These 15 Unsung Heroes In South Carolina Did The Unforgettable
When most people hear the word ‘hero’ they think of a man in a mask and a cape. Unfortunately, real life heroes don’t look remotely like the superheroes you see in comics. They don’t have superpowers; they have something much more important. They have compassion and love for their fellow human. The world is full of unsung heroes. People who go about their day thinking that what they did was nothing special; that it was something that anyone would have done in their situation.
When I first saw this article topic, I had a hard time thinking of how to write it. After thinking of it for a few weeks, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to write about your ordinary people who did extraordinary feats; your everyday person who saved the life of someone they might not have known, but knew that they had to do something to save that person’s life. And, in some cases, those ‘people’ are not even human. Sometimes those ‘people’ are our furry, four-legged companions that love us so much they would do anything to save us from harm. Here are 15 of those heroes of South Carolina.
What do you do when you are doing your job and all of a sudden the door opens and a frantic mother is out of options on how to help her baby? You help. That is exactly what Chris Brown, a postal carrier, did when he was out doing his deliveries. He took the baby without a word and did the Heimlich maneuver which dislodged a wrapper that had stuck in the child's throat. Today, the child is a happy and healthy toddler who probably doesn't even remember, but the gratitude of the mom is more than she could ever express.
2. An Anderson, SC, husband takes to the streets to find a kidney for his beloved wife.
Larry Swilling was leaving nothing to chance when it came to his wife. She needed a kidney and he was going to get it for her. He took to the streets of Anderson, SC, and walked and walked...and walked with a sandwich board stating, "Need Kidney For Wife". After 57 wonder-filled and loving years of marriage, Larry was not going to give up and he was right not to. His story was aired and thousands of people came forward with one being a match. Kelly Weaverling gave her kidney to Larry's wife. I guess there are two heroes here...
While making a pizza delivery on March 9, 2012, Maraleius was robbed and killed by two teenage boys. In his death, he saved four lives including his cousin who suffered from kidney disease. In my book, that makes him a hero.
4. SC State football player does more than throw footballs.
After witnessing a horrific accident involving a drunk driver who ran a red light, Reggie Owens, jumped from his car to see what he could do to help when he saw a child near the wreck. He then saw another and then the last, a 2-year-old, lying in the middle of the road bleeding badly. He did what, he said, anyone would do tried to slow the bleeding until help arrived. Due to his quick thinking, he saved those children, but Owens doesn't look at it that way. He says that he just did what anyone would do...
5. Sometimes it is our 4-legged companions that make the difference.
Killian, the friendly family pet, became not so friendly around the babysitter. He started growling at her and standing between her and the baby making the parents suspicious. The parents then used a recording device to capture the abuse of the babysitter on their young son making the parents call the police. If it weren't for Killian who knows what the babysitter could have gotten away with. The old saying still stands, "A dog is a man's best friend." Today, the baby and family are doing well and Killian is being trained to be a psychiatric service animal.
6. Two South Carolina teens discover baby in a dumpster in Myrtle Beach, SC.
What started out as a chore of taking the trash out turned into much more. As they got close the dumpster they heard a faint cry that sounded like a small animal. What they found, however, would not only change their lives, but the life of the newborn they found. Due to their heroic efforts that newborn baby girl is now a healthy baby. And, although they don't see that they did anything special, they are heroes nonetheless.
On a dark night in Hanahan, SC, a young man jumped from the passenger side of the vehicle he was traveling in to help someone who was stuck on the train tracks while a train was coming. He opened the door to find an unconscious women, Layonee R. Phillips, in the car. He pulled her from the car to safety and went back to make sure there was no one else. In that fateful move, the train struck the car and Keith. Keith was 15 years old when he passed, but he will forever be remembered a hero.
8. Jennifer Calloway saves a young boy from drowning in Spartanburg, SC.
It was a hot summer day about a year ago at a neighborhood pool when the day turned terrifying. Calloway pulled the lifeless 6-year-old child from the bottom of the pool, screamed for someone to call 911, and started to perform CPR. She recalled he was already pale and his lips were blue, but he responded and after 8 hours of hospitalization that little boy was released to the loving care of his parents.
9. Chaplain (Capt.) Kyle Franklin saves couple from burning car and helps second car after a horrific wreck.
It happened while heading home after National Guard duty 2/9/2015. Franklin witnessed the head-on collision and saw that one vehicle immediately burst into flames. With no regard for his personal safety, he ran into the wreckage and pulled out the driver of the car that had caught fire and then went back for the passenger. After seeing that they were as safe as could be, he went on to the second vehicle and helped them until Columbia Fire Department arrived.
10. SC Troopers get a young Darlington, SC, gentleman to MUSC for life-saving kidney transplant.
The Howle family had finally received the call they had been waiting three years for. Their son was getting the kidney he needed to survive and they were rushing to MUSC. A little past the Santee marker when their tire blew and they had no spare with them. The father did the only thing he could think of and called *HP on his cell phone. That was when everything changed and Cpl. Antonio Brown and C.P. Basel raced against time. The young man received his transplant and the officers just believe they were doing what was needed.
11. Church brothers save their friend when he has a heart attack while playing basketball.
Due to the quick thinking of his friends who grabbed the defibrillator they had just installed and another who started chest compressions, Tony Gilliard can still throw a basketball around. It was June 11, 2013, he and his friends were playing basketball like they did every week when Tony collapsed. He had a heart attack and went into full cardiac arrest. For 4 1/2 minutes they worked to save his life and it worked. Today, Tony sits on the sidelines just not ready to play a full game yet, but still shoots a hoop now and then.
Every single one of them who signs a commitment to serve our country is a hero. They fight for our freedom. They save hundreds of thousands of lives every day. They ask nothing in return for their service and yet, should receive a standing ovation.
The people behind the scenes who go out every day and every night to help save our loved ones. The ones who take the frantic calls and do all in their power to help us in every case.
To the men and women who wear the white coat and fight the unknown to save the lives of our loved ones. Who, in fact, step on battlefields of their own every day.
Every day people put their life in peril to save someone else. It is not for media sensation, it is not for recognition, it is to help that person or to save them if at all possible. They don’t believe that what they do is special. None of them do. They believe that they are doing what anyone would else would do in that same situation, but the truth is not everyone would do it.
I want to thank each and everyone of you who have saved someone’s life whether in a big way or a small way. Each of us have the capacity to help someone, to help one another. It just takes that instance of taking the other’s hand. It may be as simple as a hug.
Please, if you know of any other heroes that I may have missed, post the in the comment section below so that we may all see and read about them. Nothing is too small.
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Gwen is an author, artist, illustrator, graphic designer, mother, wife, and part-time super hero. She loves to tackle her dreams head on and takes life by storm. Coffee is her best friend and a good book cannot be beat! When does she have the time, you ask? Well...do you really need that much sleep?
