Spot on lake countys cobb mountain, convinced the valley fire was in the process of consuming their home not more than a mile away. Teri gormley oh gosh, just overwhelming emotion, just holding each other and sobbing, and just thinking, we lost it all. Its all gone. Garvin this, however, is the story of how the gormleys and 28 of their neighbors didnt lose their homes. John and it started right on the other side of that hill a little ways. Garvin it begins really just a couple of hours earlier, when john, a current firefighter, and terry, a retired one, heard about a small fire burning near a friends ranch, and headed over to help. John he said, oh, im glad you guys are here. Do what you can to save my house, theres a little grass rig here. Garvin the grass rig, a pickup truck with a water tank and pump, would prove critical to the gormleys, just not yet. What they were facing here was no big deal for a couple with 44 years combined firefighting experience. John i wasnt concerned about it at all. Im in mywe both were, like, in our tshirts and shorts. Teri it was like no big deal. Just a grassit looked like a grass fire, slow moving grass fire. Garvin that was until john looked back toward his house. John and that whole hill was on fire. Garvin john and teri jumped in the grass rig and raced home. Once there, they scrambled to keep the fire from spreading to the trees behind their home. But no matter how hard they worked, they couldnt slow it down. John and now im getting scared. Im like, if this fire comes around this house, theres no way out. Youre going to burn to death. Teri its coming up behind us now a little bit. Teri nothing scares him. I mean, really nothing scares him. And to see him look scrambled and panicked just terrified me. Garvin john eventually yells to teri, its time to get out. The last thing she does is shoot this video from their back porch. John hands down, this was the scariest day, scariest time, scariest fire of my life. Garvin which all explains how the gormleys ended up here, but doesnt explain what happened next. John spoke first. Teri he said, im not a quitter. Im not a quitter. Thats not in me. I dont quit, and im not going to. Are you with me . And i said, of course. Garvin call it reckless or heroic, john and teri returned to the home, finding the structure still there, and just enough of their backyard burned to give them a safe space. For the next 72 hours, john and teri kept the fire at bay. Teri a burned tree fell onto their roof. Garvin without any help or any contact with the outside world, the gormleys patrolled their neighborhood in that grass rig, using water from their creek to put out spot fires where they found them. John it was very eerie, it was just dark. You felt like you were the last two people on earth. Garvin if just one neighbors house burned, they might lose all of them. Teri it was definitely teamwork. We could not have done this without each other. Theres just no way. Garvin today, their neighborhood still exists, their neighbors back in their homes without a shred of doubt who was responsible. Female its unbelievable. Its the most selfless thing ever. I mean, we can never thank them enough. Garvin as for john and teri, they say the whole experience has brought them closer together, each saying they couldnt have asked for a better partner in life and on the fire line. Garvin we now take you to a different front line, high poverty schools that are making sure its School Voices are heard through debate. The National UrbanDebate League has 20 or so leagues around the country. One of their newest set up shop in Silicon Valley just last year, and already they say is seeing great success. Dmitri seals got this incredible raft of argument garvin debate, the way most of us think of it, is a tool used to change minds. This story, though, is about how debate is being used to change lives. Dimitri youll hear young people talking about impacts of their plan. Garvin just like it did for dimitri seals. Chantrice martin i really think that the negative has garvin and chantrice martin, although each in very different ways. For dimitri, it happened during an interview for his very first teaching job. Dmitri the principle called me into his office at the end of the interview day, and he was like, hey, youre teaching these four classes, and youre the debate coach. And so, that was my introduction to debate. Garvin for chantrice, introduced to debate in college, it happened when she realized she could win fights with her words and not her fists. Chantrice thats the point where i was like, oh my gosh, like, i could do this for life. This is really great. Garvin from very different beginnings, though, dimitri and chantrice have now found themselves in the same place, running the newly formed Silicon Valley urban Debate League, debate classes and competitions for