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
HARD WORK
MY LIFE WAS CHANGED, NOW I HAVE A NEW TRAIL TO BLAZE. It started in 8th grade, I used to be the epitome of what people think of when they imagine the stereotypical teenager- bratty, selfish, 'want want want,' 'me me me,' 'whine whine whine'- that was me. I was concerned for me and me only. I was just weeks away from spring break when my mom signed me up for a trip,...
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AMBITION
KATHRYN AND DAVID S These parents lost both their son, Andrew, and their daughter, Abby to cancer. In honor of their children, Kathryn and David have worked hard to establish a foundation to financially assist families of terminally ill children. The foundation aims to provide enough income for one or both parents to stay home...
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CHARACTER
A TEST OF CHARACTER My mother asked that I share this story on this special day. When one thinks defining and proudest moments in the eyes of a parent, big events should automatically come to mind- graduation, engagement, achieving an award, or some form of success- however, to her, one of her proudest moments in her life happened...
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AMBITION
TAM L Tam is a refugee survivor who traveled across the ocean to get to safety. He first landed in Thailand, then Cambodia. Tam then later migrated to the USA. He worked hard as a bus boy and had only a bicycle as a means of transportation to and from both work and school. When Tam first arrived here he did not know...
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DEVOTION
MY SHELTIE, MY SHELTIE I was about 12 years old in the late seventies and being raised by my hard of hearing grandmother. We lived in a small twelve foot by thirty foot trailer. A few blocks from my home was a small pet store that was owned by an old widowed German woman. She had a very kind heart and loved animals. Most of the...
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COURAGE
ERIKA R My hero is Erika. Erika first had cancer after giving birth to her son. It was a rare cancer caused by a hole in her placenta which leaked the fluid into her body. Six years later they found a tumor wrapped around the base of Erika's spinal cord. She has gone through radiation and is currently going through...
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AMBITION
PATRICK HENRY H Patrick is a remarkable young man who was born without eyes and without the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, making him unable to walk. Additionally, two steel rods were surgically attached to Patrick's spine to correct scoliosis. Despite circumstances that seem overwhelming to you and me,...
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COMMON GROUND
A CHEERFUL GIVER My daughter Hanna was born with Down syndrome. Each day I am lucky enough to learn something new about myself and the true meaning of Love. She is in elementary school where she is mainstreamed with resource. She has a lot of friends. We had a fall festival two years ago at our school to raise money for the...
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REACHING OUT
SPECIAL NEW FRIEND About a year or two ago I was on a city bus sitting near the rear exit door. This lady with Down syndrome was preparing to get off when she suddenly looked up at me, her face lit up with a big smile and said, "Well hi there"! I mean she just blew me away with her positive outlook I greeted her with the same...
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HOPE
ART ACTIVITIES FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED My mother was a self-taught artist. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996. As the rebel daughter, I had a tense relationship with my Mom but when she became ill, art brought us closer together. The process of creating art was very powerful for us. It was relaxing and gave my mother something to look forward...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
ANNE FRANK Anne Frank, 1929—45, German diarist, b. Frankfurt as Anneliese Marie Frank. In order to escape Nazi persecution, her family emigrated (1933) to Amsterdam, where her father Otto became a business owner. After the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, her family (along with several other Jews) hid for just over two years...
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CARING
COLIN F I have never have met Colin at all or even talked to him but I heard about his story. Colin died in a car accident on January 20th, 2006. After his death people started to come forward with stories about how he quietly performed small acts of courage which saved their lives, the lives of friends, and the lives of...
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HARD WORK
DANIEL M My dad is my hero. He's my hero because every day he goes to work and works hard just to come home to his unappreciative kids and their worn out mother. He handles everything just fine and I want to thank him for putting up with my sister and my issues and all the acting up and everything else you can imagine!...
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CHARACTER
MR. WHATLEY I was a nine-year-old fourth grader and that fight on the school bus was just the latest in about four years of them. However, with one exception, it was my last. Mr. Whatley saw to that. Mr. Whatley was the Principal of a new elementary school in a new (1954) subdivision in an old North Georgia county seat....
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LIVE YOUR DREAMS
KEEP HOPE ALIVE BALTIMORE! My question to you today is...is it possible to now write 7 success stories of people affected by the downturn economy? It seems that all we read, see and hear these days from the media is negative jargon. We all know how negative media affects readers and viewers. I know it's a stretch, but wouldn't it be...
