Mr. Ballin
Appearances
Morbid
Episode 658: Listener Tales 96: Buhtz
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.
Morbid
Episode 658: Listener Tales 96: Buhtz
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Morbid
Episode 658: Listener Tales 96: Buhtz
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.
Morbid
Episode 662: The Exorcism of Roland Doe
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.
Morbid
Episode 662: The Exorcism of Roland Doe
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Morbid
Episode 662: The Exorcism of Roland Doe
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.
Morbid
Episode 660: Herbert Mullin: The Killer Hippie (Part 1)
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.
Morbid
Episode 660: Herbert Mullin: The Killer Hippie (Part 1)
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Morbid
Episode 660: Herbert Mullin: The Killer Hippie (Part 1)
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.
Morbid
Episode 659: The Unsolved Murder of Kristin O’Connell
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.
Morbid
Episode 659: The Unsolved Murder of Kristin O’Connell
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Morbid
Episode 659: The Unsolved Murder of Kristin O’Connell
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.
Morbid
Episode 657: Boston’s Great Molasses Flood of 1919
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.
Morbid
Episode 657: Boston’s Great Molasses Flood of 1919
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Morbid
Episode 657: Boston’s Great Molasses Flood of 1919
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.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
Hey, it's me, Mr. Ballin. Thank you so much for listening to Mr. Ballin Podcast, Strange, Dark, and Mysterious Stories. Today, I've got something different, but very special for you. Something that I know you're all going to love. Our studio, Ballin Studios, has another incredible brand new podcast for you to listen to.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
And it's hosted by none other than Nexpo, a YouTube creator with millions of subscribers on his channel. Nexpo is truly an incredible storyteller, and now he's launching his podcast with new and exclusive stories you can't find anywhere else. It's called Late Nights with Nexpo, and each week, Nexpo will bring you a terrifying story that will absolutely shake you to your core.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
From the most bizarre unsolved mysteries, to going down the internet's creepiest rabbit holes, to chilling true crime, Nexpo will explore the stories that actually keep him up at night. And if they're keeping him up, I'm pretty sure you'll want to listen with the lights on. or off, depending on how much you like to scare yourself. Either way, one thing's for sure, you'll be hooked.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
So now, I am proud to present you a full episode of Late Nights with Nexpo. It's called Madness on the Mountain, and in it, Nexpo dives into an eerie mystery of death and survival, which still stumps people today. In 1993, seven hikers set out into the Camar de Bon mountains, but only one returned alive. And the reason for their sudden violent deaths has never been explained.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
So what happened on that mountain? After you finish listening to the episode, please go follow Late Nights with Nexpo wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes of Late Nights with Nexpo will come out every Wednesday. Enjoy.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Hey, Prime members, you can binge eight new episodes of the Mr. Ballin podcast one month early and all episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Hey, it's Mr. Ballin here. If you're a fan of The Strange, Dark, and Mysterious, then you should check out my other podcast, Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He told the aide that he'd be a few minutes late to the meeting, then headed for his office to call the chief of police in Salem, Oregon, where the state hospital was located. Later that afternoon, the superintendent of the hospital, Dr. John Evans, stood in front of a cage of rats in a laboratory. He was holding a plate full of scrambled eggs.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Earlier that morning, a coroner had requested permission to perform autopsies on the patients who had died. Dr. Evans allowed him to take six of the dead, hoping the autopsy results could tell him what had happened. A few hours after the coroner had taken the bodies, Dr. Evans received a toxicology report that confirmed his worst fear. The patients had been poisoned.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
More than 400 patients had fallen violently ill in the past 12 hours, and dozens had died. The doctor had no idea what the cause was, and if he couldn't figure it out, he knew more bodies would be joining the ones already lining the inside of the chapel.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
However, nobody knew yet what they were poisoned with or how. The coroner was still running tests. But that was why Dr. Evans was now holding a plateful of the contaminated scrambled eggs that had been served the night before. He was running his own experiment. On a neighboring table, there was another cage of rats and another plate of eggs.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
But these eggs came straight from one of the egg yolk canisters still in the freezer. A lab technician had thawed them out that morning. They reasoned that if only the first cage of rats died, that meant the poison had been added into the eggs at the hospital.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
But if both cages of rats died, it meant the eggs themselves had been poisoned before they were shipped to the hospital and tens of thousands of people could be in danger. Dr. Evans placed each plate of eggs into their respective cages and then waited for the rats to eat. A moment later, the rats in the first cage began to shake violently and foam at the mouth.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
