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A young woman was stranded at a car repair shop. A stranger decided to help

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at Hidden Brain. "My Unsung Hero" tells the stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else. Today's story comes from Megan Atherton. One summer day in 2009, Atherton was driving with a friend from Annapolis, Md., to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa. Atherton was 23 years old, had just been evicted and was hoping to find a place to stay back home. But on the way, her car broke down.

MEGAN ATHERTON: My cellphone was dead because the electricity had been turned off. Eventually, I got some police help, and they were able to take us to a repair shop nearby in Ellicott City. We didn't have enough money to do any kind of a repair, and we were too far away from Pittsburgh and couldn't go back, obviously, to the house. So we had nowhere to go. Someone else in the waiting room, Toni (ph), heard us, and she offered to take us to Pittsburgh. The only caveat was that her cat had diabetes, so she couldn't leave just then. She had to go home and give them the medication that they needed in the night.

So instead of waiting, she took us in, gave us dinner. We watched "Young Frankenstein" together, and she gave us a place to sleep. And then in the morning, she drove us all the way to Pittsburgh. I don't know how I never got her last name. I know it's not possible that I thanked her enough. It was a very hard time in my life, and I honestly don't know what would have happened if she hadn't gone so far above and beyond for a complete stranger. I might not be here. My wonderful children and my loving husband, we might not have our family together. And it was all because of Toni from Ellicott City who decided to help someone stranded at a repair shop.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SUMMERS: That story from Megan Atherton. She says when she got to Pittsburgh, she was able to find a homeless shelter and begin rebuilding her life. You can find more stories like this at hiddenbrain.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.