

### THE KINDEST PEOPLE: HEROES AND GOOD SAMARITANS, VOLUME 5

By David Bruce

Be excellent to each other.

Copyright 2012 by Bruce D. Bruce

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright 2012 by Bruce D. Bruce

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•••
CHAPTER 1: STORIES 1-50

" **This is So Cool. I'm Having the Best Day"**

In May 2012, Chris Corbin, age 12, who has had bone cancer for two years and who learned recently that the cancer is terminal, got to meet many of his beloved major-league baseball players at Angel Stadium. The Los Angeles Angels opened the stadium to him three hours before the game started, and he got to watch warm-ups and get autographs. Accompanying him were members of his family and his best friend, Luis Sandoval, age 11. They used to play baseball together before Chris learned that he had cancer. Both are left-handed pitchers, and Chris once struck out 13 batters in a row. The cancer necessitated the amputation of his femur on 28 February 2011. Of course, he was also treated with chemotherapy. His mother, Silvia Lopez, said, "Chris loves baseball. He has such a passion for baseball and life. He has such a positive, courageous spirit, even with everything going on." She said that on 9 April 2012 "we got the really bad news. There was nothing more medicine could do. It's harder now, but we're still fighting." With his 12th birthday arriving soon, Chris wanted to go to a baseball game and meet the players, and the Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed him, as did the Los Angeles Angels. On 4 May 2012, Chris arrived at Angel Stadium early the day the Angels were playing the Toronto Blue Jays. He got to bat, and his brother pushed Chris' wheelchair around the bases for a home run. Chris said, "I love this game. I'm so excited to be here. This is so cool." The Angels gave him a ball cap and a jersey and a baseball, and soon they were covered with autographs from the major-leaguers. Angels catcher Chris Iannetta gave Chris a thumbs up, and Chris gave him a thumbs up. On 2 May 2012, Angels right-hander Jered Weaver had thrown a no-hitter. Chris had stayed up late and watched it on TV. Now Chris got to meet him. Mr. Weaver said to him. "What's going on, man? I'm Jered. So I hear you're a pitcher, too. You got that crossfire?" Angels slugger Mark Trumbo said to Chris, "Hi, I'm Mark." Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos added, "And I'm Peter." Chris met many baseball celebrities, including four-time All-Star right fielder Torii Hunter, who told him, "Ask me anything!" Nine-time All-Star Albert Pujols said, "Hello, Chris. I hear you like baseball. Me too." Chris said, "This is so cool. I'm having the best day." (1)

Over 28,000 Donations Totaling £318,000 ($513,000 USAmerican)

On 22 April 2012, Claire Squires, age 30, from Leicestershire, England, collapsed and died as she neared the finish of the London Marathon. She had been running to raise money for a charity: Samaritans, a group that provides counseling to people who feel suicidal or depressed. She started a fund-raising Internet page, on which she wrote, "If everyone I know could donate £5.00 [$8 USAmerican]) that would be a great help and change lives." Before the marathon began, she had raised £500 ($807 USAmerican) for the charity from friends and family members. After her death, however, donations flooded in—over 28,000 donations totaling £318,000 ($513,000 USAmerican) by early 24 April 2012. Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of Samaritans, said, "This is an incredibly sad time for Claire's family and all those who knew her. We desperately wish that it was not under these circumstances, but we have been overwhelmed by the response from people donating in Claire's memory. These donations will be put into a tribute fund and, following discussions with the family, will go towards projects they feel would have been important to Claire." Ms. Squires' family said in a statement, "Words cannot explain what an incredible, inspirational, beautiful and driven person she was. She was loved by so many and is dearly missed by all of us." Update: The fund had hit $1 million USAmerican as of 25 April 2012. (2)

" **A White Guy, An Australian White Guy, Between Two Black Guys [o]n the Victory Stand Believing in the Same Thing"**

At the medal ceremony for the men's 200 meters at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith, who won gold, and John Carlos, who won bronze, raised their black-gloved hands in a symbolic protest against racism in the United States. Who was the third man on the podium? He was the Australian sprinter Peter Norman, who raced past Mr. Carlos to win silver. Less known than Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos, Mr. Norman also protested racism. If you look at the iconic photograph of Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos on the victory stand, you will see that Mr. Norman is wearing a small badge. The small badge reads, "Olympic Project for Human Rights." This was an anti-racism group set up in advance of the Olympics. Like the United States, Australia at the time had problems with racism. A CNN article by James Montague stated, "Australia too, was in the midst of racial strife. The country's 'White Australia' policy had provoked protests of its own. It put heavy restrictions on non-white immigration—and a raft of prejudicial laws against its indigenous aboriginal population, including a policy of taking Aboriginal children from their birth parents and handing them to white couples for adoption, a practice that continued until the 1970s." Before the victory ceremony, Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos had already decided to make their anti-racism statement by wearing black gloves, but a problem arose when Mr. Carlos discovered that he had left his pair of black gloves behind. Mr. Norman suggested that each man wear one black glove. Mr. Norman, who vehemently opposed racism, wanted to make his own anti-racism statement, so he borrowed an "Olympic Project for Human Rights" badge. U.S. rower Paul Hoffman said, "He came up to me and said, 'Have you got one of those buttons, mate?' If a white Australian is going to ask me for an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge, then by God he would have one. I only had one, which was mine, so I took it off and gave it to him." On 9 October 2006, Mr. Norman died of a heart attack. Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Carlos, who had stayed friends with Mr. Norman since 1968, eulogized Mr. Norman at the funeral. In an interview with CNN, Mr. Smith said, "This was Peter Norman's stand for human rights, not Peter Norman helping Tommie Smith and John Carlos out. He just happened to be a white guy, an Australian white guy, between two black guys in the victory stand believing in the same thing." Some people thought Mr. Smith's and Mr. Carlos' black power salute had overshadowed Mr. Norman's appearance on the victory stand. Mr. Norman said, "It has been said that sharing my silver medal with that incident on the victory dais detracted from my performance. On the contrary. I have to confess, I was rather proud to be part of it." (3)

" **Everyone Thought It was a Really Cool Idea to Support Her and Her Religion"**

Irum Khan, age 17, is a Muslim and a co-captain of her flag football team at West Broward High School in Florida. As a Muslim, she wears the hijab, a traditional head covering worn by Muslim girls and women. She has also been the victim of name-calling and bullying. People threw rocks at her and told her to go back to her own country. (Her own country is the United States of America.) Bullies have called her a terrorist and said that she was hiding a bomb in her hijab. In a show of solidarity with Irum, members of her flag football team wore the hijab during warm-ups for the last regular-season game of the year on 19 April 2012. West Broward senior and team co-captain Marilyn Solorzano said, "Everybody looked at us weird. I understand now everything she went through and how hard it must have been. We just wore it for one day, and we noticed the difference. It was hard to keep on. It kept falling, and our heads got really hot. You have to give her [credit] for wearing it every day." Matt Garris, the West Broward coach, was "ecstatic" about the idea about the girls wearing the hijab. He said, "We've been trying to stress that the team comes first. The team always comes first. When they came to me, it made me feel good to see them taking the initiative there. They showed team unity. Here they were, displaying something we were trying to get to them. You don't always see that." The West Broward Bobcats earned a 27-7 victory, and their next game was in the playoffs. Marilyn said, "Everyone thought it was a really cool idea to support her and her religion. It's really important to us because Irum is the only one here that's covered head to toe. [Irum wears tights and a long-sleeved shirt under her uniform.] We thought it'd be something nice." Irum has advice for the victims of bullies: "There's always light at the end of the tunnel. You can't give up." (4)

" **I'm Very Proud. What A Great Father's Day Present"**

Following the Stanley Cup victory of the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruin over the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks (four games to three), a riot broke out in Vancouver, Canada. Robert MacKay, a chef, tried to keep rioters from breaking into and looting The Bay, a Canadian department store. Some rioters attacked him. The rioters punched him, knocked him to the ground, and kicked him. University of Victoria law student Dean Seskin, age 18, and a second Good Samaritan protected Mr. MacKay from further attacks and helped him away from the scene. Dean's father, Darrel, said, "Dean just jumped in and put his arms out to stop more damage being done and protected the guy. I only knew about what he did when he came home smelling of pepper spray. He said when he jumped in to help the guy someone was spraying it. But it wasn't until all the TV and newspaper attention on Sunday that I realized what he'd actually done. I'm very proud. What a great Father's Day present." (5)

Wendy Doolan and John Loute: Good Samaritans

Lou and Ula Corsi of Bethel, Ohio, aged 81 and 79 in the year 2006, travel often in the United States, staying in motels and hotels. On 25 January 2006, they were in Florida, but they had a difficult time finding a place to stay. They stopped at a gasoline station with a food court and asked for directions to a motel or hotel. A woman named Wendy kindly drove her car and led the Corsis in their car to a hotel, but it was booked. The hotel staff called a sister hotel, and the Corsis were able to reserve a room there. Wendy then led them to that hotel. Ula wrote,  
"When we arrived, Wendy tried to pay for us by putting her credit card on the desk and telling the manager that she was paying for this, but I argued with my credit card in hand and was trying to give her $20 for gasoline with the other hand. By now I was crying and calling her 'My Angel,' then the manager, John Loute with AmeriSuites, said he was going to 'trump' her and he gave us the room. He was a nice man, so I gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek. The room was a suite. Wendy moved our car to a parking place then followed us up to the room with our car keys and sat to talk for a few minutes. She probably thought we needed calming down." Wendy turned out to be Wendy Doolan from Sydney, Australia. When she was 21 years old, she came to the United States and began playing professional golf. As of 2012, she is still playing professional golf. Ula wrote in 2006, "She was for sure our angel that night." (6)

" **This Book Could Save the World"**

Randall Jarrell's _Animal Family_ is a much-loved book. As of 8 May 2012, readers had reviewed it 27 times on Amazon, and each review gave it the 5-star maximum positive rating. Alexandra Fiona Dixon lived next to the Golden Gate Valley Branch public library in San Francisco, California, from age eight to age 17. She writes that she "spent six days a week in the library next door (except for that brief period when I was banned for having 77 overdue books, and had to work off my fines before they'd let me back in). I'd have been in there seven days a week except they were closed on Sunday, which has ever since been my least favorite day of the week." Of course, librarians are kind people in general, and children's librarians are kind people in particular. One children's librarian gave Alexandra a copy of _The Animal Family_ for her birthday. Alexandra writes that "it immediately became my favorite book. This story is so simply told, yet so beautiful that it has stayed with me all my life (30 years and counting since I first read it). Before the internet came along, I made it a point to locate used copies through the booksellers' network, and kept several copies on hand so that I could give them away whenever I met a special child who I thought would appreciate it." A reader who posts online using the name Wonder Woman writes, "My daughter's third-grade teacher read this book aloud, and my daughter asked permission to bring it home to read to me—the first time she has ever done that. The kid has taste." Paige Hancock writes, "No one gets away from me without my recommending this book to read. It is such a beautiful tale of creating family that is so therapeutic to anyone living in today's harsh reality. This book could save the world." And A Customer writes, "Whenever this book comes back into print, I buy at least six copies. I traditionally give this book to children I cherish on their 5th birthday; it must be read TO them, but they love it. (I have a first edition that was given to me when I turned five.) I also give it to couples as a shower gift; _The Animal Family_ is an excellent book about love and marriage. This book seems to go in and out of print frequently—buy it while you can!" (7)

Women Who (Used to) Own No Dresses

When he was in his twenties, Ray Bradbury used to live in a tenement in downtown Los Angeles, California. Women would wear dresses for big parties such as Cinco de Mayo. They would then throw the dresses from balconies to women in the street below. Mr. Bradbury says that "the dresses used during Cinco de Mayo became the clothing the young women who owned no dresses used the rest of the year." (8)

" **I** **was Gobsmacked and So Happy"**

In Bridport, England, Trish Vickers, age 59 in 2012, who lost her sight to diabetes seven years previously, is able to write by means of a system using rubber bands that keeps her writing in a straight line. Carol Head, a volunteer, types up her work, and Simon, her son, visits her once a week and reads her work out loud to her. In 2011, Ms. Vickers was inspired and wrote 26 pages of a novel. Unfortunately, because she is blind, she did not know that her pen had run out of ink, and so the paper looked blank to Simon. They tried to think of a way to read the words, and they finally decided to ask for help from the local police. Ms. Vickers said, "We battled with various ideas until we thought of the police. We rang them and asked to speak to their fingerprint section. They said if there was anything they could do they would be happy to help. I was gobsmacked and so happy." Simon took the blank pages to Dorset Police Headquarters at Winfrith, and the police worked on them in their spare time and succeeded in reading the blank pages. Ms. Vickers said, "I think they used a combination of various lights at different angles to see if they could get the impression made by my pen. I am so happy, pleased, and grateful. It was really nice of them, and I want to thank them for helping me out." Ms. Vickers writes mainly for her own pleasure, but if the novel turns out well, she may send it to a publisher. She said, "Everybody who has read it so far seems to like it and the police also said they enjoyed the bit they read and can't wait for the rest." (9)

" **Tell Them to Call Your Lawyer"**

The person who does syndicated columnist Susan Estrich's nails is Bea, who is from Vietnam and who owns the nail shop. She ran into trouble recently when a customer brought a dog into the nail salon—where dogs are not allowed. Worse, the customer let the dog out, and the dog bit a pregnant manicurist. Screaming ensued, and Bea grabbed the dog's collar and called the police—exactly as she should have done. Unfortunately, the customer told the police that Bea was the bad guy, that Bea had pushed her and had shoved her. The police told Bea that she could be arrested, and Bea said, "But I have witnesses." The police officer started talking to an employee who spoke English poorly and who became so flustered that she could not speak English at all. This is not a good thing if the police officer speaking to the witness speaks only English. Fortunately, some of the customers who spoke English well spoke to the police, and the police concentrated on the customer with the dog, exactly as they should have. However, Bea was shaken up, and she spoke to Ms. Estrich, whom she knew was a lawyer. Ms. Estrich is a big-time lawyer, representing big companies in big cases. A case such as Bea's is a small case. But Ms. Estrich's father had handled small cases. Ms. Estrich wrote, "My father was what we call a solo (a sole practitioner) in Lynn, Mass. He never made a dime. On the day he had the heart attack that killed him, 35 years ago, he was walking back from the courthouse where he successfully had helped grandparents keep their beloved grandchild from being taken to foster care. No retainer. No fee." In his honor, Ms. Estrich sometimes takes on small cases. Bea, who was shaking, asked her what she should do if the police were to come after her. Ms. Estrich gave Bea her card and said, "Tell them to call your lawyer." Ms. Estrich told the truth when she wrote, "In every city and town, there are police officers who respect the dignity of every citizen, who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. And then there are the ones who make hardworking Americans feel like powerless criminals, turn them from people striving for the American dream into people who are small and scared." Ms. Estrich also wrote, "Everybody hates lawyers until they need one. We don't just fight for the big guys. We stand between the Beas of the world and the people who, without us, would abuse their power with impunity. We do our best to make the rule of law mean something. We are the priests in the temple of our civic religion. In the rush to find jobs and pay debts, I try to remind my students of this. And myself." (By the way, the police may have done nothing wrong in this case. It looks as if they gathered evidence and testimony, exactly as they should have, and it looks as if they are focusing on the real culprit. The difficulties in the case may stem from language and cultural differences.) (10)

One More Reason The Boss is The Boss

Five-year-old Carter Bernhard has spina bifida and has spent a lot of time at Children's Hospital. The Make-a-Wish Foundation helped him to meet someone whom he has long wanted to meet in his short life: Bruce Springsteen, aka "The Boss." On 26 March 2012 the meeting took place during a sound check. Mr. Springsteen signed a guitar—one on which he played "Waiting On A Sunny Day," one of Carter's favorite tunes. Scott Bernhard, Carter's father, said, "He just seems like he's a great, regular guy. Almost like he's a dad, how I would interact with my own son. That's how perfect it was." Julie Abel of the Make-A-Wish Foundation said, "When he greeted him, like he was in his living room, it was really quite moving, warm, and beautiful. And the fact he came to the edge of the stage and then he sat down and he scooted off the stage, so it all just kind of happened spontaneously. It was really lovely." Bruce and Scott spent about an hour together. (11)

Adam Yauch: A Real Mensch

According to _Guardian_ columnist Hadley Freeman, Adam Yauch, who was one of the Beastie Boys and who died of cancer on 4 May 2012, "was a musical pioneer, a champion of independent films, and a man who was true to himself." She remembers being at a celebrity event in Los Angeles a few years. She was the only non-famous person there (she is famous among journalists today; being a _Guardian_ columnist is a pretty good gig), and no one spoke to her—except for Mr. Yauch. Ms. Freeman wrote, "Adam Yauch was there and, seeing me standing awkwardly in the doorway, came over and said hello. We chatted about how much we both missed New York, how weird we both found LA, how one never got any proper food at these things, and he then went out of his way to make sure I got something to eat. Taking pity on my obvious jet lag, he then sorted out my ride back to my hotel. He shook my hand and said goodnight and, I'm sure, never thought about it again. But I did, especially whenever I stood in a doorway, ignored at another celebrity event." He treated other people kindly as well. Comedian Ben Smith, aka Doc Brown, remembers meeting Mr. Yauch on the street while in New York. Mr. Smith was not famous then; instead, he was a 16-year-old hip-hop enthusiast. He said about Mr. Yauch, "He shook my hand and talked to me and my mum like he knew us. The guy was a true gent when you think about how many fans he must have met on a daily basis." Ms. Freeman calls Mr. Yauch a real mensch. (Mr. Yauch's mother is Jewish, and "mensch" is a Yiddish word meaning a person of honor and integrity.) (12)

Willing to Go to Prison to Save a Friend's Life

In 1948, Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, aka Nica, visited a jazz pianist named Teddy Wilson who played for her a recording of "Round Midnight" by Thelonious Monk. She listened to the recording 20 times, missing her flight, and realized that the composer was a genius. In 1954, she met him after flying to Paris, and she devoted her life to him. He was mentally ill, as had been her father, who had committed suicide, and she realized that he needed special care. (So did other jazz musicians. When Charlie Parker had nowhere else to go, he showed up at her apartment, and she let him stay there. He died in her apartment after suffering a heart attack.) In 1958, Nica wanted to drive Thelonious to a concert he was scheduled to play in Maryland. In New Castle, Delaware, she stopped so that he could use the restroom. She was white, and he was black, and at the time that was cause for suspicion of something being wrong. Police approached them, Thelonious ended up being beaten, and police found marijuana in the car. Nica did not believe that with his illness Thelonious could survive time in prison, so she told the police that the marijuana belonged to her. Nica could have spent 10 years in prison and then been deported from the United States. In January 1962, the case went to trial. She went to church and lit a candle the night before the trial started. Her lawyer argued that the police had not gone through the proper procedures for searching her car, and the case was dismissed. Jazz musicians respected Nica. Over a dozen jazz songs were written for and about her by such jazz luminaries as Thelonious, Art Blakey, Sonny Clark, Kenny Drew, and Horace Silver. (13)

" **Opening Up Yet Another Fragment of the Frontier of Beauty"**

Novelist, screenwriter, and Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Jerome Weidman, who wrote the book for the musical _I Can Get It for You Wholesale_ , well remembers the night that he met Alfred Einstein. He had been invited to dine at the home of a philanthropist, and chamber music was the entertainment of the evening. Because Mr. Weidman considered himself tone deaf, or nearly so, he did not listen to the music, but instead faked an air of interest and busied himself with his own thoughts. While the audience was applauding the first piece, his neighbor—who turned out to be Mr. Einstein—asked him, "You are fond of Bach?" Mr. Weidman was honest in his reply: "I don't know anything about Bach. I've never heard any of his music." Einstein was astonished: "You have never heard Bach?" Mr. Weidman wrote later, "He made it sound as though I had said I'd never taken a bath." Mr. Weidman replied honestly to Mr. Einstein, "It isn't that I don't want to like Bach. It's just that I'm tone deaf, or almost tone deaf, and I've never really heard anybody's music." Mr. Einstein said to Mr. Weidman, "You will come with me." Mr. Einstein held on to his arm and guided him upstairs to a room with a phonograph and many records. Mr. Einstein then asked him, "Now, you will tell me, please, how long you have felt this way about music?" Mr. Weidman replied, "All my life. I wish you would go back downstairs and listen, Dr. Einstein. The fact that I don't enjoy it doesn't matter." Mr. Einstein continued, "Tell me, please. Is there any kind of music that you do like?" Mr. Weidman replied, "I like songs that have words, and the kind of music where I can follow the tune." As an example of someone who sang music he liked, he gave the name Bing Crosby, and Mr. Einstein said, "Good," and played Bing Crosby's "When the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day." Mr. Einstein then asked, "Will you tell me, please, what you have just heard?" Mr. Weidman sang the lines, and Mr. Einstein said happily, "You see! You do have an ear!" Mr. Weidman said that this did not prove anything, as it was a favorite song of his, and he had heard it hundreds of times. Mr. Einstein disagreed: "Nonsense! It proves everything! Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school? Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say, long division or fractions. Could you have done so?" The answer, of course, was no. Mr. Einstein said, "Precisely! It would have been impossible, and you would have reacted in panic. You would have closed your mind to long division and fractions. As a result, because of that one small mistake by your teacher, it is possible your whole life you would be denied the beauty of long division and fractions. But on your first day, no teacher would be so foolish. He would start you with elementary things—then, when you had acquired skill with the simplest problems, he would lead you up to long division and to fractions. So it is with music. This simple, charming little song is like simple addition or subtraction. You have mastered it. Now we go on to something more complicated." The next record was of John McCormack singing "The Trumpeter." Mr. Einstein stopped the record and said, "So! You will sing that back to me, please?" Mr. Weidman did, and he wrote later, "Einstein stared at me with a look on his face that I had seen only once before in my life: on the face of my father as he listened to me deliver the valedictory address at my high school graduation ceremony." Mr. Einstein said, "Excellent! Wonderful! Now this!" The next record was of Enrico Caruso singing a fragment from the one-act opera _Cavalleria Rusticana_. This record was followed by many more. Finally, Mr. Einstein said, "Now, young man, we are ready for Bach!" They returned to the performance of chamber music, and Mr. Einstein said to Mr. Weidman, "Just allow yourself to listen. That is all." Mr. Weidman then listened—really listened—to Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze." He wrote later, "I have heard it many times since. I don't think I shall ever tire of it. Because I never listen to it alone. I am sitting beside a small, round man with a shock of untidy white hair, a dead pipe clamped between his teeth, and eyes that contain in their extraordinary warmth all the wonder of the world." At the end of "Sheep May Safely Graze," Mr. Weidman applauded with genuine enthusiasm. Their hostess appeared. She gave Mr. Weidman an icy glare and then said to Mr. Einstein, "I'm so sorry, Dr. Einstein, that you missed so much of the performance." Mr. Einstein replied, "I am sorry, too. My young friend here and I, however, were engaged in the greatest activity of which man is capable—opening up yet another fragment of the frontier of beauty." (14)

**Fiona Apple: "** **All I Know is I Want My Friends to be Good People, and When My Friends Fall in Love, I Want Them to Fall in Love with Other Good People"**

In 2000, Bill Magee, then 16 years old, went to a Fiona Apple concert and afterwards handed her a letter about his high school's gay-straight alliance, He was a member, and he asked her to write a sentence or two in support of it. A few days later, she sent him a handwritten letter that included these sentences that he had asked for: "It's hard to conjure up some new profound way of commenting on this issue—I'm so tired of it being an issue at all, and I suppose I'm lucky, because I see the truth so clearly. All I know is I want my friends to be good people, and when my friends fall in love, I want them to fall in love with other good people. How can you go wrong with two people in love? If a Good boy loves a good girl, good. If a good boy loves another good boy, good. And if a good girl loves the goodness in good boys and good girls, then all you have is more goodness, and goodness has nothing to do with sexual orientation. A person who loves is a righteous person, and if someone has the ability and desire to show love to another—to someone willing to receive it, then for goodness' sake, let them do it. Hate has no place in the equation; there is no function for it to perform. Love is love, and there will never be too much. Fiona Apple." (15)

" **You Know that Family is Going to be There for You No Matter What"**

Sarah Hyland, age 21, a star of TV's _Modern Family_ , suffered from kidney dysplasia and needed a transplant, so in April 2012 her father gave her one of his kidneys. She gave an interview about the kidney transplant to the magazine _Seventeen_ that appeared in the June/July 2012 issue. Sarah said, "You know that family is going to be there for you no matter what. My dad gave me a freakin' kidney! But it's also the families that you create outside of your family. And you really find out what kind of people you're friends with. It was just amazing, and it really opened my eyes to see who's there for me and who's not." She did get a lot of visitors: "There are people who came out of the woodwork, not because it was 'oh hey, congratulations on your show winning an Emmy.' No, it was 'hey, I'm here for you.'" She also got support from fellow actor Matt Prokop: "He helps me with my medication and takes me to doctor appointments and all the stuff that I need to do to take care of myself. Any other 21-year-old guy would not be there, I guarantee it. I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have him be there for me." (16)

" **It Took a Pretty Wonderful Humanitarian to Do What He Did"**

Walt Disney was a heavy smoker. At work, he needed a light, and artist Ken Anderson had a new cigarette lighter. Unfortunately, he had overfilled it and not tried it out yet, so when he tried to lit Walt's cigarette, a small bonfire exploded in Walt's face, burning his mustache and the end of his nose. Walt said, "What the hell are you trying to do?" He left the room. Mr. Anderson said, "Then all these other people filed out of the room, and I was sitting there alone. I could have died. In fact, dying would have been a pleasure compared to the way I felt." People avoided him the rest of the day. He remembered, "I actually cried that night." The next day, Walt had a blister on the end of his nose and he had shaved off his mustache. However, he invited Mr. Anderson to eat lunch with him in the studio cafeteria, and he made sure that all the Disney employees saw that he was talking to Mr. Anderson—and not firing him. Mr. Anderson said, "It took a pretty wonderful humanitarian to do what he did." Walt also did a good deed during World War II for the employees who worked for the Disney London office, although the Disney Studio was losing money. Great Britain suffered food shortages during the war, and each week he sent a care package to these employees. Disney London employee Cyril James told Disney theme park publicist Charlie Ridgway that "many times that was virtually the only food they had each week throughout the war." (17)

Three Good Deeds

During World War II, almost every weekend Walt Disney would take his children to an amusement park or some other entertainment. His younger daughter, Sharon, remembers, "There was a brass ring on the merry-go-round at Griffith Park, and you'd lean out as far as you could. If you got the brass ring, you got a free ride." On one memorable, magical day, Sharon grabbed the brass ring over and over. She says, "I suspected something was wrong. I found out later that dad had bribed the kid who ran the ride to let me get it." Walt was a kind man in many ways. An employee—an artist—fell ill and was unable to report to work for almost six months. Walt kept sending his paycheck to the artist's home. His brother Roy was also generous. In Walt's early days, before he became a major success and instead was struggling financially, Roy sensed that he needed monetary help. He sent Walt a blank check and a note, "Kid, I haven't heard from you, but I just have a suspicion that you could use a little money. I am enclosing a check. Fill it in with any amount up to thirty dollars." Walt filled it out for $30, which was quite a lot of money back in the early 1920s. In his early, struggling days, Walt once was close to closing a deal to do an educational film for a dentist for $500, but he was unable to meet him to close the deal. When the dentist asked Walt why they couldn't meet right away, Walt replied, "I haven't any shoes." He had had them repaired at a shoemaker's shop, but he couldn't pick them up until he had the money to pay his bill. The dentist paid for the repair to Walt's shoes, had the shoes delivered to Walt, and then the two men met and closed the deal. (18)

Thank You, Alfred Hitchcock

In March of 1962, Alfred Hitchcock filmed his classic movie _The Birds_. During this time, he visited a school in the Wilmar Union School District and gave children his autograph and drawings of himself. The school principal, Duncan Coleman, wrote Mr. Hitchcock a thank-you letter and wrote in particular about one child whom Mr. Hitchcock had met: "The real purpose of this letter is to inform you what your deed of kindness did for a boy to whom you gave your drawing and autograph. This boy is quite shy and does not participate readily in class activities, such as sharing his experiences before others during sharing time. He was so thrilled and moved by his experience that he proudly shared his experience and autograph not only with his own class, but in every classroom in the school. The boy never before has done such a thing. Many times it takes such a spark as this to help a youngster out of his shell and on the road to confidence. You don't realize what your act of kindness has done for this child. [...] your thoughtful act will not be forgotten by youngsters and teachers alike." (19)

" **Great Job, Guys"**

In April 2012, Sam Dempster, a lawyer, had a heart attack while jogging in Hyde Park in London. Fortunately, actor Dustin Hoffman came to the rescue and called 999 (the British equivalent of the American 911) and stayed by his side until paramedics Martin Macarthur (his last name was spelled McCarther in some articles) and Luke Sullivan restarted his heart. Mr. Dempster said, "I want to say 'Thank you' to Dustin Hoffman. He saved my life." He added, "I have no memory of what happened. The paramedics told me I had been saved by Dustin Hoffman. It's unbelievable." Mr. Macarthur said, "We were called to a jogger who had collapsed while he was running. We got there within about two minutes and jumped out of the ambulance to find that Dustin Hoffman was the main witness to this." Mr. Sullivan said, "I've had a couple of calls to runners who have collapsed, but I've never had an A-list star watching over our shoulder while we were doing it." Mr. Macarthur said, "Dustin was fascinated. He seemed impressed we'd got this guy back so quickly. When we were carrying the patient into the ambulance, he walked up and said 'Great job, guys.' He really appreciated what had happened." He added, "He was the perfect bystander, he gave us a great history when we arrived but then didn't get in the way afterwards, you know, he was totally calm, collected throughout, stayed for the whole resuscitation which lasted for about 20 minutes, and as we said congratulated us as we were loading the patient and getting him to hospital." The paramedics did make one mistake. Thinking that an iPod and sunglasses belonged to Mr. Dempster, they took them. The items actually belonged to Mr. Hoffman, and they were returned to him. Mr. Dempster said, "I just want to thank Dustin Hoffman, Martin and Luke, who successfully resuscitated me with CPR, and all the staff at both Chelsea and Westminster, and Royal Brompton Hospitals. I can't wait to get running around the park again." (20)

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Action Hero in Reel Life and in Real Life

In April 2004, Arnold Schwarzenegger, movie star and at the time the governor of California, rescued a man on a boogie board who was cramping while swimming in the water off a beach in Maui, Hawaii. Mr. Schwarzenegger, who was in the water near the man, assisted him in going about 100 yards to shore. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst at the University of Southern California, said, "This is so very Arnold. He is the action governor, right?" (21)

Ryan Gosling Stops a New York City Street Fight

On 24 June 2011, after working out in a gym in New York City, actor Ryan Gosling saw a fight in the street between a street-vender painter and someone who tried to steal one of his paintings. Wearing a tank top, he broke it up. Valerie Herrera recorded the incident, and it went viral online. In an interview with MTV, Mr. Gosling said that he was "embarrassed" by the attention he was getting, and he expressed sympathy for the art thief. He said, "It was sad, because it turns out that I said to the guy, 'Why are you doing this?' He said, 'Well, he tried to steal my painting.' I said, 'How do you know?' and he said, 'Well, he comes here every day and looks at my paintings,' which means the guy was a fan, and so he wanted the painting so bad he had to steal it because he couldn't afford it. So he finally steals the painting, and then he's getting his ass kicked by his hero, and then the guy from _The Notebook_ shows up and makes it weirder." Ms. Herrera said that Mr. Gosling "really did save the day." After she had accidentally turned her camera off, Mr. Gosling asked the street vendor what it would take to make things right. Then he paid for the stolen painting. Ms. Herrera said, "He dug into his wallet and took out a $20, gave it to the guy." Mr. Gosling then asked the street vendor, "Does this settle his debt now?" It did, and everybody went on with their lives. (22)

Ryan Gosling: Meme-Worthy Hero

On 3 April 2012, British journalist Laurie Penny absent-mindedly almost walked into the path of a taxi on 6th Avenue in New York City. Actor Ryan Gosling saw what was happening and yelled, "Hey! Watch out!" and grabbed her before she was hit by the taxi. A woman standing nearby told Ms. Penny who had rescued her and said to her, "You lucky bitch." Ms. Penny tweeted, "I literally, LITERALLY just got saved from a car by Ryan Gosling. Literally. That actually just happened." However, she also wrote a funny article on Gawker expressing her amazement at the amount of celebrity worship in the United States. She wrote, "People do lovely, considerate things for other people all the time. I don't believe that the fact that A-list celebrities occasionally act like human beings is in itself news—it might have been slightly newsworthy had Mr. Gosling simply floated by on a cloud of his own cultural significance whilst a young woman got smeared into the tarmac, but lucky for me, even the most chiseled-jawed of us are usually boringly dependable in times of minor peril." By the way, it has not been confirmed that Mr. Gosling said to Ms. Penny, "Hey, girl. When a state passes a law sanctioning medically unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds but Viagra is still covered by medical insurance, it is time to stop denying that the United States is waging a war on women." (23)

McDreamy to the Rescue

In April 2012 in Malibu, California, 17-year-old Weston Masset crashed his car. Weston said, "I was scared for my life. I was upside down." Rescuing him was Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka "McDreamy," on the TV series _Grey's Anatomy_. Mr. Dempsey pulled Weston out of the wreckage with the help of a fire extinguisher and a crowbar. Weston asked, "Are you famous?" Mr. Dempsey replied, "Yeah, I'm a doctor." He stayed with Weston and even called Weston's mother, Mary Beth Masset, who said, "He had a certain authority in his voice. I asked if he was a paramedic and he said no, 'This is Patrick Dempsey.' I thought, 'McDreamy?'" Weston suffered an eye injury and a concession, but he is expected to make a full recovery. (24)

Zoe Saldana and Unidentified Man: Good Samaritans

On 18 January 2012 in Culver City, California, Zoe Saldana, star of _Avatar_ , witnessed a car accident in which an elderly woman was injured. A witness said, "Zoe witnessed the car accident, and was very quick to help. ... [She] immediately got on the phone with 911 and she seemed very concerned." Ms. Saldana and another Good Samaritan took the woman from her car to the curb. They called 911 and waited with the woman until emergency help arrived. The witness added, "While waiting for help to arrive, Zoe returned to the woman's car and picked up the woman's handbag and sweater. Zoe was very caring and sweet to the woman." (25)

Tom Cruise: Good Samaritan Multiple Times

In 2008, a paparazzo had trouble with his footing and fell down on a sidewalk in New York City. Actor Tom Cruise and another Good Samaritan helped him up. Mr. Cruise once said, "Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it's not like anyone else, it's, you drive past, you know you have to do something about it. You know you are the only one who can really help. That's what drives me." In this case, and in other cases, Mr. Cruise has shown himself to be a real Good Samaritan. Journalist Liz Barrett wrote, "We have to put our Scientology prejudice aside and admit it. Tom Cruise can be a really good guy sometimes." Mr. Cruise has done other good deeds—1996 was a good year. In 1996, he was sailing in a 247-foot yacht near the island of Capri in the Gulf of Naples when he saw a burning sailboat and five people in a rubber raft. Mr. Cruise's yacht had a skiff that he sent over to pick up the five survivors: French paper tycoon Jacques Lejeune, age 68; his wife, Bernadette, age 42; their daughter Eugénie, age seven; and two crew members. Immediately after they were saved, their sailboat sank. In March 1996, Mr. Cruise and several people saw an Acura Legend hit Heloisa Vinhas, age 23, in a hit-and-run accident. Mr. Cruise followed her as an ambulance took her to UCLA Medical Center. He found out that she had no insurance, and he paid her $7,000 emergency-room bill. Ms. Vinhas said about him, "If he's not Superman, he can be Batman—Batman doesn't have super powers." On 4 July 1996, Laurence Sadler, age seven, and Christos "Chris" Tzanetis, age 13, were nearly crushed by a huge crowd in London's West End who showed up at the premiere of Mr. Cruise's movie _Mission Impossible_. When Mr. Cruise saw that the two boys were being crushed against police barricades, he grabbed the boys' arms and called for police officers to help. Chris' mother, Anna, said, "We could have had a tragedy on our hands—we are very grateful to Tom." Laurence said, "He is my hero. Every night I say good-night to him when I pass his poster in my room." On 31 July 1996, Mr. Cruise sued the German magazine _Bunte_ for $60 million because of something it had published about him. On 7 August 1996, two of the magazine's executives died in a plane crash. Mr. Cruise settled with the magazine, receiving an apology, a published retraction of the defamatory material, and his attorney's fees—but not $60 million. A spokesperson said that Mr. Cruise explained, "I don't want to sue widows and orphans." (26)

Two Apologies

Sometimes, people need to apologize for something bad that they did many years ago. The Internet can be a big help in tracking down addresses, but sometimes even the Internet cannot help. Tom Hallman Jr., a journalist for the _Oregonian_ in Portland, Oregon, would like to apologize to a girl with whom he was in the third grade. Their teacher had organized a Christmas girl exchange, which backfired. Almost everyone received a new toy. The gift-receiver would name the person who had given him the gift, and the students would applaud the gift-giver. But this girl came from a very poor family, and her gift to the young Tom was an obviously used paperback book with torn, dirty pages. The girl was not popular, and when Tom said her name, the students laughed at her and her gift, greatly embarrassing her. Tom did not want to be associated with her. He writes, "Her gift was yet another indication of just how different this girl was than the rest of us. She'd arrive late to class, her hair wet and unkempt. She didn't have friends, and the popular students made fun of her because she wore old clothes and shoes. Only later in life did I understand that she obviously came from a terribly poor family." He adds, "Even though this incident happened nearly 50 years ago, I remember that afternoon as if it were yesterday. As the class laughed, this 8-year-old girl turned in her chair to hide her tears while the teacher unsuccessfully tried to restore order in a class that had turned on the weakest among us. At that moment I was worried that the popular kids would think that this girl and I were friends. So I didn't thank her, or even acknowledge the gift. Only decades later [...] did I realize that what I did next was unforgivable: I tossed the book in the garbage." Years after the incident, Mr. Hallman searched for the girl's name using the Internet, but he was unable to locate her so he could apologize to her. With enormous amounts of luck, she will read this book or Mr. Hallman's feature article. One person who did locate the person he wanted to apologize to was Larry Israelson, who wanted to apologize to teacher James Atteberry for something that had happened when Larry was 12 years old and in one of Mr. Atteberry's seventh-grade classes in Huntington Beach, which is a wealthy Southern California beach community. Mr. Israelson had tried for years to locate Mr. Atteberry, but he had failed until an Internet search turned up an article by Tom Hallman Jr., the same Tom Hallman Jr. who needed to apologize for helping to humiliate a young girl who had given him a Christmas gift. Mr. Israelson looked at the article and an accompanying photo, and he recognized his old teacher. Mr. Israelson sent the newspaper an email that Mr. Hallman received: "You published an item involving retired teacher James Atteberry and the CASA program [a program that helps youths]. Mr. Atteberry was a teacher of mine in the early '70s, and I wish to apologize to him for a regrettable incident that occurred when I was his student. Can you provide any contact information for him, or would you be willing to serve as an intermediary and deliver a message on my behalf? Thank you for your time, and I await your reply." Mr. Hallman replied, and Mr. Israelson sent him a sealed envelope to be forwarded to Mr. Atteberry. Later, Mr. Hallman found out why Mr. Israelman was apologizing to Mr. Atteberry. The young Larry Israelman was in one of Mr. Atteberry's classes, and Mr. Atteberry was gay at a time when gay teachers were fired; in addition, some students suspected that Mr. Atteberry was gay. Mr. Atteberry praised the young Larry Israelman's work. The older Mr. Israelman wrote Mr. Atteberry 29 years later, "I am truly sorry for asking to be transferred out of your seventh grade social studies class at Sowers Middle School during the 1972-73 school year. I don't have many specific memories from my two years at Sowers, but at the top of one of my assignments you wrote 'You will go far in life. Your command of the English language is exceptional.' Looking back on my younger self, I am certain that I reveled in being one of the 'teachers pets.' As comfortable as I was in a classroom, however, the boy's locker room was something else entirely." In the locker room, bullies targeted the young Larry Israelman because Mr. Atteberry sometimes praised him in class. Mr. Israelman said, "They started saying 'Larry' and then 'fairy' and rhyming it with 'Atteberry.'" They challenged him to a fight. He accepted, and, he said 29 years later, "I took a couple of hard punches. I gave up." The bullying continued, and finally the young Larry Israelman decided to transfer out of Mr. Atteberry's class. The principal signed a transfer slip, and the young Larry Israelman took his books and left Mr. Atteberry's class. The older Mr. Israelman said 29 years later, "There was no goodbye, no explanation. I just disappeared. I never talked to Mr. Atteberry again." But 29 years after transferring out of the class, Mr. Israelman sent a letter of apology to Mr. Atteberry, and Mr. Atteberry looked up Mr. Israelman's telephone number, called him, and said, "Larry, this is your teacher." They talked. Mr. Hallman wrote in his article about these two men, "A good feature story is about something universal. When it comes to apologies, no one gets a pass in this life. Everyone deserves one, and everyone needs to give one. When I mentioned [Mr. Israelman's] letter to people, I found a story more universal than any that I'd written in years. Everyone told me they had someone they wished they could apologize to. And they told me that by the time they realized that truth, it was too late." For Mr. Israelman, at least, it was not too late. (27)

The Most Beautiful Teacher in China

On 8 May 2012, Zhang Lili, age 29, a Chinese language teacher at No. 19 Middle School of Jiamusi, which is in the Heilongjiang province in northern China, became a hero when she pushed two students out of the way of a school bus. Unfortunately, the school bus hit her, sending her into a coma from which she did not awake until receiving 58 hours of emergency medical attention. Zhao Mingyan, Intensive Care Unit director of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, said, "But it cannot be ruled out that her condition may worsen, and the doctors are still working full out to save the heroic teacher." The heroic teacher also lost both of her legs. The two students were injured only slightly. Tang Kaijun, one of the injured students, said, "I had just left school when I heard someone shouting, 'Look out for the bus.'" Xu Lixia, Tang's mother, said, "The teacher pushed the kids out of the way of the bus and then went under the wheels. She was run over twice." Tang's father, Tang Wanfang, said, "Her torso was separated from the hip bone, part of which was apparently crushed." When the Chinese people learned of her heroism, they began to call her "the most beautiful teacher in China." On May 14, the Heilongjiang Welfare Lottery Center sent 100,000 yuan ($15,850) to Zhang's family. Wang Jianwei, the director of the Heilongjiang Welfare Lottery Center, said, "Her courage moved all of our staff, and we will try our best to help the brave teacher in her future life. After her recovery, we hope she can be the ambassador of the welfare lottery." In addition, the Ministry of Education named her "National Outstanding Teacher." According to an article published on <China.org.cn>, "The tragedy was caused by careless driving. The driver of a school bus had her leg pressed against the stick shift while she was chatting to passengers and lost control of the bus. The bus hit two vehicles stopped near the school gate before running over Zhang Lili. (28)

March 2012 Protest Draws Attention to an Important Problem

Education is important, and many students know it. And when schools are not giving students an education, some students (and their parents) are courageous enough to make his fact known. In March 2012, approximately 50 high school students at the all-male Frederick Douglass Academy in Detroit, Michigan, protested conditions at the school by walking out of classes and marching outside of the school while chanting, "We want education!" Walking out of classes and chanting "We want education" may seem like a contradiction, but one of the things the students were protesting was a lack of consistent teachers. Actually, the students' parents organized the protest because of their concerns with the school. According to the 30 March 2012 article "Douglass Academy walkout earns suspensions for about 50 high schoolers" by Chastity Pratt Dawsey in the _Detroit Free Press_ , "As recently as last month, students spent weeks passing time in the gym, library or cafeteria due to a lack of teachers, parents said." Sharise Smith, who has two sons at Frederick Douglass Academy, said that one of her two sons at the school received an A in geometry during the first semester, but she said that he did not deserve an A: "It was by default, just for showing up. It wasn't because he earned an A." The article also stated, "High school students say they are months behind the syllabus for classes, especially math. Several math teachers have come and gone." Senior Tevin Hill said, "We've been wronged and disrespected and lied to and cheated. They didn't listen to us when we complained to the administration. They didn't listen to the parents when they complained to the administration, so I guess this is the only way to get things solved." Tevin had recently taken Bowling Green State University's math placement exam, and he said, "I'm generally good in math, but I was embarrassed. I didn't know any of it." School board members LaMar Lemmons III and Reverend David Murray marched with the students. Reverend Murray said, "They're not involved in academic learning—just taking a seat, occupying a space—and some of these children are near graduation." (29)

A Small Thing Saved Lives

Sometimes, a very simple thing such as locking a door saves lives. On 2 April 2012 at Oikos University in Oakland, California, a gunman killed six women and one man and wounded three other people. Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said, "When the gunman entered the school, he did take a hostage. He was looking for a specific administrator who was not there. When he entered the classroom, he directed the students to line up against the wall. Before they had a chance to do that, he started shooting the students." Dechen Yangzom, a 27-year-old nursing student who hid in another classroom with some other nursing students, said, "It's pretty much like what I hear in the movies: 'Bang, bang!'" She added that it was "so frightening." She locked the door to the classroom and turned off the lights just before the gunman reached the room. The gunman shot three times through the door. Ms. Yangzom said, "Just small things like locking the door really saved all of us. Otherwise I think he might kill all of us." She also said, "Yesterday I wasn't feeling anything. I felt that all I did was lock the door. Now I see that if I didn't lock the door, maybe none of us are alive today." (30)

" **I Walk in the Hallway and I Hear 'Hero'"**

On 11 May 2012 in Saranac Lake, New York, a school bus driver passed out while suffering a medical condition. Sixth grader Austin Duquette said, "She was just swerving and the cars were going off the road." First grader Ryan Trudeau said, "Her head was down and the bus was going really slow." Austin said, "I saw Jennifer say someone has to stop the bus." Jennifer is 17-year-old Jennifer Cowling, who said, "I pushed on the brake pedal and just kind of took the keys out." The Saranac Central School Board presented Jennifer with the district's KUDOS award. Eighth grader Kaitlyn Guynup said about Jennifer. "If she wasn't on the bus, nobody would have done anything and we would have just sat there and watched it all happen and could have died." Jennifer said, "I actually didn't think about it at the time. I just kind of reacted." Now, she said, "I walk in the hallway and I hear 'hero.'" (31)

Jeremy Wuitschick and Johnny Wood: Heroes

On 9 April 2012 in Milton, Washington, a school bus driver passed out, probably due to a heart attack. Some students screamed, "Oh, my God!" Seventh-grader Jeremy Wuitschick, age 13, took action. He said, "I ran up, grabbed the wheel ... I turned it to the right, took it on the side of the road, took the keys out of the ignition. Bus started slowing down. I'm like 'Somebody call 911' and they did. Then Johnny Wood came up and he's like 'I know CPR.'" The bus' surveillance video shows Johnny performing chest compressions upon the bus driver, who was taken to St. Francis Hospital. Milton Police Chief Bill Rhodes praised Jeremy: "I'll tell you, I'll give the kid credit for fast thinking. He did the right thing, and we're going to do something for him. The kid definitely deserves credit." (32)

A Landing and a Marriage Proposal

Long ago, a pilot from Remuera, New Zealand, was trying to land at the airport in Dunedin, New Zealand. Fog was heavy, and he attempted the landing twice but aborted each landing. Therefore, he announced to the passengers that because of the fog they would have to turn around and go back to the airport that they had departed from. A hostess (stewardess), who was almost in tears, came into the cockpit and explained that her boyfriend had driven a long distance to Dunedin from Invercargill just to see her during the 20-minute stop scheduled at the Dunedin airport. Therefore, the pilot attempted another landing. This time, the fog opened up enough for him to see the runway. The pilot wrote in 2012, "We touched down but as our speed was slightly higher due to our last-minute descent, we skipped and became airborne ever so slightly. So, when we touched down once more, the anti-skid operated and we unfortunately blew all four tyres! Suddenly the young hostess burst into the cockpit once more and exclaimed, 'Gee, captain, I hope you did not do that just for my benefit!' Her nervous young man from Invercargill was so upset that he promptly proposed to her on the tarmac. My embarrassing tyre marks remained there long after I had retired." (33)

An Obliging Husband

When Muriel Lillie, sister of comedian Beatrice Lillie, decided to get divorced, her husband was very obliging. He let her claim that he was unfaithful (something needed for a divorce at that time) and sent her a telegram listing the names of women he had committed adultery with—the names of the women were completely fictitious. (34)

The Two Boss Ladies

On a Christmas Eve, a day that was merely another Saturday to her, a woman who posts online using the name Beastly went into a beauty parlor in Providence, Rhode Island, and said that she wanted a manicure. The owner, who spoke English and Korean, approached her and said, "Manicure Pedicure." Beastly replied, "No, just manicure today—I only have 45 minutes." The owner replied, "Manicure Pedicure 45 minutes!" The owner led her to a chair, and three women began giving her a manicure and a pedicure. But Beastly heard the owner mumbling in Korean under her breath, and Beastly asked what the owner was saying. An employee hesitated and then told her, "That's Boss Lady, and it's Christmas Eve, and everyone going home early until you come in—Manicure Pedicure 45 minutes—so now everyone has to wait for you." Beastly then did a good deed. She had Boss Lady trade places with her, and Beastly—working with the two other women—gave Boss Lady a Manicure Pedicure 45 minutes. Merry Christmas for Boss Lady! The day after Christmas, Beastly visited family members and told them her Boss Lady story, and four-year-old Oscar teased her by calling her Boss Lady. He even called her that at the swimming pool they went to. There she saw a boy of seven or eight pantomiming playing the piano on the surface of the water. Beastly asked what he was playing. The answer came back: Chopin. Beastly asked if he had a piano at home, and the boy replied, "I do, but C and E and D are broken—here, [he pointed to the left of the imaginary keyboard] in the middle, and at the top too." Beastly guessed that the "piano" was an electronic device. The boy, with tears in his eyes, told her, "I asked Santa for a real piano for Christmas, but he didn't bring it." Beastly then spoke with the boy's mother—a professional cellist—and Beastly made a decision. She says, "The next day I had my piano—the one my son had learned on over 40 years ago. The one his father had learned on over 60 years ago—moved from my house to theirs. The very next day I received an email with a photo of the piano in its new home. Last week [in April 2012] I received an invitation from Enzo to his piano concert in June. And yes, I RSVP'd—Boss Lady will be delighted to attend." (35)

" **The Human Potential for Good in the Face of Evil Manifested Itself"**

On 15 April 1945, British troops liberated approximately 58,000 prisoners at the Nazi concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen in Germany. Among the liberated were 149 Jewish children whom Hadassah "Ada" Bimko (later Rosensaft) and others had kept alive. On 3 August 1943, Hadassah arrived at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Immediately, the Nazis murdered her first husband and her son, age five, in one of Auschwitz-Birkenau's gas chambers. Two months later, Dr. Joseph Mengele assigned her to work as a doctor in the infirmary. (Hadassah was a dentist before being sent to the death camp.) Menachem Z. Rosensaft wrote in 2012, "Because of her medical training, she was able to save the lives of fellow inmates by performing rudimentary surgeries for them, camouflaging their wounds and sending them out of the barracks on work detail in advance of selections." In November 1944, Hadassah was sent to Bergen-Belsen. Menachem wrote, "Once again, the human potential for good in the face of evil manifested itself." Hadassah began to take care of children. She organized a _Kinderheim_ , a children's home, in the concentration camp, and started with 49 Dutch children. Hela Los Jafe, another inmate, later wrote, "At that time, Bergen-Belsen started to be like Oswiecim [Auschwitz]. Transports came from all over, bringing thousands of people. Ada walked from block to block, found the children, took them, lived with them, and took care of them." Hadassah and a group of other women kept alive 149 Jewish children from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and other countries. Hela wrote, "The children were very small and sick, and we had to wash them, clothe them, calm them and feed them. [...] Most of them were sick with terrible indigestion, dysentery and diarrhea, and just lay on the bunks. [...] There was little food, but somehow Ada managed to get some special food and white bread from the Germans. [...] Later, there was typhus. ... Ada was the one who could get injections, chocolate, pills and vitamins. I don't know how she did it. Although most of the children were sick, thanks to Ada nearly all of them survived." In her posthumously published autobiography, _Yesterday, My Story_ , Hadassah wrote, "We sent word of the children to the Jewish men who worked in the SS food depot, and they risked their lives daily to steal food and pass it to us under the barbed wire." Jewish prisoners in the camp pharmacy also were able to get medicine for the children. During the winter, the children needed warm clothing. Hadassah wrote, "Somebody mentioned that there was a storage room in the camp where clothes taken away from the arriving inmates were kept. I went there with two of the nurses. To my surprise I was greeted and hugged by two Polish women whom I had helped and protected from heavy work in the scabies block in Birkenau. They gave us all the clothes we wanted." Hadassah wrote that she and the others "had been given the opportunity to take care of these abandoned Jewish children, and we gave them all our love and whatever strength was left within us. [...] We talked to them, played with them, tried to make them laugh, listened to them, comforted them when they cried and had nightmares. When they were sick with typhus, we sat beside them telling stories and fairy tales. I sang songs to them in Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew, whatever I remembered, just to calm them until they fell asleep." Menachem wrote, "Where my mother found the strength to help and save others rather than focusing on her own survival has always been a profound mystery to me. Perhaps her devotion to the children at Bergen-Belsen was her way of coping with her inability to protect her own child." (36)

