1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: At Southern Illinois University in the small city of Carbondale. 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: Three light brown towers our campus landmarks their high rise dorms. 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: A sophomore named Emily has moved into one of them. 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: I lived actually on the fifteenth floor, and the view 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: from up inside the towers that high up was just amazing. 6 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: I just always loved it, and of course at night 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: you could see all the lights from the city. It's 8 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: the fall of two thousand three. Emily is not her 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,599 Speaker 1: real name, which she didn't want used. Emily and her 10 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: roommate share a bathroom with two freshmen. The four girls 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: are sweet mates, and as the semester goes on, they 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: get to know each other. One of the freshman sweet 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: mates is named Sarah, Sarah Delashman. She's from Highland, a 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: small town almost two hours north. She's here as a 15 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: pre med student. Sarah has short brown hair. It was 16 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: kind of dirty blonde or close to brown, and it 17 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: kind of looked a little bit feathered. She had glasses embraces. 18 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: If she owned makeup, I didn't know it because I 19 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: don't think I ever saw her wear makeup before at all. 20 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: My previous two sweet mates the year before they were 21 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: nowhere nearest, friendly, and so Sarah kind of seemed a 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: little bit like a beam of sunshine. I guess you 23 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: could say Sarah doesn't talk about her family all that much. 24 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: I never saw it her dad. I think her dad 25 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: was not in a picture, and I don't remember if 26 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: he had passed away or it was, you know, like 27 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: a divorce situation. I never saw her mom ever, which 28 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: is kind of interesting because she lived about maybe an 29 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: hour and a half, maybe closer to two hours. Her 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: cousin had brought her newborn baby, and that's the only 31 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: time I think that I remember she had any family 32 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: that came and visited him. Not long into the semester, 33 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: Sarah walks into Emily's room. I think it was about 34 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: maybe October or so when she came and told us that, 35 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: you know, that she had leukemia. Leukemia. No one takes 36 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: the news of Sarah's cancer harder than her roommate, the 37 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: other freshman of the bunch. She was one of those 38 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: friends that if you were crossing the street and she 39 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: saw that the bus was about to hit you, she 40 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: would have jumped in the way to save her friend. 41 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: She was going to support her no matter what she 42 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: was That close with Sarah. The semester goes on. They 43 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: come and go from class, and Sarah makes sure that 44 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: nobody forgets about her cancer. One day, Sarah talks about 45 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: how she's starting to lose her hair and maybe she 46 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: should just go ahead and cut it all off. They 47 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: all gather in Emily's room with hers, roll back the rug, 48 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: and get ready to give Sarah a haircut. At the 49 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: last minute, though she backs out. She never says why, 50 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: but you know who doesn't back out, her roommate. She 51 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: chops off her hair and a show of support. One day, 52 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,119 Speaker 1: Sarah suggests they watch a movie called A Walk to Remember. 53 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: It's a teen romance and the lead female character is 54 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: dying from cancer. It's the kind of cancer story that 55 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: you might see on the Hallmark channel. I'm sick, I'm sick. Aprkemia. 56 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: Emily isn't so sure this is a good idea. You know, 57 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: we were told by Sarah and her roommate that it 58 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: was fine, that they were going to be okay, they 59 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: were going to hold themselves together, and it was completely 60 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: the opposite. By the time the movie was over, the 61 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: room was dark except for the light of the TV 62 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: and off in the corner. The movie ended with Sarah 63 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: and her roommate crumpled on the floor, hugging each other, 64 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: crying together. It was a bad idea not to intervene. 65 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: The school year ends, everyone scatters for the summer. Emily 66 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: and Sarah decide to room together when they come back 67 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 1: in the fall. One evening in July, Emily is at 68 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: a wedding, and then during the reception, I get a 69 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: call from Sarah that she's been in a car accident, 70 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: and a bad one at that. She said that she 71 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: was going to have to have her back fused. If 72 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: I could almost paraphrase how she said, you know, I've 73 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: been in a car accident and I'm in a wheelchair, 74 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: and I don't know if I'm gonna be able to 75 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: walk again. Emily doesn't see Sarah until the start of 76 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: the new fall term. They agree on a move in time, 77 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: but when Emily gets there and opens the door, she 78 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: discovers that Sarah has surprised her by moving in early. 