We all have Hidden Heroes in our lives but most of us have been trained to spend more energy looking for, and remembering, hidden crooks rather than Hidden Heroes. As a result I tend to get very few people emailing me to nominate someone they know as a Hidden Hero.

As I have mentioned a number of times, it was only after I started writing this weekly column that I began to notice just how many Hidden Heroes (role models) I meet in my day-to-day life. Before that, like most of us, I’d notice someone who would qualify as a Hidden Hero, think “Wow! That’s nice,” and then forget all about them and refocus on whatever I thought was much more important at the time.

As a result, I tended to remember the crooks I heard about in the media, crooks I would seldom or ever meet, and forgot the Hidden Heroes I was meeting in person almost every day.

Last week I got the following nomination from my friend, Iris Strong, who teaches in the Adult Basic Education Program at Malaspina University College. She said it was difficult not to recognize Heather as a Hidden Hero.

“Hi Bill,” she began, “I would like to recommend Heather Porteous as a Hidden Hero.

“Heather is one of the most GIVING people I know!! She has volunteered weekly at the 7 - 10 Club for SEVERAL years,and is often out fund raising for them as well. She's been seen selling raffle tickets at the mall on their behalf, and serving up refreshments at the recent Tribute to Country Music at the Legion, which was a very late night for someone who likes to get to school at 8 a.m.!

“Heather also volunteers for the Good Food Box, as one of the folks who fill the boxes. During the summer, when she's not taking classes, she does even more volunteering for them.

“Speaking of classes, Heather is a role-model as a student! She is currently a motivated, focused, enthusiastic participant in our Fundamental Level math class and has done English classes with us as well. She is punctual, hard-working and usually has 100% perfect attendance.

“When fall days begin to get crisp, Heather starts thinking of the children in Nanaimo who might not get a Christmas present, and she organizes her fellow students to contribute what they can so that Christmas is a little brighter for some youngster(s). She then sets out shopping to make sure the gifts are worthwhile and educational! Books are often the choice.

“When our annual opportunity to apply for funding comes along, Heather is right there, volunteering to be on the Learner Event Committee! She's committed, dedicated and she follows through on every promise she makes.

“Heather is learning math procedures now that she did not have access to when she was a child.

“You see, she has Aperts Syndrome, and when she was an infant, her parents were told to institutionalize her. But no, Heather's parents loved her too much to give up on her.

“She had multiple surgeries as an infant for such important things as creating fingers -- Her toes are still completely webbed. She told me they even had to move her brain!

“Heather has a mild speech impediment, but does she let it stop her from speaking up to support someone in need or to encourage someone? Absolutely not! Heather is always there to speak up for the underdog and to make sure human rights are respected.

“Her latest adventure is that Heather has joined a choir! She sings with the Open Minds, Open Windows group and she loves it!

“I told her I was nominating her and that even if she is not chosen, SHE WOULD ALWAYS BE MY HERO!”

She’s our Hidden Hero too.