An unsung hero stepped in to help a newly widowed mom in a moment of need : NPR

Barbara Alvarez (left) was newly widowed and overwhelmed as she helped her daughter, Monica Dreesen (right), get into college. Then an unsung hero stepped in and made the transition easier.

Barbara Alvarez

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Barbara Alvarez

In 2017, just weeks after their daughter, Monica Dreesen, graduated from high school, Barbara Alvarez’s husband died suddenly. They were separated from each other, but the loss was still poignant and painful for Alvarez, especially when the time came for her daughter to go off to college.

When Alvarez arrived at the dorms and saw all the other students moving in with the help of their parents, she realized she was now a single mother.

“I was overwhelmed wondering how I was going to handle all this with my daughter, when I had always imagined it would be a mom and dad helping her, and I was alone.”

Alvarez and her daughter were waiting in a long line for their turn to take the small elevator to her daughter’s floor. At that moment, a young woman appeared.

“She introduced herself as the dormitory minister [and] directed [us] to an elevator in another part of the dormitory [that was] further away,” Alvarez said.

The young woman, whose name Alvarez calls Jody, helped them load all their boxes and trash into the elevator, then helped them carry all the belongings to her daughter’s dorm room.

“[She] even gave us the strength we lacked to lift and raise the bed,” Alvarez recalls.

As mother and daughter unpacked, Jody kept coming back and checking to see if they had everything they needed. When it was time for Alvarez to leave, her sadness was accompanied by joy, knowing that Jody would watch over her daughter.

“At that time, my constant thought was, ‘Who’s going to help us? And how can I do all this myself, to help my child claim his independence and his status as an adult?

Jody’s help gave Alvarez hope in a time of great need. And its impact still resonates in Alvarez’s life today.

“We still talk about Jody and what helped her realize that this new widowed mother needed help,” Alvarez said. “I hope that wherever Jody is, she encounters the same kind of kindness that she extended to us.”

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes come out every Tuesday. To share your unsung hero’s story with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.