This week we take a break from Shawn's story to gain an inside look at the origins of its reporting. Join us as Sara Ganim speaks Dan LeBatard on his show "South Beach Sessions" about how she broke one of the biggest sports scandals in history by being plugged in as a small-town reporter and just how she came about wanting to tell the story of The Mayor of Maple Avenue. This conversation was first published in November 10, 2021.
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This week we take a break from Shawn's story to gain an inside look at the origins of its reporting. Join us as Sara Ganim speaks Dan LeBatard on his show "South Beach Sessions" about how she broke one of the biggest sports scandals in history by being plugged in as a small-town reporter and just how she came about wanting to tell the story of The Mayor of Maple Avenue. This conversation was first published in November 10, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An Inside Look: Sara Ganim Speaks with Dan LeBatard

September 2018, 26-year-old Shawn Sinisi landed at the Pittsburgh Airport after a late-night flight from Arizona. No one was there to pick him up — he was alone with a simple suitcase of belongings, having been abruptly kicked out of one of the top drug rehab facilities in the country. He was supposed to be recovering from an addiction that had consumed most of his young life. Instead, he hit the streets to score then walked into a McDonald’s bathroom and dialed a friend to talk him through his misery while he shot a needle into his arm. She remembers his voice trailing off. The dope was laced with fentanyl. That night, Shawn became the first known and documented victim of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse to die.

Most of the last decade has been about accurately recognizing and dealing with sexual abuse — bringing it to light, and holding people accountable. What’s missing is treating those who are struggling with the effects. As a society, we talk about drug abuse and we talk about sexual abuse, but often those are in silos – separated from one another. Shawn’s story brings both together and highlights the complexities of this trauma and the system failures that are not being addressed.

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September 2018, 26-year-old Shawn Sinisi landed at the Pittsburgh Airport after a late-night flight from Arizona. No one was there to pick him up — he was alone with a simple suitcase of belongings, having been abruptly kicked out of one of the top drug rehab facilities in the country. He was supposed to be recovering from an addiction that had consumed most of his young life. Instead, he hit the streets to score then walked into a McDonald’s bathroom and dialed a friend to talk him through his misery while he shot a needle into his arm. She remembers his voice trailing off. The dope was laced with fentanyl. That night, Shawn became the first known and documented victim of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse to die. Most of the last decade has been about accurately recognizing and dealing with sexual abuse — bringing it to light, and holding people accountable. What’s missing is treating those who are struggling with the effects. As a society, we talk about drug abuse and we talk about sexual abuse, but often those are in silos – separated from one another. Shawn’s story brings both together and highlights the complexities of this trauma and the system failures that are not being addressed.

September 2018, 26-year-old Shawn Sinisi landed at the Pittsburgh Airport after a late-night flight from Arizona. No one was there to pick him up — he was alone with a simple&nbsp;suitcase&nbsp;of belongings, having been abruptly kicked out of one of the top drug rehab facilities in the country. He was supposed to be recovering from an addiction that had consumed most of his young life. Instead, he hit the streets to score&nbsp;then walked into a McDonald’s bathroom and dialed a friend to talk him through his misery while he shot a needle into his arm. She remembers his voice trailing off. The dope was laced with fentanyl. That night, Shawn became the first known and documented victim of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse to die.

Most of the last decade has been about accurately recognizing and dealing with sexual abuse — bringing it to light, and holding people accountable. What’s&nbsp;missing&nbsp;is treating those who are struggling with the effects. As a society, we talk about drug abuse and we talk about sexual abuse, but often those are in silos – separated from one another. Shawn’s story brings both together and highlights the complexities of this trauma and the system failures that are not being addressed.

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An Inside Look: Sara Ganim Speaks with Dan LeBatard

An Inside Look: Sara Ganim Speaks with Dan LeBatard

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