Today’s Hidden Heroes story is written by Teesha Wilkinson who is in Laura Harrison’s Grade 11 Leadership class at Dover Bay Secondary School.

Laura is the secretary for our Hidden Heroes Education Society board of directors as well as a member of our Hidden Heroes curriculum Development Team. In her later position, she has taken the lead to develop our Grade 11 Hidden Heroes curriculum.

Over the next month or two, I would like to feature stories written by some of Laura’s students. Reading these stories will give us adults insight into today’s students as well as their heroes.

First here is Teesha’s story about her cousin, Brynna Hardy.

“My Hidden Hero is my cousin Brynna Hardy. Brynna currently lives in Saanichton, B.C. She is eleven years old and lives with her parents and her sixteen year old sister, Kyla, who has disabilities. Brynna is a very kind, thoughtful and patient individual who for all of her life has always demonstrated compassion and maturity far beyond her years.

“Kyla has had a huge impact on Brynna’s life. Brynna says she has taught her “how to be understanding and to have patience and be respectful.” Such a simple lesson and yet, so many of us struggle with it our whole lives, especially when it comes to communicating and working with those who are disabled. Too often we turn away because we find connecting with them to be just too hard.

“However, since she could talk and walk Brynna has always been there, not only connecting and communicating with her sister, but also helping others to communicate with Kyla. In earlier years Kyla could not speak very well, she communicated mainly through sign language. As a young child watching her mother and Kyla sign, Brynna learned the language and would often interpret what Kyla was saying for those not familiar with sign language. This enabled Kyla to have a conversation and gave others a chance to break the communication barrier and really get to know Kyla.

“Brynna says Kyla has taught her “how to be kind to all” and she is grateful to her mother and father for teaching her “how to believe in all”. Brynna is constantly learning from those around her. She admires her sister and her sister’s friends. On one occasion, when a group of Kyla’s friends came together to celebrate Kyla, Brynna was struck by how accepting and wonderful people can be. She says the experience showed here that it doesn’t matter who you are, “you can have friends who have disabilities or don’t have disabilities”.

“Brynna is continually supportive of Kyla and one of the kindest and most sincere people I have ever met. In the next few years Brynna hopes to find a way to help teach others what she herself has learned from Kyla. She is also a dedicated dancer and hopes to continue to pursue this passion.

“One thing Brynna has learned that she thinks is important for everyone everywhere to know, no matter who they are or what they’re doing, is that one must “Accept all people no matter what.“

“I believe that Brynna has made a big difference in Kyla‘s life and the lives of many others. She is an amazing role model and an inspiring Hidden Hero. Kyla could not have been blessed with a more wonderful sister.”

Teesha is a student leader at Dover Bay Secondary School and one of eight students from School District 68 who were selected to attend the 2007 Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly in Tacoma, Washington.