Dr. Feng-Shan Ho: Chinese Consul and Holocaust Hero

In 1938, Nazis beat Jews and forced them to scrub the streets of Vienna, Austria. Eric Goldstaub, age 17, knew that he and his family needed to leave and get far away—quickly. He went from embassy to embassy, trying to get visas so that he and his family could leave Austria. Where they went was not important; what was important was getting out of Austria. It was China's consul general who saved him and his family: "Yes. Come back tomorrow. Bring as many passports as you want. I'll stamp them all." Over 70 years later, in 2012, Mr. Goldstaub said, "I couldn't believe my ears. I didn't even know where China was, to tell you the truth." He remembers, "I went to every God-d*mn consulate there was in Austria, I must have been to 15 before I found him. And it's a good thing I did. He saved our lives." Dr. Feng-Shan Ho, the Chinese consul general in Vienna, stamped 18 passports, allowing Mr. Goldstaub and his family to go to Shanghai, where they stayed over a decade and then moved to Canada. Mr. Ho was one of the consuls who stamped passports and saved lives. Bernie Farber, a human-rights activist and former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, as well as the son of a Holocaust survivor, says, "To find diplomats who boldly and with moxie chose to reject their governments' orders to stop trying to save Jews, that to me was astounding because I'd never heard these stories before." Two years after the family escaped Austria, Harry Fiedler, Mr. Goldstaub's cousin, age 71 in the year 2012, was born in Shanghai. He thinks often of the lasting impact of Dr. Feng-Shan Ho and the life-saving visas. He said, "My parents had me, I have two children, and now I have four grandchildren. And those four grandchildren are eventually going to have kids—all as a result of Dr. Ho signing those documents. It just carries on." (37)

**Dr. Feng-Shan:** **The Oskar Schindler of China**

The Oskar Schindler of China is Dr. Ho Feng-Shan, a Chinese consul-general who served in Vienna, Austria, from May 1938 to May 1940. As consul-general, he disobeyed the orders of his superior and issued visas to Jews who were desperately seeking to leave Nazi-controlled Austria. Many foreign governments would not issue visas to Jews because they did not want to anger Nazi Germany; however, Dr. Feng-Shan was aware of the brutality of the Nazis. In his 1990 memoir, _40 Years of My Diplomatic Life_ , he wrote, "Since the annexation of Austria by Germany, the persecution of the Jews by Hitler's 'devils' became increasingly fierce. The fate of Austrian Jews was tragic, persecution a daily occurrence. There were American religious and charitable organizations which were urgently trying to save the Jews. I secretly kept in close contact with these organizations. I spared no effort in using any means possible. Innumerable Jews were thus saved." He gave visas to any Jew who requested one and may have issued more than 10,000 visas. After Dr. Feng-Shan retired, he lived in California, and at age 96 he died on 28 September 1997. His daughter said, "He was generous in nature. To help other people was very natural. From a humanitarian point of view, it was what you should do. There was nothing much to say." His daughter put an obituary in a newspaper; the obituary briefly mentioned his work in Vienna. Dr. Eric Saul, an American professor of Jewish history and a Holocaust historian, began documenting Dr. Feng-Shan's humanitarian efforts on behalf of Holocaust-era Jews, and in 2001 Dr. Feng-Shan was awarded the title "Righteous Among the Nations." (38)

" **God Hates No One"**

On 12 May 2012, the day before Mother's Day, Patty Akrouche and her nine-year-old son, Josef Miles, were walking around the Washburn University campus in Topeka, Kansas. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka were holding signs, one of which read, "GOD HATES FAGS." Josef asked his mother if he could make his sign, one with a much different message. She gave him permission. Josef's sign said this: "God Hates No One." Ms. Akrouche said about her son, "He's growing up to be a fine young man, I got my Mother's Day gift a day early." (39)

To Pay or Not to Pay American Taxes

Canadian novelist Rudy Wiebe knew some good Anabaptists—he said that they are better Anabaptists than he is. When he was working in the United States, he paid taxes to the American government, and it bothered him because he knew that much of the tax money was going to support the American war machine. He knew some Anabaptists who did not pay federal income tax to the United States government. Instead, they would put the money and more in a bank, and when the Internal Revenue Service came around to ask about the income taxes owed, they would explain why they were not going to pay their income taxes. The IRS would levy a fine and interest and would eventually take the money owed for the fine and interest and taxes out of the person's bank account. The American government got the money for its war machine (counting the fine and interest, it may have gotten more than it would have if the Anabaptists had simply paid the income tax in the first place, although it did cost money and time to go through the complicated collection process); however, the Anabaptists kept a clear conscience. (40)

A Muslim 9-11 Hero

Mohammad Salman Hamdani, who was a Muslim, a native of Pakistan, an American citizen from Queens (New York), a New York City police cadet and Emergency Medical Technician, died a hero on 11 September 2001 at the World Trade Center. At the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, his name is listed among the victims of the terrorist attack. However, his name is not listed among the first responders who died that day. In 2012, the Editorial Board of _Star Ledger_ (New Jersey) tried to get his name listed among the first responders. The Editorial Board writes, "By any measure, the Pakistani native and American citizen from Queens, N.Y., is a hero. [...] Memorial organizers should find a way to put his name in the right place. Hamdani was buried with full honors by the New York City Police Department—he had three years as a cadet and took the test for the police academy before his death. His family speculates that he saw the burning towers from a train platform on his way to work as a lab technician and rushed downtown instead because that is what he was trained to do. [...] It's important to remember that innocent Muslims died on 9/11, people who had made the United States home and who, like Hamdani, were in every way Americans." According to Paul Brown, a spokesman for the New York Police Department, Mr. Hamdani's name was left off the list of first responders because he was a cadet and not yet a full police officer. Nevertheless, he is a hero. (41)

" **Not Somebody Who was Bringing Bombs, But Somebody Who was Bringing Healing"**

On 5 June 1944, a day before the D-Day Normandy invasion, Bernard Bail served as lead radar navigator for a flight of B-24 bombers flying from England to occupied France to attack a V2 rocket site. Anti-aircraft guns crippled the B-24 bomber that Mr. Bail was on and killed the pilot. Mr. Bail said, "It knocked out the engines and the plane dropped about five, six thousand feet and then everything was chaos. Gasoline was spewed to the flight deck. The engineer tried to stem the flow, and he was blinded by the flow." Only one engine remained. The co-pilot leveled the plane and then shut off the fuel supply. The mission commander, Lieutenant Colonel Leon Vance, was badly wounded. Mr. Bain said, "I saw his right leg had been [nearly] sheared off, and his right pant leg was spilling blood." Mr. Bail put Lieutenant Colonel Vance, who was in shock, in his own seat and used his belt as a tourniquet. Mr. Bail said, "I waited. The plane was gliding, and I could see it was beginning to turn toward the [English] Channel." He ordered the rest of the crew to bail out because the plane was crippled and was going to crash. Bail stayed because he hoped to rouse Lieutenant Colonel Vance. Mr. Bail said, "I knew if the plane began to nosedive I wouldn't be able to get out. I waited as long as I could and then I dove out." Lieutenant Colonel Vance did regain enough consciousness that he was able to steer the plane away from an English village where a crash could have killed many people. Instead, the plane fell into the sea. Fortunately, Lieutenant Colonel Vance was rescued, and he credited Mr. Bail with saving his life. Mr. Bail's war experiences led to him becoming a psychiatrist. He said, "I wanted to be not somebody who was bringing bombs, but somebody who was bringing healing." (42)

American Soldier Gives Life to Save Afghan Child

In March 2012 in Afghanistan, Sergeant Dennis Weichel, a 29-year-old Rhode Island National Guardsman, saved the life of an Afghan girl by moving her from the path of a military vehicle. He was riding in a convoy in eastern Afghanistan that stopped because of children in the road. The children were picking up shell casings, which can be sold for the metal content. Sergeant Weichel and others moved the children from the road, but one girl ran back onto the road to get more shell casings. Sergeant Weichel pushed her out of the way of a military vehicle but was hit by the vehicle and died from his injuries. Lieutenant Colonel Denis Riel, a spokesman for the Rhode Island National Guard, said, "I have heard nothing but incredible stuff about this kid, selfless beyond our core values that we live up to. As I hear more from family and others, he was the living embodiment of the Army's core values: courageous, selfless and loyal. All values we expect from our soldiers. We mourn all combat deaths, but this one is a significant loss." Staff Sergeant Ronald Corbett said, "He would have done it for anybody." He added, "That was the way he was. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was that type of guy." First Sergeant Nicky Peppe said, "He was a big kid at heart. He always had a smile on his face and he made everyone laugh. But as much as Weichel was funny, he was also a professional. When it was time to go outside the wire for a combat patrol, he was all business." Mr. Weichel was given the rank of Sergeant and the Bronze Star posthumously. Governor Lincoln Chafee ordered flags in the state of Rhode Island to be flown at half-staff until Sergeant Weichel's burial. Sergeant Weichel was the father of three. Update: Early reports stated that Sergeant Weichel rescued a girl, but a 31 March 2012 article in _The New York Times_ stated that he rescued a 10-year-old Afghan boy who had darted under a military vehicle. Sergeant Weichel went under the vehicle and pushed the boy out of the way, and the vehicle ran over Sergeant Weichel and killed him. The boy, the son of an Afghan policeman, is named Zaiullah. Matiullah Khan, a vegetable seller and Zaiullah's uncle, said, "As you know, all five fingers on one hand are not equal, and it's the same with American soldiers. What that soldier did in Kandahar was such a brutal act [an Army sergeant was accused of killing 17 unarmed Afghan civilians, including children], no human could do what he did. This soldier, he looked at my nephew as a human being and endangered his life to save my nephew's life." Sergeant First Class Robert Tobin said, "That's Specialist Weichel for you. He had a tremendous love for his kids and his family and I can only imagine the reason why he would do something like that was because he would want somebody to do something like that for his kids." (43)

A Good Deed in Afghanistan

In southeastern Paktika Province in Afghanistan, Mateen, an eight-year-old boy, was seriously wounded by a bomb manufactured by his Taliban father and hidden in a radio speaker box, but medics at a combat outpost saved his life. On 14 March 2012, Mateen was in a group of children playing in a yard; somehow, the children set off the bomb. Among the dead were two of the Taliban father's sons, a girl who was a cousin, and the son of a neighbor. A neighbor took the badly wounded Mateen on a tractor to the outpost. Four medics, including Sergeant Anthony Merino, kept him alive. Sergeant Merino said, "His airway was being compromised; we were losing him on the table." Mateen was taken to a field hospital at Forward Operating Base Sharana, and then flown by Medevac helicopter to a fully equipped trauma hospital at Bagram Air Base. His eyes could not be saved, but he received five hours of surgery and his prognosis was very good. After receiving prosthetic eyes and skin grafts, Mateen was returned to his family. (44)

Sergey Solnechnikov: Hero of Russia

Russian Army Major Sergey Solnechnikov gave his life to protect his soldiers during a military exercise in the Far East. A soldier threw a live grenade that bounced into a group of conscripts, and Major Solnechnikov threw himself over the grenade just before it exploded. Physicians tried but were unable to save his life. In April 2012, Major Solnechnikov was posthumously honored with the title "Hero of Russia." A person who uses the name "StG 44" online commented on the article, "I've never understood how a man could be driven to jump on a grenade—but having never been in that situation, I probably never will. And it's not as if one has time to prepare for the act—it just happens. Truly one of the most selfless acts imaginable." (45)

" **In Tunisia, We Will Tolerate All Views and We Will Not Take Action Against Any Group Unless We See a Violation of Laws, Such as Resorting to Force or Violence. That We Consider to be a Red Line"**

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali opposes violence but supports freedom and free speech. In his May 2012 remarks to reporters at a news conference on the sidelines of the Arab Economic Forum in Beirut, Lebanon, Mr. Jebali warned that oppressing people such as those called the Salafists will turn them into heroes. He said, "These people believe they are victims of oppression. We do not want to fall into the trap of treating them as such, thus turning them into heroes." He said that ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali made the mistake of jailing those who disagreed with him on political and ideological issues. Mr. Jebali said, "Some people are building fear around the presence of so-called extremist groups. We have to live with the fact that these groups are part of our people. They did not come from outside. We need to tackle the reasons behind extremism rather than punishing a segment of our society." Mr. Jebali himself spent 15 years in jail under the former regime. He said, "We are not afraid of Salafists. To begin with, I have my reservations about describing these movements as Salafist. The word 'Salaf' refers to our ancestors who were moderates, not extremists. In Tunisia, we will tolerate all views and we will not take action against any group unless we see a violation of laws, such as resorting to force or violence. That we consider to be a red line." (46)

A "Come-to-Jesus" Moment

On 12 April 2012, Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker, age 42, returned home and discovered that his neighbors' house was on fire. He rescued a woman, 47-year-old Zina Hodge, in a second-story bedroom from the fire, and he was treated for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns on his right hand. Ms. Hodge had second-degree burns. Ms. Hodges' mother had screamed that Zina was still in the burning house, and Mayor Booker went through a smoke-filled kitchen to get to her. As he got near her, he could hear her yelling, "I'm here! I'm here! Help! I'm here!" Mayor Booker said, "I felt fear. I really didn't think we were going to get out of there." He added that he had simply helped a friend. He said, "I didn't feel bravery. I felt terror. It was a moment I felt very religious, let me put it that way." Ms. Hodges' mother, Jacqualine Williams, said, "I think he's a super mayor—and should become president." Two members of Mr. Hodges' security detail rescued several other members of the family. His security detail did not want him to go into the burning home, but Mayor Booker told them that the woman would die. Detective Alex Rodriguez said, "Without thinking twice, he ran into the flames and rescued this young lady." Mayor Booker carried her out of the burning house. Fateen Ziyard, a firefighter on the scene, said, "He's one of the most heroic men I've ever met. He's showing his true grit. This is the type of mayor we have—he doesn't just talk it, he walks it." Mayor Booker tweeted after the rescue, "Thanks 2 all who are concerned. Just suffering smoke inhalation. We got the woman out of the house. We are both off to hospital. I will b ok." During an appearance on _CBS This Morning_ , Mayor Booker said about the rescue, "I had my proverbial come-to-Jesus moment in my life." Early the day after the rescue, he tweeted, "Thanks everyone, my injuries were relatively minor. Thanks to Det. Alex Rodriguez who helped get all of the people out of the house." (47)

Special Wedding Guests

When Frances and John Canning got married in a civil ceremony at Manchester (England) town hall in March 2012, they met some special guests: the Queen of England and Prince Philip. The Queen had been visiting the town hall for a reception as part of her Diamond Jubilee visit to Manchester and Salford. John, age 48, said, "I'm a big fan of the Royal family. When we found out who the VIP was [who would also be the town hall the day of the wedding] we wrote to her, a bit light-heartedly, and got a nice letter back from a lady in waiting. We didn't expect anything further to come from it." Frances, age 44, whom the Queen greeted by name, said, "We booked the town hall ages ago, but we got a phone call four weeks ago telling us that a VIP would be in the building on the same day. We never dreamt we would be able to meet her. When we had our ceremony, the staff asked us to wait for a moment in the corridor and just a few minutes later the Queen arrived. She knew both our names and apparently we had been especially added to her rota." John said, "The Queen asked how we were feeling, and congratulated us. Prince Philip was asking where in Italy we were going for our honeymoon. They had clearly been briefed about what we were doing." Peter Jackson, who attended the wedding, said, "We had to have security checks in advance. So we knew that she was going to be there. But we thought we would be kept well away from the [Queen's] reception." Hayley Fitzpatrick, who also attended the wedding, said, "We didn't know where to look. All of a sudden the Queen and Prince Philip were there in front of us. I was so surprised I knocked something over—she looked at me and asked if I was okay." (48)

" **Purchasing a Cup of Starbucks Equals Support for Gay Marriage"—So Go Have A Starbucks Latte**

In March 2012, spokespeople for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) confronted Starbucks executives at the annual Starbucks shareholders' meeting in Seattle, Washington. The NOM spokesperson objected to Starbucks upholding marriage equality on the fall ballot in Washington State. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz replied, "I would assure you that the senior team of Starbucks discussed this, and it was, to be candid with you, not something that was a difficult decision for us. We made that decision in our view through the lens of humanity and being the kind of company that embraces diversity." Most of the shareholders applauded Mr. Schultz. The National Organization for Marriage started a boycott of Starbucks coffee, but as of 27 March 2012, the boycott was having little or no negative impact on Starbucks. Starbucks spokesman Zack Hutson said, "We're not seeing any [negative] impact." Positive impact, yes. Groups began organizing in support of Starbucks, and many photographs of people drinking coffee at Starbucks started appearing on social media. Meanwhile, as of 27 March 2012 the National Organization for Marriage had 22,000 signatures on its petition against Starbuck's support of gay marriage, while <www.sumofus.org> had 281,000 signatures for a "thank you card to Starbucks for standing up for gay rights." By the way, politicians cannot make churches marry gay couples because of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." All the government can do is to make same-sex civil marriages legal. Also by the way, one of the comments posted online on this article said, "I'm proud of Starbucks, and I'm now on a mission to buy something from every Starbucks in the city." (49)

President Barack Obama is Multi-Lingual

On 15 March 2012, Stephon (no last name given), who was born deaf and is a 26-year-old student at Prince George Community College in Largo, Maryland, was able to meet President Barack Obama. Stephon used sign language to tell President Obama, "I am proud of you," and President Obama used sign language to reply, "Thank you." A different student who is deaf signed to President Obama "I love you," and President Obama smiled at her. Stephon said about President Obama, "When I shook his hand, it did not feel like he was superior to me. He was just a humble man." According to H. Hoover, who posted the story on Distriction, "Even though Stephon's story makes us giddy, this isn't just another yarn from the lamestream lib'rul media about the majestic greatness of Barack Obama. If this were George W. Bush or Mitt Romney or Herbert Hoover, we'd be equally captivated. It's a fleeting moment in the life of the president; it's a tale to be told forever for Stephon." By the way, the people who were deaf got great seats right in front of President Obama to ensure a good view. Also by the way, Michelle Obama also knows at least some sign language. (50)
CHAPTER 2: STORIES 51-100

Science is a Moral and Ethical Undertaking

It is worth noting that science is a moral and ethical undertaking. Science-fact and -fiction writer Isaac Asimov pointed out in an interview with Bill Moyers, "There is a morality in science that is further advanced than anywhere else. If you can find a person in science, and it happens—scientists are only human—who has faked his results, who has lied as far as his findings are concerned, who is trying to steal the work of another, who has done something scientists consider unethical, his scientific reputation is ruined, his scientific life is over, and there is no forgiveness." Most scientists, fortunately, are honest. Mr. Asimov pointed out that in 1900, three scientists—Hugo DeVries (a Dutchman), Charles Carrinse (a German), and Eric von Chermark (an Austrian)—studied genetics (separately, not as a team) and worked out the laws of genetics. All three then studied the literature of genetics to find out what had been learned before. All three discovered that in 1867 Gregor Mendel had discovered the laws of genetics, but his discoveries had been ignored. All three gave credit to Mr. Mendel and reported their own findings as confirmations of Mr. Mendel's work. Only Mr. DeVries is well known today—because of his work in studying mutations. Mr. Asimov pointed out that "as far as the discovery of genetics is concerned, Mendel gets all the credit. And they knew at the time that this would happen, but they did it." (51)

" **I Can See Clearly Now"**

Thomas Weller, aka The San Diego Highwayman, loves working on cars and he loves doing good deeds. He is an auto mechanic in California, and he rides around looking for stranded motorists. His rig is well equipped for dealing with vehicular emergencies, and he always declines money for helping people with their vehicles. Instead of taking people's money, he gives people a card with this message: "Assisting you has been my pleasure. I ask for no payment other than for you to pass on the favor by helping someone in distress that you may encounter." In January 2011, some people helped him. His rescue hobby was affected by two problems: a cataract that made his left eye blind, and an expensive breakdown of his 1950s rescue truck. Both problems were solved. On 6 January 2012, Dr. Sanford Feldman, of One-to-One Lasik in Clairemont, a suburb of San Diego, gave Mr. Weller an artificial lens in his left eye. Dr. Feldman donated his medical skill, and an anonymous Good Samaritan donated the money for the operating room fee. Car aficionados at the San Diego Automotive Museum are going to rebuild his customized truck, and Mr. Weller will have to pay only for the parts. The eye operation was a success. After it, Mr. Weller sang, "I can see clearly now." Mr. Weller became interested in being a Good Samaritan in 1964, when he needed help as a teenager in Illinois. During a blizzard, the car he was driving slid off the road and into a snowdrift. A man stopped, helped him, and told him to pass the favor on to other people. Beginning in 1966, he did. For example, in 2008, Christin Ernst got a flat tire when she ran over a screwdriver that was lying on a San Diego freeway. Mr. Weller stopped, fixed her flat tire, and gave her one of his cards. He said about his helping other people, "It's what I do for excitement." By the way, go to YouTube and search for "Thomas Weller Highwayman" so you can watch some of the videos about this Good Samaritan. (52)

" **In a Mercenary World, This Place is an Oasis"**

For over 55 years, Dr. Russell Dohner has looked after patients in Rushville, Illinois, a town with approximately 4,300 people. He charges $5 for an office visit. A patient in his waiting room said, "In a mercenary world, this place is an oasis." The medicine in his office is modern, but other than that, most things—and people—have been with him for a long time. Dr. Dohner has saved many lives, and he has delivered many babies. He once saved a boy who would have smothered in a corncrib, and he once helped rescue four men, climbing down into a coal mine to do so. He has delivered more than 3,500 babies. Lynn Stambaugh, one of his nurses, was one of the babies he delivered. She used to wash dishes at the hospital, but the good doctor convinced her to go to nursing school. Asked why Dr. Dohner has not burned out after working so many years, she said, "Well, I think because every day he makes a difference to at least one person, and if you can do that, you can go on." Journalist Bob Dotson first met Dr. Dohner long ago. About that meeting, Mr. Dotson wrote, "The morning we first met, back in 1983, Dohner had been to surgery twice, prepped a broken arm, handled two emergency cases, checked on 50 patients and delivered three babies. It was not yet 10:30 [a.m.]." The good doctor paid his own way through Northwestern University medical school. He could have been a cardiologist in a big city, but instead, "Rushville needed a doctor, so I stayed." (53)

Dr. Ruth Streeter: A Caring Oncologist

When Harvey Pekar of _American Splendor_ fame got cancer, he was fortunate in having a caring oncologist. He wanted to get the chemotherapy over quickly and so he took what the doctor called a 12-week treatment plan consisting of weekly injections of drugs into his body although he knew that this treatment plan would be a lot harsher and punishing than if he were to spread the treatments over a longer time and take lower doses of the drug. Unfortunately, the doctor made a mistake. Although she called it a 12-week treatment plan, actually it was so harsh that patients always had to take longer than 12 weeks to finish it. This happened to Harvey. He would go in for a treatment, and medical personnel would draw his blood for a white-cell count. If his white blood cell count was too low, he was unable to get chemotherapy that week because taking the drugs would be dangerous. That made him feel really bad. Therefore, his wife, Joyce Brabner, talked to the doctor, and the doctor gave him an infusion anyway, but an infusion that did not have the drugs. Joyce simply told him, "We're going to give you some of what's normally in the bag." This was the truth because the weekly chemotherapy bag contained more than the drugs that it would be dangerous for Harvey to take with a low white blood cell count. Having something injected into his body made Harvey feel that he was making progress. Harvey's doctor was a good doctor because she listened to her patients (and patients' spouses), she bent the rules a little (as when she allowed something to be injected into Harvey's body), and she learned from her mistake and started telling patients that it was a 12-treatment plan instead of telling them that it was a 12-week treatment plan. She also read a few issues of _American Splendor_ in order to understand Harvey better, and after Harvey was cured of the cancer, she let him, his wife, and an artist named Frank Stack take photos of the chemotherapy lab where Harvey was treated so they could use the photographs in the creation of _Our Cancer Year_ , Harvey and Joyce's comic book (with art by Frank) about Harvey's fight against cancer. In the comic book, Harvey's oncologist is called Dr. Rhodes, but her real name appeared in an interview with her that was published in the _Journal of the National Cancer Institute_ about _Our Cancer Year_ : Dr. Ruth Streeter. Harvey worked as a low-level file clerk in a veterans hospital in Cleveland, and his medical insurance paid for the cancer cure, except for a couple of hundred dollars of out-of-pocket expenses per year. Harvey's brother also did the very good deed of paying for the visiting nurse. Another person who did a very good deed was neighbor Marge Petrone, who drove them to the hospital after their car battery died. Joyce calls this an example of the "seemingly simple things that really count." By the way, when Harvey and Joyce went on their first date, they decided to get married. On their second date, they bought the rings. On their third date, they got married. (They had talked on the telephone for a few months before they met and went on their first date.) Joyce is an interesting person. When she was little, she knew that for 20 cents she could either buy two comic books or take the bus to the library. For her, the decision was easy: the library had the _Oz_ books. (54)

Barbie Gets a Bald Female Friend

Barbies and most women and girls have beautiful hair. Chemotherapy can cause patients with cancer to lose their hair, and in early 2012 Mattel announced that it would make a bald doll in 2013 for girls who were dealing with hair loss—either their own or that of a mother or other female relative. The bald doll will not be sold but will be donated to hospitals and charities. Jane Bingham and Rebecca Sypin had the idea for a bald Barbie. Ms. Bingham had lost her hair, and Ms. Sypin's nine-year-old daughter had lost her hair. Actually, it won't be Barbie who is bald, but one of Barbie's friends. Journalist Clifton Simmons wrote, "For decades, Barbie has shown girls that you can be anything—a doctor, surfer, pilot and now a bald, beautiful cancer survivor. (55)

Todd Stave: Defender of the First Amendment

Todd Stave is the landlord of Reproductive Health Services Clinic, a medical clinic that offers abortions. The clinic always has protesters outside the office park property. These protesters pray and hold vigils. How does Mr. Stave feel about this? He says, "Totally appropriate. It's their right. They are protected by the First Amendment. And outside the clinic is probably the most appropriate place for them to express their views." Some people, unfortunately, go beyond what is allowed by the First Amendment. For example, the clinic has been firebombed. In addition, George Tiller, a physician who provided abortions, was murdered—in church!—by a man who opposed legal abortions. Some abortion protesters distribute on Web sites and flyers personal information about abortion providers—addresses, telephone numbers, and even information about their children. This allows people to harass the abortion providers. They also provide this kind of information about Mr. Stave and his family. In the fall of 2011, on the first day of school, these anti-abortion protesters showed up at the middle school his daughter attends. The anti-abortion protesters had graphic photos of fetuses and had signs with Mr. Stave's phone number and address. Mr. Stave wants the anti-abortion protesters to leave his children alone. The anti-abortion protesters also started calling his home. An intelligent man, Mr. Stave fought back. Friends wanted to do something to help him. Mr. Stave started collecting the names and telephone numbers of the protesters who called him, and he gave lists of these names and telephone numbers to his friends and asked them to call the protesters. He said, "In a very calm, very respectful voice, they said that the Stave family thanks you for your prayer. They cannot terminate the lease, and they do not want to. They support women's rights." Eventually, more than 3,000 people were calling the abortion protesters. According to Petula Dvorak's article "A clinic's landlord turns the tables on anti-abortion protesters" published in _Washington Post_ , an abortion protester who called Mr. Stave could receive as many as 5,000 calls in return. Jesus said, "Do to others as you would have them do to you" (Luke 6:31 New International Version). The anti-abortion protesters called Mr. Stave, so therefore they must want calls in return. Mr. Stave says, "We gave them back what they gave us." Of course, Mr. Stave does still support the protesters' right to protest outside the clinic. He has a group called Voice for Choice, which consists of 3,000 people willing to call harassing anti-abortion protesters. They do NOT call anti-abortion protesters who do NOT make unsolicited phone calls and who do NOT harass the children and relatives of those they disagree with and who do NOT distribute the contact information of those they disagree with. Mr. Stave said, "Someone might call [Mr. Stave and Voice for Choice] and say, 'They're protesting in front of my clinic. They're praying, chanting, with their signs.' And I say, 'Are they harassing you? Harassing the patients? And if they say "No," then I say, 'I can't help you. There is no more appropriate place for them to do this than here. They are protected by the First Amendment." Other anti-abortion protesters can definitely be targeted by Voice for Choice. For example, when Mr. Stave was out of town, anti-abortion protesters went into his neighborhood and distributed fliers that showed a fake photo of Mr. Stave wearing a Nazi uniform. The fliers had his contact information and the contact information for some of his family members, including his brother-in-law, a dentist. An anti-abortion protester showed up at Mr. Stave's dentist office with photos of fetuses. Ms. Dvorak has had experience with these kinds of anti-abortion protesters. She wrote, "One year, the March for Life protesters leaving the Mall poured into the playground of my child's pre-K school, slapping stickers on their jackets and putting fliers into the hands of 4-year-olds. The police were called to get them out." She added, "People who want to stop abortion can make a difference with education, support, counseling and genuine efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancies and support childrearing. They need to be working toward affordable and safe childcare for all, solid healthcare for children and generous workplace policies and family leave so that parenthood is not an onerous and difficult prospect in America." (56)

" **If There were More like Him, Many Lives would be Saved"**

Dr. Catalin Cirstoveanu, a physician in Romania, saves the lives of children by flying them to Western Europe on budget flights so they can get the medical treatment they need. For example, in March 2012, Catalin, who was 13 days old, needed heart surgery. Dr. Cirstoveanu took her to a clinic in northwestern Italy, and her life was saved. Romanian state health insurance paid for the operation. Not every child's life is saved. The next baby, who was only three weeks old, whom Dr. Cirstoveanu took to the clinic died. Dr. Cirstoveanu said, "I was very worried it wouldn't work. But in Romania, she would have died anyway." Romania has a problem with corruption. To supplement their income, many health-care professionals take bribes. Romanian Health Minister Ladislau Ritli said, "To be honest, it's so deeply rooted into our system that it's really difficult to eliminate." Dr. Cirstoveanu is the head of the cardio unit at the Marie Curie children's hospital in Bucharest, Romania, but many health-care professionals such as physicians and nurses don't apply for the jobs open there because he has banned the taking of bribes. Many Romanian doctors, who are paid low wages, leave Romania to work in Western Europe. Ladislau Ritli, Romanian Minister of Public Health, said, "Ideally, we would have decent salaries and nobody would be tempted to accept informal payments. And the population would be educated so people would believe that this [the giving of bribes] is not the only way to get proper health care." Gheorghe Meliusoiu, a 28-year-old woodcutter and Catalin's father, said, "Cirstoveanu is more than a hero—he is a god for us and the children. If there were more like him, many lives would be saved." (57)

Police Come to the Aid of the Caped Crusader

The police of Howard County, Maryland, helped a fellow crime fighter who goes by the name Batman, aka the Caped Crusader, on Halloween of 2011 when the Batmobile, a Lamborghini, got a flat tire. The police officers got the Lamborghini to the side of the road so it could be towed away and the flat tire fixed, and Batman posed for a photo with the police officers. Then Batman—or possibly a Good Samaritan dressed in a Batman costume—went to a Washington D.C. hospital to meet ill children. (58)

**Batman. Bruce Wayne. The Caped Crusader.** **Lenny B. Robinson**

Batman has many names. Bruce Wayne. The Caped Crusader. A less-well-known name is Lenny B. Robinson. (The "B" is for "Batman.") He is a wealthy man from Baltimore County, Maryland, who dresses in a $5,000 Batman costume and drives a Lamborghini decorated as the Batmobile when he visits children in hospitals, something he started doing in 2001. Mr. Robinson became interested in Batman as a result of his son Brandon's interest. For a while, a teenaged Brandon played Robin. Mr. Robinson said about playing Batman, "Eventually, it sinks in and you become him. It feels like I have a responsibility that's beyond a normal person. And that responsibility is to be there for the kids, to be strong for them, and to make them smile as much as I can." Journalist Michael S. Rosenwald knows Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Rosenwald's four-year-old son is convinced that Mr. Robinson really is Batman. Mr. Rosenwald's young son whispers to him, "Daddy, he's Batman, too," when he sees Mr. Robinson. Why does Mr. Robinson dress as Batman? He explains, "I'm just doing it for the kids." In March 2012, along with such other notabilities as Wonder Woman and Spider-Man, he visited the cancer ward at Children's National Medical Center in Northwest Washington D.C. at a Superhero Party for ill children. Batman showed up with lots of Batman books and toys to give away. Each year, Mr. Robinson spends $25,000 on Batman paraphernalia to give away. Everyone is happy to see him. When someone asked him where Robin was, he replied, "Home studying for the SATs." Children got their photos taken with Batman. As Batman, Mr. Robinson asks children their names, and he tells them, "I have a present for you." Hearing a toddler was going home from the hospital the next day, Batman said, "I'm really glad you are feeling better." Jeffrey Dome, the oncology division chief at Children's, said, "These visits provide an immediate boost for these kids. Some of these children have to stay for weeks or months at a time. That wears down the children, and it wears down the family. You have to keep up morale. A visit from a superhero is sort of like a fantasy in the middle of all this hard-core therapy." Stephanie Broadhead of California, Maryland, whose daughter is ill, said about the Superhero Party, "This makes a very hard thing to deal with a little easier." A four-year-old boy loved seeing the Batmobile. (Mr. Robinson is spending $250,000 to have a real Batmobile built, but for now drives the Lamborghini.) When the four-year-old boy's mother told him, "Batman needs to go fight the bad guys," the four-year-old boy cried and said, 'I want to go help him fight the bad guys." His mother told him, "You need to go help your sister fight cancer." (59)

Five-Year-Old Boy Gets Very First Haircut—for Charity

Rean Carter, from Hylton Castle, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, did not have a haircut for the first five years of his life. His mother, Leeanne Smith, said, "When Rean was born, he had a lovely little curl of golden hair at the back of his head. I just could never bear to get it cut, not even his fringe [bangs]." But when he started going to school, the other boys teased him. His mother said, "Some of the other little boys began to make fun. They said he could not play with them because he looked like a girl." Therefore, Rean decided to get his hair cut short with spikes on top. By getting his hair cut, Rean raised over $500 for the children's unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital—he asked friends and family members to make donations. A couple of years previously, he had been treated there. (60)

Words with Friends Saves a Friend

Beth Legler of Blue Springs, Missouri, enjoys playing Words with Friends, a game similar to Scrabble, on her cell phone with people all over the world, including Georgie Fletcher from Queensland, Australia. The game allows the players to text messages to each other. During one game in January 2012, Georgie mentioned that her husband, Simon, was not feeling well. She also mentioned his symptoms. Beth's husband, Larry, is a doctor, and she told him Simon's symptoms. Larry realized that Simon needed to get immediate medical help, and Simon went to a hospital. He is glad he did. If he had not gone that day, he probably would be dead because of a 99 percent blockage near his heart. Georgie said, "Had Larry not sent that message, I don't think Simon would have gone to the doctor that day." Simon said, "I've got to buy that man a beer; he saved my life. I'd really like to put my arms around him and give him a big squeeze." He added, "I owe Larry everything; I'm really lucky to be here." Georgie said, "It was almost like I was meant to, you know, pick Beth as a random opponent. [...] She saved me from being a widow." (61)

" **I Just Happened to be There"**

In early 2012, Rick McPheeters, an emergency room physician for over 15 years at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California, saved the life of a man who had an ATV accident outside of Dr. McPheeters' home. Dr. McPheeters said, "He was lying right about here on the side of the road, half on the pavement and half in the dirt. I thought the worst. He was as blue as my shirt, meaning he had no oxygen in his blood." He gave the accident victim CPR, but it didn't work. He knew the man needed a tracheostomy. He said, "I took the pen out of my pocket and took it apart and then I took my pocket knife and cut the [end of the] pen off. I used this pocket knife to make an incision on the windpipe so I could insert this pen in and blow air into the lungs." The tracheostomy worked. Dr. McPheeters said, "Generally, without oxygen for more than ten minutes, a person's outcome is dismal at best. It was really amazing he had such a wonderful outcome." Sonya Ybarra, a colleague, said, "He thought he did no big thing. And I tried to tell him that he had, and he just wasn't having it." Dr. McPheeters said, "To me, a hero is someone who really had to sacrifice and I don't think I really sacrificed. I just happened to be there. I don't consider myself a hero per se." (62)

Enigma74: "My Best Friend Saved My Life"

A woman who writes online using the name enigma74 met her best friend when she was 14 and in the 9th grade. For many years, they were very close, but then, as so often happens, they weren't so close. However, enigma74 writes, "Then, at thirty-three years old, I found out that I had breast cancer. She came back into my life like a force of nature. She cleaned my home, cared for my child, and took care of me. She bathed me, clothed me, gave me my medicine, and found creative ways to make food more edible when my mouth was so devastated by chemo that I could barely swallow. She saved my life, with no thought of reward or recognition, and she did it all while having a full-time job as well as two kids and a husband to care for!" (63)

Dr. Bryce Curran and Dr. Lydia Putra: Life-Saving Amputation

Following the February 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquake, Brian Coker, age 53, lay trapped in rubble at the PGC building for six hours—in excruciating pain—before rescuers found him. He had hoped for a "decent aftershock to finish it." To save his life, Dr. Bryce Curran and Dr. Lydia Putra were forced to amputate his legs. Dr. Curran, an anesthetist at Christchurch Hospital, said, "It was a matter of going up a stairwell that was in a rather precarious state to a small space where this man was confined. It was ... a very compromised situation, being in the dark and using what we could find. The decision was made to remove the man's legs because he would have almost certainly died if we had delayed. He would have bled to death. There was no way he [could be] extracted from the situation." Mr. Coker received morphine and ketamine, and the two doctors used the only tools available—a hacksaw and a fold-out knife from a Leatherman multi-tool—to perform the amputation. Dr. Curran said, "We took turns at doing the surgery. It was physically demanding work." Despite an aftershock, the two doctors completed the amputation in about 15 minutes. Mr. Coker's heart stopped on the way to the hospital, but he was resuscitated. One year later, he had returned to work. (64)

" **I'm Alive and Well in These Lives of Three"**

On 11 June 2009, Karlie, the young daughter of Kara Mellick, died. A man whom Ms. Mellick trusted had shaken her. He had also slammed her to the floor, causing the head injury that killed her and breaking her bones. Ms. Mellick decided to donate Karlie's organs. She said, "I knew I was going to donate her organs. It wasn't a hard decision." Karlie has a tombstone in Crestwood, Kentucky. On it appears this poem: "My heart is beating in a baby like me / My kidneys are helping a father in Tennessee / My liver, pancreas and intestines are ... in another little girl. ... I'm alive and well in these lives of three." Ms. Mellick said, "I feel she is still living. She is not gone. Her body is gone, but her heart is still there." Her heart is in the body of Faris Samara, who lives in Illinois, and who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The left side of his heart did not develop normally. Faris' mother, Siham "Sam" Samara, said, "I want Kara to know that what she did is so brave. I want her to know that her child will always be an angel for us. We feel Karlie is such a part of our family." Faris received Karlie's heart when he was 11 months old. In 2012, he was a healthy three-year-old. When Ms. Samara met Ms. Mellick, she told her, "I'm sorry for what you went through. I'm sorry Karlie had to die so my son could live." Ms. Samara said about Ms. Mellick, "It breaks me to know how much pain she went through." When Karlie, who had been a happy baby, died, Ms. Mellick's mother, Allison Ellis, wrote this poem for her, "My sweet little baby so precious and kind / Taken too soon, way before your time ... Your beautiful smile, and cute little ways / I hold in my heart, and there, they will stay." (65)

" **She's Really Happy. She Smiles. She's Going to be Really Good"**

Venessa Negrete, age 26, saved the life of her daughter, one-year-old Aliyah, by donating approximately 25 percent of her liver for a transplant. Aliyah had a rare liver condition called biliary artresia that caused cirrhosis and jaundice. Venessa said, "It was really hard" to watch her daughter suffer: "When she had fevers, I could tell she was not comfortable." University of Arizona Medical Center Chief of Surgery Dr. Rainer Gruessner said, "We did not find a deceased donor in time and after extensive evaluations of family members, it was determined that the best match was Aliyah's mother." Venessa said, "I always prayed to God, I wanted it to be me. It just changes your life." Venessa became a living donor, and the successful transplant took place on 20 March 2012 in the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Khalid Khan, director of the Pediatric Liver and Intensive Transplant Program, said, "We now have the possibility to do this for the first time. The ability to perform living-related liver transplants make us less dependent on the short supply of deceased donor organs—giving new hope for children who need a liver transplant." Venessa said about her daughter, "Right now, she's really happy. She smiles. She's going to be really good." This was the first adult-to-pediatric living donor liver transplant to take place in Arizona. (66)

Veteran Seeking a Kidney—and Getting One

Sergeant John Jennings, a husband and father of two young children, and a National Guardsman and Army veteran, needed a kidney. He said, "I was getting ready to re-deploy to Afghanistan, I had already deployed to Iraq, and I was about to re-deploy to Afghanistan in 2006." However, his blood work showed he had a serious medical problem. Eleven years earlier, he had been diagnosed with the genetic disorder Polycystic Kidney Disease, and now it was worsening. He said, "In the next few years it got worse dramatically." He needed a transplant, and his wife, Rebecca, started a Facebook page: "Veteran Seeking a Kidney." An article also appeared in the local newspaper: _The_ _Sun Chronicle_ of Attleboro, Massachusetts. Patrick Fitzgibbons donated a kidney to Mr. Jennings, whom he did not know. Mr. Fitzgibbons said, "I read the story about his condition and what was going on." Mr. Fitzgibbons' call was just one of over 200 calls to Rhode Island Hospital's transplant team. Dr. Paul Morrissey of Rhode Island Hospital said, "It was remarkable, and I imagine that has a lot to do with John first of all being a first-rate human being but also I think the military connection appealed to a lot of people." Mr. Fitzgibbons said, "I called and went down and started the testing, and very quickly, very quickly they found me to be the match." On 7 November 2011, the transplant took place at Rhode Island Hospital. Mr. Fitzgibbons said, "I was supposed to see the story. I was supposed to call. I was supposed to get tested. I was supposed to be the match. I was supposed to do this." Mr. Jennings said, "It was one of the best moments of my life right there. Meeting your hero." The two men and their families, who live within a few miles of each other, are good friends now. (67)

" **I'm Excited Because I'm Going to Get a Second Chance to Live and be Able to be a Father for My Son"**

One of Marie Bell's kindergarten students was late to class at Highland Village Elementary School in Highland Village, Texas, because his father was in a hospital expecting to be able to get a kidney transplant; however, the kidney was diseased and no transplant could take place. The student was five-year-old Sean Smith, and his father, Marshall, had been getting dialysis for two years. Ms. Bell read the note Sean's parents sent to excuse his lateness, and she emailed the student's parents. She said, "That was the first I'd known that Marshall was on dialysis and had been for two years. I just boldly asked Sean's mom in an e-mail, 'What can we do?' She told me I could check with the donor program. One day after school I just called." She had the same blood type as Marshall, and it turned out that her kidney was a perfect match. In March 2012, the day before the transplant took place at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, Mr. Smith said, "I'm excited. I'm excited because I'm going to get a second chance to live and be able to be a father for my son." He added about Ms. Bell, "I didn't think that God made people like her any more." Ms. Bell said, "I am blessed to know this family, blessed to have this child in my classroom. I am blessed." Ms. Bell is Caucasian; Mr. Smith is African-American. (68)

Joanne Lucas: A "Blubbering Mess"—and a Hero

On 10 May 2008, mother-of-three Joanne Lucas, age 50, rescued schoolteacher Jason Cull, age 37, after a shark attacked him at Middleton Beach, Western Australia. Ms. Lucas was on the beach for surfboat rowing practice when she heard cries for help. She said, "I just saw someone thrashing in the water and saying, 'Help me! Help me!' I thought it was just a dolphin [in the water], but someone else was screaming, 'He has been attacked,' so I raced down there." She swam 80 metres from shore to get to Mr. Cull. She said, "Just before I got to him, he said, 'It's got my leg.' I grabbed him and swam back to shore." His left leg, she said, had "great big chunks" missing. Great Southern Region Surf Life Saving support services co-ordinator Tom Marron praised Ms. Lucas: "She heard him shout out for help and dived in with no regard for her own safety. He suffered a fair bite. If she hadn't followed her instinct, or had been a bit later, then the bloke could have bled to death or been dragged out by the shark. What she did was brilliant." Ms. Lucas said to Mr. Marron, "I'd always wondered what I'd do in that situation, and now I know." In 2009, the Australian government awarded Ms. Lucas the Star of Courage. Ms. Lucas remembered, "I didn't really think 'there is a shark out there, don't go in.' It was just completely instinctive that I had to go and save that person. I saw its fin the whole time; it wasn't very far away from us, but I just kept an eye on it as I was swimming towards Jason. When I got there, he thanked me for coming to save him and I introduced myself, saying, 'Hi, I'm Joanne and I'm going to take you back in now'—it was all very calm and neither of us panicked at any time. Once we got him into the ambulance, I turned round to someone and said, 'What did I just do?' After that I was a blubbering mess." (69)

" **Diane Said the Baby is OK, But the Croc's Got Andrew"**

At about 4 a.m. on 11 October 2004 on a beach in Bathurst Bay, on Cape York Peninsula, in northern Queensland, Australia, a man started screaming. Alicia Sorohan, age 60, and her husband, Bill, who were on a two-week camping trip with friends and family, woke up and ran to the tent where the screams were coming from. Staying in the tent were their son's friend, Andrew Kerr, his wife, Diane, and their three-month-old baby. Ms. Sorohan said, "I thought at first that something was wrong with the baby." She learned that that was not the case: "Diane said the baby is OK, but the croc's got Andrew." The 4.2-metre and 300-kilogram crocodile had grabbed Mr. Kerr by his legs and was dragging him to the water. The crocodile broke one of Mr. Kerr's arms and one of his legs. Ms. Sorohan said, "I saw this huge crocodile there and I thought, 'What do you do?' My first thought was to jump on him and try to pull him off Andrew. But don't ask me how I was going to do it." She jumped on the back of the crocodile, which released Mr. Kerr. The crocodile threw its head back; this broke Ms. Kerr's nose. The crocodile then bit into her right arm. Ms. Sorohan said, "I was lying in the sand looking at him eye to eye, and I thought this was it." Her son, Jason, grabbed a gun and shot the crocodile in the back of its head several times. Ms. Sorohan said, "I heard the gun go off, but I didn't register what it was. The crocodile was holding my arm and I couldn't move, then all of a sudden I felt the life go out of his body." She looked at her arm: "It was hanging by a couple of inches of skin. I was surprised to see that I had it when I came out of surgery the next morning." Ms. Sorohan's arm was bandaged, and she was driven about five-and-a-half hours to the nearest ranger's station. She said, "It was very rugged with heavy sand, and a bushfire had gone through the night before and there were trees over the road." The Royal Flying Doctor Service flew her to Cairns Hospital. In 2006, the Australian government awarded her the Star of Courage. She said about her heroic action, "It's just something you do. It's an instinct." (70)

" **If He Hadn't Jumped in When He did, the Child Could have Died"**

In April 2012 in Ireland, his family's pet dog, a husky, attacked two-year-old Reece O'Leary. Fortunately, a neighbor, 21-year-old Jonathan Curtin beat the dog away with a shovel. Mr. Curtin said about the dog, "He was throwing the child up into the air; the child was like a rag doll to the dog. The woman [the child's mother] was holding on to the child and the dog was holding on to the child as well. The woman was trying to pull the child and the dog was pulling the child in the opposite way. I went in with the shovel and stopped it. I hit the dog ... he backed off for a few seconds, he went for him again, but I hit him." Mr. Curtin added, "I went in not really thinking about the danger. I was just trying to get the child safe." An Irish police officer said, 'If he hadn't jumped in when he did, the child could have died.'" Mr. Curtin's mother, Eileen Curtin, said, "They were covered in muck. The child had no clothes on him; he [the dog] tore all the clothes completely off of him." The child was taken first to a hospital in Limerick and then to Cork University Hospital, and the dog was captured and destroyed. (71)

" **This Man Is Not Going to Ruin My Life. He's Not. I Won't Let Him"**

On 29 October 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri, a man knocked on the door of Tonya Kendall, age 32. She knew that her neighbor had been having trouble with the cable. Assuming that this man was a cable guy, Ms. Kendall opened the door. The man pushed his way into her house and knocked her down. He pulled her T-shirt up and started to pull down her jeans. He had one hand over her mouth. What was especially frightening was that he did not attempt to hide his face. Her son, an 11-month-old, was playing nearby. Fortunately, Ms. Kendall's 50-pound German shepherd, Gracie, was in the house. Gracie jumped on the man and bit his shoulder. The man flung her off, but Gracie came right back at him and bit his right arm. The man shook Gracie off, said, "That's all right. I'll be back to finish what I started," and left, slamming the door. Ms. Kendall said, "I didn't know whether to scream or fight. He wasn't hiding his face, so I didn't know if he was going to kill us. But my dog saved me, and she saved my son." Ms. Kendall locked the door and then called the police. Arming herself with a knife and a baseball bat, she waited for the police. She described the would-be rapist to a sketch artist. The likeness was exact, and she vomited when she saw it. She said, "It was him, in my house, all over again. But I can't completely fall apart. I've got three children. This man is not going to ruin my life. He's not. I won't let him." Terry Gillman, Ms. Kendall's father, stayed with her for a while to make sure she was safe. Ms. Kendall said that Gracie is now allowed to chew as many shoes as she wants. Mr. Gillman said that Gracie is a friendly, but protective, dog, pointing out, "That man didn't get far before lick 'em to death got him." (72)

" **I Just Want It to Raise Awareness on How Special These Dogs [Pit Bulls] Truly Are. They are the Most Affectionate, Loving, Caring Dogs that You'll Ever Meet"**

On 4 May 2012 in Shirley, Massachusetts, Christine Spain, age 56, apparently had too much to drink and collapsed on some railroad tracks. A freight train was coming, but fortunately her pit bull, Lilly, pulled her off the tracks before the train arrived. The train hit Lilly, fracturing her pelvis and de-gloving her right front paw (all the skin and muscle were pulled off). Lilly's right front leg had to be amputated, but Ms. Spain was OK. Rob Halpin, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said, "I don't know if she collapsed or what happened, but she passed out. The engineer, the only witness, told police he saw a dog frantically pulling at a woman as he drew closer. He did everything he could. He heard a thump and thought he hit both." Mr. Halpin added, "The dog's head was on her chest. The woman was totally unharmed." Ms. Spain is a recovering alcoholic. Her son, Boston Police Officer David Lanteigne, got Lilly for his mother to serve as therapy for her. He said, "If it wasn't for her dog, I don't think my mom would be here today. This dog has kept her sober." Lilly has been very good for his mother, Mr. Lanteigne said: "This dog is truly a special dog. She's been amazing since day one. My mother has given anything and everything to this dog. For the past 3 1/2 years since she's had this dog, it's her entire life. She's been eating, sleeping and breathing this dog. The dog is everything to her. She brings her on five or six long walks a day. She spends half an hour preparing all of her meals." He added, "Lilly is her therapy dog. She keeps her thinking well. Every now and then, things happen. We've had some real tough, bad news in our family the past week and a half, and I think it impacted my mom tremendously. I think it caused her to have a relapse." He said that having Lilly has helped Ms. Spain to reduce "her drinking, at least if not more than 90 percent. Every now and then, she has her battle with alcoholism and depression and anxiety. She has a lot of things she needs to get fixed." He added, "I just want it to raise awareness on how special these dogs truly are. They are the most affectionate, loving, caring dogs that you'll ever meet." (73)

