relief.

Kerri Raffo: “It makes me very proud that my daughter has these ideas, has these ambitions, but I’m glad that they’re home safe, and I’m glad that they were able to complete the mission.”

Both Jessica and Jaime find meaning in difficult challenges, and the best part of their mountain adventure was to be able to share that challenge together.

Jessica’s next mountain adventure? She’d like to try to climb Denali in Alaska.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Yoli Alvarez has spent her entire life in Miami.

Yoli Alvarez: “I was raised in Wynwood, and single mom and two sisters.”

Her mom always told her if she applied herself, she could become anything she wanted.

So in high school, Yoli told her mom she wanted to be a soldier in the Army.

Yoli Alvarez: “I said, ‘Hey, Ma, I joined the military.’ She was like, “No,’ she didn’t believe me until, actually, the sergeant came to pick me up.”

Yoli says there is something special about serving her country.

Yoli Alvarez: “I started as a Morse code interceptor. I was assigned to the National Security Agency, NSA.”

But by her late 20s, she wanted to come home to serve her community. Yoli joined the fire academy.

Yoli Alvarez: “Back then, I weighed like 112 pounds; everything weighed more than I did. And it was hard, I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say it was easy. No, it was brutally hard.”

But her hard work paid off.

Yoli Alvarez: “This right here was when I actually graduated as a firefighter. This is a proud moment.”

Yoli remembers the heartbreak of her very first emergency call after graduation.

Yoli Alvarez: “My first call was actually a pregnant female that was overdosed, and sadly, you know, she didn’t – she nor the baby made it.”

During the course of her 33-year career, Yoli served on the elite search-and-rescue team. Her hard work and dedication got her noticed.

Yoli Alvarez: “This is when I got promoted to lieutenant, proud moment.”

And then district chief, where she oversees five fire stations, the Technical Rescue Team and the dive team.

Even though the journey was tough, she says it was all worth it.

Yoli Alvarez: “I wanted to help people, I just want to help people in the time of need.”

The challenge she leaves behind: who will fill her shoes?

Capt. Ignatius Carroll, City of Miami Fire: “You see a woman who not only devoted herself in the military but came here to the fire department, determined, moved up the ranks to becoming the first Hispanic district chief fire officer in our department’s history.”

Chief Alvarez hopes to inspire the next generation to dream big.

Yoli Alvarez: “It doesn’t have to be firefighting; it has to be whatever your dreams are. As long as you believe in yourself, you work hard, it can happen.”

Chief Alvarez is planning to spend more time with her family during her retirement.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

If you’re a tennis player in Plantation, chances are you know Norma Fink.

Norma Fink: “Pardon me while I answer. Norma speaking, may I help you?”

You can find her manning the registration desk at the Frank Veltri Tennis Center at the city’s Central Park.

When she’s not taking court reservations…

Norma Fink: “What time do you want? Three o’clock, hmm.”

She’s entertaining her coworkers.

Norma Fink: “So they gave me something that looked like a torch and they said, ‘And let the games begin!'”

At 101 years old, she has plenty of stories to tell.

Norma Fink: “One-oh-one and seven months. Seven months were important. The first hundred were easy.”

Norma has spent more than half her life working as a tennis court attendant for the city.

Employee: “Norma in the ’70s. This is her city ID card.”

She started working at the tennis courts at Plantation Community Center in 1972, after she and her husband moved to South Florida.

Norma Fink: “The next thing I know, I’m playing almost every day, because I can’t do the house all day.”

Her time playing on the courts led to her eventually volunteering to help maintain them

Norma Fink: “And I’m working, two or three days a week. I’ve enjoyed every thing.”

Norma was transferred to the Frank Veltri Tennis Center after it was built in 1981. With currently more than two dozen courts, Norma has plenty of work.

Norma Fink: “After 9:30, forget about it. Forget about it!”

Staff members and players threw Norma a party in 2021 to celebrate her 100th birthday. She’s getting another big honor this year, serving as the Grand Marshal for the city’s Independence Day parade.

She got a sneak peek at the classic car that will take her along the parade route.

Driver: “Norma, we have a date on the Fourth of July.”

But she didn’t stay for long. She says she needed to get back to work.

Norma Fink: “Only three that aren’t taken, the other ones are for the tournament.”

Norma says the key to living to 101 years is to simply enjoy life.

Norma Fink: “Celebrate it. I celebrate every night.”

And in her case, it doesn’t hurt to have a job you love.

Norma Fink: “Thank you for calling, bye now.”

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

This smiling face belongs to Tashi. He’s an 11-year-old bottlenose dolphin at Island Dolphin Care in Key Largo.

Kids and adults come here for the unique dolphin-assisted therapy programs designed for people with all kinds of disabilities.

Luke Bullen, executive director, Island Dolphin Care: “We call them our co-therapists, actually.”

Tashi is one of eight dolphins at the facility, and they always jump at the chance to get to work with those in need of help.

Luke Bullen: “We have a team of human therapists, and then we have the dolphins, so they really are the heart of Island Dolphin Care. They are motivational and they’re inspirational.”

Island Dolphin Care is kept afloat by donations, so funding is always a challenge.

That’s where collaborations come in handy, and the facility now has a brand-new one on tap.

This tangerine wheat is a popular new creation at Oil Well Craft Beer in Ave Maria, Florida.

Head brewer Ross Wright just happens to be related to Tashi’s trainer, who is his cousin’s wife.

That’s how Tashi Tangerine Wheat was born.

Ross Wright, brewer: “We had been thinking about doing tangerine wheat, and I just thought that Tashi tangerine fit well together, so I just went with it.”

Then, Ross and brewery owner Matt Williams decided to take it a step further with a collaboration.

Ross Wright: “I like what the Island Dolphin Care’s mission is. They help children and families with special needs and veterans with [post-traumatic stress disorder]. So both of those things I’m happy to help out with.”

Now, Tashi Tangerine Wheat fans can donate directly to Island Dolphin Care by clicking on a QR code.

Matt Williams, Oil Well Craft Beer: “It feels incredible. You know, it is a great facility, it’s a great mission they have, and to know that we’re doing any small part to help them, I’m glad we can contribute to it.”

And Tashi likes it, too.

Brittany Cosgrove, Tashi’s trainer: “Tashi, how’s it feel to have a beer named after you? It’s pretty exciting that he is kind of the star of the show. He is one of our youngest, so for him to be the little star for a little bit is kind of cool.”

Oil Well Craft Beer says Tashi Tangerine Wheat is so popular, they hope to keep the unusual collaboration brewing for a long time to come.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Island Dolphin Care
150 Lorelane Place
Key Largo, FL 33037
islanddolphincare.org

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

These South Florida artists are making their voices heard.

But many have found it difficult to be seen and recognized for their talent.

J’von Brown, singer: “I actually was considering, I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t see anyone that looks like me.'”

J’von Brown is a classically-trained singer, born and raised in Broward County. He says he hasn’t met too many Black opera singers, which has made it difficult for him to find the right people for inspiration and guidance.

Kunya Rowley is also from South Florida. As a former opera singer himself, he had the same problem.

Kunya Rowle, founder, Hued Songs: “I would look around, and there weren’t a lot of people that looked like me, and a lot of stories like mine.”

In 2017, he started Hued Songs, a charitable organization that supports singers, musicians, dancers and composers.

Kunya Rowley: “And so, a big part of our mission has been to be a vehicle and a platform where Black artists, artists of color can be seen, heard, and most importantly, paid for their work.”

Throughout the year, Hued Songs hosts concerts and performances across South Florida.

Walk down a street like Calle Ocho in Little Havana, and you may find yourself in the middle of a performance.

That’s the group’s goal: bring that art to the people, no matter where they live.

Kunya Rowley: “We perform in classrooms. We’ve performed under the Metrorail.”

Some of the performances are free, including their biggest production yet: a full-scale concert called “The Juneteenth Experience.”

Kunya Rowley: “Juneteenth is our national holiday, now federally recognized holiday, that commemorates when the last enslaved folks were freed in Galveston, Texas.”

We visited the group as it prepared for the June 19 event.

“The Juneteenth Experience” not only lets J’von and the other artists showcase their talents to a wider audience; it’s also a chance to get kids across South Florida interested in music, dance and poetry.

J’von Brown: “I’m for, like, being a Black artist who impacts our youth, our communities to say, even if it’s not something that you want to do, it is available to us.”

Kunya feels the same way.

Kunya Rowley: “Our work is rooted in a sense of belonging, showing people who we are and finding ways to build connection.”

And that connection starts with creating beautiful music.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

“The Juneteenth Experience” takes place June 19 at the Miami Beach Bandshell. Admission is free, but registration is required.

For more information, click here.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

When parts of Broward County ended up underwater during that massive rainstorm in April, some of the first emergency response work came from citizen volunteers who lived in the flooded neighborhoods.

Mark Miller, CERT Deputy Operations Chief: “So we have our people that are already in the field, and they’re calling in to the Emergency Operations Center saying, ‘Here’s what it’s like in Edgewater. Here’s what it’s like here. Here’s what’s going on there,’ so they’re tremendously important.”

Mark Miller helps run the Fort Lauderdale Community Emergency Response Team, also called CERT.

He is one of the hundreds of people who have volunteered to be on the front lines if a disaster strikes in South Florida.

Mark Miller: “We’re an adjunct to police and fire, basically, with additional manpower and medical training.”

CERT is a program that teaches local residents basic rescue skills.

