Everyday Hero Stories

Where did your values come from?

We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.

Tell Us Your Story
DETERMINATION
FROM HOMELESS TO GRADUATE SCHOOL, AVERAGE STUDENT TO HONORS My name is Loreen Theveny. In 1996 I became homeless for a brief time. I had been on disability insurance for two years and in the two months following my last check, I no longer had housing. I was admitted to a shelter, where I resided for two months. I was able to place my name on several federal subsidized...
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LOVE
BEN H My dad is definitely my hero. I wouldn't be where I am if he didn't care about me so much. I remember when we got in some fights because I thought I was right, (as most teenagers do) and he got angry with me about it. I didn't think he was being fair so I got angry with him. Later on I realized that I was wrong....
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LIVE LIFE
BACK ON THE WATER AGAIN At the age of nineteen, I went from hard of hearing to deaf in an instant. I was water skiing on my bare feet and caught a toe in the wake. I hit the water in a not-so-graceful cartwheel. When I climbed into the boat, I just figured that I had water in my ears and that my remaining hearing would come back. It...
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HUMILITY
MAC'S PLIGHT Mac’s Plight or Cowie Capers by Herb Hedeen An unbelievably true story The summers are hot in Grand Junction, Colorado. My friend, Howard McConnell, known to all his friends, as Mac, needed a haircut. He went to his favorite barber on Main Street. Now Mac was the kindest man you would ever meet. He was...
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CHARITY
THERE IS NO EASIER, CHEAPER, OR LAZIER WAY TO FIGHT POVERTY THAN BETTERHUMANRACE.COM. "Poverty refers to the condition of not having the means to afford basic human needs such as clean water, nutrition, health care, clothing and shelter" - Wikipedia There is no easier, cheaper, or lazier way to fight poverty than BetterHumanRace.com. Here’s how: Social Media + Social Good = Stream of Social...
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PERSEVERANCE
ZACHARY U Zachary is my nephew and my hero. He has Cerebral Palsy and so do I. When I discovered that Zac had this condition I cried. My mother sat beside me and said that Zachary was not going to have my life. The medical technology and research that wasn't available to me would be for him. She then told me that Zachary...
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COURAGE
GIANNA S My daughter is my hero. She was born early and deathly ill, she was not supposed to make it, but she did. She fought for her life in the NICU for 2 months. She has Cerebral Palsy and is a severe quad. She amazes me daily. Never gives up. She is assisted in every thing she does. She never complains, just goes with...
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COMPASSION
LITTLE BOY OF YESTERDAY MAKES CHANGES FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY Little boy of yesterday grew up to be a senior.Helping those needing food, clothing, hugs, smiles,and a word of encouragement. Puts on free events for the community. Provides food for those in a network that he serves. Took a homeless guy from sleeping under vacant houses in the cold & helped him to get into a...
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DEDICATION
GAIL E My hero is a woman who has two special needs children, a son and a daughter. Her kids have autism and down syndrome. She started a school for typical and special needs children in the Bay Area about 10 years ago and she did not allow her circumstances to limit her vision. Today the school has over 100 families...
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LOVE
ROSE F My hero is my mom...no matter what is going on in her life, she is positive, upbeat and cannot utter a bad word about anyone. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt and always pulls the good out of every situation. I hope some small part of me can be like her.
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INSPIRATION
COLETON W Our 14 year old son was a big baseball player in east Texas. His dream of becoming a baseball player came to a halt when he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma Cancer. He touched the lives of people all over east Texas and in other states as well. He is one of 200 teenagers that are diagnosed a year(very rare). He...
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PERSISTENCE
I BELIEVE IN YOU. I am young and a writer. I have no money and no published books. I work nonstop, trying to get up the nerve to finish the story. I have great ideas and plot lines,but I could never get up the nerve to write a book through, only about a page or two. Then, I would tell myself that it was stupid and never would be...
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HARD WORK
MARIA G My hero is my maternal grandmother, Maria Gutierrez. Born to a mother and father both in their mid fifties, she was born healthy which wasn't and -still isn't- expected. Maybe that small fortune was a sign for what she would accomplish in her life. When she graduated in 1945, there were no colleges back then in...
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COMPASSION
EDDY G Eddy is my 41yr.old precious son, he's a single parent with a son named Alex who is 19yrs.old and works hard and is in college. Through my son and his endless dedication, love, and constant Faith he has reared this child to become an honest,respectful,caring and faithful young man who loves his Family. I have...
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GENEROSITY
A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS My Wife and I recently travelled from Lasalle, Ontario, Canada to Harsen's Island, Michigan. We were travelling East on I-94 in the construction zone approaching 8 Mile Rd. The traffic was down to a crawl, when a blue Dodge pick up truck approached along side and an older gentleman driving asked us if we'd like...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
JESSICA T Im Evelyn, I'm 12 years old and I am proud to say that my little sister, Jessica, is my hero. Many people think that when somebody saves your life that's when they become your hero, but no—its not always like that. Its when they inspire you that they become your hero. So, my little sister is my hero because no...
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ACHIEVEMENT
