Connor has Prader-Willi Syndrome, an illness characterized by chronic, uncontrollable hunger. Only about 22,000 people in this country suffer from Prader-Willi, which effects numerous bodily systems from respiratory to immune, and often causes those who have it to become obese. Connor's primary caregiver is his mother Colleen, a registered nurse and mother of three adult children. Her entire life is now devoted to Connor's care, from morning nebulizer treatments to help weak lungs, to evening injections to human growth hormone to combat poor muscle tone. But she wants her son to be more than his illness. This piece was produced at the Transom Story Workshop.  

Nathan Henderson doesn't use a tractor to farm. To mow hay, till fields and harrow, he prefers riding behind of a team of Suffolk Punch draft horses. Henderson is old school, even though he's just 29, and would take the smell of horse poop over diesel any day. This piece was produced for Working Now, a collaborative online audio project. workingnow.org.

Jacob Albee was supposed to be a raptor biologist, living in a tent, studying exotic birds. Somehow, he ended up becoming a designer jeweler, making one-of-a-kind, custom pieces out of gold, precious stones and even meteorite in his Burlington, Vt. studio. But his conservationist roots are never far from the surface and are often at odds with his craft. This piece was produced for Working Now, a collaborative online audio project. workingnow.org.

Downtown Washington, D.C. is a sea of bollards. Some people love them. Others can’t stand them. Regardless of how anyone feels about this perimeter security measure meant to protect the city’s important buildings, the reality is they’re here and they’re not going anywhere. And that, of course, is by design. This piece originally aired on WAMU's Metro Connection on 3/22/13.