WebMD Health Heroes
Meet our 2009 winners
Each year, we celebrate extraordinary Americans who persevered and then gave back to others. This year, our winners include our November/December magazine cover star, Scarlett Johansson!
Want to help Scarlett feed hungry American kids? Here's how to give back in your community.
2009 Health Heroes
Scarlett Johansson
A Hollywood star now, Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to hunger: Her own family struggled with money when she was young and she received free school lunches. That's why she jumped at the chance to help donate food to in-need kids and their families.
Stan Curtis
Alarmed by the extent of childhood hunger in the U.S., Stan Curtis created Blessings in a Backpack, which sends food home with some 27,000 U.S. schoolchildren every weekend.
Dr. Zane Gates
A childhood spent in the housing projects of Altoona, PA, inspired Dr. Zane Gates to return and create a program providing free medical services for those in need, as well as after-school programs for the city's youth.
Sabrina Cohen
Paralyzed from the neck down since she was 14, Sabrina Cohen launched a foundation to raise money for stem cell research, which may one day help people with spinal cord injuries and other medical conditions.
Patricia Heaton/Mark Hyman, MD
As a parent to a child with a rare genetic disease, Mark Hyman, MD, created Comedy for a Cure to raise funds for new research. His favorite patient -- actress Patricia Heaton -- got in on the act at the start.
WebMD's Gift
This year, WebMD awarded $2,500 to each Health Hero to be used for their foundation or project. Click on the tabs to find out how they plan to spend their prize.
Scarlett Johansson
Johansson will donate her award to Blessings in a Backpack. "If you already have the spotlight shining on you, it's great to direct that toward a cause you believe in," the actress says in the November-December 2009 issue of WebMD the Magazine. "It's nice to be a voice for people who don't have a voice." You can help Scarlett's mission to help hungry families. Here's how.
Nominate Your 2010 Health Hero Here
For next year's winners, the editors of WebMD the Magazine are seeking heart-lifting, true tales that both move and inspire us.
Who is a candidate? Patients, doctors, nurses, and family members who met a medical diagnosis or condition with courage, underwent (or gave) treatment, and then helped give back to others will be given top consideration.
To nominate a hero, please submit his or her true story NO LATER than August 13, 2010.
See the 2008 Winners!
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WebMD the Magazine
Each year, WebMD's Health Heroes are announced in the pages of the November/December issue of WebMD the Magazine.
Nominate Your 2010 Health Hero Here
Know a Health Hero? Tell Us
For the fifth year running, the editors of WebMD are seeking heart-lifting, true tales that both move and inspire us.