My Unsung Hero

When Juli’s car ran out of gas in the middle of the road, three men from a nearby homeless encampment rushed over to push her car to safety.

In 1980, backpacking alone to Greece, Elaine was attacked on a train. Two strangers stepped in, and stayed by her side for nearly the entire 12-hour ride.

After his dad left, Patrick’s guidance counselor taught him to tie a tie — and showed him he wasn’t alone. Years later, he passed that lesson on to his own son.

In the days after her mother’s death, Ashley struggled with guilt. She had been the one to request a “Do Not Resuscitate” order, at her mother’s request. Still, Ashley wondered if she’d made the right choice. Then a nurse made a phone call that changed her life. 

In 1974, Surinder came out of a pharmacy to discover his car was gone. Not knowing anyone in town, he opened the phone book, and dialed a stranger with a familiar Indian last name. The man who answered went on to play a surprising role in his life.

At a resort in Mexico, Julie flew off a waterslide and hit the water hard. She was starting to lose consciousness when she felt hands grab her and pull.

Eileen was overwhelmed after her husband’s traumatic brain injury. But there were still chores to be done, like raking the leaves around their home. As she worked in the yard, crying, she felt a tap on her shoulder.  

After spilling her lunch on the way to work, Kim received an unexpected gift from a stranger. The experience not only helped her through that day, but gave her a sense of belonging and community.

After Alek’s father died in the hospital, a nurse shared his grief.

A favorite from 2022: After a mortifying fall in physics class, Julie remembers the unexpected gift she received from a fellow student.