Lia Haile is in the sixth grade. Like many other children her age, she loves parties. But Lia doesn’t just like a good party, she loves to throw parties for children who otherwise wouldn’t have a party to celebrate their birthday. Young with a big heart When Lia was 9 years old, she heard about a […]

Abby Valladrez, 28, was driving home along Highway 101 in California with her eight year old son, Mikey Azevedo, after visiting her grandfather who had recently suffered a massive heart attack. As she neared the overpass at North Sanborn, she was forced off the road. Their car veered off the road and sped down an […]

Learning that their two-week old son would spend his life in and out of hospitals was devastating for Laurie Strongin and her husband Allen Goldberg. The couple’s son, Henry, was born with the rare and incurable Type C Fanconi anemia, a genetic disease. The disease caps life expectancy at 30 years, but Henry didn’t live […]

“Early detection helps to avoid the need for severe treatment and even saves life,” says German Children’s Eye Cancer Foundation’s board of trustees head, Monika Koenig. She is talking about the CRADLE app developed by Bryan Shaw and his colleagues to help detect Leukocoria, a rare form of eye cancer. A devastating discovery Bryan and […]

Going to high school is a given for children in developed parts of the world. But it’s a different story for girls growing up in Rwanda. The girls are allowed to go to primary school but their education stops there. They are expected to take care of their younger siblings or work in the fields […]

Lisa Locklear has been a bus driver for over 20 years. Every morning before setting off to work, she carries out a security check to ensure the safety of her charges. Her 14 year-old son, Cory Lewis, helps her with her morning security checks. No one would have guessed that this training would help Cory […]

There seemed to be no hope for Erik Ochoa and his family, or so he thought. The family from Tijuana, Mexico lived in a small windowless shack with a dirt floor. Erik, his wife and two children slept on a mattress on the floor and used a hole in the ground as their bathroom. “I […]

Yael Israel never imagined that she would be so deeply involved with the military so late in her life. The 44-year old, mother of four young boys and founder of Treats 4 Our Troops, is a real life George Bailey. Spreading a little cheer It all started in 2007, when Israel sent a package with […]

Luke Maeding is 14 years old and in the eighth grade. He has had double lung transplants and is now suffering from intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a chronic illness. He carries IV fluids in his backpack and something else that makes him feel safe; Joe DeMarco’s business card. Joe DeMarco is a pilot who uses his skill […]

Not many people diagnosed with a life-threatening illness like cancer will decide to climb the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Jeff Goad isn’t like most people and he hopes others on the same path can learn to fight back like he is. Jeff is in good shape for someone in his 50s. He enjoys […]