When thousands of people were running from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Michael Dorian made the decision to run toward it.

But Michael’s story began long before that day.

Born into poverty to a teenage mother, Michael grew up in an unstable home and spent much of his early life searching for independence, acceptance, and belonging. As a teenager, that search led him into crime and prostitution and, at just 16 years old, an HIV diagnosis. But a relationship with someone who saw more in Michael helped change the trajectory of his life. He graduated high school, went to college, built a career as a veterinary technician, and began creating a very different future for himself.

In this episode, Neil Adams joins Chuck to share the extraordinary life of his close friend and the story behind his book, From the Pile. Neil recounts Michael’s decision to put on his scrubs and make his way to Ground Zero on 9/11, where he spent 24 hours on the pile helping firefighters continue their rescue efforts. Years later, Michael was diagnosed with stage four cancer and given two years to live, beginning another fight that would ultimately connect back to his service at Ground Zero.

Michael’s story is complicated, deeply human, and ultimately one of perseverance. It reminds us that our beginnings do not have to determine where we end up, our mistakes do not have to become our identity, and we may never fully understand what another person has endured simply by looking at them.

Always in your corner,

Chuck