They squealed in pain and within minutes, all of them were dead. Dr. Evans looked over at the other cage and saw those rats were just fine. The experiment had worked. It confirmed this wasn't a case of mass contamination or widespread enemy conspiracy. The eggs were clearly just fine when they arrived at the hospital before something or someone poisoned them.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
But it also meant there could be a mass murderer inside the hospital who was the one who added the poison. Enraged and disgusted, Dr. Evans called the police. Three days later, on November 22nd, head nurse Allie Wassel, who had ordered her patients not to eat the eggs, sat in Dr. Lidbeck's office speaking to a barrel-chested detective.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The investigators had been interviewing every patient and member of staff for the past two days, trying to determine who poisoned the eggs. Further testing had revealed that the poison was sodium fluoride, better known as cockroach poison. Detectives had even found some in a basement storeroom, but what they didn't know was how it had gotten into the eggs or who had done it.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Allie wanted to help, but she told the detective that she hadn't seen anything suspicious. Until that horrible dinner, she'd been on duty taking care of patients. She watched the detective as he scribbled something down on a notepad and she started to feel nervous. Allie assured the detective that the other nurses would confirm her story too.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The detective wrote a few more things down and then looked up at Allie and thanked her for her time and told her she was free to go. Allie breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to leave. As she reached the door, the detective told an officer standing outside to bring in the next person to be interviewed, assistant cook Mickey McKillop. Allie passed Mickey as she was walking down the hallway.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He was waiting in a chair outside the office, bouncing his leg up and down. Allie couldn't help but think that he looked anxious, or like a man who was hiding something. By late that same evening, Mickey McKillop had been in Dr. Lidbeck's office for hours. The detective had asked him the same few questions over and over, pressing him about the way the kitchens were run.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey thought he'd kept his story straight, but he'd told it so many times now that it was hard to be sure, and he knew he was likely starting to confuse the details. All Mickey wanted to do was sleep. He had a migraine that was making it hard to focus, but every time he closed his eyes, the detective would shake him awake.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
and so Mickey was feeling like he would do just about anything to make this interview end. It was obvious the police were suspicious of him, and Mickey knew they would not give up until he, Mickey, told the police what they needed to know. So Mickey decided it was time to come clean.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
From Ballin Studios and Wondery, I'm Mr. Ballin, and this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, where every week we will explore a new baffling mystery originating from the one place we all can't escape, our own bodies. If you liked today's story, please invite the follow button on an African safari, but before you go, make sure you sneak 27 raw steaks into their backpack.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey sat up in the stiff wooden chair, and while avoiding eye contact with the detective, Mickey would admit that he did know more than he had told them. Mickey said that he could tell them exactly who had poisoned the eggs. In fact, he had watched it happen. And worst of all, he had not done a thing to stop it.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
An hour later, Mickey and his boss, Mary O'Hare, were being led from the Oregon State Hospital in handcuffs. A police officer read the charges. Mickey was charged with manslaughter. Mary was charged with accessory after the fact. Then the officer loaded them into a police van.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey took one last look at the hospital and caught a glimpse of a few patients staring out the windows, terrified looks on their faces. One of the faces he recognized was George Nosen, the psychiatric patient who volunteered in the kitchen. Mickey shook his head. He knew that what he had just told the detectives would change George's life forever.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
When Mickey the cook finally told the truth to detectives, he began by telling them about the terrible evening the sickness broke out. While the nursing staff was running around treating all these patients who were vomiting up blood, Mickey saw George Nosen cowering in the hallway and suddenly Mickey had a terrible thought. He grabbed George and asked him to retrace his steps from that afternoon.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey and George mimed preparing the eggs, getting the frozen yolks, lighting the stove, getting some water to help warm them. Then Mickey followed George down the kitchen steps in search of the powdered milk that made the eggs creamy. At the bottom of the steps, there were two storeroom doors.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Instinctively, Mickey leaned toward the storeroom on the left, which held dry goods, but George led him to the storeroom on the right, which held fruits and vegetables. Mickey felt an icy chill run through him. He watched George turn the key and open the right door. George pointed to a large, unmarked tin canister sitting on the ground inside. It was open and filled with white powder.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
