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.

Hello, I would like to thank my unsung hero.

He invited me to come over for Christmas because we're both.

We were my unsung heroes.

I just want to say thank you.

Today's story comes from Melissa Barbina.

One summer evening in 2011, Melissa and her seven-year-old son Calvin left their house to play in the park across the street.

We made it to the crosswalk, and as we were getting ready to cross into the park, I noticed that a truck was coming relatively quickly down the street.

I told my son to stop, but he had quickly down the street.

I told my son to stop, but he had already entered the crosswalk, and the pickup truck hit him,

knocking him off the bike and across the road where I saw him apparently lifeless.

And the truck drove away.

From the park across the street came the woman who is my unsung hero.

She ran across the street.

She'd been out jogging in the park.

She was probably in her 30s with light brown hair.

And she came and she identified herself as a nurse.

And she went to my son.

I was frozen on the spot.

She examined him and she said the words,

he's breathing, he has a pulse.

...