The best of
Personal Journeys
2015

Scroll down to find 12 of our favorite stories from our weekly Personal Journeys series, which explores the lives of extraordinary Georgians.
Click the title in each panel to read the story.
Missing Vicki

An adventurous teen, her devoted sister and a trip of a lifetime gone wrong. Photo: Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com

Maximus the Great

Meeting her child’s special needs isn’t enough for Keri Janton. She wants to give her son a life of joy. Photo: Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

The neighbors

Broke and lonely, Vicki Van Der Hoek had nothing to look forward to until she met 6-year-old Leon Shields. Photo: Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

Strong
survivor

Felicia Villegas triumphed over evil and emerged a fighter. Photo: Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com

Lost and found

For AJC sports columnist Jeff Schultz, saving his son meant letting him go. Photo: Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com

Lost
brother

AJC videographer Ryon Horne sets out to find the sibling he never knew. Photo: Tyson Horne

Rookie coach

Assisting with his sons’ baseball team stirs memories of games past. Photo: Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com

The liberator's
widow

Battle of Metz anniversary prompts an emotional expedition for the wife of World War II replacement soldier. Photo: Ryon Horne

On call

A newly minted hospital chaplain’s first call of duty stirs up a mixture of memories, fears and doubts. Photo: Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

Adrenaline
junkie

Kevin Enners doesn’t let cerebral palsy get in the way of his big dreams. Photo: Ben Gray, bgray@ajc.com

All that I
keep safe

The Lone Bellow's Zach Williams channeled the pain from his wife’s accident into music. And his star is on the rise. Photo: Branden Camp

A reason and
a season

At an age when most people are starting to think about retirement, the Majettes became parents to 3 little boys. Photo: Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com

Read more of our Personal Journeys at myAJC.com/personaljourneys