JOHN W John Wooden was a giving person in teaching values that were created for sports, but could also be used in life. Although I'm a sports fan, he meant more to me than sports. He was a man that had no vices, but to dedicate his life to the success of young people. He was a good man that created the pyramid of...
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AMBITION
ON AMBITION It is an odd thing, to think you might have peaked in your life; to contemplate however briefly, that the very best, most productive years might be behind you. Odder still, is the acknowledgement that you simply do not operate from the same appetites that once propelled you. It feels strange to discover that just...
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INTEGRITY
I AM MY FATHER'S LEGACY I am my father’s legacy. I shudder at the thought. Though all my life I’ve tried to do What my daddy said I ought. He set for me high standards And didn’t let me slack. Whenever I veered off the trail, My dad, he brought me back. Dad was ever constant with me– Even when he wasn’t there. His presence...
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HELPING OTHERS
MATTHEW L Matthew is the bassist for a band that I adore. At the end of June, he was walking to get a drink someplace when he saw a woman being hit by her significant other. Matthew told the man to stop and called the police. The man turned on Matthew and started beating him. Matthew suffered from broken bones and was...
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INTEGRITY
POOR AIM I like to walk in the early morning with my dog. On this glorious Saturday morning I was enjoying the quiet morning and beautiful weather and loving life while my dog Jett and I made our rounds. At one home I passed, I noticed a newspaper that was lying near the curb instead of near the doorstep. Thinking I...
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HARD WORK
NAOMI H The trip to Africa was a lifelong dream, a journey that Mark and Naomi Hughes, both 47, had wanted to make for as long as they could remember. Naomi Hughes, an animal lover and professional dog groomer in Hamilton, and her husband, who works for the Department of Homeland Security, couldn't wait to see...
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GENEROSITY
ALTRUISTIC DONATION I donated a kidney in July of 2002. My mother had passed away in 1999, and then the horror of 9/11 happened. I was grieving and felt so angry and helpless. I discovered that people can actually donate just for the act itself - an altruistic donation. I didn't know who the recipient was going to be, and still...
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TEACHING BY EXAMPLE
JOHN G MY DAD . . . The time has arrived to take up my pen and write a tribute that is long overdue to the other man in my life, so precious to me ~ Dad ~ I’m a better person because of you. Precious memories I fondly remember; how I love thinking back on those days ~ playing the piano for you in...
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OVERCOMING
CHERYL H I was 7 years old when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time I had no idea what that meant. Just that she was very sick and there would be a lot of changes in our lives. She never let it keep her down though, basically as soon as it happened it ended. She went back to teaching her kindergarten...
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OPPORTUNITY
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? I left corporate America a little before things fell apart. I felt I needed a break. To think. My kids were almost grown-up, adults. I'd been working for so long. I'd done well. I knew that I could use my time to really make a difference. I took a break. Right before things feel apart. I'd saved up some money,...
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HARD WORK
DEB D Of course my mom is my hero, but for reasons beyond her nurturing love and endless support she has given me throughout my life. Mom instilled in me numerous values, but one that I value the most is commitment to hard work. Mom worked 16 hour days as a single parent who still wanted to provide her daughters with...
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INTEGRITY
EVERY DOG HAS IT'S DAY It was a Friday morning, and I was on my way to the local high school to go for a run. There was traffic that morning, which was strange for such a small town. I realized that cars had begun to slow down to stare at a dog that was sitting in the middle of the road. The cars never pulled over, or seemed to really...
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MIRCLE WORKER I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in March of 2009. I had a 20-hour brain surgery to remove two brain tumors and lost my short term memory. I had to quit my job, and had no income coming in. I was so very scared about how I was going to support myself;I was worried that I would become homeless. At my...
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RESPECT
DON E As with most kids, my hero was and is my dad. He is a Depression Era kid who grew up as the second to youngest in a family of 7 children. My dad is a rock solid individual in his dealings with others. He not only "Talks the talk", he "Walks the walk". His word is his honor. If he says it, he does it. My dad has...
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MOTIVATION
CHRIS K Chris is constant motivation and inspiration for all those around him. Diagnosed as a 21 year old Marine with a degenerative nerve disorder, Chris was forced to cut his career in the Marines short and has gone from using canes to a wheelchair over the last 12 years. Despite his challenges, Chris has never slowed...
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APPRECIATION
THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE FORGOTTEN My name is Michael M. I'm 43 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2008; which was caused by exposure to toxic water while serving in the Marines at Camp Lejeune NC. Since '08 my family and I have had so much advice, assistance, support and total compassion from a group that calls themselves...
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DEDICATION
JANINA R Janina was born premature weighing in at one pound three ounces (1 lb. 3 oz) and 24 weeks into term. She survived through 6 months of challenges that surprised nurses and doctors who took care of her. Today, at the age of 30, she has grown into a beautiful, petite, adult who gives of herself through the ability...
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