My Unsung Hero

When Rika was seven, she crashed her bicycle at a park. A stranger stopped to help and made her an origami crane while they waited for her grandfather. Years later, she discovered a message hidden inside.

At 16, Reed Norwood was trapped in a burning truck after a crash. A passing trucker stopped and saved his life.

When Teyu immigrated to the U.S. at 11, he spoke no English and felt isolated at school. A fellow student patiently helped him learn the language.

After Gary was badly injured in a cycling accident, three passing motorcyclists stopped to help.

One morning at the beach, Tracy watched in horror as her young son was swept away by a powerful current. As she struggled to get him back to shore, a stranger came to their rescue.

Kate was flying home for her mother's funeral when her connecting flight was canceled. As she sobbed on the plane, a fellow passenger put a hand on her shoulder and offered to help.

When Jake learned that one of his oldest friends had been rushed to the hospital, he was stuck at college with no way home. Then two people he barely knew drove him more than an hour home so he could be there.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Ashleigh was diagnosed with cancer. Because of social distancing, she found herself missing the comfort of a hug. But one day, at the end of a chemo infusion, a nurse took a risk and changed everything.

After Annabelle was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, a volunteer with the same diagnosis offered advice that changed the way she saw the future.

John was languishing at his job when a woman in HR reminded him of his potential. A favorite from 2022.

In high school, Susan had a stutter, and was embarrassed to speak in front of her class. Then her 12th grade English teacher told her something that changed how she saw herself.

When Solitaire was 18, she had a stroke. When she got to the hospital, doctors and nurses accused her of being on drugs. Then, her unsung hero arrived, and ensured she got the care she needed.

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 for the future.

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.

In high school, Stephen had a romantic relationship with another boy. He didn't consider himself to be gay, but when he moved away to college, the loss of the relationship devastated him. One particularly difficult night, he sought out the company of a roommate who, instead of pressuring Stephen to acknowledge his sexuality, simply listened with a nonjudgmental ear.

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.

After becoming a mom, Missy sough inpatient treatment for depression. It was a vulnerable experience, and she found it difficult to engage in group therapy. But when she did start to open up, the most unexpected person reached over to hold 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 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.