Bear: 2012 National Hero Dog

In 2009, Debbie Zeisler went to the animal shelter in Weatherford, Texas, to look for a German shepherd. The animal shelter had only one German shepherd, and no one wanted it. However, Ms. Zeisler looked at it, fell in love with it, and took it home. Years ago, Ms. Zeisler had a horse-riding accident, and since then she has had seizures—sometimes daily. The Shiloh German shepherd—named Bear—began alerting her whenever a seizure was about to occur. Bear leans on her legs, and she knows to sit down so that she will not fall. Bear had not had any training in recognizing the onset of seizures. Ana Bustilloz of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles said, "He figured it out on his own." Ms. Zeisler has fallen a few times when she ignored Bear's warnings. In May 2011, Ms. Zeisler had a seizure and fell and hit her head and lost consciousness. Bear scratched on front doors in the neighborhood. No one came to any of the doors, but an animal control officer saw Bear, and Bear led him to Ms. Zeisler. Bear even jumped into the ambulance that took Ms. Zeisler to a hospital. In 2012, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles gave Bear the 30th National Hero Dog award. (74)

" **Don't Underrate Animals, They're Not Stupid. They've Got as Much Loyalty to You as Most Humans"**

On 19 April 2012, a dog saved the lives of its owners. A fire started in a trailer in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, and Paul Sousa Jr. woke up "to my dog grabbing my hand and pulling me so I would wake up." The dog, one of five, was a five-year-old beagle, named Dupa. Paul Sousa Jr. said, "I got halfway down the stairs and I turned and said, 'Got to get the dogs,' and turned around and went back up. Forty seconds and the flame had traveled from the middle of the house all the way to the opposite side." The father and son living in the trailer in the trailer escaped safely, but four of their dogs, including Dupa, died. After the fire, Paul Sousa Sr. looked at the charred heap of materials that used to be his home and said, "I'm not crying for the mess. I'm crying for the dogs." He added, "Don't underrate animals; they're not stupid. They've got as much loyalty to you as most humans. He was there for us, and I truly believe if it wasn't for him one or both of us would've died." (75)

" **S" for Superdog**

On 31 March 2012 on Staten Island, a robber posed as a FedEx deliveryman and tried to gain entrance into the Graniteville apartment of Justin Becker, age 32. Mr. Becker fought the robber, as did his dog, Kilo, a 12-year-old pit bull. The robber pulled out a gun and shot Kilo in the head and then ran away. Fortunately, the bullet did not penetrate Kilo's skull. Mr. Becker's girlfriend, Nicole Percoco, thought that Kilo was going to die. She told her boyfriend, "Hold him in your arms. Let him die in your arms." Mr. Becker said, "I'm not going to let him die." He took Kilo to a veterinarian at South Shore Animal Hospital in New Dorp. Dr. Greg Panarello said about Kilo's injury, "This is like, one in a million. He's very lucky." The staff members at the animal hospital were impressed with Kilo's bravery, and they put the letter "S" on Kilo's bandage; the "S" stands for "Superdog." Kilo's life was saved, but the veterinarian's bill was $2,200. Mr. Becker said, "I was in shock," but he added, "He saved me—I had to save him." (76)

Trooper is a Real Trooper

Trooper, the pet German shepherd of 90-year-old Edith Tickner, became paralyzed after a spinal collapse. Surgeons operated on him, but they believed that his back legs would remain paralyzed. But despite Trooper's disability, he regained limited mobility and was able to get help for Edith after she fell and could not get up on her own during the summer of 2005 in Hertfordshire, England. Trooper climbed a flight of steps and alerted Edith's son Terry Tickner and his wife, Lesley, that Edith needed help. Lesley said, "Since October his back half had been paralyzed. He could not even wag his tail and we had even looked into getting him a harness with wheels. Just before Christmas, he started using his back legs again and moving around. It was the best present we could have had. You can still see he is disabled. His movement is limited. When he wants to run, he uses both back legs together like a kangaroo and he had never attempted the stairs." Still, Trooper managed to get help after Edith had a fall. Lesley said, "He has always been devoted to her. He follows her around the house. He [...] comes in the garden with us [only] if he knows she is having a nap. He looked at her and realized she was not going to get up. He realized we couldn't hear her because we had a fan on in our bedroom and our door was closed. He came upstairs, pushed it open with his nose, and started barking at us." Edith lay on the floor for only 10 minutes and was not hurt in the fall. Lesley said about Trooper, "He is absolutely marvelous. We can't get over it. Big dogs have such a bad reputation. Trooper, who is a rescue dog, has not only overcome what he has been through, but his determination to look after Edith meant he overcame his disability and his fears. Edith could have been lying on the floor for hours if it wasn't for Trooper. She is devoted to the dog. I think she would kill anyone who tried to hurt him." (77)

" **I Believe God Puts Me Where He Wants Me to Be"**

In March 2012, Andrew (no last name given), one of Craig Mello's students in Modesto, California, was happy because his pet dog, Lulu, was in labor. Unfortunately, Lulu had trouble with the labor and needed an expensive emergency Caesarean. Andrew's family took Lulu to a veterinary hospital where they learned that the C-section would cost nearly $1,000 that they did not have. The family applied for credit but was denied. They sought help from Stanislaus Animal Services, but the help they were offered was to euthanize Lulu while she was still pregnant with the pups. Andrew's family then tried the Crows Landing Road Vet Clinic in Modesto. Again they applied for credit, and again they were denied. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan was in the veterinary office's waiting room. Linda Sherman, a retired probation officer and a volunteer with the Stanislaus County Humane Society and someone who did not even know Andrew's family, put the C-section on her credit card. Ms. Sherman said, "I believe God puts me where he wants me to be." Andrew's mother said, "She's really renewed my faith in people's kindness." In a column for the _Modesto Bee_ , Mr. Mello wrote, "Of course, Andrew's family fully intends to pay Sherman back, and has already begun to make payments to her." He added, "Unfortunately, none of the pups ended up surviving the trauma, but Lulu, the family dog, is alive and well. More importantly, my student Andrew meets me at the classroom door with the same ear-to-ear smile on his face each day, just like before." (78)

" **He Wakes Up Happy Every Day"**

In 2009, Stephanie Fox, who lives in Portland, Maine, adopted a puppy with deformed front legs from New England Border Collie Rescue. She named her puppy Roosevelt, after Franklin D. Roosevelt, a United States President who used a wheelchair as a result of polio. She also got her puppy a $900 custom-built cart with wheels. Roosevelt is experienced at using his wheels. Ms. Fox said, "The only difference between Roosevelt and other dogs is that instead of a collar I snap on his wheels to take him out." She added, "People think he should have been put down because they think he's suffering, but he wakes up happy every day. If you had a child with a disability you'd try to enrich them, give them opportunities. So why not do the same with a dog?" Roosevelt has strong back legs. His deformed front legs forced him to stand on his back legs, and he can hop like a kangaroo when he is not using his wheeled cart. People are curious when they see Roosevelt using his wheeled cart. Motorists slow down their vehicles to look at him. Ms. Fox said, "A little kid thought he came from the Land of Misfit Toys." (This is an imaginary land in a TV Christmas special about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.) Roosevelt has a good life. Ms. Fox said, "People say, 'Oh, the poor thing.' But he wakes up happy every day. He doesn't know he's different." (79)

" **My Adrenaline was So High at the Time that It Didn't Faze Me"**

In April 2012, Madison Wallraf, age 15, and her family to driving to a stable in McHenry County, Illinois, when they saw that it was in fire. Madison called 911 and then ran inside the stable to save the life of her horse, Red. She also saved the lives of over 20 other horses. Madison said, "I started off by just putting their halters on and pulling them out by twos, but then the fire started getting quicker so I just started wrapping their ropes around their necks and just tying them around my arms and pulling them out." She added, "I got kicked in the shoulder by one of the horses in there and I got knocked down a few times, but my adrenaline was so high at the time that it didn't faze me." Madison and co-rescuer Shannon Weitzman, age 21, were treated for smoke inhalation after the rescue. Despite their heroics, 18 horses died in the fire. (80)

California Whale Rescue

In March 2012 at Dana Point, California, rescuers cut nearly 50 feet of fishing wire from a California grey whale. For nearly a week, the grey whale, which crewmembers named Bart, had been dragging the wire, in which dozens of dead animals were caught. Dave Anderson of DolphinSafari.com said, "We had a sea lion, sharks, and pretty much the entire ecosystem in that thing." After working nearly seven hours, rescuers succeeded in cutting the wire away from Bart. Mr. Anderson said, "He came right up to our boat and almost mouthed, like, a thank you. It was pretty awesome." Then Bart headed out to sea. (81)

" **I Knew that This, This was a Time to Man Up and be Strong. Once a Marine, Always a Marine"**

On 10 December 2011 in the High Desert of San Bernardino County, California, a 15-year-old boy slipped during a family hunting trip and dropped his 12-gage gun, which fired and hit his father in the leg. Pete Broussinos was hunting when he heard a gunshot and screams. He made his way to the area and found the 15-year-old boy, who along with his 12-year-old brother had cut up a t-shirt and used it as a tourniquet for their father's leg. Mr. Broussinos left to drive to get within cell phone service range so he could make an emergency call. He drove to the home of Michael Craig Carrier and his wife, Lisa. Mr. Carrier got supplies, and he and his wife went to attend the victim. Mr. Broussinos said, "They were lifesavers by going back to help the victim while I waited for the deputies and then led them back to the scene." The two teenage boys were screaming for help. Mr. Carrier said, "I am an artist, so I'm very sensitive. But I knew that this, this was a time to man up and be strong. Once a Marine, always a Marine." Mrs. Carrier stayed with the 15-year-old boy, who was in shock, while her husband treated the wound and kept the victim conscious. Mr. Carrier said, "Those boys were so brave—all three of them, actually. [The father] was so calm, which made my job so much easier. I was applying pressure, and I knew I was hurting him. I said, 'This is going to hurt, but I'm trying to save your life for your wife and your kids and your family.'" Mr. Carrier pointed out a spotter plane to the 12-year-old: "I told him, 'Dude, that means the helicopter's coming. Your dad's conscious; he's going to be OK.'" Mr. Broussinos said, "Huge kudos go to the sheriff's deputies and especially to the air crew on that helicopter. They came quickly and jumped out of a tilting helicopter into a tight, rocky canyon to help a man they didn't know. They saved his life with their fast response." The injured man lost his leg, but survived. (82)

" **That's When the Tears Came"**

Being small can be an advantage when saving a life. On 20 April 2012 in East Point, Georgia, a one-year-old boy playing outside fell into a storm drain. The boy's mother, T'pring Brown, called 911. She said, "I was saying if you all don't hurry up, I'm going to jump in there myself." The opening to the storm drain was very small, and so firefighters called on African-American 4-foot-11 firefighter Rosa Tullis for help. Ms. Tullis said, "In the cars, in the windows, down the holes, typically it's going to be me because I am the smallest. I'm slightly claustrophobic, and I'm not comfortable with it, but I'm definitely the likely choice." She was lowered into the storm drain with a harness, and on her second attempt she reached the boy, who was safely taken out of the storm drain. Ms. Tullis said, "That's when the tears came. It was just great to get him and see that he was safe. It definitely was a joint effort, so everybody was happy and hugging and clapping." (83)

" **I Do Not Feel like I have Done Anything Special. I Didn't Save Her. She Found Me"**

In early 2012, Loretta Smith, age 70, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, grew worried that she was having a stroke when she was unable to control the right side of her body. She fell to the floor, could not get up, and used her left leg to kick over a table so she could use the phone on it. She attempted to telephone her son but misdialed and got a Denver college student named Kenny Crater, age 28, who used to live in Barberton, Ohio. Mr. Crater remembered, "It was a woman and she said, 'I may be having a stroke.'" Mr. Crater did not hang up. Instead, he telephoned 911. Because he had not changed the Ohio telephone number on his phone, he reached Ohio emergency services, and he was able to pass along the woman's address and get help for her. He also telephoned the woman's son. Ms. Smith was taken to a Cuyahoga Falls hospital, where it was confirmed that she had suffered a mini-stroke. Ms. Smith is very thankful, but Mr. Crater said, "I do not feel like I have done anything special. I didn't save her. She found me. She kind of saved herself—I made a phone call." (84)

A Guardian Angel Named Matthew

Early in April 2012, an elderly woman in Quebec, Canada, fell and could not get up. She telephoned for help, but got a wrong number. Fortunately, the wrong number connected her to a man in Calgary, Canada, who got help for her. The elderly woman is Patsy Watkins, who said, "I must have slipped and fell because my knees are bruised." She believes that she fell against the corner of her TV set. She really did need help. In addition to suffering bruised knees, she needed eight stitches to close a gash on her forehead. The man she called is Matthew Washer, who used to live in Montreal but now lives in Calgary. He wrote down her location and got help for her. She lives in a seniors' complex and he called both 911 and the complex' front desk. Mr. Washer said that he told the front desk that "I want to make sure that someone is attending to this woman, and they said, 'Yeah. There's nurses with her and an ambulance on its way.'" Ms. Watkins said, "I think it's unbelievable that he took the time to do all that for a crazy old lady. Now I have my own guardian angel named Matthew." (85)

Six-Year-Old 911 Hero Wants to be a Truck Driver—"Like His Daddy"

On 28 November 2011 in Washington, New Hampshire, Julie D'Onofrio suffered a seizure and collapsed while preparing breakfast for her children: James, age six, and Cody, age one. James telephoned 911 and reached dispatcher Al Davis. James said, "It was today in this morning ... it was this morning today." Mr. Davis asked if James had an emergency, and James said, "My mom fell asleep." Mr. Davis asked questions, which James answered, including giving his address and telephone number. James was also able to verify that his mother was breathing. He added, "She started shaking and fell down." Mr. Davis arranged for an ambulance and emergency personnel to go to James' home. When Washington Police Officer John Corrigan arrived at the home, Mr. Davis told James, "You should have somebody there; it might be a policeman or somebody from the fire department." James said, "It's a police officer." He opened the door, and Mr. Corrigan, who is also an Emergency Medical Technician, said, "OK, good job," and took care of Ms. D'Onofrio. She recovered. She had taught James how to call 911, but she gave most of the credit to Washington Elementary, which had also taught him to call 911. She also said that James was very much "matter of fact" about his heroism, and that, although he likes police officers and firefighters, he still wants to be a truck driver—"like his Daddy." (86)

" **I Told Him that 911 is Just For Emergencies and Instilled in Him at a Very Early Age, the Importance of that Number"**

On 16 March 2012, Roberto Diaz Jr., age eight, of Lorain, Ohio, became a hero when he called 911 after his grandmother, Lula Johnson, had a stroke. Roberto Jr., the son of Roberto and Helen Johnson-Diaz, went to his grandmother's home instead of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain after his 2nd-grade class at Washington Elementary School let out because Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain was closed that day. Roberto said that before his grandmother's medical emergency, "She gave me some money to get some snacks." He bought soda pop and a bag of chips and went back to his grandmother's house. While watching TV, he heard a sound. He said, "It sounded like her freezer fell." He went in the kitchen, where he saw his grandmother lying on the floor. Her eyes were open, but she could not speak or move. Roberto said, "I kept saying, 'Grandma! Get up! Get up!' She was making a breathing noise." Roberto called his father, who told him to call 911. Why didn't his father call 911? His father explained, "It all happened so quickly. I heard noises in the background. I just told him to hang up and I'll be on my way. I must have been doing 100 miles an hour to get there." Roberto said, "I called them [911] and told them we need an ambulance because my grandmother's on the floor. She's not bleeding, but she's not talking. I gave them the address, and I told them she uses oxygen." Roberto's mother said about him, "My son did an excellent job. He was my mom's guardian angel. Knowing and doing what he did, he saved her life." She added, "My mom suffered a stroke, but her vital signs are good. She can't move her right side; it's paralyzed. And there's some bleeding on her brain." Robert's father said that he taught him to use 911 after his sister made a prank call to the number a few years ago. Roberto's father said, "This happened two or three years ago. I told him that 911 is just for emergencies and instilled in him at a very early age, the importance of that number." Tracy Slagle, communication supervisor with Lorain County 9-1-1, said about Roberto's call to 911, "I listened to the tape. He handled himself very well. He was able to stay calm when the dispatcher was asking him questions." (87)

Knowledge of Heimlich Maneuver Saves Another Life

In an April 2012 letter to the editor of _The Athens News_ in Athens, Ohio, Steve Poling thanked a woman for saving his life: "As I was eating lunch at Arby's on East State on Sunday, I began to choke on my food. I want to thank the woman who was seated a couple of booths away [and] performed the Heimlich maneuver and was successful in getting the food dislodged. It is people like you who make me proud to live and work in Athens. Again, THANK YOU!" (88)

Mystery Nurse Helps Save a Toddler's Life

On 26 February 2011 in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, a family was in a vehicle when one of their young children, an 18-month-old boy, began choking on a candy. The father pulled over to the curb, and bystanders called 911. Off-duty Delta Police Constable Aaron Hill stopped and helped the boy. A woman in the crowd around them who identified herself as a nurse performed CPR on the boy. Paramedics arrived and transported the boy to Surrey Memorial Hospital. The boy recovered completely; however, he might have died if not for the actions of Constable Hill and the nurse. In August 2011, Delta Police wanted to nominate the nurse for some local and provincial and even national awards. Delta Police spokesman Acting Sergeant Paul Eisenzimmer said, "We are interested in contacting and identifying her to commend her for her actions." Unfortunately, Delta Police did not have the nurse's name or even a description of the nurse. Acting Sergeant Eisenzimmer said, "It's funny—we're supposed to be such great observers. But [Constable Hill] was so focused on helping the child he didn't pay attention [to the nurse helping him]." (89)

Beanie to the Rescue

On 1 May 2012 in the Caroline Wenzel Elementary School cafeteria in Sacramento, California, Anthony Roy, Jr., noticed Aniyah Rigmaiden choking on an apple slice and raised an alarm. Aniyah's friend, Elspeth "Beanie" Mar, age six, took action and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her. One thrust was all it took to dislodge the apple slice. Principal Judy Montgomery, who has twice used the Heimlich maneuver on students, was impressed that Beanie was successful in dislodging the apple slice with one thrust. Ms. Montgomery said, "I think she found the sweet spot." She added, "It was so matter-of-fact. She got up, got the apple out of the little girl's throat, and then sat back down." Beanie had seen the Heimlich maneuver performed on the TV show _A.N.T. Farm_ on the Disney channel. (90)

" **It's Not a Television Show. We Don't Always have a Happy Ending in Real Life"**

At 5:20 p.m. on 9 April 2012 in Easton, Massachusetts, police and fire dispatcher Jean Amichetti received a 911 call from a mother who was frantic and screaming because her seven-month-old daughter had stopped breathing. The girl was turning blue. Ms. Amichetti calmly sent an ambulance and a cruiser to the address the mother gave her, and then she told the mother what to do until emergency personnel arrived. Following Ms. Amichetti's instructions, the mother cleared her daughter's airway, and her daughter began to breathe again. Emergency personnel took the mother and daughter to Caritas Good Samaritan Hospital. After the emergency, Ms. Amichetti, who has been a dispatcher for 18 years, said, "You have to break through the hysteria. I always say think of the worst day in your life when you had to call 911. We handle everybody's worst day." The seven-month-old girl is fine. However, Ms. Amichetti said, "It's not a television show. We don't always have a happy ending in real life." (91)

" **This is a Woman that was Dead, and Now She's Here Visiting Us"**

On 18 April 2012, Mary-Jo Thomas-Conlon, age 51, went to bed at home in Danville, New Hampshire. Sometime later, her husband realized that her heart was not beating after she made a noise. Her husband, Michael Conlon, said, "I started CPR and dialed 911 at the same time, and within three minutes, the corporal was at the house." Danville Police Corporal Jason Pond ran inside the house with one of the department's donated AEDs (automated external defibrillator). Mary-Jo became the first person whose life was saved by the use of one of the AEDs. She said, "Flat-lined, ... I was definitely dead," adding, "I definitely was not there anymore, several times, but they didn't give up. Nobody gave up. They just kept going." After Mary-Jo got out of the hospital, she went to the Danville Police Department to say thank you. She said, "There aren't enough words or enough ways to say thank you." Her daughter, Taylor, said, "Thank you for helping my mom and saving her life." Danville EMS Lieutenant Janice Pouliot said, "We feel so good. This is a woman that was dead, and now she's here visiting us." (92)

" **I Said to Myself, 'Please, God, Don't Let This Baby Die'"**

In March 2012 in Brooklyn, New York, a disturbed woman with a pillowcase on her head dumped a baby girl with the umbilical cord still attached into the arms of a stranger and then fled. The baby girl was struggling to breathe, and so the stranger flagged down a police squad car. EMS Lieutenant Will Riera and paramedics Terrence Lau and Carl Gandolfo responded to the emergency. Mr. Riera said, "The baby was blue in the face with low pulse and in critical condition. With the vitals [she] had, as far as we were concerned, she was dead." He added, "It was a very chaotic scene. There were at least 30 people standing around and watching over their shoulders, asking questions. I said to myself, 'Please, God, don't let this baby die.'" Mr. Gandolfo said that the girl's "legs were purple and her eyes were closed. I opened the airway and put two breaths of mouth-to-mouth and she started to cough a little. The newborn girl was rushed to Kings County Hospital. Mr. Gandolfo said, "In the ambulance, we put a ventilation device to force the air in. After a couple of pumps, she started to turn pink and move around and cry and fuss. Mr. Riera said, "I started crying. I can't even explain the feeling of joy. I was just so happy and elated—it was just incredible." Mr. Gandolfo said, "With every pediatric call, you can't help but think of your kids. You treat it like it was your own." (93)

" **Even Though I Don't Know Who They are, They're in My Prayers Every Day"**

On 9 March 2012, Jawlin Tzeng, a 51-year-old vegetarian, was taking her daily one-mile walk from her home in Rockville, Maryland, to the Shady Grove Metro railway station. She said, "I just looked at the lake and looked at those birds. I was just thinking it's such a wonderful morning. That's the only thing I think I can remember." She fell unconscious with a heart attack and woke up in a hospital. She said, "After I woke up, I was told there were two nurses at the scene and they gave me CPR. Otherwise, I would have died." She added, "I just feel really touched. I really want them to know that even though I don't know who they are, they're in my prayers every day." (94)

" **When People Don't Step Up, It's Usually Because They Aren't Trained"**

In October 2011 in Modesto, California, Ted Bland, an African-American, saw a distressed woman and a man trying to perform CPR on a child. Mr. Bland stopped his car and went over to see if he could help. The child was not breathing and was turning blue. The man who was trying to perform CPR on the child was not certified. Mr. Bland had been certified in CPR when he was in the military, and he was recently recertified in CPR in his most recent job, and so he took over and performed CPR on the child for several minutes until paramedics arrived. The child is OK. Mr. Bland said, "I just couldn't believe so many people were just standing around watching. I was God-sent. I just happened to be coming down J Street at the time." _Modesto Bee_ columnist Jeff Jardine writes, "When people don't step up, it's usually because they aren't trained. The American Red Cross offers CPR and lifesaving classes." (95)

" **I Don't Consider Myself a Hero in No Way, Shape, or Form, But I Work Around a Lot of Heroes"**

In December 2011, Jason Thompson drove home. He felt well, but soon things would change. Mr. Thompson said, "If I had known something was going on, I would've pulled over." He lost consciousness and crashed into a utility pole. Springfield, Missouri Police Officer Mark Riggin stopped. He could see Mr. Thompson inside the locked car: "His head was completely tilted against the seat. He had a grayish look, and his eyes were partially opened." Officer Riggin used his baton to smash the car window. He said, "I checked his pulse and, right away, found no pulse. At that point, it's as if the world disappears. I don't hear radio traffic; my training kicks in. Just as quick as I could, I pulled his shirt up this way and I just did what I was trained to do: get over the top and start giving compressions. I don't consider myself a hero in no way, shape, or form, but I work around a lot of heroes." The CPR worked. Mr. Thompson is alive and taking blood thinners and blood pressure medication, and he feels great. He said about Officer Riggin, "He says he's not a hero but, to me, it's a whole different story. I'm thinking, if anybody else had showed up there, they might not have cared. It might've took a little longer. He might not really have had the heart." Mr. Thompson's wife, Shawnel, said, "I just want to say thank you. There are no words to say what I feel. He just doesn't know what it means to us, by keeping our family together." The Thompsons' seven-year-old son, Chris, gave Officer Riggin a special rock and said, "Thank you for saving my dad." (96)

" **What Makes You So Sure You're Going to Make It Home Tonight?"**

On 19 July 1989, airline pilot Denny Fitch was a passenger on a DC-10 (United Flight 232) when an engine in the back of the plane exploded. He went to the cockpit to offer his help. The three people in the cockpit were trying hard to keep the plane, which was carrying nearly 300 people, from crashing. They lacked the hydraulic power that was needed to control altitude and direction. Mr. Fitch helped to operate the wing engines, which were pretty much the only things still working. The DC-10 crash-landed in Sioux City, Iowa, and over half of the passengers survived. This was a great success considering the constraints the crew was working under. This crash landing is greatly admired. Today, test pilots and trainer pilots play simulations in which they try to land aircraft under the same conditions. United pilot Mike Hamilton said, "I'm not aware of any that replicated the success these guys had. Most of the simulations never even made it close to the ground." Susan Callander, a flight attendant on United Flight 232, said, "To be one of those pilots, they are all heroes, and he played an instrumental role in saving all those lives. What they all did, all working together as a team, now for the rest of history will be part of the training" of pilots. When the explosion occurred, Mr. Fitch was drinking coffee, which spilled. As an instructional pilot, he knew much about flight disasters, and he tried to reassure a flight attendant that everything would be OK. She told him, "No, you don't understand, we've lost control of the plane." When the engine exploded, the flying chunks of metal damaged all three of the jet's hydraulic systems. The jet could fly only in circles. It flew in circles toward the Sioux City airport, and the captain did his best to keep the jet away from the city because he knew that the only landing possible was a crash landing. The landing occurred at twice the speed of a normal landing, and 112 people died. Mr. Fitch said later, "What makes you so sure you're going to make it home tonight? I was 46 years old the day I walked into that cockpit. I had the world ahead of me. I was a captain on a major U.S. airline. I had a beautiful, healthy family, loving wife, great future. And at 4 o'clock I'm trying to stay alive." He remembers how he felt before the crash: He was aware of everything around him. He said, "I've never been so alive in my life." The aftermath of the crash was trying: "To find out that 112 people didn't make it, that just about destroyed me. I would have given my life for any of them. It was a really tough time." Mr. Fitch died on 7 May 2012. (97)

Two Heroes in the Icy Potomac

On 13 January 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 had problems and crashed during takeoff from Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia. The airplane struck the 14th Street Bridge, killing four people in vehicles (including those four, 78 people died in total), and ended up plunging through ice into the cold Potomac River. Six wounded survivors with broken arms and legs were in the cold water by the tail section, the only part of the plane still out of the water, and the cold water took a toll on them. Eventually, a helicopter arrived, but one passenger, Priscilla Tirado, who had lost her husband and child, was especially emotionally distraught. A helicopter dropped a line to her, but she was too weak to hold onto the line and fell into the icy water. The helicopter again tried to get a line to her, but on the bank of the river, a Congressional Budget Office assistant named Lenny Skutnik saw that she was too weak to be rescued that way, and so he went into the river and swam over to her and then brought her to the riverbank. She received medical attention and survived. Another hero was a 46-year-old bank examiner named Arland D. Williams, from Atlanta, Georgia. The helicopter lowered a line to him, and he gave the line to another person, who was rescued. Again, the helicopter lowered a line to him, and he again gave the line to another person, who was rescued. This happened a third time. Mr. Williams could not even see the faces of the people he was helping because they were on the other side of the wreckage. Five of the survivors were rescued, but the tail of the plane shifted, and Mr. Williams sank. Of all the people on the plane who died, Mr. Williams is the only person who drowned—he was identified as the hero because only he had water in his lungs. In an article in _Time_ magazine, Roger Rosenblatt wrote about Mr. Williams, "The man in the water pitted himself against an implacable, impersonal enemy. He fought it with charity; and he held it to a standoff. He was the best we can do." (98)

" **He Didn't Worry About Himself. He Got Everybody Else Out"**

On 13 May 2012 in a home in Milton, Florida, Justin Jackson, age 12, and the oldest person in the home, woke up to the smell and the sight of fire. He saved the lives of his four younger siblings, whose ages ranged from three to nine. Justin said, "I was just helping my family." He added, "I knew the house was going to be gone. I knew we had to move." His brother Emilio, age nine, said, "When I woke up, I just freaked out." The brothers were sleeping in the living room, and their sister, Brooklynn, was sleeping in her room. A storm had knocked out the electricity, and they had lit candles. Emilio said, "I woke up and I saw fire on the curtains." Justin first rescued his brothers: Emilio, Diego, and Will. Justin said, "I just picked them up and took them outside, and I was knocking on neighbors' doors and none of them came out." Emilio then realized something: "I told him, 'Brooklynn is still inside!'" Justin ran inside the house and kicked down her bedroom door. He said, "I had to pick her up, and she was real stiff. I was just real scared at that point." She was OK. Justin went inside the house again so he could call 911. He said, "Smoke was in my eye. I couldn't see anything." His mother, Tiffanie Jackson, who had been at a nursing home working the night shift, said, "He didn't worry about himself. He got everybody else out." Tiffanie said, "When I saw the flames, I was like my house is on fire, I didn't know what to do. My life is burning up. My babies were in that. There aren't enough words to describe how proud I am of Justin. He's my hero." Emilio said, "If he wasn't here, we wouldn't be alive. I'm a heavy sleeper." Justin's aunt, Cri Jackson, said, "He said, 'I wasn't even scared of the fire. I was just worried about my family.' He's our little hero." Dwayne Jackson, the father, was in Missouri on business. The house was totally destroyed. (99)

" **They Put Their Lives in Danger to Help Others. They Didn't Care about Themselves"**

The Al Tayer Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the home of many people. On 29 April 2012, fire broke out, and many heroes saved people. Many security employees and maintenance workers of Al Tayer Tower worked hard and heroically to evacuate people. No fatalities occurred in the fire. Nasser Jamal, a resident of Flat 106 at Al Tayer Tower, said, "I've lived in this country for 30 years and never seen anything like these workers. When most people were running from the fire, they put themselves into the fire. They are heroes." Mr. Jamal helped in the floor-to-floor evacuation of residents. He said, "When I reached the sixth floor, I had to stop. I had no energy left. But these men kept going floor after floor. These people deserve an award or something." He was an eyewitness to the heroism of a senior security staffer named Shozem Hussain. Mr. Jamal said, "I saw him enter the apartment [Flat 108], and his shirt caught fire. He put the fire out with his other hand. It really was something to see." Many workers were heroes, he said: "They put their lives in danger to help others. They didn't care about themselves. Really, these people have to be appreciated." Mr. Hussain said, "We had no gloves, no tissues, nothing for our face. There was lots of smoke. The smoke was full inside the staircase. But it was necessary to bring them [people] down as soon as possible. We had to do something extra as a team. We had to help until government services could take action." He added, "It was difficult, people were sleeping, and there were old men and women who needed our help." Hamed Zaman Mohammad, security supervisor at Al Tayer Tower, said, "We went one by one to each door. We rescued everybody, and we didn't have any accidents." He added, "We feel good that everybody was safe. This is our job." Mr. Jamal compiled a list of heroes who helped rescue tenants. The _Gulf News_ (United Arab Emirates) published his list: Hamed Zaman Mohammad (Security Supervisor), Shozem Hussain (Senior Security), Salem Ahmad (Security), Lawrence Dias (AC Technician), Mustafa Ahmad (Electrician), Rohoul Ameen (Cleaner), Hassan Ali (Cleaner), Munir (Cleaner), Mohammad Halal Al Deen (Cleaner), and Abu Bakar (Cleaner). (100)
CHAPTER 3: STORIES 101-150

" **Help! There's Children Inside!"**

In May 2012 in Queens, New York City, police officers saw a man leaning out of a sixth-floor window and heard him shouting, "Help! There's children inside!" The apartment's kitchen was on fire, filling the apartment with dense smoke. The lock on the door had broken, trapping five people, including a 19-month-old baby boy and an eight-year-old boy, inside the apartment. Emergency Service Unit (ESU) Detective Hassan Hamdy and another detective used a hydraulic drill to get the door open. Detective Hamdy said, "We got on our hands and knees. We did everything by feel; there was no visibility. We took in a lot of smoke. We had to search the rooms. There was quite a bit of panic. It was very heavy smoke." Several police officers used buckets of water to put out the fire. Other police officers helped the people inside the apartment to escape. Detective Hamdy said, "We had to get out real quickly. The mother was carrying the baby." Everyone escaped the fire. (101)

Heroism Greatly Rewarded

In 2012 Mohammed Omar Al Shamma, a Saudi, and Mustafa Ahmed Mohammed, a Chadian, rescued an 11-year-old Saudi boy who had been trapped in his apartment in the Western Red Sea port of Jeddah. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia rewarded the two men, giving each man 1 million Saudi Riyals. In United States of America dollars, 1 million Saudi Riyals equaled $266,644.69 (on 3 May 2012). On 30 April 2012 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Deputy Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz gave the two heroes checks. (102)

Catch a Falling Child—or Five

In February 2006, Louis Reynoso, a 35-year-old ex-Marine, woke up early in the morning when he heard screams and smelled smoke. He got his wife and son safely out of their apartment in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, New York, and then he began rescuing people. He said, "The first thing on my mind was saving those children. I see people hanging out their windows getting ready to jump. I told the gentleman, 'Look, throw them down to me!'" The gentleman, Marquis Jones, age 23, did just that. He opened a window and dropped his five-month old son, his 10-year-old brother, his girlfriend's sons, ages six and nine, and his girlfriend's daughter, age nine. They fell 20 feet. Mr. Reynoso caught them all. He said, "You don't know what angle they are coming in at. But I've caught other people before in the Marine Corps." Mr. Jones then dropped his girlfriend, Monique Chenhue, age 29, to the ground. Finally, Mr. Jones jumped to the ground. Mr. Jones' mother, Theresa Holland, age 45, said, "I could have lost both my sons and grandchildren. I don't know what to say or how to thank him. Thank God my babies are alive." Mr. Jones said, "I knew the dude was going to catch them." (103)

" **They did a Wonderful Thing. Their First Concern was Getting Them Girls Out"**

In April 2011 in Butler, Missouri, a fire started in an unused electrical outlet early in the morning in a house on West Dakota Street. Seven people—two adults, four teenagers, and one younger child—were sleeping in the house. The adults were sleeping downstairs, and the others were upstairs and trapped by the fire. Tiphane Hulse's 14-year-old son, Dakota, and another 14-year-old boy helped get the other children out of a second-floor floor and onto a roof, from which they dropped to the ground to safety. Ms. Hulse said, "I got a knock at the door, ringing the doorbell and it was one of the little girls. [She said,] 'You need to come to the hospital, Tiphanie, right now. Right now! The house caught on fire.'" The family inside the house had an emergency plan for escaping in case of fire. Ms. Hulse said, "It's such a great relief, and I'm glad everyone is safe. The house is demolished. I don't know how anybody survived. It's [the house is] gone." She added, "They did a wonderful thing. Their first concern was getting them girls out. I am so very proud of my son right now that he could ask for anything in the world and I would give it to him." Three people were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation. (104)

" **I've been Walking Around with My Chest Out—You Couldn't Put a Bullet Through Me Right Now [Because] I'm So Proud of Him"**

On 26 March 2012, Noah Sendlenski, a seven-year-old first-grader, was asleep in his bedroom in Winnsboro, South Carolina, when a fire started after a towel fell on a space heater. Noah said, "I felt the heat and smelled smoke. I got on my knees and crawled out of the room and got my sister to tell my dad there was a fire in the house." His first-grade class had recently held a Fire Prevention Week during which he had learned what to do in case of a fire. His father, Aaron Sendlenski, said, "[I heard], 'Dad! Fire! Fire! Fire!' I don't know what to think at 6:15 am in the morning. I'm in the shower and someone is screaming, 'Fire!' The whole wall was on fire. It was like a bonfire in my bedroom." Mr. Sendlenski was able to put out the fire. He is proud of his son: "I've been walking around with my chest out—you couldn't put a bullet through me right now [because] I'm so proud of him. Everybody from church, they're so proud of him. He says it was nothing. They always say heroes are modest. Well, he's a real hero." (105)

Competence in a Time of High Stress

Professionals show competence during times of high stress, and when fire broke out on the cruise ship _Azamara Quest_ on 28 March 2012, the captain and crew showed that they are professionals, as shown by how most of the passengers spoke about them. Australian lecturer Christine Alexander, a passenger taking the 17-day cruise, said, "The captain and crew were amazing and extraordinary. I must give it to them for their professionalism and fantastic personal approach in responding to our every need right from the fire until we came here." The fire knocked out the electricity and engines, and the cruise ship drifted for two days before passengers were evacuated to Sandakan, Malaysia. Ms. Alexander added, "The captain updated us honestly about the situation while the crew met our needs, including escorting passengers to toilets or picking up medicines from our cabins." Neil Kirkpatrick, a British fire alarm consultant, and his fiancé, Caroline Lugg, even want to get married on a cruise that will be operated by Azamara Club Cruises this December. Mr. Kirkpatrick said, "They were the very best crew; we sure want to get married on a cruise operated by them." In charge of the ship was Scandinavian captain Leif Karlsson; his crew was mostly Asian. Azamara Club Cruises refunded all passengers their money for the cancelled cruise and paid their expenses in Sandakan. (106)

" **I'm Grateful I was There at the Right Time, and Facing the Right Direction, to have Seen the Smoke"**

On 1 March 2006 in Seattle, Washington, Police Officer Jacob Haines drove a route different from his normal route and came across a house fire. Mr. Haines said, "It was just one of those things. I'm grateful I was there at the right time, and facing the right direction, to have seen the smoke." He first called for help and then started banging on a door and looking in windows for anyone home. No response came, so he broke a window. He said, "The smoke was so thick, you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face." He then returned to the door and kicked it in. A confused, disoriented man was just inside the door. Mr. Haines got him outside. Officer James Parnell arrived, and they looked through a side window together. They saw the feet of a woman, who was motionless, so they broke the window. Because her leg was caught on a bedpost, they were unable to pull her out of the house. Fortunately, firefighter Jason Lynch arrived and was able to get the woman to safety. The two people inside the house were taken first to Harborview Medical Center, but because of carbon monoxide inhalation, they were later moved to a decompression chamber at Virginia Mason Hospital. A malfunctioning kitchen appliance caused the fire. (107)

" **We had this Seven-Alarm Fire. Nobody Got Seriously Hurt and that's Because of the Heroism of this Guy"**

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino proclaimed Wednesday, 4 April 2012, Paul Antonino Day to honor the man who ran into a burning building in East Boston and made sure the residents got out safely. Mayor Menino said, "We had this seven-alarm fire. Nobody got seriously hurt and that's because of the heroism of this guy and just a little bit of kindness he showed. Want to thank him for that." Mr. Antonino said, "You have to go in and alert people." He was modest: "Let's not make too big a deal. Banged a couple of doors and took them out." Mayor Menino added, "I urge my fellow Bostonians to recognize the courage and bravery of Paul. Let me just say it's a proclamation, but I know the people of East Boston, on that street in particular, think this guy is a real living hero for what he did that afternoon." Mr. Antonino did have some advice: Make sure that your fire alarms are working. He said, "There were no smoke alarms going off. And that's the reason why when I busted their doors they probably just thought it was a home invasion or whatever. It was a nightmare for them. They had no idea what was happening one floor above them." (108)

" **They're My Angels. They Saved My Life and My Daughter's Life"**

On 2 April 2012 in American Fork, Utah, Sara Kelsch stepped out of the shower and discovered that her home was on fire. She said, "It was all black, and I looked down the hall and my kitchen was up in flames." In the house with her was her three-year-old daughter, McKenna. Fortunately, help was already on the way. Some city public works employees who were making repairs to a water line next door had seen the fire. City employee John Varney said, "We could smell smoke and looked up again at the house next door and flames were coming through the roof." Barry Dayton, a volunteer firefighter, said, "You know fire doubles in size every 30-40 seconds, so you know you don't have a lot of time, and so if there is someone in there, you've got to hurry in there and get them." Brad Frost, who is a member of the American Fork City Council and who knew the family, saw the fire as he was driving by. He also saw a car in the driveway—a sign that someone was home. Mr. Frost said, "We banged hard on doors, windows, sides of the house trying to see if someone would open the door." Randall Honey said, "I just found a flower pot on the back table, and it looked like it was heavy enough to go through the back window, and it was, and it went through, luckily broke it." All four men ran inside the house, which was filled with smoke. Mr. Frost said, "When we thought it was too dangerous to be inside, we heard [Sara Kelsch] make a noise." They went upstairs. One of the four men grabbed McKenna and carried her outside. Ms. Kelsch went outside barefoot with a towel wrapped around her. Mr. Frost said, "It was an intense four to five minutes. Something I don't think any of us will ever forget, but in all honesty, we did what anybody would have done." Ms. Kelsch said to her and her daughter's rescuers, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you." She added, "They're my angels. They did, they saved my life and my daughter's life." (109)

" **By the Time We had Gone to Every Door, the Whole Building was on Fire"**

On 27 March 2012, fire broke out at an apartment building in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. At 3:45 a.m. Josee Lemire and Daniel Vallieres noticed the fire and rescued 14 residents by waking them up and making sure they got out of the building. Mr. Vallieres, who had finished delivering newspapers, said, "Everything happened so fast. By the time we had gone to every door, the whole building was on fire." Mr. Vallieres and Ms. Lemire banged on doors and even kicked in some doors to wake everyone up. Ms. Lemire said, "When I saw people outside, I was so happy." Building co-owner Eric Bolduc said, "I can say thank you today. I could not have done that today if they had simply called 911." Building co-owner Isabelle Bolduc said, "There are 14 lives saved today by two courageous people." Cindy Sarrasin, a mother of five and a tenant of the building, said, "I told my children that because of Josee, our guardian angel, we are alive!" (110)

Terry Phillips, Hero

On 28 March 2012 in Portland, Oregon, gas station employee Terry Phillips smelled smoke. A four-plex apartment was on fire. He ran from the gas station to the apartment and broke down the front door and yelled for the residents to leave. Then he alerted the neighbors about the fire. He said that he had "just seen smoke and was afraid somebody might be in trouble. It was right there." He added, "Everything was happening too fast, so I wasn't thinkin' of being scared, really. I just wanted to make sure nobody was in there." No people were hurt in the fire. (111)

**Postman's Park:** **Alice Ayres**

In the middle of London is a park known as Postman's Park (so-called because it used to be next to London's General Post Office building; that building is no longer present), which is dedicated to recognizing common people who have lost their lives saving or attempting to save the lives of other people. These people are memorialized in rows of ceramic tiles that bear their names and briefly tell their stories. George Frederic Watts, a Victorian painter, is the man who started the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice in Postman's Park. He believed that common people were capable of great heroism, and he clipped newspaper articles that detailed such stories. One woman memorialized in the park is Alice Ayres, who worked as a nursemaid and who in April 1885 saved the lives of two of the three children in her care after fire broke out in the shop above which their apartment was located. She threw a large feather mattress to the ground from an upstairs window, and then she dropped the children—aged six years, two years, and nine months—onto it. Two of the children survived. Ms. Ayres had braved the fire and smoke to reach the children although a crowd that had gathered begged her to save her own life. Because of smoke inhalation and exhaustion, she fell from the upstairs window and hit the shop front and then the sidewalk and died two days later from spinal injuries at age 25. Her plaque in Postman's Park reads, "ALICE AYRES, DAUGHTER OF A BRICKLAYER'S LABOURER, WHO BY INTREPID CONDUCT SAVED 3 CHILDREN FROM A BURNING HOUSE IN UNION STREET BOROUGH AT THE COST OF HER OWN YOUNG LIFE, APRIL 24 1885." (112)

A Seven-Year-Old Insomniac—and Hero

At approximately 2 a.m. on 18 April 2012 in Farmingville, New York, Mia Wojciechoski, age seven, alerted her family that their home was on fire. The family lost everything but their lives. Because of Mia, her father (a Long Island schoolteacher and coach), mother, sister, nephew, pet dog, and herself are still alive. How was Mia able to alert her family about the fire? That night, she could not go to sleep. (113)

Hero Firefighters in Drag

On St. Patrick's Day, 2012, in Sedan, Minnesota, volunteer firefighters Ted Aubart and Ben Terhaar were getting to ride in a parade when a pickup truck caught on fire and the fire spread to another car. Mr. Aubart and Mr. Terhaar quickly put out the fire. Nothing unusual about that, of course, but what was unusual was that Mr. Aubart and Mr. Terhaar were wearing lovely feminine gowns at the time. Mr. Aubart wore a pink gown, while Mr. Terhaar wore a blue gown. Members of the Sedan Fire Department wear gowns each year as part of a fundraising beauty pageant to raise money to buy firefighting equipment. (114)

" **We have to Get You Out of Here—the Vehicle's on Fire!"**

On 16 April 2012 in Lincoln, Massachusetts, Neil Packard was driving with his young son, Aaron. They saw a pickup truck that had crashed and was on fire; inside was the driver. Neil said, "You could hear the cracking and the popping and the hissing of the fire underneath the hood." Neil acted quickly to save the driver's life. Neil said, "I knew deep down if I sat there and I called 911 he wouldn't have made it. I tried to get his door open. I told him, 'We have to get you out of here—the vehicle's on fire!' and I couldn't get the driver-side door open. So I ran around to the passenger side. It was all full of tools; he had all kinds of tools there. I started taking his tools and throwing them as far as I could out of the way." Young Aaron, who watched the rescue from a safe distance, worried about his father. Aaron said, "It could explode, and he could get very, very hurt." Soon after Neil got the driver out, the flames reached high—high enough to touch some overhead power lines. Sergeant Paul Westlund of the Lincoln Police Department said about the driver, "He was very fortunate, and the passerby did a heck of job, in risking his own life as well to get in there and pull the driver to safety." Neil said, "The best part of all that was, was the police officer actually went up to my son and he actually told my son that he should be proud of me, that I was a hero and that I had saved someone's life." (115)

" **I'm Not Going to Stand There and Watch A Man Die and Not Do Anything"**

In April 2011 in Pembroke Pines, Florida, a car caught on fire. Witness Orville Edwards said, "I've never seen anything like that before. I'm thinking someone crashed, but I only saw one car on fire." The man struggled to escape but failed. Flames shot up six feet high. Robert Moulton, a passerby, saved him. Mr. Moulton said, "I'm not going to stand there and watch a man die and not do anything." He pulled the driver out of the burning car by his leg. Mr. Moulton said, "I was able to get him out to save his life, I mean it was scary, but my instinct was to save his life." Witness Elsa Figueroa said, "I've never seen anyone burned the way he [the driver] was burned. We just prayed for him." (116)

" **I Wasn't About to Sit There and Watch Another Person Literally Burn Alive"**

At around 2 a.m. on 13 May 2012 on Interstate 95 near Palm City, Florida, four people died in a crash involving a wrong-way driver. According to an article published on the website of WPTV (West Palm Beach, Florida), the Florida Highway Patrol identified a woman as the wrong-way driver. Killed were four people in the truck the wrong-way driver hit: the driver Demetrius Suggs, age 28; and passengers Porcsha Suggs, age unknown; Mercedes Davis, age seven; and Raneisha Powell, age nine. The wrong-way driver could have died if not for the heroism of a passerby named Barry Staley, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, and two other people. When Mr. Staley saw a truck on fire and an SUV about to catch on fire, he knew he had to stop and help. He said, "If something happened to me and my family, I would hope someone would at least give an effort and see if we're okay." He added, "I'm not the type to sit back and watch someone suffer. And the amount of fire that was in that truck, there was nothing we could do for the driver—we knew that. But I wasn't about to sit there and watch another person literally burn alive." Mr. Staley and two other people pulled the wrong-way driver out of the SUV, which moments later caught on fire. Mr. Staley said, "We did the best we could—we got one out. Whether it's the one who caused the accident or the one who was in the accident, we got one out—we saved a life." He added, "I'm just a father, you know, that had my kids with me, and I was hoping I could help someone else and show my kids there are good people out there, you know." (117)

" **We Need Good Samaritans like That Out There"**

On 11 June 2011 at about 10:30 p.m. in Hooksett, New Hampshire, Kristi Smith-Perry heard a loud noise outside her home. She said, "I heard what sounded like a train collision. It was just so loud, and I knew it was going to be bad. We've had accidents right there [the Londonderry turnpike] before, and I literally grabbed my kid's shoes, slipped them on and ran up the driveway." A Volvo had rear-ended a tractor-trailer. Douglas Hadlock, age 43, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was trapped inside the Volvo, which he had been driving. Ms. Smith-Perry said, "I ran up to the car and saw him in there and tried to shake him because the car was on fire. I was telling him to, 'Get up! Get up!' but I couldn't do it alone. I couldn't get him out by myself." Ms. Smith-Perry, a passerby (someone who had been driving and stopped), and the tractor-trailer driver, Pierre Casavant of Quebec, Canada, got Mr. Hadlock out of the car, which soon became a fireball. Mr. Hadlock first went to Elliot Hospital and then was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Troy Cline of the Hooksett Police Department praised "a great job by the folks that assisted this gentleman. We need good Samaritans like that out there." Ms. Smith-Perry said, "I just did what I thought was right." (118)

" **Grampy's Going to Need a New Car. There Goes My College Fund"**

On 15 August 2011, Peter Kendall, age 61, crashed into a gas pump at a station in Manchester, New Hampshire. Becky Grosso and Jeff Foy, who were at work at the Foy Insurance Group, heard the crash and ran across the street and rescued Mr. Kendall and his five-year-old granddaughter, who was in the back seat. Mr. Foy, a former lifeguard, said, "For me, any time in life if I've seen someone in need, I've got to help." Ms. Grosso, a former volunteer Emergency Medical Technician in New Boston, New Hampshire, tried to go to the driver's side of the car, but the car was on fire and forced her back. She said, "I didn't know [Kendall's granddaughter] was in the back seat." Mr. Foy tried to open the driver's side door. He said, "I couldn't get it open." Mr. Foy went to the passenger's side and broke the window and then dragged Mr. Kendall out. Ms. Grosso took Mr. Kendall's granddaughter to a nearby fruit market and stayed with her. Before Mr. Foy and Ms. Grosso arrived, the girl had tried to rouse her grandfather with the stick of a lollipop. She said, "I was poking Grampy in the neck." Reportedly, she added, "Grampy's going to need a new car. There goes my college fund." Mr. Kendall said, "The stars were aligned that morning." (119)

" **Get Us Out of Here. My Babies are in Here. My Kids are My Life"**

On 12 January 2012 in Santa Barbara County, California, an 18-wheel truck and a car collided on a bridge. The truck fell from the bridge; the driver of the truck died. The car was mangled. Tow-truck driver Brian Gomez witnessed the horrific crash. He said about the car, "It didn't look like anything, just a bundle of metal." He called 911 and reported the crash but said that there were no survivors. When he approached the car, however, he heard a voice screaming for help. He called 911 again and reported that there were survivors. Trapped in the car, which teetered on the side of the bridge, were 36-year-old first-grade teacher Kelli Lynn Groves and her two daughters. Ms. Groves pleaded with him, "Get us out of here. My babies are in here. My kids are my life." He reassured her that help was on the way; he had no way to get anyone out of the wreckage. The fire department responded, and they used ropes and the tow truck winch to help secure the car and try to keep it from falling off the bridge, but a fire captain said, "We need a heavy-duty forklift to secure that vehicle, but ours is 45 minutes away." Just happening to pass by were some Navy Seabees and a heavy-duty forklift. The forklift kept the car from falling into the ravine, and first 10-year-old Sage was rescued and then 10-week-old Mylo and finally Ms. Groves. A Seabee said, "Put us in any type of situation, and we are trained to adapt and overcome." The rescue took two hours and 21 minutes. Santa Barbara County firefighter Greg Nuckols talked to Ms. Groves throughout the ordeal and removed her children from the car, climbing across a dangerous area in order to do so. Ms. Groves said that Mr. Nuckols "was my rock in the middle of all this. It was someone that I could communicate with directly. As he would walk away, I would find myself saying, 'Where's Greg? Where's Greg?' He just reminded me of what I needed to do, and that was to save my girls." The jaws of life were needed to get the victims out of the car. Ms. Groves said, "You can't beat the fire department in Santa Barbara County. They're the top. I said, 'If you don't know that you have the best fire department in California, then watch the news tonight and you're going to see it.' They did an excellent job, and it was great having Seabees there." During a May 2012 appearance on _The Today Show_ , Ms. Groves told host Matt Lauer, "It's still surreal to me that we're sitting here and that was us in that car. It was terror at first, and then it fades to relief, huge amount of relief and gratitude. It's hard to watch, but at the same time it really happened. [It was] not all of our times, all three of us. It's just a miracle." Ms. Groves was injured, but conscious. She said, "I remember each step of the way and the terror of looking down and realizing how high we were and what fate could lie ahead of us. I thought for a minute maybe [Sage] was thrown out, and all I saw was a small patch of her hair smashed through the metal and the debris. I started tapping her and calling out her name and she wouldn't answer and wasn't moving. I had no idea what shape the rest of her body was in. All I could see was that little circle of her head." All survived. Mylo had only a scratch. (120)