A scoop was sticking out of the powder like it had just been used. Mickey's stomach dropped, but he tried to look unbothered. He thanked George and sent him to his room. Then he ran back upstairs and grabbed his boss, Mary, and showed her the canister George had just pointed out. Mary went white as a sheet. It was against the rules for Mickey to have given keys to a patient.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mary told Mickey that she did understand why he'd done it. They were so understaffed, he'd been desperate for help. But if anyone found out, they were both done for, and so they agreed to keep it a secret. Mary had kept her promise and said nothing, but Mickey eventually broke and told the story to the detective in Dr. Lidbeck's office.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Once the detective got Mickey's confession, they knew who had poisoned the eggs at the Oregon State Hospital and how they had done it. That fateful night, George had taken the keys to the storeroom and headed down to the basement. But he went into the wrong storeroom. He went into the right door, and he brought back a heaping scoop of white powder that he believed was powdered milk, but it wasn't.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He then poured that white powder into a vat of scrambled eggs, and in doing so, George had accidentally poisoned his fellow patients with sodium fluoride, aka cockroach poison. To this day, nobody knows why the poison was kept in that storeroom with the fruits and vegetables.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
In adults, a lethal dosage of sodium fluoride is just five to 10 grams, which is a bit more than what you'd find in a sugar packet. Well, George had accidentally spiked the eggs with five pounds of poison. In the end, the charges against Mickey the cook and his boss, Mary, were dismissed. The hospital was held liable since the real culprit was gross understaffing.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The only person who suffered any real consequences for the mistake was George, who was unable to leave Oregon State Hospital for another 41 years. George was never the same after that night. He couldn't forgive himself for what he'd done, even if it was just a tragic mistake. The patients who remembered the outbreak bullied him relentlessly for decades.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
And after a while, George started fighting back. He got into physical brawls on multiple occasions. And then in 1983, he got into a big altercation with an older inmate. And during it, George was severely injured and died as a result. From Ballin Studios and Wondery, this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, hosted by me, Mr. Ballin.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
A quick reminder, the content in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This episode was written by Aaron Lan. Our editor is Heather Dundas. Sound design is by Ryan Potesta. Coordinating producer is Sophia Martins. Our senior producer is Alex Benidon. Our associate producers and researchers are Sarah Vytak and Tasia Palaconda.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Fact-checking was done by Andrew Rosenblum. For Ballin Studios, our producer is Alyssa Tommenang. Our head of production is Zach Levitt. Executive producers are myself, Mr. Ballin, and Nick Witters. For Wondry, senior managing producer is Ryan Lohr. Our head of sound is Marcelino Villapondo. Our producer is Julie Magruder. Senior producers are Laura Donna Palavoda and Dave Schilling.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Our executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louis for Wondry. Hey, Prime members, you can binge eight new episodes of the Mr. Ballin podcast one month early and all episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. And before you go, please tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
This week's story is called Blood Feast. It was late in the afternoon on November 18, 1942. A cook named Mickey McKillop opened the lid of a giant metal vat, then asked his volunteer sous chef, 27-year-old George Nosen, to carry it over to an industrial oven.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Each week, I dive into some of the most bizarre, mind-bending medical stories you've ever heard. Cases that leave doctors scratching their heads, miraculous recoveries that defy logic, and strange medical mishaps that seem too wild to be real. These stories are more than just eerie. They are a reminder of how unpredictable and sometimes terrifying life can be.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey and George were starting to prepare dinner for almost 500 patients across five wards at the Oregon State Hospital, a public mental facility for psychiatric patients. Tonight's menu was scrambled egg yolks and toast, and Mickey, along with his boss, Mary O'Hare, were the only two cooks on duty.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The hospital had been understaffed for a year now, ever since the United States entered World War II. Many members of the nursing staff had left to volunteer for the war effort. During the day, there was about one attendant for every 16 patients, but at night, that number swelled to one attendant for every 150 patients.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey and Mary were so desperate for help in the kitchen that they had started asking trustworthy patients to help them prep for each meal. And one of those trustworthy patients was Mickey's volunteer sous chef, George Nosen. George placed a frozen 16-pound canister of eggs onto the countertop beside the oven. Mickey liked George, and he felt a little sorry for him too.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
George's parents had originally brought him to the hospital for help with his epilepsy, which is a disorder of the brain characterized by repeated seizures. At this time, people were just beginning to understand how epilepsy actually worked. George's parents most likely saw it as a mental condition, which is why they brought him to the state hospital.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
They probably didn't think he was crazy, they just wanted help with getting his seizures under control. But during George's initial evaluation, the staff psychologist would diagnose George with paranoid schizophrenia, and then they had George involuntarily committed for life. Mickey didn't understand how that was possible.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He'd never seen George hallucinate or get aggressive like the other patients with schizophrenia, but there was nothing he could do about it. And if he was being honest with himself, he was glad to have someone so mild-mannered and easygoing to help him in the kitchen. Mickey yanked the lid off the canister that George had just set down, revealing hundreds of thawing egg yolks.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
