Heros

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Heroes By Value

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Your Everyday Heroes

People do extraordinary things every day. They share their time, resources, or love. They show incredible strength and courage. They inspire us by their example. Here are true stories about real-life heroes, written by visitors to the site. You can also share a story of your own hero.

The following stories have been tagged with ‘Ambition’

Terry H.

Terry Hitchcock is my Hero. After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.

Russell C.

My mom married this guy named Russell when I was around two years of age. Which is probably the best decision she ever made. He saved my family from crashing down. He saved me from becoming a worthless person to this world. I thought I was taking up space and breathing some better person's air. Through time he made me…

Jessie S.

Jessie S. I can't really describe her in a paragraph. She is one of the most influential and wonderful people in my life. Jessie is kind, thoughtful and an all-around pleasure to be with. She has an awesome character and strives to do well in every aspect of what she does. She is always cheerful and full of life. Jessie…

Bryant L.

Born and raised in Cabrini Green, Chicago's most notorious housing project, Bryant beat the odds and became a person that everyone can look up to. Raised in an extremely impoverished community where he shared a one-bedroom apartment with four others and where friends and family were continually being lost to the streets, Bryant resisted the negative influences around him and…

Lena M.

Have you ever had a notion to lie down and give up, no matter how much you wanted to achieve? Well, that's how I felt until I met Mrs. M. Mrs. M is a teacher at my high school. She is viewed as our mom. She not only educates, she inspires, and is admired and adored. No matter how dogmatic…

Kezia P.

Kezia is my mother. I nominate her because of the hard work she did in bringing up the ten of us. Neither she nor my dad had formal employment. She did manual work and subsistence business to ensure that we had clothing, food and school levies. She is an exceptional mother who deserves recognition.\r\n\r\n-- Nominated by Pete A., Chicago, IL.

Andrew M.

My son Andrew nearly cut off 3 fingers in May 2005 and has had to endure months of physical therapy, surgery and doctors. He has never complained nor given up in all that he has been asked to do. He was in cast and splints all summer, thus he could not keep his summer job as a lifeguard and swimming…

Nsubagu R.

I am a Sudan national working with African Union Mission in the Sudan. I would like to recommend to you Mr. R., Seniour Humanitarian Affairs Officer. He has displayed courage, determination, compassion and character towards local staff. R. came to the mission in October 2004 and was deployed in Darfur from October 2004 to August 2005. \r\nDarfur was not easy…

Mark E.

On Labor Day Sunday, 1996, I was on a go-cart and had a terrible accident. I was scalped. I prayed that I would live. After all, I was only 8 years old.\r\n\r\nI met Dr. Mark E. He operated on me that day for 17 hours, and two more times. It took a long time to realize that what happened to…

Jarem F.

At 14 yrs. old Jarem lost his leg above the knee to cancer. Since then he has been a Super Hero.\r\n\r\nAn avid outdoorsman, Jarem grew up hiking, skiing & biking with his family and friends. When he lost his leg many doctors told him he would most likely never be able to telemark (free heel) ski again. The technology and…

Marda S.

My young mom is my hero. She started from scratch. My father did not treat us right and left. She raised me alone since I was 2. No one else in the family helped us. We came to the USA but did not know enough to make a living. She prayed, continuously learned, worked very hard, never lost focus and…

Anand R.

My hero is my husband. He has been a constant motivator who has encouraged me to study further after having two sons and still continues to encourage me; today I am a successful secondary teacher in an International school, thanks to him. I owe all my success to this great man who has tolerated me for all the tantrums I…

Ben P.

I am writing to you about one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He's saved my life (in a different way). For the last few months I have been suffering from a horrible anxiety disorder, was given the wrong medication and was hospitalized. Through that time I had horrible suicidal thoughts caused by the withdrawal of this…

John H.

