St. Jude Staffers Get Surprise 'GMA' Herogram Salute From Michael Strahan

— -- Three staffers from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who thought they were just members of the "GMA" studio audience, got a surprise salute from Michael Strahan.

Dr. Greg Armstrong, who works in cancer control, teacher Kaci Richardson and music therapist Amy Love were called out from the audience and shown video messages from three young patients from St. Jude whose lives they had touched.

The patients –- Elise, Nick and Marley -– explained that they loved St. Jude because the institution cared for them, and they had special appreciation for Love, Armstrong and Richardson.

“My St. Jude hero is Dr. Armstrong ... he’s really nice and he’s funny and he’s just really kind,” Elise said.

Marley said her St. Jude hero was Richardson, because “she has fun activities for me, she makes my schoolwork fun, and she makes it easy to do schoolwork ... even when I’m feeling bad.”

Nick's favorite St. Jude hero was Love.

“She’s fun and helps me learn music ... she teaches me a lot of new things and she taught me the Darth Vader theme song on the guitar,” he added.

After seeing the footage of the children, Dr. Armstrong said it's a "special privilege" taking care of them at St. Jude.

"You walk into a room and when you talk with a family and tell them that their child has cancer, the whole world stops," Armstrong said. "But to be able to walk through that world with them, to look at them and say, 'We're not going anywhere. We're going to walk through this with you'--it's great."

The St. Jude team was awarded "GMA's" inaugural Herograms, awards honoring everyday heroes.