After she was diagnosed with cancer, her classmates came to the rescue.

She expected them to make fun of her. She was wrong.

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Marlee watched as her teachers and peers stepped up to show their support for her, one by one. The look on her face says it all.

Marlee, seen here in the red dress with denim jacket, has received some major support from friends and teachers. All images by Boulder Daily Camera/YouTube.

Last year, her mom noticed a bump on Marlee's left foot. After it didn't go away (Marlee played soccer, so it made sense that it might be a sports injury), Marlee's mom took her to the doctor, where they learned the scary truth: It was cancer.

Doctors amputated Marlee's foot, after which she began chemo, causing her to lose her hair. Even after all she'd been through, Marlee worried about how her teachers and classmates would react to seeing her without hair.

She was in for a pleasant surprise.

Not only did her teachers and classmates accept her, but several of them decided to shave their own heads in the name of solidarity — and charity.

After setting up an account with the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a group that helps raise money to fight childhood cancer through head-shaving events, Marlee's teachers and classmates hopped into action.

More than 80 of her classmates shaved their heads or donated hair, and in total, the school raised more than $25,000 in just two and a half weeks.

Marlee had the honor of shaving one of her teachers' heads.

"I thought people would make fun of me, but people just supported me instead," she told the Broomfield Enterprise.

The outpouring of support was unexpected, touching, and just about everything you'd hope for in humanity.

Above all else, Marlee hoped to be able to help other kids with cancer, and in that, she succeeded. Big time.

The whole school turned up in support.

When it comes to childhood cancer, there are some troubling statistics.

For example, did you know that the average age of diagnosis for childhood cancer is 6 years old? Or that about 40,000 children undergo cancer treatment each year? Or that the majority of childhood cancer survivors experience later effects like fertility, heart failure, and other forms of cancer? Or that just 4% of federal cancer research funds go toward studying pediatric cancer?

It's rough out there, and that's what makes the community outpouring of support for Marlee all the more heartwarming.

Marlee finished her last chemo treatment in February, but the love and support from her schoolmates will stick with her forever.

To learn more about Marlee's story, check out this article at the Broomfield Enterprise or watch the video below.

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Republicans and Democrats should never forget what Paul Ryan just said about the poor.

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Paul Ryan just did something that is all too rare in politics.

Paul Ryan. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

He admitted he was wrong.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.

For a long time, Ryan had divided Americans into two groups: "makers," working people who contribute to society, and "takers," (mostly) poorer people who depend on government benefits.

A Florida woman looks for a job at a placement office in 2014. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Here's how he put it at a fundraiser in Wisconsin in 2012:

"Do you want the American idea of an opportunity society with a safety net where you can take a risk, start a business, make a difference, succeed and be honored for being successful? Or do we go down the path the president is proposing — a social welfare state, a cradle-to-the-grave society where we have more takers than makers."

And here's how he framed it earlier, speaking to a fellow Republican congressman in 2010:

"Right now about 60 percent of the American people get more benefits in dollar value from the federal government than they pay back in taxes. So we’re going to a majority of takers versus makers in America and that will be tough to come back from that."

But recently, Ryan had a revelation: Most people don't take government aid because they like free stuff. They take it because they need it to survive.

A girl pays for food with an EBT card. Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images.

According to the USDA, in 75% of all households that both received food stamps and had a member who was able to work, that person had a job in the year before or after receiving the benefit.

How did Ryan realize he was wrong? By listening to actual poor people.

A New York City man guides a cart of recyclable cans down the street. Photo by Jewel Samad/Getty Images.

Here's what he had to say in a speech last week. It's really, really different than the way he's framed the issue many times before (emphasis added):

"There was a time that I would talk about a difference between 'makers' and 'takers' in our country, referring to people who accepted government benefits. But as I spent more time listening, and really learning the root causes of poverty, I realized something. I realized that I was wrong. 'Takers' wasn’t how to refer to a single mom stuck in a poverty trap, trying to take care of her family. Most people don’t want to be dependent. And to label a whole group of Americans that way was wrong. I shouldn’t castigate a large group of Americans to make a point."