My brother John is a hero to me. Though he is younger by three years, he set an example of unselfishness at a time in my life when I felt hopeless. It totally changed my perspective in life and I realized that it is the kindness that we show others that brings us a sense of worthiness.\r\n\r\nIn the many years…

My Parents &Amp; Family

My parents and family because they helped me to be a better person and to always do what I love best.

Ethel M.

Ethel is my aunt by marriage; she is my husband's aunt. \r\n\r\nShe has always treated me as someone special, and her kind and loving words have meant the world to me…Those words are what keep me going. \r\n\r\nI never have to do anything to hear her kind words, she just often tells me that I am her most favorite person…

Carter S.

My Darling Son is My Hero\r\nA Poem to him, a soldier....\r\n\r\nTo live so boldly, to dare and overcome\r\nDaily dealings take a path that surprises...saddens\r\nLeaving God to make sense of the total sum\r\n \r\nTo rise to necessity, giving yourself for us\r\nYelling commands follow down mazes of mayhem\r\nNo hindsight needed, beyond the sandy chaos\r\n \r\nTo take the moment, and make it count…

Jody H.

I began singing as young as I can remember. And as soon as I could, I enrolled with the best music teacher in town. When I started with her, we could immediately tell our political and religious differences.\r\n\r\nThrough her teaching me, however, we have discovered that we have more in common than we could have ever imagined. We are both…

Isaias G.

My hero is my brother, Isaias. Right now, he is studying at the University of Indianapolis, majoring in Sociology and International Relations. In his free time, Isaias is always going to George Washington Community School and the Christamore House, teaching inner-city kids about leadership, and he is always telling them to stay in school and off the streets. He encourages…

Jason W.

My son, Jason, was severely injured in an automobile accident that left him in a coma for five weeks; he was minimally conscious for another month. While in rehab, Jason struggled to learn how to walk, talk, and eat again. Though he still struggles with his balance and his cognitive skills, he has come so far. \r\n\r\nIt amazes me to…

Nicole D.

She is the most amazing person I have ever met. She is my inspiration, my teacher, my mentor and my friend. She opened my eyes to the world not only because she taught World History, but also because she popped my "small-town-bubble" which closed me off from the world. After meeting her, I finally realized what a wonderful, diverse, and…

Dennis D.

My dad is without a doubt my hero. He has always worked extremely hard to give my sister and me the things that he didn't have as a child. My dad is the most selfless person I know - always doing for others and never asking for anything in return. He and my mom put my sister and me through…

Scarlett H.

My hero is my daughter, Scarlett, who at age 4 suffered a spinal cord injury from a car accident. Scarlett, now 11, never lets anything stop her from living her dreams. She has always wanted to dance and be treated like any other dancer. For years, she has attended dance classes, practiced at home, and sought advice on dancing in…

Titus C.

My husband Titus is my hero and my inspiration. He had a tumultuous childhood, and after becoming homeless at 17, went on to graduate high school and become successful in every job he holds. \r\n\r\nTitus is now in school to become a firefighter/paramedic. He hopes to soon have the knowledge that will enable him to save lives other than his…

Dayna S.

Dayna was born with a rare disease called schizencephaly. This disease has restricted her from walking and talking since she was a baby. Dayna is now 16 and has surpassed her disability beyond anyone's imagination. Her perseverance and character have inspired me as a leader in my school community. For Dayna, there are no limits or boundaries that she can't…

Darius

Darius is my hero. He created a 90-minute documentary film to raise awareness of and money toward a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Darius has DMD, the most aggressive type of Muscular Dystrophy, from which his brother died at age 19. Since then, Darius has searched for a way to let other people know about the disease. Three years…

Calvin S.

Calvin is one of my co-workers and he has arthritis. What impresses me most, however, is that Calvin does not let his arthritis prevent him from doing what he loves. He's always playing with his kids or supporting them in their endeavors. Although he works a normal job with average pay, he is determined to never let his kids or…

Camryn B.