Carol Sjursen, CERT manager: “CERT volunteers are taught and trained how to safely take care of themselves, their family, their neighbors, and then their community.”

Carol Sjursen has been a CERT member in Deerfield Beach for 20 years. She volunteered during the Surfside building collapse and helped Hurricane Ian survivors on Florida’s west coast.

Carol Sjursen: “We spent an entire week out there, sleeping on cots, sorting supplies that came in from the community and then getting those supplies out into the field.”

The reward for her hard work is the joy Carol gets from helping others, like the time she gave food and water to a desperate young mother.

Carol Sjursen: “She had tears in her eyes, and we were just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is such a good feeling for us.’ You just can’t imagine how rewarding it is.”

It’s the same feeling for Mark. He traveled to North Florida after Hurricane Michael hit. He ended up in a small rural town called Mossy Pond.

Mark Miller: “And the only thing left in the community was the library, and that’s where everybody was living. This woman comes up and gives me a big hug and then says, ‘We are so glad to see you.'”

Both Carol and Mark say, if you have the time, you will never regret stepping in to help when people need it the most.

Mark Miller: “People say thank you, and you never get tired of that, but you never get tired of doing what it takes to earn that respect.”

Cities across Broward County are looking for new CERT members right now.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

And don’t forget, Sunday at 7 p.m., 7News will have everything you need to know about being storm ready. Be sure to tune in for 7News’ hurricane special “Surviving a Storm.”

It was the perfect day for a sky dive.

What started as a way to let off steam after losing his job turned into a creative moment that changed Chris Serrano’s life.

Chris works in advertising and loves thinking outside the box.

So instead of sending out résumés, he made an “Open 4 Work” sign and took the ultimate plunge.

His free fall was just one of his great ideas. So was posting the video and his availability on LinkedIn, the professional networking site.

Chris Serrano: “I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew that people would be shocked by it, but I didn’t know people would be super shocked.”

His idea took off and gained altitude in a way he never expected.

Chris Serrano: “I woke up the next morning to 2 million impressions and a bunch of feedback. Job offers around the world.”

One of those job offers came from a startup company in Manchester, England.

Jack Peagam, CEO of Linkup: “I thought it was amazing.”

Jack Peagam is the CEO of Linkup, a new social networking app.

Jack Peagam: “I was just, you know, normal day, scrolling through LinkedIn as you do, and I stumbled upon Chris’ post, and I saw it, and I was like, ‘Wow. OK, that’s cool,’ and I need to jump on that ’cause I’m also looking for a creative director, so the stars were aligned.”

Jack flew to the Canary Islands. It’s the closest place to Manchester with weather good enough for skydiving.

Jack Peagam: “I can’t just message him and say, ‘Hey, let’s have a chat.’ I’ve got to respond in an equally as epic way as him, so that’s exactly what I did.”

Jack took his job offer to new heights. The banner he is seen holding reads, “Hey, Chris, sorry 2 see you got laid off. We’ve got work 4 u. Let’s link up.”

Chris says he couldn’t believe it.

Chris Serrano: “I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I thought that what I did was crazy and far out, and somebody matched my energy. And it was pretty impressive.”

While Chris plans his jump into a brand-new career with Linkup, he says getting laid off has taught him something new about life and about looking for a new job.

Chris Serrano: “Be different. We’re living in a time right now where people are getting laid off every day, but sometimes you don’t know the doors that are open for you. You really just have to do what you love and put yourself out there, and somebody will notice if you’re doing what you love.”

And getting noticed makes all the difference in having a soft landing in today’s job market.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

Chris and Jack are meeting in person next week in Los Angeles.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

When we put our belongings in storage, they will probably stay out of sight, out of mind.

But Patricia Andrade knows exactly what she has stored away.

Patricia Andrade/founder of Raíces Venezolanas: “Clothes, toys, things for the kitchen.”

She rents 17 units at this storage facility in Doral.

Each is filled with donated items that will be given to newly-arrived immigrants from Venezuela.

Patricia Andrade: “We provide things that could help these families to start a new life in the United States.”

The units are part of Patricia’s non-profit, Raíces Venezolanas.

Patricia Andrade: “Raíces Venezolanas is in, in English, Venezuelan roots, because we are Venezuelan American citizens, our roots are Venezuelan.”

Patricia started her non-profit in 2016 from her home with a room full of donated items.

The donations grew, and eventually she needed a storage facility to house them all.

The Venezuelans in need can sort through each unit and take whatever they need.

Lorena Garcia, volunteer: “So they need shoes or clothes or toothbrush.They need everything.”

Gabriela arrived in South Florida last year.

Her story is similar to many other Venezuelans who come to the United States.

Gabriela, asylum seeker (translated): “I came here to protect my son from the government. He started getting threats because of his involvement with the opposition, and I was afraid. I needed to protect my son, so that’s why I came here– for protection.”

She says Raíces Venezolanas helped her get on her feet.

Now, it’s also preparing her for a new job.

Gabriela: “This is the second time I’ve visited. I started a new job, and I need clothes. I came because I knew they could help me.”

Some of the volunteers say the first time they visited this storage facility wasn’t to work. Instead, they were looking for the essentials to start new lives in South Florida.

Delia Rodriguez, volunteer (translated): “When I came to the country, I needed help, and Raíces provided for my family. Ever since then, I wanted to give back, so I became a volunteer.”

As new asylum seekers continue to arrive, Patricia and the volunteers are reminded of the ongoing crisis in their former home.

They say it only strengthens their determination to give back.

Lorena Garcia, volunteer: “Helping my people for me is the best way to feel like I’m alive.”

And they will continue to help as long as there is a need.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

For more information on Raíces Venezolanas, click here.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

The Florida Panthers are giving South Florida a serious case of playoff hockey fever.

Karen Ota-O’Brien, Florida Women’s Hockey League co-founder: “I think we could be a good mojo for the Florida Panthers.”

Good mojo, or at least good luck.

Which makes sense, since the Lucky Pucks Hockey Club has some recent championship experience of its own.

Karen Ota-O’Brien: “Well, we swept for Florida, for novice, rec, all three divisions, and we went to U.S. Nationals in Tampa. And we won for Nationals.”

Karen Ota-O’Brien is credited with putting women’s hockey on the map here, co-founding the Florida Women’s Hockey League back in 2002.

Emily Latham, Lucky Pucks: “She’s everything. If you know hockey in Florida, you know Karen. If you know women’s hockey, you know Karen.”

And now, even more hockey fans nationwide are getting to know Karen.

She is one of three finalists for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.

Karen Ota-O’Brien: “I was touched that they nominated me for this award.”

Karen grew up in Canada, but ironically, didn’t start playing hockey regularly until she moved to Florida.

Karen Ota-O’Brien: “I grew up on a cattle ranch, but I never played any hockey till I moved here.”

We got a front-row seat to a Lucky Pucks scrimmage in Coral Springs.

Emily Latham: “I started playing hockey when I was 6 because all my friends were doing it in New Jersey. It’s incredible. I have found this family outside of work.”

Elaine Luzano, Lucky Pucks: “Honestly, it’s the camaraderie of this team and the support that we’re able to get. Whether it’s weddings, divorces, bad relationships, surgeries, we’re all there to help each other out. Without Karen, this would probably all fall apart. She holds us all together.”

Emily Latham: “I think more than sisterhood, it’s family, you know, it’s our chosen family, and it’s incredible that we all get to experience that.”

Karen Ota-O’Brien: “These women, they’re from all ages, they’re from all different backgrounds. They’re from the military, Coast Guard, to stay-at-home moms, to lawyers, to district attorneys. I’m proud of them all.”

A proud hockey trailblazer who has no plans to stop expanding the game she loves in South Florida.

Karen Ota-O’Brien: “I’d like to work with the underprivileged kids, get them into these rinks. Provide a safe place for them like I have for women, but for maybe for kids.”

And for these players, there always remains one common goal:

Karen Ota-O’Brien: “It’s chase around that one little black puck for an hour.”

Twice a week, Lucky Pucks hosts what they call Girls Night Out for women of all skill levels ages 18 and up.

As for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, the NHL will announce the winner on June 26.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Maxine Poupko’s breast cancer diagnosis came during an already isolating time.

Maxine Poupko: “I got diagnosed during the pandemic. I had treatment with surgery, and chemotherapy and radiation.”

Maxine survived, but says she still struggles with fatigue.

Maxine Poupko: “I knew that movement was the way out, because when I did move, when I did go out, I did feel better. But it was always difficult motivating myself.”

Enter Dr. Niraj Mehta.

Dr. Niraj Mehta, GenesisCare: “My whole life, I’ve always been very much into movement.”

The radiation oncologist practices in Southwest Miami-Dade.

Dr. Niraj Mehta: “You got to look at radiation oncology, right? That’s kind of the bread and butter of what I do, what you train for. A friend of mine was like, ‘You dance all the time, just go dance with your patients?’ and that’s what it started with. And I was like, ‘I’m not really a dance instructor per se.'”

Now, with almost 100 classes under his belt, Dr. Mehta balances his experience in medicine with his passion for movement.

Dr. Niraj Mehta: “Can we bring joy and passion into the health care space with movement being the medium?'”

Maxine Poupko: “I thought, ‘I’m going to go to this thing because it kind of looked interesting,’ plus I needed to get out of my apartment.”

Maxine, who is not one of Dr. Mehta’s patients, heard about his march class on social media.

Maxine Poupko:”I pushed myself to go. At first I didn’t want to participate, not feeling good. This was hurting, that was hurting.”

