9 Real-Life Heroes Who Will Inspire You To Be A Better Version Of Yourself

You don't need a cape to be a hero.

In a celebrity-obsessed world, we wanted to do something to celebrate real-life heroes. So we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community: Who's your real-life hero? Here are the heartfelt results.

The Mom

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Submitted by Kateřina Kovářová (Facebook): My mum is my hero. She met my dad when he was studying abroad in her country. They fell in love and she decided to leave her home to be with him. After moving to Czech Republic it must have been really hard for her, learning a new language, looking for a job, not knowing anyone, being so far from her family and friends and taking care of my brother and me. We were really short on money then, so she eventually had to take a job as a cleaning lady, although she has a degree in nuclear physics. She then decided to get another degree here in Czech Republic, this time economy. I remember her putting me and my brother to sleep and then studying long into the night. After graduating she got herself a great job. She is such a wonderful example to me, showing me that you can do anything as long as you try your best.

The Brother

Submitted by deetles: I know I should probably say my mom or my dad, but my real hero is my older brother. My mom died when I was a kid, and my brother took it really hard, which led to him almost flunking out of college and battling bad company and addiction. But he pushed through all of his pain and made me his top priority, inevitably becoming a well-regarded lawyer and provider. Many people criticize him for being an aloof, reticent man who has made bad decisions, but to me he's my hero, and the one person I look up to for being himself, accepting his flaws and mistakes with no regrets, and most of all, telling the world that if they don't like him for who he is, they can go suck it. And there's no better hero than that!

The Daughter

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Submitted by Aimee Bullard (Facebook) : In the early morning hours of June 4, I learned the meaning of true love. My daughter, Hailey, entered this world a fighter. A week later the real fight began in a Boston hospital, where she clung to life from an unknown ailment. Much to my dismay and the hospital staff's bewilderment, no one could figure out how to save her. That is until one genetic specialist came in and made the diagnosis of Maple Syrup Urine Disease. MSUD is a very rare incurable genetic disease, 3 cases for every 1,000,000 births. Hailey's body could not break down protein. And yet, she fought with the heart of a warrior. She bounced back from every illness with a a smile. When I got upset and worried, It was Hailey who cheered me up. She didn't care how sick she was, MSUD was not going to rob her of her happiness, hopes, or dreams. We stuffed so much life in every single day. Unfortunately even her happy soul could not fix her broken body. My daughter, Hailey, who lived and loved more in her 3 short years than I ever will, is my hero.

The Friend

Submitted by Ali (Facebook): When Molly and I started our freshman year at college, she had already gone to rehab and had been dry for several months. She was intent on staying dry and going through college like a normal student to earn her bachelor's degree. I met her shortly after a relapse halfway through the fall. The college threatened to force her into medical leave so that she would have to leave for almost a year to go back to rehab. However, instead of letting herself be told what to do and suffer a setback on her goal so soon after starting college, she detoxed and got dry on the very campus that tempted her relapse in the first place. She stayed and stood up against the administration and fought to stay in our beloved college. She made it through one more relapse and ultimately thrived. I dream of being there for her graduation to watch her walk across the stage and receive her well-deserved diploma. Molly is my real-life hero because she is beating an addiction that only 10% of people manage to beat and I could only hope to one day be half as strong as she is.

The Boyfriend

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Submitted by ameliac4ce2a42cd: My hero is my boyfriend. He has stuck with me since we were freshmen in high school, but we didn’t start dating until the end of our junior year. Fellow classmates posted many awful things about me online and I broke down. They would constantly pick at the fact I am a Type 1 diabetic. I cried for days on end and he was there to comfort me and tell me how much I meant to him. He dragged me out of a hole I dug for myself because I allowed others around me to influence my own thoughts regarding myself. Micah, my boyfriend, is my true hero and always saves the day with his puns and never-ending love.

The Husband

Submitted by Debbi Gilbert (Facebook): I would have to say my husband is my real-life hero. It's not because he is a devoted father to our children, because he is. And it's not because he has always been a very loving husband and partner, which he is. It's because he has overcome great obstacles in life to become a surgeon even though he has Tourette syndrome. I believe he is the only surgeon in this country with T.S. and never once since I known him has he ever felt sorry for himself or complained about having it. That makes him a hero to me.

The Professor

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Submitted by Courtney Danielle (Facebook): I don't think I have ever mentioned this to her, so this felt like the perfect chance to do so. I took Professor Allard's class sophomore year of college as an elective. It was a sociology class on race relations. I've never met anyone as intelligent, kind, and engaging as Dr. Allard, and there's a good chance I may never again. She was somehow able to make a very complex topic relatable, interesting, and life-changing. After that first class, I took up a sociology minor and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. So thank you, Dr. Allard. I don't know how often you hear it, but you changed this student's life.

The Highway Service Patrolman

Submitted by Cody Jurkowitz (Facebook): A guy from the metro freeway service patrol is my real-life hero. They patrol the freeways of Los Angeles, which are statistically the most dangerous place we could be, so thank god for heroes overseeing us civilians. When I lost a tire on the 101, I almost died. The freeway service patrolman showed up before I could even call AAA. He held my neck still as I laid on the ground waiting for an ambulance and kept me calm. He was a real-life superhero; he came out of nowhere and literally appeared when I needed help — just like a superhero.

The Loyal Pet

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Submitted by Gretchen Eisenhower (Facebook): Harper joined our family in June 2013. Since then she has changed our lives. Since the day we got Harper all the neighborhood kids have loved her. When the kids get on the school bus, right outside our house, she stares out the window and makes sure they are safe. When you cry, Harpie put her paws on your lap and licks your face. One night Harper wouldn't come in from the backyard; I kept calling and calling and should wouldn't come. Finally I went outside and found her laying next to a baby bird. The baby bird had fallen out of a tree and she laid by its side until I came to help. She didn't even touch it, she just backed away slowly when she knew it was safe. It was amazing! I have not a doubt in my mind that if anything ever happened to me she would do anything she could to help. She's my hero because she would protect me from anyone bad.

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