Camryn is 6-years-old and was impacted by her brother Cooper's amputation of both feet at 23 months old. She wanted to help children like Cooper. Camryn decided to draw a picture, which was later put on a t-shirt and sold to profit Shriner's Hospitals for Children. Cooper was treated at one of these hospitals for free. Camryn raised over $10,000.00…

Catherine C.

Catherine overcame a rare form of cancer, which resulted in the amputation of her left leg from the hip down. While she endured her battle with cancer and coped with her losses, she was also completing a second book on apartheid to achieve academic tenure, raising a toddler, fighting a convoluted health care system and losing her father to bone…

Lou S.

His heart is made of gold. He goes above and beyond to ensure that he is understood. As a talented artist, he communicates his passion for telling a story through images. He seeks the truth and holds himself accountable to assure the accuracy of the story. He is an amazing person, he would give you the shirt off his back…

Tara D.

At the age of 25, she had a massive stroke. The doctors had told her family that she may not ever walk again. The stroke left her brain 80% destroyed. \r\nTwo years later she is able to walk. She has worked very hard to regain what the stroke had taken away. She is a hero in my eyes.

Janice A.

Mrs. Attaway teaches pre-algebra and algebra at a local middle school in my town and has taught thousands of students. Sure, she teaches the material that is required by law and makes sure that her students understand that material, but she does so much more than that. First of all, hardly anyone understands math so she teaches the material in…

Ludwig Von Beethoven

Beethoven was one of the most phenomenal composers of all time. His hearing started to deteriorate through his twenties, and he ended up going deaf. But still, he wrote and composed some of the most fantastic pieces of music of all time. He is my hero-he never gave up!

Ashley

Ashley is my hero. She was shocked and moved by the extreme poverty she saw during a trip to Africa when she was eleven years old. Determined to help the African people, Ashley pursued numerous avenues but found only dead ends and frustration. Five years later, she has raised the money, completed the paperwork, and recruited the board members necessary…

Estephania And Esperanza

These sisters are my heroes because they created Project Literacy, a neighborhood tutoring program where middle school students are helping elementary age kids with reading. After learning that their own middle school, ranked nearly last in Denver and the state in all areas on the CSAP (standardized test), the girls wanted to help. With the support of the non-profit group…

Tenise

Tenise is my hero for all that she did with her role as the president of L.I.F.E. (Love is Finding Everyone), a Colorado Springs teen service group. As the group's leader, Tenise organized dances and step shows to fund an impressive number of community service projects. She rallied L.I.F.E.'s members to provide Christmas packages to over 250 students and families…

Lisa H.

My hero is the most passionate person I have ever met. She is the embodiment of "Do what you love, love what you do." She is a person of greatness...someone I can only hope to be like someday. Lisa is a record holding high school and college athlete and coach. Her story lies in her unbelievable selflessness and compassion. Her…

Cameron A.

My son Cameron, now 13, was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer when he was 11. He has transformed his experience into an opportunity to help others. He is developing a magazine called Brain Candy! as a way to bridge young people living with brain cancer. \r\n\r\nHe writes a weekly blog and does regular video blogs on YouTube. He has…

Marc M.

When I reflect on the word 'hero' I think of my father, Marc. For over 30 years my dad has been an ordained minister serving as a senior pastor in several churches. \r\n \r\nHe has taught me about compassion and the need to serve others before myself. In everything that he does, he strives to be a blessing in others'…

Jane A.

Jane A. started the Hull House in Chicago in 1889 as a community center offering support to the children and adults in the neighborhood. She was a broad thinker and activist and helped bring a number of great facilities to her community including: night school for adults, kindergarten classes, clubs for older kids, a community kitchen, a coffee house, a…

Ken B.

My hero is my father, Ken B. Ken was born in 1931 in Pennsylvania. His father, Ken Sr., lost his job in the height of the depression as a furniture manufacturing manager, and the family returned to the old homestead in Templeton, Massachusetts. There he helped work the family farm, selling any extras they grew. At age 12 he was…

My Grandmother

My grandmother (1912-1986) was a 1st and 2nd grade teacher. She lost her mother to influenza during the flu epidemic in 1919, and grew up as the 'Cinderella' of the family: troubled dad and uncaring stepmom—not much love. Her aunts put her to vocational school when she was 14; it was a boarding school, she hated it withal her heart,…

Rachel R.