79 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: Here the door start to open and she's in a wheelchair. 80 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: And not only is she a wheelchair, she's a She's 81 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: an emmanual wheelchair and not an electric wheelchair. She also 82 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: had this heavy plastic, medical looking back brace that kind 83 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: of fit around her almost like a corset would. After 84 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: school starts, Sarah isn't around all that much. She just 85 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: kind of disappeared for a day, or disappear for two days, 86 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: and I barely saw her. But then one day she 87 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: started talking to me, and she was laying on her bed, 88 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: and I turned around in my chair um to face 89 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: her in the window, and I looked back at her, 90 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: and she was smiling, talking, But the way that she 91 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: was laying on the bed looked really strange, because she 92 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: was laying like you were laying on your stomach, propping 93 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: your your elbows up like you were flipping through a magazine, 94 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: and like you had your feet kind of flipped up 95 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: towards the ceiling. And I just remember looking at her, 96 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: watching her smiling and with his fused back of hers. 97 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: I thought, I don't know how she's this comfortable laying 98 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: on the bed like she is. But that was the 99 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: turning point that something is off. Emily and Sarah start 100 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: to not get along, typical roommates not clicking. Emily moves out, 101 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: leaving Sarah to fend for herself and the wheelchair in 102 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: the back brace a few weeks later, Emily walks through 103 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: the double doors of a dining hall, and there she is. 104 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: I see Sarah at the top of the stairs, and 105 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: she is not in a wheelchair, she is not in 106 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: a back brace. She's in jeans and a T shirt. 107 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: Students scurry two and throw all around them, But for 108 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: Emily and Sarah time stops. Everything else around me just 109 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: seems to disappear just as I step into the dining hall, 110 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: looking up at her. And I looked at her, and 111 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: she saw me, and she looked at me kind of 112 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: with a blank stare. It wasn't a sad thing, it 113 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: wasn't a mean face or anything. It was just kind 114 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: of blank, and it seemed like everything else faded away, 115 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: and that was like the only thing that was going 116 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: on was just the two of us kind of staring 117 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: at each other. Emily walks up the stairs past Sarah, 118 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: neither of them saying a word. And I turned the 119 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: corner to head to where the mailboxes were, and curiosity 120 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: got the better of me, and I turned back to 121 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: look at her. And she hadn't moved, you, like her 122 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: feet or anything, but she had still turned and looked 123 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: at me with that's aim look, it was game over, 124 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: but her game was far from over. The worst part 125 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: is I found out much, much, much, much later that 126 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: it morphed into something so sinister and hurtful than I 127 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: never imagined. We were warm up, you know, we were practiced. 128 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: There's a reason why Emily doesn't want us to use 129 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: her name. She's hoping Sarah has forgotten it. She doesn't 130 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: want Sarah to ever find her. You're telling a story 131 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: about someone who's such a masterminded lying, and you're like, 132 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: no one's going to believe this story. I mean, it 133 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: just sounds crazy to even think of, Like some of 134 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: the stuff that had happened. Emily never saw Sarah again. 135 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: But over the years, Sarah got better and better at 136 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: insinuating herself into online support groups for people with illnesses 137 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: or charities that help patients should find a way into 138 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: people's hearts and lives. She obviously kept many, many, many 139 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 1: stories straight for a very very long time. She did 140 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: a good job of fooling a lot of people for 141 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 1: a really long time, until the day she told one 142 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: lie too many. This was a case that victims were 143 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: very passionate about. You know, Sarah can go to prison, 144 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: someone can lock her up for a crime, but where 145 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 1: is the law? The law doesn't account for the trauma. 146 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: This is a story told by the victims of what 147 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: may seem like a victimless crime. Sarah delash Miant wasn't 148 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: really after money or power. She needed something far more complicated, 149 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: and what she stole from everyone who trusted her and 150 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: believed her in the end was far more valuable than money. 