These days, a lot of the hospital's food supply came from federal surplus deliveries, since the government was rationing food to help the war effort. The egg whites were used in food that was sent overseas, and hospitals stateside got the leftover yolks. It was time to start cooking, so Mickey dumped out the canister into the metal vat.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He repeated the process two more times until the stove top was crowded with thawing eggs. He handed George a cup and asked for water, and then he lit the stove top so the eggs would warm faster. He let George dump the water into the vat, then the two of them started slicing bread loaves.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Once they were done, Mickey turned on the oven and laid all the bread slices across the metal grates to be toasted. Then he turned his attention back to the eggs. They were finally thawed, so Mickey asked George to grab some powdered milk. It was the only thing that made the egg yolks creamy enough to scramble.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
As Mickey stirred the eggs, he sent George to fetch something else, Postum powder, a caffeine-free coffee substitute they'd been getting from the government over the past year. Mickey even let George mix the drink himself. He'd never let a patient touch an actual dinner item before, so Mickey took a quick sip just to be safe. The Postum tasted like chalk, which meant it was made correctly.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He clapped George on the back and told him he'd done a great job. But that momentary taste test distracted Mickey just long enough for the eggs to start burning. Mickey cussed as he turned off the stovetop, wondering how to fix this. He threw in a palmful of salt and then gave the eggs a stir, and then they looked good as new.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Up next is one of my recent favorites from the series. Whether you're new to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries or a longtime listener, I think you'll find it just as captivating as I did. If you like this content, make sure to follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
When dinner was finally done, Mickey and George portioned the eggs and toast into buffet dishes and then loaded them onto a big cart for delivery that each of the five dining halls spread across the hospital's wards. By the time they got toward 5, hungry patients lined the hallway outside the cafeteria, urging Mickey and George to please hurry up. Finally, a bell rang and the lines began to move.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
From behind the buffet table, Mickey watched as the patients ladled scrambled eggs onto their plates. He helped serve them each a piece of toast and then sent the patients to sit at the long metal tables that ran the length of the dining hall. And as the patients all dug into their food, Mickey heard someone call out that the eggs were too salty.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey winced and felt bad because he knew he very well could have over salted them. And while Mickey was worrying about the eggs, another patient in the room took a long swig of Postum and then started to choke. One of the nurses walked over to pat the patient on the back, but instead of swallowing, the patient keeled over and threw up on the nurse's shoes.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The nurse shrieked and Mickey looked over and saw a red streak on the ground. It took him a second to realize that it wasn't vomit, it was blood. The patient then fell backwards onto the floor and those around him began to scream. The nurse bent over and tried to steady the man who was now having a seizure on the floor.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey ran over to help her, but before he could make it, another patient sent a spray of red blood shooting across the table. Mickey shouted for everyone to stop eating. but his warning came too late. More patients began throwing up blood. Others collapsed onto the floor, writhing in pain. Mickey didn't know what to do, so he just tried to catch patients as they fell.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
One nurse ran into the hallway and sounded an alarm. Mickey stooped over a patient who was clawing at his own face, saying he couldn't feel it. His lips were swollen and blue. He tried to help the man return to his seat, but the man collapsed back down to the floor and started saying that his legs were paralyzed.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Mickey was totally horrified and his hands trembled with fear, and he had no idea what could cause this terrible reaction people were having. Dr. William Lidbeck had just finished dinner when his phone rang at his home on the hospital grounds. When he picked it up, all he heard on the other end was screaming and shouting.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Then a panic-stricken nurse got on the line and begged him to run up to the hospital. Patients across four of the five wards were collapsing, they were vomiting blood, and now losing feeling in their faces and limbs. Dr. Lidbeck dropped his fork, ran out his front door, and tore across the lawn, heading for the side entrance of the main hospital building, a hundred yards from his cottage.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
We put out new episodes every week, and each one dives into a bizarre, mind-bending medical mystery that will leave you questioning what you thought you knew about the human body. In 1944, a doctor covered a deceased patient's body with a sheet and then wheeled their stretcher out into the hallway.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
With every step, the screaming he could hear grew louder. It sounded like every patient inside of the building was in agony. Moments later, the doctor flung the door open and stepped into the hallway, and the scene that greeted him was horrible. The hallway was full of patients sitting on the floor with their backs up against the wall, coughing blood into their laps.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