lowincome schools that usually have no tradition of debate. Theyve signed up five schools in the peninsula and south bay in just 2 years with a waiting list to join. Dimitri one of the things were really trying to do is enable young people who are kind of at the bottom of the social ladder to have the skills and the encouragement not only to climb up for themselves, but to heal the whole system as they do. Garvin the first step, they say, is convincing the students they not only have a voice, but one that matters. Not something many of them are used to hearing. Chantrice so, seeing them take on their power and realize, oh my gosh, im brilliant. Now i can change something. Garvin it is something chantrice says she has seen so many times. Blanca valencia they gave no real information garvin most recently with East Palo AltoPhoenix Academy sophomore blanca valencia. Blanca it gives me, like, the motivation and the voice to advocate for my people and for myself. Garvin blanca walked away with multiple awards from the most recent debate championships, and a newfound confidence that words can make a difference, especially hers. Garvin coming up, a group of patients use music to find their voices. How their accomplishments leave their instructor speechless. But first, on the hunt for houdini. Jenifer lepo he got that name because he would appear, and as quickly as he appeared, he would disappear. Garvin why a Community Rallied around this small dog. The homeless and their dogs. It all started when paul crowell noticed something he couldnt forget on his 4mile trek to and from work. And now, others cant forget paul. Garvin the grandest of gestures sometimes start with the simplest of things. For paul crowell, well, he simply loves dogs. Paul these guys get two. Since i was a little kid, i was always all about the dogs. Garvin its why, after a full shift of caring for other peoples pets at fog city dogs, paul goes out looking for other peoples pets. Paul you know you want the beggin strip, right . Garvin homeless peoples dogs. Paul they dont need any wet food . Garvin to give them food. Paul i got big cans. Paul mommys my first dog i started feeding over here when i started working over here a couple years ago. And you can see she loves me. Garvin paul says there was no grand plan to it all at first. He saw the dogs every day on his walk to work. Paul kibble treats. Garvin and once there, saw good quality leftover food that would have been thrown out. Paul and it clicked. Over here, food was being thrown away. Dogs are hungry over here. Duh, you know . Paul ill bring more tomorrow maybe. Garvin now, due to a change in policy at work and an increase in the number of dogs he feeds, paul is raising money and asking for donations to continue what he calls project open paw. Paul coonie, wheres your mama . Garvin paul says hes now on the street almost every day carrying food. Some dogs are regulars. Others he sees just once. Paul says he passes no judgment on their owners and what got them into their situation, but know their dogs often mean a lot to them, and so he likes keeping their animals healthy. Female to me, i think hes like my son. Coonies like my son. Garvin down deep, though, paul says thats not really why he does it. He does it simply for himself. It didnt take many trips, he says, to learn, at the end of the day, if his backpack is empty, then his heart is full. Paul thats all it takes to make me happy. Garvin from helping the dogs of the homeless to helping a homeless dog, an entire Community Rallied around one small dog. And now, thanks to the effort of three dedicated women, houdini the dog is living a much better life. Jenifer such a pretty boy. Such a pretty boy, huh . Garvin does playing hard to get ever really work . Jenifer huh, buddy . Garvin depends who you ask, of course. But were pretty sure if houdini the dog could talk, hed say, heck yeah. Lori aldrighette my favorite is his little soft hairs. Garvin houdini, you see, played very, very hard to get, and won a whole slew of admirers in the process. Not the least of them kayla cromer, lori aldrighette, and jenifer lepo. Jenifer i am going to get you no matter what it takes. Im not going to give up. Garvin it was back in november that houdini first showed up on these womens radar, when sightings of the little white stray began trickling in to the all animals Morgan Hill Facebook group. It fell to these three, all with experience in animal rescue, to lead the effort to bring houdini in from the cold. Lori because he would have died. He was dying. Jenifer we felt it was dire that we get him. He was getting skinnier and skinner. We could start to see injuries on him. Jenifer and this is pretty much where he would frequent. Garvin but capturing the dog was much easier said than done. They didnt give him the name houdini for nothing. Jenifer he got