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Lindsey Graham (6:37)

From Wondery I'm Lindsey Graham and this is American Scandal. By the summer of 1928, Georgia Tann had been in Memphis for four years. She had initially been employed as a fundraiser for the Tennessee Children's Home Society, but had quickly decided that was not enough for her. So she cultivated connections with local power brokers like Judge Camille Kelly and Edward Boss Crump and used them to seize total control over the Memphis branch of the charity. Tann didn't just want to help children who had lost their parents or been abandoned by them. Instead, she was convinced that America would be better off if the poor and undereducated gave up their children to richer families. Having taken charge of the TCHS in Memphis, she could put those beliefs into practice. But Tann could not do it alone. Back home in Hickory, Mississippi, she had taken two children from an impoverished widow and placed them in new homes with the help and protection of her judge father. Now that Tann was in a different city in a different state, she would need a new network of accomplices. This is episode 2 Supply and Demand It's a Sunday morning in late November 1929 on a suburban street in Memphis, Tennessee, 44 year old Aubrey Clapp unloads wooden crates full of milk bottles from the back of a truck. The sound of clinking glass echoes down the quiet street as Clapp carefully stacks the crates underneath a folding table he's positioned on the sidewalk. Once everything is in place, Clapp then hangs up a sign that reads Free Milk Then he waits. This is Clapp's second week running this stand, and he knows it won't take long, because once word gets out that he's here, people will rush over to get their hands on free milk. Memphis residents generally aren't wealthy anyway, but ever since the stock market took a turn in October, it seems like everyone in the city is worrying about money. And sure enough, it's not even 8 o' clock in the morning when people start approaching Clapp. He's only too happy to hand them a bottle of milk. But first, he takes down their information. In a ledger. He notes their name, address, occupation, and the ages of any children they have. No one seems to think twice about giving up their personal details in exchange for free milk. And Clapp doesn't either. He's just following the instructions he's received from Georgia Tann of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. She's the one who asked out to find out about people's children in particular. And when Clapp is done for the day, he'll file away his notes to deliver to Tann later in the week. Whether he knows it or not, Clapp is one of Tann's most useful early accomplices in Memphis. The information he collects helps her to identify children in need of her unique brand of help. But by 1929, Tann has no shortage of struggling families to choose from. October's stock market crash has unleashed a wave of economic devastation that's sweeping across America. The steep rise in unemployment at the beginning of what will be called the Great Depression leaves many families in Tennessee struggling to make ends meet. Desperate to put food on the table, increasing numbers of parents turned to charities for aid, and some even place their children in the temporary care of orphanages. But seeking help only exposes these families to a different threat. Tan has built a small army of spotters at local charities and orphanages. It's not just men like Aubrey Clapp. It's nurses, doctors, and social workers, too. They all know who to call when they come across a vulnerable child, because Tann seems to have a gift for finding these children new homes. But of all Tann's allies, Judge Camille Kelly is the one who's most important. Kelly has overseen the juvenile court in Memphis since 1920. She had no legal experience before being elected as a judge, but she insists what she lacks in formal training she makes up for in motherly instinct. She doesn't wear a judge's robe and instead prefers long silk dresses and fur coats. And her courtroom is always filled with a Large display of flowers. She says it's meant to reassure the children she deals with and make the legal system seem less intimidating. But in fact, it's more like a disguise. In private, Kelly shares Tan's belief that poor and uneducated parents have no business raising families. So she's happy to sign all the paperwork necessary to terminate their parental custody and transfer their children to the care of the TCHs. And with spotters spread across Memphis and a sympathetic judge at the local juvenile court, Tan has created a machine for seizing vulnerable children from their parents and granting herself power over their futures. But if anything, her methods are proving too effective. Soon, the 38 year old tan is responsible for more children than even she can manage. And with the boarding houses and orphanages she uses beginning to fill, it's a problem she has to solve fast. It's a little over a week before Christmas, 1929, in Georgia Tann's dimly lit office in downtown Memphis. The crowded room is dominated by a heavy oak desk piled high with stacks of papers, adoption records, letters and legal documents, all meticulously filed. Seated across from Tann, 23 year old Ada Gilke listens intently, her notebook resting on her lap. As one of the few female journalists at the Memphis Press Scimitar, she's used to being overlooked in the newsroom and is often dismissed as the little girl reporter. But Tan has always taken an interest in her career, and the two become friends. Well, I've asked you in, Ada, because, well, I wanted to talk with you and not one of your male colleagues. This