Our Little Hero Jason Crombie - Jason looks to the future
BRAVE Jason Crombie is a hero in the eyes of all who know him.
The schoolboy who was born with a severe facial deformity and other health complications, has had to deal with much more than the
average nine-year-old.
Already Jason, who was also born with a twisted spine, has undergone major surgery to straighten his back using metal rods, but this
summer he will go under the knife again, as surgeons begin to reconstruct his face.
It was Jason, of East Plean, Stirlingshire, who told surgeons when his operation should be. As he loves school, and did not want to miss any of his class work, Jason agreed to the 12-hour surgery, but only if it was carried out during the school holidays.
Dad Frank, 50, a retired fabricator welder, said: "Jason is beginning to see people's reactions more now, and he turns his head away if anyone looks, but he is fairly thick-skinned".
Neighbouring Hero Terry McLernon - Terry served up a miracle
ASK anyone in Drumchapel if they believe in God, and they will answer "do you mean that big guy Terry who teaches table tennis."
Father-of-four Terry McLernon has had that much of an impact on the run-down council estates in the area, that he is often referred to as God.
Terry, 48, has devoted almost 20 years of his life to coaching table tennis in a community where drink, drugs, gangs and knife crime were rife.
Having grown up in Drumchapel, the grandad-of-two was a self-confessed rogue, but that all changed when he discovered a sport which would not only change his life, but the lives of others.
Soon Terry was coaching and founded the Drumchapel Table Tennis Club in 1989. Today, the Drum, as it is known locally, has become the best club in Scotland. It has turned out a number of Scotland internationals and steered many youngsters away from a life of crime. Now more than 700 young people play every single month.
Our Business Hero Ryan Dunlop - Ryan's net radio is a hit
AYRSHIRE schoolboy Ryan Dunlop is living proof the Scottish entrepreneurial spirit , once evident in world figures like Andrew Carnegie continues to thriving.
Ryan may have just celebrated his 16th birthday but already he's a force in the world of radio and multi-media.
From a wooden shed in the back of his garden he runs four internet radio stations, promotes live concerts, has his own record label and employs 20 people in his expanding empire.
Ryan's firm Hitz Radio has already attracted five million fans. He was able to turn his vision in to reality aged 13 thanks to a £20,000 loan from his parents, Lynn and John. So far Ryan, who hosts his own afternoon show, has interviewed big names including David Bowie and Oasis.
Ryan said: "I've always admired Richard Branson and I hope I can build a business just like him."
Our Senior Hero Susan Swan - Danger Gran is priceless
SHE'S flung herself off the Wallace Monument, jumped off the Forth Bridge and has spent thousands of hours volunteering not bad for a 75-year-old.
Retired school dinner lady Susan Swan is a hero in many people's eyes. The pensioner from Haggs, near Falkirk, has devoted decades of her life to helping others and, despite her age, continues to take part in daredevil stunts for charity.
Perhaps Susan's most amazing feat was plunging 165ft off the Forth Rail Bridge in a freefall abseil last year. She has also abseiled off the 220ft-high Wallace Monument - and has done every year for the last 10 years - for St Andrew's Ambulance.
She says: "You can't sit and feel sorry for yourself when you have children. When my husband died, I had a lot of very good friends around me, I still do and I just wanted to give something back."
Our Volunteering Hero Sonya Stewart - Nothing can stop Sonya
SHE made medical history as one of the youngest people ever to be treated for cancer.
Sonya Stewart was just 12 weeks old when her tiny body was ravaged by a rare aggressive form of the disease. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, it came back with a vengeance twice during her childhood and left her in a wheelchair.
But aged 18, Sonya, of Balloch, Dunbartonshire, got the the news she was finally cancer free. Reaching that milestone was remarkable, but Sonya soon faced a fresh battle when she was told she needed a kidney transplant, while half way through a course at Caledonian University. Despite this she joined the vounteer team at robin House, the childrens hospice by Loch Lomond.
She said: "It made a big difference to talk to others who are having a hard time. It helped put my problems into perspective."
Sonya will celebrate the first anniversary of the transplant in May, the day after the Daily Record Our Heroes awards ceremony.
