Irena Sendler

Irena as a young woman ( ())

                                                                              MY HERO

For me Irena Sendler is a hero. I heard about her from my dad and she seemed very interesting to me, so I did some research about her life and work. I hope you will like her as much as I do.

She was born on 15th of February 1910 in Poland. Her father was a doctor who died of typhus for helping contagious people. Irena was sympathetic to Jewish people from her childhood.

During the German occupation she lived in Poland.  When the Germans invaded Poland she started  saving  Jewish children. She and her helpers made more than 3000 false documents to help Jewish families. For that they risked their own lives, because if they were discovered they could get severely punished or even killed. She worked as a social worker. Being permitted to visit the Ghetto to check for typhus, she and her helpers smuggled children out of it. She had to persuade the Jewish parents that the only way the children would survive was if they were smuggled out of the Ghetto and adopted by the Polish families. She and her helpers smuggled the children out in suitcases, ambulance stretchers, sometimes they even disguised them as packages. She also used old courthouse for hiding children. By doing this she and her helpers saved more than 2500 children.

She was very careful to make the lists of the children's real names, she put them in jars and buried them in the garden so after the war these children could be reunited with their families. But sadly most of the parents died in death camps.

Irena in old age. ( ())

As I said before, for me she is a real hero because she showed people that it is possible to unselfishly help others. Too often we think what we will get in return. But when we start thinking that way just remember Irena. Irena Sendler's story is more than just a biography of someone. For me she is a person who deserves respect. She should receive the highest prizes for her work. But I think that is not necessary because we will always remember her for her goodness, bravery and self-sacrifice. She died in 2008 but we have learnt that good work is never forgotten and I am sure her saved children will neither forget her.