The class included other cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.

Maxine Poupko: “As the music went on, I just started to participate, and then I just started noticing, really, that my mood started changing. Just the energy in the room. And I remember Dr. Mehta was such a great dancer. I was just like, ‘Whoa.'”

While Dr. Mehta is not making any claims about his classes in particular, studies have shown the benefits of physical activity.

Dr. Niraj Mehta: “We know that after cancer, in terms of recurrence in breast and colorectal, and perhaps even in prostate, exercise has shown to actually decrease recurrence in and of itself.”

After the music, there was meditation, even tea.

Dr. Niraj Mehta: “We don’t want people to just survive. We want people to thrive.”

That’s something Maxine wants as well.

Maxine Poupko: “There was something, some level of comfort being with other people who had gone through similar experiences. It’s taxing the mind and the brain after cancer treatment.”

Maxine says she’d like to go again, and Dr. Mehta says his goal is to have these free classes held on a more consistent basis.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Mehta’s movement classes, click here.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

School is in session, but this isn’t a typical class.

These students are creating world-class robots.

Dale Adamson, teacher: “They’re practicing their strategy. They’re practicing their driving skills, and they’re working on their codes now.”

This is the STEM Squad at Howard D. McMillan Middle School in Kendale Lakes.

Math and robotics teacher Dale Adamson is their coach.

Dale Adamson: “You do need speed.”

He says at the beginning of the school year, students are divided into teams and told to build a robot as part of a game-based engineering challenge.

It’s called the VEX IQ Competition.

Dale Adamson: “Most of these students didn’t have the experience at all with VEX and with building robots, so it starts very early in the year with us just building up basic skills.”

But the students don’t just build the robots, they have to make them work.

Dale Adamson: “So, in this year’s game, they’re shooting these little orange pucks. They have to be able to gather them out of different dispensers, and they have to be able to shoot them across the field to earn points.”

Throughout the process, they run into problems they have to solve.

Katherine Perez, student: “Our first robot couldn’t shoot so well on the field, and then we had to see what can we do to make this function, what can we do to make this better?”

Dale Adamson, teacher: “But I think we got eight disks shot out, last time we had five.”

The STEM Squad’s hard work has already paid off.

The students recently put their robots to the test by competing in the VEX IQ State Competition in Doral. They left with top honors.

Arthur Saer, student: “The excellence, the teamwork awards and the skills champion awards. We basically got every award we could.”

Five of the nine teams from the STEM Squad did so well at the state competition, they earned a chance to compete against other middle school students from around the world.

Fabian Ordonez, student: “We’re pretty excited because it’s an experience that we never had.”

Later this month, the STEM Squad will compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas.

Dale Adamson, teacher: “There will probably be over 80 countries represented, so it really allows students around Miami-Dade County, around Florida and around the world, to really dive into those problem solving skills that they’re going to need no matter what career they pursue down the road.”

Students will be judged not only on their robot’s performance, but also on how well they built it together as a team.

Fabian Ordonez, student: “We didn’t work as hard as we’re working now because we just saw this like a little thing. But now we’re trying to improve every day on how we can become better in the field and off.”

The students and their teacher hope to sweep the competition at the world championship.

But no matter what happens, they know they have a community and a school cheering them on.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Meet Aurimas Valujavičius. He has been at sea by himself since he left Spain the day after Christmas.  

His goal is to break a rowing world record for speed and distance from the coast of Spain to Miami in 110 days or less.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “It will be world record as the fastest row unsupported and solo row from Europe mainland to North America.”

When the journey is done, Valujavičiūs will have rowed his single-seat boat, the Lituanica, 5,000 miles.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “This is a lifetime experience when you can be with yourself like more than three months. No people, no physical contact, nothing.”

Valujavičiūs prepared for the trip for two years.

He rows a brutal 12 to 14 hours every day. He only stops to sleep in his cabin.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “So, yeah, that’s my home. Cozy.”

He also shoots photos and videos for social media and his YouTube channel, where fans all over the world are watching his progress.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “Keep following my journey and don’t forget to say hi to my little friends underwater.”

Students at Sauletas Krantas, a Lithuanian school in Lantana, love watching his close encounters with sea life and learning about the trip.

They recently got to ask him questions from class.

Student: “Have you ever fell out of your boat?”

Aurimas Valujavičius: “Yes! Huge wave shocked me and hit me from the side, and I fell out from the boat.”

Student: “Are you scared of the ocean alone?”

Aurimas Valujavičius: “In the first weeks, it was a little bit strange. After one month of rowing, I felt really comfortable.”

Valujavičius answered their questions and ours.

We wanted to know, just what is he eating out there!?

Aurimas Valujavičius: “Tactical food pack. It’s like dry food. I’m eating four of these per day. For the water, I have water making machine, so it’s inside here.”

He also snacks all day.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “Peanut butter every day, but nothing is better than fresh fish!”

Aurimas Valujavičius: “One week ago, I had lucky fishing and nice dinner.”

Valujavičius lives for adventure. He holds a record for long-distance kayaking, has cycled all over Europe and Indonesia, and has climbed active volcanoes.

Now, he’s making his way through the Caribbean in all kinds of weather.

He’s focused on getting here safely and breaking that world record.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “I keep moving and rowing to Miami.”

So far, Valujavičius is making great time.  

If all goes well, he hopes to land on Miami Beach by mid-April.

Aurimas Valujavičius: “Thank you for the chat, and I hope to see you soon in Miami. See ya, guys.”

And Valujavičius, we can’t wait to welcome you.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Ansel Davis: “He’s like a part of my family. He’s my son. I call him my son because I don’t have kids.”

Everett is not a coffee drinker, but the 7-year-old black lab still sits by his dad each morning at this Dunkin Donuts in Plantation.

Ansel Davis: “I’ve known the manager here for a long time. She’s very good to me. The staff is very good to me.”

Davis was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare eye diseases that causes vision loss.

Ansel Davis: “I see like maybe shadows, lights. I see shapes, I see colors. I don’t let my blindness take nothing away from me. I go like everybody each day. As long as I have my service dog.”

Everett is Davis’ eyes, guide and companion. They travel everywhere together.

Ansel Davis: “He’s the biggest part of my life, and having this dog for me is the biggest thing ever. I couldn’t do without everett.”

But for a brief and terrifying time in February, Davis was on his own.

Ansel Davis: “Oh, my God, the dog is gone. What am I going to do?”

Davis had left the door open after a walk, and Everett, uncharacteristically, took off.

Ansel Davis: “At that time I was destroyed. I was crying, I was nervous.”

He called 911.

Sgt. Dale Graziose, Lauderhill Police: “I heard a call come over my police radio that somebody’s service dog had escaped their house.”

Graziose was just starting his shift.

Sgt. Dale Graziose: “Maybe a couple of minutes later, I saw my Ring app that a neighbor in the general vicinity of where the service dog had escaped, the house posted that they found a dog.”

They posted a picture and included a phone number, so Graziose was able to make contact with the family.

Sgt. Dale Graziose: “Told me they had this black lab at their house. He was hanging in the backyard with a couple other dogs.”

Turns out, Everett had became an unexpected guest at a surprise birthday party.

Ansel Davis: “Oh, my God, it was just like somebody gave me $20 million. I was so happy.”

Lauderhill officer Bryan Pugh and Davis’ longtime friend, retired officer Debbie Banner, picked Everett up and brought him back to Davis.

Ansel Davis: “When they brought him to my house I was released. It was like a pressure off my brain. Those officers need to be thanked and given an award or something because, I tell you, they saved my life that day.”

Sgt. Dale Graziose: “It just makes you feel good.”

Everett was only gone about an hour, but for Davis, it felt like an eternity.

Sgt. Graziose said things could have turned out much differently if not for the quick thinking neighbors.

Sgt. Dale Graziose: “If they would have never posted it, we would have never been able to tie two and two together, and I have no idea how long it would have taken if we would have been able to reunite Mr. Davis with his service dog.”

A Lauderhill Police major described tools like the Ring neighbor’s app as a kind of crime watch for the digital age. And in this case, it was technology, police and neighbors working together to quickly bring Everett back home.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

“We did it,” said Siobhan as she firmly grasped the hand of a nurse in a strong handshake after her surgery.

She has a great reason to celebrate. The 26-year-old is at the end of a nine-month stay at the Miami Transplant Institute.

Siobhan Rhodes: “I got my life back and today is discharge day.”

Her journey began eight years ago in her hometown of Northport, Florida.

Siobhan Rhodes: “I was a healthy individual. I was in my high school marching band, I was in the color guard and I had the most normal life that any girl really would have.”

But at 18, she got an infection in her trachea. She began having stomach problems and couldn’t digest food. Eventually, her colon stopped working.

Dierdre Rhodes, Siobhan’s mother: “We were in and out of the hospital with sepsis or some other infection. It was rough.”

Over the past eight years, Siobhan has had 35 major operations.

Dierdre Rhodes: “They were just chasing every symptom, so they ran out of what they can do.”

A doctor on Florida’s west coast gave Siobhan little hope.

Siobhan Rhodes: “He’s like, ‘You’re not gonna see the age of 40,’ and I kind of looked at him in shock.”

Then her older sister found out about the Miami Transplant Institute.

Dr. Rodrigo Vianna: “We knew she needed a multi-organ transplant to replace the entire digestive system.”

Last May, Siobhan received a stomach, pancreas, small and large bowel, and colon. She seemed to be doing well, but one month later she suffered an aneurysm.