is about children. And to be honest, we both know women understand these things better than men. Well, of course. What can I help you with? It's your readers help I really need. The TCH cares for the most vulnerable children in society, but we're running out of places to put them. Memphis orphanages are full to bursting, and the local boarding homes we partner with are starting to turn us away. Oh, that's awful, Georgia. And so close to Christmas. That's exactly it. Of course, we'd like to make the season special for the children, but I just don't see how we can under these circumstances. I'm sure you can imagine just how expensive it is to house, feed, clothe and educate so many. So the society is in need of donations? Well, yes, and I was hoping I could persuade you to write a little article about us, encouraging your readers to open their hearts and wallets for a good cause. The more support we receive, the more children we can help. And just look at these sweet Faces. Tan reaches into a drawer and pulls out a file of photographs. She hands it to Gilke, who flips through the black and white images of plump cheeked babies and wide eyed toddlers. Oh, they are darling. I just think they deserve a happy Christmas as much as any other child. Well, you know, what would you say to having these pictures in the paper? My editor is always looking for feel good stories this time of year, and I'm sure it would encourage donations to see exactly who would be benefiting. Maybe it'd even inspire a local couple to consider adoption. Wow, that would be wonderful. Obviously it wouldn't be the child in the photo that they'd adopt, but we could put a face on the idea, you know. Well, why couldn't it be the child in the picture? These little ones are all available for adoption? Well, I suppose so. If someone's drawn to a particular face, they could call you directly. But what if we made it a feature? We could showcase an especially attractive child. It could be like a sweepstakes, only instead of a Christmas ham, your readers could win a beautiful child. Oh, that's brilliant. I think our readers would love that. And I bet my editor will too. That afternoon, Gilke writes up an article announcing that the Tennessee Children's Home Society will give away 25 children to Lucky local families on Christmas Eve. The story is published the next day under the headline want a real live Christmas Present? Interested parties are instructed to write to the Press Scimitar adoption editor with their details. But some people aren't patient enough for that, and the paper's newsroom is soon inundated with telephone calls from would be parents. Realizing that the story has captured his reader's attention, Gilke's editor decides to ramp up the coverage. The very next day, the Press Scimitar publishes a photograph of a different child, calling her a living doll and urging people to put their order in early. Similar articles continue over the following week. And each day the list of hopeful new parents grows. By December 25, all the children in the giveaway are spoken for. As far as Tan is concerned, it's a Christmas miracle. Thanks to the success of the baby giveaway, Tan enters 1930 with a long list of people who are apparently eager to adopt a child. But as Tan tries to match them with the children in her care, it soon becomes clear that many of these hopeful parents aren't just interested in any child. They have requirements. Newborns are the most popular, of course, and girls are generally preferred to boys. But some people don't stop there. Some even specify certain hair colors or facial features. Tan wants to encourage interest in adoption, especially from the better off, so she tries her best to meet these requests. She starts spending long days at local orphanages and boarding homes, scouting and photographing children to present to these choosy prospective parents. And she's not above lying to make some of them seem more attractive either. The orphans are often described as the products of debutante mothers and pre med fathers who just aren't ready to become parents. The children become Jewish for Jewish parents or Catholic for Catholic parents, and Tan falsifies or alters birth records to make the children appear weeks, months, or even years younger than they are. But despite all her efforts, Tan soon sees that she can't meet the growing demand for perfect little babies with the children who are already in the system. If she's going to satisfy her new customer's demand, Tan will need to resort to more extreme tactics. It's spring, 1930, at a small farmhouse just outside Memphis. A young woman named Francie has just put her baby down for a nap and has come into the kitchen to put the kettle on the stove when a movement outside the window catches her eye. She pulls back the fraying curtain to see two cars pull up beside the house. The doors open and a group of people step out onto the lawn. Two men in shirt sleeves, two women in simple dresses, and a fifth figure who is clearly in charge. Broad shouldered and dressed in pants, this woman barely needs to speak a word before the others fall into formation around her. Unease settles in Francie's stomach. She calls out to her older kids to quiet down as she moves through the house to the front door. Then she steps out onto the porch, squinting against the morning sun, and asks the group how she can help. They all turn at once, their eyes settling on her. The woman wearing pants says something in a low voice to one of her companions and then dismisses them with a flick of her wrist. They split off, heading around the side of the house as the woman strides forward and introduces herself as Georgia Tann. She tells Francie that she's