A Chosen Family

FromKind World

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A Chosen Family

FromKind World

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Length:

10 minutes

Released:

Jul 2, 2020

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Six years after their story, "A Second Mother To Me," originally aired on Kind World, we catch up with Michael Tambone and Frances Schmitz to talk about the importance and power of a "chosen family."

Released:

Jul 2, 2020

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (97)

Kind World is a show about how a single act of kindness can change someone's life. In each episode, hosts and reporters Yasmin Amer and Andrea Asuaje search the world for good news stories that will restore your faith in humanity. A production of WBUR.

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Secret Sisters: They didn't all know each other, but they knew their friend needed help. by Kind World
8 min listen
Sister Sue, The Nun At The County Jail: Sister Sue Kintzele's phone number is written on the wall near the pay phone at the county jail. When prisoners can't make bail, they tell their family to call Sister Sue. by Kind World
4 min listen
A Stranger Asks, 'Why Not Me?': Dr. Ferenc Jolesz's kidneys were failing fast. The estimated wait time for a cadaver transplant was five to 10 years. He didn't have that kind of time. But an article in the local paper led a stranger to ask, "Why not me?" by Kind World
6 min listen
When The Parachute Failed: A skydiving instructor in Texas, David Hartsock, was making his last jump for the day. His student was Shirley Dygert, a 54-year-old wife and grandmother who was jumping for the first time. When everything went wrong, Hartsock determined that there was no way they could both survive the fall, and there was only one way for either of them to survive. by Kind World
8 min listen
Kind World #13: 'Take Me Back To Venice': As Parkinson’s disease worsened for Bernard Michaels, his family took him on a final trip to Europe. Early in the trip, a slip in Venice, Italy landed him in the hospital. His daughter, Sonia, set out with a collapsible wheelchair to meet him, but seventeen staired footbridges, slick with rain, stood between them. Fortunately, others took notice. by Kind World
6 min listen
A Town Rallies For Hikers In Need: Nearing the end of her months-long hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, Brittany Goodson began to panic. Days of unrelenting rain had soaked her gear, and hypothermia threatened. Brittany and dozens of other hikers were forced off the trail, and eventually found their way to the only nearby town - the tiny community of Trout Lake, Washington. by Kind World
6 min listen
Dying Words: Alice's dad was losing his words, and then he had just two phrases left. by Kind World
6 min listen
The Boy With Long Lashes: People ask Mohamed if he's crazy. He says he wouldn't live any other way. by Kind World
5 min listen
Strangers At The Airport: Emily Proctor was traveling to Florida to visit a friend in need. When a thunderstorm caused her to miss a connecting flight, it looked like she'd be spending the night in the airport. That's when a stranger wrapped an arm around her, saying everything would be okay. by Kind World
4 min listen
#17: The Goodness Deep Within: Max Evans lived on the streets of Boston near the New England Aquarium, making his bed between two jersey barriers each night. He was known for being gruff, feisty, and unkempt, but these traits belied an inner graciousness and sincerity that touched many of those around him. by Kind World
4 min listen
Finding James: James Carlsen's guitar never left his side until he sold it to feed his heroin addiction. by Kind World
8 min listen
A House, Now A Home: Everything seemed to be going wrong in Maureen Festa's life. Her marriage was ending, her mother was dying, and she faced having to leave the neighborhood she loved. She'd learned of a potential new apartment just down the street, but, on the day she'd planned to see it, she lost her job. To her surprise, the apartment's landlord gave her reason to hope. by Kind World
