He Survived a Bear Attack, But Felt He’d Lost His Life
Dan Bigley’s life was transformed in 2003 when he was mauled by a grizzly bear while fishing on Alaska’s Kenai River.
He was lucky to survive, but he didn’t feel that way. He emerged from a 12-day coma to find he was blind. He could no longer pursue the outdoor activities that he’d loved, and feared he would never have satisfying work, love, or children.
It took time to find his way to happiness. At StoryCorps, Dan told his teenage daughter, Acacia, how he made it through.
Dan Bigley with his wife, Amber Bigley, and their children Acacia and Alden, in Cordova, Alaska in 2011.
Courtesy of Martha McCord.
Top Photo: Dan Bigley and daughter, Acacia, in Cordova, Alaska, in 2011. Courtesy of Martha McCord.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired April 25, 2025 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Bill Sayenga and Ellen Riek
Bill Sayenga’s father died when he was just four years old, leaving behind his mother, Marie, and his older sister Louise.
In order to support her family, Marie (pictured in 1964 in the player above) found a job with the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, recorder of deeds office as a secretary, but her pay — about a dollar an hour and just over $2,000 a year — was miserable. Although it allowed her to provide a home for her family, the money was only enough for them to just get by.
For 11 years Marie worked at the recorder of deeds’ office, and according to Louise, she hated it. But for all that the job lacked, it did provide Marie with insights into the inner workings of her local government. She recognized the need for change and in 1949, Marie ran for tax collector in the borough of Bethel.
Being both a woman and a Democrat made her a long shot. For over 50 years, men had been elected tax collector, and for the previous 24, Merle Long held the office. Marie lost that first race, but in 1953 she made a second run and unseated Long by just nine votes.
Marie would hold onto the job for the next 24 years, winning five subsequent elections. In 1973, in her final race, she received more votes than anyone else on the ballot running for any office in the borough.
Marie died in February 1993 at the age of 83.
Bill came to StoryCorps with Marie’s granddaughter, Ellen Riek (pictured above), to remember their family’s influential and powerful matriarch.
Originally aired May 20, 2016 and October 18, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Photos of Marie Sayenga and the borough of Bethel tax office courtesy of Louise Randolph.
Little Bit of Me—A Father And Son Look Back On A Life Filled With Music
Seventy-year-old Jim Von Stein was a Navy kid, and grew up all over the country before his family landed in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He became a draftsman by trade before retiring as an HVAC service technician, where he would crawl under houses installing heating and air conditioning units—hard work that often involved handling hazardous materials.
But if you were looking around his trailer in rural Tennessee, you’d see mountains of songbooks and homemade recordings, and scraps of paper and napkins scribbled with lyrics. These are songs he’s been writing since he was nine years old, that almost nobody has ever heard.
Jason and Jim Von Stein in Birmingham, Alabama, in August of 2018. Courtesy of the Von Stein family.
Jim came to StoryCorps with his son, Jason, to look back on a life of music and the ultimate gesture of love.
Jim and Jason Von Stein on September 18th, 1982, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Courtesy of the Von Stein family.
Top Photo: Jim and Jason Von Stein at their StoryCorps interview in Chattanooga, TN on April 1st, 2019. By Eleanor Vassili for StoryCorps
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired March 10th, 2023 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Transcending Blindness, a Marathon Runner Thanks His Daughter for Her Support
Jason Romero suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that causes progressive blindness. In 2015, he was forced to stop driving and quit his job, which plunged him into a deep depression. But Jason was most concerned about how it would impact his family. “The most important thing to me is to be a good dad to you and your brother and your sister, and I just didn’t know how I was going to be able to do it if I couldn’t see,” he said.
Jason Romero and his youngest daughter, Sofia Romero, in San Diego, California in August 2022. Courtesy Jason Romero.
Jason turned to running as a way to prove that he could push his body past what people thought possible. After becoming an ultramarathon runner, he had the seemingly crazy idea of being the first blind person to run across the United States. So he hit the road.
Jason Romero in his 2016 run across the United States. Courtesy Jason Romero.
In 2016, he set off on a 3,063 mile, 59 day run from Los Angeles to New York City. But while he was away, he thought about his family – especially his youngest daughter, Sofia.
Top Photo: Sofia Romero and Jason Romero in Denver, Colorado on January 4, 2023. By Esther Honig for StoryCorps.
Originally aired January 6, 2023, on NPR’s Morning Edition. This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
With your support, StoryCorps is able to record more stories that help lift up underrepresented voices, bridge political and social divides, and preserve personal histories for the future.
10 Years After Sandy Hook: Remembering Jesse Lewis
On the morning of December 14, 2012, a gunman killed twenty six people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty of them were between the ages of 6 and 7.
Six-year-old Jesse Lewis was among those killed.
Jesse Lewis posing for his mom, Scarlett Lewis, on the morning of December 14, 2012. He stands in front of Scarlett’s car, on which he’d written, ‘I love you’ and drawn hearts in the frost. Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis.
His mother Scarlett Lewis has spent the subsequent ten years founding and leading the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, dedicated to creating safer and more loving communities.
She and her mother Maureen came to StoryCorps to share their memories of Jesse and the importance of gratitude.
Maureen Lewis (left) and Scarlett Lewis at their StoryCorps interview in Sandy Hook, Connecticut on November 27, 2022. By Halle Hewitt for StoryCorps.