that name because he would appear, and as quickly as he appeared, he would disappear. Garvin even times they were almost close enough to touch him, houdini would get away. Jenifer hes amazingly smart. Garvin for 2 months, they played a game of cat and mouse with this dog. Kayla i was up like at sometimes up until like 4 in the morning, and i was just in my car freezing. And i had binoculars, just looking at all these little areas. I know, all for this little guy. Garvin and all the while, the story of houdini grew in morgan hill. Hundreds started following the adventure on social media, offering help, sharing sightings, and cheering on the rescuers. Jenifer this is a very Passionate Community for their animals. Kayla and then we just suddenly saw houdini. Garvin which is why there were a whole lot of people who were thrilled to hear earlier this month that jenifer, kayla, and lori finally cornered houdini inside a gas station convenience store. Jenifer put him in the crate, and then we had a celebratory moment. We were so happy. Were like, oh my god. It was so amazing. Garvin all three happy knowing while they cant save all the unwanted dogs out there, they could save this one. Jenifer he will never be on the streets again. Thats not going to happen. Garvin coming up, healing through the fold, how a master origami artist helps patients with a single piece of paper. Plus, he found joy and comfort through drumming, and now the lessons hes learned through his music come full circle. Work wonders to heal the soul. Mark farley is living proof of that. He says hes overcome more than a few challenges in his life as an africanamerican who started his career in Silicon Valley 3 decades ago. Still, even he is in awe of what a challenge life for people with autism can be. But just maybe, mark thought, what helped him could help them. Mark shake it, shake it. Garvin its called a drum circle first and foremost for the shape the participants at least try to sit themselves in. But when mark farley holds his weekly drum circle at san joses morgan autism center, the name has a much deeper meaning. Mark wow, listen to that. You guys sound great. Garvin for mark has learned whatever magic he creates when his skin hits the drum skins, well, that always circles right back to him. Mark it isi cant tell you how amazing it is, and i am so blessed to be a part of that, to be able to do that. Garvin mark says music has always been a part of his life, one of the ways he mentally escaped to cope with the troubled, and at times abusive, upbringing in compton. Mark the fantasy world is what allowed me to do that. I could spend hours fantasizing about something, creating something else. Garvin what mark ended up creating was quite a life. A father of two with a successful though demanding career in Silicon Valley, a career he admits that burned him out. It was picking up the drums just a few years ago that breathed life back into him. Mark this is one of those things that will allow some magic to happen in the brain of a person. Whether theyre just, you know, dealing with autism or some other thing, or just me, the guy whos burnt out from Silicon Valley. Mark yeah. Oh man, look at you, you are so good. Garvin the first few times mark showed up at morgan, he says just one or two students were brave enough to join him. Now, it is clearly one of the highlights of their week. Mark im just overwhelmed by some of the stuff that i see these kids could do. Garvin mark says if it were drumming that lit a spark in him, what he sees and feels here every week is fanning the flames even higher. So much so, he cannot imagine ever stopping the beautiful music they are creating together. Mark im awesome. All right. Garvin singing can be just as healing as drumming, but for many people whove suffered a stroke or brain injury, just getting a few words out can be a monumental challenge. The condition is called aphasia. And at cal state east bay, theres help for those afflicted with it in an unlikely and beautiful way. Garvin the songs they sing are nothing short of beautiful, thanks not just to the music in front of them, but the stories behind them. This land is made for you and me. Garvin stories like carmen prestons, who lost the ability to talk after a stroke, and has spent seven hard years working to get it back. Youd think singing, in front of others no less, would be a daunting task. It is, but that wasnt going to stop her. Carmen prestons like we say, never give up. You can do it if youre patient. Garvin carmen is part of the aphasia tones, a Singing Group conceived in 2009 by ellen bernsteinellis, director of the Aphasia Treatment Program at cal state east bay. Her research had told her that people who had aphasia, or difficulty communicating due to stroke or brain injury, could often still sing. But would they want to . Ellen bernsteinellis