From Hidden Brain Media, I'm Shankar Vedantam.

This is My Unsung Hero, stories where one person reached out to help another in a time of need.

My Unsung Hero story is from a doctor I heard over 30 years ago.

He's a unsung hero because he rarely got any recognition

for his huge heart and his unselfish action.

You mean the world to me and I can't thank you enough.

Today's story comes from Elizabeth Vaughan.

As a sophomore in high school, Elizabeth never felt like she fit in.

But there was one place where she could be herself, choir class.

That fall, the choir was preparing for a big performance.

Elizabeth was given a solo.

She wasn't nervous until the week before when she found out the entire school would be in attendance.

On the day of the concert, the curtain opened.

A single microphone stood at the front of the stage.

It was lit by a spotlight.

Now, I had never had any experience with the microphone,

and yet it was my turn to sing.

My teacher motioned for me to go up in front of the stage, and so I walked right up in front of the microphone. And yet it was my turn to sing. My teacher motioned for me to go up in

front of the stage, and so I walked right up in front of that microphone. It went pretty well

until the end of the line when I had to hit the high note. And I heard it as the air escaped my lungs.

I could hear how loud it was. I looked out at the audience and every single

person involuntarily their heads snapped back in their chair. Some of them had their jaws

...