The stories of HeroicStories.
by Greg Higgins
Illinois, USA
When I brought my wife and three children to the Midwestern portion of the USA in late 1999, I made judgments about the people in our new home state that turned out to be far from the truth. Coming from the south, I found the people in Illinois to be generally standoffish and somewhat uncaring — hardly the type of people I would have as true friends. Nonetheless, we settled into life in Romeoville, Illinois, just north of Joliet.
A Chemo Angel starts getting gifts from fellow buddies as she waits for her first child to be born.
by Maureen Grey
Illinois, USA
My sister and her son live in a small town in the Sierra Nevadas. “Susan” lives on a shoestring, working for the county. They do fine, with a small house and beautiful yard with a great homemade jungle gym. Trademark Sierras pines provide shade.
by Bruce McCormick
Mississippi, USA
My wife, three young daughters and I were starting dinner at 7:00 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2001, when I smelled a hint of smoke. As my wife’s candles had caused this before, I wasn’t alarmed, but started looking around. Coming back from the kitchen the smell was stronger. Suddenly my wife and I both noticed a thin haze near the ceiling of the family room where we were eating.
by The Husband
Maryland, USA
It began as many mornings do — far too early and far too dark. I slipped out of bed, anxious to shower and leave without waking my wife and baby. These early mornings were necessary if I was to beat the traffic through Baltimore and D.C. into northern Virginia.
by Linda Gavitt
Connecticut, USA
In January 1999 planning for my daughter’s wedding began with a phone call telling me she and John would marry in March — leaving little time to plan! Fortunately Lauren wanted a small wedding with 20-30 close friends and relatives. She was in Orlando, Florida, John was stationed in Kentucky, and I was in Connecticut. Her finance’s family generously offered their help to plan everything, and their Tampa area home for the reception.
by The Caroler
California, USA
In 1990, as was our family tradition, my husband and I invited children from the local high school aCappella choir, including our son, to sing Christmas Carols to people we felt could use some special Christmas cheer. My husband dressed up as Santa Claus and drove a rented flat bed truck.
by Lisa Swindler
South Carolina, USA
In 1998, a week before Thanksgiving, I took our 10-month-old baby daughter to the doctor for a check-up. The nurse commented how well she looked. Fifteen minutes later we were headed to the hospital emergency room. Ruth’s oxygen level was below 90 and she was having difficulty breathing. It was her fourth hospitalization that year.
By Patty Mooney
California, USA
It’s been many years since I have had to stand on the end of Pusheck Road in Bellwood, a suburb of Chicago, waiting for the school bus, and yet I remember one special day as though it were yesterday.
by Jeff Simms
Barnegat, New Jersey, USA
It was a nippy Fall day — our favorite kind of weather. It was Saturday and we were going to have a great time. My divorced mother, two younger brothers and I were on our way to the park at the other end of the small Jersey town we lived in. We had our football and makeshift goal posts in the back of the station wagon and our teams already chosen: us against our mother. (Don’t worry, it was only touch football.)