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.

Thank you so much for the chance to tell you about my unsung hero.

I just left there feeling like there was hope for my situation and my kids.

I can never thank you enough for all you've done for me and I'll never be able to repay you.

Thank you.

Today's story comes from Jonathan Adler.

When Jonathan was in the third grade, he was hospitalized

due to a particularly bad asthma attack.

After he recovered, his teacher, Mrs Randolph, asked him if he'd like to teach the class about asthma.

You know, normally standing up in front of the class and looking like an expert was something that I would have liked, but I didn't really know what that meant,

what that was going to mean to do about something that was still so sort of raw and vulnerable for me at that time.

So I do, I remember sitting with her in the classroom

when the kids, the other kids had gone out for recess and her saying, you know, this was going to be my decision.

She didn't have a strong feeling either way,

and that I sort of wrestled with,

well, I do know a lot about this,

but if I share this part of me,

am I just going to be the sick kid?

And then, am I already just the sick kid?

And what does that mean?

What I remember is that

...