A young boy safely returned to his family after getting lost at the NYC Marathon
This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
About 30 years ago, Nancy Willis ran the New York City Marathon. Her entire family — her three kids, her husband and his parents — agreed to meet up near the finish line and celebrate what she’d just accomplished.
After finishing the race, Willis made her way to their planned reunion spot. She was welcomed with hugs from each of her family members. But one hug was missing. Her 8-year-old son, Jack, was nowhere to be found.
Quickly, the family sprang into action, searching for the boy. They asked the marathon organizers to send out information over the loudspeakers. Even strangers in the crowd were calling out Jack’s name.
“That type of energy and focus helped me to stay calm … Rather than us becoming despondent and crying, we just turned all our energy into trying to find Jack,” Willis remembered.
“[After] what seemed like more than an hour, but it was probably 10 minutes, a woman came up and was holding my son’s hand. And she joined his hand with my father-in-law’s hand and [asked], ‘Is this your grandson?”’
Willis’ father-in-law grabbed Jack and hugged him tight. The rest of the family, relieved and overwhelmed with emotion, embraced the young boy.
When they turned around to thank the woman who had found and returned Jack, she had disappeared.
“She was not looking for any accolades. She just knew that he was safe,” Willis said.
“If I ever had the privilege to meet you, I would say thank you from the bottom of my heart, because it was probably one of the hardest days of my life, and you fixed it. And for that I would give you the biggest hug in the world and say, ‘Thank you.'”
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].
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
Space Command is coming to Huntsville. What might that mean for first-time homebuyers
While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?
Colorado says relocation of Space Command to Alabama is ‘punishment’ for mail-in voting
The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional.
Breaking down Alabama’s CHOOSE Act
It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far.
