A little boy gave her hope for her foster daughter’s future
One September day earlier this year, Natalie Cook brought her 2-year-old foster daughter to the park. Like most kids, Cook’s daughter loves going down the slides and riding the swings. For Cook, however, these outings can be stressful. Her foster daughter was born prematurely, and she uses a walker to get around.
“I never know how the kids are going to react with her walker,” Cook said. “Some kids will run off with [it], or they just stare at her.”
On this particular outing, things were going well. Cook’s daughter was going from one piece of equipment to another, having a nice time. After a few minutes, a boy approached and asked, “what’s wrong with her?”
“I froze,” Cook recalled. “I wasn’t sure how to explain her disability to an adult, let alone a child.”
Cook explained that her daughter had been born much smaller than other babies, and that it’s taking some time for her to catch up with other kids her age. Satisfied with Cook’s answer, the little boy ran off to play with his friends. But after a few more minutes, he returned and began playing with Cook’s daughter.
“He was pushing her on the swing, and then he started to even pick up on the sign language I was using to ask her if she wanted to ‘keep swinging’ or to ‘[be] done.'”
Soon, the boy had convinced his friends to come over and join.
“He started telling them about her disability and what she could do, not what she couldn’t do,” Cook said, laughing. “He was like a proud little mom.”
Before she knew it, the whole park was cheering Cook’s daughter along. Seemingly everyone there picked up on the sign language and helped her navigate the playground equipment.
“I was just in awe because I’ve never seen anything like this at the park. And my heart was just so, so full,” Cook said.
“[The little boy] saw past her disability. She was just another kid to him, and he could include her in his day. It was just a really sweet moment to know there’s still kids out there like that, and [that] my daughter’s going to be in good hands as she gets older.”
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to [email protected].
His brother’s mental illness isolated his family. Now he’s helping other caregivers
When it comes to serious mental illness, family caregivers are crucial partners. But often, they must fend for themselves. A new solution offers them support.
Out with the mayo: How Ukrainians reclaim holiday food
For many people from former Soviet countries, New Year's is a big holiday feast time. A Ukrainian restaurant in Washington gives NPR a taste of what's on the menu.
Farmers are about to pay a lot more for health insurance
Tariffs, inflation, and other federal policies have battered U.S. farmers' bottom lines. Now many farmers say the expiration of federal health care subsidies will make their coverage unaffordable.
50 wonderful things from 2025
Each year, critic Linda Holmes looks back on the year and compiles a list of the things that brought her joy.
Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition
One of the earliest mentions of New Year's resolutions appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813. But the practice itself can be traced back to the Babylonians.
Remembering the actors, musicians, writers and artists we lost in 2025
Every year, we remember some of the writers, actors, musicians, filmmakers and performers who died over the past year, and whose lifetime of creative work helped shape our world.
