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.

I would like to thank my unsung hero.

I do not know her name.

And all the sudden I look up and this hand slides

two warm chocolate chip cookies across the desk. To this day

day it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.

Today's story comes from Janet Kons-Kolaro.

In 2013, Janet's Janet's sister Susan was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. About two months before her death,

she was admitted to a local hospital in Eastchester, New York.

It was at that time that her 17-year-old daughter was getting ready to graduate from high school. We realized that my

sister was probably not going to make it to her graduation. It was at that time that the hospital staff and a few of my sister's

friends decided that they would get together and host a high school graduation from my niece in the hospital.

At first I thought I could not bear to stand there and watch this happen in front of me, but I realized that the hospital staff was giving

us the greatest gift ever.

So a week before the real graduation, the hospital staff cleared out a room, created a walkway. the school staff came, gave my knees her cap and gown, diploma, and flowers, just

as it would be for the typical graduation and proceeded a commencement in the

middle of the hospital. They even had a snack room for us. My sister rallied that day and so did the rest of us.

Sadly she did die before the full high school graduation, but she was able to see and experience her joy of watching her daughter graduate and going on to her dream college. I'm not sure that the hospital administration or staff could

fathom what it meant to my family to give this gift to my sister and her daughter.

But I'm forever grateful. Janet Konskolaro of Rockville Center, New York.

To share a story about your unsung hero, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at my

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