Temperance Pattison was only 3-years-old when she learned about Remembrance Day and the meaning of buying a poppy.
Her mother explained to her that the poppies were used to raise money for soldiers and families of soldiers who died fighting a war.
โIn the literal fashion of a child she didnโt understand why we were giving money to soldiers who couldnโt spend it, so she wanted to do something to give back to the soldiers that are still here,โ her mother, Emily, told Daily Mail.
So, Temperance, who goes by the name โTempy,โ decided she would do a 100-meter swim to raise money for Help for Heroes.
โI did a 100-meter swim and that was a really big challenge because I couldnโt swim then,โ Tempy said. โI didnโt drown.โ
Tempy went on to do a triathlon knowing she could help raise a lot of money for charity, but what she didnโt know was that she would also be making a friend.
The charity that she was raising money for introduced her to a few of the soldiers that benefitted from the charity. At age 5, Tippy met Simon Brown who was shot by a sniper in Iraq and left with only 20 percent of his vision in one eye.
The two of them sat down together for an online series called โFacing It Togetherโ where they told each other their stories.
โWhen I came home I found out that Iโd lost my sight and I had to rebuild my life being told that I was going to be a blind man and leave the army,โ he told her.
Simon then asked Tempy why she decided to be a fundraiser.
โBecause even though I didnโt know any of the soldiers I just thought that they did something for us I thought I could give a present back to them by raising them money,โ Tempy said in a fundraising video for Help for Heroes. โIโm quite proud of the soldiers.โ
Simon was impressed by the fact that Tempy likes to challenge herself.
โYeah, cause the soldiers challenged themselves,โ Tempy explained.
Simon then told Tempy that because of her will to challenge herself, he was able to get the support he needed after he was shot.
โItโs cause of the challenges you do and the money you raise and the support you give that people like me can get better,โ Simon said. โSo, thatโs why people like you are heroes.โ
โAnd people like you are mine,โ Tempy answered right back.
And thatโs how Simon and Tempy became friends. The video of their touching exchange has gone viral. You can watch that video below.
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