Hears How

On a September morning in 2020, Tristin Criswell left home, beginning her 8-minute commute to work.

“It's a very long, busy road, with no median most of the time,” she says of the drive that takes her to the highway. "One little slip-up, and things happen.” 

That morning, the 20-year-old’s commute was made even trickier by rain and fog. A truck collided with her SUV, compacting it so much responders had to pull Tristin's door off to remove her from the vehicle. 

Tristin was placed in a medically induced coma for six days. When she woke she learned that she was paralyzed on the left side of her body from her head to her feet.

Doctors told Tristin her recovery was in her hands. Her dad’s advice helped put things into perspective.

“This recovery, healing process that you're going through is inevitable,” he said. “And we're all here to support you, but you gotta help us help you.”

He presented her with two choices, she says. 

“He said, ‘The first one, you can be bitter, complaining, not helping the people that are trying to help you. Or you can see this as an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with the Lord, strengthen… physically and mentally… So what do you want to do?’”

“I could easily be like, ‘Why, God, did you do this to me?’ ‘Woe is me," kind of thing,” says Tristin. “But I knew. I was like, ‘No, this is a good thing! This is a good thing!’”  

In this episode:

The morning of Tristin’s car accident [1:32]
 Tristin wakes up in the hospital [4:52]
Tristin’s dad informs her of her car accident [5:38]
Tristin progresses during physical therapy [10:10]
How Tristin’s attitude served her [13:47]
Throwing out the first pitch at a Minor League Baseball game [17:13]

More:

To stay updated on “Hears How,” subscribe and follow @HearsHowPodcast on Instagram. 

Jack Grandcolas met Lauren Catuzzi in college. “I just remember looking into her eyes and seeing the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen,” Jack says. “The sparks hit instantly. It was one of those wow moments.” 

The couple wed and tried for a decade to have a baby. On Sept. 6, 2001, Lauren flew from California to attend her grandmother’s funeral in New Jersey and tell her family some good news: she and Jack were expecting. On Sept. 11, she arrived at Newark's airport far enough in advance to get an earlier return flight home on United 93. 

In the premiere of the “Hears How” podcast, Jack shares the depths of his grief and how he was able to find love again.

In this episode:
How they met: Jack and Lauren’s love story [3:36]
The morning of Sept. 11 [6:33]
Jack’s grief and the benefits of therapy [9:30]
Jack falls in love again [16:44]
What else helped Jack [20:30]

More:
If you would like to learn more about Jack’s story, purchase his book, “Like a River to the Sea: Heartbreak and Hope in the Wake of United 93.”  
For more information on the Flight 93 National Memorial visit its website.
To stay updated on “Hears How,” subscribe to the show and follow @HearsHowPodcast on Instagram. 

My name is Erin Jensen, and the "Hears How" podcast has been a dream in my heart for a very long time. As an entertainment writer, I've talked to a number of celebrities. But my favorite interviews are the ones that go beyond whatever project the star is looking to promote, conversations that get into topics we can all relate to -- things like failures, disappointments, grief. My therapist would tell you -- if he wasn't bound by HIPAA laws -- that I could benefit from increasing my resiliency, which is why I'm in awe of people who are able to overcome what my mind views as unimaginable loss, inconceivable heartbreak, or an insurmountable challenge. If you've ever come across a remarkable story of triumph and wondered How on Earth did they do that? Here's how. Be sure to subscribe to the "Hears How" podcast, so you don't miss one opportunity to be inspired.



Music was acquired through Epidemic Sound.