This story is a sobering reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the long road society has to travel toward kindness and acceptance. It is about a little boy who endured a devastating attack by two Rottweilers and survived, only to face cruel judgment from others due to his disfigured appearance.
Ryder Wells was just 21 months old when the unthinkable happened. During Thanksgiving of 2015, Ryder and his mother, Brittany, were visiting family friends. Brittany recounted the horrific incident:
“We were eating breakfast, and Ryder was moving back and forth between his toys and coming back for bacon. Then, he disappeared. I looked out of the window, and he was face down in the garden.”
She continued, “He had pajamas on, but they’d been completely ripped off except for a sleeve. When we picked him up and rolled him over, his face was just gone.
“The dogs had been around him before, and they’d been fine, so I don’t know what happened. The doctors said they would do what they could, but we weren’t expecting him to make it. They told us it’s a miracle he’s still here because he was so small, and the injuries were so severe. They thought the dogs had bitten so far into his skull that he would be paralyzed.”
Ryder’s injuries were catastrophic: he lost his entire right cheek, more than half of his lip, his teeth were crushed, his right lung was punctured, and his arm was broken. He was airlifted to the hospital, where he underwent over 14 hours of surgery. For Brittany, it was an unimaginable ordeal filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Ryder’s spirit proved unbreakable. He survived the surgeries but was left with a permanently disfigured face. Over the years, he has undergone more than 50 facial reconstruction surgeries, with more to come in the future.
However, Ryder’s battle is not just physical. He faces the harsh reality of societal judgment. Brittany shared:
“He knows people are talking about him, but he doesn’t say much. He wears glasses and a cap and sometimes hangs his head to hide his face. I try to deal with it in a way that doesn’t affect him too much. I tell him every day that he’s beautiful, that different is beautiful, and it’s okay to be different.
“But I’m absolutely terrified about when he goes to school. There are always going to be a few kids who aren’t kind. When he started kindergarten, the kids learned about Ryder before they met him so they wouldn’t be as shocked. You always want your kid to be accepted and to fit in. Just because he’s different doesn’t make him any less of a person.”
Despite the challenges, Ryder has found a supportive community. Brittany expressed gratitude for the kindness they’ve encountered:
“He has a great group of friends, and people in town know him now, which boosts his confidence. He’s been amazing in how he’s adapted after everything he’s been through.”
Now five years old, Ryder’s journey is far from over. His family has started a GoFundMe campaign to support his future surgeries and treatments. Ryder’s story is a testament to his incredible resilience and a call for greater kindness and empathy in the world. We wish Ryder a life filled with love, acceptance, and opportunities to thrive despite the challenges he has faced.
Judge Judy’s Twice-Told Love Story Will Leave You in Awe
When Judge Judy Sheindlin divorced her husband, she was going through a very tough time. But their separation didn’t last long, and later she shared why she chose to marry him again.
Judge Judy Sheindlin is famous for being a TV judge and has a background as a prosecutor and family court judge. She is married to Jerry Sheindlin, who is also a lawyer and a former judge.
Judy and her husband have always supported each other in their legal jobs. When Jerry, who was a judge in New York, got an offer to join “The People’s Court,” he asked Judy for advice.
In an interview, Jerry said, “She is the one who told me I should do it.” He added that he wouldn’t have accepted the role if Judy had doubts about it.
Even with Judy’s big success on TV, Jerry wasn’t worried about competition. He said, “I think that behind every great woman, there is a man. […] But I also heard that behind every great man, there is a woman.”
Jerry started leaving his job as a Supreme Court judge when he began filming for “The People’s Court.” This new job, where he handled about 10 cases a day for two days a week, was much easier than the 150 cases he used to manage.
Judy and Jerry’s relationship has always been tied to their shared legal careers. They first met in a bar after Jerry had just defended a murder case.
While talking to a reporter, Judy walked in, pointed at him, and asked, “And who is this?” Jerry replied, “Lady, get your finger out of my face.” Since then, they have been together.
While Jerry enjoyed watching Judy’s success on TV, he joked, “If my show takes off and I beat her, I am contacting Hollywood to remake ‘Sleeping With the Enemy.’”
Their relationship grew with their boldness and humor. After a year together, Judy hinted at marriage, but Jerry had some doubts.
He said, “Why does the government have to dictate our relationship? It’s just a piece of paper. We’re already committed to each other.” Instead of pushing him, Judy suggested that if Jerry wanted them to live together, he should ask her dad for permission. Not wanting to face her father, Jerry chose to set a wedding date, and they married in 1977.
Though they were very committed to each other, their relationship hit a rough patch in 1990 when they divorced. The strain came after Judy’s father passed away, which put her under a lot of emotional stress. However, they remarried just a year later.
Jerry shared his feelings about that tough time, saying, “I missed her presence the very first week we were separated. It was strange not seeing her every day.”
Meanwhile, Judy admitted she enjoyed being married and missed Jerry when they were apart. She believed there was something special about sharing life as a couple.
After they got back together, Judy talked about their brief split in an interview. When asked why she decided to reunite with Jerry in 1991, she said, “That’s a long story, but the end is: I found that most men were alike.”
Judy shared her views on the differences between men and women. She said men have different basic needs. They like being cared for, receiving affection, and having their personal space. If they are fed, shown love, and given room to do their own thing, they are usually happy.
She has always been open about the dynamics of her long marriage with Jerry. In a January 2024 interview, she talked about how they have kept their relationship strong for nearly 50 years.
“You don’t spend 24 hours together because that’s deadly,” she explained, stressing the importance of personal space. Judy added, “Jerry just celebrated his 90th birthday, and I still like looking at him when he walks in the room—that’s a key.”
Judy, who will turn 82 on October 21, 2024, has always talked about how important it is to look good as you age. However, when it comes to Jerry, she doesn’t need to remind him—he already knows how to stay healthy.
“He loves himself dearly. Jerry is almost ten years older than I am, but I think his goal is to outlive me. He takes very good care of himself,” said the TV star, who once had a mini-stroke while filming a show.
Judy and Jerry’s lasting bond continues to win over fans, both on and off the screen. In a heartfelt Facebook post, she shared a picture of them together, which received a lot of love from followers.
One person commented, “You and your husband look so good together. Love your smiles,” while another said, “You look amazing. Love your common sense judgments.”
Judy Sheindlin and Jerry Sheindlin’s long-lasting relationship shows the power of love, respect, and shared laughter. After nearly five decades together, their bond remains strong, proving that true companionship can last through all of life’s challenges.
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