151 00:09:56,160 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: I'm Laura Beale. You're listening to Sympathy Pains. This is 152 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: episode one. Bethany. I've been a medical journalist for a 153 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: really long time, so long that there are times when 154 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 1: I think that nothing is really going to surprise me anymore. 155 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: Until it does. Until you pull a string and just 156 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: keep pulling and pulling, trying to make sense of things, 157 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,959 Speaker 1: and in the end you're left in a place that 158 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: you didn't expect to be. This is one of those stories. 159 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: Bethany Turner lives in Indianapolis with her young daughter. She 160 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: has a round face and soft brown eyes. She's thirty 161 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: one years old. She grew up here in a tight 162 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: knit religious family, pretty sheltered until she went to college 163 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 1: in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bethany is one of those people who 164 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: not only recognizes pain and injustice. She feels it down 165 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: to her bones. She's drawn to people in need, people 166 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:02,079 Speaker 1: who live in the invisible margins of society. You're helping 167 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: yourself along the way to because every one of those 168 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: situations I walked out of I felt like I gained 169 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: more than I was giving. It's it's an environment where 170 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: you get to learn from each other, but feel like 171 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: you're bettering a community too. In two thousand and fifteen, 172 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: she was looking for the next place she could serve. 173 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: I just finished up a term with AmeriCorps. I had 174 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: done a year with them working with children in South Florida. 175 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: I had traveled abroad and done some um teaching. I 176 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: was searching for the kindness. I was searching for the humanity. 177 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: I was searching for the community. Scrolling through the Internet, 178 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 1: she started reading about a place in Texas called Camp Summit. Today, 179 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: it spans out of our almost five acres, near a 180 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: town called No Joke Paradise. It's been around in some 181 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: form since the nineteen forties. It's a place where adults 182 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: with disabilities can spend a week soaking in the outdoors, 183 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: doing the kind of stuff that society usually makes hard 184 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,839 Speaker 1: for them, like swimming or putting on a talent show. 185 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 1: This resonated with Bethany. She had had an uncle who 186 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: was disabled and a friend in college who was too. 187 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: That friend especially gave Bethany a whole new perspective. She 188 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: encouraged her to not be afraid of being bold. She 189 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: just really challenged me to be better and try different 190 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,719 Speaker 1: things and not make excuses. The moment Bethany drove through 191 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: the gates of Camp Summit and onto the gravel driveway, 192 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: she knew this is where she needed to be. You 193 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: come in and there everything in campus surrounded by trees. 194 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: There's um some little walkways back in there where we 195 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: would take hikes into the woods a little bit, and 196 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,559 Speaker 1: they had some areas that were set up for bonfires. 197 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: The boys camp is on the right, so there's five 198 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: or six, I'd say five, maybe cabins, just a typical 199 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: old school camp house. Campers could ride horses, shoot arrows, 200 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: even go down a zip line. A lot of them 201 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: told me it was their vacation, which hadn't really occurred 202 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: to me until they said that out loud. That you know, 203 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: they live in assisted living homes, or they live with 204 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: caregivers or they've lived with family their whole life, and 205 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: this is there one or two times a year where 206 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: they can take a week to go be with friends 207 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: and and it be a completely accessible experience. For many 208 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: of the campers, it's the best week of their lives. Yeah, 209 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: it's the best week of anybody's life that gets to go. 210 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: To be honest with you, I mean, the staff loves 211 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: it just as much, if not more, than the campers do. 212 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: I think it's a very sacred community. Sacred community. I've 213 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: heard this phrase a lot while working on this story. 214 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: You passed that gate and everybody's just kind of their 215 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: own chaotic mess, laughing and hugging, and I have have 216 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: never experienced so many hugs and so much laughter in 217 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: my life. And the lasting friendships that came out of 218 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 1: just those few weeks of being there, I think are 219 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 1: going to be lifelong. The new camp burs arrived on Sundays. 220 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: During one session in the fall of two thousand fifteen, 221 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,839 Speaker 1: Bethany and the other counselors were roaming through the cabin, 222 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: which was bustling with the chatter and activity of unpacking. 