" **I Knew that I Would Find Death and Destruction, But I Also Knew that I Would Find Life"**

On 27 April 2012, Dion Lefebvre, witnessed a horrific accident near Fort McMurray on Alberta, Canada's Highway 63 when one pickup truck hit another pickup truck head-on. He said, "I felt the impact inside the cab of my truck. You could feel the shock. You could feel the impact. You knew there was absolute chaos because they hit doing over 100 km/h [62 mph] each head-on. You couldn't have hit more head-on than what happened." He pulled his van over and heard three-year-old Timothy Wheaton crying. Mr. Lefebvre called the scene "absolute carnage" and added, "I knew that I would find death and destruction, but I also knew that I would find life because I heard little Timmy." He crawled through a smashed back window to reach Timmy, and he and two other Good Samaritans got him out through a side door. Mark Penney also survived the crash, but Timothy's parents, Shannon and Trena Wheaton; his two-year-old brother, Ben; and family friend Courtney Penney died. From the second pickup, Mr. Lefebvre got 11-year-old Faith Kondusky-Sennett out, but she later died at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital. Faith's father (Dan Sennett) and 24-year-old John Schroeder died in the crash. Mr. Lefebvre said about Timmy, "He's a miracle child as far as I'm concerned. I wish him the best of luck, and I wish his life to be full of abundance." Mr. Lefebvre called for Highway 63 to be twinned to make it safer. A twinned highway has two lanes on each side of the road, and it often has a center median. Mr. Lefebvre said, "You think I'm a hero for saving that little boy? You be a hero and twin that highway." (121)

" **It's Another Human Being. We Should Help Each Other"**

On 2 May 2012 in Miami, Florida, Dagoberto Perez and his co-workers saw a collision between a dump truck and a Mercedes that caused each vehicle to burst into flames. Mr. Perez said, "It was real scary. The fire was huge, and the guy was inside, and he was knocked out." The men ran to the Mercedes and got a woman out of it, and then they ran to the dump truck. Mr. Perez said, "The guy was inside, and the truck was on fire. We were trying to help him the best we can." A seatbelt had saved the man's life, but it was also keeping him trapped in the dump truck. Fortunately, Mr. Perez had a pocketknife. He said, "We get inside and start cutting the seatbelt." They saved the life of the man, who was badly burned. Mr. Perez said, "I ain't got no other choice. It's another human being. We should help each other." (122)

The Best of Minnesota

On 16 April 2012 a suicidal man threatened to jump off an Interstate 94 overpass in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Law-enforcement and fire-prevention personnel were determined to stop the suicide. Minnesota State Trooper Carl Hoffman knew from his training that one way to shorten the fall was to put semi-trailer trucks under the overpass. Several semis were present, as the highway had been closed off. Mr. Hoffman and fellow trooper Ben Berkowitz used the cooperation of the skilled semi drivers to line up a total of six semis under the overpass. Police and fire personnel on the overpass above worked to grab the suicidal man, something they managed to do after cutting a hole in the overpass fence. They pulled the man to safety and took him to a hospital. _Minneapolis Star Tribune_ editorial writer Jill Burcum wrote, "The officers' outstanding work offered a timely reminder that citizens here have a long history of coming together and using ingenuity to overcome crises large and small. Hoffman, his fellow officers and the truck drivers represented the best of Minnesota as they collaborated on the spot to save a life. The entire state can be proud of their quick thinking, dedication and compassion." (123)

" **The Truck Nearly Split in Two. It Burst into Flames—It was Just a Flash"**

On 24 April 2012, Jesse Koehler drove to work as usual in Cocoa, Florida. He said, "I just happened to look up in my rearview mirror, because I thought I heard one of the horns from one of the trains." Instead of a train, he saw a pickup truck rolling over 360 degrees. Mr. Koehler said, "I just saw, instantly, a truck helicopter and there was an explosion." After rolling over once, the truck hit a power pole and a control box. Mr. Koehler said, "The truck nearly split in two. It burst into flames—it was just a flash." Mr. Koehler made a U-turn, got a fire extinguisher from his own vehicle, and then ran to the wreck. Another Good Samaritan helped him to put out the fire and to get the driver, 19-year-old Kevin Johnson, out of the truck. Mr. Koehler said, "The only thing you have time to do is react, it happened so fast." Mr. Johnson was taken to a hospital. Mr. Koehler said, "My wife asked me last night, Jesse, would you do that over again? Of course I would. It's human nature, I hope." (124)

" **The Truck was Creaking and Groaning, Hanging Over the River. Had the Vehicle Finally Ended Up in the River, He would have Gone with It and been Crushed—the Trailer would have Landed Right on Top of Him"**

A serious accident left a trucker teetering on the brink of the Waioeka Gorge, south of Opotiki, New Zealand. Inside was a trucker who would die if his truck fell into the gorge and into the Waioeka river. Peter Hanne, age 18, who lived very close to the crash site, saved the trucker's life. Opotiki police Senior Constable Doug Henry said, "The young fellow who got the truck driver out really deserves our recognition. The truck was in a very precarious position, and this young man, Peter Hanne, went and got a wheel brace, crawled into the wreckage and up to the driver's window, smashed the window and got the driver out and up to the bank. It was quite a risky move—the truck was creaking and groaning, hanging over the river. Had the vehicle finally ended up in the river, he would have gone with it and been crushed—the trailer would have landed right on top of him. We're always complaining about our young people for those who mess up, but here is one young man who has really laid his life on the line for another. He is a real hero." Mr. Hanne said, "We got a knock on the door, and there was a guy who said there's a truck in the river. I just said to my family, 'Call the cops,' and ran out. I didn't even remember to put my shoes on." A New Zealand reporter described the accident scene: "the truck had jack-knifed over the edge of the road so that the trailer was almost parallel to the road but leaning at a 45-degree angle over the river, with the cab of the truck dangling underneath it." Mr. Hanne said, "I knew the normal thing to do was call the fire brigade and wait—but I heard it creaking and I knew we needed to get him out pretty quick." He climbed down to the cab and smashed the rear window, and then he helped the injured driver to safety. Mr. Hanne said, "At one point it was creaking so much he [the driver] was saying, 'It's going to go over—it's going to go.' But I didn't feel fear—there was too much adrenaline pumping." In recognition of his heroism, Mr. Hanne was awarded a New Zealand Bravery Medal. (125)

" **He was an Awesome Guy, a Really Sweet Guy Who You Never Saw Angry. He was a Hero"**

On 11 May 2012 in Calgary, Canada, Abbotsford truck driver Baldev Grewal, age 44, saved the life of fellow trucker Balwinder Sidhu by pushing him out of the way of an out-of-control SUV driven by a woman who may have had a heart seizure. The SUV struck Mr. Grewal and killed him instantly. Parm Sihota, the safety manager of Chohan Carriers Ltd., for which Mr. Grewal had worked, said, "He was an awesome guy, a really sweet guy who you never saw angry. He was a hero." Mr. Gewal was married with two children. His son attends high school, and his daughter goes to a university. Mr. Sihota said, "They are still in shock, as you can imagine. They've lost the cornerstone of the family." Mr. Grewal had met Mr. Sidhu in order to get some tie-down chains for the load on his truck. Mr. Sihota said, "At the last second Baldev saw the car veering towards them, and he pushed Balwinder out of the way and the car missed him by inches. But he was not able to get out of the way himself." Mr. Sidhu had been knocked off his feet. Mr. Sihota said, "As he was getting up again, he was shouting 'Baldev, Baldev,' then he saw him. He was dead. He'd been killed instantly." Mr. Sidhu stayed away from work for a while. Mr. Sihota said, "He's still too shocked. We told him to take some time off." He added about Mr. Grewal, "Everyone here liked him. He was an all-around great person, selfless. The word 'No' never came out of his mouth if you asked him to do something. We have nothing to say but good things about him. It's a tragedy." Calgary Police Inspector Craig Skelton said, "It's admirable this gentleman was concerned about the welfare of somebody else, ultimately at his own peril." A trust fund was set up for Mr. Grewal's family. Mr. Sohota said, "It won't help him come back, but hopefully it will help his family out." (126)

" **Maybe Eight Seconds Later the Train Slammed Into the Car and Took It About a Half Mile Down the Track"**

On 16 May 2012 in Hollywood, Florida, a 70-year-old woman's car became stuck on a railroad track. She did not know that a train was coming. Aeric Moskowitz said, "She was stuck in between the rail of the track. ... It was going up the middle of her car. She had wheels on either side of the track. She couldn't turn, she couldn't back up, she couldn't do anything." Fortunately, Mr. Moskowitz saw her and ran to her rescue. He said, "I noticed there was a woman in the driver's seat on the phone. I banged on the window, and she looked over and I said, 'Get out! There's a train coming!' and we looked over and there's a freight train just entering Hollywood train station, right here." He added, "When we pulled her out, maybe eight seconds later the train slammed into the car and took it about a half mile down the track." He also said, "I now know what it means when people say there was no time to think." (127)

Beautiful Oregon Scenery and What Could have been a Fatal Accident

On 27 April 2012, Connie Weygandt, age 62, was driving and looking at the scenery along Oregon Highway 22 north of Grand Ronde, southwest of Portland, Oregon. Her Volkswagen Bug went off the shoulder and stopped at the top of a 100-foot embankment with one rear tire entirely off the ground. Her Bug was perched above the South Yamhill River. A log truck driver, whose name was not immediately available, secured her car to his truck with a cable to keep it from toppling over the embankment and into the river. She reached safety, and a tow truck then pulled the car back onto Oregon Highway 22. Ms. Weygandt drove away from what could have been a fatal accident. (128)

" **I am Just Glad that Everyone is Okay"**

On 29 April 2012, State Trooper Scott Frye was traveling with New Hampshire Governor John Lynch and his wife on Interstate 93 in Andover, Massachusetts, when they witnessed an SUV going over a guardrail. The SUV rolled down on an embankment. With the driver, Steven Marques, age 61, trapped inside, the SUV caught on fire. Governor Lynch called 911 while Trooper Frye grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran to the SUV. Mr. Marques' legs were trapped under the dashboard, so Trooper Frye climbed through the front windshield, moved the seat back, and freed the driver's legs. Off-duty Manchester, New Hampshire, firefighter Keith Knight helped pull Mr. Marques to safety just as flames engulfed the SUV. Governor Lynch said, "Trooper Frye demonstrated tremendous courage and bravery, putting himself in danger so that he could rescue the driver from that burning vehicle. I commend Scott for his heroic, life-saving actions." The governor also thanked Mr. Knight "for his bravery and assistance at the scene." Trooper Frye said, "I am just glad that everyone is okay." (129)

Two-Year-Old Amethyst Lauano and Nine-Year-Old Kawana Kemp: The Boys Who Did Not Die in a Burning Van

In April 2009, on State Highway 1 just outside of Taupo, New Zealand, a van collided with a car. The van rolled down a grass embankment before bursting into flames. Six people were inside the van. Peter Booth witnessed the accident, and he stopped his vehicle and ran with a fire extinguisher to the burning van. Also on the scene was off-duty Police Officer Inspector Michael O'Leary. Together, Mr. Booth and Mr. O'Leary got two boys—two-year-old Amethyst Lauano and nine-year-old Kawana Kemp—out of the burning van. After Mr. O'Leary got the first boy out of the van, Mr. O'Leary and Mr. Booth had trouble getting the second boy out because he was restrained by his seatbelt. The van was filled with thick, black smoke, preventing them from finding the buckle, so the two heroes cut the seatbelt with Mr. Booth's pocketknife. Five people died in the accident. In recognition of his heroism, Mr. Booth was awarded a New Zealand Bravery Medal. (130)

" **I Looked Through My Rearview Mirror, and Sure Enough, I Saw a Flying Object and It Looked like a Body"**

In 2005 or 2006, Mark Vela was critically injured in an automobile accident (location not disclosed). He remembers one voice in particular, although many people helped him. He said, "I don't quite remember her face, but I remember her voice." The woman was Maria Garza, who said, "I just remember I heard a big bang and I knew it was an accident and I looked through my rearview mirror, and sure enough, I saw a flying object and it looked like a body. So, without hesitation the first thing that came to my mind is that I'm CPR certified and I can help if I'm needed." Ms. Garza's voice kept Mr. Vela calm, but another person—a registered nurse—took care of Mr. Vela until emergency workers arrived. Meeting Mr. Vela almost three months after the accident, Ms. Garza told him, "I remember specifically the nurse that was actually looking at your injuries said keep talking to him, make sure he stays alert. So I just kept trying to make some conversation with you." Mr. Vela said, "I just remember listening to your voice. I know I went unconscious after a while." Darmel Hudson, the registered nurse who helped Mr. Vela until emergency workers arrived, remembered, "There were all kinds of people there. There was a guy with a knife who helped cut the curtain, and we cut the curtain up." They used the cut-up curtain as a tourniquet to keep Mr. Vela from bleeding to death. Mr. Vela's helmet, and the kindness of Good Samaritans, saved his life. (131)

" **I'm Not Considered a Hero. Not in My Eyes. It's Something Everyone Would Naturally Do"**

On 26 January 2012 on Route 31 in Spencer, Massachusetts, a 58-year-old woman crashed her SUV, which rolled onto its side. The woman became trapped after she was thrown out the passenger-side window. Two passersby and a state trooper rescued her. Steven Turner, one of the rescuers, said, "She was totally unconscious." State Trooper Dylan Morris said, "She was pinned right about just below her upper abdomen, just below her chest. Her feet were still inside the vehicle." To free her, they used jacks from their vehicles to lift the SUV and then they pulled the woman out. Emergency personnel arrived and took the woman to a hospital. Mr. Turner said, "I'm not considered a hero. Not in my eyes. It's something everyone would naturally do." He added, "It's instinct. Why not stop? If it was me, I wish someone would stop for me." (132)

" **I am Sure that Any Dorset Officer or Member of the Public would have Acted in the Same Way to Save the Life of Another"**

On 15 August 2011 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, Stephen Cole, age 21, was seriously injured after his car hit a post and a tree. The car caught on fire, and his leg was burned. Two Police Constables, Chris Griffin and Fern Graham, responded to a 999 emergency call. With the help of Good Samaritan Ray Fryer, age 59, they pulled Mr. Cole from the burning car. Police Constable Griffin said, "We couldn't see anything for the flames and smoke. But then we saw the door moving and realised there was someone inside. We crawled through brambles and saw him hanging out of the car." After the three men pulled Mr. Cole from the burning car, they put out the fire on his leg and gave him first aid. All three heroes were awarded a Royal Humane Society testimonial on vellum. Deputy Section Commander Andy Edwards of North Bournemouth Police Station said, "Both of my police officers and Mr. Fryer richly deserve this award. Their actions on August 15, 2011 undoubtedly, in my opinion, saved the life of the driver of the vehicle. They all acted with minimal consideration for their own safety, and all three displayed extreme bravery when faced with a very difficult and dynamic situation." Police Constable Griffin said, "We acted instinctively with the situation we saw before us, the result being that the male involved was removed from the vehicle successfully, away from the danger and treated by paramedics. I am surprised at receiving this award and also privileged." Police Constable Graham said, "I am very honoured to receive this award from the Royal Humane Society. I am sure that any Dorset officer or member of the public would have acted in the same way to save the life of another." (133)

" **I Can't Let This Baby Die"**

On 6 January 2011, Tom Porter of Montgomery County, Texas, saved the life of a one-year-old girl by pulling her out of a burning vehicle. A little after 7 p.m., he and his wife heard a loud crash. They got in their truck and drove a quarter-mile to where the crash had occurred. The diver, Carl Lucius Jr., had hit a wild hog and then crashed into a tree. His truck caught on fire. Mr. Lucius managed to get out of his truck, but he was badly injured with a broken back. Mr. Porter said, "When we got there, another neighbor was there and said there was a baby inside the truck." Mr. Porter's wife called 911. Because of the fire, Mr. Porter had to squeeze through the rear window. He said, "I leaned in over the baby and saw that she was in the same [type of] car seat as my granddaughter. I said, 'I got this.' But for some reason I couldn't get it undone. I can feel the flames and smokes and I'm thinking, 'I can't let this baby die.'" Fortunately, he was able to use his pocketknife to cut the one-year-old girl out of her car seat and then hand her to a neighbor before the truck was entirely engulfed in flames. The one-year-old girl's grandfather, Carl Lucius Sr., said about Mr. Porter, "I think he's a great guy. Him and his wife, they're great people." In March 2012, Mr. Porter won a Carnegie Hero medal for his lifesaving action. The award has not changed him. His wife said, "He's still the same ol' Tom." Mr. Porter said, "I did what had to be done at the time and I hope that anybody else would do the same." (134)

" **She Squeezed My Hand and Told Me Not to Let Go. I Told Her that I Wasn't Going Anywhere"**

Aryann Smith, age 24, was badly injured in a bus accident on 12 December 2011 when both of her legs were broken and she was pinned underneath the bus on an icy street. West Valley City police Officer Kevin Peck crawled underneath the bus to check her pulse, and Ms. Smith grabbed his hand. He held her hand until emergency medical personnel arrived. Officer Peck said, "She wasn't able to move, but thankfully she could still breathe. She squeezed my hand and told me not to let go. I told her that I wasn't going anywhere [and] reassured her we had paramedics and firefighters coming to help .... [I] was praying and hoping it would be only a matter of moments [until they arrived]." Ms. Smith was expected to make a full recovery. Officer Peck said, "People seem to lose track and misplace that the police officers are human beings. We do this job because we like to help people. These are things we in some way, shape or form, we deal with every day." (135)

" **She was Checking on Everybody, Making Sure Everybody was OK"**

On 5 August 2010, two teenagers died in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 44 in Missouri. One teenager was driving a pickup. Another teenager was in a school bus. Another school bus and a tractor without a trailer was also involved in the crash. Megan Fleming, age 16, acted heroically following the crash. Audrey Hofherr, age 16, a passenger in one of the John F. Hodge High School school buses involved in the crash, said about Megan, "She was amazing. She got everybody calm and got us all organized, had us all organized so we could get off the bus. We wouldn't have been able to get off without her. She was checking on everybody, making sure everybody was OK." The two school buses were taking students to a Six Flags amusement park following band camp. Audrey said, "Right before the accident, no one really thought anything of it. We were talking. We were all really excited about Six Flags. It was all of the sudden just jolted forward and people were screaming. It was just really scary." Jessica Brinker, age 16 and one of Audrey's friends, was killed in the crash. Audrey said about Jessica, "She was an amazing person and a great friend to anyone who met her. She was extremely brilliant and just one of those people that lit up the room." Jessica's family said in a statement, "Jessica had asked that all friends, in the event of her death, to wear bright colors to celebrate her short life here on this planet and to rejoice in her new life with Christ." Strangers helped in the aftermath of the crash. One man boarded the bus and helped get the injured out. Audrey said, "We were so grateful that Good Samaritans came and helped us." The other person who died in the crash was Daniel Schatz, a 19-year-old former quarterback at the University of Missouri, who was driving the pickup. Joy Tucker, the superintendent of the St. James school system, said, "It's been a horrible, horrible day in our community, and we'll never get over this." (136)

" **You Just Do What You Have to Do. You Really Don't Think About What's Going On. You Just Do What You Have to Do to Get the Person Safe"**

On 20 March 2012 in Weirton, West Virginia, two police officers and a Good Samaritan rescued two people from a two-vehicle accident. Weirton Police Sergeant Brian Williams said, "I observed a van traveling west on Pennsylvania Avenue and another vehicle was in the left-hand lane to turn left on to Culler Road and the vehicle pulled right in front of the van." The accident damaged the van's fuel line and started a fire. Sergeant Williams said, "By the time I was able to pull out and jump out of my cruiser, the fire was coming through the front windshield. [The 53-year-old woman in the van] looked up at me and said, 'Help.'" Sergeant Williams realized that a man (age 83) was in the other vehicle. He said that he "yelled for Tony [Patrolman Tony Apesos] and said there was still one in the car." A Good Samaritan assisted Patrolman Apesos in getting the elderly man out of the car. Patrolman Aspeos said, "I appreciated his courage to help me out. He didn't have to, but he insisted he wanted to help." Weirton Police Chief Bruce Marshall will nominate both police officers for a city award. Patrolman Aspeos said, "You just do what you have to do. You really don't think about what's going on. You just do what you have to do to get the person safe." Neither person in the accident was seriously hurt. Sergeant Williams said about the woman he rescued, "She reached up and gave me a big hug and she said she thought she was going to die and that she actually thought she had seen an angel, but then, 'I turned around and I seen you.' So that was very gratifying." (137)

" **Once You Hear Him Yelling for Help, That's It—I'm In, Full Bore"**

In March 2012 in Stockton, California, Brian Watts became a hero when he pulled a driver from a burning garbage truck. The driver of a Honda Accord had swerved into traffic and directly into the path of an oncoming huge garbage truck and died instantly. Many cars drove by the wreck, but Mr. Watts stopped. He saw the wreckage of the Honda Accord and knew, he said, "If there was anybody that was going to walk away from it, it was going to be that truck driver." The truck, which was on its side, was on fire. Mr. Watts said, "Once you hear him yelling for help, that's it—I'm in, full bore." Mr. Watts pulled the truck driver out of the burning truck. Mr. Watts said, "There was shock setting in and some disorientation." Fortunately, the driver had only minor injuries. Mr. Watts said, "This was my day to make sure he walked out of there. And that's it." (138)

" **Your Mind Goes Blank and You Think, 'What Do I Do Now?' I Heard Soft Crying Coming from Inside the Car"**

On 29 April 2012, a two-car accident led to one car falling from a bridge and landing upside down into a stream in West Stafford, near Dorchester, Dorset, England. The car belonged to a married couple; the husband was age 78 and the wife age 77. Eight inches of water came into the car. Derek Bateman, who lived nearby, said, "There was a tremendous crash. I actually thought something had hit the house." He went outside and saw that the bridge wall was knocked down. Then he noticed that a car was upside down in the stream. Mr. Bateman said, "Your mind goes blank and you think, 'What do I do now?' I heard soft crying coming from inside the car. The lady was shouting, 'Help me!' I got a crowbar, fell down the bank, and smashed the window. She said, 'We're going to drown!' and I said, 'No, you're not; the water won't get any higher.'" Mr. Bateman stayed with the elderly couple until emergency workers arrived. The woman was able to walk, but the man was removed on a spinal board from the car. Jason Rogers, from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, said, "The water was flowing steadily but was pretty cold, so time was of the essence to prevent them becoming even colder and going into severe shock." As a precautionary measure, emergency workers took the elderly couple to a hospital. (139)

" **I Actually Thought He was Already Dead"**

In October 2010, Ben Pere, who is a New Zealander living in western Australia, was driving when he saw two wrecked cars. Smoke was pouring out of the car in front. Mr. Pere said, "I stopped the car in the middle of the median strip and ran across, and the guy was unconscious in the car." Mr. Pere dragged the man, a lawyer named Jaun Paul Rebola, by the feet out of the car. Mr. Pere said, "I actually thought he was already dead. He had a massive gash in his head and ... the roof lining was melting onto his face and on his arms." Mr. Pere put Mr. Rebola in the recovery position and then used a hammer to smash a window in an attempt to see if anyone else was inside the station wagon. Mr. Pere said, "But I couldn't see if there was anyone else because of all the smoke ... I yelled out and couldn't hear anyone, but I had to get out of there." He added, "It was the scariest moment of my life, just hoping that there was nobody else in there and that we were going to be watching that person burn." (Fortunately, Mr. Rebola had been the only person in the car.) Mr. Pere then went back to Mr. Rebola and moved him away from the burning car, which exploded. In 2012, Mr. Pere won an Australian Bravery Decoration. He said, "I wouldn't call myself a hero, but everyone else is. I don't feel like a hero—I would just hope that someone would do what I did for Jaun Paul for me." Mr. Rebola (who looked up his benefactor on Facebook) and Mr. Pere became good friends. (140)

" **It's an Amazing Story, So Good. We're So Grateful. It Was a Miracle"**

In January 2012, Roger Andersen lost control of his car on a slippery road in Logan Canyon, Utah, and it skidded into the Logan River, coming to a stop upside-down. Mr. Andersen managed to free himself, but three children—his nine-year-old daughter (Mia), his four-year-old son (Baylor), and family friend nine-year-old Kenya Wildman—were still trapped inside the Honda Accord. Former Police Officer Chris Willden took action, using his handgun to shoot out window glass. Mr. Willden said, "I was trying to grab arms, but I couldn't feel anything. I'm thinking ... 'What are we going to do?'" At least eight other people came to help upright the car. Kenya was breathing in an air pocket. Mr. Willden cut her seatbelt and got her out, uninjured. The other two children were in worse shape and appeared to be lifeless. Baylor, who had been upside down in his car seat, was revived by a passerby who gave him CPR. An air ambulance flew him and his sister to the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, where they were treated for hypothermia and released two days later. Mr. Andersen is grateful for the help of the passersby; without it, he said, he and his family would be getting ready for funerals. Mr. Andersen's sister, Laurel Andersen Gilbert, said, "It's an amazing story, so good. We're so grateful. It was a miracle." (141)

" **I'm Sorry. We have to Go Because We have to Break a Car Window Now"**

Early in the morning of 21 November 2011 in San Francisco, California, a man crashed his car into a light pole. Fortunately, four people rescued him from his car, which caught on fire: Anwar Ghanem, a Yellow Cab driver; Police Officer Daniel Solorzano; and Justin Taylor and Leo Volobrynskyy, two friends who had been drinking at a bar named Holy Cow. Mr. Taylor, age 23, a waiter and Tenderloin resident, said, "There are very few chances in life when you get to participate in doing the right thing, and there's no gray area. I got a chance to make that decision, and I'm honored." Mr. Volobrynskyy, age 30, a banquet server who lives in the Parkside, said, "We heard a horrible metal screeching sound and saw the car go in spins down the block and saw the car hit the pole, taking it out with it." Mr. Taylor called 911, but when the car caught on fire, he knew he and Mr. Volobrynskyy needed to take action to save a life. Mr. Taylor told the 911 operator, "I'm sorry. We have to go because we have to break a car window now." Mr. Ghanem, who had also seen the crash, told the passenger in his taxi to call 911. He, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Volobrynskyy broke a car window with the light pole that the driver had hit and shorn off. The driver was unconscious, and they could not wake him up. They also had difficulty releasing the man from his seat belt so that they could pull him out of the window. On-duty Police Officer Solorzano, age 29, arrived and cut the driver's seat belt so he could be dragged to safety. Officer Solorzano said, "I was just doing my job, nothing special. I just had to show up and cut a seat belt." Police Chief Greg Suhr praised the heroes: "You only get so many chances in life to show up for people." Mr. Ghanem said, "I feel kind of like a hero. It feels good." Mr. Volobrynskyy said, "When you're doing it, you don't feel like you're doing anything special. You're just doing what needs to be done." He added, "Don't drink and drive." (142)

A Memorable Valentine's Day Rescue—and Dinner

On 14 February 2012, John Thorington of Palm Harbor, Florida, was visiting a friend in the backyard of her Dunedin, Florida, home near the intracoastal waterway when they heard a noise. Mr. Thompson said, "It sounded like the driver hit something. We heard the commotion, and we had already started running over there." The car, driven by Nicole L. Glazier, age 28, of Clearwater, Florida, had entered the water and was half submerged. Mr. Thorington said, "She had the window rolled down and she was trying to get out, but she was kind of rattled. I calmed her down a little bit, and we brought her on out." He carried her to shore and to the waiting paramedics. He said, "She didn't know how much time she had. She didn't know how deep the water was." Mr. Thorington said that a baby seat was in the car but "luckily, there was no baby in it." Ms. Glazier had minor injuries. Mr. Thorington said that it felt good to help someone else. He added, "My kids are taking me to dinner." (143)

" **It's Just What You Do for Other People"**

On 16 December 2010, off-duty Christchurch, New Zealand, Police Constable Gary Prescott was in a car with his wife when they saw a car in the Avon River. Constable Prescott went into the water and approached the partially submerged car, where he saw the driver, a diabetic elderly woman who had suffered a seizure. Constable Prescott said, "I don't think she knew where she was. She wouldn't let go and I had to physically remove her from the car. I had to pry her fingers off the steering wheel, put her right arm around my neck, and pull her out." St. John paramedics treated the woman. Constable Prescott said, "It's just what you do for other people." He said that he often stops to help other people: "But it's nothing really noteworthy—just small things." (144)

" **I was Sleeping, and Then I Woke Up to a Kid Screaming for Help"**

On 13 May 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, two young siblings, a boy and a girl, were caught in a rip current and were being swept out to sea. Fortunately, a group of Good Samaritans rescued them. Saleh Saleh, age 15, was napping on the beach. He said, "I was sleeping, and then I woke up to a kid screaming for help." The children's father tried to rescue them, but he was also caught in the rip current. Another rescuer, Alex Serrano, said, "Every time they would come back to the shore, you thought they were [safe] but [then] they were pulled back 30 feet out again." Yuri Gallegos went into the water near the father: "He let go of the girl, so I brought her back onto the beach." The father and his young son were still caught in the rip current. Saleh Saleh grabbed a boogie board and went into the water. He said, "The kid was under water and like drowning. I put him on the boogie board and pushed him ashore. At the end, we kind of made a conveyor belt. Everybody grabbed hands because we didn't have a rope. We were able to pull him in at the last bit." All three survived. The father, whose condition was not life threatening, was taken to Broward General Hospital. Mr. Gallegos said that he is not a hero: "No hero—just doing what any father would have probably done." Mr. Serrano said, "The father was looking at me, saying thank you." Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue advises that if you are ever caught in a rip current, you ought not to fight it. Don't attempt to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore. Eventually, you will feel the current grow weaker and then you can swim to shore. Of course, you should stay aware of water-current conditions and swim in a lifeguard-patrolled area. (145)

" **I Wish I Could Afford to Buy Him a Car"**

On 2 February 2012, Norman Dalwood, age 59, saw a stroller holding a toddler tumble down a sea wall at Otago Harbour, New Zealand. Her mother ran after her. Mr. Dalwood jumped out of his car and helped the mother and her three-year-old daughter. Yoshiko Cowell had been walking with her daughter when she threw a stick for her dog. Ms. Cowell said, "My daughter, Kotomiyo, must have leaned forward and the stroller just tumbled down into the water." Although the stroller's brake was on, that did not prevent it from tipping over and sliding down the sea wall. The other thing that went into the water was Mr. Dalwood's car; in his haste to rescue Kotomiyo, he forgot to set the handbrake. Mr. Dalwood said, "I wasn't bothered about the car; I was just happy the young girl and her mum were okay. I just had to laugh; it was hilarious after what had happened." Ms. Cowell said, "We were so thankful to Norman for helping, and then when his car went into the water, I felt so bad for him." She added, "He did such a good deed and then that happened to him. It is just not fair. I wish I could afford to buy him a car." Senior Constable Lox Kellas, of Portobello called Mr. Dalwood a "Good Samaritan" who "responded very quickly." Ms. Cowell said, "I got home and burst into tears. It was all just so bizarre." (146)

" **Grab Them First. Grab Them First"**

On 29 August 2011, Martin Goulet and his seven- and nine-year-old stepdaughters were in a boat on the fast-moving Merrimack River in New Hampshire. They ran into trouble when their boat swamped and its motor died. They clung to a steel boat barrier cable. If they had let go, they would have been swept over a 55-foot falls that was only 300 feet away. A Public Service New Hampshire (electric company) employee saw them and said to a fellow employee, "Hey, there's people hanging on the buoys." The PSNH employees called 911. The fire department's Rescue 1 team arrived quickly. Manchester Fire Lieutenant Paul Smith steered the boat close to the three victims, and firefighter Joshua Guay noticed for the first time that two little girls were hanging onto the cable. Mr. Guay said, "I was just glad I had sunglasses on because I didn't want the kids to see how scared I was." He has daughters who are approximately the same age as the girls who were hanging onto the cables. He said, "I just thought of my kids, and they [the girls] were doing amazing holding on to that cable." All three people in the water were wearing personal flotation devices. The father, Mr. Goulet, wanted the girls to be rescued first. Mr. Guay said, "I remember him saying to me, "Grab them first. Grab them first." He did rescue the two girls first. Mr. Goulet weighed 180 pounds, and Mr. Guay had trouble getting him into the boat. Mr. Smith could not help because he was controlling the boat. Finally, Mr. Guay got Mr. Goulet, who was exhausted, into the boat. After the rescue, Mr. Guay told Mr. Smith that he had decided to go into the water if one of the girls had let go of the cable. Mr. Guay recounted, "He said if that would have happened, both of you would have drowned." Mr. Smith said about Mr. Goulet and his two stepdaughters, "It just wasn't their time to go." (147)

" **I Look at Myself as Blessed by God to be Able to Do Something to Bring This Child Back to Life"**

In April 2012, Pascagoula, Mississippi Police Officer Dale Gordon was patrolling Pascagoula Point when he received an emergency call. A three-year-old girl had nearly drowned and was in danger of dying. Officer Gordon said, "As I approached, I could see a child unresponsive, lying in the sand. The tips of the fingers had turned blue, and the toes had turned blue, and the child's lips had turned blue." Officer Gordon immediately began performing CPR. He said, "I lifted the back of the neck and began giving it mouth-to-mouth recitation. After a few minutes of CPR, I felt its chest and it started getting a big strong heartbeat." He said that he thanked God "because I knew the child had a fighting chance." Emergency personnel took the three-year-old to the hospital. Later, Officer Gordon said, "From what I have been told by family, the child is responsive, sitting up, smiling, and it appears she is going to make a full recovery." He added, "I look at myself as blessed by God to be able to do something to bring this child back to life." (148)

" **What a Great Bunch of Kids"**

In March 2012, Ron Rolfe, age 74, ran into trouble while walking his dog along the bank of a stream in Rotorua, New Zealand. The bank gave way, and he slid into the stream. Because of a recent stroke, he was unable to move his right leg and get out of the stream. Mr. Rolfe said, "It just collapsed. I was stuck in the mud. I couldn't move. It happened so quickly. Playing on the other side of the stream were two boys, aged about 11, who asked if he was OK. He said, "I yelled back, 'No, I need some help.' I couldn't do anything." The two young boys tried to lift him out of the stream, but he was too heavy for them. Mr. Rolfe said, "They couldn't budge me, so they went and got some mates to come and help and they all pulled me out. I don't know how they did it. There were about six or eight of them." Mr. Rolfe's wife said, "That's a fast-flowing river. He probably would have drowned if they weren't there. He couldn't move." Following the rescue, the children vanished. Mrs. Rolfe said, "The council or somebody needs to recognise them. They were blinkin' good kids. Ron could have easily been left to die, but they did something to help and didn't ignore the situation. They used superhuman strength to haul him out of there. No way could he have gotten out of there by himself. They need to be rewarded." Mr. Rolfe said, "What a great bunch of kids." Two youths who helped Mr. Rolfe are Ryan Heremaia, age 16, and his friend Pia Pene. Ryan said, "We were watching this old fellow standing there, and the next minute he just fell in. He was screaming out for help." Younger children were present, but they were unable to help Mr. Rolfe. Ryan said, "I jumped down and hauled him out. First I tried to pull him out by his hand but he was stuck, so I put my arms under his arms and still couldn't get him out. I just pulled real hard and got him onto my shoulder and pushed him up the bank." He added, "We need to be there for our old people. They have paved the way for us. Mr. Rolfe's wife, Nancy, said about the youths who helped her husband, "They deserve something like a whole day out at Rotorua's attractions because these kids were prepared to help and not harm, which is great. They need to be rewarded." (149)

**James Thomas (Human Bridge);** **Rose Metcalf (Helper of Passengers); Francis Servel (Loving Husband)**

On 13 January 2012, the Italian cruise ship _Costa Concordia_ hit a reef and ran aground off the Tuscan coast of Italy. James Thomas, a 19-year-old British dancer who worked on the ship, became a hero by helping passengers reach the lifeboats. Mr. Thomas was thrown out of bed when the ship ran aground. He said, "We started to lean to the port side ... it got more and more dramatic and everyone seemed to know that it wasn't just a normal turn—we were turning unbelievably sharply. I was thrown out of bed, and then as I stood there all my aftershave and a bottle of wine came towards me as I was catching things and smashed on my foot." An announcement was made on the intercom that the ship had a "minor technical fault." However, a coded series of beeps let the crew know that the ship had a leak. Mr. Thomas said, "We had an announcement saying please stay calm, everything is under control, it's just a minor technical fault. Then we had the coding of two short blasts followed by alternate tones which means there is a leak on board and so the crew were divided, very much so. A lot of people said, 'No, just tell everyone to stay calm; that's what we've been told to say.' But then other people took the initiative and said, 'Okay, let's tell everyone to stay calm but hand over life jackets.'" Mr. Thomas went to his station that had been pre-arranged for emergencies. He said, "We thought it was a 'just in case' scenario, but then we started to lift and started to tilt and we knew something was deadly wrong. We knew we were going to have to do something drastic to get out of the situation we were in. We finally got the call after quite a long wait. We went to the muster station and waited. We waited for the [order to] abandon ship. We waited for it to be called, and it was finally called after some of the lifeboats were deployed. We had reached such a tilt that we couldn't deploy any more life rafts or lifeboats on the port side so we had to run round to the starboard side to get onto a lifeboat. Some of us went one way; some of us went the other. The people who didn't go the way I went didn't make it to a lifeboat—they had to swim." At one point, some passengers realized that they were on the wrong deck to get to the lifeboats. Mr. Thomas saved lives by becoming a human bridge. Six feet and three inches tall, he bridged the gap between two decks and allowed people to climb on him. He said, "We couldn't get the lifeboats off, and the life rafts the staff use were stuck to the side of the ship. I grabbed a lifeboat with one arm and the upper deck rail with the other and let people climb on my shoulders and down my body. The last people I helped were a Frenchman and his disabled wife. He grabbed me by the cuff and pulled me into one of the boats. It was frightening." Fellow British dancer Rose Metcalf, age 23, also became a hero by helping passengers to safety. Ms. Metcalf said, "There was absolute panic. It was just terrifying; it was just trying to keep people calm. People were white; people were crying, screaming." She added, "Because of the listing, we knew they wouldn't be able to deploy all of the life rafts on the port side. [...] We were creating human chains to try to pass people over gaps that if they dropped down there was no recovery from." A hero who died was Francis Servel, age 71, who gave his life jacket to his wife, Nicole Servel, age 61, who said, "He was shouting, 'Jump, jump.' Because I can't swim, he had given me his life jacket. I jumped and the last thing I heard him say was, 'I'll be fine.' I never saw him again. I owe my life to my husband." Over 30 people died. (150)
CHAPTER 4: STORIES 151-200

" **You Can't Live with Yourself if Some Guy Dies and You Didn't Try"**

Wes Manion, a volunteer deputy, saw a bloated man who had washed up onto a Galveston, Texas, beach. He went to the bloated man and assumed that he was dead. The bloated man was greenish, and foam came out of his nose and mouth. Mr. Manion said, "I almost didn't do CPR. It looked like he had been dead forever." But Mr. Manion did clear the bloated man's airway and started CPR. Bystanders untangled fishing wire from the wrist and cut a bucket from the waist of the bloated man. Why did Mr. Manion do CPR on a dead man? He explained, "My training kicked in. You can't not do it. You can't live with yourself if some guy dies and you didn't try." The CPR worked. The bloated man, Jason Roy, a 28-year-old fisherman, vomited water and then started breathing. While he was still unconscious, paramedics took him to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Even though he was breathing, he was not expected to live. The most likely scenario was that he would be brain dead and his organs would be harvested for transplants. Nine days later, Mr. Roy was back to normal except for some cracked or broken ribs from the chest compressions; he was laughing and talking and definitely not brain dead. On 23 April 2012, Mr. Roy pinned a badge on Mr. Manion's uniform in a ceremony that marked Mr. Manion as a new deputy constable. Mr. Roy said, "Doctors are telling me that I am a miracle, that I should be on tubes and on a ventilator for the rest of my life. The best they looked for was brain dead." Mr. Manion said about Mr. Roy, "He's a great guy. He's going to be a great friend to me." (151)

" **She was Looking at Me Like, 'Please, Don't Let Me Die' ... I Wasn't Going to Let That Happen"**

In February 2006 in Topeka, Kansas, a one-legged man saved the lives of three girls who had fallen through the ice covering a pond. John Hodges, age 42, of Topeka, was at the Central Park Community Center when nurses told him that they needed his crutches to rescue some girls, aged seven, eight, and nine. Mr. Hodges rushed to the nearby pond and crawled out onto the ice. He said, "I immediately went over and grabbed their clothes and pulled them up." He rescued the two older girls, but the youngest girl was further away and he needed to use a crutch to rescue her. He said, "I just pulled [extended] the crutch out to her, and she kept grabbing on it. She was looking at me like, 'Please, don't let me die' ... I wasn't going to let that happen. If I would have had to give my own life for hers, I would have done it. I said to myself, 'If she goes under one more time, I'm going down to get her.'" She held on to the crutch, and despite being partially in the water, Mr. Hodges pulled her toward him. She was taken to shore safely. Nurse Ann Betty said, "He saved that little girl's life. She'd gone under several times. She was treading water as fast as she could." All three girls survived. Mr. Hodges said, "I went inside and got warmed up. I shed a few tears. I was just very grateful to God that that little girl lived." The rescues demonstrated that Mr. Hodges has changed his life from bad to good. In 2003, he lost his leg. He used to get high on crack and be in a daze, and he said, "I guess I was trying to rob somebody and they shot me and I lost my leg." He added about the rescues, "I realized that I saved three people's lives, and I was willing to give my life for theirs, and I knew then that I have changed. Some people are, like, 'Well, I don't know, maybe their life or mine.' I didn't look at it like that—I looked at it as I was a child of God and I was helping some other child .... You'd be surprised at what strength, power, dedication, and motivation will come out of you." (152)

" **If My Dad had Known the Outcome [He Dies, But a Child Lives], He would have Done It Anyway"**

On 8 April 2012, a family from Ohio vacationing at Honeymoon Island, Florida, nearly lost its three children to a dangerous riptide. The children's parents each rescued one child, and Alan Hall, a 65-year-old man who had recently retired in Florida after living and working in Connecticut, managed to push the third child to safe water. However, to save the life of five-year-old Ruby, he gave his own life, suffering what appeared to be a heart attack. Mr. Hall, his wife, Eileen, and his daughter, Julie, were at the beach collecting seashells. They saw the three children playing in the water. Julie said that her father "said, 'I hope somebody's watching them. That's a pretty strong current." The children were caught by a suddenly appearing riptide and began screaming. Their parents and Mr. Hall each rescued a child, but Mr. Hall's heart stopped and he floated face down in the water. Boaters got him to shore, and his wife performed CPR on him. Julie said, "My mom said one of the things she remembers so strongly is the circle of people around him that all started praying for him. That's something that has stuck with her." Emergency personnel took over the CPR, but Mr. Hall was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Five-year-old Ruby and her family thanked the Halls. Julie said, "They were so distraught, and they were so guilty. We told them not to feel guilty because if my dad had known the outcome, he would have done it anyway. That's how he lived his life. He would have done it regardless. He was one of those people that actually lived what he preached." Negativity followed the rescue; the parents of the rescued children received hate mail and were the targets of online comments saying that they are horrible parents for not watching their children better. Julie believes that her father would be upset if he knew this; her mother is also upset over the negativity. Julie said, "We are not angry with this family. The mom [of the children] was holding onto both of her daughters and said that if my dad had not swam up to her and said, 'Let me take one and help,' then all three of them would have drowned and we would be mourning the loss of a mom and two young girls." She added about her father, "He wouldn't have done it to be a hero, but he's probably grinning somewhere." (153)

Surfer to the Rescue

On 3 April 2012 at New Zealand's Leisure Island, which is actually a peninsula connected to Mount Maunganui beach by a small strip of sand, a British man in his 30s was nearly swept out to sea by large swells. People started screaming. Fortunately, Cam Neate, a 23-year-old Kiwi surfer, came to the rescue. Mr. Neate said, "He had been completely swept over by a big wave. He got washed really awkwardly into the rocks and the wave was starting to drag him out." Mr. Neate threw his camera to one side and then ran into the waves to pull the man to safety. Mr. Neate said, "He was completely lost by the time I got to him—he was out of breath and hardly talking. He was a bit frightened, I think, after getting washed through the rocks. I just grabbed his hand and made sure he was okay, but he'd lost his hat and his shoe that got washed away." The British man recovered. (154)

" **We Hear Kids Screaming"**

On 7 April 2012 in Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida, a 16-foot boat carrying 10 people, including five children, capsized. Juan Montez, who was on a different boat, said, "As we go under the bridge, we hear kids screaming." Mr. Montez jumped into the water and began rescuing two of the children, and the Coast Guard quickly arrived to help. Mr. Montez said, "I wasn't taking no chances. I just jumped in the water and went for the rescue, I went to go help and as I'm helping, the first thing I went for was the kids. I grabbed the two kids, I put them on my chest, and I just started swimming to the boat. When I got to the Coast Guard, I grabbed the two kids and gave them to the lady." Mr. Montez swam back to the capsized boat. He said, "There was a guy next to me screaming, 'There's one person missing! One person missing!'" Mr. Montez dove beneath the water to save an adult man who was trapped underneath the boat. Mr. Montez said, "When I came up to the boat, I can't see, it's dark. So I felt an elbow, I felt an elbow and as soon as I felt the elbow, I grabbed quick like this and I brought him up like this. When I brought him up, he went 'gasp' like this. Oh, my God, you don't know how relieved I felt." The Coast Guard rescued the other people and two dogs. Everyone was taken to Biscayne Bay Marina. Zoe Dickrilo, a witness, said about the survivors, "They didn't have any shoes on; they were just wet. They looked like they were going to cry." (155)

Well Done, Mr. Josh Fattorini

On 8 April 2012 at Hahei Beach on the Coromandel in New Zealand, some people ran up to Josh Fattorini, age 22, and asked if he could swim. A mother told him that her seven-year-old son was drowning. Mr. Fattorini looked out at the water and saw the boy's arms flailing. He ran into the water, but by the time he reached the boy, the boy was unconscious. Mr. Fattorini brought the boy to shore. Mr. Fattorini said, "I had a lot of adrenaline going. I just knew I had to get to him. He didn't look too well—so I was saying to him, 'Stay with us,' as I went back." The boy's uncle took him and lay him on a towel. The boy vomited water and food and regained consciousness. Mr. Fattorini said, "His parents started talking to him. It was a little bit frantic. They were trying to keep him calm." He added about the boy, "He wasn't unconscious for too long, so that's what probably saved him." Although Mr. Fattorini can swim, he said, "I'm definitely no lifeguard. I have so much respect for those guys." The family was very grateful to him for performing the rescue. He said, "They were overwhelmed that I could get him back. The mother was so pleased and quite a few people came up to me and said, 'Well done.'" (156)

For Hero Police Officers, "Just Another Day"

Late in the dark night of 5 April 2012, a woman somehow ended up in the cold Hudson River near the seawall of the Troy (New York) shoreline. A fisherman saw her and called the police. Two police officers—Brian Strock and Sean McMahon—quickly arrived and from the vantage point of the stern end of a cruise ship that was moored to the adjacent sea wall were able to rescue her. Officer McMahon said, "I saw her in the water. She was floating up and down. She was probably in the water a good nine minutes, according to our witness." Officer Strock threw a ResQ Disc to the woman, who grabbed it, but the rope wasn't strong enough for the police officers to pull her up out of the water. Officer Strock said, "She was going under the water several times. We were trying to talk to her, trying to keep her alert, keep her conscious." They threw her a sturdier rope, which she grabbed. Officer McMahon said, "She latched onto it. Then she managed to plant her feet up on the sea wall and I just hoisted her up onto the ship." He added after the rescue, "Just another day. The opportunity was there, and we took it. It worked out good." (157)

" **We Both Knew that Death was Certain"**

On 27 February 2012 at Playa Esterillos Oeste, Costa Rica, on the Central Pacific coast, Pat Gangitano and his girlfriend, Eileen Arroyo, were caught in a riptide and carried out to sea. In a letter to the editor of the Costa Rican English-language newspaper, _Tico Times_ , Mr. Gangitano wrote, "We managed to hold hands in the turbulent currents while being dragged far out to deep waters. We lost all hope of survival. Eileen did not know how to swim, and I was totally exhausted from keeping her afloat. We both knew that death was certain. Then, an angel sent two surfers and an off-duty lifeguard, who risked their lives to save us, total strangers. They swam like dolphins, and with unbelievable knowledge of the currents were able to save us." Mr. Gangitano did not know the heroes' names, but he described them: "One is a tall, young man with Rasta hair—the lifeguard, with an orange and yellow long board—another has long, curly hair, and a third was a skinny, bronze-toned guy with a yellow short board." He hoped that people could send him their names, writing, "We need to send them some form of thanks." (158)

" **Fortunately, We had a Very Happy Ending to This One** **"**

In July 2005 in Mineola, Texas, two 12-year-old girls who were playing in a storm drain were caught in a flash flood and nearly drowned in a torrent of water 5 or 6 feet deep with a current running at least 40 miles per hour. Fortunately, someone called Mineola firefighters, who rescued them. The girls were carried a quarter-mile through culvert pipes by the current, but finally managed to grab onto a concrete support. Firefighters constructed a rope retrieval system and rescued one of the girls quickly. The other girl could not hold onto the rope and was swept away again by the current for another quarter-mile, ending up in a brushy area where she hung on to vegetation. Firefighters constructed a human chain and rescued her. Chief David Stevenson of the Mineola Fire Department said, "Fortunately, we had a very happy ending to this one. I'm proud of the little girls for holding on as long as they did, and I'm proud of my firefighters for reacting so well." Mr. Stevenson had been working as a firefighter for 27 years, but this was the first rescue of its kind he had been involved in. He said, "What [the firefighters] did, even though they train for it, I think is more dangerous than a fire. You can't control water. ... They did an excellent job." The girls were bruised, but otherwise OK. (159)

" **In All the Confusion, that Little Nine-Year-Old Boy Came Up and Thanked Me"**

For much of his life, Chuck Worden had a drinking problem, but he sobered up and became a hero. On 16 April 2011, after two years of sobriety, he rescued a boy from the waters of Rockfish Run in Waynesboro, Virginia. On that April 16, heavy rains led to flooding. Mr. Worden and his girlfriend, Judy Gentry, were in a car when they saw Tina Marie Allen, age 41, and her two children—eight-year-old Lacy Elizabeth Taylor and nine-year-old Adrian—walking toward Rockfish Run. Mr. Worden said, "I saw the two kids and told Judy to turn around. God forbid if something happens. I knew I had to go back." The water on Rockfish Run was high, and the guardrails on the bridge were not visible. The three got in trouble while attempting to cross the bridge. Mr. Worden grabbed Adrian's index finger and was able to pull him to safety. He tried to grab Ms. Allen, who was holding on to Lacy. He said, "I got her hair." However, he could not get a good grip, and the current pulled Ms. Allen away from him. She grabbed a vine, but again the current pulled her away. Mr. Worden said, "Her head hit a tree hanging over the current, and at that point it became drastic. She let go of Lacy. I knew they were in trouble, and I kept seeing Lacy holding her nose and come up for air." He lost sight of them, and they drowned. Mr. Worden said, "In all the confusion, that little nine-year-old boy came up and thanked me. I took his head into my hands and kissed his forehead." In March 2012, Mr. Worden was awarded a Carnegie Hero medal, but he still feels bad about the drowning deaths of Ms. Allen and Lacy. Mr. Worden said, "Yes, I saved Adrian. But there easily could have been four of us. ... I wished things could have been better. I have to let go. I'm beating myself up. It was God's will that day." In January 2012, he again acted heroically. While traveling on U.S. 250 in Charlottesville, he saw a car fire. He pulled over, put on a road safety vest, and used a fire extinguisher on the car fire. He said, "I was able to contain it until the fire department arrived." (160)

