Meet Melanie Self. She has worked as a cashier at the Pell City Walmart for about two and a half years. I first noticed Melanie as I was standing in line waiting to check out. Her smile and cheerful chatting with the customer ahead of me didn’t totally hide the fact that she was in pain. When it was my turn to check out, I asked her if she was ok because I had noticed she seemed to be in pain. She smiled and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that my prosthetic leg sometimes causes pain, especially at the end of the day.” Prosthetic leg? Nothing? This was a lady I needed to know more about. Before I left that day, I made an appointment to hear her story.

In 2008, Melanie had her own business and slipped and fell from a lift gate. That fall resulted in severe breaks to her ankle and foot. Doctors tried to stabilize them with a halo brace, hoping it would heal. However, the wound developed a staph infection and finally a bone infection, which Melanie fought with IV antibiotics for a year and a half. Finally, she was faced with the decision of either losing her leg or losing her life. Reluctantly, she agreed to an amputation that took her leg, just above her knee.

A few years later, Melanie’s 30-year marriage broke up, and she was faced with the prospect of starting over. That’s when she went to work at Walmart, and she had only good things to say about her Walmart “family” and their support. She said, “Walmart gave me a second chance.” At first, she was working a full schedule (36-40 hours per week), but it was too much, and she’s had to cut back to about 25 hours a week. She can’t drive; so her daughter Kat, friends and co-workers help her get back and forth to work.

Melanie’s “process” for getting ready for work is long and tedious. She has to wrap and bandage her leg, using two or three liners and a “sock” before attaching the prosthetic. It’s a two-hour process, and sometimes her leg is so swollen the prosthesis won’t fit. On those days, she isn’t able to work.

When I commented that this entire process must be hard, she laughed and said, “Of course, it’s hard. Life is hard, and it’s not just hard for me. It’s hard for everyone one way or another.” Melanie was the eldest of six children, and she told me, “When there are six kids and not a lot of money, you learn to make do. You learn to work hard. You learn that even when life is hard or frustrating, you face it and do what you have to do.”

Melanie added that her faith has a lot to do with her courage and with her ability to face each day, even the hard ones. She added that she tries to live out 1 Corinthians 13, which is the “love chapter,” by sharing that love and being kind to everyone she meets and everyone who comes through her checkout.

When I asked her for any final words she might want to say to other amputees or to anyone who’s going through a rough time, this was her reply: “When I knew they were going to take my leg, I made up my mind it’s the only thing they were going to take. They weren’t going to take my will to fight, my courage, or my hope. I’m not saying it wasn’t a loss. It was. But I wasn’t willing to let that loss take the rest of my life. You can’t give up. You have to keep fighting. It’s worth it.”

Not all heroes wear a cape. Some of them wear a Walmart uniform and a prosthetic leg and don’t know how to quit. Next time you’re in Walmart, say “hello” to Melanie. You’ll recognize her by her big smile and the warm welcome you receive.

Rita Aiken Moritz is the President and founder of Writers Anonymous. Check out her blog, books or get in touch at www.ritamoritz.com.