It's not just poor people who benefit from government assistance. Most of us do at some point in our lives.

The thing is, we're often unaware of it, according political scientist Suzanne Mettler, whose arguments were summarized by The Washington Post in 2015. That's because the benefits that most of us receive — for things like housing and health care or through the GI Bill, if we're veterans — often come to us through lower tax bills rather than as cash handed directly to us.

If we live long enough, most of us will eventually collect Social Security or have our medical bills paid through Medicare.

There's still plenty not to love about Ryan's approach to poverty, which doesn't do much to reflect his change of heart. Yet.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

His 2014 anti-poverty plan still includes provisions that make the poorest Americans jump through hoops in order to receive benefits while wealthier Americans continue to receive tax credits for things like mortgages and college tuition "just because."

But at least where his thinking is concerned, he's starting to get it. And that's progress.

As Ryan said in his speech, "People with different ideas, they're not traitors. They're not our enemies. They're our neighbors."

It's possible to disagree with Ryan — on this or even on most things — and still believe he deserves credit for listening, grappling, and changing his tune on the poorest Americans.

You can watch Ryan's full address here. The important part starts at 9:40:

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This son sent his mom a life-size cutout of himself. She got the last laugh.

Amazing work, mom.

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Dalton Ross wanted to make sure his family didn't miss him too badly while he was studying abroad in London.

To help them cope, the 22-year-old Tennessee native did what any selfless college student would do: He sent his mom a life-size cutout of himself.

All photos courtesy of Dalton Ross, used with permission.

"I thought maybe they'd put it in the living room corner until I got back to remember I exist," he explained about the cutout, which came with a short note: "You're welcome."

But like any clever mom, Susan Talley couldn't just stash this amazing piece of work away when it arrived about two months ago.

No, no — she had better plans in mind...

Talley decided the cardboard version of her son could be a great companion "while the real one is in Europe." So she brought him along with her to events, like basketball games...

Can you spot cardboard Dalton in the stands?

...trips to the doctor's office...

...and sub sandwich runs.

Fake Dalton celebrated Valentine's Day with a fellow inanimate object.

He enjoyed playing with a furry, four-legged friend in the sunshine.

And he appreciated a good bedtime story, just like the rest of us.

The photos of fake Dalton are spreading like wildfire.

Without showing her son the photos first, Talley went ahead and uploaded them to Facebook. And after Dalton shared them on Imgur — explaining his mom "seems to be entertaining herself" while he's gone — the story sent the Internet into a buzzy frenzy.

"The attention is crazy," Ross told Upworthy, noting the story has gained so much traction that a restaurant featured in one of the photos, O'Charley's, sent the family a gift card.

"I hope my mom's holding up all right," he said. "It's awesome though."

So now that fake Dalton has been to the batting cages...

...taken in some city nightlife...

...and celebrated Easter with his family...

...is fake Dalton ready to call it quits?

Seeing as new photos were shared as recently as the day before this article, I wouldn't bet on it.

Although the viral reaction to the photos has been a bit nuts, Ross isn't all that surprised his mom was up for a good laugh.

"Oh yeah, my mom is very funny," he explained to Upworthy. And it's a good thing too: Laughter can be a great tool in improving the quality of family dynamics and boosting a loved one's emotional health. (A student studying abroad should especially keep that in mind, considering being away from loved ones and familiarity can be tough.)

"We're a big family of jokesters."

Bravo, mom, for setting the bar very high ahead of April Fools' Day.

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Lots of Americans can’t afford diapers, but the White House has a fascinating solution.

How distributors, manufacturers, and the White House are working together for good.

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There’s a big diaper problem in America that no one’s really talking about.

Image via Jet/YouTube.

