Maria Vasquez-Rojas was thrilled when she learned she was pregnant. But soon afterward she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 鈥� at the same time her brother Francisco was struggling with drug addiction. Maria's daughter's birth has transformed not just Maria's life, but Francisco's, too.

A ship called the Daniel J. Morrell was making its last haul of the season when it broke apart in a heavy storm on Lake Huron in November 1966. A few crew members struggled to stay afloat in the driving wind and waves, but ultimately, Dennis Hale was the shipwreck's sole survivor.

Rogelio Martinez was being abused when he started taking Lisa Moya King's dance class. Soon, Rogelio ran away, and Lisa took him in when he had nowhere to go. "You showed me that I'm not alone," Rogelio says. "That I actually have somebody."