One man had been strapped to a gurney in the hallway, spasming wildly, blood running down the front of his shirt. His entire mouth was swollen and drool collected at the side of his lips. A nurse ran into the hallway and beckoned Dr. Lidbeck to come quickly. He followed her through a doorway into the cafeteria where he saw dozens of patients writhing on the floor.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The nurse that Dr. Lidbeck had followed dashed ahead of him. She knelt down beside one of the patients and started spoon-feeding him baking soda. Dr. Lidbeck caught up to her and asked what was going on. She admitted that the nursing staff had no idea what had caused this outbreak, but it had started right after the patients had begun their dinner.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
She didn't know how to reverse it, but she was just hoping that baking soda would help alleviate their stomach pain. The entire staff was running around in complete panic, trying to manage symptoms. Dr. Lidbeck took a deep breath and tried to push down his rising fear.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He'd never dealt with sudden illness on such a massive scale, but he knew that he couldn't do anything without the proper equipment. He had to get his medicine bag from his office on the second floor. He instructed the nurse to keep working, then ran out of the cafeteria and down the hallway. He turned the corner into the third ward, where the scene was exactly the same.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
It was full of patients covered in their own blood, writhing on the floor. Dr. Lidbeck had always prided himself on having a steely stomach, but this felt unbearable to watch. He rushed through the hallway, stepping over sick patients as he went, and ran up the stairs to the second floor. But as he left the stairwell, he stopped dead in his tracks.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The atmosphere in this ward was completely different. The hallway was empty. If it weren't for the screams echoing from downstairs, it would almost feel peaceful. As he walked past open doors, he saw all the patients tucked in their beds. They looked scared, but seemed to be otherwise fine. Dr. Lidbeck was confused. How was this ward so calm when the rest were full of chaos and vomiting patients?
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
A door opened at the end of the hallway, and the ward's head nurse, Allie Wassil, stepped out and walked toward him. Dr. Lidbeck thought she looked really pale. The nurse seemed very relieved to see Lidbeck, and she would tell him that she thought there had to be something wrong with the eggs from dinner.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
She said she had taken one bite and they had tasted so spoiled that she ordered all her patients not to eat them. And so her patients were fine, but she had been throwing up ever since. A chill ran through Dr. Lidbeck. He didn't know yet what was causing his patients to vomit blood, but now he knew it very likely had to be related to the eggs.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
It was the only thing all the patients had eaten that night, but it couldn't just be a case of spoiled food. An egg would have to be so rotten to cause this that it never would have been served in the first place. It would have been obviously bad. Then a realization dawned on him. If the eggs themselves were fine, it meant that something else had been put in the eggs that night.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He was glad that Nurse Wassil had not eaten more of them. Dr. Lidbeck told the head nurse that if she started feeling worse, to please come find him right away. And then the doctor ran back downstairs to tend to the sick patients. As Dr. Lidbeck went down a hallway, he passed by the hospital morgue. A nurse was wheeling a cupboard stretcher inside. One of the patients had died.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Dr. Lidbeck's blood ran cold, but he didn't have time to stop and mourn. There were hundreds of other patients still waiting for treatment, and so he didn't have a moment to lose. If you're listening to this podcast, then chances are good you are a fan of The Strange, Dark, and Mysterious. And if that's the case, then I've got some good news.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
We just launched a brand new Strange, Dark, and Mysterious podcast called Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries. And as the name suggests, it's a show about medical mysteries. a genre that many fans have been asking us to dive into for years, and we finally decided to take the plunge, and the show is awesome.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The morgue at the Oregon State Hospital was already full, so the doctor planned to put this body in the chapel. But when he pushed open the chapel doors, there were already so many stretchers with dead patients with sheets on them inside that there was no room for this patient. The doctor closed the chapel's heavy wooden doors and just stood there, his mind racing.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
In this free weekly show, we explore bizarre unheard of diseases, strange medical mishaps, unexplainable deaths, and everything in between. Each story is totally true and totally terrifying. Go follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts, and if you're a Prime member, you can listen early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Hey listeners, big news for true crime lovers.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
You can now enjoy this podcast ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime membership. Listen to all episodes of my podcasts, Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries and Mr. Ballin's Strange, Dark, and Mysterious Stories, along with a huge collection of top true crime podcasts completely ad-free. No more wading through cliffhangers or dealing with ads, because let's be honest.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
