My Unsung Hero

When Solitaire was 18, she suffered a stroke. At the hospital, medical staff accused her of being intoxicated. Then her high school principal arrived — a nun named Sister Maura Smith.

During her freshman year of college, Jennifer felt like the world was collapsing around her. One particularly bad day, a stranger stepped in and gave her hope.

During a family trip to New York City, Lia’s father lost his balance on a crowded subway. The stranger who caught him became a role model for how she hopes to respond when others need help.

During his first year of college, Stephen was devastated by the loss of a relationship he didn’t yet fully understand. One difficult night, a roommate listened with compassion, never pushing him to confront feelings he wasn’t ready to face.

After learning she was a candidate for brain surgery, Rebecca boarded a flight home overwhelmed. The stranger beside her turned out to be exactly the person she needed.

As a new mom, Missy checked herself into a psychiatric ward for depression. During a group session, a fellow patient reached over and held her hand as she cried.

Mike’s wife was dying after years of cancer treatment, and she could no longer recognize the people around her. Then her longtime chemotherapy nurse, Beverly, arrived.

Darrell grew up in an Army family. They moved regularly, which meant he was often lonely and a target of bullying. In the sixth grade, at yet another new school, an eighth grader started picking on him. But right before the kid hit him, another classmate stepped in and changed Darrell’s life forever.

After chemotherapy left Pat without hair, she relied on a wig to feel like herself. The first day she went without it, a stranger in a convenience store gave her a compliment that Pat still carries with her.

After having open heart surgery, Barb was terrified of the immense pain she’d likely have to endure during her recovery. Then a nurse stepped in to help, and changed the rest of Barb’s life in the process.