Year in Review: Winner for Most 'Heartfelt' Story from 2012

This year on Hartland Patch, we met many interesting people with great stories to tell, but we wanted to hear from the readers of Hartland and what story they thought was the most "heartfelt."

After two weeks of voting, the results are in. The top three stories include:

• Bloomfield Hills police officer, Hartland graduate, husband and father of four, Patrick O'Rourke, was shot and killed in the line of duty during a stand-off last September. The communities affected by his death have rallieda round his widow and children over the past few months, with fundraisers and support for the family.
• In May, the 2012 Hartland High School graduating class remembered one of ther classmates during the ceremony. Friends of Kendal Lividini wore caps with her name and roses were held by each student in honor of the 17-year-old who lost her battle with cancer the year before.

And the winner for the most "heartfelt" story was:

• In June, we were introduced to the Brown family and their young daughter, Erin, who was born with a rare skin disease. Donations of clothings, hats and blankets were organized by the community as well as a fundraiser for the family.