Ads shouldn't be the most nerve-wracking part of true crime. To start your ad-free listening journey, download the Amazon Music app for free or head to amazon.com slash ballin. That's amazon.com slash b-a-l-l-e-n. Dive into uninterrupted true crime stories today. About 16 hours later, in the late morning of November 19th, Oregon Governor Charles Sprague raced along the highway in his car.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
An hour earlier, Sprague had heard about last night's outbreak at the state hospital. Now he was on the way to the state capitol, where an emergency state board of control meeting would soon commence. From the moment the United States had entered the war, Sprague feared a morning like this.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
He was worried that the outbreak at the hospital was caused by sabotage, that the country's enemies had deliberately tampered with these eggs. He knew that the Oregon State Hospital received food rations from the government. The frozen eggs had been part of a shipment to the hospital six months ago. But those eggs had been separated from a much larger batch.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
It was entirely possible that someone had poisoned that larger supply, which was then sent around to various institutions throughout the country. Sprague worried that if someone had tampered with the egg supply, anywhere that had received eggs from that batch would suffer a similar attack. Sprague shuddered at the thought of a spy for the Axis powers poisoning innocent Americans.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
The Food and Drug Administration had already ordered all institutions that received these eggs to immediately stop using them. Sprague's driver stopped the car outside the front steps of the Capitol building. Once Sprague got out, he was greeted by an aide who walked with him up the stairs. The aide had just received word from the hospital.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast"
As of 10.30 that morning, 47 patients had died and their bodies were still lining the hospital hallways and another 350 patients were violently ill. As governor, Sprague needed to make sure that investigators had the resources necessary to investigate the egg tampering and find out who was behind it.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Hey, Prime members, you can binge eight new episodes of the Mr. Ballin podcast one month early and all episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Hey, it's Mr. Ballin here. If you're a fan of The Strange, Dark, and Mysterious, then you should check out my other podcast, Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
He'd been on edge the whole week worrying about his daughter. When he saw it wasn't her number, he felt relieved. But then he realized the person calling him had an area code from Sandusky, the town where Lauren lived. Brad's stomach tightened as he answered. It was one of Lauren's friends. She told Brad that Lauren was in the hospital and that she was not doing well.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
This time, Brad didn't hesitate. He raced home, threw some clothes in a suitcase, and sped off to make the seven-hour drive to Sandusky. Meanwhile, Lauren was waiting at the hospital for more test results. One of her close friends who had come to the ER was sitting next to her. When the doctor came back to Lauren, he gave her some good news.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Her test results had all come back negative, just like before. They couldn't explain what had happened to her at work, but physically she was fine and she could be discharged. Lauren thanked him, then she turned to her friend and said that it must have been another false alarm. But Lauren could tell her friend still looked worried.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
and deep in her heart, Lauren knew she wasn't okay, no matter what these tests said. Her symptoms might have temporarily gone away, but they were going to return, and as she thought about that, she began to feel this terrible dread come over her. Lauren asked the doctor if there was any other alternative to being discharged.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The doctor hesitated, and then he said, yes, there was, but it was drastic. Hey, listeners, big news for true crime lovers. You can now enjoy this podcast ad free on Amazon Music with your Prime membership.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Listen to all episodes of my podcasts, Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries and Mr. Ballin's Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories, along with a huge collection of top true crime podcasts completely ad free. No more wading through cliffhangers or dealing with ads, because let's be honest. Ads shouldn't be the most nerve-wracking part of true crime.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
To start your ad-free listening journey, download the Amazon Music app for free or head to amazon.com slash ballin. That's amazon.com slash b-a-l-l-e-n. Dive into uninterrupted true crime stories today. If you're listening to this podcast, then chances are good you are a fan of The Strange, Dark, and Mysterious. And if that's the case, then I've got some good news.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
From Ballin Studios and Wondery, I'm Mr. Ballin, and this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, where every week we will explore a new baffling mystery originating from the one place we all can't escape, our own bodies. If you liked today's story, please change the follow button's alarm clock sound to the song Tiptoe Through the Tulips and set it for 3 a.m. every day.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
We just launched a brand new Strange, Dark, and Mysterious podcast called Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries. And as the name suggests, it's a show about medical mysteries. a genre that many fans have been asking us to dive into for years, and we finally decided to take the plunge, and the show is awesome.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
