This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
In 2022, David Jefferson's wife, Jill Wolfe, was diagnosed with cancer. Wolfe was a very independent person and resisted having visitors. But her friend and former colleague Nichole Kyle was persistent.
"[Nichole Kyle would] call, and I'd have to say, 'Not today,'" Jefferson remembered. "She would text, and I'd say, 'Sorry [not today].' Finally, I told her, 'Just come over anyway, and you and I can start talking, and we'll see what happens.'"
Once Wolfe heard whispers of her husband and friend talking, she'd invite Kyle into her room. The two women would talk, and Wolfe's spirits would be inevitably uplifted.
These visits went on for some time until it became clear that the experimental medication Wolfe was taking wasn't working. The cancer had spread to her spine — a terminal diagnosis.
" She never wanted to do chemo, but it was the last choice and she wanted more time," Jefferson recalled.
Three days after her first chemo session, Wolfe had to be admitted to the hospital. After a few days' stay, she was discharged. Wolfe was too weak to stand and needed to use a wheelchair.
" Little did we know, those were the early signs of her dying," her husband said.
Kyle went with Jefferson to pick Wolfe up from the hospital. It was wintertime, and when they got back to the couple's home, the pipes in the house had frozen. Kyle helped thaw them out, gave her friend a shower, and helped put her to bed. Then she left.
"Some hours later, Nichole showed up [again] with a bag," Jefferson said, tearfully.
"Show me which room you want me to sleep in and I'll stay until the end with Jill," he recalled Kyle saying.
The following days, Kyle did the laundry, cooked and cleaned the house. She helped Jefferson take care of his wife's most private and vulnerable needs.
" Nichole was a steady presence. She never panicked. She always had a smile and [was] willing to do whatever was next," Jefferson remembered.
Wolfe died on Feb. 3, 2024.
" Nichole was an angel [in that] time of need and I'll forever be in her debt," Jefferson said. "This situation called for a hero, and Nichole Kyle is my hero for life."
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
Copyright 2025 NPR