Siobhan Rhodes: “I was bleeding out and I was basically in a life or death kind of situation.”

The blood loss caused her transplanted organs to die. Doctors took them out and for the next four months, Siobhan was hooked up to machines that kept her alive.

Dierdre Rhodes: “They had her on drains, pain medicines — she couldn’t even swallow water that entire period of time.”

Finally, last October, another donor made a second transplant possible. This time, Siobhan needed five organs.

Dr. Rodrigo Vianna: “So liver, stomach, pancreas, small bowels, large bowels, and then on top of it to cover all those organs, we had to transplant the abdominal wall all from the donor.”

Siobhan Rhodes: “My donor saved me. I’m just incredibly blessed that, you know, unfortunately, their loss gave me a second chance and I wish I could tell my donor how grateful I am for them.”

Day by day, Siobhan is getting her life back. After nine months in the hospital, she finally got to go home for the weekend. Now she’s learning to eat food again.

Even though she has to return to the hospital several times a week for checkups, Siobhan and her family couldn’t be happier.

Dierdre Rhodes: “I got my girl back.”

In the coming months, Siobhan said she will continue to work toward her new normal and she said that includes becoming a voice for the importance of organ donation.

Siobhan Rhodes: “I really hope that one day my story is going to be a survival guide for someone else because if I can do it, other people can do it as well.”

Giving hope to those who need it most.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Bobby Glenn is a retired first responder, and the word “first” is a key part of this 81-year-old’s résumé.

Bobby Glenn, retired firefighter: “They call me a trailblazer. What I was looking for was a job so I could feed my wife and kids.”

Back in 1970, Bobby started with the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department, becoming the first Black firefighter hired in all of Broward County.

Bobby Glenn: “They didn’t have any Blacks and didn’t have any females on the department.”

Times have changed.

Jasmine Lawson, firefighter-paramedic: “Does this look any different than the truck you were on back in the ’70s?”

Bobby Glenn: “Oh, yeah, a little bit.”

Jasmine Lawson: “A little bit?”

Bobby Glenn: “Yeah. A lot bit.”

Lauderhill Firefighter-Paramedic Jasmine Lawson is Bobby’s granddaughter.

Jasmine Lawson: “Since middle school, I was like, ‘Yep, I want to be a firefighter.'”

Years after serving as her inspiration, Bobby was there as Jasmine took her first steps into a profession he loves.

Jasmine Lawson: “When I graduated from my fire academy, he handed over my medal.”

Bobby not only blazed the trail for his granddaughter. Early on, he recruited other minorities to join the fire department.

Bobby Glenn: “They hired 19 of them at one time, and I just want to think that that was one of the most memorable times of my fire service.”

Despite recruiting efforts, the country’s firefighters are still predominantly white men, but the ranks are significantly more diverse than when Bobby Glenn started more than half a century ago.

Jasmine Lawson: “He endured a lot of hazing.”

Bobby Glenn: “It was kind of an uphill grind. It wasn’t an easy task at that time.”

Not easy, but Bobby succeeded.

After 22 years, he retired as a Fort Lauderdale lieutenant in 1992.

As for Jasmine, this June she will mark two years with Lauderhill Fire Rescue.

Jasmine Lawson: “I feel like my granddad paved the way for me to be here, and I’m now working in a city where he lives in.”

That’s right: her fire station serves the area where her grandparents live.

Bobby Glenn: “That’s kind of scary. (laughs) No, I’m just kidding on that.”

Jasmine Lawson: “For his birthday, I gave him a station tour. He says the only thing that didn’t change is the camaraderie, the brotherhood and just the family.”

Bobby Glenn: “I felt real good about it, that she would she would want to follow in my footsteps. She’ll move right on up on the ladder; she’s a go-getter. I’m really, really proud of her.”

A proud grandfather, and now, a proud aunt.

Jasmine sent us a picture, writing, “My youngest nephew Jackson, who actually wants to be like me! A firefighter.”

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

When the Russian invasion began a year ago in Ukraine, all Shawn and Jennifer Wilson could do was watch.

Jennifer Wilson: “We were constantly seeing it, and we felt just so bad, and we felt so helpless.”

Their first thought was to donate money to Ukrainian charities.

Jennifer Wilson: “It just didn’t feel like enough, like we really, ‘Well, what can we do?’ So I found this website, Ukraine Take Shelter, so I said, ‘Well, we have a couple of extra bedrooms to offer.'”

Shawn and Jennifer signed up to host refugees in their Plantation home. A couple with two children and their grandmother needed a place to stay.

Shawn and Jennifer offered up their home.

Shawn Wilson: “It’s just the two of us and like, ‘Wow, maybe our quiet weekends are maybe coming to an end soon.'”

Shawn and Jennifer quickly went from a family of two to a family of seven.

Shawn Wilson: “They were super nice and such a sweet family, and there was a really just easy connection right away.”

Meet the Korniienko family: Anna, her husband Vasiyl, 12-year-old Polina, 18-month-old Mischka and grandmother Elena.

Anna and her family fled their home in Kyiv the day before Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

Anna Korniienko: “We just thought that it will be a few months or maybe a few weeks.”

But nearly a year later, they are still living with the Wilsons.

The family contributes to household expenses. Vasiyl recently received clearance to work, and Anna runs an online business, while Elena watches over the kids.

Anna says, although things were a little awkward at first, she and her family are happy.

Anna Korniienko: “That’s all because of Jennifer and Shawn here. They make us happy here.”

Shawn and Jennifer say the Korniienkos have brought new life into their home, along with some delicious new traditions.

Kevin Ozebek: “OK, so what’s the favorite Ukrainian custom they brought it into this home?”

Jennifer Wilson: “The borscht.”

On Friday nights, Elena makes everyone a dinner of borscht, a Ukrainian soup made from beets.

Of course, I had to try some.

Kevin Ozebek: “That is so good. This borscht really is delicious.”

Jennifer Wilson: “I think it’s very savory. It’s like a vegetable broth. It’s really good.”

After dinner, everyone kicks back for game night. It’s something 12-year-old Polina looks forward to every week.

Kevin Ozebek: “So what do you think of it here now? You’ve been here most a year. Are you liking it?”

Polina Korniienko: “I love it.”

Although the Korniienkos are enjoying their time in South Florida, they can’t forget about the war and their loved ones still in Ukraine.

While they hope to return one day, they also are considering making Broward County their permanent home.

Anna Korniienko: “It’s hard to say, because one part of my heart is definitely here, and second part is still there.”

While Anna and her family consider their options, Shawn and Jennifer say their door remains open.

Jennifer Wilson: “I think part of giving is that you don’t have to gain anything from it, but it’s just so meaningful.”

Shawn Wilson: “They feel like family, and they really are family at this point.”

And it all began because of one South Florida couple’s desire to help another family halfway around the world.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

For many people, getting to drive in a NASCAR race car is a dream come true, but for German Zuniga, his time on the track is nothing short of a miracle.

German was paralyzed in a car accident 10 years ago.

German Zuniga: “At the beginning, I couldn’t do anything. I could only basically move my neck.”

Now, German is on the road to more mobility thanks to cutting edge surgery at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Dr. Jonathan Jagid: “This device is implanted underneath the skin in the chest.”

Dr. Jonathan Jagid implanted the device, called a brain-computer interface, at the end of 2018.

Dr. Jonathan Jagid: “These strips are collecting electrical information from the brain itself.”

That electrical information is sent through the device, then transmitted to a computer and on to special gloves.

They open and close when German just thinks about it.

German Zuniga: “I just visualize. Like before the accident, just more and more like just thinking about, I want to grab something. Think about doing that movement.”

Dr. Kevin Davis designed the technology that allows German to use the device outside the lab.

Dr. Kevin Davis: “We essentially took all of the stuff that they had done in the lab and packaged it into a smaller software that we put on the back of German’s wheelchair but so that he could control it or so that his caregiver could control it.”

Now, wherever he is, German can open doors, grasp objects and use a pen to write.

In the lab, he’s even working on taking steps.

German Zuniga: “Now I feel like I have more movement of my body and like more control of it.”

But his most exciting moment was in the driver’s seat with Falci Adaptive Motorsports in Colorado.

Their race car is designed for people with spinal cord injuries.

Dr. Kevin Davis: “They developed the technology on their own for the car, and then we made sure that our system was ready, so that by the time we got there, we could plug the systems together, do a quick test and run it.”

With a safety driver at his side at Pike’s Peak International Raceway, German used his thoughts to control the speed.

German Zuniga: “Oh, it was amazing to see that I have full control of the car without anybody helping me.”

German is the first patient to use the power of his brain to drive.

Dr. Kevin Davis: “Here he was essentially controlling the throttle of the car with his thoughts. There was a lot of excitement there.”

For German, it’s an experience he’ll never forget.

German Zuniga: “It felt free, felt good to be independent, to go around the laps and just enjoy the ride.”

And it’s technology that is always advancing.

Dr. Jonathan Jagid: “I think the field is really exponentially moving forward rapidly, and so I think the future is pretty big.”

German is now majoring in computer science at Miami-Dade College.

He hopes to eventually work at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, creating equipment that will help others with spinal cord injuries.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It may have a few dents and dings, but Bill Yakel loves his car.

Bill Yakel: “I call it the Hope Mobile.”

Bill needs reliable transportation because every day he has to drive to the hospital for cancer treatment.

Bill Yakel: “I’d like to show you my power port. I get intense doses of lots of chemotherapy and radiation.”

