Ordinary Angels is on Netflix and the film by Jon Gunn chronicles the efforts of hairdresser Sharon Stevens (played by Hilary Swank) to save the life of a five-year-old girl in need of a liver transplant. Michelle Schmitt, from Louisville, Kentucky, had just hours to make it to Omaha for a much-needed operation.

However, following a record-breaking snowstorm in January 1994, her family thought it would be impossible to get her there for the vital surgery. By some miracle, with the ongoing help of Sharon and the rest of the community, Michelle was flown by helicopter to a local airport, where she continued her journey by private jet to Omaha for the transplant.

Sharon had heard about the family’s plight after reading a newspaper article and discovering Michelle’s own mother had just died, leaving the family with no support. Like in the Netflix film, she raised enough money to cover Michelle’s medication, travel expenses to the hospital and other medical expenses.

“A lot of people say they’re going to do something and don’t do anything, and I’m not one of those kinds of people. If I say I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it,” Sharon told WDRB. She continued to raise awareness through radio broadcasts, securing hundreds of volunteers to help clear a path for the helicopter during the storm.

Here is everything you need to know about the real Sharon Stevens, from where she is now to how much her story was changed for the purposes of the film.

According to The Cinemaholic, Sharon is no longer a hairdresser and is leading a retired life in Louisville with her two sons. That being said, she has not stopped helping children in need.

She recently shared a story about Michael Antony, who was born with ticks, seizures, and brain bleeds, in the hope of raising awareness. She also continues to attend church events and describes herself as a “Protestant Christian soldier who loves all people but dislikes bad behavior”.

In recent times, she has experienced her own health battles and had to undergo surgery to remove a stent following her battle with kidney stones. The author of the Ordinary Angels book was also involved in a car accident around 2010 and suffered a severe head injury that continues to affect her to this day.

Her son Derek, who had been caring for Sharon since her head injury, encouraged her to write about her experiences helping Michelle. She attended the premiere of the film adaptation along with Michelle’s dad, Ed, and they remain friends to this day.

There were a few aspects of Sharon’s real life that were changed for the film, including the fact that she was an alcoholic in the adaptation. Sharon was not an alcoholic in real life, but gave the filmmakers her blessing when they told her they had fictionalized the character by turning her into an alcoholic.

In the film, Sharon was estranged from her son Derek and they had a strained relationship; however, this was not the case in real life. Sharon has always had a close bond with her son, with her book saying Derek was a “great source of love and strength for Sharon, and always has been”.

Also in the film adaptation, Sharon has a friend called Rose (Tamala Jones), who is the co-owner of their salon and she is keen to keep Sharon on the straight and narrow during her battle with alcohol. It appears Rose is a fictional character and she is not mentioned in Sharon’s book.

According to the Courier Journal, Sharon really did raise tens of thousands of pounds for the Schmitt family, as she said on Facebook: “I spent almost three years prior to her transplant raising money for medication, hospital runs to Omaha, and housing for the family. Her needs consumed my heart and she was a blessing to me.”

Ordinary Angels is on Netflix

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