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.