My Unsung Hero

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.

A few days after her sister passed away, a stranger on the subway asked Maureen how she was doing. The conversation that followed is one that she will forever cherish.

As a college freshman, Karen was sometimes inconsiderate to her hallmate, Pam. So when Karen missed the bus to her choir performance, an hour away, she was surprised — and moved — when Pam came to her rescue.

Eric and his husband, Dennis Hopkins, lived a life full of music, gardening, and dance. But in 2022, Dennis was diagnosed with lung cancer. A few days before he died, they met a nurse named Sherry, who offered a compassionate roadmap of what was to come.

In honor of Father’s Day, we bring you a bonus episode about a transit worker who gave Donald Kabara an unexpected gift: a hug from his son.

The last place Brad saw his mom before she died was at a diner in New York. A few years later, when he went back to that diner, the bartender asked if he remembered their table, and invited him to go sit there.