StoryCorps COLUMBUS

John Ulrich’s daughter Robyn was diagnosed with leukemia at age 19. She was treated at the Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center, where the family met Cathy Disher, a critical care chaplain for the hospital.

Ann B. Walker worked as a radio host, journalist, editor and columnist in Columbus for decades. She is a woman of many firsts: the first woman in broadcast management at WLWC-TV in Columbus, the very first female broadcaster to report on the Ohio legislature, and the first black woman from Franklin County given a White House appointment.

John Cross didn’t think he was military material after a childhood battle with polio left him with a weakened upper body. But a dire need for soldiers led him to enlist in the National Guard.

John-Paul Byrne took a risk by putting a personal ad in the Village Voice, a weekly New York City newspaper, far from his home in Sydney, Australia. Dawn McCombs responded and a long-distance romance ensued.

Growing up, Emily Krichbaum’s younger sister Michelle was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome - a rare genetic disorder that causes severe developmental disabilities and neurological problems. Throughout her life, Emily found connecting with her sister - who is nonverbal - very challenging.

Luster Singleton is 57 and identifies as non-binary. Growing up in the Midwest, Singleton struggled to meet a role model to look up to.

Steve Henry was finishing out the 9th grade when his family decided to move from sunny California back to Ohio. Despite the move, he wasn’t going to let over 2,000 miles keep him from his friends out west.

After years serving as a priest in the Catholic Church, Mike Tynan decided he wanted instead to get married and start a family of his own. But Catholic priests aren't allowed to do either, so he chose to leave the church instead.

Sahra Abdullahi and Ahmed Abukar were born in Somalia and moved to the United States when they were young. Both had a hard time fitting in and navigating American culture.

Kadi McDonald and Morgan Dominique’s friendship developed from a common loss: Both grappled with the deaths of their fathers, learning how to grieve while also remembering their lives.