At 15 she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and has lived with that for most of her life. I believe she is in her sixties now. She became a doctor, then counseled the terminally ill, and now does presentations teaching doctors and lay people that the soul needs to be remembered. She's written several books, My Grandfather's Blessings and Kitchen…

Rg P.

My father is my hero...not because he is my father but because he has battled cancer ever since 2002. He just completed his 50 year anniversary at the only job he has ever known. He is still battling cancer but I see him every day working and fighting to beat this cancer with every bit of his being. I am…

Nick P.

On February 5th, 2003 my cousin Nick, who was 14 at the time, went with his ski club to have a fun afternoon snowboarding. What started out as a fun afternoon quickly turned into a tragic accident as Nick went off an icy jump, not wearing a helmet. He came down on his neck and immediately went unconscious. His friends…

Travis Pastrana.

In the summer of 2006 I desperately needed help. I was racked with worry. I was entering my 19th year of teaching in public education and I knew this would be one of the most difficult classes I would encounter. This class was well behaved, but most of them were not very motivated, especially when it came to school. \r\n\r\nI…

Amanda G.

Ms. G. teaches everyone to love who they are and she has never judged anyone. She is a very talented teacher and mentor. Ms. G. is not afraid to do anything. She's always willing to defeat fear. \r\n\r\nShe's always there for anyone who needs to talk. And she's always willing to give another chance. She truly wants everyone to get…

Ashley F.

Ashley is a 17 year old, profoundly deaf, female, motocross racer. She has just turned pro this year and is currently undefeated. She has won numerous amateur championships. She rides only by the feel of the vibrations of her motorcycle over some of the roughest terrain ever.

Nancy B.

Nancy B. is a hero because she helped inspire three miles of kindness! \r\n\r\nNancy has served public schools for 44 years in North Texas. As Director of Guidance for Rockwall, TX, she was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Rachel's Challenge program at every level in Rockwall.\r\n\r\nHer passion for the kindness and compassion initiative led to the first…

Renee B.

Whether your life is going well, or facing challenges, almost inevitably along comes a person who turns your world upside down--but for the better. They inspire you to be the best you can be, and always try to be even better every day. They do this without even trying. They simply bring out the best in you. For me, that…

Monte R.

My husband is my hero. We married in 1991. We had nothing but happiness and love for one another. After a few years of working different jobs, my husband decided we needed to do more to be successful and achieve our goals. In 1998, he decided to go to college, get a degree, and find a job that he enjoyed…

Walker O.

He started skating about three or four years ago. He is now indeed "The Bomb."\r\n\r\nHe suffered a head injury but came right back up and got back on the board after he recovered,Of course with a helmet. And is now supported by original clothing and is the best skater I know.\r\nBut what I am trying to get to is that…

Glenn(10) &Amp; Kevin(7) R.

Glenn and Kevin are my little cousins and also two of my heroes. They stick by me and say what's on their minds. They do small things and I know they care. And I care about them.\r\n\r\nEveryone else thinks they are just two kids that I'll get bored of hanging around with. But I don't. They are kids, and I…

Kaitlin W.

Kaitlin is my sister. She inspires me to be the best athlete I can be. She accepted a full ride athletic scholarship to the University of Alabama to be a gymnast. She worked hard every day to be one of the best gymnasts in the world. She was a gymnast from the time when she was 6 years old to…

Brandyn G.

My hero is my brother. Although he is no longer alive he is still my hero. He wasn't my real brother, he was actually my foster brother but he treated me as if I was his 'real' sister all the same. He passed away at the age of seventeen. At the time he was working a full time job and…

Patrick Henry H.

