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 story is about a group of unsung heroes.

He just pulled up a chair and we talked.

I don't know if she really understands or appreciates the full impact that she's had in my life and still continues to have.

Today's story comes from Lori Paul.

One day in 1996, Lori Paul was at a hospital in Syracuse, New York.

Her father had just had open heart surgery surgery and he wasn't doing well. He'd had a

seizure and had spent a few days in the ICU. She feared he might never make it home.

I was holding it together to take care of my mom

and to talk to the doctors and nurses.

I was walking in the halls one day to get some exercise

but still be close enough to be near dad.

The hallway had like a ramp to it with windows cut in the edge and as I was walking along

I kneeled or put my elbows on one of the windows and just stared out at nothing and completely lost it, just sobbing.

A person came up, put their hand on my left shoulder, and just left it there.

Waited and waited. No words, not just presence. I got myself back together, stopped my crying, wiped my

eyes, nodded my head. They squeezed my shoulder once and walked away. It was an incredibly powerful experience for me. I don't know if it was a man or woman. I don't know if it was another visitor. I don't know if it was a hospital employee. I will never know, but I truly

believe that was a great moment of humanity. Lori Paul of Earlville, New York.

In December 2021, Lori's family got together to celebrate her father's 81st birthday.

They ate pizza and Italian pastries, shared stories, and laughed at old memories. A few days later, her father passed

away peacefully at home. You can share your unsung hero with us. Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us

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