At times it can feel as if only bad news is around, but in reality, this is far from the truth.
We are in the privileged position of reporting on some of the most lovely things humans have done in 2016 and would love to share these with you, to send off 2016 on a happy note.
1. Baby Asher, smashing model stereotypes one campaign at a time
When a modelling agency declined to put Meagan Nash's son Asher forward for a job for Osh Kosh, she decided she wasn't taking no for an answer. The agency stated that their clients 'weren't looking for a special needs baby,' so Meagan pushed back by taking to Facebook and garnering 126,177 shares and 6,300 comments. Not only did Asher (who has Down Syndrome) score a contract with Osh Kosh, he ripped apart outmoded notions of beauty. Read the full article here.
2. The man who helped an exhausted pregnant mother on a flight
Photo: Facebook
In a world where complaints about fussing children on flights is the norm, one man in the US showed how a little bit of love and understanding can a long way. When he saw a pregnant mother travelling alone with an unsettled toddler, he stepped in to settle him while she rested. It brought other passengers to tears and one took to Facebook. Read the full story here.
3. The news that Jools and Jamie were having baby number five
Photo: Getty Images
The internet went wild with the news that our favourite chef and his wonderful fashion designer wife Jools, were expecting their fifth bundle of joy. The new broke in March and we didn't have all that long to wait as baby River Rocket joined the famous clan in early August. We did however, have to wait quite a while to learn his name.
4. A stranger's astonishing kindness
Photo: Facebook
A young family with a critically ill baby was brought to its knees financially and had the family car repossessed. With both parents - Lauren and Michael Cappello - unable to work due to the needs of their two young children, and the bills mounting up, a kind stranger on a Facebook community group gave them a car. Read the full article here.
5. Proof you're never too old to make a difference
Photo: Dogwood Forest Assisted Living
It's a story that warmed our hearts in November; the news that 86-year-old Ed Moseley had put his hand up to knit little beanies for premature babies, even though he didn't know how to knit. It's a skill he picked up quickly and now the octogenarian aims to make 30 a month to send to babies in hospital. Read the full story here.