[blockquote source=”Andy Andrews”]“You have been created in order that you might make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world.”[/blockquote]

It’s not often that you hear of a story so delightful, that it makes your heart swell with the warmth of compassion’s reach.

During WWII, Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker, selflessly risked his life to rescue 669 mostly Jewish children from the Nazi-occupied Czechoclovakia.

On 15 November 1938, 5 days after the devastation of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, in Germany and Austria, a delegation of British Jewish and Quaker leaders appealed in person to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain. Among other measures, they requested that the British government permit the temporary admission of unaccompanied Jewish children, without their parents.

The operation, later dubbed “Czech Kindertransport” was responsible for saving the lives of over 10,000 predominantly Jewish children – most of whom had lost their families to the horrors of the Holocaust.

It is only through the actions of individuals like Nicholas Winton, that we may begin to advance humanity’s vision.

In the 50 years following this incredible rescue mission, Nicholas struggled to deal with the guilt and sadness over the loss of those he wasn’t able to rescue.

Eventually, his wife discovered a scrapbook, list of names, and journals documenting his rescue operation, and she convinced him to go public with his story, leading to his appearance of the BBC show.

While appearing on the show, unbeknownst to him, he received an amazing surprise when the host revealed that 80 of the audience members surrounding him were saved during the rescue operation. And today, there are roughly 6,000 people around the world today who owe Winton their lives.

Today, Winton is 105 years old, has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The touching video of Winton’s surprise on the BBC program has spread all over the Internet recently and is a reminder of just how many people have gone unrecognized for doing heroic things in the course of history.