The Most Incredible Facebook Miracles of 2014

On September 24, 2013, nursing student Kristina Chesterman was biking home when she was hit and killed by a drunken driver. This tragedy turned into a viral Facebook campaign after Kristina's mother uncovered Kristina's bucket list in a makeup bag. The parents posted the list on their daughter's memorial page and thousands of people conspired to fulfill the bucket list Kristina never had the chance to finish. A woman carried her photo to Venice, Italy, while another took Kristina on a camel ride in Morocco.

In 2013, a bomber planted two explosives at the Boston Marathon finish line, injuring hundreds of runners and killing three. Two bystanders from the UK, Kate Treleaven and Danny Bent, set up a Facebook group organizing the first ever nonstop relay to run across America from Los Angeles to Boston. Over 2,000 runners worked together to complete 3,300 miles and raised money to help those affected by the bombings. This year, One Run For Boston triumphed again with a coast-to-coast relay. So far they have raised $500,000 to aid survivors!

Every year, Carden Crow and his wife drive an hour to Tulsa, OK, to celebrate Gay Pride. This year, the couple couldn't make the trip and created an open Facebook event for a backyard picnic with a rainbow flag backdrop. Within a week, 50 people had joined, and by the time the actual picnic rolled around, over 600 people turned out for the event in Tahlequah, OK. Carden had accidentally planned the town's first-ever LGBTQ celebration! He turned the event into a nonprofit straight alliance promoting equal rights for the citizens of Tahlequah and the rest of Oklahoma.

Over 20 years ago, Jamie Goodwin was in a car accident that left her paralyzed. The 38-year-old Georgian decide to put her health first by focusing on exercise and nutrition. To keep herself accountable, Jamie started a Facebook page, Wheelin' Weightloss, to document her journey and encourage others to do the same. It hasn't been easy: Jamie can only complete exercises using her arms and is unable to use any of her stomach muscles. She uses boxing gloves, a weighted ball, and belts to get her heart rate up. Thousands of people have signed on to Jamie's cause by liking her Facebook page!

One mom, Jennifer, asked her son, Colin, if he wanted a party for his 11th birthday. Surprisingly, Colin said no, claiming he had no friends. Social skills don't come naturally to Colin, who was diagnosed with a form of autism. Jennifer went ahead and made a Facebook page for Colin anyway, asking friends, family, and strangers to send him a little birthday love. The page now has over 2 million "likes"! Facebookers continue to post positive photos, videos, and messages on Colin's wall.

Katheryn Deprill posted this photo to Facebook on March 2. The image was shared over 32,000 times and, just days later, the 27-year-old was reunited with her biological mom.

Ryan Lee Cox purchased a stranger's Starbucks for no particular reason. He posted about the good deed on his Facebook page, and a friend said he should pay for a kid's school lunch instead.

So Ryan took the challenge by paying $100 of delinquent lunch accounts at Lakeside Elementary in Indiana. He called for his friends to do the same, and eventually Lakeside Elementary's balance was paid in full. The money kept coming and Facebookers took care of lunches at Weston Elementary, Grassy Creek Elementary, and Brookview Elementary. Ryan then started a nonprofit called Feed the Kids, Inc, which you can contribute to on its website.

US Marine Barbie Ritzco decided not to have reconstructive surgery on her breasts after developing breast cancer. She decided to empower women postmastectomy by creating the Facebook group Flat & Fabulous, along with fellow cancer survivor Sara Bartosiewicz-Hamilton. Today, the group supports over 2,500 women who have chosen not to have reconstruction. Unfortunately, Barbie lost her battle with cancer on Sept. 26, 2014, but her legacy lives on with Flat & Fabulous!

Staff sergeant Rowan Coash of the US Air Force found himself stuck in a desert canyon during a 2,000-mile trip from Washington state to Texas. After 888 miles, Rowan's car broke down and he called his mother, Patricia Coash, for help. Patricia wrote up a quick post on Facebook detailing how Rowan needed to get back to his new base in San Antonio within two days. The Facebook post received hundreds of responses. Friendly folks from Price, UT, not only helped to repair the engine and take care of maintenance, but also took the car back to San Antonio at no cost to Rowan.