Overview of Never Give Up (A Bonus from StoryCorps)
Hidden Brain presents a StoryCorps episode — hosted by Jasmine Morris — that interweaves three real-life conversations about perseverance: neighbors who kept a displaced girl’s belongings for two decades and reunited with her; two Vietnam veterans who found each other after 48 years; and a grandmother who taught her nonverbal granddaughter to speak. Each story centers on people who refused to give up on someone else, and on how sustained care, courage, and persistence changed lives.
Stories
1) Hannah Mitchell and neighbors Steve & Patty Erickson (Dallas, TX)
- Context: Hannah grew up in a troubled home and spent time at the Ericksons’ house across the street.
- What happened: When Hannah’s family vanished (evicted), the Ericksons salvaged and preserved Hannah’s schoolwork, photos, and baby items from the curb and kept them in their garage for about 20 years.
- Reunion: Years later Hannah searched on Facebook, was contacted, and was reunited with the items and with Steve and Patty. The meeting was emotional — Hannah thanks them for “saving” her and the Ericksons express pride in who she became.
- Key detail: The Ericksons repeatedly considered discarding the boxes but kept them thinking “one of these days.”
2) Kay Lee and John (Vietnam platoonmates, San Francisco / Seattle)
- Context: Kay Lee (combat medic) and John served together in the same platoon in Vietnam in their 20s; their unit suffered heavy casualties.
- Relationship: They formed a bond forged by combat — chaotic firefights, reliance on the medic, and shared loss.
- Separation and search: After returning to civilian life they lost contact. Around 2010 John spent years searching (even ripping pages out of the phone book) and finally located Kay after 48 years apart.
- Reunion: Their reunion felt like finding treasure; their friendship is described as family-like. Both reflect on trauma, survival, and the difficulty veterans faced reintegrating (and why many withdrew socially).
- Key lesson: War bonds can be enduring; reconnecting brings closure and gratitude.
3) Mary Lee McNellis and grandmother Phyllis Knighton (Kalamazoo, MI)
- Context: Mary Lee had significant developmental delays and was nonverbal at age six.
- Grandmother’s role: Phyllis, a retired public school teacher, refused to accept professionals’ predictions that Mary would never speak. At around age 70 she took speech therapy courses, hosted Mary for a summer, and experimented with teaching strategies.
- Breakthrough: Phyllis discovered Mary read words on the page more readily than looking at pictures; teaching through printed words unlocked Mary’s ability to read and speak. Mary later wrote a letter and spoke her first “I love you.”
- Aftermath: Doctors called the progress a “miracle.” Phyllis died in 2015; Mary and her mother returned to StoryCorps to honor Phyllis. Mary now speaks confidently (“I am magnificent”) and speaks to her grandmother in the stars.
- Key takeaway: Persistence, creativity, and belief in a child’s potential can produce dramatic, life-changing results.
Key themes & takeaways
- Small acts of compassion matter: preserving boxes or offering a place to stay can change trajectories.
- Persistence pays off: decades‑long searches, repeated visits, and refusal to accept negative diagnoses led to reconnection and breakthroughs.
- People are often more capable than early professional judgments suggest — creative, person-centered approaches can unlock potential.
- Bonds formed in crisis (combat, trauma) are deep and can be as strong as family ties.
- Reunions heal both practical and emotional losses — memory, identity, and validation.
Notable quotes
- “We kept your things in the garage for 20 years… One of these days.” — Steve/Patty Erickson
- “I think you have a very hard head.” / “Our platoon went from like 29 guys to 10 guys in two days.” — Kay Lee & John (on survival)
- “This is a miracle. We’ve never seen this in all of our careers.” — Doctors reacting to Mary Lee’s progress
- Mary Lee’s self-description: “I am magnificent.”
Reflection prompts & suggested actions
- Can you reach out to someone you’ve lost touch with? Small, persistent efforts can matter.
- Preserve and document family mementos and stories — they can reconnect people generations later.
- If a professional gives a discouraging prognosis, seek second opinions and consider creative, person-focused approaches.
- Support veterans and trauma survivors by listening and recognizing that reintegration often requires patience and understanding.
Production & credits
- Episode: StoryCorps podcast, shared as a bonus by Hidden Brain.
- Host (StoryCorps segment): Jasmine Morris.
- Stories produced by: Joe Corona, Judd Esti Kendall, Grace Pauly.
- Edited by: Amy Drozdovska.
- Facilitators: Susan Lee, Mia Raquel.
- Additional production credits listed in the episode; Hidden Brain’s Shankar Vedantam introduces the segment.
If you want a single-sentence summary: three StoryCorps conversations show how persistence, compassion, and refusal to give up can reconnect people, unlock potential, and heal lives.