Overview of Larry Maxfield's Story
This episode of Hidden Brain’s My Unsung Hero, hosted by Shankar Vedantam, features Larry Maxfield recounting how a group of strangers became lifesaving helpers for his brother Marty during Marty’s final days. In early 2007 Marty, 47 and terminally ill with cancer, moved from California to Utah with his wife so they could be near their adult children. While Larry drove Marty to Utah, neighbors and church members quietly prepared the modest home they had found—cleaning, sewing curtains, and making it welcoming. Marty died two days after arriving; Larry remembers the anonymous women who transformed the house and provided comfort as his “unsung heroines.”
Key points and main takeaways
- Situation: Marty entered home hospice at age 47 and chose to move near family in Utah for his final days.
- Logistics: The family hurriedly packed and drove from California; they feared the small Utah home would not be ready.
- Community response: Neighbors and church volunteers worked while the family was away, scrubbing the house top to bottom and making it inviting.
- Impact: The house’s transformation allowed Marty to spend his last days in comfort; he died two days after arrival.
- Emotional core: Acts of anonymous kindness from strangers provided critical emotional and practical support to the family during grief.
Notable quotes
- Marty (upon seeing the prepared home): “This is wonderful.”
- Larry (about the help): “They are my unsung heroines.”
Characters & setting
- Larry Maxfield — narrator and Marty’s brother; lives outside Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Marty — Larry’s brother, aged 47, terminal cancer patient who moved to Utah for hospice care.
- Janice — Marty’s wife.
- Neighbors / church members — primarily women who prepared the home while the family was in California.
- Setting: Small, older house in a neighborhood in Utah; early 2007.
Why this story matters
- Demonstrates the power of small, practical acts of kindness by strangers to ease suffering.
- Highlights community compassion as an important, often invisible resource during end-of-life care.
- Shows how preparation and quiet generosity can create dignity and comfort during a family’s most vulnerable moments.
How to share your own unsung-hero story
- Record a three-minute (or shorter) story on your phone in a quiet place.
- Email the audio file to: myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.