Now, though, some people use the word to describe their favourite sports player. Tabloid newspapers use the term increasingly loosely. Comic books have made the term their own by adding the word “super” in front.

Some of the leaders in the social media field have been called heroes for their efforts at advancing the medium.

To me, though, people like 17-year old Ashley Hegi are true heroes. To have a life sentence like Ashley did and want to educate the way she did shows real heroism. Her family, friends and community agree.

What’s your definition of a hero?

• Ashley Hegi  died on Tuesday April 21. To learn more about Progeria Syndrome, visit the Progeria Research Foundation website.

What A True Hero Looks Like originally appeared on Danny Brown - under a Creative Commons license.