René Foreman and her daughter Michelle

In 1999, René Foreman was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She underwent surgery that saved her life but also took her voice.

Today, René speaks using an electrolarynx–a small device that produces an electronic voice when she holds it against her throat.

René sat down for an interview with her daughter Michelle.

Scott Wall and Isabel Sobozinsky-Wall

Scott Wall and his wife, Isabel Sobozinsky-Wall, got their love story down on tape — 20 years before they came to StoryCorps.

It started on New Year’s Eve 1991. Isabel was living in San Francisco but decided to celebrate with some friends in New York City. That’s where she met Scott.

Scott and Isabel hit it off and started dating despite living on different coasts. They eased the distance with a novel type of love letter — the couple would record their everyday lives on cassette tapes and mail the recordings back and forth.

Within a year, Scott moved to California to live with Isabel. At StoryCorps, they sat down to remember how it all began.

Chris Whitney and Erin Kuka

Chris Whitney tells his friend Erin Kuka about being diagnosed HIV positive early on in the AIDS crisis.

John Klein and Bernice Flournoy

John Klein remembers meeting the love of his life, Mary Ann Allen, with her daughter Bernice Flournoy.

Jennifer and Grant Coursey

As a toddler, Grant Coursey was diagnosed with neuroblastoma — a cancer often found in young children.

A tumor was wrapped around his spinal cord and pushing against his lungs.

It took three surgeries — including one that lasted 10 hours — but in March of 2002 doctors declared Grant cancer-free.

At StoryCorps, Grant interviewed his mother, Jennifer, about that time.

Stefan Lynch Strassfeld and his friend Beth Teper

Stefan Lynch Strassfeld was raised by gay parents in the early eighties. Now 38, he came to StoryCorps to talk with his friend Beth Teper about growing up as AIDS began to spread.

Originally aired December 3, 2010 on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Judge John Kane and daughter Sally Kane

Judge John Kane talks with his daughter Sally about how his interest in law began.

Robert Patterson and Karen Patterson

Bob Patterson worked as an aerospace engineer for over 30 years. In 2008, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. His wife, Karen, has been by his side all along. In this conversation, Bob tells her how living with the disease has affected him.

Originally aired August 27, 2010, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Carlos Mosqueda and his daughter Cindy

Carlos Mosqueda tells his daughter, Cindy, about how his father healed people in their East Los Angeles home.

Carol Jacques

Carol Jacques remembers growing up in Chavez Ravine, a Mexican-American neighborhood in Los Angeles that was replaced by Dodger Stadium.