Nearly 1 out of every 3 families in the United States report they often can’t afford to buy diapers when they need them, the White House states. Plus, low-income households end up spending nearly twice as much on diapers as middle-class folks because they don’t have access to bulk stores that charge less overall for diapers.

This means that every day, millions of American families come face to face with a question that no one should have to ask: "Should I buy diapers for my child or food for my family?"

This reality has led to what politicians are calling the "diaper gap" — a widening gap between folks who can afford the diapers their babies need and folks who can’t.

Unlike other essentials like food and health care, the government doesn’t offer federal assistance to low-income households for diaper purchases. Because of this, low-income families end up spending an average $936 per child per year on diapers alone, which means moms end up keeping their babies in dirty diapers longer to save money, too. Research published in Pediatrics shows doing this can lead to diaper rash, infections, and even permanent scarring.

Good news, though: Our good old government has a plan.

Image via Jet/YouTube.

This is where things get kind of unusual: Enter Jet.com.

The White House started the conversation with Jet.com, a discount wholesale website, in the most public way they could — via Twitter. It was important for the White House to come clean about this longstanding problem and to make it known publicly they needed assistance from the greater community to find a solution.

Then Jet.com proposed some solutions, but they realized they had to start with bringing in a manufacturing partner to help make more affordable diapers a sustainable reality. Enter Cuties diapers.

Cuties discovered that the key to making diapers cheaper wasn’t even about cutting corners in diaper quality, but rather creating more efficient packaging.

Image via Jet/YouTube.

So they looked into cutting down on packaging and even found ways to fit more diapers into each package. Eventually they came up with some great ideas, and Jet took it from there.

Together with the White House, Jet.com set up a system that allowed any nonprofit to apply to procure drastically discounted diapers.

Image via Jet/YouTube.

They launched the program on March 10, 2016, with the goal of spreading the initiative nationwide through the tributaries of smaller, charitable organizations.

"We’re really just trying to broaden the network of organizations who think about delivering diapers to the families they already serve," Dana Hork, director of brand experience at Jet.com, said in a documentary interview.

Here’s how much cheaper Jet was able to make their diapers (with Cuties’ help, of course):

Image via Jet/YouTube.

For an enrolled nonprofit, that price comes down again to just 13 cents per diaper. That means people will end up paying approximately one-fourth of what they used to!

This program has the potential to shrink the diaper gap to nothing, which is a big deal.

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, the program should help distribute at least 10 to 15 million diapers to families who need them this year. While this may not be a permanent solution to the problem, it’s a heck of a good start.

It’s easy to get down on the government for not doing their job (especially these days).

Image via Jet/YouTube.

But this all happened because the White House asked the community for help, which is pretty cool. When you see collaborative initiatives like this, you realize there are some wonderful things being accomplished in our government — you just have to look for them.

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If you or someone you know works for a charitable organization that distributes diapers, here’s where you can sign up for the lowest discount: jet.com/jetcares. Check out a compelling documentary short on the project here.

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How a system of ropes and pulleys may change the lives of babies with Down syndrome.

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When Grace Morgan smiles, everyone smiles.

Image via Upworthy/YouTube.

How could you not? She's almost 1, and her enthusiasm, curiosity, and zest for life are contagious.

And thanks to an innovative research project, Grace will get to interact with and explore her world like never before.

Grace was born with Down syndrome in April 2015.

Her parents, Liz and Matt Morgan, learned about her diagnosis after she was born. Their initial surprise quickly turned to worry and concerns about Grace's future. Physicians at the Down syndrome clinic at their local children's hospital told the Morgans they could expect Grace to do everything a typical child would, it would just take her twice as long.

But that response didn't fly with the Morgans.

"Why would we just accept the fact that they say 'Everything takes twice as long?'" Liz told Upworthy.

Image via Upworthy/YouTube.

Then the Morgans heard about a research project that could improve Grace's mobility — a huge deal for kids like her.

