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 story is from a doctor I heard over 30 years ago.

He was a unsung hero because he rarely got any recognition for his huge heart and his

unselfish actions.

You mean the world to me, and I can't thank you enough.

Today's story comes from listener Virginia Squire.

More than 20 years ago, Virginia chaperoned a group of middle school students on a tour of England.

She brought along her daughter, who was eight years old at the time.

On the end of their last day in London, something unexpected happened.

We were getting ready to get on a subway at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

The station was packed.

We arrived at the platform just as the train pulled in.

I was holding my daughter's hand, and I turned to count my students.

Suddenly, my daughter let go of my hand, jumped on the train,

and the doors began to close. As the train gathered speed, I ran alongside trying to force the door

open by digging my fingers into the black rubber gasket. On the other side of the

glass, I could see my daughter's panicked face. My last image, before the train completely pulled out of

my sight, was of my daughter, her tear-streaked face, her fists pounding on the glass, and a young man,

completely dressed in black leather with a spiked dog collar around his neck,

rising from his seat and moving towards her. Then the train was gone.

My students gathered silently in a clump while I searched for an official.

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