Our Sporting Hero Julie Fleeting - Julie's met all her goals
SCOTLAND star Julie Fleeting has scored more goals for her country than any other football legend. The 26-year-old has netted 94 goals in 90 games for the national side, that's more than the combined tally of Scottish stars Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law and Ally McCoist.
Fans compare Arsenal Ladies striker Julie to stars like Thierry Henry but she can never hope to match his millions. When it comes to earning power football remains stubbornly a man's game.
Instead Julie juggles a testing training regime with working full time as a PE teacher at St Michael's Academy in Kilwinning .
Julie was a vital part of the side which won the Gunners their first silverware of 2007 as they clinched the FA Women's Premier League Cup, their ninth League Cup triumph. She also helped Arsenal Ladies rwin the UEFA Women's Cup on April 29, the only UK women's team to have won the competition.
Our Forces Hero and The overall Our Hero 2007 Douglas Smith - Water hero to the Iraqis
A SCOTS TA soldier led a project to provide thousands of Iraqis with water for the first time in more than 25 years. Warrant Officer Douglas Smith from
Rosneath helped to dramatically improve the country's water system, meaning more than 900,000 people across Basra will this year be able to access water by a tap.
Douglas, 46, works for Scottish Water, and used his specialised skills to help the Iraqi people when he was sent to the country with the TA's 506 Specialist Team Royal Engineers.
The polluted system was leading to health problems and deaths among Iraqis. The projects he led will eventually benefit 1.8 million people in Basra. And some will have water reconnected to their homes for the first time in more than 25 years.
"I was called 'The Water Man' in Arabic by the locals," explained Douglas. "When I drove around the streets of Basra everybody knew who I was. They
didn't look at me as a soldier as I always wore my Scottish Water ID badge."
Our Emergency Services Hero Geoff Smith - Geoff gives lessons in life
POLICE officer Geoff Smith would never think himself a hero.
The 37 year-old works in a Glasgow high school to change pupils' attitudes towards everything from knife crime to sectarianism but for him, it is all in a day's work.
And as far as he is concerned the only reward he needs is the knowledge that his words may make just one youngster think twice before shouting abuse, vandalising property or even leaving home carrying a knife.
He said: "I know that a few of the pupils in the school are involved in gangs outside of school. My job is to try and change the way they think and to tackle the reasons why they feel the need to be part of that whole culture."
Geoff is a campus cop for Glasgow's St Mungo's Academy, five primary schools in the surrounding area and three nurseries.
St Mungo's headteacher John Reilly said: "Geoff commands our pupils' respect and admiration."
Our Entertaining Hero Paolo Nutini - An international phenomenon
There's no denying the last 12 months have seen Paisley singer Paolo Nutini become one of Scotland's best loved entertainer. The 20-year-old Scot has enjoyed phenomenal success in Europe and at home and is already making inroads in the lucrative US market with his highly original songs and distinctive voice.
His Top 10 debut single These Streets has topped a million sales across Europe and he counts Rod Stewart, Iggy Pop and Paul Weller among his fans.
And the Americans clearly love Paolo too, sending his first US single release New Shoes to No1 on the Triple A radio chart and the album to No5 on their album downloads chart.
Back home Paolo also found time to perform a record sell-out run of four back-to-back live shows at Glasgow's carling Academy and is one of the main attractions at this summer's T in the Park festival, where he'll perform to up to 80,000 fans.
Our Caring Hero Dr Christine Bradshaw - GP swung into action
BATTLING 80mph winds while dangling from a helicopter over a violent sea would be a challenge for even the most experienced member of a rescue crew.
But GP Christine Bradshaw was on her first offshore call out when she was asked to save the lives of three stricken sailors on an oil tanker which had been hit by a 100ft wave.
To reach the casualties Dr Bradshaw first had to set out in a lifeboat. From there she was winched up by the 'copter and dropped off on the ship's deck, which was wet and pitching wildly.
"There wasn't much time to feel scared or think about the circumstances,2 said Dr Bradshaw.
A Singapore registered tanker, had just left the Pentland Firth, near Orkney, when it was hit by the giant wave. Dr Bradshaw, was the nearest doctor. Her courage resulted in the life of one seaman being saved.