The man behind the study, Dr. Cole Galloway , is a physical therapy professor at the University of Delaware and founder of GoBabyGo. The program combines engineering, tech, and rehabilitation tools to provide real-world mobility and confidence to kids with disabilities. Galloway was looking for a baby younger than 9 months with Down syndrome and a family with enough time to supervise daily use of an innovative device. The Morgans were selected from a pool of applicants.

Galloway and his team recently set up a mobility harness system in the Morgan's home.

The 10-foot-by-10-foot rig is common in children's hospitals and clinics, but this is one of the first times a system like this is being used in a home environment.

Image via Upworthy/YouTube.

The harness, which is attached to a canopy and pulley system, allows Grace to remain upright, jump, bounce, and interact with her world in a way similar to that of her peers.

Since she's free to roam on the system, she can sway and twirl.

All GIFs via Upworthy/YouTube.

She can play with her parents and big brother.

And even charm the family dog.

For the Morgans and other families, mobility devices like this are life-changing.

The ability to move independently is more than just getting from one place to another. Children learn about their environment and develop cognitively and socially through locomotion. And for older children, the ability to get around and interact with peers is how friendships are formed.

The difference for Grace is "huge," Liz told Upworthy. Without the harness, Grace's world is limited to the toys or people directly in front of her.

But with the device, there's no stopping her.

"What a harness can do is just give a chance for Gracie to never experience anything less than her own independence," Galloway told Upworthy. "Her own self-guided life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Adding, "But it's the pursuit of happiness."

Looks like Grace and her family have plenty to smile about.

See Grace take on the world in this heartwarming Upworthy Original.

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This video is an Upworthy Original.

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This first-grader needed a special kind of help. So her teacher gave her the gift of life.

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“You could never tell this little girl has three tubes in her."

Natasha Fuller is just 8 years old, but her grandmother, Chris Burleton, told the Fond du Lac Reporter that she doesn't let her medical condition faze her. “She is happy and sassy, and she just wants to lead a normal life, and do things like go swimming.”

Natasha was born with a rare abdominal muscle condition called Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, or "prune belly syndrome." Among other things, this means that her eight years of life so far have been plagued by urinary tract complications. She lives with her grandparents in Oakfield, Wisconsin — some 400 miles away from her parents and twin sister in Oklahoma — where it's easier to see the doctor, including thrice-weekly trips to the hospital for kidney dialysis.

GIF via WISN 12 News/YouTube.

But in the fall of 2015, doctors said if she didn't get a transplant, Natasha would die.

She had been waiting years to get a new kidney. But every time her name came up on the transplant list, she was already dealing with other kidney infections that would make the surgery impossible. So each time, she was bumped back to the bottom of the list.

GIF via WISN 12 News/YouTube.

That's when her first-grade teacher, Jodi Schmidt, was inspired to do something radical.

Jodi had only known Natasha since the start of the school year, and though she clearly cared about the girl, she couldn't quite articulate where the idea came from. All she knew was she was suddenly so overwhelmed that she had to pull the car over and call her husband.

"I told him, 'Rich, I want to give a student one of my kidneys,'" she told USA Today.

Jodi went through all the proper tests to make sure that she was a donor match for Natasha before she even shared her plan with anyone else. She checked with her principal, Becky Doyle, to see if she could take off the 8 weeks of recovery time, and confirmed with the hospital that her kidney would be used for Natasha and no one else.

GIF via WISN 12 News/YouTube.

Then she called Natasha's grandmother in for a special conference at the school.

Natasha's grandmother assumed that she was going in to speak about her granddaughter's grades or to address some concerns about her failing health, according to USA Today. Instead, she was greeted with a gift.

"We gave her a gift box, and under the tissue paper was a card with the words: 'It's a match,'" she explained.

GIF via WISN 12 News/YouTube.

"I have had some really good days in my life, and that was probably one of the best," Jodi said after seeing the family's reaction. "I think that life takes us on very different paths, and I now have no doubt I was brought to Oakfield for a reason."