i had 12 brave members who kind of started out. And after our first performance or two, the other members started to see that we were having a lot of fun. Garvin ellen has spent her career working with, and listening to, people with aphasia. And they have never sounded so good to her. Ellen that sense of identity of being involved in a real life adult activity that has value, and that they get such pleasure from. Female its on your front page. Garvin rehearsals have become the favorite part of the week for many of the singers. The performances, a chance to show themselves, and perhaps more importantly others, what they are capable of. Roslyn roberson often has difficulty saying a single word, but you should hear her roar. Ellen im almost speechless to try to describe just what an incredible experience it is to see people shine through music, through the power of being an advocate. Garvin shining because, after losing their words, these singers have finally found a voice. Garvin coming up, the art of origami may look simple, but see how a master artist not only transforms the paper, but also the young patients he teaches every week. Her mind off their illness is sometimes second only to curing the illness. Bernie peyton has become an expert at doing just that by relying on another thing hes an expert at transforming paper into art. Garvin of all the miracle medicines and Million Dollar machines the doctors and nurses at ucsf benioff Childrens Hospital oakland use to make their patients feel better, volunteer Bernie Peyton can do them all one better. Bernie peyton so, the first thing we want to do garvin he sees similar results with a single square piece of paper. Bernie i want you to turn it over on the white side. Bernie i say to them, heres a piece of paper, and all were going to do is were going to fold it, and were going to make something creative and magical. Bernie take your time, thats it. Garvin origami has been part of bernies life for more than 50 years. And for about just as long, hes known of its power to help patients. Bernie its tremendously therapeutic. Garvin as a boy, hed sit at his chronically sick Sisters Hospital bedside, entertaining her with his creations. Bernie it puts this gigantic smile on their face, but in the meantime, theyve forgotten about their pain, theyve forgotten about vomiting, theyve forgotten about all the things that theyre going through, and theyve taken this Little Journey thats like a vacation. Bernie okay, now this is really simple and lots of fun. Garvin every week, bernie comes to oakland childrens to share that secret with the kids here. What remains secret to them, though, is that they are not just learning origami, they are learning it from one of the best there is. Twenty years ago, bernie says, he put aside his wildlife biology profession to become serious about origami, very serious. Exhibited all over the world, selling for sometimes thousands of dollars, bernies creature creations are well known in the world of origami. Still, whatever recognition his art gets him, bernie says it pales compared to the smiles he gets from these kids. Bernie my favorite day of the week by far. Garvin bernie says that there is a real metaphor in the work he does here. Just like origami is created one step at a time, a sick child gets better one day at a time. Just stick with both, he says, and youll see beautiful results. Garvin thanks again for joining us for this bay area proud special. You can see new bay area proud stories every tuesday and thursday evenings in our 5 oclock newscasts, and all of the reports are available on our website. Just go to nbcbayarea. Com and scroll down to the bay area proud segment. If you know someone who should be featured in our segment, i want to hear from you. Go to our website, where youll find links to my facebook, twitter, and email. Thanks again so much for joining us. Have a great night, well see you next time. Cc by aberdeen captioning 18006886621 www. Abercap. Com surprising post prison revelations you havent heard from teresa guidice. Welcome to weekend access hollywood. One of her first interviews after serving 11 1 2 months. And teresa made it through stronger than ever but couldnt be happier to be home with her husband and children. How was it when you got out with joe . What was night one like . Night one was with, my daughters slept in our bed together. Thafts fellafter they fell a visit the other rooms in the house. Quite reunion upon her release. Entered danbury correctional institution, january 5, 2015. In her book turning the tables she describes being strip searched the first day. It was humiliating. Something i never experienced. Did they do that to everybody . Yeah, when you go in. They strip search you. Bend down and cough. Just in case you have anything up there. Which i would never. There were five other women