At The Bee, we believe in the power of stories to make, shape, and shift culture. This has led us to produce a number of shows in which we – Giuliana Serena, Founder and Beekeeper of The Bee and Nan Seymour, The Bee’s Director of Narrative Encouragement – work closely with a select group of folks to share longer-form stories distinct from our ongoing evenings of storytelling (where we pull ten names at random from a hat). These curated shows give us the opportunity to amplify the voices of storytellers from diverse backgrounds and experiences and address challenging topics.

With Healthcare: Illness & Wellness, we were excited to join an annual tradition of collaboration that the Program in Medical Ethics and Humanities has been engaged in with UtahPresents and the Department of Theater since 2015. We’re also grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with the Resiliency Center though a series of storytelling workshops we facilitated with faculty, staff, and students of U of U Health in the spring of 2018.

On January 19th of 2019, seven storytellers took the stage to share personal narratives of sickness and health, complications and recovery, and the challenges that arise in the providing and receiving of care. They were selected from among 64 heartfelt submissions from our community in response to a public call for healthcare stories we put out in the summer of 2018. It was a true labor of love for each of these storytellers to prepare for this show and our absolute privilege to support them.

We are deeply grateful to each of our storytellers, to all those who did so much behind the scenes to make this night possible, and to the 1100+ audience members who showed up to be a part of it!

Special thanks to Brooke Horejsi and her team at UtahPresents, Megan Call, Associate Director of the Resiliency Center, Gretchen Case, Chief of the Program in Medical Ethics and Humanities, and finally to Matthew Petersen, who planted the seed of this show after having shared a story with us back in 2016 about a transformative experience he had in medical school.

We invite you to listen to these recordings with an open heart and mind, and with attentive curiosity. We hope that in hearing these stories that you’ll remember that whatever health challenges you’re facing, whatever you’re struggling with, and whatever the future may hold, you are not in this alone.

Wishing you well,

Giuliana Serena, Nan Seymour, & The Bee Team

TARA BENALLY

Tara resides in Southern San Juan County on the Utah Navajo Reservation. She is a descendant of the Hopi Tribe. Her family was raised by the Diné Bítahníí clan (folded arms people), born for the Nítłachíí (marks on the cheek people). After years in the construction industry, she has found herself called to engage in advocacy, activism, and politics to support and uplift indigenous communities.

JEREMY VOROS

Jeremy is a practicing Emergency Physician in SLC, madly in love husband, and father of three. He is proud to belong to a profession and medical speciality that strives to provide timely, rigorous, evidenced-based, patient-centric care to everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, language, sexual-orientation, time-of-day, or ability to pay. His latest passion is clawhammer banjo, a misunderstood but truly American art form that persists in oral histories now shared mostly via YouTube.

ALLISON CARR

Allison is a passionate advocate for HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation), suicide awareness and prevention, and breaking free of cultural expectations. Fighting a debilitating disease and getting the upper hand has motivated her to share her story and possibly give others with similar experiences hope. After raising four daughters in rural Utah, she now lives in SLC.

STEPHEN TRIMBLE

Stephen has lived in the Four Corners states his whole life and currently resides in SLC with his beloved wife. He writes and photographs to share moments of stunning light, to start conversations, to call for action, and to bring back stories about this odd and wonderful home territory of ours. In 2019, Artists of Utah/15 Bytes Magazine chose him as one of the "15 Most Influential Artists of Utah.”

LAUREN RICKS

Lauren is a wife, mother, city league soccer player, aspiring chalk artist, tender-hearted animal lover, and the only girl in her family with short hair. In 2013 she was honored with an “Extraordinary Civilian” award for saving a stranger’s life by performing CPR. She lives in SLC with her wife, their son, two cats, a dog, a rabbit, a fish, and a snail named RBG in a home filled with joy, love, and a whole lot of dancing.

JOHANNA GREENBERG

Johanna grew up on the East Coast. She and her husband have called SLC home since 2005. As a Physician’s Assistant providing primary care to patients in our community, she feels fortunate to spend her days listening to their stories and getting to see the world through so many different perspectives. She is also a proud mother of two amazing boys.

TOSHIHARU KANO

Toshiharu was born in Japan to Japanese-American parents during WWII, and tells his family’s extraordinary story in his recently published book, Passage to Hiroshima. He is proud to have served as Director of Public Works for the City of Holladay for the past 20 years and currently resides in SLC with his wife Rita, two dogs, and three cats.