Kind World

Reading and a chance encounter with a former English teacher helped Dan Wise through what he called the scariest time in his life.

When we take stock of the people who matter most to us, there are the spouses, the family members, the best friends, the partners. And then there are the people who aren’t any of those things, but who change our lives …

Classical Violinist David France came to realize that students from low-income backgrounds could excel just as much as wealthy ones, if they have the …

11-year-old Ruby asked residents at a nursing home to list their three wishes. What they said - and what she did next - surprised everyone.

Almost three years ago, Norah Wood, 6, helped Dan Peterson, 84, through his grief. Today, their friendship is still as strong as ever.

When Michael Connor saw a burning car on the side of the road, he stopped to see how he could help. He didn't expect to save a child's life seconds …

In 2014, Melissa Turner went above and beyond the bond of sisterhood to become a surrogate for her identical twin, Jen. Five years since the birth of Jen's own twin girls, the sisters have experienced tremendous joy and …

José Bou went from solitary confinement to college professor and youth mentor.

A young man fled his country for the U.S. after his life was threatened. He lost everything and spiraled into a deep depression. That's when a family stepped up to help him rebuild his life.

When David Pradel was going through a hard time, Nate Edwards was there to help. But David didn't know that Nate was suffering from depression, too.

Six years ago, Dylan Siegel thought of a way to help his friend living with a rare liver disease. Now, his idea is funding life-changing scientific research.

After a chance meeting on an airplane, school volunteer LynnEllen was inspired to help Timothy feel closer to home during his first deployment to …

A couple forced into homelessness finds shelter and community in a tiny house village built by volunteers.

When Chef Rebecca Kelly-Manders met Quintin Storey, she knew he was perfect for her new culinary program catering to a special population: people …

In "The Rhythm Within," we spoke to Jonathan Mande and Jorge Perez-Albela about how they developed a close bond through drumming. Here are some additional highlights from our conversation with them at the WBUR studios.

A boy from the Democratic Republic of Congo moves to Boston with his family after living through harrowing civil unrest. As he struggles in his new reality, a drumming teacher steps in and helps him find his identity.

Sara Cunningham struggled when her son told her he was gay. Now she volunteers as a stand-in mom at same-sex weddings when the biological parents …

A woman with a rare disease and her husband decide to expand their little family by adopting boys who all share the same rare disease she does.

Growing up in a violent and chaotic home almost pushed Aaron Stark to commit a mass shooting. He says the simple acts of kindness from his friends …

A Syrian man is stuck at an airport terminal for months and a determined stranger makes it her mission to help him get out.

Kind World is a show about transformative acts of kindness. We've got stories that will inspire you, lift your spirit, and stories that may even make you tear up a little. Our new season begins April 16. Subscribe now …

Reporter Shirley Wang tells the story of her father, Lin Wang, a cat-litter scientist who befriended NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley.

Coach Kevin Motsinger was one of many North Carolinians displaced by Hurricane Florence earlier this year. Despite his own devastating losses, the …

Iowa basketball player Jordan Bohannon had the perfect opportunity to break an existing free throw record and solidify his name in Iowa sports …

Community worker Cathy Heying realized that cars are the lifeline for many people with financial struggles. She decided to dedicate herself to helping others get that lifeline back.

A bereaved grandfather was looking for cards of his deceased son, who used to play in the MLB. When he reached out to an avid baseball card collector …

When Jenn Carson found out her father was a serial killer, she thought she was doomed to follow a dark path. But then she met a teacher who could see …

Lenny White always wanted a job that would bring him purpose. After becoming a barber, he realized his trims could offer so much more to men with …

Drew Bell knew he wanted to be in his high school's marching band even though he couldn't walk. A friend's act of kindness, and sacrifice, helped him …

Baby Aubree was born nearly three months early and was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal disorder. One of her therapists helped her mother record songs to play to Aubree when her parents are away.

Much like addressing racism, covering a tattoo can be more complicated than getting the original.

“The ocean was one of the most important relationships in my life," Shannon Leone Fowler says. "Sometimes, the most important."

Julie Lindahl and Rachael Cerrotti of our previous two episodes meet, and a twist of fate changes everything for Rachael.

For Rachael Cerrotti, history keeps circling back to the present.

Julie Lindahl felt burdened by an indescribable guilt, a feeling she could never understand.

Bob doesn’t want a day to go by when he doesn’t help someone.

As far as she knew, Roberta Ursrey and most of her family were about to die.

Willow was going to turn 3 the day Hurricane Irma hit Florida, but both birthday and hurricane were about to be overshadowed.

You must decide whether to do what you think is right -- but it means losing everything. What do you do?

10-year-old Phil's dreams were dark.

It was supposed to be a standard procedure. Then something went very wrong.

Jim Abbott was an improbable major league pitcher.

