Susan Mello Souza and Mary Moran Murphy
Susan Mello Souza (left) and Mary Moran Murphy (right) both got pregnant as teenagers. It was 1968, and their families, like so many at that time, wanted to keep their daughters’ situation a secret.
So Mary and Susan were both sent to Saint Mary’s Home for Unwed Mothers in Dorchester, Massachusetts. They lived there until they gave birth, and their children were placed for adoption.
The girls ended up as roommates, and at StoryCorps they remembered when they first met.
Both Mary and Susan have since reunited with their daughters.
Originally aired January 3, 2014, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Rogelio Martinez and Lisa Moya King
At the time Rogelio Martinez enrolled in Lisa Moya King’s high school dance class, his father had been deported and he was moving among family members who were abusing him.
After Lisa saw Rogelio’s bruises, she reported the abuse, but days later, after he told her he was going to run away, she offered to help him by allowing him to stay with her and her husband.
At StoryCorps, Lisa and Rogelio, now 21, discuss how grateful he is that she took care of him when he was in need, and how he taught her about being a teacher and a parent.
Originally aired November 29, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Robin Share and Rami Aizic
Since childhood, Rami Aizic knew he always wanted to be a father and just assumed that one day he would meet a woman, fall in love, and it would all fall into place.
Then he realized he was gay.
Robin Share wanted to be a mother, but she did not have a partner, so when a friend introduced them and they hit it off, they began making plans to have a baby together.
At StoryCorps, Rami and Robin talk about their journey to become parents to their now 14-year-old daughter.
Originally aired November 1, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Starr Cookman and Kylee Moreland Fenton
Starr Cookman (left) and Kylee Moreland Fenton (right) have been best friends since they were children—even trying to become blood sisters. And today, they remain just as close, living on the same street as each other with their families.
Kylee is a nurse and soon after Starr’s son Rowan was born, he began breathing rapidly and spitting up food. This concerned Kylee and she recommended getting him to a doctor immediately. It turned out there was something wrong with his heart and he was rushed into surgery, saving his life.
At StoryCorps, Starr and Kylee discuss the bond between them that has only grown stronger over time.
Originally aired October 18, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Constance Labetti
Connie Labetti was working for Aon Corporation in 2001. Her office was on the 99th floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower—the second to be hit on September 11, 2001.
As the attacks began, she fled the South Tower and made it out alive—with help from her boss, Ron Fazio. The only trace of Ron recovered at Ground Zero was a mangled credit card.
Originally aired September 6, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Happy Dodson and Taz Roman
Happy Dodson (left) and Taz Roman (right) are bikers. They are also members of a nonprofit group with chapters across the U.S. and parts of Europe called Bikers Against Child Abuse, which helps kids who don’t feel safe.
At StoryCorps, they describe how their group’s sometimes-fierce look can bolster the kids, helping them understand “that we’re scarier than the person that’s abusing them,” and showing them that there are adults they can trust.
Originally aired August 16, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Paul Wayman and Nathanael Roberti
Marine Cpl. Paul Wayman (left) and former Navy SEAL Nathanael Roberti (right) met in 2012 after finding themselves in front of a special court for veterans that takes into account the unique struggles service members face.
After their arrests—Paul was pulled over drunk driving with a gun in his possession and Nathanael pulled a knife on four people while in a bar fight—the judge gave each of them a choice: go to prison, or enroll in a program that helps veterans readjust to civilian life. They chose to go through the program, Veterans Village of San Diego.
At StoryCorps, Paul and Roberti discuss their struggles to adjust to civilian life and the support they have provided each other.
Originally aired August 10, 2013, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.
Bryan Lindsay and Rowan Allen
During the summer of 1991, 7-year-old Bryan Lindsay (left) was riding his bike on the street in Brooklyn when he was hit by a van and almost killed. Rowan Allen (right) was the paramedic who arrived on the scene that day.
Immediately after the accident, Rowan and his colleagues would check on Bryan regularly, but as he got better, years went by and they had no contact until one day when Rowan recognized Bryan’s mother, a nurse, while bringing a patient into the hospital.
At StoryCorps, Bryan, 29, and Rowan, 51, remember the accident and the bond that formed out of it.
Originally aired July 26, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Peter Obetz and Jeff Jarrett
In 2004, Peter Obetz (left) was diagnosed with esophageal cancer after a tumor was discovered on his esophagus wall. His doctors told him surgery carried a 10 percent risk of death.
Following the surgery Peter’s marriage changed, his job changed, and where he lives changed—he believes for the better. At StoryCorps, he talks with his best friend, Jeff Jarrett (right), about their friendship and those changes.
Peter has been cancer-free since 2009.
Originally aired May 31, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Sally Edwards and Lue Hutchinson
Kentucky residents Sally Edwards (left) and Lue Hutchinson (right) both had sons serving in the Gulf War. Sally’s son, Jack, was a Marine captain. Lue’s son, Tom Butts, was an Army staff sergeant. The two men, both killed in February of 1991, never knew each other, but today, their mothers are best friends.
Sally learned about Lue’s son while reading the newspaper and wanted to offer support to someone in a similar position as herself, so she wrote to her, “If you need help and you want to talk, I’m here.”
At StoryCorps, they discuss their friendship and share what they have meant to each other’s lives over the years.
Originally aired May 24, 2013, on NPR’s Morning Edition.