In this free weekly show, we explore bizarre unheard of diseases, strange medical mishaps, unexplainable deaths, and everything in between. Each story is totally true and totally terrifying. Go follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts, and if you're a Prime member, you can listen early and ad-free on Amazon Music.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Seven hours later, Brad finally arrived at the hospital in Sandusky and he raced to the admissions desk. Just moments earlier, his daughter had called him with the stunning news that she was admitting herself into the psychiatric ward of the hospital. And so Brad, all he wanted to do was just get to his daughter.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Once he entered the patient area, Brad was greeted by a doctor and brought to Lauren's room. But he was only allowed to see her through a shatterproof glass window on her locked door. And what he saw shook him to the core. Lauren was writhing on the floor, screaming and begging to be let out.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She was trying to tear off her shirt, food was splattered on the walls, and an empty tray and plate were upside down on the floor. Brad was stunned. Lauren had called him just a couple of hours earlier and seemed fairly clear-headed, and so he didn't understand how her condition could have changed so drastically.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The doctor explained that he was giving Lauren medicine to treat schizophrenia, which is a serious mental disorder that causes people to hallucinate and experience delusions. They'd already started on her medication, but it would need time to take effect. Brad shook his head in disbelief.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
There was no history of mental illness in their family, and Lauren had always been so happy and well-adjusted. The doctor could only shrug. Schizophrenia did have a tendency to run in families, but it also struck out of the blue, usually in young adults any time between their late teens and early 20s, and Lauren was 25. The diagnosis was terrifying.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Rad was desperate to do something to help, but all he could do was wait for Lauren's medication to kick in. It was early in the morning when Brad left the hospital after Lauren had finally calmed down. He checked into a nearby hotel and sank into an exhausted sleep, thinking about his daughter and praying that she would be back to her normal self by the time he woke up.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
After sleeping for a few hours, Brad returned to the hospital. And when he got there, the nurse gave him a rundown of Lauren's condition. She said Lauren had begged the staff to use their hospital phone, and then when they said yes, she had called friends and relatives repeatedly, forgetting she'd already spoken with them. She'd also become very aggressive with the hospital staff.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Brad insisted on going into his daughter's room, so they unlocked her door and he walked in softly, not wanting to scare her. Lauren was sitting on a rumpled bed staring into the distance. Her hair was disheveled and there were dark circles under her eyes. He almost didn't even recognize her. Brad struggled to stay calm as he sat down next to Lauren.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
He tried to comfort her and asked her if she needed anything, but she didn't respond. The medications she was on didn't seem to be working, but the doctor said it could take a while to kick in. Without anything else to hold onto, Brad clung on to that hope. Over the next few days, Brad anxiously waited for Lauren to improve as doctors tried different combinations of medications.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
But on the fifth night after Lauren was admitted to the psych ward, things got even worse. Brad had gone back to his hotel and in a routine that had become too familiar, a phone call startled him awake. It was someone from the hospital. Lauren had experienced a massive seizure and was being transferred to the ICU for further testing.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Brad ran to his car, and by the time he arrived at the ICU, Lauren was heavily sedated. He flagged down a doctor in the hall and bombarded her with questions, but it was clear that the doctor was just as much in the dark as he was. All she knew was that Lauren was in critical condition, and they were trying to figure out what was wrong.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Afterward, in the waiting room, Brad called friends and family to update them. He tried to piece together everything that had happened to her in the last several weeks, hunting for any clues that might explain her illness. But all he had was a long list of strange symptoms and events. Brad didn't know what to do, but he was desperate for answers.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And so he began mentally going through his list of friends who might have some perspective that could be useful right now about Lauren. And as he did this, one name came up that he and Lauren both had in common, Ken Zemanek. Ken was the father of twin girls who were Lauren's best friends from childhood, and he was also a psychiatrist.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And so Brad hoped Ken could provide some perspective about Lauren's mental state. When he got Ken on the phone, Brad was afraid that Ken would tell him the same things as all the other doctors. That it was possible Lauren had schizophrenia, or that Brad just needed to be patient and wait for more test results.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
But once Brad finished going through Lauren's extensive list of strange symptoms, Ken didn't say a word. After a long pause, he said that the hallucinations and mood swings did point to a mental issue. But what troubled Ken was the seizure. Schizophrenia couldn't have caused that to happen.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Ken paused again and then told Brad he did have another thought, one that could potentially explain everything that had been happening to Lauren. He described it as a, quote, rare bird or extremely rare condition. He suggested that Brad ask Lauren's doctors to test her for this rare condition. Brad listened intently. It was a long shot, but it was all he had.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