223 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 1: One of the campers was in a power wheelchair in 224 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: the middle of the room. Yeah, I remember her wearing 225 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: a lot of like soft pink and soft clothes. She 226 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: told the counselor she had muscular dystrophee. She could hold 227 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: herself upright, but could barely move from the neck down. 228 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: Just a little bit of arm control enough to work 229 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: the toggle on her chair was all she could manage. 230 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: Her name was Sarah. She was thirty years old. She 231 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: said she had her nursing license and lived with her 232 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: mom in southern Illinois, in a town not far from St. Louis. 233 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: She kind of came across with someone who hadn't experienced 234 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: a lot outside of her small town in Illinois. Bethany 235 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: drifted from camper to camper, helping organize their bedding and clothes. 236 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: So of the caregivers was already helping her unpack everything 237 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: because she was basically just kind of pointing where she 238 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: wanted things and organized. And she had she brought a 239 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: c pat machine, so that she was talking to her 240 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: about how to set that up. And she pointed over 241 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: at the separate suitcase and she said, open that one. 242 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: It has some other things in there. For the cabin. 243 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: She had a bunch of crafts and things that we 244 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: could do. I think she had maybe even some snacks 245 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: for us. Of course, then everyone else in the cabinet 246 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: is immediately drawn to her and want to see what 247 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: was in there. The treats were a draw, but so 248 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: was she. She seemed like a very good friend to everyone. 249 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: I mean she showed up day one with crafts and 250 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: things ready to go. I mean, I'm definitely not that 251 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: friend most days that I come prepared with, you know, 252 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: thoughtful gifts and things. And so she just she set 253 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: this aura in the camp. Because of Sarah's circumstances, the 254 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: counselors had to do everything for her, dress her, cut 255 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: her food into bite sized pieces, even change her feminine 256 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: hygiene products. They bathed her two and she liked to 257 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: shower every evening. I'm five one two, and she was 258 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: significantly bigger and taller than me and the other two caregivers. 259 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: So whoever was lifting her from the front, it's really 260 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: hard to describe, but essentially it's, you know, kind of 261 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: a dead lift to get the weight off of your back. 262 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: But the way she would land, because of her height 263 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: and her weight and her inability to help at all, 264 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: our spines were going the wrong direction, and just the 265 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: weight on the top of our shoulders. But they did it. 266 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: It's why they were there. And as time went on, 267 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: Bethany and Sarah drew closer and closer, until their lives 268 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: became interwoven in unexpected ways. Bethany gave everything she had 269 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: to make sure that Sarah had the kind of vacation 270 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: she came for. It was just a really empowering week 271 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: for a lot of reasons. She got to participate in 272 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: some camp traditions and things. I remember all of the 273 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: conversations of what she didn't have. She didn't have the 274 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: abilitlity to move out on her own and you know, 275 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: have roommates. She wanted to experience freedom, and she really 276 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: wanted to go down the zip line. It's maybe a 277 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: ten second ride. It assumed really fast, but we would 278 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: put her power wheelchair underneath the zip line. There was 279 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: kind of a sack. It has four points with some 280 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: carabineers on it. To be able to lift her with 281 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: some rope out of the power wheelchair and onto the 282 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: zip line. Getting her onto the zip line took a 283 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 1: lot of staff and delayed activities for other campers. She 284 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: just kept throwing her neck back. There was a lot 285 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: of concern on letting her do this, because she was 286 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: not giving us any assistance. But she finally did it 287 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 1: and went across and they lowered her down onto the 288 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: deck to unhook the carabineers. And remember her just laying 289 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: there and just sobbing. It felt like such a big 290 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,679 Speaker 1: moment for her. Through it all, Bethany was there for 291 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: the triumphs and the fireside hard hearts. Sara seemed to 292 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: make a point of having one on one time with 293 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: the staff. She was very intentional with her friendships from 294 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: the get go, and I think I just am drawn 295 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: to deep conversation anyway. And so I mean, she told 296 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: me about her home life and things like that and 297 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: college friends and feels like you're packing all these things 298 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: into one week, and so it felt much more heartfelt. 