As I sat down to write today’s column, I opened an email that changed my topic for today. The email announced that the Ontario Association of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation had recently presented Shannon Price with the Michelle Breakwell Award for exemplary support of the CF cause.

This caught my attention for two reasons. First, I knew Michelle well but I didn’t know that an award had been created to recognize her contribution to the CF cause, a significant contribution even though she passed away when she was just 18 years old. The second reason is that Shannon is one of my personal heroes and role models. I’ve known her since she was seven years old. When it comes to persistence, determination and commitment to making a difference in the world, she is in a league of her own. Her somewhat warped sense of humour is in that same league.

It was Michelle and Shannon who inspired me to create the Cystic Fibrosis Radiothon, which we did from coast to coast for the next nine years in partnership with Kinsmen and Kinettes, an organization that has raised $33 million for CF research and an indescribable amount of public awareness for the cause.

Michelle inspired me in many ways but the story I will always remember is the time I visited her in hospital and found her parents in the hall near her room door. They were in tears and a few minutes later, two doctors came out and announced that she had only minutes to live. As Michelle and I had become very close, her parents wanted me to go with them as they went to be with her.

In short Michelle apologized to her parents for “giving up” but she said she just didn’t have the energy to keep going.Then, somehow, she dug even deeper and an hour later she was talking about starting university in a month and wondering if she should complete her BA before starting her law degree or if she should transfer into law after her second year.

She did manage to get one week at university and star in the first ever CF Radiothon at the end of that week; however, the very next day she went into the hospital and died a month later.

Every minute of every day, Michelle did her very best to make a positive difference in her own life, the lives of people around her and the lives of CF patients everywhere. She was a true Hidden Hero.

What can I say about Shannon Price? She and her sisters are like daughters to me and somehow Shannon is the closest. Perhaps it’s because I gave ten years of my life to helping her raise funds for CF research, research that has dramatically extended the life expectancy for CF patients and may yet find a cure for the disease. Perhaps it’s just our shared, somewhat warped, sense of humour.

At 32 Shannon continues to do all she can to help the CF cause. She is a much in demand speaker at various CF fundraising events. Each fall she is also a powerful motivational speaker at colleges and universities before students start out on the annual Shinerama event, a major fundraiser for CF.

In her Michelle Breakwell Award, Shannon is described as a leader, a fighter and an inspiration to everyone who meets her. She is all of that but I always think of her as caring and committed to her friends. Nine years ago when she was in her very early twenties, she heard that I was about to have open heart surgery so she took a week’s holiday and flew out from Toronto to see me. I appreciated that support more than I’ll ever be able to tell her. That’s just one of the reasons she’s my Hidden Hero.