Autumn Barnes
Stories
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National
'I got you, girl': A toll collector's unexpected reply to a driver's tears
When the toll collector asked Leahruth Jemilo how she was doing, she burst into tears. The collector's response has stayed with her ever since.
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National
A rideshare driver makes an hourslong trek to take a dad to his gravely ill daughter
When Ian Sandler got a middle-of-the-night call that his daughter had collapsed, he didn't know what to do. Then, an Uber driver went above and beyond to help.
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National
When an earthquake struck in 1989, Julia locked eyes with a stranger and embraced
Julia Weber was walking home from work one day in San Francisco when an earthquake struck. She rode it out in the arms of a stranger.
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National
She was severely injured in a crash. A truck driver became her 'highway angel'
Frances Brissey says a car crash last year changed her life — in good ways and bad. But she feels grateful to have been saved by a passing truck driver.
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National
She was 19 and caused a car crash. It was the other driver who came to her aid
As Lilah Clevey pulled out of a gas station, she slammed into another car. The driver then became the unexpected source of comfort in Clevey's moment of panic.
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National
In a moment of stage fright, the most unlikely person helped her to shine
In 2020, when Angela Zhao was just 10, she played in her first piano competition. As she waited to go onstage, a competitor did something small that gave her courage.
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National
She was overwhelmed by clearing out her parents' belongings. Then a friend stepped in
When Karen Muller's father passed away, she was overwhelmed by the prospect of clearing out her parents' home. Then a family friend stepped in.
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National
She was sobbing in the hospital hallway — then felt a comforting hand on her shoulder
In 1996, Lorrie Paul was in the hospital, visiting her ailing father. As she sobbed in the hallway, a kind stranger walked by and offered comfort.