Ashley Clark: 11-Year-Old Hero

In February 2006 near Clematis Close, Driffield, Yorkshire, England, schoolboy Ashley Clark, age 11, came to the aid of a stranger who slipped down a steep and muddy bank into a ditch of freezing water. Ashley said, "It was quite steep and her dog was slipping down and it couldn't get back up. I lowered myself down and got the dog and chucked it up on to the bank. As the woman leaned over to go and get it, she tumbled over and she fell. I had to go in to get her phone off her. I called her husband but she was just shaking, so I called an ambulance." Emergency personnel quickly arrived. Ashley added, "Her husband just came running. He was really shocked because he thought she had suffered a really bad fall and thought she was badly injured. When the firemen got her out, she just said 'thank you' and she said I was a hero. I don't know if anybody else would have managed to get the dog out, but anybody else would have phoned an ambulance because she was in shock and looked frozen." Steve Fuller, a spokesman for Humberside Fire And Rescue, said, "The lad has reacted instinctively and has helped another member of the community. He has carried out an act of bravery, but no member of the public should enter the water without the appropriate safety equipment." (161)

" **What Else was I Going to Do?"**

In August 2010 at a swimming pool in Lincoln, Nebraska, a two-year-old girl reached for a ball and fell into the water. Daniel Chapman, a 13-year-old Boy Scout, saw her fall. He swam to her, grabbed her at the bottom of the pool, and took her to the edge of the pool and her mother's arms. Daniel said, "I saw her [the two-year-old girl] open her eyes. A while later I realized I pretty much saved a life." He added, "My adrenaline took over. What else was I going to do?" Ironically, he had recently failed a required swimming test as a Boy Scott, but has since passed it. As a result of his saving a life, the Boy Scouts gave him a Heroism Award. What did his friends think about the award? Daniel said, "They thought it was pretty cool." (162)

" **Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"**

_The Stranger_ , an alternative newspaper in Seattle, Washington, allows readers to post anonymous confessions or accusations online in a feature titled "I, Anonymous." Many of the comments are very negative, but on 27 March 2012 appeared this very positive comment: "Around 9 a.m. on March 21, 2010, I leaned backward over the edge of the Aurora Bridge, grasping for an elusive peace through death. Some of you saw me disappear, and several of you dialed 911. The moment I emerged from the chilly and polluted waters of the ship canal, I desperately wanted to live, but seriously injured, I could only tread water and pray for a miracle. I would have certainly drowned but for the police boat sent to rescue me thanks to your calls. I think of you often and how witnessing my attempt might have changed your lives, too. I want you to know that I have now found peace in life and am doing well, two years out. I hope you read this and it brings you peace. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" (163)

Don Ritchie: The Angel of the Gap

On 13 May 2012, Don Ritchie died at age 85 at his home on Old South Head Road, Watsons Bay, Australia. Watson Bay, which is located at the southern entrance to Sydney Harbour, has a cliff called the Gap where many people have committed suicide and many more have thought about committing suicide. Mr. Ritchie was known as "The Angel of the Gap." He officially convinced 160 people over more than 50 years not to commit suicide, although his family believes the number is actually 500. Sue, his daughter, said, "Those who knew him knew he was a very strong person and a very capable person." Federal Member of Parliament Malcolm Turnbull called him "a true hero, one of our greatest Australians." He added, "His work lives on forever not just in the lives of those he saved but in his heroism and example of public service." In 2011, Mr. Ritchie was named a Local Hero in the Australian of the Year Awards. New South Wales Mental Health Minister Kevin Humphries remembered, "Upon accepting the award, Mr. Ritchie urged people to 'never be afraid to speak to those most in need. Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear, and a kind word.'" Why did he help? His daughter said, "It was just something that he saw and that he had to do something about." His sister, Sue Ritchie Bereny, said, "He could read some people needed help. He would say not to underestimate the power of a kind word and a smile. ... It was often a matter of a kind word, and he would bring people back to our place for a cup of tea and breakfast. That was often needed to turn people around." Not long before his death, Mr. Ritchie said, "I'm 85, and even at my age it has broadened my horizons with all the wonderful people I have met. I've had welcome feedback from people who have come back from the edge. It's really rewarding knowing that the action I took changed the course of their lives and got them back on track. ... It's important for troubled people to know that there are complete strangers out there, like myself, who are willing and able to help them get through that dark time and to come out on the other side." Unfortunately, he was not able to save everyone. He remembered a man who "just kept looking straight ahead. I was talking to him for about half an hour thinking I was making headway. I said, 'Why don't you come over for a cup of tea, or a beer, if you'd like one?' He said, 'No," and stepped straight off the side [of the cliff]. His hat blew up, and I caught it in my hand." (164)

" **That's the Type of Quick-Thinking Kid I'd Like to See in the Sheriff's Office in 10 or 12 Years. He Sees the Issue and Jumps Into Action While Others Gawk"**

On 30 April 2012, Damon Davenport, a 13-year-old seventh-grader, rescued an 18-month-old boy who was crawling on a roof in Orchards, Washington. The boy's two-year-old brother had earlier fallen 18 feet from the roof. Sergeant Bill Roberts of the Clark County Sheriff's Office said, "The boy landed on damp soil near a sidewalk." Clark County sheriff's Sergeant Fred Neiman said about Damon, "That's the type of quick-thinking kid I'd like to see in the sheriff's office in 10 or 12 years. He sees the issue and jumps into action while others gawk." The two children had crawled through a damaged screen on a window in their third-floor apartment onto a roof. Damon was playing football nearby. He said, "I heard a thump, and I heard the baby cry." He and other children ran to the fallen boy, and Damon ran upstairs to get the boy's father. Once outside again, Damon learned about a new danger. He said, "Everybody said, 'There's another baby up there.' I ran [back upstairs] and I opened the door and opened the window and pushed out the screen and grabbed the baby boy who was two inches from the edge. He was crying; he was an 18-month-old baby. And I grabbed and handed him back to the dad." Fire Captain Scott Willis said about Damon, "He's quite the hero. He did something a lot of kids his age wouldn't have done. He's very brave." Damon's mother, Tonia Jenkins, said, "I'm very proud of him for reacting in that manner. To just act on what he had to do. ... It was a wonderful thing he did." The two-year-old boy who had fallen was taken to a hospital to be checked out, and he was released. (165)

An Old Steak Knife and a Cool Head

Pilot Lisa Strathern was flying two parachutists making a tandem jump to their drop zone in a Cessna drop plane over Caboolture, Queensland, Australia. Unfortunately, their gear caught on the wheel strut of her plane, and they dangled from the plane at 2100 metres. She attempted to free the parachutists by making a series of sharp turns, but the attempt failed. One of the dangling parachutists—an instructor—motioned to her to cut the harness. Ms. Strathern said, "The planes are supposed to carry knives, but this was a replacement aircraft and didn't have one. The eerie thing was that, only a week earlier my boss noticed this and put an old steak knife aboard. I suddenly remembered that." To keep the plane steady, Ms. Strathern put it into a shallow descent. She kept one hand on the controls, and with her other hand, she cut through the harness. Freed, the parachutists floated safely to the ground. In 2006, the Australian government awarded Ms. Strathern the Star of Courage. (166)

Nearly Buried Alive

On Good Friday, 6 April 2012, two girls were nearly buried alive when a sand cliff collapsed on them at Hemsby beach, Norfolk, England. The older girl, possibly age 12, was buried up to her neck, and the other girl, age nine, was buried up to her chest. The two girls screamed, and three men came running and dug them out with their bare hands. One rescuer, Kenny Chaney, a 66-year-old retired fisherman, said, "They were very lucky not to have been killed. They could easily have suffocated in the sand if it had gone over their heads. The girls were panicking and freaking out. They didn't know if they were going to get out alive. I was worried that the whole lot was going to come down on all of us. We lay them down on the beach after pulling them out. They were freaking out. Then their father turned up and was trying to calm them down." Professional rescuers, who were travelling on three fire engines, two ambulances and a lifeboat, quickly arrived, but the girls had already been dug out and were uninjured. Ross Hewitt, who works for Hemsby Lifeboat, said, "Luckily for the girls, there was someone on the beach, but apart from them there was nobody else. They could have been stuck there for who knows how long. We will be speaking to the council about getting warning signs by the cliffs. It's something I feel is lacking. We want to keep the beach busy and keep it safe." (167)

Love Comes to the Rescue

On 5 April 2012 on the outbound side of the Utica Street subway station in Buffalo, New York, Steven Love, a 27-year-old African-American who works as a cook, saw a man collapse and fall onto the subway tracks. Mr. Love said, "He hit his head real bad. His nose was bleeding. He was out. He was unconscious. He wasn't responding to anything." Mr. Love lay down on the subway platform to see if he could grab the man, but he was not able to reach him. He said, "So I had to go down. It was one of those moments where you don't think. You react." He jumped to where the man was lying. Mr. Love said, "At that time, I saw the train coming." The train engineer saw them and started blowing the train's horn. Mr. Love lifted the man, and a woman grabbed the man and pulled him up onto the subway platform. Mr. Love said, "I hopped right up after that." The train engineer, Jose Ramirez, had hit the emergency brakes and was able to stop before reaching the place where the man fell. Mr. Love said, "It was wild. Sparks were flying all over the place. It was crazy." Emergency workers took the stricken man to Erie County Medical Center. Mr. Love said, "I was kind of in shock. People were saying, 'Oh, that was brave.' 'That was good.' 'That was a blessing.' But I couldn't really react to anything. I was so in shock. People were giving me hugs, but I couldn't react." He added, "I just know that if that was me or any of my relatives or anyone, I would want someone to jump down there the same way I did." In addition, he said, "It was a human being, a life, and I'm willing to save a life." Mr. Love has not had special training for emergencies, but he did previously save the life of one of his daughters. As an infant, she started choking on mucus and turning blue. He used a nasal syringe to clear the mucus out of her throat. Mr. Love said, "The doctor said if I didn't do that, she would have died." (168)

" **I Felt a Little Lightheaded When I Saw Him, So I Sat Down Next to Him Because I Didn't Want to Fall Over on Top of Him if I Passed Out"**

On 9 May 2012, Zach Dubois, age 14, saved the life of his neighbor in Cheshire, Connecticut. He was walking home when he saw his neighbor lying in the driveway with a running chainsaw by him. The neighbor had fallen off a stepladder, his head and leg were badly injured, and he was bleeding. Zach said, "I felt a little lightheaded when I saw him, so I sat down next to him because I didn't want to fall over on top of him if I passed out." Fortunately, Zach knew what to do because of his health class at Cheshire High School—a class that taught information that he had thought he would never use. He said, "When I first got to health class, I was like, 'Oh, when am I gonna use this; I'm not in a war zone or anything.'" But the class taught him exactly what to do. He said, "I knew from that class that I had to use pressure to cover the wound." He used the man's sweatshirt to put pressure on the wound, and he called 911 on his cellphone. Zach said, "The EMT [Emergency Medical Technician] told me that if I was a few minutes later or didn't walk home that night, he [the neighbor] wouldn't be alive." Cheshire High School Health Department Chair Cathy Sullivan said, "Thank goodness I had a student that listened well. He was attentive in class, asked the right questions and seemed to follow through quite well." Cheshire High School Principal Kevin Ryan said, "Kids will complain and ask why they have to take health class. We tell them you never know when you're going to need to use something you've learned. What Zach did shows that kids are listening to what they're being taught in class." Zach's mother, Karen Dubois, said, "I'm thrilled he actually has the experience to know what it's like to help someone and make a huge difference, and we're so grateful our neighbor is going to be okay." She added, "He did all the things he was supposed to do. I'm very proud of him and grateful that he came home at the right time." Zach said, "It feels awesome. I love helping people." (169)

Catch a Falling Toddler

In November 2010 in Paris, France, an 18-month-old boy fell 80 feet from a seventh-floor apartment balcony and survived unhurt. He fell onto a café awning, bounced, and was caught by a passerby. Philippe Bensignor, the doctor who caught the boy, said, "I was there at the right time. My son happened to look up, and he saw that a little boy was on the balcony and had somehow got through the railing and was playing on the very edge of a vertical drop into the street. I just had the time to get across the street and place myself. I said to myself, 'Whatever happens, I mustn't miss him.' He didn't have a scratch. He cried for a few moments and then calmed down and fell asleep." The boy bounced off the awning of Le Vincennes café. The awning normally would have been down because of France's All Saints bank holiday, but the mechanism for lowering it was broken. The boy's sister, a few years older than he, was also playing on the balcony, but neighbors talked to her through a locked door and warned her to stay away from the edge of the balcony. Samia Benmoussa stated, "I said, 'Where is your brother?' and she said, 'He's fallen.' I panicked until I discovered what had happened. It was a real miracle." The boy was checked at a hospital and found to be unhurt. A police spokesman said about the boy, "His parents, who were not in the apartment at the time, were arrested soon afterwards and taken into custody. It appears they had popped out of the flat just before the incident. They have now been charged with neglect leading to injury." Family members were taking care of the boy and his sister. (170)

" **I was Not Planning on Leaving This Bathroom Alive. ... Thank You, Because You Saved My Life"**

Duncan Penn is one of the people behind _The Buried Life_. In this book, people talk about what they want to do before they die. One of the letters that came in to the writers of the book told about saving a life. The writer, apparently a female at a college, started waking up at 3 a.m. After waking up at 3 a.m. one Friday, she went to the women's restroom in her dorm and saw blood—lots of blood. She started checking the stalls and the showers, and in the final shower she "found a girl, hugging her knees [and] hysterically crying, in the corner of the shower, covered in blood. I immediately sat down next to her and before I could even say anything she was already hugging me, holding on for dear life." The young woman had cut her wrists because her boyfriend had broken up with her. The letter writer recounted, "He had told her she wasn't good enough." The letter writer bandaged her wrists and stayed with her for nearly three hours. They shared stories about bad relationships, and the young woman told the letter writer, "You have given me more care and love than anyone else in my life ever has, and you don't even know me." After nearly three hours, the young woman hugged her and told her, "I was not planning on leaving this bathroom alive. ... Thank you, because you saved my life." (171)

" **I Wish I Could Thank Him Every Second of Every Day. Without Him, I Wouldn't be Here Right Now"**

On 25 June 2011 along the Boxelder Creek in Owanka, South Dakota, a rattlesnake bit Alex Anderson, age 18, while he was walking back to his car after a fishing exhibition. The rattlesnake bit into one of Alex's arteries, and the poison swept quickly through his body. He said, "I knew right away that rattlesnakes are venomous. So I knew I had to get out of there fast." Fortunately, with Alex was his frequent fishing partner and friend Brandon Koch, age 13. By the time they reached the car, Alex was not able to drive. He was vomiting and was having difficulty breathing. Brandon knew how to drive because of working on a farm and so he drove Alex to safety. Brandon said, "There were so many thoughts running through my head, like, 'How much time does he have?' and 'Is he going to be okay?' It was really scary." As he drove, he kept calling 911, but he was in an area where his calls kept being dropped. Finally, he got through to 911 and received instructions to take Alex to New Underwood. Brandon said, "I was really scared when the calls kept getting dropped, because I didn't know if I was going to get connected again, and it was taking a long time. Then, I could see Alex was starting to close his eyes, so I just kept trying, and luckily, I got through and met up with the ambulance." The ambulance took Alex to a helicopter that took him to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where he was given 11 vials of anti-venom. Alex said, "I remember the car ride and helicopter flight felt like it took forever. I know they were both going fast, but the pain made everything feel off. At one point, I thought I was going to die. It was definitely the worst experience of my life." He praised his friend Brandon: "He's not your average 13-year-old, and I had a good feeling he could do it. He's definitely a hero." He added, "I wish I could thank him every second of every day. Without him, I wouldn't be here right now." (172)

" **I Had to Get Him out of There"**

In May 2011, two men were working on a roof at a Swepco Tube manufacturing plant in New Jersey when it collapsed, sending one of the men into a vat of diluted nitric acid (40 to 70 percent acid). The other man helped to rescue him. Martin Davis, a 44-year-old father of three, fell into the vat of acid and was burned head to foot. Rob Nuckols, age 51, is one of the men who helped save his life. Mr. Davis was bright red, in shock, and incoherent when he was pulled out of the vat of acid. Firefighters sprayed him with water after cutting off his clothing. Mr. Nuckols was lucid and able to spray himself with water. Mr. Davis was airlifted to St Barnabas Medical Center in Clifton, New Jersey. Mr. Nuckols suffered leg and abdomen burns, and he was treated at St Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson. Three men helped Mr. Nuckols get Mr. Davis out of the vat: Rob Fulton, Joe Dabkowski, and William Walker. Mr. Nuckols told firefighters about the rescue, "I had to get him out of there." Mr. Davis' brother, John, who also works in construction, said, "In our trade we stick together. It's a serious business. You'll die out there. You've got your family to feed, and you have got to protect each other." Fire chief Vincent Colavitti praised Mr. Nuckols: "It takes a lot of courage. He saw one of his co-workers in trouble and he jumped in after him." Some reports stated that Mr. Nuckols went into the vat of acid to rescue Mr. Davis; at least one report stated that he did not go into the vat but was one of the four men who rescued him. The other three heroes also suffered injuries. Two men went to St. Mary's Hospital to be treated for irritation on their arms and hands, and one man was treated at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson. (173)

Mark Skelton: Providing Showers

After an earthquake, people can have a hard time getting food and water—and showers. In Auckland, New Zealand, Mark Skelton watched television news reports about the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch. He said, "We were hearing stories of people going without the basic necessities of toilets and showers. Being a showering company [Kohler], we put our heads together at work and some ideas started floating around to build a mobile shower truck." Mr. Skelton went to the Event Showers business in Waihi. It had what he called a "massive" truck and trailer unit. He then figured out a way to get water and to heat it and then took the 27,000-liter tank to Christchurch. He also got a second truck. Each truck provided up to 500 showers daily. He said, "It was very humbling. Some hadn't had showers for up to nine days. Hearing their stories was very sad, but the spirit of the people was amazing." Mr. Skelton gave credit to many companies and people who helped in the project. They included the Air New Zealand engineering crew, Contact Energy, Event Showers, Kohler, and TransDiesel. (174)

" **I Could Hear People Crying for Help. All I Can Do, I Do for the People"**

When an earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, in February 2011, Erwin Polczak, who is from Poland, helped to rescue a man and three women who were trapped under rubble outside the OK Gift Shop near the Blue Pearl Gallery, which is the jewelry store where he works. Concrete trapped the man's leg, and the concrete was too heavy for him to lift. Mr. Polczak said, "I came back to Blue Pearl Gallery—it was very dark,—and I found a tool, but I went back and it was still too heavy. There was an aftershock, and the police and other people came to help." He added that he wanted to help people following the earthquake: "I could hear people crying for help. All I can do, I do for the people." Mr. Polczak also joined the volunteer group Comfort Crusaders, which for weeks afterward delivered food and water to elderly people and to people who were hard hit by the earthquake. A year later, Mr. Polczak won a Christchurch Earthquake Award for his heroism. He met his wife in New Zealand, and he has applied for New Zealand residency. He said about Christchurch, "It's beautiful. It's not really quiet, because of the aftershocks, but there are very nice people, and Christchurch has a very beautiful view. I love Christchurch." (175)

Female Mystery Good Samaritan Prevents a Rape

On 17 March 2012 in Hamilton, New Zealand, a female mystery Good Samaritan kept a sexual assault from escalating into a rape when she ran to aid a 20-year-old woman who had been dragged from a footpath and into some bushes at the intersection of Collinwood and Anglesea Streets. The 20-year-old woman called for help, and the female mystery Good Samaritan ran to her. The attacker fled. Detective Sergeant Michele Moore said about the female mystery Good Samaritan, "This woman has seen something and then done something about it, thereby preventing an already traumatic incident becoming that much worse for our victim, and we would [like] to commend her for that." The female mystery Good Samaritan comforted the 20-year-old woman but did not go with her to the police station to report the sexual assault. Detective Sergeant Moore said that the police department would like to talk to the female mystery Good Samaritan: "We need to speak to her to help build up our knowledge on the offender's description. The second reason is so we can acknowledge what she has done." (176)

" **If You're Put in that Situation, Do What You Can to Survive, and She Did"**

On 21 September 2011, a 58-year-old man asked an 18-year-old woman he knew to meet him at a gas station in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, because he was leaving town and wanted to say goodbye to her. Police pieced together what happened thereafter. She willingly met him there, but then he forced her to get into his truck. He then restrained her with duct tape and drove her to a hotel in Aberdeen, Mississippi. There he made her perform sexual acts. She asked him for a drink of water, and while he was getting it, she got his gun and shot him in the stomach, and then she locked herself in the bathroom until she heard him drive away. Two days later, the man was found dead in his truck. Mount Juliet Corporal Detective David Stolinsky said, "For an 18 year-old victim, she was very smart and did what she had to do to survive. It was a matter of survival, and she survived. I cannot advocate or tell folks not to do it. If you're put in that situation, do what you can to survive, and she did." He added, "I feel very strongly her life was in grave danger had she not done the heroic actions that she did." (177)

Two Heroes Stop a Rape

In June 2007, a man tried to rape a woman at Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida. Fortunately, two men came to her rescue. Sebastian Baxter, who was homeless, witnessed the attack and first ran for help and then came back to assist the woman. Mr. Baxter said, "He tried to get the female to come in the woods. So, she says, 'No.' Next thing you know, he grabbed her, and he snatched her in the woods." Mr. Baxter then ran for help: "I ran over here and got the security guard and told him what was going on. Then I ran in the woods, and that's when the guy got up and ran." Mr. Baxter had told Security Guard Gerald Etienne what was going on. Mr. Etienne said, "He was like, 'Do you hear the lady screaming?' and I was like, 'Yeah.' I went over there by the bushes, and I saw the lady screaming, and I told the guy, 'What is going on?' and he said, 'Nothing,' and I told the lady, 'What is going on?' and the lady started running away from me. The lady started running one way and the guy started running the other way." Mr. Etienne called 911, but the would-be rapist escaped. The woman stayed, and police assisted her. Mr. Baxter said, "It feels good to save another person from bodily harm." The woman was shaken up, but she was not physically injured. (178)

" **There was No Way He was Going to Get Away with This"**

On 10 April 2012, a 6-foot 2-inch, 350-pound man tried to sexually assault a woman across the street from the San Diego, California, police headquarters. She started screaming, "Get off me! Get off me!" Nick Murico, who was walking home from his job working security at the Tilted Kilt bar, heard her and came to her rescue. Mr. Murico said, "He turned and looked at me, and told me, 'This is my girlfriend. Mind your own business,' more or less." However, the woman let Mr. Murico know that she needed help. A police car came by, and Mr. Murico flagged it down, and the police arrested the would-be sex attacker. Mr. Murico said, "There was no way he was going to get away with this." (179)

Real Men Still Exist. Unfortunately, So Do Would-Be Rapists

In September 2011, Brian Teichman, age 31, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan during his five years as a Marine, saved a woman from being raped in Queens, New York. A man forced a woman over a guardrail and then into a deserted, wooded area. Mr. Teichman said, "I looked down and I saw him straddling her and he had his hand over her mouth and he was trying to rip her shirt off. My thought was scream first. If he runs, you don't need to worry if he has a gun or a knife. In the deepest scream I could, I said, 'Hey, get the f—k off of her!' He looked up at me and then ran down the hill." He ran to the woman, who "was crying and distraught. She couldn't walk, and I had to pick her up and get her back over the guardrail." Police were searching for the sex attacker. Mr. Teichman said, "In hindsight, I feel like I didn't do my job until they catch him. If I would have caught him and pinned him down for the cops, I would feel better right now." He added, "I feel like I did what anyone else would've done in that position. I didn't think much. I just did it." Mr. Teichman had been dropping his daughter off at the babysitter's house. The babysitter saw the man and the woman. At first, she thought that they were engaging in horseplay. She said, "And then all of a sudden, I realize this wasn't a voluntary thing—that this man was forcing her and pushing her over the railing." She screamed, and Mr. Teichman rescued the woman and scared away the would-be rapist. The babysitter said, "He was just going ballistic, he was just going ballistic—scared the hell outta the guy. He literally did." (180)

Real Men: Nathaniel Mehl and Aiden Waugh

In June 2010 on the South Lawrence Trafficway bike path in Lawrence, Kansas, a man grabbed a 23-year-old woman who was riding her bike and attempted to rape her. She resisted, and he began stabbing her. Two jogging teenagers—Nathaniel Mehl, age 19, and Aiden Waugh, age 18—rescued her. Mr. Mehl said, "I would never imagine something like this would happen here. It was pretty emotionally scarring to see what he was doing to her." Mr. Waugh said, "I was so unprepared to see what we saw in broad daylight. You could see this guy's arms flailing. She was bleeding everywhere and screaming for help." The woman's face appeared to be beaten, and she was cut on her hands as she fought back. She also had stab wounds on other parts of her body. Mr. Mehl and Mr. Waugh chased the man away and called 911 on the woman's cell phone. Mr. Mehl chased the attacker, while Mr. Waugh stayed with the woman. Mr. Mehl said, "I was just so angry. I've never seen something like that in my entire life. I was just so angry at the guy that I chased him, but I lost sight of him." Lawrence police spokesman Sergeant Bill Cory said, "It was great for her that these two gentlemen were there at that time and were able to intercede on her behalf. Had they not been there, it might have been a very different outcome." Mr. Waugh said, "I'd really like to think that anyone in that same situation would do the same thing." Police made an arrest in the case. (181)

" **That Poor Woman was being Assaulted in the Alley And Needed My Help—That was My Goal"**

On 14 April 2012 on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, Lincoln Square resident Ron Psenka, age 46, heard a woman scream for help. He told his wife to call 911 and then he ran out of his back door. The woman was being sexually assaulted in an alley near his home. According to prosecutors, the attacker was an Iraqi citizen who drove a cab and who noticed the woman walking alone. The attacker parked his cab and followed the woman into an alley, where he grabbed her, warned her not to scream or he would kill her, pulled her to the ground and started sexually assaulting her. She began screaming, and Mr. Psenka ran to her rescue. The attacker fled. Mr. Psenka said that he "grabbed a shovel and chased him about three and half blocks in my bare feet." Mr. Psenka flagged down a police SUV, and the police made an arrest. The woman identified the arrested man as the person who had attacked her. Mr. Psenka said that the victim visited him and his wife: "She stopped by our house last night to say thanks. That poor woman was being assaulted in the alley and needed my help—that was my goal." (182)

Neighbor Prevents Rape

On 18 February 2012 in an East Harlem housing project in New York, a man cornered a 23-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl in an elevator at the Woodrow Wilson houses. He exposed himself to the pair and then threatened to rape the 23-year-old woman. A neighbor ran to the females' aid and stopped the attack. (183)

" **Thank God She Kept Yelling.** **He Saw Me Coming. He Got Right Off of Her and Took Off"**

On 8 April 2012 in Queens, New York, Mike Novak, age 54, woke up and heard, "Help! Help! Help!" He ran outside and saw a man attacking a woman. Mr. Novak said, "He had her in the bushes. He was groping her. She was saying, 'No! Stop!' He was trying to cover her mouth. Thank God she kept yelling. He saw me coming. He got right off of her and took off." Mr. Novak chased the man, but said that "he had a good lead on me, he had sneakers on and I was barefoot, so I came back. The poor lady was saying, 'Please don't leave me.'" He took her inside his home, and his wife, who is a nurse, took care of her. Mr. Novak said, "I heard someone [who] needed help." He did not hesitate to help, he said, because "30 years of martial arts makes you want to jump in." He added, "I was born in Chinatown. It was the '70s and everyone was kung-fu fighting." (184)

Jennifer Hopper: The Bravest Woman in Seattle, Washington

When a man who commits rape and murder is caught, much work remains to put that man behind bars for the rest of his life so that he cannot hurt anyone else—at least anyone who is not in prison. The man must go to trial, and survivors can greatly increase the guilty man's chance of being legally found guilty by testifying against him. On 19 July 2009, a man crawled through the open window of a house in South Park, an area in Seattle, Washington. He raped the two women in the house several times, and then he attempted to kill them with a foot-long knife. He stabbed both women repeatedly. Both women fled. One woman collapsed outside the house and died. The other woman succeeded in getting help. In an article in _The Stranger_ , an alternative newspaper in Seattle, Washington, the survivor wrote, "It's as if on July 19, 2009, someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, lifted me up, and dropped me headfirst into another life. Suddenly, you can't go home. Your home is a crime scene." In the article, the survivor revealed her name: Jennifer Hopper. She wrote, "I am prepared to have my name enter the public realm. I know this may be naive, but I believe I should be able to be fine in my professional life—my whole life, really—and have it be known that this happened to me. In fact, having learned how to survive this may even have made me stronger and more able to manage the normal, workaday ups and downs. Mostly, I no longer want to give off the impression that I'm afraid to be known, or that I might be ashamed of anything that happened that night. I am not afraid. I am not ashamed. I am still here." In an article for _The Stranger_ , reporter Eli Sanders called her the bravest woman in Seattle. Why? Because she testified against the man who committed rape and murder, despite how harrowing that was for her. Mr. Sanders wrote, "The reason for her sitting on the witness stand of a packed and sweltering eighth-floor courtroom at the King County Courthouse on June 8 [2011], in jeans and a short-sleeved black blouse, hands clasped over knees, a jury of strangers taking notes, a crowd of family and friends and strangers observing, a bunch of media recording, was to say: This happened to me. You must listen. This happened to us. You must hear who was lost. You must hear what he did. You must hear how Teresa [Butz] fought him. You must hear what I loved about her. You must know what he took from us. This happened." She testified for nearly six hours over the course of two days. The testimony worked. The man was found guilty of multiple charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. After the verdict was given, one of the defense attorneys for the rapist/murderer said of Ms. Hopper, "She was the best witness I have seen in my 14 years as an attorney." (185)

" **I Got Six Sisters. I Got Daughters, Sons, and My Wife. If This Happened to Her, I Would Hope Somebody Would Help Them"**

In May 2012 while driving his TriMet bus near 96th and Division in Portland, Oregon, Larry Porter, an African-American man, saw an argument between a man and a woman. So did other drivers. He said, "At first, I thought they were just arguing. He pushed her, but when I saw him hit her in the head and hit her in the face, I'm like this guy is beating this woman up and nobody is helping." Mr. Porter first yelled at the man: "I said, 'Guy, the police are on the way. Quit hitting her." The beating got worse. Mr. Porter said, "I just knew I had to stop him from hurting her." So he stopped his bus and tackled the man "with a lot more force than probably what he was using on her. I didn't hit him—just grabbed him, got him off her. Then I laid down on top of him and waited for the police." Other people helped him to hold the man down. Mr. Porter said, "I got six sisters. I got daughters, sons, and my wife. If this happened to her, I would hope somebody would help them." (186)

Resisting Domestic Violence

Resisting domestic violence is something that is necessary. Kim Lee, the American wife of a 42-year-old Chinese celebrity entrepreneur, did that in April 2012. She said that at their home in Beijing, he beat her face several times against the living-room floor. Their three-year-old daughter, Lydia, saw them and said, "Stop! What are you doing? Stop, Daddy, stop!" She jumped on her father, scratched his arm, and he cursed. But he did stop. Kim Lee alleges that her husband had beat her more than once, but this time she took their daughter, their passports, and some money, and fled and filed for divorce. She also went to the police, who took photographs of her injuries. Then she took action to make sure that people were aware of the domestic violence. On the Internet, she posted photographs of her injuries: a bump on her forehead, bruises on her knees, a bleeding ear. The photographs got the attention of many, many people in China. Feng Yuan, founder and chair of the Anti-Domestic Violence Network in Beijing, said, "A lot of people said, 'Oh, is it because Kim is an American and so she's too strong-willed, or her personality is too strong?' ... Some others have asked whether she is making a big fuss over a small issue. This shows that in terms of the public perception of domestic violence, we still have a long way to go." According to an article by the Associated Press, her husband sent Ms. Lee this text message: "In America you should be killed by your husband with gun. This is real American way. You're so lucky to be in China!" (187)

Shawn Moore: 18-year-old African-American Hero

On 24 February 2002 in Brooklyn, New York City, Shawn Moore, a 18-year-old African-American, died a hero when he was stabbed after running to the aid of his friend Shakeyma Grant, age 17, when four men accosted her. Ms. Grant said, "He's dead; it's my fault. He could still be here; it's my fault." Mr. Moore is dead, but his death is not Ms. Grant's fault. Ms. Grant, Mr. Moore, and some friends were at a party when a young man bothered one of her friends and Ms. Grant got into an argument with him. He threatened to stab her. Ms. Grant and Mr. Moore and others left the party. Ms. Grant and Mr. Moore parted, but the young man who had been bothering Ms. Grant's friend had followed her; so had three of his male friends. The young man grabbed her wrist and told her, "Come on, you're coming to another party with me." She refused, and the young man pulled out a knife, held it against her stomach, and cursed at her. Ms. Grant screamed for help. Mr. Moore heard her, and he came running to help her. The young man stabbed him, and he and his three friends fled. Mr. Moore stumbled into Ms. Grant's home and was taken to Brookdale University Hospital and later pronounced dead. Esther Grant, Shakeyma's mother, said, "I don't know what would have happened if Shawn hadn't been there." One of his cousins said, "Right now I'm just so sad. Why did he have to die? Why? For what?" Mr. Moore had always lived in apartments, and one of his dreams was to buy "millions and millions" of houses. In November 2002, a man who had been arrested for trespassing said that he had "accidentally" killed Mr. Moore. (188)

" **By the Grace of God, I'm Here Because of the Quick Actions of Good Samaritans"**

On 23 March 2012 in Newport News, Virginia, married couple Flynn and Patricia Martinez heard a woman screaming as they were driving away from a drive-thru window. Across the street, a man was on top of a woman in a car and punching her in the face. He had a knife in his hand. Flynn, age 37, ran across the street. The man fled, and Flynn chased him. Patricia stayed with the victim: Laura Barnes. Patricia gave Laura an apron to press against her bloody face. Flynn said, "When he saw me, he got out of the car and dropped the knife." Flynn chased him and tackled him. Flynn, who is a cab driver, said, "I grabbed his arm and twisted it. I just wanted to hold him for the police." The Martinezes have been called—and are—heroes, but Flynn said, "I'm honored, but at the same time there are people who do things like that all the time that go unnoticed." The man who assaulted the woman was arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Laura said that the attack began after the man asked her for 50 cents, and she refused to give him money. She said, "Seconds later, I was being stabbed, beaten, and robbed, and I was fighting for my life." She suffered broken bones and now has a metal plate in her head. She said, "Not a day goes by that I don't relive those horrible memories ... I have to live with that for the rest of my life." Laura threw a party in 2011 to thank Flynn and Patricia Martinez. Laura said, "By the grace of God, I'm here because of the quick actions of good Samaritans." (189)

" **I Never Thought Any of My Actions would Carry This Far"**

On Halloween night 2005, a masked man came to the door of Melanie Strong, age 26, who lived in an apartment in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ms. Strong thought that he was a trick-or-tricker, and she opened the door. The masked man then attacked, stabbing her repeatedly in the head and back. She screamed, and her neighbor Jamie Robertson, age 43 in 2005, heard her screams. He ran to her apartment and stationed himself between the masked man and Ms. Strong, and he fought the knife-wielding masked man, who eventually fled. In December 2006, Mr. Robertson was awarded a Carnegie Hero Medal for his bravery. Mr. Robertson's wife, Brenda Thompson, said, "I think it's great. I'm surprised at how many people have told us they wouldn't have done the same thing." Mr. Robertson said, "I'm overwhelmed. I'm just a Calgary kid. I never thought any of my actions would carry this far." (190)

" **All of the Sudden, Someone Comes Up Behind Me and Covers My Mouth and My Eyes With Full Force"**

In December 2011 in Washington, D.C., a man grabbed a 26-year-old woman from behind in broad daylight on a busy street and pulled her into a parking garage. The woman said, "All of the sudden, someone comes up behind me and covers my mouth and my eyes with full force." She screamed, and Good Samaritans, including parking lot attendants, passersby, and an attorney, came to her rescue. A witness said, "I heard the screams, then I saw people running into this parking garage entrance right here." The Good Samaritans saw the man attacking the woman, who said, "He got me to the ground and grabbed my hair and starting dragging me down into the garage." The Good Samaritans held the attacker, and police arrested him. The woman believes that she would have been killed if the Good Samaritans had not come to aid her; after all, this was not a robbery, since the attacker did not try to take her purse. She said about the Good Samaritans, none of whom she knew, "I think they're amazing." (191)

" **Don't Go With [The Kidnapper] Because That's When the Really Bad Things Happen. If It's Going to Happen, Let It Happen Where Everyone Can See It in the Public [Area] Because You Don't Want to Go Where They Have Control"**

In May 2011, a woman was nearly abducted from a McDonald's parking lot in Norwood, Ohio. The attacker jumped in her car, held a knife to her throat, and ordered her to drive him to a different location. She refused, and the attacker began hitting her. Good Samaritans noticed the attack and came to the woman's aid. The attacker ran away. Witness and Good Samaritan Ashley Ward said, "As I was leaving through Kroger's parking lot, I saw people chasing him [the attacker] around Taco Bell where the McDonald's was. I was like, 'All right, whatever,' and so I tossed my bags down, told my friends to watch it and darted right across Montgomery Road after him. [...] The K-9 unit came out, and I showed them where he went running through the parking lot. Not even three seconds after, the dog got on the scent and he found him lying in the bushes." The man the police arrested was a suspect in the armed robbery and kidnapping of a 71-year-old South Carolina woman. Lieutenant Tom Williams of the Norwood Police Department said, "If there's one victim down there, and there's one victim here, then there's probably more in between." He commended the Norwood woman's actions: "Don't go with [the kidnapper] because that's when the really bad things happen. If it's going to happen, let it happen where everyone can see it in the public [area] because you don't want to go where they have control." Ms. Ward said, "Just get out of the car. Don't let someone make you a victim." (192)

" **Mike [Brown of Brevard County, Florida] Does What Mike Does. He Saves Lives"**

In April 2012, Sheriff's Sergeant Michael Brown was named the law enforcement Officer of the Year of Brevard County, Florida. In September 2011, he saved the life of a woman whose kidnapper was attacking her. Sheriff Jack Parker said, "Mike truly is my hero. He has had a career packed with those situations." In September 2011, deputies investigated reports of a kidnapping. Sergeant Brown saw the vehicle used in the kidnapping. The driver of the vehicle drove into the Indian River and then started stabbing the kidnapped woman. Sheriff Parker said, "Mike was so composed under that kind of pressure. He gets himself into a tactical position. ... He shoots six times, six perfect shots, not one hits her." The woman was stabbed more than 30 times, but she survived. In 2010, Sergeant Brown rescued people from a burning motor home—while he was on vacation. Sheriff Parker said, "Mike does what Mike does. He saves lives." (193)

Anthony Balaity and Eric Fuller: Real Heroes

In May 2011 in Bakersfield, California, Anthony Balaity and Eric Fuller, both age 15, heard a woman screaming while they were hanging out together in Anthony's bedroom. Anthony said, "It becomes more of a horror-type scream, shrill voice, at which point, me and Eric both jumped up." Eric said, "We both look at each other, didn't have to even say anything, and we both knew we gotta go now." They grabbed a golf club, went outside, and saw a man and a woman. Anthony added, "We're like, 'Is everything OK?' He's like, 'She's too drunk, and I need to get her home.' I grab her hand and say, 'Is that the real story?' And, he's like, 'Do you want me to kill you, too?' The guy punches me in the face and then he grabs me around the neck and then knees me in the stomach." Eric said, "That's when I start hitting him with the golf club, once in the back of the shoulders and then twice in the back of the head. He stumbled and let go of Anthony. I started sprinting back to the house to tell his parents to call police." Police arrested the man. Lieutenant Scott McDonald, Bakersfield Police Department, said, "I think it was fortunate those two young men happened to be there. [...] There's a lot of adults that wouldn't do that." The two boys had lots of evidence that something was seriously wrong. Eric said that the woman told him, "Don't let me go with him. He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me." They also saw the man grab the woman by the back of her hair and her throat. Then the two boys took action and became heroes. (194)

They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping

In July 1976 near Fresno, California, school-bus driver Frank Edward "Ed" Ray stopped to help three men with a broken-down van. The three men hijacked the school bus, in which were Mr. Ray (the only adult) and 26 summer-school children, ages five to 14. The three men put all of them in a storage van in a quarry in Livermore (100 miles away) and buried it under three feet of earth in a $5 million ransom attempt. Mr. Ray and two older boys used mattresses to reach an opening in the top of the van and dug their way out. Mr. Ray and all of the children safely escaped. The three kidnappers were arrested, tried, and sentenced to prison. This escape was made into the TV movie _They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping_. Mr. Ray and the children all came from Chowchilla and Dairyland. Jodi Medrano, who was 10 years old at the time, held a flashlight and helped move mattresses. She said about Mr. Ray, "I remember him making me feel safe." She added, "Mr. Ray was a very quiet, strong, humble man. He has a very special place in my heart. I loved him very much." Glen Ray, Mr. Ray's son, said about him, "He told me that he felt it was his responsibility to get the kids back home to their parents safely—that's all he could think about." Mr. Ray died on 17 May 2012 at age 91. (195)

" **A Woman Came Out, Screaming, 'He Took My Purse!'"**

In May 2012 at a Walmart in Culpepper, Virginia, a man stole a purse and fled. Two men chased him. Howard Hardaway, a disabled Navy veteran with a brain injury, and his wife, Danielle, had just driven to the Walmart. Danielle said, "A woman came out, screaming, 'He took my purse!'" Howard, age 42, is in great shape: He is a triathlete in training. He asked his wife if he should chase the thief, and she replied that he ran fast. He caught the thief and put him in an arm lock, and one of the other men who were chasing the thief helped bring the thief down. Culpeper police officers arrested the alleged thief. Mr. Hardaway's brain injury resulted in short-term memory loss; years earlier, a gang of men beat him while bystanders did nothing to stop the beating. (196)

" **I'm Making Up for Mistakes from When I was Younger, I Guess"**

In 2006, Adam Goodman was working at the Flesh tattoo parlor in Norcross, Georgia, when he heard screams coming from the La Unica Hair Salon, the beauty parlor next door. He and his client ran outside and became heroes. Mr. Goodman saw a man holding a knife, and he said, "I grabbed him by the neck." He and his client wrestled the armed man to the ground and held him until police arrived. The armed man had robbed the beauty parlor. A woman there stated that the armed man had threatened to kill the people in the beauty parlor. Mr. Goodman received much praise from people, including police officers. He said, "I'm just a tattoo artist," adding, "I'm making up for mistakes from when I was younger, I guess." (197)

Benny Kirkland: "I'm Not a Hero, Just a Dad Doing What Dads Do. Any Dad Would Have Done It"

On 3 May 2012 in Buffalo, New York, a driver hit and killed 14-year-old Bryce Buchholz, who was riding his bike. The driver of the car did not stop. Eyewitness Angela Mackiewicz said, "It was terrible, it was absolutely terrible. It was probably one of the worst things I've ever, ever seen in my whole entire life. Benny Kirkland, an African-American hero, witnessed the hit-and-run by a driver who he said was doing approximately 70 mph in a residential neighborhood. Mr. Kirkland jumped in his car and chased the driver, who was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene, and DWI. Mr. Kirkland said, "I followed the guy home, and when I got to his house, he had actually backed the car into the driveway. And when I saw who it was, he was wiping his car off." A reporter asked Mr. Kirkland what he said to the hit-and-run driver. Mr. Kirkland answered, "'You're wiping your car off? You left the scene of an accident, which means you know you've done something wrong. You're actually standing here, wiping off your car. You're more concerned about your car than the kid you hit.' I explained to him that you killed somebody at the corner of Lake and Sagebrush. His reaction was he didn't see anything. At that time, I grabbed him by the shirt and put him in my car. I have safety locks on my door and safety window locks, can't open them, and put him in my car and brought him back to the scene, brought him back in my car. At that point, when we turned the corner, [I said to him], 'Now you see what you created?'" Like many heroes, Mr. Kirkland denies that he is a hero: "I'm not a hero, just a dad doing what dads do. Any dad would have done it. When it comes to the kids, not on my watch. It just doesn't happen. If you do wrong, you answer to it. One thing you don't do is drink and drive. That's a no-no; we don't tolerate that around here." (198)

" **Stop, Stop, You have to Help the [Police] Officer"**

On 11 March 2012, a 35-year-old man screamed, "I'm going to punch you in the face," and approached uniformed Police Officer Israel Valentin, age 60, in Plainfield, New Jersey. The man asked, "Are you looking for me?" Mr. Valentin replied, "No, I don't know who you are." The man then started beating Mr. Valentin. He knocked him to the ground and started kicking him. One woman used her car to keep Mr. Valentin from being run over by car drivers who would have seen him too late to stop. A man and his wife who were driving by in a car with their three children, saw what was happening. His wife told him, "Stop, stop, you have to help the officer." The man stopped the car, got out of it with a baseball bat, and hit the attacker four or five times in the back. Witness Carlos Cancel, age 48, said, "He [the attacker] didn't even feel it. He looked up at the guy. He didn't flinch at all." Captain Ed Santiago, a Plainfield police commander, said that the attacker "turned around and said, 'You want some of this?'" The Good Samaritan was able to draw the attacker away from the police officer so that Mr. Cancel could approach him. Mr. Cancel said, "The officer, at this time, was face down on the ground, bleeding and moaning in pain." Mr. Cancel saw a radio lying nearby and started screaming into it, "Officer down!" When Sergeant Wayne Williams arrived, the attacker fled but an arrest was later made. Mr. Valentin suffered broken ribs as well as head and body injuries, Captain Santiago said, "I'm telling you, this may have been significantly more serious injuries—if not death—because he [the attacker] wasn't stopping." Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow said, "This is the most horrible attack I've seen on a police officer since I've been prosecutor"—he has been prosecutor for a decade. Mr. Valentin was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The name of the Good Samaritan with the baseball bat was not immediately released. (199)

Heroic Woman Helps Rescue Police Officer

On 11 December 2010, Dayton, Ohio Police Officer Jonathan Seiter stopped a man who was driving with a burned-out headlight. Mr. Seiter frisked the driver, and then the driver attacked him, even appearing to reach for Mr. Seiter's weapon belt. Mr. Seiter said, "I've had numerous resisting [suspects], and this is the first one where hands on, he was actually trying to kill me." As the two men fought, Mr. Seiter screamed, "Give me some help!" The driver appeared to be getting the better of the fight as he pinned Mr. Seiter to the vehicle, but Angela M. Pierce, age 29, who was driving by, stopped her car, got out, and helped Mr. Seiter fight the driver. Mr. Seiter said, "Thank God she appeared." He added, "I heard her go by and she was yelling 'call 911' when she was coming up ... she commenced to help me out." Another police officer arrived and the driver was restrained and arrested. Dayton Police Officer Larry Tolpin said about the actions of Ms. Pierce, "I think it's very commendable. Although, don't get me wrong, I'm not endorsing that citizens participate in this manner. But, under this particular circumstance, it was very commendable of her." Mr. Seiter said, "I would like to say thank you to her." In March 2012, Ms. Pierce was named a recipient of the Carnegie Hero Medal. (200)
CHAPTER 5: STORIES 201-250

Good Samaritan Aids Police Officer

In March 2012 in Carrollton, Texas, Police Officer Matt Bonner's squad car was broadsided by another vehicle. Pinned in the squad car, he attempted to call for help, but he was injured and disoriented. Five police officers rushed to find him, but no one knew his exact location. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan used the police radio to call for help. The Good Samaritan said, "Officer Bonner is down. 317 Whitlock. Whitlock and Old Denton road, right at the intersection." The police dispatcher replied, "Received, Sir, we've got them on the way." Chuck Lucas heard the crash: "I heard a 'bang' and walked outside and saw a police car bounce over the curb." He checked on the other driver and then went to the squad car. He said, "There was somebody talking on his radio calling for help." He said that the Good Samaritan added "that they needed an ambulance and fire crews there as soon as possible and an off-duty police officer came up and just took over." The Good Samaritan disappeared after help arrived, but his action had led to help arriving more quickly. Carrollton police spokesman Lieutenant Doug Mitchell said, "He [Matt Bonner] regained consciousness when paramedics began treating him and was transported by Carrollton Fire Department ambulance to Parkland." Later, the Good Samaritan was identified as off-duty security guard Tim Bailey, who was walking his dog when the accident occurred. Lieutenant Mitchell said it is deeply troubling to hear the voice of a civilian on a police radio: "When you hear that, it goes from zero to a hundred in a split-second." Examination of dash camera video showed that police officer Bonner had ran a red light. (201)

" **Done and Dusted!"**

On 8 April 2012, near Johannesburg, South Africa, a man, whose name was not released, was kidnapped and put in the trunk of his Volkswagen Golf. Carjacking is, unfortunately, common in South Africa. The two men who kidnapped him did not take away his cell phone, and he tweeted his girlfriend, Lynn Peters, who used Twitter to get help for him. As soon as she got his tweet, Ms. Peters tweeted, "Be on the look for DSS041GP my boyufriend [sic] has just been hijacked and is in the boot [trunk] please RT." "RT" means "retweet," and seven of Ms. Peters' friends, including Tanisha Reddy, did just that. Another Twitterer, @pigspotter, who identifies the locations of police roadblocks (some police in South Africa have been accused of corruption and many people, including honest people, want to avoid the police roadblocks) and who is well known in South Africa, then retweeted the message to his 100,000 and more followers, who include the employees of private security firms. The information got to the police. A Twitterer asked if the Volkswagen Golf had an electronic tracking system; Ms. Reddy replied, "No it doesn't. How else can we track him?" Riga Rescue offered to track the kidnap victim's cell phone: "I have contacts in the area give me cell number we trace him fast quick boet let's hurry." The Volkswagen Golf was found. Ms. Reddy tweeted, "Just received a call, the police have found him his in Ventersberg! He is okay just shaken up thank you to everyone for all the help!!" The kidnappers had driven into a police roadblock 150 miles from where the kidnapping occurred. The kidnappers fled on foot, and the kidnapped man was safely rescued. Riga Rescue tweeted, "Done and dusted ! :-) Good ending ! This time ! Sleep tight !" (202)

The Iranian Navy: Defenders Against Somali Piracy

During the morning of 6 April 2012, Somali pirates near the Iranian port of Chabahar attacked and captured the Chinese freighter _Xianghuamen_ and took 28 Chinese crewmembers hostage. Later the same day, the Iranian Navy rescued them. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the pirates "threw their weapons into the sea and surrendered to the Iranian Navy." Iranian port official Saeed Izadiyan said, "Through the successful mission of Iranian naval forces, the ship was released and nine pirates were arrested." Meng Qingchang, the second mate of the rescued freighter _Xianghuamen_ , said, "It is the most scary moment in my life when the Iranian navy was exchanging fire with the Somali pirates." Xu Hongbing, the chief motorman on board, said, "We were extremely frightened, and 27 of us were hiding in the controlling cabin when the pirates began to break open the doors. Finally, the pirates tried to break the last of the four doors of the controlling cabin after the first three doors were broken." The Chinese crewmembers opened the remaining door, and the Somali pirates seized them. The pirates ordered the crewmembers to set sail for Somalia. An Iranian naval warship intercepted the ship and requested that it stop sailing. The pirates forced a Chinese crewmember to tell the Iranian warship that the pirates numbered 22 instead of the real number: nine. The pirates also told the Iranian warship to stay 20 miles away. The commander of the Iranian warship ignored this order. A Chinese crewmember was able to report in Chinese to another cargo ship the real number of pirates on board because the Somali pirates did not understand Chinese. The Iranian warship opened fire, and the pirates fired back. During the exchange of gunfire, a Somali pirate fired a bullet that grazed Li Guwen, who is the only Chinese crewmember injured. He said, "I was scared by the sound of firing, and I even didn't know that I was hurt until my colleagues saw my bleeding head." Five of the Chinese crewmembers shut down the ship's engines and then jumped into the sea. The captain of the ship also jumped into the sea. The Iranians rescued all of them, and they stayed overnight on the ship. Li Chaoqun, who is one of the crewmembers who jumped into the sea, said, "They [members of the Iranian navy] treated us well, providing us with clean and dry clothes. We were served the same food as they had." (203)