Bill says he can’t skip a session, but back in December, while driving to one of his appointments, his car broke down.

Bill Yakel: “I really – I didn’t know what to do, and then I realized, when I couldn’t go in reverse, I knew it was a transmission problem. I knew I needed to find someone quickly. The last thing I needed was to have car problems.”

Bill ended up stuck on the side of Interstate 95, but getting help around Christmastime wasn’t easy.

Bill Yakel: “I started frantically calling around to different places. Nobody picked up, and that day, last thing I need is stress, doctor said.

With no sign of help in sight, Bill called one last body shop.

Finally, someone picked up.

Employee: “AAction transmissions, can I help you?”

Al Petrassi, owner: “We got a phone call. Guy was stuck on 95 with his car. I sent my wrecker out there to get it, and they picked it up.”

AAction Transmissions owner Al Petrassi says his team was simply doing their job by answering Bill’s call.

But according to Bill, they did a lot more.

Bill Yakel: “The first thing that man asked me, he said, ‘Where were you headed?’ I said, ‘My chemo treatment, my cancer treatment.'”

And that’s where they went. The tow truck driver dropped Bill off at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, then brought his car to AAction Transmissions.

Al Petrassi: When I brought the car back, he needed a transmission; it didn’t go forward or reverse. And when he came here, back from this session he had, I could see he was down and out.

Bill says what Al did next brought him to tears.

Bill Yakel: “He took the contract and tore it in half, and he said, ‘You don’t owe me nothing.’ He said, ‘It’s my pleasure to help you.'”

Work that would have cost thousands of dollars was done free of charge.

Al Petrassi: “I had my aunt pass away of cancer, and that kind of got to me, so, you know, it was Christmas, and I just want to do the right thing. That’s all.”

Al has worked for years to help those affected by cancer.

AAction Transmissions has sponsored the Jeff Conine Poker Classic, which raised more than $100,000 for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Al Petrassi: “I like doing things like that. I mean, i think it’s the right thing to do.”

And Bill couldn’t be more thankful.

Bill Yakel: “He saved my life, because I would be dead if he didn’t do that, because I couldn’t get to my appointment. You know, I owe him more than I can ever really pay.”

Al Petrassi: “I’m glad you’re happy. It was a pleasure, Billy.”

And what started off as a normal day for two strangers has turned into the start of a meaningful friendship.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Jodi Brielle Brown already knows what she wants to do when she grows up.

Jodi Brielle Brown: “Well, I would like to be a famous concert pianist and a doctor.”

Her career in medicine may still be years away, but this 10-year-old’s musical journey is already being written, one note at a time.

Elena Fomicheva, piano teacher: “In my teaching experience, and I’ve been teaching for over 20 years, I only came across two musical prodigies, and Jodi is one of them. They’re very rare. One in a million.”

Elena Fomicheva, a classically trained pianist herself, is Jodi’s longtime piano teacher.

Jodi Brielle Brown: “Piano to me, basically means joy, and I want to bring music into the world.”

Jodi has been bringing music into the world since she was 5 years old, but believe it or not, when she first started…

Jodi Brielle Brown: “Did not think I was good at it. I just couldn’t get it. I just didn’t get it.”

Now, at age 10, not only does Jodi get it, it’s her passion.

Jodi Brielle Brown: “I love playing piano for the crowds. I pretend like it’s just me and the piano. Like, I’m just practicing at home.”

And Jodi has played in some pretty impressive places.

Jodi Brielle Brown: “I played in the birthplace of Mozart, which is Salzburg, Austria.”

And at Carnegie Hall in New York City, twice.

Jodi Brielle Brown: “Umm, when I think about, like, Carnegie Hall, I just thank God for giving me the gift and putting Ms. Elena into to my life because I wouldn’t be where I am now without Ms. Elena and God.”

Elena Fomicheva: “She just, boom. She just gets it, you know, from one lesson to another. She learns real quick. Jodi, her rare talent, she feels the music.”

Jodi says she practices piano every day, and her hard work has paid off.

She has won national and international awards.

Last year, she became the first classical pianist from Florida to take home the top prize in the “Music International Grand Prix.”

As for where she stacks up against others her age.

Elena Fomicheva: “She’s the best in South Florida for sure. I’ve got no doubt.”

Jodi Brielle Brown: “Right now, I’m not sure if I would consider myself a piano prodigy because, I mean, I’m still young and I’m still learning.”

As for what the future may hold…

Jodi Brielle Brown: “That’s basically like my dream to go to Juilliard to just study music and be a composer when I grow up and a doctor.”

Jodi Brielle Brown is next set to compete in an April competition here at home. If she advances to the finals, she will play at University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

The marking A-3913 on Saul Blau’s arm is faded, but this 92-year-old’s memory remains vivid.

Saul Blau: “I was next day marched off to Auschwitz, to the main camp and I was tattooed.”

Zoltan Saul Blau, who goes by Saul, is describing the serial number etched on his body at the Nazi’s infamous Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. He was just 13 years old when his family was imprisoned there in 1944.

Saul Blau: “They marched us to the railroad station, to the cattle cars. 90, 95 people to a cattle car. A bucket of water, a bucket for waste. Old people, young people, babies. Horrible, horrible conditions. They opened those sliding doors. I still remember the sound of that sliding door. ‘click.'”

Saul was immediately separated from his family and he would never see his parents or younger sister again.

Saul Blau: “They went into a shower and instead of water, Zyklon-B gas came. And they were choked to death and they were burned in the crematoriums. And the barrack commander, he took us outside and he was pointing to the chimney. And the chimney was in full blaze. And he told us that you don’t have any parents anymore. They were eliminated within two and a half hours from the time that they arrived. It was terrifying. The only thing you wanted to do is try to survive.”

Saul Blau did survive. He was sent to work with other boys at a coal mining factory before being liberated by US Armed forces in 1945. Nearly 78 years later, he now shares his story with a new generation, volunteering at the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach.

Saul Blau: “I’m glad that I still remember. And I’m a condition that I could relay, especially to young people, who are hopefully learning something and not just on TikTok and Instagram.”

But while he talks about the past, Saul says he is very concerned about the present.

From those who deny the horrors of the Holocaust…

Saul Blau: “So anybody that wants to deny that. How are you going to convince them? I smelled the fire, and I smelled the air, and I saw the flames.”

To the rise in antisemitism…

Saul Blau: “Social media has such a big part in it.”

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitic incidents in the US, shows the trend over the last decade: the number reached an all-time high in 2021.

Saul Blau: “It’s terrible that 80 years since the Holocaust. That I would have never imagined that in my lifetime, these antisemitic incidents would happen in the United States.”

As for how to turn the tide on rising Jewish hate?

Saul Blau: “When it comes to philosophical things, how to solve the world problems of antisemitism. I have no — a lot of people would love to have you working on that.”

Saul Blau looking at documents: “This is a record from Auschwitz.”

Auschwitz, where more than a million people were exterminated by the Nazis. Of Saul’s five family members who were taken there, two survived.

Saul and his older sister Shirley, who is now 95 years old.

The reminder, not just on this day, but every day is to never forget.

Saul Blau: “Read history. Learn what happens in the world. Because without that, how much more can you explain Holocaust education?

To learn more about the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach click here. For those who would like to learn more about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, click here.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

They learn to jab and punch. Twice a week after school, you’ll find these kids hard at work at South Beach Boxing.

They are part of a unique program called “Jolie’s Kids,” which teaches respect, discipline and strength through boxing.

Jolie Glassman, owner, Jolie’s Kids “I make sure they all go home like a champion.”

Gym owner Jolie Glassman started the classes for kids in 2014.

Jolie Glassman: “I don’t want them to be fighters, professional fighters. I want them to be fighters in life, so I want them to be fighters every day. Use your words, and discipline, and honor, and the integrity, and everything that comes with it.”

Here, the kids learn how to make all the right moves, hitting the bag, but they say that ends up translating to making all the right moves outside the gym.

Kids get stronger physically and mentally.

Ten-year-old Miranda has been in the program for four years. She has issues with anxiety and school bullies.

Miranda De Alarcon, Jolie’s Kids: “I just turn my anger into energy, and then I use the energy to punch the bag, and I just keep using that energy because I’ve been having some anxiety. This is like a bully free zone for me.”

Fifteen-year-old Elijah says boxing has done wonders for his self-confidence. He’s been in the program since he was 11.

Elijah Romero, Jolie’s Kids: “Made me more like disciplined. Made me like, respect, like myself and other people. When you come here, it actually feels like you’re on a team, and I think that’s, like, the most special, you know, part about the gym and, like, being in the program.”

Romeo Montana, head coach: “Remember, discipline is everything.”

Another plus: the discipline needed to learn boxing helps many improve their grades and self-esteem.

Olivier Amiel, daughter is in class: “They not only teach them how to work out, how to sweat, how to work for to get better, they teach them also how to, you know, feel good about their self.”

Romeo Montana: “I’m going to take a half a step forward.”

Head coach Romeo Montana is a former Golden Gloves boxer and Olympic athlete. He uses his years of experience in the ring to keep the kids on their toes.

Romeo Montana: “They have to have responsibility for everything they do. You have to have integrity, and you have to have confidence in everything you do, because without confidence, nothing works out.”

Kevin Ozebek: “And they get that from boxing?”

Romeo Montana: “They get that from boxing.”

If they can’t afford to pay for classes, students can apply for scholarships.

