Everywhere in the world,
we can observe
and be touched
by acts of kindness.
People from all walks of
life, faiths, and cultures
extend themselves
beyond the call of duty
to help others
unconditionally.
Through their noble deeds,
humanity as a whole
is elevated.
To commend
virtuous actions and
encourage more people
to be inspired
by their examples,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
has lovingly created
a series of awards,
including the Shining
World Leadership
Award, Shining World
Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and
Heroine Awards, Shining
World Honesty Award,
Shining World Protection
Award, Shining World
Intelligence Award,
and Shining World
Inventor Award,
to recognize some
of the most exemplary,
generous, caring,
and courageous people
who walk amongst us.
I was just
sitting in my room,
just watching a DVD,
and I heard
the smoke alarms go off,
so I ran outside.
It was late at night.
Twenty-year-old
Joel Craddock
is a nursing student
living in Colac,
in western Victoria,
Australia.
The smoke alarms he heard
were coming from
his neighbor’s house,
the home of four children.
And I went straight over
to the house and saw that
the front lounge room
was on fire.
I just started to get kids out
as quick as I could.
So the house is just
next door?
Yeah, it’s still up there
like being burnt down,
but yeah.
And the children, what
was happening for them?
They were all panicking
a lot.
The little girl was in bed
and I just ran in and
sort of got everyone out
as quick as I could.
Three of the children
were at home.
They were
ages 8, 9, and 11.
The 15-year-old
was not at home when
the fire occurred, and
neither was their father,
who had happened
to have stepped out
to go to a shop.
Joel had alerted his mother
before hurrying over
to the burning house.
Joel’s father and
a neighbor, Ken Farnes,
assisted Joel in getting
the children to safety.
Everything happened
very quickly.
Everything was sort of
blurry and I just ran in
there and saw the kids
were in there and
they need to get out,
so that was pretty much
the whole idea of everything
When I went in there,
there was a lot of
smoke and flames
still coming out.
But we just had to
get out basically.
So it was mostly
in the lounge room and
I went into the hallway.
Everything seems like
it happened in about
a second to me,
like I just went in straight,
everything happened.
But yeah, the house
went up so quick,
like a matter of minutes.
The moment
he had carried the girl
and guiding the two boys
outside the house,
the house went up
in flames.
The children were brought
to Joel’s home
where they could rest
comfortably.
His mother, who also was
a trained nurse, helped
to tend to the children.
She had also called
the fire brigade
that arrived within
a couple of minutes
to put out the fire.
Meanwhile,
the children’s father
had returned home
and ran inside
the burning house,
thinking that
his children were inside.
The devoted dad
was unable to hear
his neighbors
shouting to him
that his kids were safe,
and sadly succumbed
to the fire.
Were it not
for Joel’s quick thinking
and courageous aid,
the children too
may not have made it.
From the incident
till today, however,
Joel remains humble:
I’d like to think
that everyone would
do the same thing
in this situation.
For saving the lives of
his neighbor’s children,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
honored
Joel Craddock with
the Shining World
Hero Award.
Neighbor Ken Farnes
also received
a thank you letter from
Supreme Master
Ching Hai.
“Dear Joel,
It is with great pleasure
and gratitude
that we present to you
the Shining World
Hero Award.
This award is presented
in recognition of
your courageous
and selfless actions,
facing a life-threatening
situation to save
your neighbor’s children,
and giving us all
a great example
of a heroic citizen, acting
beyond the call of duty,
uplifting
the community spirit.
Your fearless deed,
putting love for others
before yourself, is helping
to make our world
a better and safer place…
We are very proud of you.
You are a gallant neighbor
and a shining light
of chivalry,
protecting the innocent
and bringing peace of mind
to those around you.
For your
outstanding bravery, and
selfless act of sacrifice,
for your fast and wise
reaction under stress,
and for being a dedicated
and noble role model,
we hereby applaud
and celebrate
the valiant deeds of
Mr. Joel Craddock,
model citizen
and hero of Colac.
With Great Honour,
Love and Blessings,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai”
Joel Craddock received
the crystal award plaque
along with the letter
of commendation.
He was also presented
with gifts, including
a bright golden
Hero jacket,
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
lecture DVDs, and
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
#1 international
bestselling books,
“The Dogs in My Life,”
“The Birds in My Life,”
and “The Noble Wilds.”
Thanks for hearing
my story. Thanks.
When we return,
we’ll meet two more
Shining World Heroes,
Russian children who
saved the life of a girl
who had slipped
into freezing waters.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back
to today’s program
honoring recipients of
the Shining World
Hero Award from
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
One day,
Danila Zaitsev, age 5,
his sister Valia, age 6,
and a friend
Liza Zhamyanova
were taking a walk
on a frozen river
near their house.
