Last year, on the 10-year anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, a part-time firefighter spoke to the Huffington Post about his struggle with being recognised as a hero.
Paul Dadge was on his way to work when he was evacuated from his Underground train. He then came across the aftermath of the horrific bombings that shocked the world.
The picture of him helping a victim of the bombings spread worldwide, with many people describing him as a 'hero'.
Credit: PA
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This was coupled with the news that he had set up a first-aid station and helped dozens of people. It was a story that touched the hearts of many.
He told HuffPost: "If I hadn't been pictured doing what I had done, I would probably have gone into work that day and thought, 'Yeah, you did OK' and probably patted myself on the back and that would have been it.
"But I felt a bit like I had been compromised, and when the picture went I thought, 'shit'.
"[That was] because I just knew that photo would be in the newspapers somewhere. And it's just quite embarrassing for me."
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Credit: PA Images
The humble nature of this man, to me, makes him even more respectable.
We all think that we would be the kind of people who would step up to the mark and help those in need if it came to it, but if we were faced with the exact same situation, would we?
I hope so.
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Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured image credit: Getty
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