Walmart Employees Subdue Alleged Cop Killer

In April 2012, a Walmart employee in Austin, Texas, telephoned 911 to report a man who appeared to be drunk. Senior Police Officer Jaime Padron investigated, and the man shot him. Officer Padron died from a gunshot wound to the neck. Two Walmart employees immediately and courageously subdued the suspect. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said, "We've seen video of members of the Walmart team, after our officer was shot, immediately without hesitancy, taking action to take that suspect and detain him." He added, "Even in this tragedy, I am heartened by two brave souls who took action." The suspect shot once at the Walmart employees who subdued him, but the suspect missed. Assistant Police Chief Patti Robinson said, "When the people that you are paid to keep safe turn around and support you and try to keep you safe, it makes you realize that is why you became a police officer." City Manager Marc Ott said, "It's a tough day for all of us. We lost a family member." Police Chief Acevedo said about the fallen officer's two daughters, "Those little girls are going to have evidence when they grow up that their dad was a hero." (204)

Thieves Foiled by Man Who Can Use Only One Arm

In February 2011, security guard Wayne Tyrrell, age 38, saw a thief with lots of clothing in his arms running from a store in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. He reported the theft, but the police could not send an officer immediately. In addition, no one was monitoring the town's CCTV system. Although Mr. Tyrrell had recently had shoulder replacement surgery and could use only one arm, he decided to pursue the thief himself. He witnessed the thief passing the stolen clothing to an accomplice. From behind, he approached the accomplice, tapped him on the shoulder, and grabbed the stolen clothing, which he then returned to the store. Mr. Tyrrell was angry that the police had not done more: "It is wrong, and we should not just let them get away with stealing. [...] I told the police I could point them out; they were just walking around town afterwards. Their response made me wonder why I bothered. This probably happens every day, but Spalding is a dying town with shops closing and it does not help, does it?" The theft was reported at 1:02 p.m. Inspector Paul Timmins said that at 1:13 p.m. a police car was ordered to go to the location, and five or six minutes later police officers arrived at the location. Inspector Timmins said, "Unfortunately, we had three or four jobs within a ten-minute period. It was good, brave action from the gentleman involved, and I thank him for that. Unfortunately, we were not able to get there quicker than we did." (205)

Two Good Samaritans and One Person Who Really, Really Needed to be Arrested

On 2 April 2012 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a 17-year-old driver of a car struck a bicyclist from behind on Fahy Bridge and attempted to flee. Two Good Samaritans foiled the hit-and-run. One Good Samaritan was Richard Gubish, Jr., a bus driver who saw the accident in his rear-view mirror and then positioned his bus across the two lanes of traffic of the bridge so that the hit-and-run driver could not flee by driving forward. The other Good Samaritan was Judson Smull, who stopped to help the injured bicyclist. The bicyclist, who was not seriously injured, urged Mr. Smull to go after the hit-and-run driver. Mr. Smull did, and he positioned his car behind the car driven by the hit-and-run driver so that the hit-and-run driver could not turn around and attempt to flee. Police Officer Wade Haubert quickly arrived on the scene and arrested the hit-and-run driver. A press release by the Bethlehem Police Department stated, "The quick and selfless actions by Mr. Gubish and Mr. Smull brought this potentially tragic situation to a very positive conclusion. Without their decisive actions, the offending driver may not have been apprehended. We would like to thank Mr. Gubish and Mr. Smull for their selfless dedication to their community and for acting to help another in a time of need." The city's wireless camera system recorded the accident and subsequent flight attempt. (206)

" **I was Brought up to Respect the Elderly"**

In July 2011, outside a post office in Leicester, England, a criminal robbed an 82-year-old woman of her handbag and then tried to run away. Sam Woodward, age 33, ran after him, rugby-tackled him, and kept him in an arm-lock until police arrived. The thug was sentenced to five years in jail for this and other offenses. Mr. Woodward, an estate agent in Birmingham, said about the criminal, "What he did was lower than low—I think that he got everything he deserves. For someone to come up behind an old woman and throw her to the floor is cowardly. I was brought up to respect the elderly, and I found what happened horrendous. She probably just popped out for a pint of milk, and she shouldn't be scared to do that. When I imagine somebody doing something like that to my Mum, I would want someone to do what I did. When I caught up with him, I rugby-tackled him to the ground, got him in an arm-lock and waited for the police to arrive. I used to be a doorman for five years, so I knew what I was doing and I didn't hurt him too much." Mr. Woodward added, "You could tell the victim was in shock—she walked over to me while I was still sitting on top of him and asked for her purse back, because she'd like to go home. I went to see her in hospital after it happened and she was still shaky and she looked like she'd been involved in a rugby match—she was covered in bruises. I'm glad he got a long sentence as this is something that will probably stay with her for the rest of her life." After the criminal was sentenced, the victim, who did not want to be named, said, "I'm very relieved that this is all over. It's a weight off my shoulders. It's very sad for a young man to do this, and I have asked myself why, why did he choose this way of life?" (207)

" **He Just Gave Her the Cash and Left"**

In February 2011 in York, England, an 86-year-old woman was robbed on the street when someone snatched her handbag. Immediately after the robbery, an anonymous Good Samaritan withdrew £200 (over $300 American) from a cashpoint (ATM) and gave it to her. He then quickly disappeared. Sergeant Mike Pickersgill, from the Acomb Safer Neighbourhood Team, said, "She tried to refuse the money, but he insisted on giving her the cash. He could not bear to see her out of pocket. It was a very good thing to do. It is just a shame that we do not know who he was. He just gave her the cash and left—he did not want to make a big deal out of it. According to local people, he just drew the money out and gave it to the woman." York councillor David Horton said, "Obviously the poor lady will have been very appreciative, I would have thought, and it's nice for someone to do that and disappear without trying to gain kudos out of it." An arrest was made in the case. (208)

A Thank You from Florida

On Friday, 18 June 2010, Lisa Bates and her family, who are from Coconut Creek, Florida, were vacationing in Seattle, Washington. Unfortunately, their car was broken into and her backpack, which contained her wallet and cell phone, was stolen. She called the police and her bank, and then she and her family went back to their hotel. They discovered that some Good Samaritans had found her backpack, which apparently the thieves had to get rid of quickly. In a letter to the editor of the _Seattle Times_ , Ms. Bates wrote, "On arrival, we found that a group of people had found my bag, taken the time to find the itinerary inside and dropped it off at the hotel! The thieves had not even had the time to take the cash out of my wallet—I recovered everything. I don't know if the good Samaritans were locals or also on vacation, but I wanted to write to thank the people of Seattle for turning what could have been a complete disaster into a minor, albeit distressing, inconvenience." (209)

Doreen Crawford DiFiori: Sorely Missed

The death of a child is a tragedy to any family, and when the death occurs as a result of a hit-and-run, it is doubly tragic. Ed and Linda Crawford and family, who live in Manhattan, Illinois, sent this letter of thanks to _The Denton Record-Chronicle_ in Denton, Texas: "I am writing to thank the person or persons who placed a memorial for my daughter, Doreen Crawford DiFiori, who was struck and killed on Dec. 16, 2011. Doreen only just moved to Texas in June and she was to come home for Christmas to spend some time with her daughter and family, according to the postcard she wrote to her daughter the week before her death. She is sorely missed and knowing that some good Samaritan has put up a memorial at the scene of the hit-and-run scene, has made us very appreciative since we live in Illinois. The family wishes to thank that dear person or persons who were so thoughtful." (210)

" **You See Something Bad and You Just Feel Like You've Got to Do Something to Correct It"**

On 21 March 2012 in central Auckland, New Zealand, Alistair Comyn, age 39, and his friend Lisa Bradley heard a loud bang as they left the Shakespeare Tavern on Albert Street. Mr. Comyn said, "We looked through the traffic and there was this guy completely flat on the pavement and this guy was stood over him, who picked up the guy's bag and walked off." Mr. Comyn thought that the man, who turned out to be a Japanese tourist, might be dead. Mr. Comyn said, "It was just fight or flight—you see something bad and you just feel like you've got to do something to correct it." Ms. Bradley looked after the unconscious Japanese tourist while Mr. Comyn telephoned the police and followed the man with the bag. Mr. Comyn relayed information to the police while keeping his distance from the man with the bag. He said about the man with the bag, "He wasn't running. He was just cool and calm, like he'd done absolutely nothing wrong. I kept my distance ... a couple of times he turned around, and I just pretended I was on the phone talking to someone else. I just kept him in my sight as far away as I could because I had no idea if he'd come after me." The man went through the Japanese tourist's bag and then left it. Mr. Comyn picked the bag up. Police arrived soon afterward and made an arrest. Without Mr. Comyn's help, police were unlikely to make an arrest. Inspector Kerry Watson said, "A Good Samaritan followed the offender through town in heavy rain, providing updates for the police. There's been quite a few robberies in town, but they just blend in with other people." Ms. Bradley said about the bloodied mugging victim, "His English wasn't so good. He was by himself and was a visitor." The tourist was taken to Auckland City Hospital; his injuries were minor. (211)

Five-Year-Old Boy Fights Car Thief

In January 2001, a man tried to steal a car containing a five-year-old boy and six-month-old baby after Mimi Alexander stopped at a donut shop and left the children in the car. The car's engine was running, and the car thief jumped in and drove off. The five-year-old boy did not like this, so he began punching and choking the man, making it difficult for him to steer. Sergeant Daniel Hahn of the Sacramento, California, Police Department said about the car thief, "Subsequently he ran into a parked car, then took off again, drove recklessly and even jumped out of the car while it was still moving, with the children still in it. The car eventually came to a stop running into a telephone pole." An arrest was made in the case. (212)

Brother Truckers Make a Donation: 20,000 Pounds of Organically Grown California Vegetables

Two independent truckers—brothers—had bad luck making a cross-country delivery of 20,000 pounds of organically grown California vegetables. Their truck broke down, delaying the delivery, and their customer cancelled the order because it would be delivered late. The brothers, who wish to be anonymous, did not want the food to go to waste, so they contacted Onslow Community Ministries of Jacksonville, North Carolina. OCM operates a soup kitchen and provides relief services. Michael McCarthy, OMC administrative assistant, said, "It was just out of the blue. We were pleased. It was beautiful stuff." On 20 July 2004, the brothers helped volunteers to unload the food. Mr. McCarthy said, "They were here from start to finish. They were great guys. They weren't interested in getting patted on the back." (213)

" **I Wasn't Born in Waxahachie [Texas], But I Got Here as Fast as I Could"**

In 1968, Guila Jackson moved to Waxahachie, Texas, from Fort Worth, Texas, and she started saying, "I wasn't born in Waxahachie, but I got here as fast as I could." Why? She explains, "What has so endeared me about this wonderful community is the people who live here. They are caring and always step up to help those who have tragic things happen to them." For example, in April 2012, she lost her cell phone. When she went to the Valero Corner Store to see if she had left it there, she received good news. The cashier, Stephanie, told her that a woman had found the phone and turned it in. Ms. Jackson writes, "I don't know who this wonderful lady is, but I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for her honesty. This type of thing happens quite often in our community, and it is something we should all be very proud of. We always hear about the bad incidents that happen in our country, but I wanted to be sure that this great incident is acknowledged for all to see. Thanks again to this wonderful lady. She may be someone I know and she may be a complete stranger, but I want her to know that she made this ol' gal a very happy camper yesterday afternoon. May God richly bless you for your honesty. This is just one of the many reasons why I got to Waxahachie as fast as I could, even though I wasn't born here." (214)

" **Classified Ads Work"**

On 22 April 2012, a woman left a ring in a restroom at The Grand Marlin restaurant at Pensacola Beach, Florida. Twenty minutes later, she realized that the ring was missing and went back for it. The ring was gone. The ring had been appraised at $90,000 and had been designed by Jewelers Trade Shop in Pensacola. Seven years previously, the woman had received it when her husband proposed to her. Her husband said, "We were both frantic. And my wife was just sick about it." Neither the husband nor the wife wanted to be identified. They had intended to give the ring one day to their oldest daughter. The husband said, "It's not just about the money. This was going to be a family heirloom." The couple contacted police, hired a private investigator, posted fliers in local businesses, and contacted pawnshops and jewelry shops. What worked was a classified ad they put in the _Pensacola News Journal_. A woman read the ad and realized that the ring sounded similar to one that a friend had found. She contacted her friend, and the friend, who had thought that the ring was costume jewelry, immediately gave it to police. The friend also turned down the reward that the husband and wife had offered. The husband said, "Classified ads work." (215)

Does Jesus Live in Toronto, Canada?

Some people are very honest. A person who calls himself The Card Cheat posted on 10 May 2009 two stories of good deeds in Toronto, Canada: 1) "The night before my wedding, my wife and I were in a cab on our way to the rehearsal dinner. In the trunk of the cab, we had ten gift bags for the bridesmaids/grooms, plus a satchel containing our laptop and an external hard drive. We were already running late and got stuck in some Friday afternoon rush hour traffic on Yonge St., so we decided to get out of the cab and take the subway the rest of the way (three stops). We were on the train when we realized that in our haste we'd left the bag with the laptop and the hard drive (which we'd brought with us because we were doing our own music for the wedding, and my best man wanted to test them with the rest of the sound system) in the trunk of the cab. When we got to the surface and called the cab company, we were told that the guy who had driven us had just gone off duty and had gone home. When they finally managed to get in touch with him a couple of hours later, he confirmed that the laptop/hard drive were still in the trunk and that he'd be happy to drive them over _even though he wasn't on duty._ My best man was kind enough to offer to go to our apartment and wait for the cabbie, and when he arrived he didn't want to accept the money I'd given my best man to give to him by way of a token of my appreciation (he did in the end, though)." 2) "The other time I was with my future wife and a couple of friends on the streetcar headed east on Queen St. When we got to The Beaches, we hopped out, but the one friend (who was up visiting from NYC) realized that she'd left her purse—which contained her wallet, all of her money and I.D. and even her freakin' _passport_ —on the streetcar. I started running as fast as I could, but after a couple of blocks it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to catch up to the streetcar, so I gave up. A couple of minutes later, my wife and friends caught up to me and we were standing around wondering what the hell to do now (this was eight years ago; no-one had a cell phone to call the TTC [Toronto Transit Commission]) when a guy walked up, said, 'I noticed you running and figured you were probably after this,' and handed us the purse. Needless to say, the friend from NYC came away from the experience thinking everyone in Toronto was Jesus." (216)

" **Where's the Bag?"**

Ana Samways writes an entertaining column titled "Sideswipe" for the _New Zealand Herald_. It consists of funny photographs and anecdotes that readers send to her or that she finds on the Internet. Sometimes, readers send in stories of good deeds. For example, Kylie Adams of Parnell, New Zealand, wrote to her, "Taking my elderly neighbour Pete to the airport for a domestic flight started well with him on the footpath clutching his bag. Pete has only one leg and with getting sorted, his little bag was left kerbside as we roared out to the airport. Much talking saw me driving to Manukau instead of the airport, so when we finally got to the airport (via the 'scenic route'), Pete suddenly said, 'Where's the bag?' We realised it was still on the footpath in Parnell. Panic! I went to the Air NZ service desk to ask for a wheelchair for my neighbour and explained I was about to race back to get the bag when the airline rep interrupted ... 'His bag is here.' Another neighbour saw the bag and worked out what had happened and had beaten us to the airport." (217)

" **Always Do the Right Thing and that Way You Can Live with Yourself"**

In April 2012, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer Don Williams found an envelope filled with money—$9,500—at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. The envelope had been dropped by Carlos Palma at a security checkpoint. Mr. Williams said, "I picked it up off the floor and palmed it in my hand so that no one could see it." He asked if anyone had lost any money, but no one responded. Therefore, Mr. Williams and a supervisor took the envelope to a private area and opened it and counted the money: $100 bills—95 of them. During his flight, Mr. Palma discovered that he had lost the money. After he landed, Mr. Palma's son called the TSA—and received the good news that the money had been found. Mr. Palma said, "I trusted the TSA personnel. And I'm very proud of having that type of security." Mr. Williams said, "Always do the right thing and that way you can live with yourself." These things happen often. Mr. Williams said, "We found $400 a few minutes ago. It's not that unusual here." (218)

Found Money and Temptation

On 29 May 2009, several plastic bags filled with money fell out of a Brinks truck that had a broken door onto the middle of North Salina Street in Syracuse, New York. The area is impoverished, and the people who found the money could use it. They had debts. They had needs. They had bills to pay. And now they had bags filled with money. And so now they had temptation. However, most of the money—$328,000—was returned. David Jenks, one of the owners of the co-op Syracuse Antiques Exchange, saw the bags lying in the middle of the street. He said, "I thought, 'Who threw all of that trash in the middle of the street?' I'm always picking up trash around here." He picked up a bag and saw that it was filled with $100 bills. Shocked, he yelled, "They're full of money!" People in Cuttin' Up, the barbershop on the corner, heard the yell and came running. Mr. Jenks was tempted to keep the money, but deposit slips were in the bag, and the deposit slips identified the real owners of the money. He asked people to put the bags of money in two plastic mail bins that apparently had fallen out of the Brinks truck. And he called the police. Hanson Herring, owner of Barnes and Herring Construction, had been getting his hair cut in the North Salina Street barbershop. He also saw the bags of money. He said, "You have a split second where you think, 'Should I?' No. It's not worth it. Here—you can have it back." Like Mr. Jenks, he told people to put the money in the bins. Mr. Herring said, "There are a lot of honest people there." Denvil Hammons, a barber, did the right thing, but only after an effort of the will. He came running when he heard the cry "There's money in the street!" He grabbed a bag of money and ran away with it. People yelled after him, "Come back. You can't take that money. Denvil!" It hurt, but he came back. He said, "I came back. I was sad, too. About to cry." He wanted to use the money to go to college. He said later, "I wish I went deaf. For real. And kept running." Yet another man saw the money even before Mr. Jenks did. He picked up a bag. It had lots of money in it—maybe $100,000. He said, "I wouldn't have lived with myself if I took something like that." So he took a small bag that he said had about $10,000 in it. He watched the news that night, and he knew that that the money belonged to someone else. But he used the money to pay bills, to buy a nice pair of Nike Air Jordan sneakers, to help a good friend. But he told a few people where he had gotten the money, and soon the police came knocking on his door. The police found $3,260 stuffed in a heating vent and the man's bathroom vanity, and they found $273 in his wallet. Police said about $50,000 is still missing. The man said that he felt better after being arrested. Before being arrested, he felt guilty. He said, "I know right from wrong." (219)

**Rick Boehm** **is a Person** **of the Highest Ethical Values and Integrity—and a Lawyer and a Politician**

On 19 May 2011, single-mother Tiffany Fanning of Palm Coast, Florida, lost $300 at the Ormond Beach YMCA, where her daughter, Kayla, swims. Normally, she doesn't carry that much money around, but she explained, "If I pay the day care in cash by Friday, I get a $5 discount." When she discovered that the money was missing, she was frantic. She said about the money, "It pays the bills and all of Kayla's activities." She called the YMCA and reported that she had lost $300. She sent her boss, Daytona Beach attorney Armistead 'Biff' Ellis, a text message. He said, "She was all upset and stressed out. I told her to have a glass of wine, try to relax and give it some time." Fortunately, Ormond Beach Commissioner Rick Boehm, a Daytona Beach attorney, who works out at the YMCA, saw some money lying in the parking lot. He put it in his pocket. He said, "But when I got home and opened it up and saw it was $300, I thought, 'Oh, my God, this is probably somebody's paycheck.' I called the Y, and gave them my number, but no one called." The following day, Mr. Boehm gave the money to the activities director of the YMCA, saying, "If nobody asks for it, consider it a donation." He said that he knew that the YMCA "would be honest with it or make good use of it." Ms. Fanning asked the YMCA front desk if anyone had turned in the money. She said, "I was at the front desk when the manager came around the corner and heard me asking about it." Vicki Pugh, YMCA vice president, was the one who told her that the money had been turned in. Ms. Fanning said, "I cried, and the girl at the front desk got the chills all over. It was a huge relief." Ms. Pugh said that she was "excited we were able to return it to its rightful owner." Ms. Fanning thanked Mr. Boehm. She said, "He just said, 'You're welcome' and he figured it would be a lot of money for anyone to lose." She added, "Most people would just stick it in their pocket and count themselves lucky. The person who found it is obviously of the highest ethical values and has a lot of integrity. The fact it's a politician is icing." (220)

" **I Didn't Think I was Going to Get Any Money Back. That's for Sure"**

In September 2011 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Craig Mason lost a deposit bag containing $2,400. He had been getting ready for a trip to Maine with a friend. He said, "My first reaction was my friend's going to be very upset with me. My second reaction was this trip's going to cost me a lot more money than I thought it was." He also said, "I didn't think I was going to get any money back. That's for sure." Fortunately, Chris Gould saw the deposit bag lying in a street and turned it in to police. Mr. Mason said, "The gentleman I met that gave me back this bag is a really good person. I had a good conversation with him, and I'm glad to have people like him around." Mr. Mason also gave Mr. Gould a cash reward of $500. (221)

" **My Faith in Humanity has been Confirmed"**

On 15 March 2010, Ross Payne shared a story of a good deed in a letter to the editor of _The News Herald_ in Panama City, Florida: "I recently arrived in Panama City Beach for a month's stay and was shopping at Winn-Dixie near Sunnyside Beach. I changed pockets with my Canadian and American money so I would not confuse the funds. While applying for a customer loyalty card, I dropped $80 Canadian on the floor. I didn't miss it until that evening while changing pants. Next morning, hoping for a miracle, I returned to the store and asked if anyone had found my money. Miraculously, the lady who issued my card found it and left it in the office. I would like to publicly thank that wonderful woman and say that my faith in humanity has been confirmed." (222)

**Frank Colla: "** **You Have to Do the Right Thing"**

In January 2012, Frank Colla, a grandfather, saw a black leather briefcase lying in the middle of a road in Tampa, Florida. Cars had driven over it. Mr. Colla pulled over and picked it up, thinking that it might contain someone's laptop computer. It was filled with papers and $8,000 in $100 bills. Mr. Colla said, "I couldn't convince myself to keep it. I knew somebody somewhere was really going to miss this, and I thought, 'You have to do the right thing.'" He did, despite some worries. Mr. Colla said, "I was a little nervous at first, because I didn't know who I might find. I mean, who carries around that kind of money?" He drove to an address that he found on one of the papers in the briefcase. No one was home. He then found a telephone number and called it. A frantic woman answered. Distracted by the needs of their young children, her husband had put the briefcase on top of the family car following a family visit to a restaurant and then driven away. When they got home, he and his wife discovered that the briefcase was missing. Mr. Colla said, "She was so excited when I told her I found it. Her husband had been out retracing their steps." Mr. Colla is a retired UPS worker and now works part-time as a security guard in Hillsborough County Traffic Court. He used to be a member of the reserves for the Florida Highway Patrol and Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Bill Foster, a Traffic Court hearing officer, said about Mr. Colla, "He's an extremely honest man," adding, "He probably makes $10 an hour—if that. And for someone, anyone, to find that kind of money and give it back? That's rare." (223)

Over Three Years Later, a Good Samaritan Returns Two Lost Bags

In November 2008, Rebecca (no last name given) was a trip leader for an outdoor active travel company. In Mississippi, she and her group of cyclists had just finished a 75-mile ride, and she was in a hurry to get everyone and everything loaded into a 15-passenger van to get to a hotel. She and her cyclists stripped the bikes of bags and water bottles and then put the bikes on the roof of the van, loaded the van with bags and water bottles, and took off. At the hotel, she noticed that her own two bags were missing, and she realized that she had left them behind. In one bag were "IDs, personal credit/debit cards, corporate credit card, business cards of vendors, petty cash receipts, and about $800 in cash." The other bag was filled with bicycle stuff and a camera. She went back to the site where she had left the bags, and they were gone, so she filed a report with the police in Natchez and got on with her life. On 10 January 2012, she received a phone call from the man—D.T.—who had found her bags. He had looked through the bags briefly and had not seen any ID (she kept her wallet at the very bottom of a bag and he had not seen it), so he put the bags into a storage closet. He then forgot about the bags. A little over three years later, on 10 January 2012, he came across the bags again and decided to look through their contents again. This time he found her wallet, business card, and cell phone number. He called her, apologized for keeping the bags so long, and mailed the bags to her. Rebecca said, "I have not decided how to thank D.T. for returning my bags. Money seems to be the easiest and most obvious answer and from the few conversations I have had with him he does not strike me as the type to expect or possibly even accept a reward. To be honest, a check feels somewhat cheap compared to the kindness, honesty, and pure heartedness he has shown me." (224)

Thank You, Jesse!

On 22 March 2012, the elderly parents of Rosemary Powell were driving to a doctor's appointment when her father lost his wallet. A young man named Jesse from Beggs, Oklahoma, found it and returned it. In a letter to the editor of the _Tulsa World_ , Ms. Powell thanked the Good Samaritan: "My family and I would like to express our sincere gratitude for a Good Samaritan from Beggs. My elderly parents were not aware that my father's wallet had been lost as they drove to an early doctor's appointment March 22. A young man commuting to Tulsa saw the wallet on the ground along Oklahoma 16 and, thankfully, retrieved it. From the emergency contact information in the wallet, he notified me and offered to meet us at a local restaurant near his job. The contents of the wallet (license, Medicare and VA cards) were intact when he turned it over to us. This kind and honest young man from my hometown of Beggs makes me so proud and certainly affirms my faith in humanity during our somewhat difficult times. Thank you, Jesse!" (225)

Two Good Samaritans, One Happy Ending

In April 2012 in Calgary, Canada, Maria Claudia Castedo lost her wallet containing $1,500 just two weeks after moving with her husband to Calgary from Bolivia. Ms. Castedo, a 25-year-old dentist, said, "I feel very bad, desperate, and I cried very much." Her husband, Carlos Viera, a 25-year-old doctor, said, "We looked everywhere. I told her at the end maybe someone that really needs the money found it." Fortunately, an honest woman found the wallet on a bus and gave it to an honest bus driver. Jack Wyse, the bus driver, said, "A lady passed me a wallet and said another lady who had left the bus just dropped it. I actually noticed quite a large amount of cash in the wallet so I knew then that we'd have to make sure it got back to the rightful owner. It would be a terrible feeling to go home and find that you didn't have your wallet with all that cash in it." Transit officials were able to find Ms. Castedo quickly and get the wallet and money back to her. Mr. Viera said, "We didn't expect that ... these people, good people in the world, especially here in Calgary—they deserve all the credit." He added, "We're not accustomed to seeing this kind of behaviour." Ms. Castedo said, "I am so happy ... I appreciate everything they do for me, so thank you." They thanked Mr. Wyse, who gave credit to the Good Samaritan who had handed him the wallet. Mr. Wyse said, "Certainly she deserves as much credit as I got for doing that." (226)

" **I Just Prayed to God that Somebody Would be Nice and Turn My Purse In"**

On 3 March 2012, Autumn Miller, who lives in a motel room with her mother and two children, lost her purse, which contained nearly $4,000 in cash. She had planned to use the money for a better home and a car. She had been in Best Buy in Florence, Kentucky, but she accidentally left her purse in a shopping cart. She said, "I was mad at myself, I was crying. It had the money in it to get me my own car and get us a house so we can get out of the motel." Ms. Miller alerted the police. She said, "We were really terrified. [My purse] had everything in it." "Everything" included Social Security cards, birth certificates, and the money. She said, "I just prayed to God that somebody would be nice and turn my purse in." A nice guy, whose name is Brandon Palmer, found the purse. He spent a few days unsuccessfully searching for her, and then he turned the purse and money in to the Villa Hills Police Department, which contacted Florence police, which contacted Ms. Miller, who was relieved to learn that her purse still contained the money. She said, "I cried, it's all I could do. I told the lady on the phone that she was [the] best lady in the world and I wanted to give her a big hug. I was in shock." She offered Mr. Palmer a reward, but he declined it. Ms. Miller said, "I'm so thankful for him; it's helping me out a lot." Florence Police Captain Linny Cloyd said, "Whether it's cash or whether it's identity, there are those people who would prey on that in a heartbeat as opposed to doing the right thing. That's what makes this a great story as opposed to a tragic story." (227)

Pirate Princess X and Her Daughter Do a Good Deed

A woman who calls herself Pirate Princess X online remembers when she and her daughter found a wallet on a sidewalk outside a Baskin Robbins. Pirate Princess X writes, "She and I took it to the nearest Wells Fargo and turned it in. I asked the teller to not cancel the card, but call the customer. I know how stressful it is to have to change everything when you've lost a card, and how long it takes to get another one." (228)

" **As Jaded as We Have Become by Stories of Scumbaggery, [...] The Truth is that Most People Strive to be Good"**

On 16 March 2012, Courtney Barwick, a 15-year-old in Victoria, Canada, dropped her wallet at a McDonald's. She got it back—and more. An elderly, white-haired gentleman wearing sunglasses found it and turned it in to the TD bank, and a bank employee called her. Courtney said after getting her wallet back, "There was a 20-buck bill with a note saying 'Surprise.'" Courtney's grandfather, Ralph Ovinge, a retired Victoria police officer, has seen many wallets returned, but this is the first wallet that he has seen returned with additional money. This good deed reminded _Times Colonist_ journalist Jack Knox of other good deeds: 1) Mira McConnell of Victoria, Canada, accidentally left her empty-of-cash wallet on top of a mall pay phone. A Good Samaritan added $5 to the wallet and turned it in. 2) Mr. Knox himself lost his wallet a few years ago, and even before he realized that he had lost it, a nice James Bay woman called him to say that she had found it. In addition, he once lost his wallet in Ireland, and a Good Samaritan mailed it back it to him. (Mr. Knox wrote, "Like Blanche DuBois, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.") 3) Courtney Barwick herself once found a wallet, and a family friend located the wallet's owner. In addition, she once found $60 in a school driveway and turned it in. It was returned to its rightful owner, who turned out to be a friend of hers. So what can we learn from these good deeds? Courtney said, "There are some nice people in the world." And Mr. Knox wrote, "As jaded as we have become by stories of scumbaggery, our perception of humankind skewed by all the disproportionate attention paid to the evil doings of the weenies among us, the truth is that most people strive to be good. Given the opportunity, they will try to do the right thing." (229)

Keirmeister, You Really are a Good Person

On 21 March 2012, The Huffington Post published an article about a Canadian teenage girl who had lost her wallet. An elderly gentleman found it and turned it in at a bank. When she received the wallet, she looked inside it and found a $20 bill and a note that said, "Surprise." Very quickly, many comments were posted to the article Web site. Most of them were happy stories about Good Samaritans finding and returning wallets. However, in at least one case the Good Samaritan was accused of taking money from the wallet—the person who had lost the wallet called the police, who took the Good Samaritan's side—so it may be a good idea to turn in lost wallets to the police instead of trying to return them yourself. Here is one of the good stories. A person who posts online using the name "keirmeister" found a wallet with $300 cash in it as well as a driver's license and bank and credit cards. He called the bank of one of the credit cards and said, "I have found the wallet of one of your customers. Here's my contact info. Please let him know that I have it." However, getting the bank to do this, keirmeister wrote, was difficult—he even had to talk to a manager. However, eventually a bank employee did this, and the person who had lost the wallet contacted him. Keirmeister wrote, "The wallet's owner was SO grateful. Apparently he had just lost his job, and that $300 was given to him by his daughter so that he could get by. I mailed the wallet back to him with a check for $300 [rather than sending cash]. Later that year he apparently was back on his feet, and sent me a Christmas card with $50 in it. I always wondered what I would have done if it had been $3,000. But luckily that didn't happen, and I can maintain my self-image of being a good person. :)." (230)

Three Good Deeds

A person who calls him- or herself u k fan while posting online remembers some good deeds: 1) Outside a supermarket u k fan found a debit card and turned it in to the supermarket employees. The man who had lost the debit card was inside the supermarket and had not yet realized that he had lost the card. 2) While at Walt Disney World, u k fan boarded a bus and found a wallet wedged in the side of the seat. U k fan writes, "It contained A LOT of money (probably this guy's whole vacation budget). I handed it over to the bus driver and he radioed ahead to the hotel so they could let the man know they would have it." 3) U k fan's nephew left his sunhat at Universal Studios, which mailed it back to him in the United Kingdom. (231)

" **Let's Just Give It Away to Charity"**

In 2012, Rankin Paynter visited a Kmart store in Winchester, Kentucky, that was going out of business—all items in the store were being sold. Mr. Paynter, a wealthy man who owns a jewelry exchange business in Winchester, knew that economic times were tough for many people, and he had an idea: Why not buy everything in the store and donate it to the nonprofit charity Clark County Community Services? Four clerks spent over six hours ringing up his purchases—all $200,000 worth. The purchases include lots of warm clothing. Mr. Paynter said, "What I see is people coming in my store, needy people sell their stuff. It's bad nowadays. I just told [the clerk], 'Let's just give it away to charity." A Clark County Community Service employee said, "This will be the first year we have enough hats, coats, and gloves for all the children that we serve." Mr. Paynter said, "It's time to give back." (232)

Mystery Good Samaritan Saves a Girl's Prom

In April 2012 in Louisiana, with the prom coming up, 15-year-old Jamie Kennedy was disappointed because she had ordered a dress online more than a month ago, but the dress had not arrived. She was unable to contact the company to find out what was happening, and she would have to buy another dress for the prom. Ginger Roy, the manager at Ashley Renee Bridal in Livingston, Louisiana, said, "Brides, bridesmaids come in; they've all been stiffed by these companies, having to purchase a second dress and it's way too common." Many girls have come into her store because they are in the same situation as Jamie. Jamie's mother, Paula, contacted the TV station WAFB, which ran a story on the problem. A Good Samaritan who saw the story called Ashley Renee Bridal and said he wanted to buy Jamie a dress and accessories. The Good Samaritan, who wanted to stay anonymous, dropped off a blank check for that to happen. Ms. Roy said, "A viewer who saw the story this week called. He was so touched by it, and he said that he would love to purchase a dress for this girl and make sure she gets her dream dress: whatever she wants. He said [to] accessorize her: get her jewelry, her shoes." She added about herself and the other employees in the store, "We were all screaming and so excited. I still have goose bumps just thinking about it." Jamie said, "I was like 'Oh, my gosh.' Like that is awesome and I was like this is just so cool for somebody to bless me like that. Last week I was very, like, stressing and very upset [and] aggravated. Now it's so exciting and overwhelming it's amazing." She added, "It shows you there are actually some people out there who actually care." Another thing that makes the gift special is that Jamie is celebrating her 16th birthday. (233)

Mystery Good Samaritan in Scotland

In 2008, a mystery Good Samaritan in Scotland delivered red envelopes to worthy causes. The red envelopes were stuffed with money. The Sunshine Developmental Playgroup received £2000, and the Strathisla playgroup received £500. Elizabeth Runcie of the Sunshine Developmental Playgroup said, "The red envelope was posted through the door of a committee member. Someone had written the address on by hand, and that it was a mystery donation. We have to raise 70 per cent of our running costs, so this is a fantastic boost for us. I just wish we could meet the person and say 'thank you' to their face." Gillian Henry of the Strathisla playgroup said, "It couldn't have come at a better time." The Reverend Kay Gauld, who runs a youth group, received £2000 to buy a karaoke machine and a laptop. The Keith Silver Band in Banffshire received £1000 to buy new equipment. The Brownies received £500 and the Girl Guides received £1500 so they can go on an adventure holiday. The money given is in the form of banker's drafts, which allow the mystery Good Samaritan to remain anonymous. (234)

" **I'm So Thankful Because I Didn't Think There were People Out There like This. Thank You So Much. Thank You"**

On 14 August 2011 in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, someone carjacked the car of single working mother Nicole Grilli and crashed and totaled it. She said, "My son's birthday is on Tuesday. School is starting, Christmas, ... and he [the carjacker] ruined my life." Ms. Grilli has two children and works two jobs. She had insurance on the car, but it was only liability insurance. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan, who did not want to be identified, came to the rescue. He said, "My [97-year-old] mom passed away last December 7, and I thought, 'Wow, she would be really happy to know the car went to someone who really could use it.'" He added, "Her mom has been taking her to work, and it just broke my heart. It goes back to my daughter and daughter-in-law, two kids on each side. I just imagine this happening to them, and it's just awful." When the Good Samaritan gave the car keys—and the car—to Ms. Grilli, she said, "I still can't believe it's real. It's a miracle, and I'm so thankful because I didn't think there were people out there like this. Thank you so much. Thank you." (235)

" **We All Need Some Help Sometime"**

A woman who posts online using the name "Kufda" wrote about being in a grocery store that has a Starbucks. Kufda waited in line with a disheveled homeless woman behind her. No, the homeless woman was not buying expensive coffee. She was in line with a few items hoping to pay for them there because the Starbucks line was shorter than the other lines. Kufda held on to her purse because she was afraid that the homeless woman might try to steal from her. When Kufda got her coffee, she was 67 cents short. She called to her father for the money, but he was hard of hearing. The homeless woman then put 67 cents on the counter, saying, "We all need some help sometime." Kufda wrote, "I was stunned! Here was a woman who clearly had very little to give and [was] in great need herself. I had judged her wrongly and she had reached out, unsolicited, to help me!" (236)

Igor Needed a Pair of $15,000 Shoes

Being very tall has its problems. Igor Vovkivinskiy, age 29 and the tallest man in the United States, is 7-foot-8.33 inches tall, and he can't find shoes that fit him. (He does wear a T-shirt that has this slogan: "World's Biggest Obama Supporter.") In 1989, when he was six years old, Mr. Vovkivinskiy moved to Rochester, Minnesota, from Kiev, Ukraine. A tumor in his pituitary gland was creating growth hormones that made him grow so tall. His mother took him to the Mayo Clinic, but the tumor was so deeply embedded in his pituitary gland that not all of the tumor could be removed and so he continued to grow. Ever since he was a teenager, he has been unable to buy shoes in a shoe store. So how much does a custom-made pair of shoes in his size cost? Oh, approximately $15,000. (The cost includes flying business-class—he is too big for coach—to the manufacturer so that a 3-D model can be made of his feet.) That's more than he can afford, and so he started a fund-raising website and a Facebook page. On these websites, he asked for donations to help him buy a pair of shoes. He wrote, "None of my shoes for too long have been made specifically for my feet. They rub, they make wounds, I have surgery, foot gets more deformed, they rub more, I have more surgery and so on. And the circle goes on. I am now recovering from my last set of three surgeries, and I still have no shoes. I have one pair of clogs; they have no shape that holds my foot, they have no grip on the bottom, so going out in the winter is suicide, it hurts horribly to walk in them, and they hurt my feet, legs, hips, and back." The websites worked: He raised more than $37,000. One donor happily wrote that now Igor can buy more than one pair of shoes. Mr. Vovkivinskiy wrote, "Thank you so much to everyone who made this donation drive happen! I cannot believe my eyes at the amount and the generosity of the people. Thank you all." In addition, shoe manufacturer Reebok heard about Mr. Vovkivinskiy's problem and decided to make two pairs of shoes for him—free. Reebok's chief marketing officer Matt O'Toole said, "When Igor came to us and we heard his story, we were more than happy to completely fund the creation of his footwear. It is our goal to make fitness accessible to everyone." So what about the more than $37,000? As of 30 March 2012, Mr. Vovkivinskiy had not said what he would do with the money, but he can certainly use it for purposes that the donors are very likely to approve. Jean Day said, "I met Igor when he was graduating from high school. His bed needs to be specially built, his mother hand-made all his clothes, and only a few years ago found a place that specially made his socks. The floors of his house needed to be reinforced and ceilings, doors, etc., all [made] much taller than normal and those costs added up. For a while, he had to lay down in the back of his mother's van, as he didn't fit sitting up—talk about dangerous with no seat belt or safety like that. The van was altered but it still is one vehicle only. Shoes, clothes, vehicles—they all need to be replaced as time goes on. ... This is not just a one-time issue!" (237)

A Large Sum of Money

A man once woke up J.P. Vaswani in the middle of the night and gave him a large sum of money for the needy. Mr. Vaswani asked the man why he had not waited until morning to give him the money. The man replied that he was worried that by morning he would have changed his mind about giving away such a large sum of money, even to help the needy. (238)

" **I'd Like to Call Her and Take Her Out for Dinner"**

On 26 March 2012, Morris McCoy, an 81-year-old double amputee (he lost both legs because of diabetes) living in Lodi, California, got a gift of two wheelchairs—one electric (and worth approximately $4,500) and one lightweight aluminum—from Sacramento resident DeLois Johnson, a woman he had never met. Ms. Johnson contacted Mr. McCoy through a TV station after seeing a story about how Mr. McCoy was scammed by two women who posed as nurses. He had had a minor heart attack, and when two women wearing scrubs came to his home on March 16 saying that they wanted to check up on him, he let them in. When they left, he discovered that his wallet was missing and called the police. The two women were arrested while using his credit card at a store. As for Good Samaritan Ms. Johnson, Mr. McCoy said, "I'd like to call her and take her out for dinner." (239)

Good Karma in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

On 24 March 2012, Susan Poage and her husband, who live in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, were stopped at a train crossing. The train was at the station, and Susan and her husband witnessed a woman with a violin case on her back running toward the train station. She did not make it on time. Susan rolled down a window and yelled to the woman, "Do you need a ride into the city?" They then drove the woman to Lower Manhattan. The next day, Susan bought some bagels at a bagel store, and then discovered that her wallet was empty. Her money was in what she calls her city purse. She had a credit card, but the store did not accept payments made by credit cards. She said that she would call her husband, but then she realized that her phone was in her city purse. Fortunately, a man in line behind her said, "I've got it," and he paid for her purchase. She asked for his business card so she could pay him back, but he replied, "Absolutely not. This is on me." Karma exists, so make your karma good. (240)

An Important Gift

For many years, A.B. Macauley worked as an assistant for Alexander Whyte, a great preacher of Edinburgh, Scotland. When Mr. Macauley left Edinburgh, Mr. Whyte gave him a gift. Mr. Whyte said to him, "I wanted to give you a present before you left us. It could have been a picture or a book, but you have many pictures and books. So let me give you this." He then gave Mr. Macauley a key, saying, "It is the key to my house. Whenever you are in Edinburgh, use it." (241)

A Favorite Thing to Do: Open Mail

After Sean O'Connor's uncle, Scott Widak, a 47-year-old who has Down Syndrome, became terminally ill with liver disease, Sean asked the Reddit community to do a good deed. In an April 2012 post, he asked members of Reddit to send Scott mail. Sean said, "One of my uncle's favorite things to do is open mail, and I thought that if he got a lot of mail it would cheer him up." Sean included information such as a P.O. Box address and that Scott liked Johnny Cash. Reddit did remove the post within a few hours—Sean had apparently included too much personal information. However, many Reddit users had copied the address and mail flowed in to Scott from Australia, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Scott also received 15 CDs/DVDs, which were mostly by Johnny Cash, a gift from Sony Music Entertainment. Other gifts included custom artwork and art supplies—Scott creates art. Sean said, "The mail that's arrived has all been extremely positive and thoughtful. My family and I are amazed at how so many strangers could come together for a random act of kindness." (242)

" **I Come from a Family Where We are Raised to Help Others When We See Them Suffering"**

In 2012 in London, England, telecommunications supervisor Lewis Dediara, age 47 and originally from Nigeria, saw a shabbily dressed man looking through a trash bin. Mr. Dediara asked, "Are you hungry, sir?" And he offered to buy the man whatever he wished to eat. They went into a store, and the man picked out a pint of milk and a bag of potato chips, which Mr. Dediara paid for. Mr. Dediara said, "I saw this man standing there—he was clearly hungry. When I saw him rooting through the bin, I couldn't just leave him there. I come from a family where we are raised to help others when we see them suffering. I should have bought him more than what he wanted. Next time I see him, I'll buy him a burger." He added, "It is in my nature to help people." (243)

A Freelance Freeway Angel

In 1997, Russel Gonzalez, then age 25, got a flat while driving on the Southwest Freeway near the Summit in Houston, Texas. He pulled over, assessed the situation, and realized that he had a big problem, although in the year 2011 he could not remember the exact details. Fortunately, an old brown Honda Accord driven by a middle-aged black guy stopped. Mr. Gonzalez asked the man for a ride to a gas station, and the man nodded and drove him to the gas station while seldom speaking. Mr. Gonzalez got worried: "I absolutely thought he might have been a serial killer. But by that time I had already committed to getting in the car with him to go to the gas station. I was like, 'Holy sh*t, what if he just keeps driving?' He was just so quiet and he just looked straight ahead the whole time. I was thinking, 'Oh sh*t, this is just weird.'" Mr. Gonzalez, however, noticed that a Bible was on the dashboard, and that when the man did speak, it was with what seemed to Mr. Gonzalez to be a Nigerian accent. The man dropped him off at a gas station, Mr. Gonzalez thanked him, and the man drove away. Mr. Gonzalez said, "I was just like, 'Holy sh*t, that was creepy.' Of course, that burned a memory in my head." By August 2011, Mr. Gonzalez had gained fame as hip-hop producer The Are, and in August 2011, car trouble again occurred. This time, the car trouble was not to Mr. Gonzalez's car, but to his mother's. She had had a flat tire on Interstate 45. She called him, and he drove to her. She took his car and got off the freeway, and he stayed behind to change her tire on a very hot day with traffic going past him at 80 mph. A very old Honda Accord stopped, and an elderly black man got out. Mr. Gonzalez noticed a Bible on the dashboard. Mr. Gonzalez said, "It was like 'Ho-lee sh*t! It's that dude, that same dude! What are the odds of this? What does this dude do? Just drive around looking for people like me all day? I wanted to laugh, but I was kinda in shock. He seriously just walked up to the trunk, nodded, lifted the little carpet thing and pulled the spare out. He didn't say anything, like 'Hey, you need some help?' or 'Let's get you out of here quick.' No questions. Nothing. I was just like, 'Ho-kaaay, I guess he's here to help again." The man then changed the tire for Mr. Gonzalez. When the man was finished, he said, "Be careful. It's hot." The man had what seemed to be a Nigerian accent. Mr. Gonzalez did not mention the 1997 good deed to the man. Why not? He said, "Everybody asks me that. There was something so surreal about the whole thing that I didn't want to ruin it. I didn't want to taint the whole thing with a dialogue about what happened 14 years ago. I just kinda wanted to let it play the way it was supposed to play. I just didn't feel like it was necessary. And on top of all that, it's chaos out there, burning up hot, too loud for conversation, cars flyin' by. I just wanted to let it be." (244)

12 Caring Women

In 2011, a woman who calls herself bjames306 on the Internet was a founding member of an informal group called 12 Caring Women. Once a month, they meet at someone's home. They rotate turns hosting. Each month each member donates $20, except for the hostess, who donates $25, so they have nearly $250 to do good deeds each month. Bjames306 wrote on Helpothers.org, "When we meet we discuss needs in the community and decide on a worthwhile cause. One month we donated to a single lady who was attempting to get a baby to the U.S. from Haiti after the earthquake. Over the past year we have helped many people in dire need. We work with the local Social Services organization as well as the guidance counselor at a local school to find people in need. If we don't have a pressing need one month, we give the money to the chaplain at the local free clinic. While we have helped many people, we feel we have benefited much more from giving. I'm writing this in hopes that it might spur others to begin a similar group." (245)

" **With People like You, We Still Have a Chance"**

Sometimes, when someone needs help, someone else appears and helps. Sometimes, more than one person will appear and help. On 30 March 2012, Deanette McDowell of Cañon City, Colorado, fell in her garden and needed help. In a letter to the editor of the _Cañon City Daily Record_ , she wrote, "Thank you to two good Samaritans. On March 30th, I fell in my garden and dislocated my knee. Two ladies driving by stopped to assist me. They helped me get up and return to my house safely. Ladies, not only did you assist me physically, but you lifted my spirits beyond measure. I had become disillusioned with my fellow man and you gave me back my faith and hope. With people like you, we still have a chance. Thank you and God bless you and keep you. I will not forget what you have done, and I will pay it forward." (246)

New York Cool on a New York Subway

Keeping your cool can lead to creative problem-solving. In early 2012 a fight broke out between a man and a woman on a New York subway car. The woman shouted at the man, "Don't follow me!" She also kicked at the man. Another man quietly stepped in between the man and the woman while eating some chips, and he continued to eat the chips and did not say anything. The argument continued verbally, but the chip-eating man had stopped the physical fight while exemplifying New York cool. The creative problem-solving was filmed on a cell phone and posted to the internet, and the creative problem-solver, who was quickly dubbed Snackman, became an internet sensation. Snackman is actually Charles Sonder, a 24-year-old architect from Brooklyn, and he has many female admirers as a result of his creative problem-solving. Comments on the video include these: "Snackman have my babies" and "He is sooooo fine omg i wanna sex him up lol." (247)

Known and Unknown Good Samaritans

On 20 March 2012, Miriam Spencer of Harrisville, Rhode Island, had an accident in East Providence. Fortunately, she received help from Good Samaritans. In a letter to the editor of the _Providence Journal_ , she wrote, "I wish to thank the two Good Samaritans who helped me on March 20 after my accident at 900 Warren Ave., in East Providence. They let me sit in their car, made cell phone calls for me, and stayed with me until my car was towed away. Then they drove me over to Ocean Medical for my doctor's appointment. The lady even escorted me up to the doctor's office and went and talked to my doctor. The man also came up after parking the car. Many, many thanks. I do not know what I would have done without their help. I lost the paper with their names and addresses. This is the only way I knew of reaching them. I had another Good Samaritan, but I still have his name and address." (248)

A Good Deed Done in Death

George McDougall, the father of 19th century Methodist preacher John McDougall, who learned to speak Cree so he could preach to that Native American tribe, did a final good deed when he and some other people froze to death in a snowstorm outside Calgary, Canada. When he knew that he was going to die, he lay on the ground and folded his hands across his chest so that recovering his corpse would be easy. When people get together in a group and hold each other and freeze in that position, recovering their frozen corpses is difficult. (249)

" **HARRY WAS HERE"**

Harry Roesch, aka Harry the Hammer, was the fix-it man of his neighborhood: Friendship Heights in Washington D.C. He helped lots of elderly widows stay in their homes by doing such things as installing railings. He fixed problems such as leaky faucets and loose banisters, often charging only for parts. He did appreciate such gifts as a bottle of good bourbon. He also did other good deeds such as putting out water each day for dogs. Harry's wife, Nancy Riker, said, "He's always been the neighborhood handyman." She added, "He tended to every forgotten space in his part of the city. He made it beautiful." He was good at what he did. Nancy said, "He knew how to do it right. He was distressed when contractors did it wrong. ... He wanted it fair. That was his contribution to humanity." In 2010, Harry learned that he had cancer. In February 2012, at a Valentine's Day party, he looked ill. Bart Stichman, a neighbor, wanted to honor Harry, so he created a sign with a hammer and a legend that read, "HARRY WAS HERE." He ordered 10 signs, and then, due to demand, he ordered 14 more signs. Neighbors on whose houses Harry had worked put the signs in their yards. Nancy said, "They felt connected to him having a sign in their front yard. It was for Harry, too, like it was for them." Some people thought that Harry must be a politician who was running for office. Shortly before Harry died, a friend pushed Harry, who was in a wheelchair, through the neighborhood to look at the signs. One sign was a little crooked, and Harry got out of the wheelchair and straightened it. Nancy said, "He just liked things to be right." On 16 March 2012, Harry died at age 67. Neighbors Ken and Sharon Hurley added a piece of black ribbon to each of the "HARRY WAS HERE" signs. _Washington Post_ columnist John Kelly wrote, "'HARRY WAS HERE,' the signs read. Now Harry was gone. But he wasn't really. Wherever someone realizes that it isn't good fences that make good neighbors, it's good people, Harry is there. And he always will be." (250)
APPENDIX A: SOME BOOKS BY DAVID BRUCE

Retellings of a Classic Work of Literature

Dante's Inferno: A Retelling in Prose

Dante's Purgatory: A Retelling in Prose

Dante's Paradise: A Retelling in Prose

Dante's Divine Comedy: A Retelling in Prose

From the Iliad to the Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose of Quintus of Smyrna's Posthomerica

Homer's Iliad: A Retelling in Prose

Homer's Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose

Jason and the Argonauts: A Retelling in Prose of Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica

Virgil's Aeneid: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV, aka Henry IV, Part 1: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's As You Like It: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's Macbeth: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's The Tempest: A Retelling in Prose

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: A Retelling in Prose

Children's Biography

Nadia Comaneci: Perfect Ten

Anecdote Collections

250 Anecdotes About Opera

250 Anecdotes About Religion

250 Anecdotes About Religion: Volume 2

250 Music Anecdotes

Be a Work of Art: 250 Anecdotes and Stories

The Coolest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes

The Coolest People in the Arts: 250 Anecdotes

The Coolest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes

The Coolest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes

Create, Then Take a Break: 250 Anecdotes

Don't Fear the Reaper: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Books, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Books, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Dance: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Families: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Families, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Families, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Families, Volume 4: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Families, Volume 5: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Families, Volume 6: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Movies: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Music: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Music, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Music, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Neighborhoods: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Relationships: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Sports, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People in Theater: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People Who Live Life: 250 Anecdotes

The Funniest People Who Live Life, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

Maximum Cool: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People in Movies: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People in Politics and History: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People in Religion: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People Who Live Life: 250 Anecdotes

The Most Interesting People Who Live Life, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes

Reality is Fabulous: 250 Anecdotes and Stories

Resist Psychic Death: 250 Anecdotes

Seize the Day: 250 Anecdotes and Stories

Kindest People Series

The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 1

The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 2

(Free) Kindest People Volumes

The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volumes 3-7

The Kindest People: Heroes and Good Samaritans (Volumes 1-7)

The Kindest People: Be Excellent to Each Other (Volumes 1-5)

Free Philosophy for the Masses Series

Philosophy for the Masses: Ethics

Philosophy for the Masses: Metaphysics and More

Philosophy for the Masses: Religion

Free Discussion Guide Series

Dante's Inferno: A Discussion Guide

Dante's Paradise: A Discussion Guide

Dante's Purgatory: A Discussion Guide

Forrest Carter's The Education of Little Tree: A Discussion Guide

Homer's Iliad: A Discussion Guide

Homer's Odyssey: A Discussion Guide

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Discussion Guide

Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee: A Discussion Guide

Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl: A Discussion Guide

Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal": A Discussion Guide

Lloyd Alexander's The Black Cauldron: A Discussion Guide

Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three: A Discussion Guide

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Discussion Guide

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A Discussion Guide

Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: A Discussion Guide

Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper: A Discussion Guide

Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind: A Discussion Guide

Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember: A Discussion Guide

Virgil's Aeneid: A Discussion Guide

Virgil's "The Fall of Troy": A Discussion Guide

Voltaire's Candide: A Discussion Guide

William Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV: A Discussion Guide

William Shakespeare's Macbeth: A Discussion Guide

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Discussion Guide

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: A Discussion Guide

William Sleator's Oddballs: A Discussion Guide

(Oddballs is an excellent source for teaching how to write autobiographical essays/personal narratives.)
**APPENDIX B:** EXCERPT FROM VIRGIL'S AENEID: A RETELLING IN PROSE BY DAVID BRUCE

Ch. 1: Arrival at Carthage

My theme is war and a particular man—a man driven by destiny to abandon Troy and sail to western Italy to fulfill his fate of founding the people who would build Rome. Fulfilling his destiny was not easy. Juno, the wife of Jupiter, the king of gods and men, opposed him, as did many warriors. They did not want him to bring his household gods—the Penates—to Latium on the western coast of Italy, to marry Lavinia, to found the city of Lavinium, and to become the ancestor of the Romans.

