Maggie Doyne, a New Jersey woman who used her babysitting savings to change the lives of hundreds of Nepalese women and children, was named CNN's 2015 Hero of the Year on Tuesday at a star-studded awards ceremony in New York, according to CNN.
Maggie Doyne, a New Jersey woman who used her babysitting savings to change the lives of hundreds of Nepalese women and children, was named CNN's 2015 Hero of the Year on Tuesday at a star-studded awards ceremony in New York, according to CNN.
"If you had told me when I turned 18 that I was going to be the mom of 50 kids, I would have told you that you were totally crazy. And I am. And to my kids, I love you so much. Don't ever forget how much I love you," Doyne said Tuesday. "And to the country of Nepal, thank you so much for loving me and accepting me as a daughter welcoming me into your country."
Doyne was chosen from this year's Top 10 Heroes in an online vote by CNN's audience. She'll receive $100,000 for BlinkNow in addition to $10,000 that each Hero received for being named to the Top 10, CNN reports.
Doyne first came to Nepal in 2006 while travelling with the organization Leapnow.org. But after witnessing the state of suffering that women and children face in Nepal, she spend her savings to start a school, a women's center and the Kopila Valley Children's Home in Surkhet district.
Doyne, through her nonprofit BlinkNow Foundation, provides education in addition to a supportive and encouraging community to orphaned, impoverished, and at-risk children.
Singer and actress Victoria Justice presented Doyne with her honor.
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