299 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: And then when you all parted at the end of 300 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: the week, what was that goodbye? Like very tearful. We 301 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: were all really sad to see that weekend. Um, we've 302 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: seen a lot of bonding and new relationships formed and things. 303 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: And so I remember Sarah leaving. She was telling one 304 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 1: of the other campers that she was going to fly 305 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: back to St. Louis, that she had to leave early 306 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: that day, to catch a flight. The goodbye would not 307 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: last for long, as autumn wound down and the weather 308 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: turned cooler. Camp ended, The cow Stlors packed up and dispersed. 309 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: One group made plans to head up to Colorado to 310 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: work at the resorts for the upcoming ski season. We 311 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: were going to kind of do that for a season 312 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: and figure out what we wanted to do in the spring. 313 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: Sarah was calling and texting and sending gifts to all 314 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: of us. I think I was the one that was 315 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: probably communicating with her the most frequently. Thanksgiving week, Bethany 316 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: and her family were on a road trip. Bethany realized 317 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: that they'd be passing close to Sarah's home in Illinois. 318 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 1: We met her at a cracker barrel at the outskirts 319 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: of her town. She was already waiting at the restaurant 320 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: when they arrived. My family introduced themselves, and uh we 321 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: sat down at a table, and I remember she ordered 322 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: like a thing. It was like a fried chicken or something, 323 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: and so I cut everything up for you know, gave 324 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: her the straw. It was like camp all over again, 325 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: and we sat there in giggled. I remember she was 326 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: in a great mood, super friendly, and bubbly with my family. 327 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,440 Speaker 1: We got ready to leave, and her story was that 328 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: her mom had dropped her off and her mom had 329 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 1: to take her nephews to their Saturday basketball game, and 330 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: then when she got done with that, her mom was 331 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: gonna come pick her up. But that was why she 332 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 1: wanted to drop her off at Cracker Barrel, because at 333 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: least Sarah could stay somewhere kind of in a lobby 334 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: area and hang out. I hugged her, took a couple 335 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: of pictures, and then my family and I got on 336 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: the road. She said she had talked to her mom 337 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 1: and her mom was gonna be there in a few 338 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,719 Speaker 1: minutes and I was just running late. Shortly after Bethany 339 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: arrived in Colorado, her life changed dramatically. I found out 340 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 1: I was pregnant, so I got a plane ticket back 341 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: to Chattanooga to kind of figure that out. And that 342 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: was really when my friendship with her took off. Was 343 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: her calling and texting all the time, checking on me 344 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: and the baby and asking about things that were going on. 345 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: Bethany was preparing for life as a single mom. I 346 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 1: was in such a raw, vulnerable place in my life, 347 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: and I felt like she was offering to be a 348 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,239 Speaker 1: new foundation and a new friend. I cried to her 349 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: a lot about different hiccups that were happening about the 350 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: pregnancy and different things that were just really hard situations, 351 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: and she would always cry with me, is what I 352 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: remember now, like looking back on all those conversations, Like 353 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 1: if I was happy and I was doing well, then 354 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 1: so was she. You know. If I was happy with 355 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 1: work and I had a really good day, then so 356 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: did she. But if if we got on the phone 357 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: and she asked about something that was a little sore 358 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:23,679 Speaker 1: for me at the moment and I started crying, then 359 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: she'd start crying. For a long distance friendship, it quickly 360 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 1: moved to unvarnished emotion. Sarah talked about how lonely she 361 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: was because she didn't have friends out there, and how 362 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: the friends that she did have, you know, didn't want 363 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: to invite her to go do things because they wanted 364 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,199 Speaker 1: to go out to the bars, for example, and they 365 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: didn't know where they wanted to go to a restaurant, 366 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: but they didn't know how to transfer Sarah if Sarah 367 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 1: had to go to the restroom. Bethany was also on 368 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: her own preparing for the day when she would suddenly 369 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 1: not be I just remember there being a lot of 370 00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: days where between, you know, trying to figure out how 371 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: am I going to financially support this child. I need 372 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: to find a place to live, I need to find 373 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: a better steady income and figure out how to get 374 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: her and you know, some sort of childcare so