from the Tennessee Children's Home Society and she's come to take away Francie's children. Francie blinks because none of that makes sense, but Tan is insistent and seems to know all about Francie's family, how many children she has, how old the baby is, how tight their finances are with her husband out of state and looking for work from inside. The kettle begins to whistle, and the shrill sound rattles Francie's nerves. She steps back inside telling Tan that she can leave because her children are going nowhere. But as she reaches the stove, the she hears the creak of floorboards behind her. Turning, she sees Tan standing in her kitchen, uninvited. Tan pulls a paper from her purse and thrusts it forward. Francie takes it reluctantly. It's an order signed by someone named Judge Camille Kelly. Tan then tells Francie that because she provides such a poor home environment for her three children, the judge has authorized the tchs to remove them for their own safety. Suddenly, a loud scuffle erupts from the back of the house, crashing footsteps and panicked little cries. The unmistakable sound of her children screaming. Francie rushes toward the hallway, but Tan blocks her path. Since she hasn't surrendered them willingly, Tan says her associates are taking the children by force, and Francie's pulse begins to pound in her ears. She barely hears what Tan is saying as through the open doorway, she catches a glimpse of her children being carried out the back door, their tiny limbs flailing and their faces red with terror. Francie lunges forward, but Tan doesn't move. Francie can only watch helplessly as her children are bundled into the backseat of a car. Tan then tilts her head, watching Francie with curious detachment. Then, just before turning to leave, she offers Francie a cold smile and tells her to stop crying. This is all for the good of the children, and if she were a better mother, she'd understand that American scandal is sponsored by Selectquote. 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Lindsey Graham (22:17)

The Memphis Press Scimitar's Christmas Baby Giveaway becomes an annual event. Soon, other newspapers pick up the story, and readers across the south are moved by tales of needy children looking for new families over the holidays. But the Christmas campaign doesn't just promote the work of the Tennessee Children's Home Society it also makes the executive secretary of the society's Memphis branch an increasingly prominent figure. Georgia Tann enjoys all the press attention and is eager to capitalize on her rising profile. She writes articles about her work for popular newspapers and magazines, and she's invited often to address women's social clubs and charities as well. In every article, interview or speech, Tan champions adoption. She knows that public opinion in America remains divided on this subject. Orphanages take in the most children of poor or unmarried mothers, and many people still believe it's impossible for these children to escape the circumstances of their birth. In their eyes, adoption may change a child's name, but it can't change who they are. Tan, though, has dedicated herself to defeating that mindset. Again and again, she tells audiences that adopted children are blank slates who can grow into anything their new parents want them to be. But Tan doesn't just argue that adoption can benefit the individual child or even the family that welcomes them in. Instead, she insists that by reducing the burden on the American taxpayer and shaping a new generation of upstanding citizens, adoption can be good for wider society as well. But whether or not she's convincing in her arguments, one thing is certain Adoption is proving very good news for Tan herself. With every child she places, her reputation grows. So she's always on the lookout for more children, especially the youngest, who are most desired by prospective parents. She already has spotters keeping watch in the hospitals and orphanages around Memphis. But as the 1930s unfold and her power in Tennessee grows, Tann finds a promising new source of young children. Foreign Summer 1932 Georgia Tan is in a doctor's office about an hour outside of Memphis. It's not her own personal physician. She sees someone far more expensive in the city, and to Tan, it seems there's a slight scent of desperation in the air of this shabby office. But for her purposes, that's ideal. Tan looks up as a young woman is guided into the room. She clasps her hands tightly in front of her. The doctor nods to Tan and then quietly shuts the door. Tan watches the young woman for a moment, then rises, smoothing her skirt. Delilah, isn't it? Delilah doesn't answer. She stares past Tan and out the window. She's pale and damp with sweat. Tan knows that look. Well, I understand the doctor's just given you some news. Delilah manages a small nod. How old are you, dear? If you don't mind me asking? 18. Oh, you're just a baby yourself, and I don't see a ring on your finger. Is the father in the picture? No, he's not from around here. I see. People are gonna talk, you know. I know. