1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind podcast. This is the 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,959 Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 2: Family's tree will shine for millions. Widow and son donate 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Written by MICHAELA. Gordoni, 8 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 2: read by Juy Provost. A special family donated a very 9 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: special spruce to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree this year. 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 2: But for Judy Russ, it's as much gift for her 11 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 2: and her family as it is for America. Judy Russ 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,599 Speaker 2: and her late husband Dan always dreamed of having their 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: backyard a seventy five foot tall Norway spruce lit up 14 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: for Christmas. They never had a crane to do the job. 15 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: But this year it's the trees time to shine. This 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: year it'll be the tree of all trees at New 17 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 2: York R's Rockfeller Center. Dunnating the tree is away to 18 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 2: honor my husband Dan and all of her family members 19 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: who have passed, says Judy, who lives in the historic 20 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 2: family home with her seven year old son Liam. He 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 2: Dan would have loved to have been here for this moment. 22 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: We've always talked about it being the tree, Judy said, 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 2: So it's so special that my family's tree gets to 24 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: be America's, if not the world's Christmas tree. Judy had 25 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: a friend whose relative worked at the Rockfeller Center. They 26 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 2: put in a good word for the tree. The head gardener, 27 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: Eric Pose, came to inspect it and it passed the test. 28 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: It was meant to be. Just to hallucinate it, like 29 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 2: we need to go back, because there's no way this 30 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: is real, right, Judy said of hearing the news that 31 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: her tree was picked. What I look for in a 32 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: tree you want in your living room, but on a 33 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: grander scale, Eric said, it needs to make people smile 34 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: the second they see it. As soon as they saw it, 35 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: I knew it was perfect. Eric visited the tree several 36 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: times throughout the year to water and care for it. 37 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: I'm excited that the whole world can see it, said 38 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 2: seven year old Liam, who used to hang on the 39 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: tree's branches. The tree went to the Rockefeller Center on No. 40 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,919 Speaker 2: Number eighth and will be strong with over fifty thousand 41 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: lights on December third. I'm probably going to be unconsolable 42 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 2: that day, but it's going to be great, said Judy, 43 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 2: who's from New York City and cries at every Rockefeller 44 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: Tree lighting. We're just happy to share with everyone, the 45 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: widow said. After the Christmas season, the tree will be 46 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: donated to Habitat for Humanity, and its wood will be 47 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: used to build homes for those in need. Every tree 48 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,839 Speaker 2: we select not only brings joy to New Yorkers during 49 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: the holiday season, but it also continues to give back 50 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 2: long after it leaves Rockefeller Center. Eric says knowing it 51 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 2: will help build homes for families makes the process even 52 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 2: more meaningful. What a blessing. The rest's tree will get 53 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 2: to be used to share joy with the thousands who 54 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,239 Speaker 2: see it this year. This event will be forever stamped 55 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: in their hearts. She wasn't supposed to live past four. 56 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: Now at twenty, a woman born without a brain is 57 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,399 Speaker 2: a living miracle. Written by Heather Wrigglemann, read by Julie Provost. 58 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 2: She wasn't supposed to live past four. Now at twenty, 59 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: this woman who was born without a brain is a 60 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: living miracle. Some stories stretch past what doctors can explain. 61 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 2: Stories that remind us that love can be a lifeline, 62 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: faith can be a fortress, and the human spirit can 63 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 2: rise where science has no blueprint. And Omaha, Nebraska, one 64 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 2: young woman is living such a story. Alex Simpson just 65 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 2: turned twenty two years old, a milestone doctors never believed 66 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 2: she would reach. Alex is worn with hygienisipoly, a rare 67 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: condition in which most of the brain is absent and 68 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: replaced with fluid. Her father, Sean, describes it plainly. It 69 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: means that her brain is not there. Technically, she has 70 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: about half the size of my pinky finger of her 71 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: cerebellum in the back part of her brain, but that's 72 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: all that's there. When she was born, Positions gently warned 73 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 2: her parents, Sean and Lorena, that she likely wouldn't live 74 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 2: past age four. Most children with this condition don't survive 75 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: their first year, but Alex did, and she kept going, 76 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 2: and this month she celebrated her her twentieth birthday. Her 77 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: family says the reason she's still here could be summed 78 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: up in one word. 79 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: Love. 80 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: Although Alex can't see or hear, her parents believe she 81 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 2: knows when they are near. Her father notices how she 82 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: turns her head and shifts her eyes when he speaks. 83 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 2: You can see that she was looking for me, he said, gently, 84 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 2: mimicking her movements. They believe she feels their presence, the 85 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: way flowers turned toward light, quietly, instinctively, unmistakably. Sean and 86 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 2: Lorena have never pretended the journey was easy. The early 87 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: years were marked by fears, leeveless nights, and a multitude 88 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: of unknowns, but through it all, one thing carried them 89 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: more than anything else. Twenty years ago, we were scared, 90 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: but faith, I think, is really what kept us alive, 91 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 2: Sean said. Lorena's voice only adds the truth they lived 92 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 2: with through two decades. She's a fighter. Alex's younger brother, 93 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: fourteen year old s Jay, speaks on her with a 94 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: pride that catches in your chest. When people ask about 95 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 2: my family, the first thing I start with is Alex, 96 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 2: my disabled sister, He says. He believes she understands far 97 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: more than anyone realizes. Say somebody stressed around her. It 98 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 2: could be completely silent, but Alex will know, She'll feel something, 99 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 2: he added. Science estimates that this condition appears in just 100 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: one in five thousand to ten thousand pregnancies. Most babies 101 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 2: never go home, and yet here's Alex roped in Blaket, 102 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,359 Speaker 2: surrounded by family, cherish beyond measure, teaching the world that 103 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: life doesn't need to look typical to be sacred. Her 104 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,799 Speaker 2: story is not one of medical explanations or miraculous cures. 105 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 2: Her story is about endurance by a young woman who 106 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: breathes and bites and surprises everyone who said she couldn't. 107 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 2: In the end, Alex's life is not measured by the 108 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 2: moustone she misses, by the love she draws out of 109 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 2: every person who meets her. She is a reminder that 110 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 2: even the most fragile lives can carry the weight of 111 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 2: extraordinary meaning. Faith carried her family, love carried her further still, 112 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 2: and somehow, against every prediction, Alex keeps writing a story 113 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 2: none of the doctor's expected, a story that can only 114 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 2: be described as a miracle in motion. Luke one thirty 115 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 2: seven for with God, nothing shall be impossible. 116 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 117 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 118 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 119 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 120 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,479 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 121 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: our podcast, and please tell a friend about us. We'd 122 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: also love it if you'd rate us and leave us 123 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: a review. It really does help more people find us. 124 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 1: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production.