GIF via WISN 12 News/YouTube.

Teachers make amazing sacrifices for students every day — and Jodi's gift to Natasha is simply one of the most extraordinary.

In the meantime, you can warm your own heart with the full donor revelation video below — and let's all hope that Natasha and Jodi both have a speedy recovery after their surgeries in April!

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Original video from WISN 12 News/YouTube.

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11 ridiculous things dads often hear, told to moms instead.

'It's so great that you're babysitting your kids today!'

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In case you missed it, the gender gap still exists — especially in parenting.

It's pretty difficult to ignore. I've read tweets from parody accounts where dads are subjected to ridiculous career advice that women hear far too often.

Working husband & father? Feeling overwhelmed? YOUR FAULT. Drink more water, get up earlier & dress in your

Sure, it can be pretty funny at times, but it's also pretty sad.

The reality is that many moms feel a significant amount of pressure to be on their A-game as parents because of what society expects of them.

But what about dads? Have we been on the receiving end of ridiculous parenting comments and questions, too? Sure we have. It just doesn't get talked about as much.

To illustrate how completely absurd some of the commentary is, what if we directed some of the nonsense dads hear toward moms instead? Here are 11 examples.

1. "It's so great that you're babysitting the kids while your husband is out of the house."

If I hear someone try to equate parenting to babysitting one more time, I'm going to lose it. You CANNOT babysit your own kids! All images via iStock.

2. "Unfortunately we don't have a baby changing station in our women's restroom, but we have one in our men's restroom. Is your husband here to change your daughter's diaper?"

In this day and age, it's pretty sad that men and women don't have equal access to change a poopy diaper.

3. "Hey, Susie, if you post a video online showing how you put your daughter's hair in a ponytail, I bet you'll be the next viral sensation!"

No thanks. But that's because I create ponytails for my daughters every. single. day.

4. "C'mon, we all know that only the dad needs to be home to bond with the baby. You're just taking maternity leave to get out of working. Enjoy your extended vacation."

Being sleep-deprived while being on call for 24 hours a day to take care of a tiny human is hardly a vacation. It's more restful to be in the office, trust me.

5. "Not trying to throw shade, but isn't it strange for a woman to stay at home with the kids all day while your spouse works? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Ah, gotta love those antiquated gender stereotypes.

6. "How are you going to deal with the kids by yourself while your husband is out of town? I know he could handle it, but can you? Will you be OK?"

Even though I'm a fully capable adult, I'll rely on divine intervention to find my way through it.

7. "Why are you at the playground with your son on a Tuesday morning? Did you lose your job?"

Wait, I thought being a full-time parent was a job. I guess I was wrong.

8. "I can tell just by the way you hold your baby that you must be an amazing mom."

Is the bar so low that holding a child automatically puts you on the Mount Rushmore of parents? Basically I'm doing whatever I can to make sure I don't drop my baby because I'm so exhausted. Don't let the half-smile fool you.

9. "Why do you have to leave work early to pick your kids up from school? Isn't that what your spouse is for?"

Are you for real? I didn't know that school pickup was a gender-specific task.

10. "I just have to say how awesome it is that you came to a parent-teacher conference. We hardly ever see moms here."

Most parents want to know how their kids are doing in school, right? Again, is this a gender-specific thing?

11. "It's rare to see such an involved mom. We need more women like you."

Actually, there are a lot of us. Maybe you just need to look a little harder.

Being a parent is hard, but we can make it easier if we watch what we say to them.

When it comes down to it, moms and dads need to meet in the middle of the road.

Moms deserve more credit for the amazing work they do, and dads deserve a little less praise for knocking out routine diaper changes.

Once society ditches the stale gender roles and gets on board with the message that men and women are equally capable and willing to raise children, we will finally make some progress.

And hopefully we'll never hear about parents babysitting their kids ever again.

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Parenting equality for all!

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