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I can't tell my parents. Well, don't worry. I can help. Have you heard of the Tennessee Children's Home Society? No. Well, one of the things we do at the TCHS is look after young women in situations like yours. If you wanted, we could arrange for you to stay at a private home for your entire pregnancy. No prying eyes, no whispered comments. Just rest, peace and time to think. Oh, I. I don't think I could afford. Oh, dear, there's no cost involved. The society takes care of everything. All you need to do is focus on yourself and of course, what's best for your child. I should tell you that most young girls in your position do decide on adoption. They want their babies to have the best chance possible in life. A real home with a mother and a father. But it is entirely up to you. I'm not ready to have a baby. Well, of course you're not, my dear, and that's perfectly alright. How does this work? Would I have to leave today? Well, how far along are you? I'd expect you like to be out of sight before you start the show. The doctor said 14 weeks. Well, in that case, we should arrange for you to be brought to Memphis in the next week or so before people start asking questions. I think that would be best for everyone, don't you? Ann reaches into her purse, pulling out a crisp document and a pen. Why don't we go ahead and get a few details down, and then we'll make final arrangements when you're ready. Tan feels a warm glow of satisfaction as Delilah takes the pen and begins scrawling her name. This isn't the first young woman she's talked into staying at one of her boarding homes, and she'll be far from the last. In 1930s America, the social stigma of having children outside wedlock remains so strong that many families still hide away there for fallen women for the duration of the pregnancy. There are several maternity homes in and around Memphis catering to this need, but many young women in the city dread them. The homes are mostly run by religious orders. They don't charge guests for their stays, but the boarders still pay a price. The pregnant women are made to do chores and denied any contact with the outside world. They're required to attend religious classes to steer them away from their sinful choices. And when labor finally does come, they are sometimes tied down and denied painkillers, as if the agonies of childbirth are some form of punishment for what they've done. Georgia Tann has no love for these single mothers, especially the poor ones. In private, she calls them cows and mocks them for getting pregnant too easily. But the stigma of being an unmarried mother and the terrifying reputation of maternity homes in Memphis presents Tan with an opportunity she doesn't want to miss. So through the tchs, Tann recruits locals to house pregnant women. She pays them $40 a month per border. Then she places ads in Tennessee newspapers urging young women in trouble to call her. Tann's private maternity homes have none of the harsh restrictions found in the religious institutions. Tan tells her expectant mothers that they'll be given a safe and dignified place to live. They'll receive nutrition, nutritious food, and free medical care throughout their pregnancies. And then, once their baby is born, the women will be given all the time and space they need to decide what to do next, whether that means raising the child themselves or giving it up for adoption. But while Tan portrays the TCH homes as safe havens for these women, that's far from reality. The truth is that once a woman agrees to stay at one of the private maternity homes she has placed herself in and her child at Tan's mercy, from the moment the women step through the door, there will be subtle but persistent pressure to give up their babies for adoption. Most relent and sign the papers before even giving birth. But some women are more stubborn and still seem committed to keeping their children even as their due date nears. It's at this point that Tan takes the choice away from them. The mothers are given anesthesia as they go into labor, and when the children are born, Tan then forces the women to sign papers, surrendering their newborns while they're still under the influence of painkillers. But sometimes Tann resorts to even more devious methods. It's the early 1930s in a Memphis hospital room, and just hours ago, Irene Greene gave birth to a baby girl. Now Greene is stirring, coming to as the drugs slowly wear off. She can hear the noise of the busy maternity ward just beyond the door of her room, and she can see beneath the curtain around her bed, the feet of doctors and nurses. But Green can't see or hear her baby, and she begins to panic. Green has already lost three of her children. Her eldest contracted tuberculosis and was sent away to a sanatorium. After that, social workers appeared on Green's doorstep with paperwork authorizing them to take away her other two children as well. So now, from her hospital bed, Green calls out desperately to see her baby right away. A few seconds later, a nurse in a starched white uniform pulls back the curtain. With a tilt to her head and a sad expression sliding onto her face, the nurse reaches out to take Green's hand and tells her that the infant was stillborn. For a moment, Green feels that the world has fallen away beneath her. But then she catches herself and takes a breath. Her baby was alive. Even through the haze of anesthetics, she heard the cries. So Green pulls away from the nurse's gentle hand and tells her she was wrong. But the nurse simply says that Green is mistaken. Perhaps she heard another baby on the ward, or maybe she was simply dreaming while the drugs were wearing off. The nurse seems so certain and so authoritative that Green begins to doubt what she remembers. Swimming through an unexpected grief, Green asks to see the baby, to hold her just once, to be able to say goodbye. But the nurse tells her that won't be possible. The body has already been disposed of. Green's anguished cries echo throughout the hospital. She'll never know that her daughter was stolen from her, that she was taken to the Tennessee Children's Home Society and given away to someone else. For the rest of her life, she'll be haunted by the loss of a daughter, all because Georgia, tanned, decided she wasn't fit to be a mother.

