After jumping out of the airplane, strapped together in tandem, a skydiving instructor and his student feared the worst when their parachutes failed to open properly. Plummeting at 40 mph and 500 feet from the ground, Dave Hartsock showed himself to be a courageous hero when he used the control toggles to rotate their position and place his body under hers to take the brunt of the fall.

Hartsock didn't die, but his valor cost him dearly. He's now paralyzed with just a little movement in his right arm.

WATCH the video, and read the story at CBS's Assignment America.

Now, a fund has been set up by some friends of Katie Couric to pay the medical bills that have all but bankrupt Dave and his mother since the accident. He is currently going without the care he needs to stay healthy and improve. Click to make a Donation to Dave Hartsock