On a November night, Ted Hakey felt uneasy about his neighbors.

Alice's dad was losing his words, and then he had just two phrases left.

Bostonians aren’t always known for their friendly, helpful nature, but Blair Wong has discovered a very different side to the city’s inhabitants.

People ask Mohamed if he's crazy. He says he wouldn't live any other way.

Norah and Dan were an unlikely pair.

When President Trump signed an executive order in January, one family feared their daughter's life was at stake.

The story begins with an open wound.

They didn't all know each other, but they knew their friend needed help.

After a breakup left Laura in rough shape, Ruthy and Bill stepped up to pick her up.

“The moment in the grocery store will just be something that I’ll always remember,” Suzie Skougard says.

Michael Reagan turned his life upside down to draw portraits of service people who died in Iraq or Afghanistan. Four thousand portraits later, he finally understood why.

The gift a father thought he didn’t want ended up being exactly what he needed.

A judge in North Carolina came up with an unusual way to enforce the law. His unorthodox decision ended up having a huge impact on one veteran’s life.

When Curtis Bishop was homeless, most people looked right past him. One stranger reached out in the middle of a food court and helped change his life.

James Carlsen's guitar never left his side until he sold it to feed his heroin addiction.

Ever dream about finding yourself naked in a crowd?

Deborah Greene was on a routine grocery run at Whole Foods when her brother called with terrible news.

Years after a car accident partially paralyzed her, Lauren Watson saw an aerial acrobatics demonstration in a local mall and decided she needed to learn it herself.

Watching his friend cope with a rare liver disease, Dylan Siegel was determined to help. So he set out to raise $1 million for research.

Joel Obermayer has recently come to see his father in a new light -- and learned that one of his father's projects helped grow a web of people around the world.

When she took her seat for a performance of King Lear one Saturday night, Barb Cone had no idea what enormous significance it would have for her 48 …

Tragedy brought two women together. Now memories keep them close.

Here's a downloadable Kind World playlist that will put you in the mood to give thanks.

Sasha Chanoff was in his mid-20s when he faced an urgent decision unlike any he'd encountered before - and more than 100 lives depended on it.

Max Evans lived on the streets of Boston near the New England Aquarium, making his bed between two jersey barriers each night. He was known for being gruff, feisty, and unkempt, but these traits belied an inner …

Janne Vanessche and her boyfriend were fighting - a lovers' quarrel. The argument was over something trivial, but, to an outsider, things may have looked serious. When Janne fled to a nearby park to let off steam, she …

Sister Sue Kintzele's phone number is written on the wall near the pay phone at the county jail. When prisoners can't make bail, they tell their family to call Sister Sue.

Nearing the end of her months-long hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, Brittany Goodson began to panic. Days of unrelenting rain had soaked her gear, and hypothermia threatened. Brittany and dozens of other hikers were …

As Parkinson’s disease worsened for Bernard Michaels, his family took him on a final trip to Europe. Early in the trip, a slip in Venice, Italy …

Jen Turner had always wanted to be a mom. But when she developed macular edema, an eye disease, doctors warned her that pregnancy could result in …

Everything seemed to be going wrong in Maureen Festa's life. Her marriage was ending, her mother was dying, and she faced having to leave the neighborhood she loved. She'd learned of a potential new apartment just down …

Dr. Ferenc Jolesz's kidneys were failing fast. The estimated wait time for a cadaver transplant was five to 10 years. He didn't have that kind of …

Every year at De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Missouri, students gather for a mother/son Mass and breakfast. Having lost his mom in middle …

Emily Proctor was traveling to Florida to visit a friend in need. When a thunderstorm caused her to miss a connecting flight, it looked like she'd be spending the night in the airport. That's when a stranger wrapped an …

When Maureen O'Rourke's father was dying from Alzheimer's, she vowed to stay with him until the end. Death seemed imminent, but days turned into weeks, and Maureen contemplated leaving her father's side. That's when a …

Shelagh Gordon was another name in the obituaries, an ordinary woman who had died suddenly of a massive brain aneurysm at the age of 55. But something in her obituary stood out to a journalist at the Toronto Star. For …

How far would you go to a help a person in need? When Ron Jones, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, got to know a young couple who were struggling and …

Scott Widak had a smile for everyone and an open heart. When he became terminally ill, his nephew took to Reddit, asking the online community to send letters to his uncle with Down syndrome and listing some of his …

Karim Alagha worked for 25 years at a gas station in Cambridge. He was immensely loving and deeply empathetic; he asked people how they felt and …

Reverend Nathan Detering is minister at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Area Church in Sherborn, Massachusetts. Last holiday season, he tried …

A skydiving instructor in Texas, David Hartsock, was making his last jump for the day. His student was Shirley Dygert, a 54-year-old wife and …