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 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 6 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 2: High school students form special bond with seniors through chair 7 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: volleyball games. Written by MICHAELA. Gordoni, read by Jully Provost 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 2: in Belton, Texas, high school students bond with seniors through 9 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 2: fun matches of chair volleyball. It's a beautiful and competitive 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 2: relationship between teens and the elderly, so wonderful way for 11 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: everyone to get their muscles moving. The senior members who 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 2: reside in the Belton the Woods Cottages call themselves the 13 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: Hit Squad and regularly team up against the local female 14 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 2: high school team. We just laugh and laugh when we practice, 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: said Hit Squad member Charlotte Wheeler. And your members are 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: very supportive of the team and even attended one of 17 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: the girls matches, giving them a nice surprise. And during 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: the girls Senior Night celebration, the ladies made goodie bags 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: for each senior member of the high school team. If 20 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 2: you take just one look at the photos, of the 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: two groups. That should be enough to convince you that 22 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 2: these seniors and high schoolers are experiencing great joy through 23 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 2: the program. I'm ready to get some wisdom and skills 24 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 2: from those who know more than I do, said high 25 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 2: schooler Thea Allison. The girls even visit the members outside 26 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: of their chair matches from time to time, which I'm 27 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: sure the seniors enjoy. After word of the matches spread 28 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: across campus, the undefeated Lady Broncos basketball team asked to 29 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: schedule their own chair volleyball game with residents. The high 30 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: school team said this relationship with the seniors has given 31 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: them more physical activity, social engagement, and a sense of 32 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: purpose and something to look forward to. And for the 33 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 2: high school team, they have more support than ever. If 34 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: they don't have cheerleaders already, the hit squad would be 35 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 2: ready and willing to become the cheer squad. I'm sure. 36 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: North Texas father finds comfort and newborn son after wife 37 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 2: dies in childbirth. Written by Julie Provost read by Julie Provost. 38 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 2: Aaron Martin of Plato, Texas has a new baby, boy Parker, 39 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 2: but tragedy surrounded his birth. Natalie Martin, Parker's mother and 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 2: loving wife of Aaron died while giving birth to him. 41 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: This left Aaron as a widower and Parker without his mom. 42 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 2: Natalie was a second grade teacher. Her pregnancy had been 43 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: a healthy one, but as her due date approach started 44 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: having sudden back pain. They went to the hospital. According 45 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: to an interview Aaron had with CBS Texas, it was 46 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: just meant to be a precautionary check, but the doctors 47 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 2: ended up having to do a c section. Natalie died 48 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: just hours later because of internal bleeding. There was just 49 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 2: some bleeding that couldn't stop. Aaron says, I was just 50 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: in shock, trying to wrap my mind around the situation. 51 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: Everything about our faith and her personalities just meshed so well, 52 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: he said. We complimented each other. He said, Natalie was 53 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: a well loved teacher who is now for putting her 54 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: students first. As you can imagine, Erin is feeling a 55 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: wide range of emotions, grief and sadness with the loss 56 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 2: of his beloved wife, but also joy and happiness with 57 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: the birth of his son, Parker. She gave everything for him, 58 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: and he was first, he said. In the few hours 59 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 2: they got together, it was clear that nothing else mattered 60 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 2: except him. Erin also sees so much of Natalie and Parker, 61 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: which is a true blessing. Natalie's friends and colleagues gathered 62 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 2: for a candlelight visual in her honor. Natalie was centered 63 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 2: on maintaining her faith tried and true and always being 64 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 2: a source of joy. One of the speakers at her 65 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: visual shares Aaron's advice to others who could be going 66 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 2: through something like this is to lean on faith in 67 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: each other. It's heartbreaking to think about this happening, a 68 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: couple so excited about adding to their family and then 69 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: to have it end in heartbreak. It is so hard 70 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 2: to understand why these things can happen, But when they do, 71 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 2: we know that we have hope in Jesus Christ and 72 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 2: the love of our community to be there for us. 73 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: For this, God is our God, forever and ever. He 74 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: will be our guide, even unto death, Psalm forty eight fourteen. 75 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 76 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 77 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 78 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 79 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 80 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: our podcast, and please tell a friend about us. We'd 81 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: also love it if you'd rate us and leave us 82 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: a review. It really does help more people find us. 83 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production.