Macomb, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/29/2013 -- 16 year old Michigan teen journalist Charlie Kadado met his hero, ABC anchor Bob Woodruff on April 26 at the Variety Michigan Celebrity Hall of Fame event in Royal Oak. For the past seven years, Charlie followed the story of Woodruff's miraculous recovery after he was tragically injured by a roadside bomb while reporting on the war in Taji, Iraq. He sustained serious wounds to his brain, which left him in the hospital for weeks.

In 2012, inspired by Woodruff, Charlie published "Sacrifice: Reporting in Kabul," a novel based on the true life story of the ABC News anchorman. Charlie has spoke to Woodruff several times over the phone this past year, but meeting him was a different story.

WXYZ-TV arranged for the meeting to take place. They also aired two segments, which are now available at this link: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local-aspiring-journalist-gets-to-meet-idol-bob-woodruff.

"Meeting Bob Woodruff is a dream come true," Charlie said. "He's the reason journalism is my passion."

Kadado and Woodruff exchanged and signed books, shot several TV interviews, and conversed over gourmet dinner. Woodruff was in town to be inducted into the Michigan Celebrity Hall of Fame. He and Charlie agreed that this meeting is the first with much more yet to come.

"It is such an honor to have him doing what he's done. I think he's got such a great future in journalism," Woodruff said about Charlie. "My advice to Charlie is to follow your dream and your passion and I know he will. He knows more about journalism that anyone I know."

To purchase a copy of Charlie's book, please visit charliekadado.com.

For press inquiries/interviews, please contact his agent, Loretta Bradfield at media@charliekadado.com.