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Learn more@att.com 5G Network Less than a decade after arriving in Memphis, Georgia, Tann has become one of the most powerful women in the city. She has spotters in every orphanage and hospital, as well as her own network of private maternity homes. And with her allies at city hall and in the court system, no one seems able to stop Tann from doing whatever she wants. If a complaint is made about her to the police, it gets brushed off. And if anyone goes directly to the Tennessee Children's Home Society with a grievance, Tann only has to remind them of her friendship with the powerful politician Edward Boss Crump, and all trouble seems to melt away. But as her influence in Memphis grows, so too do Tann's ambitions. Her ultimate dream is to establish and lead a national agency with branches in every state where she would be responsible for all adoptions in America. In pursuit of this goal, she travels the country giving speeches to other social workers and politicians. She preaches the transformative power of adoption, how it can change lives and improve society. She boasts that she's already saved Memphis taxpayers thousands of dollars by moving children from expensive institutions into loving new homes. And she insists that she can disprove the old notion that adopted children inherit the worst traits of their birth parents. On the contrary, she claims that the average child adopted out by the TCHS does better in life than the average child raised by its birth parents. Tan's argument is that single mothers or the poor who fail to put their children up for adoption are being selfish. They are robbing the next generation of a better life. These children could have more, do more, and be more if they were only given the chance. It's an argument that strikes a chord with Tann's audience, and it has soon repeated by social workers across America. They start urging single mothers and the poor to give their children up for adoption, insisting it's the only way for them to have a decent life. Still, even as Tan becomes the most prominent advocate of adoption in the country, she ensures that she doesn't neglect her power base in Memphis. She maintains her tight grip on the TCHs, and she's always on the lookout for new allies and accomplices. Foreign it's the winter of 1932 at Memphis Baptist Memorial Hospital, Georgia. Tann climbs out of a cab, turning her back to the biting December wind. In her arms is a bassinet. She doesn't want the sleeping baby inside to be exposed to the cold, so she makes for the hospital door as fast as she can. Less than an hour ago, Tann received a call from the head of the Memphis delegation to the Tennessee State Legislature. The man was frantic. His daughter had just delivered a stillborn baby and he was insistent that Tan bring him a replacement. Lucky for the legislator, the TCHs had a newborn in its care and Tan promised to bring the child to the maternity ward right away. Tan strides past the windows of the nursery and its rows of swaddled infants and continues down the hallway the towards toward a waiting room. A man in his early 50s perches on the edge of a stiff backed chair, pulling relentlessly at the cuffs of his suit. When he sees Tan approach, He straightens up. Ms. Tan? Yes, sir? The legislator's eyes shift immediately to the bassinet in Tan's arms. And is that your grandson, sir? The delegate takes a closer look at the sleeping child and his eyes fill with tears. Oh my goodness. You have no idea. How is your daughter, sir? She's in recovery. It was awful. She has no idea about any of this, of course. Well, you're sparing her a great deal of pain, sir. I hope that's what I'm doing and you're giving this boy a wonderful new life. Who were the parents? No, it doesn't matter. He'll have a loving family from this moment on, and that's what's important. Tan tries to hand him the bassinet, but the man steps back. No, no. I have to know if this child is suitable for my family. Tan stifles a sigh. She's been on her feet for too long today and her patience is wearing thin. But this man is important and may be useful to her in the future. So she forces a reassuring smile. Well, of course I understand your concerns. But this child comes from excellent stock. The mother was a high school cheerleader, a bright girl, just young. The father is already at university on a football scholarship and neither of them was ready to raise a child. So here we are. The representative studies the baby, his expression unreadable, but Tan just waits. She knows when to push and when to let silence do the work for her. Finally, after a long pause, the man reaches out and takes the bassinet. Is there any paperwork? No need to worry about any of that tonight. I'll send over a birth certificate first thing tomorrow and we'll go from there. You take this boy to your daughter now. Thank you, Ms. Tan, for your kindness. But of course, you know, the thing I've learned about kindness is that it always seems to come back around. Congratulations on your new grandson. Tan shakes the representative's hand and watches as he turns away with