The Appalachian Mountains have a stark and sublime natural beauty. The deep gorges, jagged cliffs, pine forests have adorned the Appalachian range in splendid glory. But the reality here is not so beautiful, especially in Central Appalachia. This is because; the residents of this terrain are witnesses to poverty, crime and illiteracy, premature death and drug abuse. They are all haunting truths in the area. Drug abuse is almost an epidemic among the people here; cancer, toothlessness, chronic depression have made Appalachians the shortest living ethnic groups in America.
The core areas of the Appalachian ranges are not easily accessible, and remain almost cut off from America’s civil society. However, the situation is changing in the Appalachian Mountains. The change has been slow and subdued, but the results now are too bright to ignore. The ABC news channel has spent two years documenting the lives of the youngsters here who became successful individuals conquering all impediments. The campaign run by and the program aired on ABC are titled A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains. The television channel has also urged individuals to contribute for these children, amongst whom there are fighters like Shawn Grim, 18, who sleeps in a truck. He is a high school football star in the region, or Jeremy, 18, who works in the mines and hopes for a better life.

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