But suddenly,
Valia fell through a hole
in the ice into
freezing waters below.
Danila did not have the
strength to pull his sister
out of the water but
had the presence of mind
to hold the hood
of her jacket
in between his teeth
to prevent her from
completely slipping in.
He did his best to
brace himself on the ice
and support Valia
in this precarious position
until help arrived.
Confronted with the
urgency of this situation,
their friend Liza
wasted no time
to run back to her house
to get help from her
15-year-old brother Ivan.
Valia stepped on the ice
and fell in completely.
And Vania (Ivan) ran
to her and rescued her.
And Danila,
what was he doing?
He was holding her hood
with his teeth.
The tiny hero
Danila Zaitsev
did the only thing
that he could
to save his sister, that is,
using nothing except
his teeth to hold on to her.
He was determined
not to let her slip away
into the frozen waters.
In a dangerous position
bracing himself
on the cold ice, he kept
Valia’s head above water
for a long 30 minutes!
Today, the 5-year-old
does not consciously
remember the incident
and how he had saved his
6-year-old sister’s life.
For his noble and
loving action,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
honored Danila
with the Shining World
Hero Award.
This beautiful plaque
is called
The Shining World
Hero Award.
This award is presented
to the heroes,
the guardian angels
like yourself.
Do you know that you are
a guardian angel? (Yes.)
This was sent to you…
This letter of honor
was sent to you by
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for your saving a life,
priceless human life.
Thank you.
Ivan,
who rushed to the scene
after his sister Liza
had called him for help,
was also honored with
the Shining World
Hero Award
for his selfless deeds.
I was home,
my younger sister ran in
and said that on the river
her friend was drowning.
Well,
I immediately got ready
and ran to the river.
And when I got there,
I saw that a little boy,
Danila, he was holding
his sister by her hood.
And she was already
all panicking, she was
already screaming.
And when I got her out,
placed her on the ice,
she couldn’t stand,
because of the cold
she was numb.
So I had to pick her up
and run home.
And what did you feel
or think when you were
rescuing a little girl?
What were you feeling?
Well…
empathy, because
the person has to be helped
if he needs help.
At his house, Ivan helped
take care of Valia
to bring her
freezing temperature
closer to normal condition
by the time
the adults arrived.
For his smart
and timely actions,
the 15-year-old
was honored with
the Shining World
Hero Award from
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
An excerpt from
the letter of appreciation
to Ivan reads as follows:
“…For your
outstanding bravery
and selfless dedication
in saving the life of Valia,
for your fast
and wise reaction,
and for being a gallant
and noble protector,
we hereby applaud and
celebrate the heroic deeds
of Ivan Zhamyanov –
superhero angel of Russia!
With Great Honour,
Love and Blessings,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai”
Thanks to
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for the gifts
that she sent us
and the award to me
and my sister, Liza.
Thanks for her kindness,
generosity and love.
Ivan’s sister Liza
also received
a thank you letter from
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for doing her part in
quickly going to get help.
In addition,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
gifted the two siblings
as well as Danila
US$500 each to buy books
and their favorite items
for themselves.
What’s more,
the three children each
received a hero T-shirt
and a warm colored scarf
designed by
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
They also smiled upon
receiving more presents
including
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
#1 international
bestselling books,
“The Dogs in My Life,”
“The Birds in My Life,”
and “The Noble Wilds,”
as well as
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
lecture DVDs
and music CDs.
Ivan and Liza’s
proud father expressed
his appreciation
upon this recognition.
We came to Ulan-Ude
to present the award
to your children, heroes
who rescued the priceless
and precious human life.
We would like
to hear your opinion.
Of course I am very glad,
very happy, and for me
it’s a biggest surprise,
biggest joy
that my children
became an example, and
had outstanding courage.
They rescued a life in time,
and the most important is
that the life is rescued,
that’s the most important.
The life.
And of course I thank
Supreme Master Ching Hai
for her love,
for her kindness,
for her magnanimity,
for her generosity.
Thanks to her.
May God give her
health, luck, love in life,
and in everything
that she does, in her work.
We salute
the young heroes featured
in today’s program:
Danila and Ivan
from Russia,
and Joel Craddock
of Australia.
May Heaven shower
your lives with
blessings and happiness
as your noble examples
continue to inspire us all
for a long time.
Kind viewers, thank you
for your company today.
Coming up next is
Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News,
here on
Supreme Master Television.
Wishing you peaceful days
in God’s love.