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 is my therapist, Sara.

He said, it's okay. I still love you.

You're still my best friend.

So if she hears this, I just want to say, thank you.

Today's story comes from Julie Oort.

A few years before college, Julie suffered a major spinal cord injury.

She was still recovering when she arrived on campus, which meant she had

to walk with a leg brace and orthopedic crutches. One day, early on in her freshman year,

she was late to her physics class. It was in a large lecture hall with stadium seating,

so everyone could see her as she awkwardly made her way up the stairs.

I was carrying most of my books for the day because I was too slow to make it back to my

dorm room in between classes. And I'd a seat, five seats in on the second row, and just

figured I'd sit there that it would put me close enough to kind of blend in.

But as I was scooting sideways between the first and second rows,

that's when all of the laws of inertia, momentum, decided to conspire against me.

My backpack shifted, and I began to free fall backwards.

Meanwhile, my leg shot straight up in the air,

so that the entire class was framed between my knees

as they, in unison, gasped some of them reaching their hands out as if they might be able to catch me

all of them with a look of absolute horror so i just said it's okay i'm not hurt i'm fine i guess i'll just sit

...