Muse, remind me of the reasons why Juno hated Aeneas, a man renowned for his pietas, for his devotion to duty, whether to the gods, to his family, or to his destiny. Aeneas had respect for those things to which respect is due. Why did Juno make his fulfilling his destiny so difficult? Are the immortals capable of such anger?

Phoenicians from the city of Tyre founded a city named Carthage on the coast of north Africa. Carthage and Rome were the two competitors for worldwide empire, and Juno loved Carthage even more than her beloved island of Samos. In Carthage, Juno kept her armor and her chariot. Juno was willing for Carthage to have a worldwide empire, but the Fates were not. Juno did all she could to make Carthage strong, but gods and goddesses know fate, and Juno knew that a city founded by the descendants of men from Troy would conquer Carthage. Rome, not Carthage, would have a worldwide empire. For that reason, Juno hated Aeneas.

Juno also hated Aeneas because she hated all Trojans. A jealous wife, Juno hated the many affairs that her husband, Jupiter, had had over the centuries. She especially hated the children who resulted from these affairs. One of these illegitimate children, Dardanus, became an early king of the city of Troy.

Also, Paris, prince of Troy, had insulted Juno. Asked to judge a beauty contest of the goddesses Juno, Minerva, and Venus, Paris had accepted a bribe from Venus, the goddess of sexual passion, who offered him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris went to Sparta and ran away with the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, the lawfully wedded wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Helen became Helen of Troy, and the Trojan War was fought so that Menelaus could get Helen back. Because Juno's beauty had been insulted, Juno hated the Trojans.

Juno also hated the Trojans because of Ganymede. A jealous wife, Juno hated the affairs of her husband Jupiter, who chased more than just skirts. Ganymede was a beautiful young son of Tros, a king of Troy, and Jupiter kidnapped Ganymede to be his cupbearer and his paramour.

For these reasons, Juno hated Aeneas and the other Trojans, and she did her best to keep them away from western Italy, forcing them to wander the seas and strange lands despite their destiny. Founding the Roman people was a huge burden bore by many people.

Aeneas and his Trojans had set sail from Sicily in twenty ships. Their mood was good; Juno's mood was not. Juno said to herself as she watched Aeneas' ships, "Am I powerless to cause trouble for Aeneas and keep him away from western Italy? True, he has a destiny, and fate decrees that he will fulfill that destiny, but at least I can make that difficult to do. Why should it be easy for Aeneas to reach western Italy?

"I have power, as does another goddess: Minerva. Minerva was angry at Little Ajax, the Greek who during the fall of Troy raped Cassandra in a temple dedicated to Minerva. Anyone in a temple is under the protection of the god or goddess whose temple it is—the mortal has sanctuary. By raping Cassandra in Minerva's temple, Little Ajax disrespected Minerva. Minerva got revenge when Little Ajax attempted to sail home to Greece after the fall of Troy. Minerva hurled one of Jupiter's thunderbolts at Little Ajax' fleet, and she caused a storm with high waves. Little Ajax' ship burned and a cyclone swept him up into the air and then impaled him on a rock.

"Minerva got her well-deserved revenge—quickly! But I am the queen of gods and men, and I have to battle Aeneas and his Trojans continually—for years! Don't I have more power than that? Who among men will worship me unless I show that I can triumph over Aeneas and his Trojans?"

Juno flew to Aeolia, the island ruled by Aeolus, king of the winds. In a cave, Aeolus keeps the winds. They howl and want to break out and cause storms, but Aeolus calms them enough to keep them from breaking out of the cave and destroying the world. Jupiter had been afraid that the winds would cause massive destruction, so he shut them up in a cave, put a mountain over the cave, and gave the winds a king to rule them. Aeolus decides when to keep the winds shut up in the cave and when to allow them to blow freely.

Juno said, "Aeolus, Jupiter gave you great power over the winds. You can either calm them or rouse them. Right now, Aeneas and the Trojans—all of whom I hate—are on the sea carrying their household gods from Troy to Italy. I want you to release the winds and allow them to attack the Trojans ships and sink them.

"I will reward you if you do what I say. I will give in marriage to you the most beautiful of fourteen sea-nymphs I have much influence over: Deiopea. She will live with you as your wife and bear your children. I reward well those who serve me."

Aeolus replied, "You, Juno, should have everything you want. I, Aeolus, should do everything you tell me to do. You have always been good to me. You are responsible for making me the god of the winds. You have made sure that Jupiter treats me well, and you have made sure that I am invited to the feasts of the Olympian gods. Because of you, I am the lord of the storm winds."

Aeolus struck the mountain over the cave holding the winds with his spear and created a hole through which the winds rushed to the sea. They made huge waves, and they made clouds that blotted out the sun. The sailors shouted, and the ships rose and fell on the huge waves. Thunder roared and lightning bolts crashed, and sailors saw death everywhere.

Aeneas, in private, groaned and said, "So many Trojan warriors died on the plain before Troy as they defended wives, children, parents, and city. They were the lucky ones. They died an honorable death in battle, not an ignoble death by drowning. I would have been better off if the Greek Diomedes had killed me on the battlefield. I would have been better off if I had been buried at Troy with Hector, the greatest Trojan warrior, and Sarpedon, a Trojan ally from Lydia, and other heroes!"

The winds and waves battered Aeneas' ship, breaking oars, and the waves poured over the decks. Waves rose and fell, sometimes rising above the ship and sometimes exposing the sand at the bottom of the sea.

The South wind stranded three of Aeneas' ships on the mid-ocean rocks the Italians called the Altars. The East wind stranded three more of Aeneas' ships on the dangerous coastal reefs called the Syrtes.

Aeneas saw another ship—captained by Orontes—wreck after a huge wave crashed on it. Orontes fell headfirst into the sea, and his ship circled three times in a whirlpool before sinking. In the water, sailors and cargo floated.

The winds and waves battered and damaged four more ships—those captained by Ilioneus, Achates, Abas, and Aletes. Their joints split open and the waters rushed in.

Neptune, the god of the sea, sensed the storm above him. He realized the violence of the winds and the waves—violence not approved by him. Neptune raised his head above the water and saw the scattered ships of Aeneas—the Trojans had been attacked by the violent winds and the violent waves.

Immediately, Neptune realized that this was the work of Juno. He ordered the East wind and West wind to come to him, and he said to them, "You seem awfully sure of yourselves to trespass so on my domain. You have caused destruction in my area of influence. If you ever cause a storm on the sea, you must do so only with my permission. This time I will let you off with a warning, but the next time this happens you will pay. Go back to your cave and tell Aeolus that I—not he—am the god of the sea. Jupiter, Pluto, and I shook lots to see who would rule what. Jupiter became the god of the sky, Pluto became the god of the Land of the Dead, and I became the god of the sea. Aeolus is the god of the island on which he usually keeps you winds imprisoned in a cave. Let him stay in his own area of influence and stay out of mine unless he has my permission."

Neptune then calmed the sea and sent away the clouds so that the sun would shine. Triton, who was one of Neptune's sons, and the sea nymph Cymothoë lifted Aeneas' ships from the rocks while Neptune himself used his trident to raise the ships. Neptune also cleared a passage for the ships that been grounded on the reefs, and he drove his chariot over the waves to calm them.

Neptune calming the waves was like a statesman calming an unruly crowd. The crowd is full of passion and rage—of furor—and it throws rocks and burning torches. But a statesman worthy of respect comes to the crowd of people and talks to them, and they listen to him and become calm and law-abiding. Just like that statesman, Neptune calmed the unruly waves.

Aeneas' men, weary from battling the storm, headed for the nearest land. Driven off their course, they headed for the north African country of Libya. An island there provides a shield for the mouth of a bay, creating a safe haven for ships. The island shields the haven from high waves, and twin towers of rock protect the sides of the harbor.

On the mainland is a forest and cut in a cliff is a cave that is the home of sea nymphs. The harbor here is so safe that ships need not use anchors.

In this harbor arrived Aeneas and seven of his ships—perhaps the only ships left to him out of his entire fleet. Happy to be on land again, the Trojans lay on the sandy beach. Achates used flint to make a fire, and the Trojans began to grind grain to make a meal.

Aeneas climbed a hill and searched the sea, hoping to see the ship of Antheus or of Capys or of Caicus. No ships were in sight. But Aeneas did see three stags and a herd of deer. Using the bow and arrows that his aide Achates kept for him, Aeneas shot the three stags and then began shooting does. He did not stop shooting until he had killed seven deer—one for each of his ships. A good leader provides food for his men.

Aeneas gave the deer to his men and set out wine that Acestes, the king of Sicily, had stocked in the ships.

Before he and his men ate, Aeneas spoke to his men to raise their spirits: "Friends, we have endured much worse than what we are enduring now. This, too, shall come to an end—a god will help us. We have survived the man-eating monster Scylla, and we have survived the boulders thrown by the Cyclops. Once again, we need to be courageous and to resist grief and fear. Someday, we shall look back on this and be proud that we have survived. We still have a destiny: We shall reach Latium in western Italy. Fate has promised us a homeland there, and there the city of Troy shall rise again. Be courageous."

The public Aeneas put on an act of confidence for his men, but the private Aeneas worried.

The men skinned the deer and cut off strips of meat. They cooked the venison, and then they ate and drank. No longer hungry, they talked, wondering about the other ships. Were their shipmates still alive? Aeneas privately mourned for Orontes, Amycus, Lycus, Gyas, and Cloanthus.

Jupiter gazed down on Libya, looking at Aeneas and his Trojans, and witnessed their troubles. Venus, the goddess of sexual passion and of laughter, approached him. Usually a happy goddess, Venus, the mother of Aeneas, was sad. One way for her to help her son was to intercede in his behalf with Jupiter, the king of gods and men.

Venus said to her father, Jupiter, "You rule the lives of gods and of men. Has my Aeneas committed a crime against you? Have the Trojans done any harm to you? Why are Aeneas and the Trojans barred from Italy? Haven't you promised that in Italy the Romans will arise, a people descended from the Trojans? Haven't you promised that the Romans will be a powerful people—the most powerful people? Have you decided not to keep your promise? I was saddened by the fall of Troy, but I consoled myself with the thought that their descendants would be the Romans. So why are the Trojans still enduring so many hardships? Will you set an end to their hardships?

"Antenor, one of the old men of Troy, managed to escape from the city with some other Trojans. They made their way to Italy, and they founded the city of Padua. Now they live in peace.

"But what of Aeneas and the Trojans he leads? How many ships are lost? Because of one enemy—Juno—Aeneas and his Trojans are kept away from Italy. Is this the way you reward the Trojans who worship you? Is this the way you give them power?"

Jupiter kissed his daughter gently and said, "You need not worry, Venus. Aeneas' fate has not changed; he and his Trojans still have the same destiny. They will found the city of Lavinium, and Aeneas' fame will reach the stars.

"To ease your mind, let me tell you more of what fate holds for your son and his Trojans. Aeneas will land on Italy, and he will fight a war there and win. He will build the city of Lavinium in the territory of Latium, and he will govern for three years. Ascanius, his son, who also holds the name of Ilus for Ilium or Troy and who in Italy will also be called Iulus, a name that will later become Julius, will rule Latium for thirty years. Ascanius will build the city of Alba Longa and rule from there. For three hundred years, the Trojans will continue to rule in Latium, and then the priestess Ilia will sleep with Mars, the god of war, and give birth to twin boys: Romulus and Remus. They will be raised by a she-wolf, and they will found Rome. Romulus will name the city, and its citizens will be called Romans.

"On the Romans I set no limits on their power, either in space or in time. Their empire will have no end.

"Juno now hates the Trojans, but eventually she will reform and not resist the toga-wearing Romans. All of this, I decree. Eventually, the Romans will even conquer Greece, land of Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Trojan War, and land of the city of Mycenae, once ruled by Agamemnon, leader of the Greek forces against Troy.

"A Trojan Caesar will arise from the House of Julius, a name that will come from Iulus. This Caesar—the Emperor Caesar Augustus, nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar—will have an empire that is bounded only by the Ocean. He will receive treasure from the Orient. His fame will also reach the stars. He and Aeneas will be worshiped, and in the reign of Caesar Augustus, Rome will be known for the rule of law and will find peace after centuries of warfare. The gates of the temple of Janus, which are kept open during times of war, will finally be closed as the civil wars come to an end."

Jupiter then sent Mercury, the messenger of the gods, down to Carthage in Libya. Mercury's job was to make sure that the Trojans would find welcome there. Jupiter did not want Dido, the queen of Carthage, who did not know her fate, to be an enemy to Aeneas and his Trojans. Mercury quickly accomplished his goal: He filled the Carthaginians and Dido with peace and good will.

That night, Aeneas wrestled with worry. When the morning came, he ordered his ships moved to a narrow place where rocks and trees hid them, and then he explored the countryside with his aide Achates by his side. For protection, Aeneas carried two javelins.

Another way for Venus to help her son was by meeting with him, even when she was disguised as a mortal. That way, she could give him information and advice.

Having assumed the form of a young woman, a huntress who could be from Sparta or from Thrace, Venus met Aeneas and Achates in the woods the two men were exploring. She carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. Her hair was not tied up, and her knees were bare—she had tied her skirt so it would not catch on bushes.

The disguised Venus said to Aeneas and Achates, "Have you seen my sister? If you have, where did she go? She is wearing the skin of a spotted lynx and carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows. You may have seen or heard her hunting a boar."

Aeneas replied, "I have not seen any of your sisters. How should I refer to you? You can't be a mortal, not with your physical features and the quality of your voice. You must be a goddess. Are you Diana, Apollo's sister? Are you a nymph? Be kind to us, and help us, please. Where are we? A storm at sea drove us here, and we don't know where we are or who lives here. If you help us, we will sacrifice many animals to you."

Venus lied and said, "I am not a goddess, so I don't deserve sacrifices. We young women from the city of Tyre carry bows and arrows and wear red hunting boots. This land is a kingdom ruled by Phoenicians. The city here is Carthage, and Dido is its queen. She sailed here with her people from Tyre, fleeing from a crime. I will tell you the story.

"Dido's husband was the richest man in Tyre: Sychaeus. He was her first and only husband. Dido's brother is Pygmalion, the ruler of Tyre. He is evil, and he hated Sychaeus and wanted his gold. Pygmalion killed Sychaeus with a sword at an altar, spilling his blood in a holy place. Pygmalion hid his guilt; he did not care about his sister's grief. He lied to her.

"One night Dido dreamed: The ghost of her husband—who was still not buried—told her about his death and ordered her, 'Flee from the city of Tyre!' He also revealed the hidden location of treasure—silver and gold—to help her be able to flee.

"Dido planned her flight and gathered followers. They were easy to find because they hated the tyrant Pygmalion. They gathered ships and loaded them with what Pygmalion desired most: gold. They then set sail with Dido as their commander. They reached this land, and they have started to build a new city: Carthage. To get land to build on, they bought as much land as a bull's-hide would enclose. A tricky people, they cut the bull's-hide into very thin strips so that it would encircle a large hill.

"But who are you? Where did you come from, and where are you headed?"

Aeneas replied, "Goddess, to tell my entire story would take until nightfall. Briefly, we come from Troy. You may have heard of it. We sailed over the sea until a storm drove us here. I am Aeneas, and I seek to fulfill my destiny. On board our ships, we carry our household gods that we took from Troy when the city fell to the Greeks. My name is famous, and I seek Italy. We set out with twenty ships, but after the storm I have only seven left. Here in Libya, I am a stranger, an exile."

Venus, still disguised as a mortal, said, "Whoever you are, not all the immortals hate you. You are still alive, and you are near Carthage. Walk on this path: You will arrive at the city, and you can see the queen.

"Also, I have good news. I can read bird-signs, and the signs tell me that most of your ships and friends are safe. The winds drove them into a safe port. Look up, and you will see a dozen swans flying together. An eagle had attacked them and sent them in all directions, but now these dozen swans have regrouped and are flying together and are looking for the other swans. Twelve more of your ships are safe. You have seven ships, so in the storm you lost only one ship.

"Now follow the path and go to Carthage."

Venus moved away from Aeneas and revealed herself as a goddess. Her skirt was long and reached the ground, and her appearance and movements revealed that she was a goddess.

Aeneas recognized that she was his mother, and he—all too often isolated—called after her, "Why must you disguise yourself when we meet? Why can't we know each other and hug each other and talk together as mother and son?"

Aeneas and Achates took the path to Carthage. Venus created a fog to hide them. No one could see them, and so no one hindered them. She then flew to the city of Paphos on the island of Cyprus. There her worshippers burned Arabian incense to her on a hundred altars. Paphos was one of her favorite cities.

Aeneas and Achates followed the path, which took them to the top of a hill on which they could look down and see Carthage. Once nothing had been there but a few huts, but now the Phoenicians were building gates and cobbled streets. They were building walls, raising a citadel, and setting boundaries for buildings. They were building a civilization with laws and judges and a senate. They were dredging a harbor and building a theater and quarrying rock to make columns. They were working as hard as bees work in early summer, raising a new generation and harvesting honey and making a living hive.

Aeneas was impressed. He said, "The walls are rising, and this will be a great city."

Aeneas and Achates continued walking. Wrapped in fog, they passed unseen among people. They came to a famous grove. There the Phoenicians had dug after landing on the shore and had unearthed a sign put there by Juno: the head of a fiery stallion. Afterward, the stallion's head appeared on Carthaginian coins. The sign meant that for ages the Carthaginians would have power in war and ease in life. In this sacred grove, Dido was building a temple for Juno, lavishing on it bronze doors, a bronze threshold, and bronze doorposts.

In this grove, Aeneas saw something that gave him hope—hope that he had found a haven. Juno's temple was a place for works of art. The city's artists had created depictions of the Trojan War—a war that was known throughout the world. Depicted in these works of art, Aeneas saw Agamemnon and Menelaus, Priam the king of Troy, and Achilles.

Aeneas said, "Achates, the entire world knows of the hardships of Troy. I see a depiction of Priam here. Here in this city, people's hearts are touched by Trojan troubles. The fame of the Trojan War will offer us respite here."

Aeneas looked at the depictions of the Trojan War on the walls of the temple of Juno. He had known the living, breathing people, and their depictions were empty and lifeless, but still had the power to arouse memories and grief. He groaned as he looked at the Greeks attacking Troy. In one work of art, the Trojans routed the Greeks. In another work of art, Achilles routed the Trojans. In yet another work of art, Aeneas saw the white tents of Rhesus, a king allied with the Trojans. Diomedes had slaughtered Rhesus and many of his warriors the night they had arrived at Troy. Splattered with the warriors' blood, Diomedes had driven Rhesus' horses back to the Greek camps.

Aeneas also saw Troilus, a young son of Priam. Achilles had ambushed Troilus, who fell out of his chariot but who still held onto the reins and his javelin, which drew a jagged line in the dust.

Aeneas also saw a depiction of the Trojan women praying to the goddess Minerva for her help. The Trojan women were suppliants who beat their breasts in the ancient way of showing grief and who offered Minerva a robe, but the goddess turned away and would not listen to their prayer.

Aeneas also saw the body of Priam's son Hector, the greatest Trojan warrior. Achilles had killed Hector, had dragged his corpse three times around the walls of the city of Troy, and now was selling his corpse. Aeneas groaned as he saw the lifeless body of his friend and as he saw Priam, Hector's father, grieving.

Aeneas also saw a depiction of himself fighting in battle. And he saw the Ethiopian Memnon who had fought for the Trojans and been killed by Achilles. And he saw queen Penthesilea leading her Amazons into battle; Achilles had also killed her. In the work of art, she cinched a breastband under her bare breast. She and the other Amazons were women who fought like men.

As Aeneas looked at the works of art, Queen Dido came to Juno's temple with several escorts. She was like the goddess Diana walking with a thousand mountain nymphs. Dido sat on her throne with an honor guard by her side. Here she ruled. She made laws and decrees, and she assigned the work that needed to be done. Sometimes she used lots, and sometimes she used her sense of what was right.

Aeneas saw some of his lost Trojans approaching her: Ilioneus, Antheus, Sergestus, Cloanthus, and other Trojans who had been separated from Aeneas and the seven ships that had stayed with him.

Aeneas and Achates wanted to greet the lost Trojans, but they restrained themselves and stayed silent and hidden in fog. They wanted to learn whatever they could learn. Where are these Trojans' ships? Why have these Trojans come to Dido?

The lost Trojans approached Dido, and Ilioneus said to her, "Your majesty, Jupiter has blessed you by allowing you to build a new city here. We are Trojans, and we ask you to welcome us and not set fire to our ships. We worship the same gods that you worship. We have not come to attack your people and to loot your city. We are not in a position to do that; we have suffered many troubles.

"We are in search of a land to settle in. The Greeks know of a land they call Hesperia, but it has another name: Italy. We had set sail for Italy when a storm arose and scattered our ships. We had twenty ships, but now we have only twelve ships left—twelve ships that landed on your coast after the storm.

"Here we have not been welcomed. We have not been treated as guests. Sailors have a right to shore, but your people have forbidden us a footing on the beach. This is not the way to treat sailors. Remember the gods. Remember what the gods say about how to treat other people. Remember the duty that gods have given to mortals.

"Our king was Aeneas. He was devoted to duty. He understood pietas, and he did his duty to the gods, to his family, to his city, and to his city's survivors. He was also a formidable warrior. We do not know whether he still lives, but if he does live, you will not regret helping us.

"We have places in the world where we are welcome. In Sicily is a king named Acestes who was born to Trojan parents. Allow us to pull our storm-damaged ships onto shore so that we can repair them and make new oars, and then we shall set sail for Italy, where—fate permitting—we shall land at Latium.

"But if fate does not permit us to sail to Latium, if Aeneas has drowned in the waters off Libya, then we shall sail back to Sicily and we shall have Acestes as our king."

Dido welcomed the Trojans: "Have no fear, Trojans. We have a new kingdom, and we are cautious. That is why you were not allowed—at first—to pull your ships onto the shore and repair them.

"But we, like all people, have heard of Troy and know its story and its fame. We know the fame of Aeneas.

"Wherever you choose to sail to—Italy or Sicily—I will provide safe escorts for you. Or, if you prefer, you can settle here at Carthage. I now allow you to pull your ships onto shore. The Trojans will be equals with the Carthaginians if you choose to settle here.

"I will also send out men to search the coast to try to find Aeneas. He may have been shipwrecked and then reached the shore."

Aeneas and Achates were ready to reveal themselves. Achates said to Aeneas, "This is good news. Dido and the Carthaginians are welcoming us, and we have lost only one ship instead of the thirteen ships we feared we had lost. Your mother, Venus, told us the truth."

Venus melted the fog around Aeneas and Achates, and the two Trojans stood visible in the presence of Dido and the others. Venus made her son handsome and strong; he was like a god. His beauty was of the kind that an artist can add to ivory, or of the kind that an artist can create by working with silver and marble and gold.

Aeneas said to Dido, "I am Aeneas, and my followers and I survived the fall of Troy. You have pitied the fate of Troy and the Trojans, and you have welcomed us to Carthage. We have suffered much, and we cannot adequately reward you for your kindness. But we can ask the gods, who understand right and wrong, to reward you. You are a good person, and your parents have been blessed by giving birth to such a daughter as you. Your name and your goodness will be remembered as rivers flow to the sea, shadows move across mountains as the sun moves, and stars shine in the night sky."

Aeneas then greeted his fellow Trojans whom he had thought were lost: Serestus, Gyas, Cloanthus, Ilioneus, and others.

Aeneas' appearance and his words impressed Dido. She said to him, "Why does your destiny include such troubles as those you have suffered? How is it that you have landed on our coast? Are you really Aeneas, the son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises? Were you really born at Troy?

"Troy and Phoenicia have a connection from long ago. Teucer was the very first king of the Trojans. Before he became king of Troy, he suffered banishment from his native land, and he visited Sidon, the major city of the Phoenicians. Belus, my father, was able to help Teucer. Because of this, I have long known of Troy and the Trojans.

"Another Teucer was a Greek archer who fought against you during the Trojan War. Even so, the Greek Teucer traced his ancestors back to the first king of the Trojans.

"Trojans, you are welcome here. I have had hard times in my past, and they led me here. Because of the hard times that I have experienced, I have learned to help other people who need help."

Dido led Aeneas into the halls of her palace, and she arranged for sacrifices to the gods. She sent to the Trojans on the shore twenty bulls and one hundred boars and one hundred lambs. This would be a day of feasting, a day of joy.

Dido's palace was regal and splendid. Servants set out a feast in the central hall. Gold and silver and the color purple abounded. Works of art memorialized the deeds of her father and other heroes of Phoenicia.

Aeneas, a loving father, wanted his son, Ascanius, to be with him, so he sent Achates to the ships to get him and bring him to Carthage. Aeneas also ordered Achates to bring gifts from the ships for Dido—gifts taken the ruins of Troy. The gifts included a gown with gold embroidery and an embroidered veil. These had belonged to Helen, who took them with her when she left her lawfully wedded husband and Sparta and went with Paris to Troy. Helen's mother, Leda, had embroidered these articles of clothing. Aeneas also ordered Achates to bring a scepter that the oldest daughter of Priam, Ilione, used to bear, and he ordered brought a necklace of pearls and a two-banded crown—one band was decorated with gems and the other was made of gold. Achates went to the ships to carry out his orders.

Another way for Venus to help her son was to use divine supernatural powers—the powers of the gods and goddesses. She decided to have Cupid, her immortal son, take the place of Ascanius. Cupid, the god of love, could make Dido fall in love with Aeneas, thus ensuring his continued welcome at Carthage. Cupid could make Dido burn with love for Aeneas. Venus feared that the Phoenicians could be untrustworthy, and she feared that the hatred of Juno could cause trouble for her son.

Venus said to her son, Cupid, "You, son, are powerful. Zeus once killed Typhoeus, the hundred-headed, fire-breathing monster, with a thunderbolt, but you laugh at Zeus' thunderbolts. Help me, please. I need you, and Aeneas, your half-brother, needs you. Aeneas has been traveling the Mediterranean and has suffered many troubles thanks to the hatred and anger of Juno. Now he is in Carthage, where Dido rules, and Dido has him at her mercy. I am worried that Dido will keep him at Carthage, away from Italy and his destiny. I am also worried that Juno will take action to hurt Aeneas—she does not want him to fulfill his destiny. My plan is for Dido to fall in love with Aeneas. That way, she will not hurt him.

"Listen to my plan and how you can help. Aeneas has sent for his son, Ascanius, to be brought to Carthage, along with presents for Dido. I will cause Ascanius to go to sleep, and I will take him somewhere safe—to the island of Cythera or the town of Idalium on Cyprus. Both places are devoted to me.

"I want you to assume the form of Ascanius—gods and goddesses have that power. Take on his form for only one night. That way, when Dido sets you on her lap and kisses you, you can make her fall passionately in love with Aeneas. She will never know that a god caused her to fall in love."

Cupid was willing to do as his mother asked. He shed his wings and assumed the form of Ascanius. Venus put the real Ascanius into a soothing sleep and carried him off to the town of Idalium on Cyprus and placed him on a bed of aromatic marjoram.

Achates led "Ascanius," carrying gifts, to Carthage. Dido sat on her throne, and Aeneas and the Trojans entered her throne room. Servants brought water so that everyone could wash their hands, and they set out a meal. As all ate, they admired the gifts that Aeneas gave Dido and they admired the boy that they thought to be Ascanius.

Dido especially was enthralled with the gifts and with the boy. Cupid hugged Aeneas and then he went to Dido. She held him in her lap, and the god slowly dissipated her memory of Sychaeus, her late husband. Her heart had long been closed to love and passion, but Cupid began to open it.

Servants cleared the tables of food, and they brought out more wine for all to enjoy. Conversation abounded, and servants lit lamps and torches.

Dido ordered that a golden, bejeweled bowl filled with wine unmixed with water be brought to her, and she prayed aloud to the king of gods and men, "Jupiter, you are the god of hospitality. You are the god of hosts and of guests. Please allow this day to always be a day of joy for Carthaginians and for Trojan exiles. Please allow this day to be remembered with happiness by our children. May Bacchus, god of wine and giver of bliss, and Juno give us their blessings. And now let us celebrate with happiness."

Dido poured out wine for the gods, and then she sipped the wine and passed the bowl to the nobleman Bitias, who drank with pleasure. Then the other nobles drank from the bowl.

The bard Iopas played his lyre and sang songs of epic glory. His teacher had been Atlas, a Titan. Iopas sang about the phases of the moon and the eclipses of the sun, the origins of humans and beasts, the sources of storms and lightning bolts and the constellations, and why winter days are so short and winter nights are so long. The Carthaginians and the Trojans applauded his genius.

As Venus had planned, Dido fell in love with Aeneas, and she asked him many questions about Priam, about Hector, about the Ethiopian king Memnon who had fought for the Trojans, and about the Greek warriors Diomedes and Achilles.

Dido then said to Aeneas, "Please tell us your story from beginning to end. Start with how Troy fell and then tell us your wanderings for the seven years from the fall of Troy to your coming to Carthage."
APPENDIX C: ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a cry rang out, and on a hot summer night in 1954, Josephine, wife of Carl Bruce, gave birth to a boy—me. Unfortunately, this young married couple allowed Reuben Saturday, Josephine's brother, to name their first-born. Reuben, aka "The Joker," decided that Bruce was a nice name, so he decided to name me Bruce Bruce. I have gone by my middle name—David—ever since.

Being named Bruce David Bruce hasn't been all bad. Bank tellers remember me very quickly, so I don't often have to show an ID. It can be fun in charades, also. When I was a counselor as a teenager at Camp Echoing Hills in Warsaw, Ohio, a fellow counselor gave the signs for "sounds like" and "two words," then she pointed to a bruise on her leg twice. Bruise Bruise? Oh yeah, Bruce Bruce is the answer!

Uncle Reuben, by the way, gave me a haircut when I was in kindergarten. He cut my hair short and shaved a small bald spot on the back of my head. My mother wouldn't let me go to school until the bald spot grew out again.

Of all my brothers and sisters (six in all), I am the only transplant to Athens, Ohio. I was born in Newark, Ohio, and have lived all around Southeastern Ohio. However, I moved to Athens to go to Ohio University and have never left.

At Ohio U, I never could make up my mind whether to major in English or Philosophy, so I got a bachelor's degree with a double major in both areas, then I added a master's degree in English and a master's degree in Philosophy. Currently, I publish a weekly humorous column titled "Wise Up!" for _The Athens News_ and I am an English instructor at Ohio U.
APPENDIX D: FAIR USE

This communication uses information that I have downloaded and adapted from the WWW. I will not make a dime from it. The use of this information is consistent with fair use:

§ 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use

Release date: 2004-04-30

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include —

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;

(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

Source of Fair Use information: <http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html>.
APPENDIX E: BOOK BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cameron, Donald. _Conversations with Canadian Novelists_. Toronto, Canada: Macmillan of Canada, 1973.

Freedman, Carl, editor. _Conversations with Isaac Asimov_. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 2005.

Green, Amy Boothe, and Howard E. Green. _Remembering Walt: Favorite Memories of Walt Disney_. New York: Disney Editions, 1999.

Greene, Katherine and Richard. _The Man Behind the Magic: The Story of Walt Disney_. New York: Viking, 1991

Laffey, Bruce. _Beatrice Lillie: The Funniest Woman in the World_. New York: Wynwood Press, 1989.

Rhode, Michael G., editor. _Harvey Pekar Conversations_. Jackson, Mississippi: University of Mississippi Press, 2008.

Vaswani, J.P. _The Good You Do Returns: A Book of Wisdom Stories_. Liguori, Missouri: Triumph Books, 1995.

Weller, Sam. _Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews_. Brooklyn, NY: Melville House, 2010.
APPENDIX F: ENDNOTES

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(2) Source: Alastair Jamieson, "Runner who died in London Marathon inspires $500,000 [in] donations." Msnbc.com. 24 April 2012 <<http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/24/11366341-runner-who-died-in-london-marathon-inspires-500000-donations?lite>>. Also: Mark Mooney, "London Marathoner's Fund Hits $1 Million." ABC News. 25 April 2012 <<http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/london-marathoners-fund-hits-1-million/>>.

(3) Source: James Montague, "The third man: The forgotten Black Power hero." CNN. 25 April 2012  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/24/sport/olympics-norman-black-power/index.html?eref=rss_asia&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fedition_asia+%28RSS%3A+Asia%29>.

(4) Source: Christy Cabrera Chirinos, "West Broward High School girls show support for Muslim teammate." _Sun Sentinel_ (Fort Lauderdale, Florida). 20 April 2012 <<http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/flagfootball/broward/fl-flag-football-hijab-0419-20120419,0,142899.story?page=1>>.

(5) Source: Alan Campbell, "Stanley Cup riot teenage hero risked neck to save man being attacked." _Vancouver Sun_ (Canada). 20 June 2011 <http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/VIDEO+WARNING+GRAPHIC+CONTENT+Vancouver+Stanley+riot+teenage+hero+risked+neck+save+from+vicious/4981445/story.html>.

(6) Source: Ula Corsi, "How we met our angel one night in Florida." Good News Blog. Published 23 February 2006 <<http://www.goodnewsblog.com/2006/02/23/how-we-met-our-angel-one-night-in-florida>>.

(7) Source: Reviews for Randall Jarrell's _Animal Family_. Amazon. <http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Family-Michael-Capua-Books/dp/0062059041/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1336482948&sr=1-1-catcorr>. Accessed 8 May 2012.

(8) Source: Sam Weller, _Listen to the Echoes: The Ray Bradbury Interviews_ (Brooklyn, NY: Melville House, 2010), pp. 112-113.

(9) Source: Source: Rene Gerryts, "Police salvage blind Trish Vickers' inkless novel pages." _Bridport News_ (England). 11 April 2012 <<http://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/lymenews/9641490.Police_salvage_blind_Trish_Vickers__inkless_novel_pages/>>.

(10) Source: Susan Estrich:, "Saturday Night with Bea." Creators Syndicate. 9 May 2012 <<http://www.creators.com/liberal/susan-estrich/saturday-night-with-bea.html>>.

(11) Source: Christa Delcamp, "5-year-old battling spina bifida meets his hero, 'The Boss.'" WHDH. 26 <arch 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12007051505947/5-year-old-battling-spina-bifida-meets-his-hero-the-boss/>>.

(12) Source: Hadley Freeman, "Beastie Boy Adam Yauch: not just a celebrity activist." _Guardian_ (UK). 8 May 2012 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/08/adam-yauch-not-just-celebrity>.

(13) Source: Rachel Cooke, "Hannah Rothschild on Nica: 'I saw a woman who knew where she belonged.'" _Guardian_ (UK). 22 April 2012 <<http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/22/hannah-rothschild-nica-jazz-thelonious-monk-interview>>.

(14) Source: Jerome Weidman, "The Night I Met Einstein." _Reader's Digest_. November 1955 <<http://www.rd.com/true-stories/inspiring/the-night-i-met-einstein/>>.

(15) Source: Finoa Apple, "Love is love, and there will never be too much." Letters of Note. 2 April 2012 <<http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/04/love-is-love-and-there-will-never-be.html>>.

(16) Source: "Sarah Hyland Exclusive Interview." _Seventeen_. June/July 2012 <<http://www.seventeen.com/entertainment/features/sarah-hyland-exclusive-interview?click=SVN_NEW#slide-1>>. Also: Christie D'Zurilla, "Sarah Hyland of 'Modern Family' reveals kidney transplant at 21." _Los Angeles Times_. 14 May 2012 <<http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-sarah-hyland-kidney-transplant,0,6705815.story>>.

(17) Source: Amy Boothe Green and Howard E. Green, _Remembering Walt: Favorite Memories of Walt Disney_ , pp. 119-121.

(18) Source: Katherine and Richard Greene, _The Man Behind the Magic: The Story of Walt Disney_ , pp. 40, 90, 103.

(19) Source: "Thank You, Mr. Hitchcock." Letters of Note. 11 May 2012 <<http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/05/thank-you-mr-hitchcock.html>>.

(20) Source: Richard White, "Dustin Hoffman saved my life." _The Sun_ (UK). 8 May 2012 <<http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/4303347/Dustin-Hoffman-saves-young-heart-attack-jogger-in-Hyde-Park.html>>. Also: "Hoffman Becomes Real Life Accidental Hero." _Sky News_ (UK). 9 May 2012 <<http://news.sky.com/home/showbiz-news/article/16224639>>.

(21) Source: Mike Martin, "Schwarzenegger a real-life hero in saving swimmer." _SF Gate_. 10 April 2004 <<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/10/BAGII63A6V1.DTL>>. Also: "Arnie saves swimmer in Hawaii." Telegraph (UK). 10 April 2004 <<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1458968/Arnie-saves-swimmer-in-Hawaii.html>>.

(22) Source: "Ryan Gosling: Breaking Up Street Fight Over Painting 'Embarrassed' Him." Huffington Post. 8 September 2011 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/08/ryan-gosling-breaking-up-street-fight_n_953802.html>>. Also: "Ryan Gosling Really Did Break Up A Fight In New York City." Huffington Post. 23 August 2011 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/23/ryan-gosling-really-did-break-up-a-fight_n_934381.html>>.

(23) Source: Laurie Penny, "Ryan Gosling Saved Me From a Speeding Car But There's War In the Middle East So Everyone Calm Down." Gawker. 4 April 2012 <<http://gawker.com/5899046/ryan-gosling-saved-me-from-a-speeding-car-but-theres-war-in-the-middle-east-so-everyone-calm-down>>. Also: "Ryan Gosling Reportedly Saves Journalist Laurie Penny From New York City Taxi (TWEETS) UPDATE]." Huffington Post. 4 April 2012 <[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/ryan-gosling-saves-laurie-penny-from-nyc-taxi-tweets_n_1402492.html#s841421&title=Laurie_Penny>. Also: "Feminist Ryan Gosling." Accessed 5 April 2012. <<http://feministryangosling.tumblr.com/>>.

(24) Source: Stephen M. Silverman, "Patrick Dempsey Rescues Teen From Crash." _People_. 30 April 2012 <<http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20591439,00.html>>.

(25) Source: Dahvi Shira, "Zoe Saldana Helps Elderly Woman After Car Accident." People.com. 19 January 2012 <<http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20562945,00.html>>.

(26) Source: Liz Barrett, "Good Samaritan: Tom Cruise rescues photographer who fell on New York sidewalk." Examiner.com. 6 October 2008 <<http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-news-in-national/good-samaritan-tom-cruise-rescues-photographer-who-fell-on-new-york-sidewalk>>. Also: Pam Lambert, "Tom Terrific: After Helping Save Five Lives at Sea—His Third Rescue Since March—No Mission Seems Impossible for Tom Cruise." _People_. Vol. 46, No. 9. 26 August 1996 <<http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20142095,00.html>>. Also: Pam Lambert, "Tom Terrific: After Helping Save Five Lives at Sea—His Third Rescue Since March—No Mission Seems Impossible for Tom Cruise." _People_. Vol. 46, No. 9. 26 August 1996 <<http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20142095,00.html>>.

(27) Source: Tom Hallman Jr., "A teacher, a student, and a 39-year-long lesson in forgiveness." _The Oregonian_ (Portland, Oregon). 21 April 2012 <<http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/04/a_teacher_a_student_and_a_39-y.html>>.

(28) Source: "Heroic teacher wakes from coma." _SINA_. 15 May 2012 <<http://english.sina.com/china/p/2012/0515/467834.html>>. Also: "Teacher loses both legs after saving 2 students." CNTV> 14 May 2012 <<http://www.china.org.cn/video/2012-05/14/content_25376823.htm>>.

(29) Source: Chastity Pratt Dawsey, "Douglass Academy walkout earns suspensions for about 50 high schoolers." _Detroit Free Press_ (Michigan). 30 March 2012 <http://www.freep.com/article/20120330/NEWS01/203300409/Douglass-Academy-walkout-earns-suspensions-for-about-50-high-schoolers?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s&asid=feffcb42>.

(30) Source: John Blackstone, "Locked door saved our lives." CBS News. 3 April 2012 <<http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57408910/>>. Also Robert Salonga, "Nursing student lauded for sealing classroom from Oikos shooter." _Oakland Tribune_ (California). 3 April 2012 <<http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_20318763/nursing-student-lauded-sealing-classroom-from-oikos-shooter?source=rss>>.

(31) Source: Matt Henson, "N.Y. teen honored for heroism." WCAX (Burlington, Vermont). 15 May 2012; updated 16 May 2012 <<http://www.wcax.com/story/18431184/ny-teen-honored-for-heroism>>.

(32) Source: Eric Wilkinson, "Kids take wheel in WA school bus emergency." KGW. 10 April 2012 <<http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Kids-take-wheel-in-WA-school-bus-emergency-146703685.html>>. Also: QMI Agency, "Kids save the day after bus driver has heart attack." CNEWS (Canada). <<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Good_News/2012/04/10/19614791.html?cid=rssnewsworld>>.

(33) Source: Ana Samways, "April 23: Earth calling wife." Sideswipe. _New Zealand Herald_. 23 April 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sideswipe-with-ana-samways/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503050&objectid=10801660>.

(34) Source: Bruce Laffey, _Beatrice Lillie_ , p. 66.

(35) Source: Beastly, "Kindness Adventures of Boss Lady." Help Others. 18 April 2012 <<http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=31210>>.

(36) Source: Menachem Z. Rosensaft, "My mother: A heroine of the Holocaust _." Jerusalem Post_. 18 April 2012 <http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?ID=266607&R=R1>.

(37) Source: Amy Dempsey, "Unsung hero gave Toronto family ticket out of Nazi-occupied Austria." Toronto Star (Canada). 17 April 2012 <<http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1163297--unsung-hero-gave-toronto-family-ticket-out-of-nazi-occupied-austria>>.

(38) Source: Don Tow, "Israel remembers Chinese diplomat who rescued Jews." Spero News. 7 May 2012 <http://www.speroforum.com/a/GDCSCESDIJ52/72151-Israel-remembers-Chinese-diplomat-who-rescued-Jews?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+speroforum%2Fnroq+%28Spero+News%29>.

(39) Source: Morris News Service, "Boy, 9, stages own protest of Westboro Baptist protesters." _The Augusta Chronicle_ (Georgia). 14 May 2012 <<http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/national/2012-05-14/boy-9-stages-own-protest-westboro-baptist-protesters>>.

(40) Source: Donald Cameron, _Conversations with Canadian Novelists_ , Part 2, pp. 148-149.

(41) Source: _Star-Ledger_ Editorial Board, "Muslim Sept. 11 responder deserves hero's honor." _Star Ledger_ (New Jersey). 4 January 2012 <<http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/01/muslim_sept_11_responder_deser.html>>. Also: "Muslim American NYPD Cadet Mohammad Salman Hamdani left off 9/11 memorial list." Public Radio International. 4 January 2012 <<http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/muslim-american-nypd-cadet-mohammad-salman-hamdani-left-off-memorial-list-7786.html>>.

(42) Source: "Forgotten bomb raid hero honoured after 61 years." Breakingnews.ie (Ireland). 25 February 2006 <<http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/cweygbeycwau/>>.

(43) Source: "'Hero' U.S. Soldier Gives Life to Save Afghan Girl." ABC News. 20 March 2012 <<http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/hero-u-s-soldier-gives-life-to-save-afghan-girl/>>. Also: Rod Nordland, "Good Deeds in Afghanistan Interrupt the Grim Narrative." _New York Times_. 31 March 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/world/asia/american-who-gave-life-for-boy-is-heroic-contrast-to-afghan-news.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>.

(44) Source: Rod Nordland, "Good Deeds in Afghanistan Interrupt the Grim Narrative." _New York Times_. 31 March 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/world/asia/american-who-gave-life-for-boy-is-heroic-contrast-to-afghan-news.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>.

(45) Source: "Major killed shielding soldiers receives Hero of Russia title." RT (Russia). 3 April 2012 <<http://rt.com/news/prime-time/solnechnikov-hero-russia-title-146/>>.

(46) Source: "Tunisia PM: Oppressing Salafists turns them into heroes." _Daily Star_ (Lebanon). 11 May 2012 <<http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/May-11/172996-tunisia-pm-oppressing-salafists-turns-them-into-heroes.ashx>>.

(47) Source: Samantha Henry, "Mayor rescues neighbor from burning house." _Journal Gazette_ (Fort Wayne, Indiana). Associated Press. 13 April 2012 <<http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120413/NEWS03/120419761/-1/NEWS09>>. Also: "Mayor Hospitalized After Heroic Act." KHQ. Associated Press. 13 April 2012 <<http://www.khq.com/story/17409005/mayor-hospitalized-after-heroic-act>>. Also: "Newark Mayor Cory Booker taken to hospital after rescuing woman from house fire." _Star-Ledger_ (New Jersey). 13 April 2012 <<http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/newark_mayor_cory_booker_taken.html>>.

(48) Source: "Guest of honour: Queen leaves couple stunned after Her Majesty accepts wedding invitation at Manchester town hall." _Manchester Evening News_. 24 March 2012 <<http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1489358_guest-of-honour-queen-leaves-couple-stunned-after-her-majesty-accepts-wedding-invitation-at-manchester-town-hall>>.

(49) Source: Dominic Holden, "A Starbucks Boycott Backfires." _The Stranger_ (Seattle, Washington). 27 March 2012 <<http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/a-starbucks-boycott-backfires/Content?oid=13185250>>.

(50) Source: H. Hoover, "Sign of the Times." Distriction.com. 20 March 2012 <<http://distriction.com/2012/03/sign-of-the-times/>>.

(51) Source: Carl Freedman, editor, _Conversations with Isaac Asimov_ (Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 2005), pp. 133-134.

(52) Source: Diane Bell, "Good Samaritan gets payback for paying it forward." _San Diego Union-Tribune_ (California). 7 January 2011 <<http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/07/good-samaritan-gets-payback-for-paying-it-forward/>>. Also: Elizabeth Douglass, "Really, he won't send you a bill." _Los Angeles Times_ (California). 24 July 2008 <<http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/24/business/fi-highwayangel24>>.

(53) Source: Bob Dotson, "Meet the small-town doc who's charged $5 a visit for 55 years." Today. 27 December 2010 <<http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40661756/ns/today-today_news/t/meet-small-town-doc-whos-charged-visit-years/#.T6zJTVFSSQF>>.

(54) Source: Michael G. Rhode, editor, _Harvey Pekar Conversations_ , pp. 43, 47, 63-64, 71, 81.

(55) Source: Clifton Simmons, "Bald Barbie Doll Inspires Cancer Survivors." Talentzoo.com. <<http://www.talentzoo.com/beneath-the-brand/blog_news.php?articleID=13720>>. Accessed 6 April 2012.

(56) Source: Petula Dvorak, "A clinic's landlord turns the tables on anti-abortion protesters." _Washington Post_. 29 March 2012 <<http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-clinics-landlord-turns-the-tables-on-anti-abortion-protesters/2012/03/29/gIQAThgwiS_story.html?tid=pm_pop>>.

(57) Source: Associated Press, "'Hero' doctor saves babies in Romania corruption." Worldnews.msnbc.msn.com. 31 March 2012 <<http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/30/10945434-hero-doctor-saves-babies-in-romania-corruption>>.

(58) Source: "BAM! Batman gets a flat on Md.'s Route 29." WTOP. 2 November 2011 <http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2617601>.

(59) Source: Michael S. Rosenwald, "Who is the Route 29 Batman? This guy." _Washington Post_. 28 March 2012 <<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html>>.

(60) Source: "Sunderland boy, five, to receive first haircut for charity." BBC. 14 March 2012 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-17369709>. Also: Laura T. Coffey, "Teased for his tresses, boy cuts them off (for charity)." TODAY.com. 21 March 2012 <<http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46812342/ns/today-good_news/>>.

(61) Source: Laura McCallister and Alan Shope, "Couple says popular online game saved their life." KCTV (Kansas City, Missouri). No date <<http://www.kctv5.com/story/16506586/words-with-friend>>. Accessed 27 March 2012. Also: Laura Hibbard, "'Words With Friends' Game Saves Australian Man's Life." Huffington Post. 13 January 2012  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/words-with-friends-game-s_n_1205688.html>.

(62) Source: "Real Hero: Dr. Rick McPheeters." KGET (Bakersville, California). 2 April 2012 <<http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Real-Hero-Dr-Rick-McPheeters/rGvOk3QyX02yb3FE0fcADQ.cspx?rss=91>>.

(63) Source: enigma74, "My Best Friend Saved My Life." Help Others. 23 February 2012 <http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=29991>.

(64) Source: Jared Savage, "Quake—a year on: Shaken city honours its heroes: Dr. Bryce Curran and Dr. Lydia Putra." _New Zealand Herald_. 23 February 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=10787393>.

(65) Source: Laura Ungar, "Louisville-area mother hears lost daughter's heart beat in Chicago boy's chest." _The Courier-Journal_ (Louisville, Kentucky). 8 May 2012 <<http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120508/NEWS01/305090054/Kara-Mellick-baby-heart>>.

