Amy Eldridge
Founder and executive director of Love Without Boundaries
Nominated and chosen by our readers at Cookiemag.com
Mother of Laura, 22; Matt, 19; Patrick, 18; Jonathan, 14; Jack, 13; Anna, 9; and T.J., 4
"I was already a mom of five when we adopted a little girl from China nine years ago. Three years later, I returned there to visit my daughter's orphanage. I stood by the crib of a baby who needed heart surgery that he might not get and realized it was the first time I'd seen a baby dying. So began Love Without Boundaries. We help fund vital surgeries for orphaned children in China and run nutrition, education, and foster-care programs. One of the boys who has touched me most is Hercules, who was handed to me in an orphanage when he was 9 months old and weighed only six pounds. When I held him, I thought, He'll never make it. But he grabbed my finger and looked at me, as if to say, 'Don't you dare give up on me.' We were able to get Hercules the surgery he needed, and he was adopted this year by a family that adores him."
See how you can join Amy Eldridge and all the current and past Smart Cookie honorees in making the world a better place at ChangingThePresent.org/cookie.
