MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at the Hidden Brain podcast. "My Unsung Hero" tells the stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else. Today's story comes from Larry Maxfield. In early 2007, Maxfield's brother Marty entered home hospice care. Marty was 47. He had terminal cancer. He and his wife, Janice, decided to move from California to Utah, where their adult children lived, to spend his final days together as a family.
LARRY MAXFIELD: With very short notice, Marty's oldest son, who was living in Utah, found a small home in his neighborhood. The home was a bit weary, but it would have to do, given these hard circumstances. As a family, we all met in California at Marty's house. We spent several days packing their belongings into trucks and trailers. Then our caravan began the 12-hour drive to Utah. I was driving my brother's truck with Marty as my passenger. Marty shared his gratitude for all of our family support, and he made his wishes known about the desire to have his wife, Janice, cared for after his death.
I listened intently, but somehow in the back of my mind, I had a nagging feeling that I wished we had had more time to fix up the little house in Utah before our arrival. After driving for 12 hours, we pulled up to the curb well after dark to find the house lights were on and neighbors welcoming Marty and Janice to their new home. We assisted Marty up the porch stairs, and he looked inside and he found the strength to smile and say, this is wonderful. I looked inside the home and was surprised to discover the neighbors and their church members had been working all the time we were in California. Over those three days, charitable women had scrubbed the house top to bottom. They had sewn simple but beautiful draperies, and they turned the tiny old house into an inviting home.
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MAXFIELD: Marty died two days later in the comfort of that tiny home. These women, who were total strangers, made a real difference in our lives, and I will never forget the kindness and compassion they showed to Marty and Janice, who were their complete strangers. They are my unsung heroines.
KELLY: Larry Maxfield lives outside Salt Lake City, Utah. You can find more stories of unsung heroes and learn how to submit your own at hiddenbrain.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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