Jolie Glassman. “If you really want it, we want you. We want them, kids need an outlet, and they need to move, and if they want it to be through this, then hallelujah!”

Jolie calls boxing a “sweet science.” It’s the perfect fit for teaching kids to be strong, so they can succeed in the ring and in life.

For more information on Jollie’s Kids boxing program, click here.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Running a restaurant is a tough job for anyone. But for Jaharvis Frazier, it can be even harder.

Jaharvis Frazier, restaurant owner: “So it’s like some days it may be a little difficult. I just take a deep breath and keep on pushing. Like you just keep an open mind. You just try to find a way to adapt.”

Jaharvis has spent his entire life learning how to adapt.

At 2 years old, he was diagnosed with meningitis.

He lost both legs and his left arm, but he never let his disability stop him from pursuing his dreams.

Jaharvis Frazier: “I try not letting nothing weigh me down, so like, I just started to, you know, to do little things at home, to put things together. I learned a lot from my uncle, my aunts, my grandmas.”

And that led him to the kitchen, where he found his love for cooking.

You will find pictures of the family members who inspired Jaharvis on the walls of his new restaurant Grandma’s Kitchen in Coconut Creek.

Jaharvis Frazier: “Our two top sellers is catfish and fried ribs. We also have mac and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, baked beans, fried chicken, pork chops.”

Walk into grandma’s kitchen, and you’ll see Jaharvis either behind the counter or in the kitchen.

From taking orders, to cooking the food, if something needs to be done, Jaharvis will find a way.

Jaharvis Frazier: “I’m going to light the oven. What I do is I put the brick here, and then you got to get on the ground.”

He even has a method for breading these ribs.

Jaharvis Frazier: “I put it against the fryer, so like it don’t slide. Most days, like, I get covered in flour.”

Jaharvis works up to 15 hours a day.

Each day can present new challenges, but he overcomes them.

Jaharvis Frazier: “I look at every day just as a learning experience.”

Customers say all his effort has created some delicious results.

Brioncka Russell, customer: “You know, the food is amazing. The service is even better, family-oriented business. When you walk in, you get that grandma’s kitchen energy and that family love.

Jaharvis Frazier: “Thank you, appreciate it.”

With each customer that stops by, Jaharvis sees the impact he is making.

Jaharvis Frazier: “I feel like it validates I’m doing something right.”

And his hard work has helped him create the perfect recipe for success.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

May Molina’s labor of love is helping children, and she has been doing it since she was a child.

May Molina, Children’s Home Society of Florida volunteer: “If I must say, I’m currently 40, so I started at the age of seven. You guys could do the math. I would just go with my sister, who would volunteer.”

For 33 years, May has volunteered with Children’s Home Society of Florida.

The organization supports struggling parents so their children can remain home, instead of ending up in foster care.

May Molina: “It does take a lot of time and dedication, but when you have a passion for it, it doesn’t seem like work. You just naturally do it, and that’s just the way it comes for me.”

The Children’s Home Society provides early childhood programs, counseling, adoption services and more.

May Molina: “We do back-to-school drives, toy drives. We do baby showers for the moms every year. When we do these type of events, it’s for them to forget about whatever they’re going through at that moment and just enjoy the time and the gifts and enjoy that they’re in the spotlight, so this baby shower is mainly for moms who are struggling.”

Moms like Lucia Ramirez.

Lucia Ramirez: “I was seeking for help, and I came across this program, and they have provided me with like a crib for the baby when he came home and some clothes, and that was awesome because I didn’t have that.”

Lucia’s baby is now 3 years old.

Lucia Ramirez: “With the Children’s Home Society, they had helped me raise him, has given me parenting skills, how to educate him better. They’re just great people, honestly. I feel so comfortable being here in this program. They’re like my second family.”

And speaking of family…

May Molina: “Eventually had kids of my own and introduced them into my passion of helping others.”

May says her sons, now 15 and 20, share her passion of serving those who are less fortunate.

May Molina: “When I tell them that I’m going to be having another event, they go, ‘OK, what do we have to do? When is it?’ and they’re there. Realize that we’re blessed. I think that’s like the most important thing for me and what I wanted my kids to grow up knowing and appreciating what they had, and I believe I accomplished that.”

Sharing a love for giving back with a new generation, Children’s Home Society of Florida, which started back in 1902, helps more than 60,000 children and family members each year.

To learn more about volunteering or donating, click here.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Steve Fredrickson (speaking on the phone): “We’ll get right on it.”

Steve Fredrickson has been getting on it at Boward Health for 50 years. He started in housekeeping when he was only 18 years old.

Steve Fredrickson: “At the time, I was making $2.42 an hour. I was delivering clean linen, and I was picking up soil then, and I was vacuuming.”

Five decades later, he’s regional manager of facility services.

Steve Fredrickson: “There’s so many different things every single day that I get involved in, just loved working there.”

Onecia Pryce has also built her career here. In 1977, she started as a nurse’s assistant in the maternity ward.

Onecia Pryce: “I was so excited!”

She’s now the unit secretary of pediatric oncology. She can’t believe how far Broward Health has come in her 47 years.

Onecia Pryce: “Where I started, it was just that little west wing area, you know, mostly – and so now, the place became this huge, gigantic place now.”

The hospital opened as Broward General on Jan. 2, 1938, in a renovated apartment building. It was the first public hospital in the county and had only 16 beds.

Shane Strum, CEO, Broward Health: “Look how dated this is now. I mean, the machines were 10 times larger.”

Broward General became Broward Health Medical Center in 2012.

President and CEO Shane Strum loves looking at the old photos.

Shane Strum: “They’re like a time capsule. You open it up, and it’s a present. We were the first NICU, the first electrocardiogram machine, first in the neurosciences.’

The hospital was also the first in the county to get an iron lung. The massive machine used suction to help patients breathe.

Shane Strum: “It used to encapsulate the entire body, right? A machine was doing all the breathing for a person. Today, all you need is a tube and a ventilator.”

Broward Health continues to grow with additional locations, medical advances and challenges.

In July of 2020, Broward Health gave 7 Investigates an exclusive look inside its COVID-19 unit.

Onecia Pryce: “I would gear up and go, you know, go to the floors, but it was scary.”

Healthcare workers on the front lines battled the virus with no vaccine to protect them.

Steve Fredrickson: “It almost takes me to the point of tears when I talk about it sometimes. Seeing the nurses go in and out of the rooms, it’s like walking into something that, if you do one thing wrong, you could get the COVID.”

Steve and Onecia say the staff held strong, which is why they want to keep coming to work every day.

Steve Fredrickson: “If I was retired, i think I’d be bored.”

Onecia Pryce: “We love each other here. It’s a lot of fun working with my peers, and I just love it.”

Broward Health’s 85th anniversary is on Monday, Jan. 2. Employees say they will be celebrating the past and looking forward to the future.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Beverly Raposa, crash survivor: “Oh, my gosh, to finally see it. Oh, my gosh.”

This is a moment decades in the making for former flight attendant Beverly Raposa.

Beverly Raposa: “All the hours, the frustrations, it’s all worth it.”

Fifty years ago, Beverly was working as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines. She was scheduled to work on flight 401, heading from John F. Kennedy to Miami International Airport on the night of Dec. 29, 1972.

Beverly Raposa: “And that picture was taken, Karen, just before we left. Little did I know, the night was young.”

The flight never reached its destination.

The plane lost altitude and crashed in the Everglades.

Beverly Raposa: “This is the first catastrophic accident of a wide-bodied jet.”

One hundred and seventy-six people were on board; 101 died, but Beverly survived.

This is video of her being interviewed by reporters after being rescued.

Beverly Raposa: “We just crashed, and I mean, no warning whatsoever. There was dead silence, I mean just dead silence. It was a couple minutes. I was struggling to try and get out of my situation because I was pinned in.”

After Beverly freed herself from the wreckage, she says her training as a flight attendant kicked in.

Beverly Raposa: “So I kept yelling to people, ‘I’m a stewardess’ — back then we were stewardesses, not flight attendants — ‘I’m a stewardess, if you hear my voice, come towards me.’ You hope that you’re going to do the best you can, but you never know until you face situations, either.”

Fifteen years after the crash, she and other survivors came up with a plan to create a tribute for the victims.

Beverly Raposa: “We weren’t able to raise the funds for it. We were trying to find a location for it. I kept trying to restart this about five or six times.”

But Beverly never gave up, and back in January, nearly 50 years after the crash of flight 401, her dream came true.

Beverly Raposa: “So we’ve put it together in 11 months, and I call it the memorial.”

Beverly and her fellow survivors raised the money to create this more than 2,000-pound granite monument. It is fitted with a plaque bearing the names of the 101 passengers and crew who died.

Beverly Raposa: “Oh, my gosh. To see it! Wow.”

Survivors and families will have a dedication at the monument site on Dec. 29, and Beverly feels she has finally completed her duties for flight 401.

Beverly Raposa: “I have to tell them. You’re home. I can look up for once, the day of the dedication and say, ‘We did it, we love you, and you will never be forgotten. Never.'”

The memorial is in Miami Springs and sits a half mile from the runway where the flight was supposed to land.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Teenagers Rory, Twan and Charles have all been in trouble with the law.

Rory: “We’re all here for the same purpose, like committing a crime.”

Twan: “So me just trying to carry a gun to protect myself, and I end up getting caught by police.”

Charles: “I was at the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time. I shouldn’t be there, but I regret it, though.”

The three spent time locked up at the Miami-Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center, but now they are trying to change the direction of their young lives.