that 375 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: I could, Like there were all of the emotions that 376 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: are attached to anything that deals with any of that. 377 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: It was a lot of stress and anxiety and sleepless 378 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: nights and crying, and at every point of that, Sarah 379 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: tried to involve herself and cry with me and reflect 380 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: the same emotions as if she understood. I started to 381 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: feel an obligation to my friendship with her because of 382 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: the tears and because of what she was asking for 383 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: from me, just at an emotional level, and I knew 384 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: that she was also doing that for me. It felt 385 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 1: like they were two women, each providing a stabilizing force 386 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: during a time of uncertainty. There was one weird thing, though, 387 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 1: something that wouldn't make sense to Bethany until years later. 388 00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: I remember her asking several times for my ultrasounds, and 389 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 1: I was always driving when she asked me, and I go, yeah, yeah, 390 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: when I park, you know, when I get to where 391 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: I'm going, I'll send it. I always forgot to send it. 392 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 1: She kept pestering me about the ultrasound, and I started 393 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: to get to a point where I felt bad because 394 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: it was just pregnancy brain. I just kept forgetting to 395 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: send it to her, but she asked multiple times. During 396 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: their conversations. Sarah was making plans to return to Camp 397 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: Summit for the spring session. We talked a lot the 398 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: two prior weeks before she went to camp, but she 399 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: was anxious about it because it wasn't going to be 400 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: the same staff, and so I think Sarah was really 401 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: nervous about whether or not they were going to have 402 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 1: the same level of expertise with the care, if it 403 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: was going to be as smooth as it was In 404 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,159 Speaker 1: the spring of two thousand sixteen, Sarah went back to 405 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: Camp Summit just after lunchtime sometime early afternoon. I was 406 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: driving to my job and I got a call from 407 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,479 Speaker 1: a Texas number that I didn't have saved. It was 408 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: the assistant director at the time, and she said, Hey, 409 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry to call you like this. She said, 410 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: yours was the hardest call to make. Bethany had just 411 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: pulled into the parking lot. She stopped the car and 412 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: braced herself. There's a staff alumni page for the camp, 413 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: and it's very very frequently that they'll post something about 414 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: former campers who have passed. So I thought that was 415 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: where the conversation was going. I had no idea, she said, Bethany, 416 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry that I have to be the one 417 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: to tell you this. She said, Sarah was here this week, 418 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: and uh, I said, yeah, I know. We've we've kept 419 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: in contact. She told Bethany that they had been contacted 420 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 1: by a pastor from Illinois a few weeks earlier. He 421 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: was inquiring about Sarah's relationship with camp and just wanted 422 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: to know if she was going to be down there 423 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: during certain weeks as a volunteer. And so some of 424 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,360 Speaker 1: the staff had gotten involved in this conversation and said, well, 425 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 1: know she's here as she's coming as a camper. And 426 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 1: this pastor said, well, I am a pastor of some 427 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 1: of her relatives, and she's been caught in a lot 428 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: of lies before and we've tried to catch her and 429 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: she's always been able to sneak her way out. He 430 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 1: even had proof to back up what he was claiming. 431 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: Here's examples of her social media posts. Here's a picture 432 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: of her skiing in Colorado with her mom. Bethany gripped 433 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: the phone tighter, almost unable to breathe. She stared out 434 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: of the windshield. Everything was going blurry. What the camp 435 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: had agreed to do because the pastor and a couple 436 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: of family members said, can you please just let us 437 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: come and confront her at camp, because we've tried and 438 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: tried to get her help, and we've tried to confront 439 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: her in the lies, and we know that things like 440 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: this have been going on, and so what camp agreed 441 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 1: to do was to facilitate an interaction between them during 442 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,640 Speaker 1: an activity where none of the other campers would see, 443 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,880 Speaker 1: which was extremely extremely important to the staff. The pastor 444 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 1: told the camp employees when they would be coming. As 445 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: the staff waited in the office, they saw a van 446 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 1: come down the drive and stop. They radioed for Sarah 447 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 1: to come to the office. A couple of family members 448 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,640 Speaker 1: in her pastor got out of the van. Sarah pulled 449 