Megan's life was falling apart. Then a kind stranger swooped in to help

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.

One summer day in 2009, Megan Atherton was driving to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., with a friend. She was 23 years old and had just been evicted from her apartment in Annapolis, Md. She was hopeful she'd find a place to stay back home.

But about an hour into the drive, Atherton’s car broke down.

“My cellphone was dead because the electricity had been turned off [in the apartment],” Atherton said.

Unable to call for help, Atherton and her friend were stranded on the side of the road. Eventually, police arrived and helped her tow her car to a nearby mechanic. The prognosis wasn’t good: Her car would need major repairs — repairs that she didn’t have money to cover.

“We were too far away from Pittsburgh and couldn't go back, obviously, to the house [in Annapolis]. So we had nowhere to go,” Atherton recalled.

As she and her friend began to panic about what to do next, a woman in the waiting room approached them.

“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 [it] needed in the night.”

The woman, who introduced herself as “Toni,” brought Atherton and her friend back to her house.

“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.”

Once they arrived in the city, Atherton was able to find a homeless shelter and begin rebuilding her life. She never saw Toni again, but thinks of her often.

“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," she said.

"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, who decided to help someone stranded at a repair shop.”

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 myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.