Charles: “Don’t never let nobody tell you that you can’t be better in your life.”

That better future is becoming possible with the help of an organization called Youth for Christ Miami.

Rory: “They they teach us, like, the stuff we need in, like, the future, how to change and be a better person.”

Ronnie Lillard, Director of Juvenile Justice Ministry (talking to teens): “They say bad company corrupts good character.”

The faith-based organization has teams that go into detention centers. They are also there for the teens when they get out.

Ronnie Lillard: “This program initiated because we saw kids in jail who were always coming back to jail, and we said, ‘OK, so how do we do something that helps them when they are released that prevents them from coming back?'”

Ronnie Lillard: “Who remembers what we talked about last week?”

Ronnie Lillard is Youth for Christ’s Director of Juvenile Justice Ministry.

Ronnie Lillard: “I’m one of these kids. You know, I grew up as a kid in trouble.”

Ronnie and other adult role models help guide these teens onto a better path.

Ronnie Lillard: “To try to impart all our life lessons that we’ve learned ourselves onto them in a short amount of time. To say, ‘Hey, look. This is your window of opportunity to make a change.'”

And this is the room where that happens.

Ronnie Lillard (talking to teens): “Say, if I want to change my life.”

Teens: “If I want to change my life.”

Ronnie Lillard (talking to teens): “I gotta make some steps.”

Teens: “I gotta make some steps.”

Ronnie Lillard (talking to teens): “I gotta change some behaviors.”

Teens: “I gotta change some behaviors.”

They learn, share and play sports together. They also pray together.

Angel Terrero, Youth For Christ Miami: “In the name of Jesus, and all of God’s people say amen!”

Twan: “So he’s like a father figure I never had.”

Charles: “It’s just how people treat each other here; everybody got love for each other here.”

And that love and leadership, Ronnie says, has led to success stories.

Ronnie Lillard: “You get a phone call, ‘Man, thank you so much. I’m a father now, and I got a job, and I’m working steadily, and that whole life is behind me.’ And sometimes you see the exact opposite. We’ve had kids in this program over the last year. We’ve had over four or five kids be shot at or murdered.”

Cairi McNear was one of them. Police say the 17-year-old was gunned down in May by another teen during an argument at an apartment complex.

It is a heartbreaking example of the challenges Ronnie and his group face.

Ronnie Lillard: “That’s the poverty in this community. That’s the trauma in this community. It’s never-ending, but what we try to do is, for the moment that we can, do as much as we can for at least one or a few to try to make that change.”

Youth for Christ Miami is helping make that change in ways that go beyond their juvenile justice program, working with more than 3,000 kids and teens a year. If you would like to volunteer or donate, click here.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Ever since he was a kid, Rhonel Cinous, has dreamed of exploring outer space, and thanks to technology, he will.

Rhonel Cinous: “It’s amazing. It’s amazing.”

Rhonel was paralyzed in a diving accident six years ago. He now has to depend on hands-free, voice-control technology in order to live more independently.

Rhonel Cinous: “It is how I do my banking. It’s how I contact my siblings. It’s how I order things that I need. It’s how I adjust the temperature in my home.”

Rhonel works with the United Spinal Association to help others with disabilities.

He tests voice control software programs to see if they work.

Rhonel Cinous: “It is accessible for people who don’t have hand function, as I may not have, or it is available for individuals who can’t move head and neck.”

His years of work have been crucial for the United Spinal Association, so the organization decided to send him on a mission.

Rhonel Cinous: “And they start kind of explaining that Amazon and NASA kind of teamed up, and they were like, ‘Well, we decided — the powers that be all voted — and we want you to represent us.'”

Rhonel was selected to join a virtual crew for the final days of the Artemis 1 space mission.

Last month, the unmanned Orion Spacecraft launched on a 25-day mission orbiting the moon.

On board is a voice-control program called Callisto.

It works like Amazon’s Alexa, and Rhonel and his team are testing it out.

Rhonel Cinous: “And the hope and the plan for the program is to allow voice control to assist the astronauts and Mission Control to interact with the actual shuttle to help them throughout the actual mission.”

Just like you ask your Alexa device to turn on the lights or tell you the weather, Rhonel and his team will request Callisto to do the same. Except, instead of controlling a home, Callisto will control an entire spacecraft.

Rhonel Cinous: “To actually ask questions about the mission, the surface of the moon, what’s going on in the area, and to give it some commands. It’s amazing that not only was I chosen to be the person, but that they’re showing that people like myself have a place in these once-in-a-lifetime events.”

And he hopes it creates an opportunity to make life more accessible for people with disabilities back here on Earth.

Kevin Ozebek, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Jose Sarduy: “Yeah, my name is Jose, and nobody believes me.”

Believe him.

He is Jose Sarduy, and he loves to make people laugh.

Jose Sarduy: “‘What’s your name, man?’ And I go, ‘My name’s Jose. He’s like, ‘No, papi.'”

Born in Las Tunas, Cuba, Jose came to Miami with his mom on the Mariel boatlift when he was just 3 years old. Jose grew up in Miami Springs, and when he graduated from high school, he got a scholarship to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Jose Sarduy: “That’s where my aviation started and my love of teaching. I still teach today. In the Air Force, I’m the old man now.”

Lt. Col. Jose Sarduy is a 27-year veteran and a flight instructor in the Air Force Reserves.

Mauriett Chayeb, Jose’s sister: “He’s just like the best big brother ever, and he’s been in the military since I was 6 years old, and he came back, and he’s used his knowledge and everything to make people laugh with his comedy.”

His love of flying is helping his comedy career take off.

He produces the show “Flying Funny,” showing off his mad aviator skills to friends brave enough to go up with him.

Jose Sarduy: “We’re doing some aerobatics today. How do you feel?”

Renée Percey, comedian/actor/writer: “Oooooh!”

He also has comedy specials on YouTube.

Jose Sarduy: “I was the number one viewed video of 2021 on the entire app.”

When he’s not tubing, he’s touring coast to coast.

Jose Sarduy: “My first year out of the military doing comedy full-time, I mean, it was like three weeks a month just in my car.”

Jose plays theaters, clubs, colleges and cruise ships.

Jose Sarduy: “I feel like I’ve got to be extra Cuban. ‘I got it, arroz con pollo y maduros, por favor!'”

One of his favorite subjects in his acts is his mom Maricela.

Jose Sarduy: “My mom is great. She speaks with an accent. ‘Do you want something to eat?’ They were like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ ‘Do you want hard dough’? ‘What is hard dough?’ I’m like, ‘That’s how she says ‘hot dog.'”

At first her feelings were hurt. She thought Jose was making fun of her.

Then she went to one of his shows.

Maricela Mendez, Jose’s mom: “Ladies came to me and say, ‘Hi, you’re Jose’s mother. You have to be so proud of him. He’s special.’ I say, ‘Yeah, he’s so special.'”

Jose Chayeb, stepfather: “I see the people smiling when he do the comedy, you know, he’s very happy.”

Even with a busy schedule, Jose comes back to Miami as often as he can, missing Maricela’s famous cafecitos and her hugs.

Jose Sarduy: “I get eight or nine of those a day.”

He writes new material here and works with sister Mauriett to plan his next move.

Mauriett: “You could go to like Tampa, you could do Jacksonville.”

Jose Sarduy: “That’s the goal, is to do theaters and then be back in L.A. and get on television, movies, whatever it takes. That’s the next thing.”

Jose says he’ll keep on working and doing what he’s always done to achieve success: aim for the sky.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

They call themselves the Conch Republic Marine Army.

They are not the military, but group founder Brian Vest and his volunteers are still on a mission.

Brian Vest, CRMA founder: “Our goal is to try and clean the shallow water habitats of the Florida Keys, the entire Florida Keys, one time.”

But before we get to how big of an undertaking this is, we have to go back to 2017, when Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Lower Keys.

The Category 4 storm destroyed homes, leaving their contents blown everywhere.

Brian Vest: “The best analogy is if you were to take a bulldozer and go right through your garage, right through the back of your garage, and shove it into your swimming pool, everything that went in there.”

In this case, the “swimming pool” is the water that feeds into the ocean.

A few months after Irma hit in 2017, a group of about 25 people helped Brian clean up a canal behind his Big Pine Key home.

But what started small, quickly grew.

Brian Vest: “So our third event is really the one that put us on the map, and that was where 250 people showed up, ambulances, fire and rescue, sheriff’s office, the county, everyone showed up for this thing that was happening on Big Pine, which is a community coming together.”

The Marine Army was born.

In the past five years, Brian says 4,000 volunteers have pitched in to pluck you name it out of the water.

Brian Vest: “Well, we’re talking about sofas, motorcycles, grills. We have found a total of 88 refrigerators out in the back country as far as 25 miles away. We’ve pulled out 214 tons of trash. I think we’re at 2.5 million feet of trap line and rope, which is the distance from Key West to Jacksonville.”

Our cameras were on board as Brian and four volunteers made the trek to a small island where the Marine Army had stacked lobster traps. The power from Hurricane Ian in September moved the traps from deep water, where they were set, to the shallows where the boats of lobster fisherman cannot travel.

Brian Vest: “The storm moved all these traps 3, to 6, in some cases 30 miles.”

One by one, they lifted the nearly 100-pound traps onto paddleboards, into the boat and brought them to land, where the owners of the traps could pick them up for free.

Ryan Fisher, volunteer: “It feels like a drop in the bucket, but at the same time, you know, it’s two boats full of traps that are going to get, you know, going to be reused and get back to the people they belong to.”