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: up in her wheelchair, saw who it was, and camp 450 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: staff told me. She got up out of the chair, 451 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 1: got in the van, shut the door, and they drove off. 452 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: There wasn't an apology. There wasn't There wasn't even anything 453 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: from the family as far as we'll follow up with 454 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: you once we get home. Nobody heard from him. She 455 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: drives off, and they're just sitting there, stunned, having to 456 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: figure out how to deal with the fallout of that, 457 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: how to explain to other campers why she's gone. Sitting 458 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: in her car talking to the camp assistant director, Bethany erupted, 459 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: I remember screaming at her for probably about ten seconds, 460 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: and that's not my nature at all. And I stopped 461 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: and I apologized and I said, I'm so sorry. All 462 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:57,199 Speaker 1: of that was out of line. And she goes, Bethany, 463 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:58,879 Speaker 1: I totally get it, because I did the same thing 464 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: to my boss. She said, none of us know how 465 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: to deal with this, like we don't know what to 466 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: believe anymore, what we're supposed to do. A couple of 467 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: days later, Sarah called in the middle of the night. 468 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: Bethany didn't answer. Her emotional well had dried up. For 469 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 1: the next few days and weeks, Bethany was in a daze, 470 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:26,959 Speaker 1: and then things got creepy. After she was exposed. I 471 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 1: started getting random phone calls from an unknown number, and 472 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: I would answer it and it would be someone breathing 473 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 1: heavy on the on the other end of the line 474 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: or cackling. And that happened for several weeks um and 475 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 1: then I started getting screenshots of my current location sent 476 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,400 Speaker 1: from like a like a Yahoo phone number. I mean, 477 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 1: I don't know that it was her. I was also, 478 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:52,959 Speaker 1: you know, a pregnant, about to be single mom. There 479 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,919 Speaker 1: could have been multiple reasons, and I just don't know 480 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: the answer. Bethany was haunted by the betrayal of her rust. 481 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: One day, she called a friend from the camp, someone 482 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: who had been her mentor. I remember sitting in a 483 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: Chick fil A drive through and calling her and having 484 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: to pull over after I got my chicken nuggets, and 485 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 1: I was just kind of unloading on her, like it. 486 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,719 Speaker 1: I think it just had hit me because I had 487 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: googled Sarah and I had seen the photos of her 488 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 1: skiing in Colorado right around the same times when I 489 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: had been up there working. Every time I googled something 490 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 1: about her, I would find something new and a new blog, 491 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: a new email address. I mean, I was digging deep 492 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: at that point trying to find where does this end? 493 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: Bethany didn't even know the half of it. For more 494 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: than a decade, Sarah had built friendship after friendship on 495 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: a foundation of lies, and even after Camp Summit, she 496 00:28:53,880 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: wasn't done. I knew of her as a young mom 497 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: whose husband was away, who was battling stage four cancer. 498 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: She was my friend, I loved her, she was bregnant, 499 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: she was myrself. So to find out that she miss 500 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: scared that, you know, it mess with me. The story 501 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: really is unbelievable that someone could get away with all 502 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: the things that she did for all those years, for 503 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 1: so long. Who is Sarah? I don't even think she knows. 504 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: Sarah makes herself up as she goes along. Sarah is 505 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: an empty shell. Sarah. I don't know what happened to her. 506 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: Maybe Sarah doesn't even know herself. But her victims know 507 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 1: exactly what Sarah did to them, and they were faced 508 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: with a problem. How do you find justice when no 509 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: law has been broken, but on the inside you are. 510 00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: That's this season Unsympathy Pains. Sympathy Paines is a production 511 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: of Neon hum Media and I Heart Radio. I'm Your host. 512 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: Laura Beale I wrote and reported the episodes. Natalie Wrinn 513 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: is the lead producer. Our editor is Katherine St. Louis. 514 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: Associate producer is Rufaro Mazzarua. Our executive producer is Jonathan Hirsch. 515 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:25,480 Speaker 1: Samantha Allison is our production manager. Fact checking by Jacqueline Colletti. 516 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: Jesse Pearlstein composed the theme song and music heard throughout 517 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: this series. Additional tracks are by Blue Dot Sessions and 518 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: Epidemic Sound. Scott Somerville is our engineer and sound designer. 519 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Stephanie Serrano from I Heart Radio. Special 520 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: thanks to Carrie Lieberman and Bethan Macaluso. Executive producer at 521 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:48,959 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio is Dylan Fagen.