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 --> 00:00:18,919 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 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 2: Born in the middle of World War One, this one 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: hundred eight year old is still going strong. Written by MICHAELA. 8 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 2: Gordonni read by Jully Provost. Woman at California turn one 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 2: hundred and eight years old in December. What's your secret 10 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: to long life? 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: No? 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 2: Complaining that one hundred eight year old woman Miriam Low 13 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: hasn't lost any of her interest in life over the years. 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: I bet most of the people you deal with are old, 15 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 2: she told her reporter. They complain. You can ask any 16 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: one of these people, she said, pointing around the room, 17 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: whether I complain. 18 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: No. 19 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 2: Mariam was born in nineteen seventeen. During World War One. 20 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: She married her spouse, Irving, and was united with him 21 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: for six years until he passed away. They shared three 22 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 2: children together. Miriam also built a large accounting practice and 23 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: served as a CPA until she retired at the age 24 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 2: of one hundred. He was a good guy and I 25 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 2: was a good girl. She said. Most older people are 26 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 2: avoid technology, but not Miriam. She loved learning about new things, 27 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 2: including technology. In fact, one of her hobbies is playing 28 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 2: bridge online. I wouldn't even tell him about bridge, she joked. 29 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 2: We did so poorly. The last two weeks have been awful. 30 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: She used to love to travel and enjoys reading. There 31 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 2: are a lot of places that I want to go, 32 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: she said. I made reservations to India four times. Never 33 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 2: got there, she said mournfully, had to cancel every time. 34 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: Miriam isn't one for retirement homes, but she has a 35 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 2: team of people who help her. Miriam is always a 36 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 2: joy to meet with her, said one of her caretakers. 37 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,479 Speaker 2: She always wants to ask questions and learn about new things. 38 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: Another American woman, Aloise Michaels West, was also born in 39 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: nineteen seventeen, celebrated one hundred eighth birthday this year. She's 40 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: a little older than Miriam because she was born in August. 41 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: Like Miriam, She's got a lot of tenacity. You want 42 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 2: to live your own life, Alois said earlier this year. 43 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: I don't care what I want people to know. Everybody's 44 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: got to live their life their way. They can't imitate nobody. 45 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: You're going to have to stand on your own. It's 46 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 2: clear that Miriam is a bright and smoky soul who 47 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: hasn't given up on anything. We can all learn a 48 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 2: thing or two from her and go through life without complaining. 49 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 2: Brave father runs back into burning home to rescue his 50 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 2: daughter from house fire. Written by Heather Rigomann Rebetuli Provost. 51 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: A brave father runs back into a burning home to 52 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: rescue his daughter from a house fire. I have to 53 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: tell you about the stat His name is John, and 54 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: what he did for his little girl will stay with 55 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 2: me for a long time. This happened in Michigan just 56 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: before Christmas. John and family, Michelle and Kelly, were asleep 57 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 2: when their house got on fire. Michelle was the first 58 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: to realize something was wrong. She woke up to smoke 59 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: and flames and started screaming that the house was on fire. 60 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 2: They rushed to get everyone outside, and then they realized 61 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: Calli wasn't with them, She was still upstairs in her bedroom. 62 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 2: And John didn't pause, he didn't hesitate, he didn't weigh 63 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 2: the risk. Michelle said it best. We didn't see Callie, 64 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 2: so he just didn't think. Twice. John ran back into 65 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: the burning house. He just booked it up the hot stairs. 66 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: Michelle said. He said he kept falling once he got her, 67 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: kept tripping down the stairs, but he didn't stop. He 68 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 2: got to her, he carried her out tragically. Both John 69 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 2: and Kelly were badly burned. John had second and third 70 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: degree burns on more than half of his body. Callie 71 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 2: should by burns and smoke iholation. They both are intensive care, 72 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 2: but Callie is alive. Callie is better off than John. 73 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 2: Michelle shared she has only sixteen point five percent of 74 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: her body burned and she's doing well. She's just sleepy today, 75 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 2: but not in pain or nothing, so that's good. John, though, 76 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: isn't a lot of pain. He's in a lot of 77 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 2: pain his face and he is more wrapped up than 78 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: she is. Michelle said the doctor should telling them John 79 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: is facing a very, very long recovery. The house was destroyed. 80 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: The family is now without a home. They lost almost everything, 81 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: and yet they still have Callie, They still have each other. 82 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 2: They still have the miracle of a father who ran 83 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: into a fire so his child wouldn't have to face 84 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 2: it alone. The family believes the fire may have started 85 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: when an animal fell into their chimney and affected their 86 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: active fireplace. Something small, something accidental, something no one could 87 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 2: have predicted. But what happened after that part is unforgettable. 88 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: One love one wrote, A hero, a dad, a true man. John, 89 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 2: you are the strongest person I know. Kelly is alive 90 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 2: because he didn't give up. You walked through fire for 91 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 2: that child. And that's it, isn't it. That's the whole story. 92 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 2: A dad who loved his daughter more than his own safety. 93 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: A little girl who gets to grow up because her 94 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 2: father chose her over himself. A family who lost a 95 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 2: house but kept what mattered most. And honestly, they are 96 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 2: so blessed, not because this was easy, not because this 97 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: was fair, but because love showed up in the most 98 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: powerful way it possibly could, walking straight through fire and 99 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 2: bringing a child back into life, even if it meant 100 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 2: giving up his own John fifteen thirteen. Greater love has 101 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 2: no one than this to lay down one's life for 102 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 2: one's friends. 103 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 104 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 105 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 106 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 107 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, Subscribe to 108 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: our podcast, and please tell a friend about us. We'd 109 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: also love it if you'd rate us and leave us 110 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: a review. 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