As World War II ended, who could have anticipated that two young girls from totally different worlds, living oceans apart, could become friends as the result of a tiny bag filled with soap and toothpaste? Perhaps this unlikely event "just happened," or perhaps it was meant to be. Dr. Stella Zacharioudakis Van Praagh became a world renowned pediatric cardiologist. Her story is one of determination, perseverance, and a lifetime commitment of service to others through medicine and medical research. In her early letters written between 1946 and 1955, a glimpse of Stella's future odyssey of achievement is clearly evident, revealing the personality of one who was the epitome of intelligent compassion.