(66) Source: "Yuma mother donates her liver to save her 1-year-old daughter." KGUN9 (Arizona). 2 May 2012 <<http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/149938395.html?hpt=us_bn7>>. Also: "1st adult-to-child living donor liver transplant in AZ." KVOA (Arizona). 2 May 2012 <<http://www.kvoa.com/news/1st-adult-to-child-living-donor-liver-transplant-in-az/#!prettyPhoto/0/>>.

(67) Source: Anne Allread, "Good Samaritan donates kidney to Army veteran." WHDH (Boston, Massachusetts). 27 April 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/south/12007325756149/good-samaritan-donates-kidney-to-army-veteran/>>.

(68) Source: Teresa Woodard, "Lewisville teacher donates kidney to student's father." WFAA (Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas). 27 Match 2012; updated 28 March 2012 <<http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Lewisville-teacher-donates-kidney-to-students-father-144288575.html>>.

(69) Source: Lindsay McPhee, "Shark attack rescue hero to receive Star of Courage." _The West Australian_. 17 August 2009 <<http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/5820930/shark-attack-rescue-hero-to-receive-star-of-courage/>>. Also: Winsor Dobbin, "Mum rescues man savaged by white pointer." _Sydney Morning Herald_ (Australia). 11 May 2008 <<http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mum-rescues-man-savaged-by-white-pointer/2008/05/10/1210131326604.html>>.

(70) Source: _It's an Honor: Australia Celebrating Australians: Welcome to the Bravery Edition_. "Instinct to the Rescue." Issue 16. Page 3. July 2006 <<http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/publications/docs/Its_an_honour_16_July_2006.pdf>>.

(71) Source: David Raleigh, "Hero neighbour rescues toddler as pet dog goes beserk." Irish Independent. 5 April 2012 <<http://www.independent.ie/national-news/hero-neighbour-rescues-toddler-as-pet-dog-goes-beserk-3072116.html>>.

(72) Source: Deanna Reake, "Hero Dog Saves Woman from Rape." For the Love of the Dog Blog. 31 October 2008 <<http://fortheloveofthedogblog.com/news-updates/hero-dog-saves-woman-from-rape>>. This blog entry used information from _SL Today_.

(73) Source: Katina Caraganis, "Pet pit bull drags unconscious owner off Shirley tracks with train bearing down." _Sentinel and Enterprise_ (Massachusetts). 9 May 2012 <<http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/topstory/ci_20581749/pet-pit-bull-drags-unconscious-owner-off-shirley>>.

(74) Source: Sue Manning, "Calif. group gives Texas dog national hero award." Associated Press. 7 May 2012 <<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47331329/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/>>.

(75) Source: Lauren Leamanczyk, "Dog Saves Family Then Dies In Hillsborough, NH Fire." WBZ-TV (Boston, Massachusetts). 20 April 2012 <<http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/04/20/dog-saves-family-then-dies-in-hillsborough-nh-fire/>>.

(76) Source: Jamie Schram, Liz Sadler and Bill Sanderson, "Super dog! Takes a bullet to save SI rob victim." _New York Post_. 4 April 2012 <<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/staten_island/it_super_dog_xOTUdSg88IDfYBmzrD5N3H>>. Also: Deborah E. Young, "Staten Island pit bull takes a bullet defending his owner." _Staten Island Advance._ 4 April 2012; updated 5 April 2012 <<http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/pit_bull_takes_bullet_in_head.html>=>.

(77) Source: "Disabled dog rescues Edith, 90." Good News Blog. 2 July 2005 <<http://www.goodnewsblog.com/2005/07/02/disabled-dog-rescues-edith-90>>.

(78) Source: Craig Mello, "MELLO: Good Samaritan puts a big smile on a boy's face." _Modesto Bee_ (California). 13 March 2012 <<http://www.modbee.com/2012/03/13/2111089/good-samaritan-puts-a-big-smile.html>>.

(79) Source: Robert F. Bukaty, "Disabled border collie 'wakes up happy every day.'" _Bangor Daily News_ (Maine). 12 April 2012 <<http://bangordailynews.com/slideshow/disabled-border-collie-wakes-up-happy-every-day/>>.

(80) Source: "Madison Wallraf, Teen Girl, Saves 25 Horses From Stable Fire." Huffington Post. 13 April 2012; updated 15 April 2012. <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/13/madison-wallraf-teen-girl_n_1423586.html?ref=teen>>.

(81) Source: "Good Samaritans help whale escape fishing net." WHDH. 27 March 2012 <http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/national/12007057957497/good-samaritans-help-whale-escape-fishing-net/>.

(82) Source: Brooke Edwards Staggs, "Hunting accident hero gets recognition." _Victorville Daily Press_ (California). 26 March 2012 <<http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/hero-33620-hunting-recognition.html>>. Also: Brooke Edwards Staggs, "Teen shoots father in hunting accident." _Victorville Daily Press_ (California). 12 December 2011 <<http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/apple-31808-father-hunting.html>>.

(83) Source: "Georgia firefighter rescues baby from storm drain." WXIA-TV (Atlanta, Georgia). 1 May 2012 <<http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/01/11490437-georgia-firefighter-rescues-baby-from-storm-drain?lite>>.

(84) Source: "Good Samaritan Saves Wrong-Number Caller." WTAE. 3 February 2012 <<http://www.wtae.com/news/30369102/detail.html>>.

(85) Source: "Quebec woman credits Calgary man for long-distance rescue." CBC News. 9 April 2012 <<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/04/09/calgary-quebec-woman-long-distance-help.html?cmp=rss>>.

(86) Source: "N.H. Six-Year-Old to Be Honored for Helping Mom with 9-1-1 Call." JEMS. 9 January 2012 <<http://www.jems.com/article/news/nh-six-year-old-be-honored-helping-mom-9>>.

(87) Source: Ron Vidika, "'Little hero' saves his grandmother." _Morning Journal_ (Northern Ohio). 20 March 2012 <<http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2012/03/20/news/mj5928127.txt?viewmode=fullstory>>.

(88) Source: Steve Poling, "Thanks for life-saving intervention after local food-choking incident." Letter to the Editor. _The Athens News_ (Ohio). 4 April 2012 <<http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-36552-thanks-for-life-saving-intervention-after-local-food-choking-incident.html>>.

(89) Source: Rochelle Baker, "Seeking Samaritan who saved young son." _Abbotsford_ _Times_ (Canada). 24 August 2011 <<http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/search/Seeking+Samaritan+saved+young/4905845/story.html>>.

(90) Source: George Warren, "Sacramento first-grader saves friend with Heimlich." News10 (Sacramento, California). 3 May 2012 <http://landpark.news10.net/news/news/98050-sacramento-first-grader-saves-friend-heimlich?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cbc%7Clarge>. Also: "Elspeth 'Beanie' Mar, 6-Year-Old, Saves Friend From Choking." Huffington Post. 4 May 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/elspeth-beanie-mar-6-year-old-saves-friend-choking_n_1478650.html?ref=good-news>>.

(91) Source: "Emergency Dispatcher Helps Save Baby's Life." WMUR (New Hampshire). 20 April 2012 <<http://www.wmur.com/news/30927621/detail.html>>.

(92) Source: "Woman Saved By Donated AED Thanks Rescuers." WMUR (New Hampshire). 27 April 2012; updated 28 April 2012 <<http://www.wmur.com/health/30970112/detail.html>>.

(93) Source: Helen Freund and Dan MacLeod, "Paramedics save abandoned Brooklyn baby." _New York Post_. 15 March 2012 <<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/breath_of_life_VUNkJ9NoJzhFHMyKO1KadK>>.

(94) Source: Kristin Fisher, "Jawlin Tzeng of Rockville, Md., hopes to thank life-saving good Samaritans who called 911." WUSA (Washington, D.C.). 23 March 2012 <<http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=198389>>.

(95) Source: Jeff Jardine, "Gustine doctor served his town until the very end." _Modesto Bee_ (California). 18 October 2011 <http://www.modbee.com/2011/10/17/1909018/gustine-doctor-served-his-town.html>. Also: "Good Samaritan Performed CPR to Help Save a Child." Video. _The Olympian_ (Washington). <<http://videos.theolympian.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=116522721#storylink=misearch>>.

(96) Source: Paul Adler, "Everyday Hero: Police Officer Mark Riggin saved life of crashed motorist." KY3 News (Springfield, Missouri). 23 March 2012 <<http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-everyday-hero-police-officer-mark-riggin-saved-life-of-crashed-motorist-20120323,0,7545986.story?track=rss>>.

(97) Source: Don Babwin, "Denny Fitch Dead: Off-Duty Pilot Who Helped Crippled Jet Make Impossible Landing Dies." Huffington Post. 9 May 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/denny-fitch-hero-pilot-obituary_n_1505335.html>>.

(98) Source: Paul K Pickett, "5 Unknown Schmucks Who Turned Into Superheroes in the Clutch." Cracked. 27 April 2010 <<http://www.cracked.com/article_18509_5-unknown-schmucks-who-turned-into-superheroes-in-clutch_p2.html>>. Also: "Air Florida Flight 90." Wikipedia. <<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Florida_Flight_90>>. Accessed 23 April 2012. Also: Paul K Pickett, "6 Nobodies Who Turned Into Superheroes without Warning." Cracked. 22 April 2012 <<http://www.cracked.com/article_19766_6-nobodies-who-turned-into-superheroes-without-warning.html>>. Also: Oakland Ross, "The Case for Virtue." _Toronto Star_ (Canada). 26 December 2011 <<http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1106910--the-case-for-virtue>>. Source: Christopher Mcdougall, "The hidden cost of heroism." MSNBC. 26 November 2011 <<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21902983/ns/health-behavior/t/hidden-cost-heroism/#.T1pJ9LLKp-w>>.

(99) Source: "12 Year old Milton Boy Saves Four Siblings From Burning Home." NBC Local 15 News. 14 May 2012 <<http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/12-Year-old-Milton-Boy-Saves-Four-Siblings-From/5_iCIsOCakuHSkmra1v4Cg.cspx>>. Also: Louis Cooper, "12-year-old boy saves family from blaze." _Pensacola News Journal_ (Florida). 14 May 2012 <http://www.pnj.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/305130025/12-year-old-boy-saves-family-from-blaze?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE>.

(100) Source: Derek Baldwin, "Unsung heroes of the blaze." _Gulf News_ (United Arab Emirates). 10 May 2012 <http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/unsung-heroes-of-the-blaze-1.1020718?localLinksEnabled=false&utm_source=Feeds&utm_medium=RSS&utm_term=UAE_news_RSS_feed&utm_content=1.1020718&utm_campaign=____________Unsung_heroes_of_the_blaze>.

(101) Source: Rebecca Harshbarger, "Close call: Cops save family from Rockaway Beach fire after broken door traps them inside." _New York Post_. 5 May 2012 <http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/close_broken_traps_rescues_family_80AKsFrKholGJ2Cy3YvSKN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=%20Queens>.

(102) Source: "SR2m from Saudi king to child fire rescuers." Emirates247.com (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). 1 May 2012 <<http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/sr2m-from-saudi-king-to-child-fire-rescuers-2012-05-01-1.456610>>.

(103) Source: Veronika Belenkaya, Jose Martinez, and Alison Gendar, "HERO CATCHES FALLING TOTS." _New York Daily News_. 25 February 2006 <<http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/hero-catches-falling-tots-article-1.630183>>.

(104) Source: "Teens Save Lives In Butler House Fire." KMBC (Kansas City, Missouri). 11 April 2012 <<http://www.kmbc.com/news/30872087/detail.html>>.

(105) Source: Tim Pulliam, "Boy's heroism not make-believe." WIS-TV. 7 April 2012 <<http://www.wistv.com/story/17357462/boys-heroism-not-make-belive>>.

(106) Source: "Captain, crew of stricken cruise ship hailed as heroes." _The Star_ (Malaysia). 3 April 2012 <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/3/nation/11039144&sec=nation>.

(107) Source: Christine Clarridge, "Officer rescues 2 people in house blaze." _Seattle Times_ (Washington). 2 March 2006 <http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20060302&slug=fire02m>.

(108) Source: "Man honored for heroism in East Boston fire." WHDH (Boston, Massachusetts). 4 April 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12007126705210/man-honored-for-heroism-in-east-boston-fire/>>.

(109) Source: Sam Penrod, "'They're my angels.'" _Deseret News_ (Salt Lake City, Utah). 3 April 2012 <<http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865553429/Theyre-my-angels.html>>.

(110) Source: QMI Agency, "Heroic couple helped tenants escape fire." Cnews.canoe.ca. 29 March 2012 <<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Good_News/2012/03/29/19566676.html?cid=rssnews>>.

(111) Source: "Gas station employee called a hero by fire department officials." KATU (Portland, Oregon). 29 March 2012 <<http://www.katu.com/news/Gas-station-employee-called-a-hero-by-fire-department-officials-144977625.html>>.

(112) Source: "On Heroic Self-Sacrifice: a London Park Devoted to Those Most Worth Remembering." Smithsonian. 19 March 2012 <<http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/03/on-heroic-self-sacrifice-a-london-park-devoted-to-those-most-worth-remembering/>>. Also: Carolineld, "Postman's Park." <<http://carolineld.blogspot.com/p/postmans-park.html>>.

(113) Source: "New York Girl, 7, Called Hero For Alerting Parents Of Fire." Associated Press. Huffington Post. 19 April 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/new-york-girl-saves-family_n_1437325.html>>.

(114) Source: Maury Glover, "Minnesota Firefighters in Drag." FOX 9 News. Published 20 March 2012; updated 21 March 2012. <<http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/offbeat/video-of-minn-firefighters-in-drag-goes-viral-mar-20-2012>>.

(115) Source: "Good Samaritan pulls driver from fiery crash." WHDH. 16 April 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/metro-west/12007232740755/good-samaritan-pulls-driver-from-fiery-crash/>>.

(116) Source: Brent Solomon. "Hero Passerby Pulls Driver From Car on Fire." NBC Miami (Florida). 19 April 2011 <<http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Hero-Pulls-Driver-From-Car-on-Fire-120204344.html>>.

(117) Source: Jeff Skrzypek, "Good Samaritan rescues driver from wrong-way crash seconds before car bursts into flames." WPTV (West Palm Beach, Florida). 13 May 2012 <<http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_martin_county/4-dead-in-wrong-way-crash-in-martin-county>>.

(118) Source: Adam Swift, "Drama at the end of a driveway." _New Hampshire Union Leader_ (Manchester, New Hampshire). 10 May 2012 <<http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120510/NEWS0701/705109933>>. Also: "3 Save Man From Londonderry Turnpike Car Crash." WMUR (Manchester, New Hampshire). 16 June 2011; updated 17 June 2011 <<http://www.wmur.com/r/28265767/detail.html>>. Also: "First-Responders, Citizens Honored For Heroic Actions." _New Hampshire Union Leader_ (Manchester, New Hampshire). 10 May 2012 <<http://www.wmur.com/r/31044608/detail.html>>.

(119) Source: Dale Vincent, "Crash+gas pump+fire=heroes." _New Hampshire Union Leader_ (Manchester, New Hampshire). 4 May 2012 <<http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120504/NEWS0701/705049933>>.

(120) Source: "Navy Seabees Help Rescue Family Dangling in Car Over Bridge." KSEE NEWS (Fresno, California). 17 January 2012 <http://www.ksee24.com/news/video/Navy-Seabees-Help-Rescue-Family-Dangling-in-Car-Over-Bridge-137544453.html>. Also: Scott Stump, "Mom, daughters reunite with rescuers who saved them from dangling car." MSNBC.MSN. 8 May 2012 <<http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47336315/ns/today-good_news/#.T60WmJ9YvUN>>. Also: Penny Arévalo, "The Untold Story of a Crash that Made Headlines Around the World." Patch (San Juan Capistrano, California). 28 February 2012  http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/articles/the-untold-story-of-the-crash-that-made-headlines-around-the-world>. Also: "Kelli Groves And Her Daughters Reunite With The Rescuers Who Saved Them From Dangling Car." Huffington Post. 11 May 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/kelli-groves_n_1509481.html?ref=good-news>>.

(121) Source: Dion Lefebvre rescued child from wreckage, "Rescuer pulled child from wreckage of Alberta crash." CBC News. 3 May 2012 <<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/05/03/edmonton-lefebvre-fort-mcmurray-rescued-boy-crash.html?cmp=rss>>.

(122) Source: Sasha Andrade, "Good Samaritans pull man from burning truck." WPLG (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Florida). 2 May 2012 <<http://www.local10.com/news/Good-Samaritans-pull-man-from-burning-truck/-/1717324/12528980/-/1551yfm/-/index.html>>.

(123) Source: Jill Burcum, "Rescue effort is a point of pride." _Minneapolis Star Tribune_ (Minnesota). 17 April 2012 <<http://www.startribune.com/opinion/147838085.html>>.

(124) Source: Stacey Barchenger, "Hero: Rescuing teen from Cocoa fire just 'human nature.'" _Florida Today_ (Brevard County). 26 April 2012 <<http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120426/NEWS01/304260013/1006/rss01/Hero-Rescuing-teen-from-Cocoa-fire-just-human-nature-?nclick_check=1>>.

(125) Source: "Teen hero rescues teetering truck driver." Stuff. 7 October 2008 <<http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/662486>>. Also: Rebecca Malcolm, "Risky road rescues earn heroes bravery medals." _Rotorua Daily Post_ (New Zealand). 1 July 2010 http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/news/risky-road-rescues-earn-heroes-bravery-medals/1060969/>.

(126) Source: Gerry Bellett, "Hero truck driver from Abbotsford killed in Calgary." _Vancouver Sun_ (Canada). 15 May 2012 <<http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Hero+truck+driver+from+Abbotsford+killed+Calgary/6624842/story.html>>. Also: Rochelle Baker, "Hero truck driver from Abbotsford killed in Calgary." _Abbotsford_ _Times_ (Canada). 15 May 2012 <<http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/news/Hero+truck+driver+from+Abbotsford+killed+Calgary/6619734/story.html>>.

(127) Source: "Good Samaritan saves driver from freight train." WSVN (Miami, Florida). 17 May 2012 <<http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21007495109030/good-samaritan-saves-driver-from-freight-train/>>.

(128) Source: "Log truck driver rescues Bug teetering on bank." _The Columbian_ (Clark County, Washington). 27 April 2012 <http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/27/log-truck-driver-rescues-bug-teetering-on-bank/>.

(129) Source: "Trooper traveling with N.H. governor rescues man in crash." _Boston Herald_ (Massachusetts). Associated Press. 30 April 2012 <<http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20120430trooper_traveling_with_nh_governor_rescues_man_in_crash>>.

(130) Source: John Lazo-Ron, "Special bravery awards for heroes amongst us." _Rotorua Daily Post_ (New Zealand). 2 April 2011 <<http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/news/special-bravery-awards-for-heroes-amongst-us/1050273/>>.

(131) Source: "Accident survivor reunited with Good Samaritan." Posted 2 March 2006 on the God News Blog. <<http://www.goodnewsblog.com/2006/03/02/accident-survivor-reunited-with-good-samaritan>>.

(132) Source: "Good Samaritans Lift SUV Off Trapped Woman." WCVB. The Boston Channel. 27 January 2012 <ttp://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/30314981/detail.html>. Also: "Good Samaritans Lift SUV Off Trapped Woman." KMBC. 30 January 2012 <<http://www.kmbc.com/video/30329971/detail.html>>.

(133) Source: Paula Roberts, "Heroic Dorset police officers and a Good Samaritan honoured for bravery." _Bridport News_ (England). 13 March 2012 <<http://www.bridportnews.co.uk/archive/2012/03/13/Latest+News+%28be_latest+news%29/9586179.Heroic_Dorset_police_officers_and_a_Good_Samaritan_honoured_for_bravery/>>.

(134) Source: Renée C. Lee, "Heroics aside, he's the 'same ol' Tom.'" _Houston Chronicle_ (Texas). 21 March 2012 <<http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Hero-award-recipient-I-can-t-let-this-baby-die-3425636.php>>.

(135) Source: Janelle Stecklein and Bob Mims, "Utah hero cop praises pinned bus crash victim's courage." _The Salt Lake Tribune_ (Utah). 15 December 2011; updated 16 December 2011 <<http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53127345-78/peck-bus-com-video.html.csp>>.

(136) Source: Emily Friedman, "Teen Hero in Deadly Missouri School Bus Crash." ABC News. 6 August 2010 <<http://abcnews.go.com/US/missouri-bus-crash-witness-points-teen-hero/story?id=11339807>>.

(137) Source: Kelly Camarote and NEWS9, "Weirton police, good Samaritan rescue 2 people after fiery crash." WTOV-TV. 21 March 2012 <<http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/weirton-police-good-samaritan-save-2-people-burnin/nLY9W/>>.

(138) Source: "Good Samaritan saves driver from burning wreckage." WHDH (Boston, Massachusetts). 22 March 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/national/12007012464273/good-samaritan-saves-driver-from-burning-wreckage/>>.

(139) Source: "Bridge plunge couple rescued from Dorset stream." BBC. 30 April 2012 <<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-17891244>>.

(140) Source: Amelia Wade. "Kiwi hailed hero for saving man from blazing car." _New Zealand Herald_. 22 March 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10793705&ref=rss>. Also: Jayne Rickard, "Car blaze hero gets bravery gong." _The West Australian_. 19 March 2012 <<http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/13200460/car-blaze-hero-gets-bravery-gong/>>.

(141) Source: Paul Foy, "3 kids rescued after car plunges into Utah river." _San Francisco Gate_ (California). Associated Press. 3 January 2012 <<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/02/MN041MK17L.DTL>>.

(142) Source: Heather Knight, "Mayor honors 4 who rescued driver from burning car." _San Francisco Gate_ (CA). 29 November 2011 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/28/BAJV1M56RH.DTL>.

(143) Source: Sunde Farquhar and Katie Dolac, "Good Samaritan Rescues Driver in Intracoastal." Patch (Dunedin, Florida). 14 February 2012 <<http://dunedin.patch.com/articles/good-samaritan-rescues-driver-in-intracoastal#photo-9115179>>.

(144) Source: Rachel Young, "Police officer's river rescue honoured." Stuff (New Zealand). 17 May 2012 <<http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6936416/Police-officers-river-rescue-honoured>>.

(145) Source: Gilma Avalos, "Good Samaritans Save Family From Dangerous Rip Current in Fort Lauderdale." NBC Miami (Florida). 14 May 2012 <<http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Good-Samaritans-Save-Family-From-Dangerous-Rip-Current-in-Fort-Lauderdale-151347905.html>>.

(146) Source: Kirsty Wynn, "Grandfather rescues child at cost of car." _New Zealand Herald_. 5 February 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10783498>. Also: "Good Samaritan helps save toddler but loses car in harbor." _New Zealand Herald_. 3 February 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10783079>.

(147) Source: Pat Grossmith, "Rescuers bring family back from brink." _New Hampshire Union Leader_ (Manchester, New Hampshire). 8 May 2012 <<http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120508/NEWS0701/705089975>>.

(148) Source: Patrice Clark, "Pascagoula police officer hailed a hero for saving child." WLOX (Biloxi, Mississippi). 30 April 2012; updated 1 May 2012 <<http://www.wlox.com/story/17965962/pascagoula-police-officer-hailed-a-hero-for-saving-child>>.

(149) Source: "Children rescue elderly man from stream." _New Zealand Herald_. 28 April 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10801926&ref=rss>. Also: Cherie Taylor, "Heroic teens rescue elderly walker from stream." _New Zealand Herald_. 1 May 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10802748&ref=rss>.

(150) Source: "British dancer, 19, acted as a 'human ladder' to help terrified passengers off stricken cruise ship." _Daily Mail_ (UK). 17 January 2012 <<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087777/Costa-Concordia-rescue-British-dancer-James-Thomas-19-acted-human-ladder.html>>. Also: "Costa Concordia: Hero British teenager made himself into human ladder to save passengers." Daily Mirror (UK). 17 January 2012 <<http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/costa-concordia-hero-british-teenager-15878>>. Also: " _C_ _osta Concordia_ disaster‬." Wikipedia. <<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster>>. Accessed 28 April 2012. Also: "Costa Concordia crew member Rose Metcalf: 'There was absolute panic.'" BBC. 16 January 2012 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16575409>.

(151) Source: Alyssa Newcomb, "Texas Man Pins New Deputy Days After He Was Saved From Death." ABC News. 24 April 2012 <<http://abcnews.go.com/US/houston-deputy-saves-drowning-victim/story?id=16201926>>.

(152) Source: "One-Legged Man Makes Icy Rescue." KMBC (Kansas City, Missouri). 21 February 2006 <<http://www.kmbc.com/r/7295312/detail.html>>.

(153) Source: Christina Ng, "Heroic Man Dies Saving Child from Powerful Riptide." ABC News. 10 April 2012 <<http://abcnews.go.com/US/heroic-man-dies-saving-child-powerful-rip-tide/story?id=16109957>>.

(154) Source:  Amelia Wade, "Good samaritan saves British man swamped by surf." _New Zealand Herald._ 4 April 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10796548>.

(155) Source: "Good Samaritan helps rescue kids, adults at sea." WDHD (Boston, Massachusetts). 8 April 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/national/12007162274094/good-samaritan-helps-rescue-kids-adults-at-sea/>>.

(156) Source: Andrew Koubaridis, "Hero's dash into sea saves young boy." _New Zealand Herald_. 9 April 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10797628&ref=rss>.

(157) Source: Dan Levy, "River rescue turns Troy cops into heroes." WNYT. 6 April 2012 <<http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s2572028.shtml?cat=300>>.

(158) Source: Pat Gangitano, "Couple wants to thank good samaritans." _Tico Times_ (Costa Rica). 8 March 2012 <<http://www.ticotimes.net/Opinion/Letters-to-the-Editor/Previous-Letters/Couple-wants-to-thank-good-samaritans>>.

(159) Source: "Firefighters rescue two 12yo girls swept away." Good Deeds Blog. 14 July 2005 <<http://www.goodnewsblog.com/2005/07/14/firefighters-rescue-two-12yo-girls-swept-away>>. Also: "Two Girls Rescued In Mineola." KLTV.com. 13 July 2005 <<http://www.kltv.com/story/3592569/two-girls-rescued-in-mineola?redirected=true>>.

(160) Source: Bob Stuart, "A hero's redemption: Man given Carnegie Medal for saving boy's life." _The News Virginian_ (Waynesboro, Virginia). 23 March 2012 <<http://www2.newsvirginian.com/news/2012/mar/23/heros-redemption-man-given-carnegie-medal-saving-b-ar-1787011/>>.

(161) Source: Dave Mark, "Brave boy rescues woman and her dog in ditch ordeal." _Yorkshire Post_ (UK). 15 February 2006 <<http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/brave-boy-rescues-woman-and-her-dog-in-ditch-ordeal-1-2604412>>.

(162) Source: David Chanen, "Scout's lifesaving act acknowledged with hero's award." _Star Tribune_ (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota). 13 December 2011 <<http://www.startribune.com/local/north/135411953.html>>.

(163) Source: "I, Anonymous." _The Stranger_ (Seattle, Washington). 27 March 2012 <<http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/i-anonymous/Content?oid=13184224>>.

(164) Source: Miles Godfrey, "Hero, who saved 500 lives, dies at 85." Australian Associated Press. 14 May 2012 <<http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/hero-who-saved-500-lives-dies-at-86/story-e6frfku0-1226355139396?from=public_rss>>. Also: Jonathan Pearlman, "Australians mourn Don Ritchie - the Angel of The Gap." _Telegraph_ (UK). 14 May 2012 <<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9264571/Australians-mourn-Don-Ritchie-the-Angel-of-The-Gap.html>>.

(165) Source: Dave Kern, "2-year-old boy falls off roof; 13-year-old rescues 18-month-old." _Columbian_ (Washington). 29 April 2012 <<http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/29/2-year-old-boy-falls-roof-13-year-old-rescues-18-m/>>.

(166) Source: _It's an Honor: Australia Celebrating Australians: Welcome to the Bravery Edition_. "Incident at Altitude." Issue 16. Page 3. July 2006 <<http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/publications/docs/Its_an_honour_16_July_2006.pdf>>.

(167) Source: Louie Smith, "Buried alive: Rescuers dig out girls with their hands after cliff they were playing on collapses." _Daily Mirror_ (UK). 11 April 2012 <<http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/buried-alive-rescuers-dig-out-786541>>.

(168) Source: Maki Becker, "Subway rider rescues stranger when he falls off platform into train's path." _Buffalo News_ (New York). 7 April 2012 <<http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article799728.ece>>. Also: Kyla Igoe, "Good Samaritan Helps Distressed Man on Train Tracks." WKBW. 9 April 2012 <<http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/Good-Samaritan-Helps-Distressed-Man-on-Train-Tracks-146736415.html>>.

(169) Source: "CT teen hero saves injured neighbor." WHDH (Boston, Massachusetts). 12 May 2012 <<http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/south/12007457505223/ct-teen-hero-saves-injured-neighbor/>>. Also: Erin Logan, "Cheshire Freshman saves neighbor's life." WTNH (New Haven, Connecticut). 11 May 2012 <<http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_haven_cty/cheshire-freshman-saves-neighbors-life>>. Also: Luther Turmelle, "Cheshire teen credited with saving man's life on walk home." _New Haven Register_ (Connecticut). 11 May 2012 <<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/05/11/news/metro/doc4fac8d0f29c8d363350517.txt?viewmode=fullstory>>.

(170) Source: Peter Allen, "Miracle escape as toddler falls 80ft and bounces into ARMS of a doctor." _Daily Mail_ (UK). 3 November 2010 <<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326211/Toddler-falls-80ft-doctors-arms-7th-floor-Paris-appartment.html>>.

(171) Source: Duncan Penn, "What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?" Huffington Post. 1 May 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/duncan-penn/what-do-you-want-to-do-be_b_1468725.html?ref=good-news>>.

(172) Source: Hannah Baker, "13-year-old drives snakebite victim to help." _Rapid City Journal_ (South Dakota). 1 July 2011 <<http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_2e5f14b8-a3ac-11e0-ab85-001cc4c002e0.html>>.

(173) Source: Emma Reynolds, "Construction worker jumps into vat of acid to save colleague after he fell 40ft through a rotting roof." _Daily Mail_ (UK). 8 May 2012 <<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2141153/Construction-worker-jumps-vat-acid-save-colleague-fell-40ft-rotting-roof.html>>. Also: Marlene Naanes, Richard Cowen and Hannan Adely, "Update: Co-workers rescue man from vat of acid." Northjersey.com. 7 May 2012 <<http://www.northjersey.com/clifton/Man_falls_40_feet_into_a_tank_of_acid_in_Clifton.html?page=all>>. Also: Associated Press, "Wife: NJ worker's acid vat rescue was team effort." _Seattle Times_ (Washington). 8 May 2012 <<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018164904_apusacidtankaccident.html?syndication=rss>>.

(174) Source: Jared Savage, "Quake—a year on: Shaken city honours its heroes: Mark Skelton." _New Zealand Herald_. 23 February 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502981&objectid=10787393>.

(175) Source: "Nothing shakes Polish hero's love of NZ." BigPond News (Australia). 22 February 2012 <<http://wap.news.bigpond.com/articles/World/2012/02/22/Nothing_shakes_Polish_heros_love_of_NZ_721186.html>>.

(176) Source: "Good samaritan prevents Hamilton rape." _New Zealand Herald_. 20 March 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10793354&ref=rss>.

(177) Source: Stephen Cronk, "The Kidnapping Suspect Was Shot By His Captive." Today on Today. 24 September 2011 <<http://todayontoday.com/2011/09/stephen-cronk-the-kidnapping-suspect-was-shot-by-his-captive-1274>>. Also: Kimberly Curth , "Mt. Juliet kidnapping suspect found dead in Mississippi." WSMV (Nashville, Tennessee). 23 September 2011; 21 October 2011 <<http://www.wsmv.com/story/15536893/mt-juliet-kidnapping-suspect-found-dead-in-mississippi>>.

(178) Source: "Homeless man saves woman from rapist at Bayfront." WSVN (Miami, Florida). 25 June 2007 <<http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI52581/>>.

(179) Source: Associated Press, "Guard halts rape attempt near cop headquarters." Sign on San Diego. 11 April 2012 <<http://www.4sd.signonsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/11/guard-halts-sexual-assault-robbery/?ap>>.

(180) Source: Joe Mollica and Cynthia R. Fagen, "Marine's scream halts rape." _New York Post_. 29 September 2011 <<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/marine_scream_halts_rape_YQlhhT3tZ3f8lGQsMRISrN>>. Also: "Former Marine Rescues Woman From Would-Be Rapist In Queens." CBS New York. 28 September 2011 <http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/09/28/former-marine-rescues-woman-from-would-be-rapist-in-queens/>.

(181) Source: Janet Reid, "Man accused of violent sexual assault on bike path may have been involved in two earlier attacks." _Lawrence Journal-World_ (Lawrence, Kansas). 17 June 2010 <<http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/jun/17/man-accused-violent-sexual-assault-bike-path-may-h/>>.

(182) Source: Rosemary R. Sobol and Dan Hinkel, "North Side man races to help assault victim, runs down suspect in bare feet." Chicago Tribune (Illinois). 15 April 2012 <<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-crime-north-side-rape-welles-park-ravenswood-admon-shasho,0,1762813.story>>.

(183) Source: Jessica Simeone and Jamie Schram, "Samaritan prevents rape." _New York Post_. 20 February 2012 <<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/samaritan_prevents_rape_yuir9ZanUgfdHzZsYbqXlM>>.

(184) Source: Julia Marsh and Jessica Simeone, "Karate hero runs off rapist." _New York Post_. 9 April 2012 <<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/karate_hero_runs_off_rapist_R7spXnTlqS7FNox0y7nZdL>>.

(185) Source: Jennifer Hopper, "I Would Like You to Know My Name: How My Life Changed After That Night in South Park." _The Stranger_ (Seattle, Washington). 9 August 2011 <<http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/i-would-like-you-to-know-my-nam/Content?oid=9434642>>. Also: Eli Sanders, "The Bravest Woman in Seattle." _The Stranger_ (Seattle, Washington). 14 June 2011 <<http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-bravest-woman-in-seattle/Content?oid=8640991>>. Also: Jennifer Sullivan, "Isaiah Kalebu sentenced to life without parole." _Seattle Times_ (Washington). 12 August 2011 <<http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/08/12/1780499/isaiah-kalebu-sentenced-to-life.html>>.

(186) Source: Meghan Kalkstein, "TriMet bus driver rescues woman from beating." KATU (Portland, Oregon). 18 May 2012 <<http://www.katu.com/news/TriMet-bus-driver-takes-the-initiative-rescues-woman-from-beating-151998315.html>>.

(187) Source: Gillian Wong, "A fateful decision: U.S. woman becomes hero in China as she fights domestic abuse." Associated Press. Detroit Free Press. 23 April 2012 <<http://www.freep.com/article/20120423/NEWS07/204230341>>.

(188) Source: Nicole Bode and Alice Mcquillan, "B'klyn man, 18, slain aiding girl." _New York_ _Daily News_. 25 February 2002 <<http://articles.nydailynews.com/2002-02-25/news/18192748_1_cops-stabbed-shawn-moore>>. Also: Michele Mcphee, "Fingered By His Prints, Held In B'klyn Slaying." _New York_ _Daily News_. 5 November 2002 <<http://articles.nydailynews.com/2002-11-05/news/18209066_1_cops-stabbed-fingerprints>>.

(189) Source: Ashley Kelly, "Newport News couple leaped to aid woman under attack." _Daily Press_ (Hampton Roads, Virginia). 24 March 2012 <<http://www.dailypress.com/news/crime/dp-nws-citizen-of-the-year-martinez-20120324,0,1691397.story>>.

(190) Source: Sarah Kennedy, "Hero's honour for life saver." _Calgary Sun_ (Canada). 21 December 2006 <<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Features/2006/12/21/2914247-sun.html>>. Also: "CARNEGIE MEDALS FOR HEROISM AWARDED TO 25 THROUGHOUT U.S., CANADA." Carnegie Hero Fund. 21 December 2006 <<http://www.carnegiehero.org/pdfs/dec06NR.pdf>>.

(191) Source: "Good Samaritans Save Woman From Being Abducted." WUSA (Washington D.C.). 14 December 2011 <<http://dupontcircle.wusa9.com/news/news/85258-good-samaritans-save-woman-being-abducted>>. Also: Video. <http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1329483952001>.

(192) Source: "Good Samaritans Save Woman Being Kidnapped." WLWT (Cincinnati, Ohio). Posted 11 May 2011; updated 12 May 2011. <<http://www.wlwt.com/news/27849519/detail.html>>.

(193) Source: Stacey Barchenger, "Officer of the Year: Saving lives is 'what Mike does.'" _Florida Today_ (Brevard County). 26 April 2012 <<http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012304260036>>.

(194) Source: "Real Heroes: Anthony Balaity and Eric Fuller." KGET (Bakersfield, California), 5 April 2012 <<http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Real-Heroes-Anthony-Balaity-and-Eric-Fuller/ugdsK5FH7E6UZC0whPsfDQ.cspx?rss=91>>.

(195) Source: "Chowchilla kidnapping bus driver Frank Ray dies." SF Gate. Associated Press. 19 May 2012 <<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/18/MN1E1OKAH8.DTL>>.

(196) Source: Peggy Fox, "Howard Hardaway of Culpeper, Va., chases and stops purse-snatching suspect." WUSA (Washington D.C.). 17 May 2012 <http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=205680>.

(197) Source: "Tattooed Hero Stops Robbery." 15 March 2006 <<https://bdelintiad.runboard.com/p985,from=rss>>. This story originally appeared at <WXIA11Alive.com>.

(198) Source: Don Postles, "Man honored for heroics after hit & run." WIVB (Buffalo, New York). 10 May 2012 <http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/erie/man-honored-for-heroics-after-hit-run>. Also: Rich Newberg, "Man charged in crash that killed teen." WIVB (Buffalo, New York). 4 May 2012 <<http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/crime/man-charged-in-crash-that-killed-teen>>.

(199) Source: Ryan Hutchins, "Random attacker severely beats Plainfield cop, chased away by Good Samaritan." _The Star-Ledger_ (New Jersey). 13 March 2012 <<http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/random_attacker_severely_beats.html>>.

(200) Source: Jeremy Hubbard and Jessica Hopper, "Ohio Police Officer Thanks Good Samaritan." ABC News. 15 December 2010 <<http://abcnews.go.com/US/ohio-good-samaritan-helps-police-officer-fight-off/story?id=12400064>>. Also: "List of 21 recipients of Carnegie Hero medals." CBS News. 21 March 2010 <<http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57401340/list-of-21-recipients-of-carnegie-hero-medals/>>.

(201) Source: Bud Gillett, "Mystery Good Samaritan Helps Carrollton Officer In Broadside Wreck." CBS Dallas Fort Worth (Texas). 14 March 2012 <<http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/03/14/mystery-good-samaritan-helps-carrollton-officer-in-broadside-wreck/>>. Also: "Off duty Carrollton Texas security officer comes to aid of injured police officer www.privateofficer.com." Private Officer News. 16 March 2012 <<http://privateofficernews.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/off-duty-carrollton-texas-security-officer-comes-to-aid-of-injured-police-officer-www-privateofficer-com/>>. Also: Shane Allen, "Officer Injured in Crash Ran Red Light." NBC Dallas Fort Worth (Texas). 6 April 2012 <<http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Officer-Injured-in-Crash-Ran-Red-Light-146295775.html>>.

(202) Source: Curt Hopkins, "Twitter helps free kidnapped South African from trunk of his car." Arstechnica. 11 April 2012 <<http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/twitter-helps-free-kidnapped-south-african-from-trunk-of-his-car.ars>>. Also: Robertalai, "South African Kidnap Victim Saved By His Friends On Twitter." Techmtaa. 9 April 2012 <<http://www.techmtaa.com/2012/04/09/south-african-kidnap-victim-saved-by-his-friends-on-twitter/>>.

(203) Source: "Iran Navy rescues hijacked Chinese crewmen." _China Post_. 8 April 2012 <http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/national-news/2012/04/08/337155/Iran-Navy.htm>. Also: "IRANIAN NAVY FREES CHINESE SHIP HIJACKED BY PIRATES." Reuters. 7 April 2012. <<http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/13366146/iranian-navy-frees-chinese-ship-hijacked-by-pirates/>>. Also: "Rescued crewmen recount experience in Somali hijacking." _China Daily_. 8 April 2012 <<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-04/08/content_14999655.htm>>.

(204) Source: Tony Plohetski, Patrick George and Claudia Grisales, "Man charged with capital murder in officer's shooting death." _American-Statesman_ (Austin, Texas). Published 6 April 2012; updated: 7 April 2012 <<http://www.statesman.com/news/local/man-charged-with-capital-murder-in-officers-shooting-2288450.html>>.

(205) Source: "Good Samaritan foils shoplifters despite only being able to use ONE arm." _Daily Mail_ (UK). 24 February 2011 <<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359559/Good-Samaritan-foils-shoplifters-despite-able-use-ONE-arm.html>>.

(206) Source: Bethlehem Police Department (Pennsylvania), "PRESS RELEASE: City Honors Two Citizens for Exceptional Service to Their Community." 5 April 2012 <<http://bethlehempolice.blogspot.com/2012/04/press-release-city-honors-two-citizens.html>>.

(207) Source: "Gotcha! The dramatic moment pensioner-robbing thug was rugby tackled by Good Samaritan in the middle of a car park." _Daily Mail_ (UK). 2 February 2012 <<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095241/Pensioner-robbing-thug-rugby-tackled-good-samaritan-middle-car-park.html>>.

(208) Source: "Good Samaritan stranger who saw pensioner, 86, having her handbag snatched went to cashpoint and handed victim £200." _Daily Mail_ (UK). 25 February 2011 <<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360504/Good-Samaritan-witnessed-woman-86-having-handbag-snatched-went-cashpoint-gave-200.html>>.

(209) Source: Lisa Bates, "Seattle's good Samaritans: A thank you from Florida." _Seattle Times_ (Washington). 25 June 2010 <<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2012210017_seattlesgoodsamaritans.html>>.

(210) Source: Ed and Linda Crawford and family, "Thanks from the family." Letter to the Editor. _The Denton Record-Chronicle_ (Texas). 17 April 2012 <<http://www.dentonrc.com/opinion/letters-headlines/20120417-letters-to-the-editor-april-17.ece>>.

(211) Source: Amelia Wade, "'Good Samaritan' tracks city robber." _New Zealand Herald_. Mar 22, 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10793726>.

(212) Source: "A Sacramento boy is being called a hero after tackling a car thief." KOVR 13. 23 January 2001 <<http://www.kovr13.com/02feb01/vo022301c.htm>>. Posted on Real Life Little Heroes. <<http://www.chinastrategies.com/lithero.htm#A%20Sacramento%20boy%20is%20being%20called%20a%20hero%20after%20tackling%20a%20car%20thief>>.

(213) Source: "Right Time, Right Place." _Truckers News_. 10 September 2004 <<http://www.truckersnews.com/right-time-right-place/>>.

(214) Source: Guila Jackson, "Letter: 'Good deed appreciated.'" Letter to the Editor. _Waxahachie Daily Light_ (Texas). 1 May 2012 <<http://www.waxahachietx.com/opinion/letters/letter-good-deed-appreciated/article_682c60e6-93d5-11e1-a483-001a4bcf887a.html>>.

(215) Source: Troy Moon, "News Journal classified ad solves mystery of lost ring." _Pensacola News Journal_ (Florida). 30 April 2012 <http://www.pnj.com/article/20120501/NEWS01/305010010/News-Journal-classified-ad-solves-mystery-lost-ring?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE>.

(216) Source: "If you found someone's wallet, would you return it?" Metafilter. 10 May 2009 <<http://www.metafilter.com/81552/If-you-found-someones-wallet-would-you-return-it>>.

(217) Source: Ana Samways. "Kawhia humour." Sideswipe. _New Zealand Herald_. 30 April 2012 <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ana-samways/news/article.cfm?a_id=53&objectid=10802258>.

(218) Source: "Airport Security Officer Don Williams Finds $9500 At Dallas Fort Worth Airport And Returns It To Owner Carlos Palma." Huffington Post. 19 April 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/don-williams_n_1437431.html?ref=good-news>>. Also: Jim Douglas, "D/FW security agent returns $9,500 to harried traveler." WFAA. 18 April 2012 <<http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/lost-cash-returned-to-traveler-148008265.html>>.

(219) Source: Marnie Eisenstadt, "They found money in the street, bags full of it. What made most of them return it?" _The Post-Standard_ (Syracuse, New York). 18 July 2009; updated 29 September 2009 <<http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/they_found_money_in_the_street.html>>.

(220) Source: Audrey Parente, "Money lost, found at Ormond Y returned to frantic single mom." _Daytona Beach News-Journal_ (Florida). 26 May 2011 <<http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/05/26/money-lost-found-at-ormond-y-returned-to-frantic-single-mom.html>>.

(221) Source: Darren Soens, "Man finds, turns in $2,400 in cash." WPRI (Providence, Rhode Island). 16 September 2011 <<http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/south_county/north-kingstown-lost-bag-of-money-returned>>.

(222) Source: Ross Payne, "Lost and Found." Letter to the Editor. _The News Herald_ (Panama City, Florida). 15 March 2010 <http://www.newsherald.com/articles/panama-82236-arrived-recently.html>.

(223) Source: Marissa Lang, "Good Samaritan returns thousands of dollars found lying in Tampa road." _Tampa Bay Times_ (Florida). 26 January 2012 <<http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article1212495.ece>>.

(224) Source: Rebecca, "I Lost My Bag Full Of Cash, Man Is Nice Enough To Return It Three Years Later." Posted by Mary Beth Quirk. _Consumerist_. 17 January 2012 <<http://consumerist.com/2012/01/i-lost-my-bag-full-of-cash-man-is-nice-enough-to-return-it-three-years-later.html>>.

(225) Source: Rosemary Powell, "Letter to the Editor: Good Samaritan." Letter to the Editor. _Tulsa World_ (Oklahoma). 3 April 2012 <http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectid=62&articleid=20120403_62_A13_Myfami962913>.

(226) Source: Jenna McMurray, "Good Samaritan returns wallet with $1,500." QMI Agency. 5 April 2012 <<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Good_News/2012/04/05/19596691.html?cid=rssnewscanada>>.

(227) Source: "Good Samaritan returns purse with $4K." WTSP (St. Petersburg, Florida). 20 March 2012 <<http://www.wtsp.com/news/national/article/245946/81/Good-Samaritan-returns-purse-with-4K>>.

(228) Source: Pirate Princess X, "Community Discussion Topic: Lost Money Returned." Laughing Place. 30 October 2011 <<http://mb.laughingplace.com/MsgBoard-T-121988-P-1.asp>>.

(229) Source: Jack Knox, "Wallet returned with extra $20." _Times Colonist_ (Victoria and Vancouver Island, Canada). 20 March 2012 <<http://www.timescolonist.com/Wallet+returned+with+extra/6328935/story.html>>.

(230) Source: Keirmeister, "Comment" added to this article: "Courtney Barwick, Canadian Teen, Gets Lost Wallet Returned With 20 Dollar 'Surprise' Gift." The Huffington Post. 21 March 2012 <<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/canadian-teens-wallet-ret_n_1369735.html>>.

(231) Source: u k fan, "Community Discussion Topic: Lost Money Returned." Laughing Place. 31 October 2011 <<http://mb.laughingplace.com/MsgBoard-T-121988-P-1.asp>>.

(232) Source: Adam Yosim, "Winchester Businessman Donates $200K Worth Of Items To Clark County Charity." LEX18 (Lexington, Kentucky). 16 May 2012 <<http://www.lex18.com/news/winchester-businessman-donates-200k-worth-of-items-to-clark-county-charity/>>. Also: "Man buys out a Kmart, gives entire inventory to charity." MSN. 17 May 2012 <<http://now.msn.com/money/0517-man-buys-kmart.aspx>>.

(233) Source: "Contact 9 Update: Good Samaritan steps up to help teen." WAFB. 23 April 2012 <<http://www.wafb.com/story/17663484/contact-9-update-good-samaratin-steps-up-to-help-teen>>.

(234) Source: Stuart Patterson, "Mystery of £10,000 envelopes from good samaritan baffles Scots town." _Daily Record_ (Glasgow, Scotland). 11 October 2008 <<http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/10/11/mystery-of-10-000-envelopes-from-good-samaritan-baffles-scots-town-86908-20793287/>>.

(235) Source: "Carjacking Victim Gets Surprise From Good Samaritan." WTAU. 17 August 2011; updated 18 August 2012. <<http://www.wtae.com/r/28899436/detail.html>>.

(236) Source: Kufda, "A Homeless Woman Bought Me A Coffee!" Helpothers.org. 10 April 2012 <<http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=30619>>.

(237) Source: Laura T. Coffey, "For tallest US man, the shoes finally fit (all $15K worth)." Today. 30 March 2012 <http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46897941/ns/today-good_news/>>.

(238) Source: J.P. Vaswani, _The Good You Do Returns: A Book of Wisdom Stories_ (Liguori, Missouri: Triumph Books, 1995), p. 89.

(239) Source: Maggie Creame, "Good Samaritan gives wheelchairs to elderly scam victim." _Lodi News-Sentinel_ (California). 27 March 2012 <<http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_17e37606-298d-5e0e-94f0-30b399d4eacd.html>>.

(240) Source: Susan Poage, "To the Editor: Good Karma in Berkeley Heights." Letter to the Editor. _Independent Press_ (New Jersey). 26 March 2012 <<http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2012/03/letter_to_the_editor_--_good_k.html>>.

(241) Source: J.P. Vaswani, _The Good You Do Returns: A Book of Wisdom Stories_ (Liguori, Missouri: Triumph Books, 1995), pp. 9-10.

(242) Source: Christine Erickson, "Reddit Users Surprise Terminally Ill Man With Random Acts of Kindness." Mashable. 14 May 2012 <<http://mashable.com/2012/05/13/reddit-terminally-ill-man/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box5519>>. Also: Susan LaHoud, "Art colors Down syndrome man's life." _Sun Chronicle_ (Attleboro, Massachusetts). 21 September 2008 <<http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2008/09/21/news/3652069.txt>>.

(243) Source: Asher McShane, "Video: Random act of kindness cyclist says he could not stand by and watch homeless man rummage through bin for food." _London Evening Standard_ (UK). 17 May 2012 <<http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/london/video-random-act-of-kindness-cyclist-says-he-could-not-stand-by-and-watch-homeless-man-rummage-through-bin-for-food-7762782.html>>. Also: "Always Help Your Fellow Man." YouTube. Accessed 19 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLD1ba1s88c>.

(244) Source: John Nova Lomax, "Are Houston Highways Patrolled by a Freelance Freeway Angel?" Houston Press (Texas). 31 August 2011 <<http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2011/08/are_houston_highways_patrolled.php>>.

(245) Source: bjames306, "12 Caring Women." Help Others. 30 April 2012 <<http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=30865>>.

(246) Source: Deanette McDowell, "Good Samaritans come to the rescue." Letter to the editor. _Cañon City Daily Record_ (Colorado). 12 April 2012 <<http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/opinion/letters/ci_20374428/letter-editor>>.

(247) Source: "New York subway fight." News.com.au. 11 April 2012 <http://www.news.com.au/world/snackman-to-the-rescue-during-new-york-subway-fight/story-e6frfkyi-1226323858089?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomauworldnewsndm+%28NEWS.com.au+%7C+The+World%29>. Also: Rich Schapiro, "Snackman a tasty catch for the ladies." _New York Daily News_. 13 April 2012; updated 14 April 2012 <<http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/snackman-a-tasty-catch-ladies-article-1.1061495>>.

(248) Source: Miriam Spencer, "Unknown Good Samaritans." Letter to the Editor. _Providence Journal_ (Rhode Island). 5 April 2012 <<http://news.providencejournal.com/letters-to-the-editor/2012/04/miriam-spencer-unknown-good-samaritans.html>>.

(249) Source: Donald Cameron, _Conversations with Canadian Novelists_ , Part 2, p. 154.

(250) Source: John Kelly, "Harry the handyman was there, and people remember." _Washington Post_. 1 April 2012 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/harry-the-handyman-was-there-and-people-remember/2012/04/01/gIQAcdHVpS_story.html>.

