What goes around comes around, and in the case of Stephen Searle, that includes generosity.

More than 10 years ago, Searle and his younger sister, Stacy, were in a car accident. Stephen recovered from a concussion, but Stacy suffered brain trauma that doctors initially thought would take her life. The accident left her with a permanent limp, vocal chord damage and some short-term memory loss.

Since that time, Stephen has been by his sister's side, guiding her recovery and helping her to lead a normal life, without ever being asked.

On Monday morning, unbeknownst to him and in front of a national television audience in a New York City studio, Stephen was presented with four tickets to Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston by former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Phil Simms on The CBS Early Show.

"I don't even know if words can describe it," Stephen said Monday afternoon while touring Ground Zero. "The Super Bowl is something you don't even think about. It was a surprise."

Janet Searle, of South Pymatuning Township, wanted her son to be recognized for his unprompted and abundant unselfishness over the past decade. Mrs. Searle sent a letter to The Early Show for its "Week of Wishes" segment describing Stephen's effect on Stacy's life.

"There are many great men in this world," Mrs. Searle wrote. "Stephen is definitely one of them."

Stephen's contributions to his sister's life include helping to arrange a senior prom date and encouraging and watching her through every slip and fall in the backyard when she relearned how to run. But perhaps most importantly, when Stacy was ready to decide on a college, Stephen insisted she join him at Geneva College in Beaver Falls.

"Our family was always brought up to help each other out," said Stephen, now a senior. "When something tragic like this happened, it's like, this happened for a reason. We all work together. If the situation was reversed, I know she'd do the same for me."

In addition to the help Stacy has received from her brother during her freshman year, she also gets added support from Stephen's fiancé, her roommate at Geneva.

Mrs. Searle said Stacy has to study more often and more intensely than other students because of the lingering effects from the accident.

"She is extremely dedicated to getting as much out of life as she can and being a survivor and not a statistic," Mrs. Searle said. "She's a tough kid, but she gets a lot of encouragement from her big brother."

A little more than three weeks ago, Mrs. Searle learned the story of her children would be national news and Stephen would be granted a lifelong wish to attend a Super Bowl. A television crew did some preliminary interviews at their home, but even during that time, Stephen thought it was his family's story, and not his actions, that were being highlighted.

The Searle family flew to New York City on Sunday and after Monday morning's show, they spent the day visiting such sights at St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Empire State Building.

They were due to arrive home last night, but as brief as their tour of the Big Apple was, a trip of a lifetime to Houston awaits them on Feb. 1.

Stephen, a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, knows the odds of seeing his favorite team in his dream game aren't very good this season, but he did predict a suitable alternate pairing.

"Tennessee and Green Bay," he said. "But if the Steelers win out and have a chance to make the playoffs, that's all you can ask."

You can e-mail Herald reporter Cary Snyder at snyderc@sharonherald.com