4 min listen
The Portrait: Michael Reagan turned his life upside down to draw portraits of service people who died in Iraq or Afghanistan. Four thousand portraits later, he finally understood why. by Kind World
7 min listen
Remembering Karim: Karim Alagha worked for 25 years at a gas station in Cambridge. He was immensely loving and deeply empathetic; he asked people how they felt and truly listened to their answers. Over time, a community formed around Karim and the station. An invisible community that was not even aware of itself until Karim fell sick. by Kind World
6 min listen
A Small Act Of Grace: When Maureen O'Rourke's father was dying from Alzheimer's, she vowed to stay with him until the end. Death seemed imminent, but days turned into weeks, and Maureen contemplated leaving her father's side. That's when a small gesture from a nurse gave her the strength to stay one more night. by Kind World
4 min listen
So Much More: The story begins with an open wound. by Kind World
7 min listen
BONUS: A Conversation With Drummers Jonathan Mande And Jorge Perez-Albela: In "The Rhythm Within," we spoke to Jonathan Mande and Jorge Perez-Albela about how they developed a close bond through drumming. Here are some additional highlights from our conversation with them at the WBUR studios. by Kind World
13 min listen
Not Just Some History: Joel Obermayer has recently come to see his father in a new light -- and learned that one of his father's projects helped grow a web of people around the world. by Kind World
7 min listen
Soar: Years after a car accident partially paralyzed her, Lauren Watson saw an aerial acrobatics demonstration in a local mall and decided she needed to learn it herself. by Kind World
6 min listen
Pick Up The Soap: After a breakup left Laura in rough shape, Ruthy and Bill stepped up to pick her up. by Kind World
7 min listen
Off The List: Sasha Chanoff was in his mid-20s when he faced an urgent decision unlike any he'd encountered before - and more than 100 lives depended on it. by Kind World
8 min listen
The Marching Band: Drew Bell knew he wanted to be in his high school's marching band even though he couldn't walk. A friend's act of kindness, and sacrifice, helped him do just that. by Kind World
6 min listen
That Way Madness Lies: When she took her seat for a performance of King Lear one Saturday night, Barb Cone had no idea what enormous significance it would have for her 48 hours later. by Kind World
8 min listen
The Bridge: Julie's grandfather was an SS officer, Rachael's grandmother a Holocaust survivor. The night of his sudden death, Rachael's husband brought the two together in a unique friendship. by Kind World
8 min listen
Kids Fuel Scientific Breakthrough: Six years ago, Dylan Siegel thought of a way to help his friend living with a rare liver disease. Now, his idea is funding life-changing scientific research. by Kind World
13 min listen
The Betrayal: “The ocean was one of the most important relationships in my life," Shannon Leone Fowler says. "Sometimes, the most important." by Kind World
10 min listen
An Ordinary, Beautiful Life: Shelagh Gordon was another name in the obituaries, an ordinary woman who had died suddenly of a massive brain aneurysm at the age of 55. But something in her obituary stood out to a journalist at the Toronto Star. For weeks, Catherine Porter had been combing the paper, looking to profile an ordinary person through the perspectives of the family and friends he or she had left behind. What emerged was an extraordinary portrait. by Kind World
7 min listen
A Different Window: Bostonians aren’t always known for their friendly, helpful nature, but Blair Wong has discovered a very different side to the city’s inhabitants. by Kind World
7 min listen
The Little Giant: When Curtis Bishop was homeless, most people looked right past him. One stranger reached out in the middle of a food court and helped change his life. by Kind World
6 min listen
While I'm Here: Bob doesn’t want a day to go by when he doesn’t help someone. by Kind World
6 min listen

