Would you be willing to give your kidney to save the life of a complete stranger? Five people (4 women, 1 man) in Chicago are doing just that–donating one of their kidneys to potentially save the lives of over a dozen people who need transplants. These “Good Samaritan organ donors” are part of a series of…

Everyone knows the 1988 movie “Stand and Deliver” with Edward James Olmos, about a high school math teacher in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood who helped his students succeed in AP Calculus.  Jaime Escalante, the real teacher whose life inspired the movie, passed away from bladder cancer today at 79-years-old.  In 1974, Escalante was a calculus teacher at Garfield High School.  He faced dislike and opposition…

One french fry brought two women together. While driving on the highway in Liberty Township, Ohio, Amanda Mountel found herself in a desperate situation–she began choking on a french fry she was eating. Immediately, Mountel “slammed on the brakes, threw it into park, and flagged down help,” by using the international sign for choking (KYPost.com).  A…

While riding his bicycle to work during the New York City transit strike of 2005, fireman Matthew Long collided with a bus.  He sustained life-threatening injuries and doctors gave him a 1% chance of survival. Fast forward a few years: 43-year-old Long is alive and well and he is still a fireman.  Even though one leg is now shorter…

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