Patrick Kreifels and Michelle Kreifels

Michelle Kreifels was born with an intellectual disability. She grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska, the fifth of seven children, and her family treated her the same as everyone else.

Her youngest brother, Patrick, brought Michelle to StoryCorps to talk about their relationship and how their differences have brought them together.

Originally aired June 7, 2015, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday.

Kirk Sharp and Ryan Sharp

Sgt. Ryan Sharp (right) served two tours in Iraq with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.

In 2008, when he returned to the States from his last tour, things weren’t the same. He had trouble thinking straight, he felt off and was deeply depressed.

Ryan and his father, Kirk Sharp (left), sat down for a StoryCorps conversation in Lincoln, Nebraska to talk about what happened when Ryan came home.

Originally aired November 8, 2014, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.

Cindy White and Eric Ernsberger

Cindy White talks with her friend Eric Ernsberger (right) about her HIV positive diagnosis, which came shortly after she met her life partner, Dan Driggers. Eventually Dan was also diagnosed HIV positive, telling Cindy not to feel guilty about it, but as Cindy notes, “That’s hard to take when you’re the one who has dealt out the disease.”

Originally aired December 28, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Ron Kroenke and Shannon O’Donnell

Piano tuner Ron Kroenke tells his friend Shannon O’Donnell about a meaningful experience he had while tuning a piano at a nursing home during the Christmas season. When he arrived, the residents gathered around for what they thought would be a concert, but were disappointed to learn that it was only a tuning. As he was finishing up, one resident came up to him and told him, “I’ve been sitting here the whole time and I’ve been watching what you do and I can tell that you’re the kind of person who would never walk away from this piano until everything was just so.”

Originally aired December 14, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Ky-Antre Compton and Stuart Chittenden

Stuart Chittenden is Ky-Antre Compton’s Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor. At first Ky-Antre was not excited to be part of the program thinking it would be boring, but in time their relationship has deepened and he now believes they’re “going to be brothers for a long time.”

Originally aired July 27, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.