Top Photo: Jesse Lewis posing for his first grade school photo at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Fall, 2012. Photo courtesy of Scarlett Lewis.
Your support makes it possible for StoryCorps, an independently funded nonprofit, to collect, archive, and share the stories of people from all backgrounds because everyone’s stories deserve to be heard.
“It’s hard all the time.”: A Decade of Agony Since Sandy Hook Shooting
On December 14, 2012, a shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 20 children and six educators. Avielle was one of the children murdered that day. She was six years old at the time.
Jeremy and Jennifer sat down for StoryCorps in 2017 to remember Avielle.
After Avielle’s death, Jeremy and Jennifer had two more children, Imogen and Owen. They also started The Avielle Foundation, a neuroscience non-profit that conducts brain research in order to understand the underpinnings of violence and how to build compassion.
Bottom photo: Jeremy and Jennifer with their daughter, Avielle, at her kindergarten graduation in 2012. Courtesy of Jeremy Richman.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-8255.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired on December 09, 2022 on NPR’s Morning Edition
Your support makes it possible for StoryCorps, an independently funded nonprofit, to collect, archive, and share the stories of people from all backgrounds because everyone’s stories deserve to be heard.
“You are going your own way”: A Father and Daughter Reflect On Leaving the Nest
When Sylvia Grosvold was 16 years old she came to StoryCorps with her father, Josh Weiner. They remembered her mother, Kari Grosvold, who had died by suicide when Sylvia was five years old.
Josh Weiner, Kari Grosvold and Sylvia Grosvold, age 4, in 2008. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Over the years, Josh and Sylvia have relied on each other more than your average father/daughter duo. Two years after their first conversation, Sylvia and Josh returned to StoryCorps ahead of Sylvia’s move from the family’s home in Portland, Oregon to begin her freshman year at Ithaca College. As Sylvia prepared for her big move, Josh reflects on living alone for the first time in his life.
They talked about the closeness they share, their hopes and fears for the future, and Josh’s sudden journey to single parenthood.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-8255.
The 2019 interview was recorded through The Dougy Center for grieving children. It is part of Road to Resilience, a project with StoryCorps in partnership with the New York Life Foundation which leverages the power of stories and storytelling to help children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one.
Top Photo: Sylvia Grosvold and Josh Weiner at their StoryCorps interview in Portland Oregon on July 9, 2021. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Originally aired August 27, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Military Mother Remembers Her Son Who Died By Suicide
Army Specialist Robert Joseph Allen grew up in a military family, and followed the family tradition when he enlisted during his early 20s. He served for three years, including a deployment to Iraq with the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
After returning stateside, he lived with his wife and their two sons while stationed in Washington. Two years later — on August 2, 2012 — he died by suicide. That year saw the highest rate of active-duty military suicides ever recorded — more soldiers died from suicide than combat.
His mother, Cathy Sprigg, sat down with StoryCorps in Tampa, Florida to remember him.
Top photo: Cathy Sprigg with her son, Army Specialist Robert Joseph Allen, at Tampa International Airport in 2010. Allen was headed back to Iraq after being on leave for the birth of his son. Courtesy of Cathy Sprigg.
Bottom photo: Cathy Sprigg and her son, Army Specialist Robert Joseph Allen, dancing at his wedding in 2009. Courtesy of Cathy Sprigg.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or just needs someone to talk to, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Originally aired May 26, 2018, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday. It was rebroadcast on May 28, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“This is Ours Too”: A Father Instills a Sense of Belonging in His Daughter
When Erin Haggerty was just a teen, her father George Barlow moved the family from Union City, California to the stark, white landscapes of Iowa. At the time, Erin was excited by the prospect of moving to a new place. But she soon realized that, as one of the only Black teens in her community, life would not always be so picturesque.
Photo: (L) George embracing (R) Erin at her high school graduation in 1991. Courtesy of Erin Haggerty.
Erin spent years trying to find her sense of belonging in this new town. But overtime, she began to withdraw into herself. Her father George had always assumed Erin was just a shy teen; someone who kept to herself, was well behaved, and had no interest in high school parties.
But in August of 2020, Erin opened up to George for the first time about what it was like being a young Black woman in Iowa, and how it was his words and kindness that saw her through those difficult times.
Top Photo: (L) Erin Haggerty and her father (R) George Barlow in 2010. Courtesy of Erin Haggerty.
Bottom Photo: Three year old (L) Erin with her father (R) George in 1975. Courtesy of Erin Haggerty.
Originally aired September 18, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“Sometimes It Doesn’t Feel So Good And You Just Keep Stepping”: A Father Teaches His Daughter To Be Bold And Embrace The Unexpected
Kevin Craw has always encouraged his children to embrace the unexpected.
Especially his daughter, Kate, who grew up with a love for singing. As a teenager, she starred in several high school musicals.
But she was also interested in singing the blues. One night, Kate’s father took her to see his friend’s band play at a local bar.
At StoryCorps, they sat down to remember what happened next.
Top Photo: Kate Quarfordt and Kevin Craw at their StoryCorps interview in New York, NY on January 10, 2020. By Nicolas Cadena for StoryCorps.
Middle Photo: Kate Quarfordt in her high school production of Brigadoon in Wilton, CT in 1992. Courtesy of Kate Quarfordt.
Originally aired February 7, 2020 on NPR’s Morning Edition.