This story represents the absolute ultimate in courage and conviction - and symbolizes the devotion of parents and grandparents to their offspring. They will protect them to the very end, even if it means deliberately and knowingly putting themselves in harm's way. They will protect them even if they know it could easily kill them.
When Japan's Fukushima nuclear power station suffered a meltdown in 2011, it was an environmental catastrophe. The entire area for many miles around was contaminated with lethal levels of radiation, and even getting close enough to start repair work was a potential death sentence for rescue workers and engineers. Recognizing the danger, and in an act of astonishing self-sacrifice, a band of 200 retired Japanese pensioners - many of whom were retired engineers or had similar skills that would be useful in this crisis - volunteered to head into the danger zone in place of younger men and women.