http://www.thestory.org/sites/default/files/public/audio/story/2013_10_11_where_are_they_now.mp3
In the last show of WUNC's The Story, we check in with guests who came on the program at moments when their lives were in transition.
When Deyanira Chavez was first on the show, she’d come to the United States from Mexico, undocumented, and was about to begin studying architecture in college. Today, after much difficulty, we find her back in Mexico.
When we first met Abdi Iftin, a school teacher in Somalia, he’d dug a hole in the floor of his house so that he could sleep safe from stray bullets. We followed his stories for many years, and today, Abdi has won a US Green Card in the annual lottery.
Issa Touma runs an art gallery in Aleppo, Syria. He’s tried not to choose sides in the civil war, but stay focused promoting art and harmony even as his home was looted and his city destroyed. Unfortunately, we lost touch with Issa several months ago, and don’t know where he is or whether he is safe.
Ahmed Fadaam is a sculptor who has been a regular on the program for the last eight years, reporting from Baghdad. We’ve followed he and his family as they made the painful decision to leave Iraq, and move to the United States. Today, Dick sits down with Ahmed’s eldest children, Mohammed and Mais.
In 2007, we met 9-year old Joshua Bertleson and his mother Cari, who talked with us about life without Josh’s dad Bret, who was then on his second deployment to Iraq as a medic. Josh is now 16, and his father is just back from his longest deployment ever – 9 months in Afghanistan.
Also in this show: The story of the waving man and host Dick Gordon shares his thoughts about his eight years hosting the program.