Patrick is a remarkable young man who was born without eyes and without the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, making him unable to walk. Additionally, two steel rods were surgically attached to Patrick's spine \r\nto correct scoliosis.\r\n\r\nDespite circumstances that seem overwhelming to you and me, Patrick has overcome these physical issues to excel as a musician and…

Tam L.

Tam is a refugee survivor who traveled across the ocean to get to safety. He first landed in Thailand, then Cambodia. Tam then later migrated to the USA. He worked hard as a bus boy and had only a bicycle as a means of transportation to and from both work and school. When Tam first arrived here he did not…

Kathryn And David S.

These parents lost both their son, Andrew, and their daughter, Abby to cancer. In honor of their children, Kathryn and David have worked hard to establish a foundation to financially assist families of terminally ill children. \r\n\r\nThe foundation aims to provide enough income for one or both parents to stay home and care for their sick child during what could…

Kelli

My sister, Kelli, is my hero. She has overcome a lifetime of hardships including physical and emotional abuse, substance abuse and poverty. Today, she is a clean and sober single mother of five daughters. Though she works full time and takes phenomenal care of her 5 children, she still finds time on the holidays to take plates of food to…

Henry N.

My hero is my 14 year old son. A year ago he sustained several devastating injuries including traumatic brain trauma. Today, he goes to school with his friends, works hard at lots of therapies and tutoring, and gives back the love that his adoring family constantly sends his way. He does not complain or feel sorry for himself. His spirit…

Mary N.

My mother is my hero. As a child growing up she lived in a house with her difficult father, who eventually died, leaving her to raise her younger sister while her mother went to work. \r\n\r\nAs a young mother in 1971 (children 4, 3 and 1) she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given less than 6 months to live.…

Karen

Karen is sick with an "incurable" form of cancer. Her now ex-husband lost all their money in day trading. One of her two adopted children has a learning disability that may never allow him to live alone. \r\n\r\nStill, instead of feeling sorry for herself, a victim, or helpless, Karen started her own business and is taking care of herself and…

Wanda M.

My mother has been there through thick and thin. She was a single mother of me and my big sister. Working hard and still showing us great values. Then she re-married and had my baby sister. It was really rough for the family to go through so much change. I wanted to run away from everything that was happening around…

Andrew S.

This is about my best friend who taught me lessons I desperately needed to learn, inspired me, and helped me find strength after one of the lowest points of my life. According to the Commission on Domestic Violence, 25% of women are abused by a significant other each year. I now have the strength to admit, I have been a…

Dana Markee

Ever since Dana Markee was born, her family knew she had a condition called scoliosis. Scoliosis is common in America, but Dana’s was one of the worst that a person could get. In her seventh grade year, at age 12, she spent most her time playing sports, it was her life and she was truly happy playing ice hockey. But…

Jo Dawn P.

I wake up everyday inspired to live because of my beautiful wife. She can take on the world's problems and not blink an eye. She is blessed with the know-how to handle it all. Your the best babe, love you!!!!

Pearl F.

Recently I watched a movie called "a man named Pearl"....He truly is my new Hero...watch the movie and you will see why.

Angie D.

My hero is my aunt, Angie. In February 2008, she was hit by a drunk driver. Not that much damage happened to her. Later on in the year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was tough to get through. I don't know if she still has breast cancer, but I do know that she is getting better. Soon she…

Charles L.

Charles Lindbergh was the first person to fly solo across the atlantic ocean.

Helen K.

Helen Keller gave me the courage to go on with my dream, even though people told me I couldn't she is my hero and my inspiration.

Trent M.

I picked my dad to be my hero for a lot of reasons. The first reason is he has always been there for me to help me along the way. He showed me good work ethic and to never give up, always follows through with everything. My dad has been very successful, a good business man, always doing things the…

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The Foundation for a Better Life began as a simple idea to promote positive values. We believe that people are basically good and just need a reminder. And that the values we live by are worth more when we pass them on.

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