Connor Fisher, volunteer: “Super rewarding, though bringing them all out and everything but definitely hard work, definitely hard work.”

Scat Fisher, volunteer: “We live here. This is my home, so to come out here and do this kind of work feels really good to me.”

But despite all the good work, there is still a long way to go.

Brian Vest: “The Florida Keys are a beautiful place, but there’s sections in the Florida Keys that are in really bad trouble.”

The Conch Republic Marine Army has attracted volunteers from around the world.

If you want to learn more about spending a day in the Keys helping out, click here.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It’s time to lace up those skates.

CJ Morrison: “It’s just different styles, the culture.”

CJ Morrison started rollerskating two years ago. He says if he hadn’t picked up this new hobby, his life would have turned out very differently.

CJ Morrison: “I honestly feel like I would not be here. It’s just life can be so overwhelming.”

But that was before he met Jeff Sylla, the founder of Paradise Skating in Miami Gardens.

Jeff Sylla: “So what I teach is just balance, rhythm.”

Jeff has been skating since he was 19. He’s now 44.

Three years ago, he realized his skills on skates would catch the attention of teens and young adults. He saw many of them going through tough times.

Jeff Sylla: “They’re in an environment that’s not really healthy, and they tend to join gangs. I encourage those youth, say, ‘Hey, why don’t you join a skate crew?'”

Jeff’s approach worked, and he started teaching others how to skate.

Those lessons taught students to skate with style and helped them change their lives.

Jeff Sylla: “It starts building that confidence, and then we just get higher and higher and higher and higher.”

CJ agrees.

The skating skills he has learned over the years with Jeff has turned his life around.

CJ Morrison: “So I am truly humbled and grateful to be in the presence and an acquaintance of Jeff because he’s shown me a lot on and off the wood floor.”

Genae Pearson joined Paradise Skating after a chance meeting at a skating event in Orlando.

At the time, she says she was going through a dark moment in life.

Genae Pearson: “My grandmother, she had just passed away, and I was just working and going home. I wasn’t doing anything else, and I almost felt like I was just drowning.”

Even though Genae doesn’t live in South Florida, she knew she had to be a part of the crew, even if she had to drive from Orlando to Miami Gardens to do it.

Genae Pearson: “He let me in, and I got to practice with them almost every week. I just met amazing people, amazing friends.”

The Paradise Skating team travels to different cities and states to perform at skate parties. It’s an opportunity for them to show off their skills and meet someone who might need a mentor.

Jeff Sylla: “They’ll come up and say, ‘Hey, can I join? How do I learn?'”

According to Jeff, all they need is an open mind, a willingness to work hard and the determination to change their lives.

Jeff Sylla: “And I think the ultimate goal is for every one of these kids and young adults to know is you have a purpose.”

With a little guidance from Jeff and a pair of skates, they can roll into a more positive future.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

7News first met Carter Bonas on a Coral Springs golf course in February.

The then 10-year-old certainly looked the part on the links.

That’s because everything he is wearing is from his very own line of golf apparel. Diagnosed with autism, he named his company Spectrum Golf.

Carter Bonas: “Well, I’m high on the spectrum, and I was writing the ‘S.G.,’ and I and I wrote the ‘G’ backwards. We were going to change it, but my dad said it looked pretty good, so it sticked.”

He told 7News then he had a goal.

Carter Bonas: “Get bigger and bigger.”

Nine months later, he got his wish.

This is Carter today, just named Sportskid of the year by Sports Illustrated Magazine, landing him right on the cover.

Carter Bonas, Friday from Dubai: “Being Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year is the best thing I could imagine.”

With help from his mom, the now 11-year-old spoke to 7News from Dubai on Friday.

Carter Bonas: “When I first found I was Sports Illustrated kid of the year I was shocked and happier than you could ever believe.”

He is in Dubai to play at the golf course of legendary hall of famer Ernie Els, who became a mentor and also has a child with autism.

When he was younger, Carter acted out and was bullied at school for being different.

A low point became a turning point in fourth grade.

Dr. Thelma Tennie, Carter’s mom, February 2022: “He told his teacher, ‘If one more thing goes wrong or one more thing happens to me, I’m going to kill myself.'”

Therapy, medication and his love of sports helped get him back on track.

Carter Bonas: “Golf was the best for me. I didn’t get screamed at. I didn’t get touched. I felt like I could take my time and try my best.”

Carter is not only a golfer but an advocate for autism and a businessman.

He told 7News he is grateful to those who have helped him along his journey.

Carter Bonas: “Whoever helped me along the way, I just want to say thank you very much, and I really appreciate that.”

A young man grateful and only just beginning.

Luca Martinez lives for exploring Florida’s nature.

With every click of his lens, he showcases his passion for the state’s forests and wetlands.

Luca Martinez: “It’s a hotspot for life. A hotspot for breeding endangered species. There’s crystal clear water in there, and it’s completely hikeable.”

When COVID-19 hit, the Palmer Trinity High senior got tired of being cooped up, so he began hiking in the Everglades.

Whether it’s on land or in the water, he says being out in the wild has changed him forever.

Luca Martinez: “I was walking through crystal clear waters with these aquatic plants all around me, and I thought, ‘I have to share this world.'”

The swamp came alive in a way he never dreamed.

Luca Martinez: “The place is so misunderstood. We’re taught that it’s dirty, that the water is murky, it’s all black water, and that’s just not the case out here.”

Now, he lives to explore, and on social media, he invites everyone along for the ride.

Luca has more than 890,000 followers on TikTok and almost 200,000 on Instagram.

Luca Martinez: “I never thought to make reels or TikToks, but that’s the way I’ll get my age group to watch, through these short cinematic videos with the type of music they like.”

His videos are stunning. It takes time and luck to get the perfect shot.

Luca went out every weekend for a year to catch this barn owl in flight.

He was in the right place at the right time to witness this moment of thousands of tree swallows filling the sky, and he loves to get in the water, carefully watching and recording alligators in their natural habitat.

Luca Martinez: “Some of those shots are my favorite because it really shows the way these alligators live.”

Whether it’s a trip to Big Cypress Swamp to find rare ghost orchids or spending the night under the stars in a hammock strung between cypress trees, he wants to inspire people to get out and experience natural Florida.

Luca Martinez: “It’s like no other feeling.”

Luca’s work is so popular, he’s now being asked to do presentations at schools and symposiums and was recently featured on the cover of The Everglades Foundation Magazine.

He likes the attention, since it’s a way to make people aware of the danger of encroaching development.

Luca Martinez: “The swamp will change you. It’s just a different kind of wild. It’s a wild that requires your attention and your closer look. If you give this place your time, if you go out there, pretty incredible things will happen.”

Luca says he’ll continue to scout Florida’s wild places. As he starts work on a new documentary, he hopes it will inspire the next generation of conservationists.

Luca’s social media accounts:

www.lucamartinezphotography.com

TikTok

Instagram

We first met Sherina Jones during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sherina Jones: “People are losing their jobs, kids are home more than ever and the cost of food is rising on a day-to-day basis.”‘

Two years later, coronavirus fears have eased, but the need for help has not.

Sherina Jones: “From the pandemic to now, I can say things have gotten worse.”

Sherina’s first fridge was plugged in outside Roots Black House Print Shop on Northwest Seventh Avenue in Liberty City.

People could come take whatever they needed … For free.

Isaiah Thomas, Roots Black House: “There’s times where us ordinary citizens can be a real village.”

Now, the village fridge has grown into the Village Pantry.

Sherina Jones: “The growth is definitely surprising to me because I started out with just a thought of having one refrigerator outside to take care of this community, and it’s like, my thought just organically grew on its own.”

On that same sidewalk, people now line up in the morning for a hot cup of coffee or bowl of oatmeal.

Volunteer: “Good thing you got here when you did.”

Man: “Thank you.”

And leave with a bag of food.

Sherina Jones: “Mr. Palmer, how you doing?”

Inside the pantry is a small space for volunteers with big hearts.

It’s where Sherina’s mom is busy making sandwiches and where boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables from supermarkets are delivered instead of dumped.

Sherina Jones: “Instead of the food going to the trash, they rescue it and they bring it to the pantry, so we created this whole system so that we’re combating food waste and food insecurity at the same time.

Sherina’s system has three different options depending on the need. From fruit, sandwiches and bottled water for those who are homeless, to microwavable meals for the elderly, and finally, meat, produce and other items for families to make their own meals at home.

Sherina Jones: “We’re serving 300 families and individuals a day here at the Village Pantry.”

People like Ira Harris.

Ira Harris/volunteer: “When I first started coming here, I was in the line like the rest of them.”

The military veteran now pays it forward, volunteering to sign people in at the pantry.

Ira Harris: “I love it. I didn’t ever know I love working for free.”

As for the woman who started all this…

Theresa Agnew/volunteer: “She’s awesome and she works hard.”

Ira Harris: “She don’t turn nobody away. We call her the queen.”

But Sherina still deals with her own doubts.

Sherina Jones: “I leave here some days bawling in tears, like, is what I’m doing effective? Is what I’m doing enough?”

As for what the future holds, Sherina envisions not just handing out food.

Sherina Jones: “So it’s a learning kitchen to introduce them to healthier eating.”

Judging by these smiling faces, Sherina is already feeding a need and so much more.

For more information on the Village Pantry, visit this link.

To donate, visit their GoFundMe page.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

If there’s someone or something you think we should feature, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.