More Episodes from Kind World

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Kind World presents: "Beyond All Repair," a new podcast about an unsolved murder and a woman who wasn’t believed: A box shows up on reporter Amory Sivertson’s doorstep. Inside are the details of a murder. by Kind World
25 min listen
Introducing ‘The Gun Machine’, a podcast about how America was forged by the gun industry: WBUR and The Trace bring you a story that most Americans never learned in history class — a new podcast about the gun industry’s grip on our country. by Kind World
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Kind World introduces Violation, a new podcast about who pulls the levers of power in the justice system: Violation tells the story of two families bound together by an unthinkable crime. It explores America's opaque parole system and asks: How much time in prison is enough? Who gets to decide? And, when someone commits a terrible crime, what does redemption look like? by Kind World
4 min listen
Kind World Presents: Endless Thread's look into "Aunties:" abortion access advocates of Reddit: Kind World presents Endless Thread's look into Reddit's Auntie Network, an online community "dedicated to providing information and resources to those in need of abortion services." It has been inundated with new members since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked in early May. Community members offer rides, lodging, and emotional support for those seeking abortion. by Kind World
31 min listen
Kind World Presents: Endless Thread's look into the life and legacy of Bill Mays: Remember those OxiClean commercials with the in-your-face pitchman? That was Billy Mays. Mays died years ago, but he’s lived on in meme form. Why? It’s the story of an American staple whose consumerist existence belies a personality that, in the end, was surprisingly wholesome. by Kind World
48 min listen
Kind World Presents: Selena And Me: Growing up along the US-Mexico border, Maria Garcia felt torn between her two identities as Mexican and American. But then, something changed her life. She discovered Selena — the Mexican-American pop icon who proved she didn’t have to choose. In the premiere episode of “Anything for Selena,” host Maria Garcia explores how Selena helped Maria find her own place in the world. by Kind World
31 min listen
Kind World Presents: Anything For Selena: Listen to the trailer for Anthing For Selena, a new podcast from WBUR coming in January 2021. Subscribe now so you don't miss it! by Kind World
5 min listen
Kind World Presents: Port Of Entry: The perception that the U.S.-Mexico border’s been effectively sealed shut because of the pandemic is wrong. Lots of people are crossing. Actually, the biggest, most dramatic change in who can’t cross right now; you’re not going to find those folks at the official ports of entry. Instead, you have to look inside migrant shelters, at the refugees who can’t seek asylum in the U.S. right now and are instead stuck in border towns. So that's what we do today. We talk to … by Kind World
25 min listen
Giving Can Make Us Happier: Science says giving can make us happier than having more money. Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Dunn suggests ways to rethink the way we give in order to make it feel like a source of joy rather than an obligation. by Kind World
10 min listen
Encore: A Teacher's Aid: When Jenn Carson found out her father was a serial killer, she began to think she was doomed to follow a dark path. But then she met a teacher who helped her change her life forever through simple acts of kindness by Kind World
15 min listen
Encore: A Connecting Flight: A chance meeting between a school volunteer and a Marine leads to a slew of unexpected acts of kindness. Plus, how small gifts and tokens from neighbors helped a mother and daughter as the young girl struggled with a mysterious illness. by Kind World
13 min listen
Feeling Lonely? You're Not Alone.: Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy shares with us the startling effects of chronic loneliness and how we can combat this public health concern -- even in a socially distant world. by Kind World
13 min listen
Have More Meaningful Gatherings, Even During COVID: Priya Parker is an expert on gatherings. She gives us tips on creating deeper social bonds and more collective meaning through our get-togethers. by Kind World
14 min listen
Kindness In Your World: Our listeners share profound acts of kindness they've experienced. by Kind World
11 min listen
Encore: Stuck In Transit: When a man became stuck at an airport for 7 months, his only source of hope was a determined stranger. PLUS how a small town helped a family of refugees rebuild their chocolate empire. by Kind World
14 min listen
A Serving Of Compassion: The celebrated chef of Boston's Mei Mei commits to helping 'unsung' restaurants and immigrant families survive as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. by Kind World
13 min listen
Encore: The Rhythm Within: A drumming teacher steps in and helps a troubled young immigrant find his identity in his new reality. Plus, how kindness and generosity in his early adulthood helped High Point University President Nido Qubein find strength and success. by Kind World
14 min listen
Building A Village: After a friend asked for help, Maurice Humphrey thought about how he could contribute to people in need. Inspired by viral social media "challenges," he decided to start his own, inspiring neighbors to help each other as many struggle through the pandemic. by Kind World
11 min listen
Walk With Shawn: Shawn Dromgoole, a 29-year-old black man, said he was afraid to walk in his gentrifying Nashville neighborhood. Then came a response he never expected. by Kind World
7 min listen
Playlist: The Kindness Of Healthcare Workers: Three stories of how healthcare workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help their patients in deeply compassionate ways. by Kind World
22 min listen
More Than A Letter: Why a heartfelt thank-you letter from an 11-year-old to her mail carrier resonated with people across the country. by Kind World
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A Moment Of Kindness From Jessie by Kind World
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How To Find Peace In A Pandemic: Dr. Laurie Santos, professor of psychologist at Yale University and host of the podcast, The Happiness Lab, gives us advice on practices we can all adopt as we cope with the anxiety of the coronavirus crisis. by Kind World
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A Chosen Family

A Chosen Family

Description

Titles in the series (97)

More Episodes from Kind World

Related podcast episodes