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CARING
AMANDA R I have a mental illness and Amanda R. is my social worker here in Kansas City, Missouri. Although for the most part I'm okay, I have certainly put Amanda through the ringer for the four years she's been my social worker. I've definitely confused her, and in my mind I'm sure I had her going crazy. There were days...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
MOMENT OF CLARITY You need to stop measuring your worth through the eyes of another. Be the fabulous unique individual you are. Do not judge; love. Be in love with you and the rest will fall into place. Don't let the insecurities take over. Believe in what you want. Think about and obsess over what you want. Not what you are...
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APPRECIATION
THANK YOU TEAM HOYT Dear Team Hoyt'You are my heroes and inspiration. I first read about you both in Runner's World and was very touched. I will never forget your extraordinary story. I have a picture of you both running and Rick raising his arm and below the picture I wrote "qualify for Boston in Philadelphia!" Well, I did not...
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OPPORTUNITY
RECEIVED STEM CELLS In the summer of 2000 I was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia that could only be cured with a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. My family was not a match. Through the summer I had to hope that a complete stranger would be found on a bone marrow data base who would be a match. I was fortunate that someone...
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AMBITION
BRANDYN G My hero is my brother. Although he is no longer alive he is still my hero. He wasn't my real brother, he was actually my foster brother but he treated me as if I was his 'real' sister all the same. He passed away at the age of seventeen. At the time he was working a full time job and getting his GED at the same...
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REACHING OUT
PRESTON My son Preston has always been a kindhearted boy. But tears came to my eyes when he asked my wife's friend's sister to dance. She has a mental disorder that makes her seem to be in a distant world. The look of kindness in his eyes while he danced with her made war and pain and violence seem to be a distant...
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REACHING OUT
JEFF M My soccer coach, Jeff M. is my hero. He has showed me so much not only in soccer but also about my outlook on life. I am a usually a negative person about myself and the things I do. Every time I would do something wrong in soccer I would take it out on myself. He is the one who would encourage me after...
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MOTIVATION
MY JOB My name is John Ralph. I don't have any stories to tell but what I can say is that your organization has inspired me more to strive harder in my studies. I'm currently a 4th year college student at a University here in the Philippines and soon will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and...
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PERSEVERANCE
HOW STRONG IS STRONG? So, do you want to hear about one tough cookie? Her name is Sylvia, and we are close friends. Despite the age difference (she is about 70 and I am 12) we are two friends that will not ever be broken up. That's why I was so scared when she got cancer. Sylvia underwent 1 1/2 years of chemo that made her deathly...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
ASHLEY L My hero is my sister, Ashley. From the moment I was born she has set a good example for me and has shown me how to do the right thing. She cares about my family and others a lot and is great at showing compassion and reaching out to those in need. She has followed through with her goals and now attends college in...
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HONESTY
LISA M Lisa was a mom who lived on our street. Everyone loved her, and had a lot of respect for her. She had two boys and a husband. She lived everyday to its fullest and always had a smile on. Then one day she found out that she had breast cancer. It took her by surprise, but she kept on living...she had a family to...
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APPRECIATION
BOBBY B Bobby is my baseball team's coach. He has shared his life stories and influenced me in every way he can. He has encouraged me to take a better path than he took in some areas, and he has always tried to make my life better for me. He has the character of a true leader and the heart for the perfect friend. This is...
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AMBITION
KAITLIN W Kaitlin is my sister. She inspires me to be the best athlete I can be. She accepted a full ride athletic scholarship to the University of Alabama to be a gymnast. She worked hard every day to be one of the best gymnasts in the world. She was a gymnast from the time when she was 6 years old to just recently, when...
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APPRECIATION
MONTE R Monte R. is my dad and he has made a huge difference in the first 13 years of my life. He has helped me throughout life and through hard ships. He has never given up on me and has always done what is best for me. If I were to pick anybody to be my hero and help in the future it would most likely be my dad. There...
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CARING
CHERYL R Cheryl is my mother. She has always been there for me, supporting me in everything I do. She is just a great and loving mom. One day i want to be like her. I love my mom.
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CARING
PRISCILLA B She is the best sister that I could ever have. She is always there for whenever I need her. Every time I see her I get I smile on my face.
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GENEROSITY
JUST GIVE A few years ago, I was the single mom of two kids, aged 12 and 14. Times, as always for us, were very hard. I spent 85% of my pay for rent. I went to the corner store about 9pm with a friend, and saw a man sitting against a wall, not unusual in our area, but this man had both hands covered to the wrists in...
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AMBITION
GLENN(10) & KEVIN(7) R Glenn and Kevin are my little cousins and also two of my heroes. They stick by me and say what's on their minds. They do small things and I know they care. And I care about them. Everyone else thinks they are just two kids that I'll get bored of hanging around with. But I don't. They are kids, and I want them...
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