PennLive Investigative Reporter Joshua Vaughn stood with some giants when he was honored with the “Human Rights Champion” award Wednesday night at the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s “ Love Above Bars” event in Philadelphia.

He shared the night’s honors with three others, including John Topper, a man incarcerated inside SCI Mahanoy prison in Schuylkill County, Pa., who can’t walk or talk, but still manages to be an advocate for those around him.

It was hard not to be moved as Jessica Reed, prison monitoring manager for Central Pennsylvania, told of Topper being diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. He is now in a wheelchair. The Pennsylvania Prison Society and dedicated people like Reed are lifelines for prisoners with disabilities who struggle to get adequate medical care or the devices

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