Plot
Set in 1994 in Louisville, Kentucky, the story follows Sharon Stevens, a successful hairdresser and co-owner of a salon, who finds new purpose in life after reading about five-year-old Michelle Schmitt, a little girl who has just lost her mother and urgently needs a liver transplant due to biliary atresia. Moved by Michelle's plight, Sharon attends the funeral, introduces herself to the grieving family, and offers her help.
The night before, Sharon had been out drinking and partying. Concerned about her behavior, her friend and co-owner of the salon, Rose, insists that she attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Although Sharon refuses to acknowledge her drinking problem at the meeting, she is profoundly affected when she later sees the news about the Schmitt family.
At the salon, Sharon shares with Rose her newfound sense of purpose: to help the Schmitts and find meaning in her own life. She organizes a 24-hour hair-a-thon to rally the community and raise funds to help Ed, Michelle's widowed father, pay off their mounting medical debts.
Meanwhile, Ed struggles with his financial burdens. When he returns home with only part of the groceries his mother, Barbara, requested, he confides in her about his overwhelming debt. Sharon soon arrives with over $3,000 she raised for them, though it only covers half the cost of Michelle's last transfusion. Barbara invites Sharon to dinner, where she gets to know the family better.
Upon discovering that the hospital bills total a staggering $400,000, Sharon, undeterred, insists that Ed show her his finances. Despite Ed's discomfort with accepting help, Sharon is determined to support the family. She accompanies Ed to a meeting where they secure 50 reroofing jobs from a company rebuilding after a tornado. While Ed works tirelessly, Sharon canvasses the community, seeking donations from local businesses. One day, Ed returns home to find Barbara with a twisted ankle and Sharon bonding with the girls, applying makeup and spending time with them.
Inspired by her connection with the Schmitt girls, Sharon seeks out her estranged, now-adult son, Derek. Although he remains hostile to her attempts at reconciliation, Sharon continues to try to rebuild their relationship.
When Michelle's health takes a turn for the worse, Sharon steps in to help with the girls, and later persuades Ed to take them all roller-skating, marking the occasion as a tribute to Derek's birthday, though it is never explicitly mentioned.
Sharon then meets with the hospital in a bid to eliminate Ed's debt. As Michelle's condition deteriorates, the doctor informs them that she only has four to six weeks left and urgently needs a liver transplant. Now at the top of the donor list, Michelle requires immediate access to a plane to fly her to Omaha. Once again, Sharon uses her persuasive skills to secure the necessary transportation.
Sharon arranges for a TV news crew to visit Ed's home to raise additional funds, but Ed, valuing his privacy, angrily dismisses them. That evening, when Barbara leaves Sharon in charge of the girls, Ed returns to find his daughter in a panic, fearing Sharon is dead. Realizing Sharon is intoxicated, Ed asks her to leave and not return.
As Christmas passes, Sharon finally resolves to quit drinking, begins attending AA meetings earnestly, and leaves Derek a heartfelt goodbye message. Meanwhile, the story about Michelle finally airs on local news. In mid-January, as Louisville is hit by a major snowstorm, a liver becomes available for Michelle, but she must reach Omaha within six hours.
Despite the airport being closed, Sharon persuades them to clear a runway and finds a pilot willing to brave the storm. Ed, meanwhile, plans a route to the airport, navigating around closed roads. When they encounter a fallen tree blocking their path, Ed uses a roadside emergency phone to relinquish the liver. However, a pickup truck arrives just in time to inform them of an alternate plan.
The news broadcast issues a call for a helicopter pilot, and a Vietnam War veteran volunteers. The town comes together to clear a space for the helicopter to land. In a moment of reconciliation, Derek arrives to help and makes amends with Sharon.
The operation, funded by donations, is a success. Michelle Schmitt goes on to graduate from college and marries a year later.