the bassinet. Striding down the hallway and into the room where his daughter is recovering, Tan is pleased with herself. She's just changed that baby's life forever and perhaps made a powerful new ally for herself. It's not the first time that Georgia Tann has used the babies in her care to gain political influence. In her early years in Memphis, she carefully selected the parents she gave infants to, picking out local bigwigs and influential government employees. Those wealthy and well connected individuals then recommended Tann's services to their families and friends. And now Tan's client list includes state senators, judges and a future Memphis mayor. It's a powerful network of allies who are all personally indebted to Tann and have an interest in protecting her. But it's not just elected officials or the wealthy coming to the Tennessee Children's Home Society. By the middle of the 1930s, Tann is so well known that she has a waiting list of would be parents from around the country. She even receives applications from as far away as Canada and Mexico. It was only 20 years ago in Mississippi that Tann had to go door to door to find a willing couple. Now people are lining up to ask for help in growing their families. Some write to Tan with heartbreaking tales of grief and loss. Others speak of a deep longing for children of their own that life has left unfulfilled. But not everyone who writes has warm words alone. One day in early 1935, Georgia Tann is sitting in the Memphis office of the Tennessee Children's Home Society going through a stack of mail. Ever since the Christmas baby giveaways began five years ago, the number of people responding to them has grown larger and larger. One of Tan's first tasks of the new year is always to sift through the letters from hopeful parents. To be it's quiet in the office as Tan opens each envelope, scans the letter inside and places it onto one of several piles. Some get sorted by location. Others are set aside for consideration of special requests older children, specific hair color or eye color. Eventually, Tan comes across a plea from a couple in New York. And like so many others, they write that they are desperate to have a child. But what sets them apart is that they say they're willing to pay for one if necessary. Intrigued, Tam places this letter to the side. She began her work for the TCHs in charge of its fundraising, so thinks that maybe this couple would be willing to make a donation. But after a while, that letter is just one. In yet another pile on her desk, several couples are now offering to pay for the privilege of adopting a child. They've seen the photos in the newspapers, they've read Tan's articles in magazines, and they want one of her adorable blank slate children for themselves. Tann sits back and looks at the growing stack of letters from people desperate for children of their own. And then she starts to wonder. Just how desperate are they? And just how much might they be willing to pay? From Wondere this is episode two of the Woman who Sold Babies for American Scandal. In our next episode, Georgia Tann turns the adoption process into big business, but questions start to be asked about the care of children in Memphis. If you're enjoying American scandal, you can unlock exclusive seasons on Wondery Binge New seasons first and listen completely ad free when you join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a survey@wondry.com survey if you'd like to learn more about Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society, we recommend the book the Baby Thief by Barbara Bazance Raymond and Babies for Sale by Linda Tollett Austin. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our drama to say are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Christian Peraga Sound design by Gabriel Gould Supervising Sound designer is Matthew Filler Music by Thrawn. This episode is written and researched by Joel Callan, fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry, Managing Producer Emily Burke, development by Stephanie Jens Senior producers are Andy Beckerman and Andy Herman. Executive theater producers are William Simpson for Airship and Jenny Lauer, Beckman, Marshall Louie and Aaron o' Flaherty for wondering.

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You know those creepy stories that give you goosebumps? The ones that make you really question what's real? Well, what if I told you that some of the strangest, darkest and most mysterious stories are not found in haunted houses or abandoned forests, but instead in hospital rooms and doctor's offices? Hi, I'm Mr. Ballin, the host of Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, and each week on my podcast you can expect to hear stories about bizarre illnesses no one can explain, miraculous recoveries that shouldn't have happened, and cases so baffling they stumped even the best doctors. So if you crave totally true and thoroughly twisted horror stories and mysteries, Mr. Bolland's medical mysteries should be be your new go to weekly show. Listen to Mr. Ballin's Medical mysteries on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.