Amid the constant flow of images of death and despair surrounding Hurricane Katrina, finally comes a heartfelt story that renews the spirit.

There have been, of course, spot stories here and there of bravery, of neighbor helping neighbor.

But the story in yesterday's Advertiser on Honolulu paramedics Melinda Shiraki, Rochel Ortiz, Doreen Kitagawa and Jill Takayama, who found themselves stranded in New Orleans during the hurricane, provided just the right respite, just the right inspiration to remember that kindness can help make people whole again.

These women, stranded thousands of miles from home, explained how Gulf Coast folks shared what little they had with them after Katrina hit: one man giving over his last candle when the lights went out; a police chief who lost his home who nonetheless helped them make their way to the Texas-Louisiana border; and families who opened their Texas homes, when our paramedics had none.

Indeed, the women also showed what they were made of, helping in whatever ways they could: from shredding their own clothing to use as bandages to help the injured, to carrying a man with a broken leg so that he would not get left behind, to pulling together with a group of strangers so that they could collectively find safety.

In the little more than a week since Katrina, there's been so much lost, and more than enough blame and pain to go around.

Now, thanks in part to these four local paramedics who shared their stories, we also have a renewed sense of faith and spirit, at a time when we all really needed that boost.