Amazing Canadian Kids!

Introduction: “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” A powerful question posed by one of the great peacemakers and anti-slavery activists of his time - Henry David Thoreau would have been proud to witness this miracle he speaks of lived through the extraordinary lives of - not adults - but children. The stories you are about to read are truly amazing. They tell of five Canadian children enjoying a normal childhood, until there came a day when their world is forever changed. What happens to transform their childhood into something unexpected and remarkable? You will witness that it is a deep sense of compassion for their environment or for people in their family, community or around the world that drives these amazing children to reach beyond all expectations to make important contributions in the lives of all those who need help. These five children possess a wonderful view of the world around us as one in which children can make a difference, regardless of age, once you set goals and work hard to achieve them. And so, each embark on the amazing journey you will soon come to know – a journey through the eyes of another. The sense that anything is possible if we all work together to make positive changes is somehow lost to many adults. However, as we see in these stories, there are children who do not look for the impossible but instead seek the possible. You will be inspired by the sheer determination and perseverance of the amazing children you will meet in these chapters. Their stories will highlight the important and lasting contributions they have made and continue to make in the various causes they fight for. The choices each make to take steps toward improving environmental awareness or the lives of others, in turn moves others to the point where they are also inspired to take action on important issues in our world. You will meet Ryan Hreljac who believes in this “Ripple Effect” because he has seen it firsthand. He believes that when you reach out to help in an important cause, no matter what it may be, you are also reaching out to inspire others to help as well. Many of us see and hear about the suffering of people on television, in the newspapers or on the internet. But what if anything do we do about it? Do we just take a little of it in and then continue on with our lives as if it has nothing to do with us? Not so with Craig Keilburger. Craig decided that the pain of reading a disturbing newspaper article was too much for him to ignore what he had learned and could not see why he should not help victims even if they lived far away. Craig’s story is testament that one person, even a child, can change the world simply by choosing not to ignore those who need our help. Perhaps there is someone in your family or community that appears to be having a tough time. When you choose to use a talent or an interest you have in something to help that person, you may just change that person’s life for the better – forever! Kayla Cornale understands this very much. Her love of the piano transformed her cousin’s life, helping her cousin to overcome difficult challenges. The idea that you can find inspiration to make a difference almost anywhere is not lost to Miranda Andersen. With the help of her teacher, she discovered she had a passion for filmmaking and used that passion to raise awareness about two of earth’s majestic ecosystems. Realizing she could combine these two interests set her off on a new and exciting path in her young life. In our own communities and cities in Canada and around the world, we often drive or walk by individuals who seem to live on the streets. Do you ever stop to wonder what that would be like? Can you imagine yourself without a home to live in or food to eat? It would be a very sad and lonely life I’m sure. I would hope that there would be someone out there who cared enough to ask me if I needed help - someone like young Hannah Taylor who had a difficult time understanding why no one cared for these people. If more people could be driven to action as Hannah was to change the lives of these helpless individuals, perhaps there would be less of this problem. In reading this book, I hope you come away with a sense of understanding of the many difficulties and challenges that a large number of people and environmental habitats confront every day in our world. Most of us here in Canada live very good lives in comparison to others in this country and around our planet. The problems that these people and our world habitats face will not go away on their own. They need compassionate, caring, empathetic and determined individuals such as the five children you are about to meet, to stand up and let the world know this is unacceptable. I hope you will come to a better realization that we must work together to make it easier for those who are suffering. Let’s face it, one day we may need help in some way and we would hope that someone would be there to answer our call. To help you in your next step once you have read this book, I have provided you with two valuable sections at the end of each chapter. What You Should Know and How You Can Help offer information and suggestions to guide you along your own amazing journey of awareness and action. Simply pick one or more of the causes that you feel drawn to and begin with small goals for yourself. Friends, family, and teachers are valuable resources for helping you to achieve these goals. It is always better to start small and perhaps your ideas for change may gradually emerge into something more than what you expected. The five Canadian kids you are about to meet can certainly tell you all about that! Enjoy! Sheneeza Kanji Author, Amazing Canadian Kids! What They’re Doing to Make a Difference And How You Can Too!