After Brad hung up with Ken, Brad googled anything he could find about this rare disease Ken had mentioned. And the more he read about it, the more convinced he became that it was what was happening to Lauren. Brad headed straight to the nurse's station and asked to speak with one of Lauren's doctors right away.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
This week's story is called Rare Bird. It was past midnight in June of 2020 in Sandusky, Ohio, and 25-year-old Lauren Wells lay in her bed wide awake. She had to be up early for work and had been trying to fall asleep for hours. But all night long, the faint sound of music coming from her upstairs neighbors had made sleep impossible. The tune they kept playing was extremely irritating.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
For the first time since Lauren's nightmare had started, he felt a real glimmer of hope. The on-duty doctor arrived, and Brad told him about his conversation with Ken Zemanek. But the doctor was hesitant to test for it right away. The condition Brad described was incredibly unusual, and they needed to test for more common conditions first.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Brad immediately tried speaking with another one of Lauren's doctors to see if maybe they would test for it, but that doctor said the same thing. They were going to test for common things first. And this doctor would say that in their entire career, they had never seen a patient with something that rare before.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And so a parade of specialists marched in and out of Lauren's room, but every test they ran was inconclusive. As the hours ticked by, Brad's frustration grew. The next morning, Brad arrived at the hospital and headed straight to the ICU. As he walked down the hallway leading to Lauren's room, he heard a commotion of voices and the sound of beeping monitors.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
He ran into his daughter's room and saw a team of doctors hovering over Lauren. She was lying motionless on the bed and her eyes were closed. Brad stood there in shocked silence until a doctor noticed him and rushed over. He told Brad that Lauren's vital signs were dropping and they were working to get her stabilized.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And so Brad needed to leave and go to the waiting area until the situation was under control. But Brad was sick of waiting in a medical twilight zone. His daughter was on the verge of death and they still had no idea what was wrong with her. He demanded they run the tests that he had requested about this rare illness. The doctor hesitated, but then nodded.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
He finally admitted that they were hitting a total brick wall and were at an absolute loss. But they were at a small community hospital, and so their resources were very limited to both test and treat Lauren for this rare condition if she were to have it. And so if Brad wanted to get her the help she needed, they'd have to transfer her to the Cleveland Clinic, which was over an hour away.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
However, getting there was a huge risk. Lauren was so weak, she could die on the transit. Brad was facing the biggest decision of his life, but he didn't hesitate. A few minutes later, Lauren was loaded into the back of an ambulance, headed for the Cleveland Clinic. Brad followed behind in his car, praying his daughter could hold on just a little longer.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
When the ambulance finally arrived at the clinic, a medical team was waiting. Brad quickly parked his car and joined them as the team grabbed the gurney that Lauren was on and rushed her towards the entrance. Brad tried to stay calm as he watched them wheel her to the neurological ICU. Lauren's heartbeat barely registered and she was having trouble breathing on her own.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The doctors told Brad that her brain had also begun to swell and so they needed to put her into a medically induced coma to help bring the swelling down. Lauren was given a strong sedative through an IV drip to put her into a state of unconsciousness.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She was then hooked up to a ventilator that went into her mouth and down her throat to keep her breathing and a feeding tube was inserted inside her nose and down into her stomach. Brad tried not to show how scared he was, but he knew Lauren was hanging on by a thread.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Brad spent the next several hours anxiously pacing in the lobby of the ICU while the heads of several departments at the Cleveland Clinic teamed up in an attempt to save Lauren's life. Finally, one of Lauren's doctors walked in with the results of Lauren's newest round of tests. The doctor was incredulous. Brad and his good friend, Ken Zemanek, had been right.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Lauren was sick with something that was so unheard of, most doctors would never think to even test for it. She had a disease called anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Anti-NMDAR is extremely rare, affecting only one out of 1.5 million people per year. It had only been identified 13 years earlier in 2007.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The disease causes severe inflammation of the brain, which then results in hallucinations and a total psychotic breakdown. This explained almost all of Lauren's symptoms, like hearing the strange music and the seagulls and the sticky feelings on her hands and feet, but it turned out that NMDAR by itself wasn't what caused Lauren to get so sick.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Each week, I dive into some of the most bizarre, mind-bending medical stories you've ever heard. Cases that leave doctors scratching their heads, miraculous recoveries that defy logic, and strange medical mishaps that seem too wild to be real. These stories are more than just eerie. They are a reminder of how unpredictable and sometimes terrifying life can be.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The doctor explained that the disease usually signified a deeper, even rarer underlying condition, which would have caused Lauren's other symptoms, like the pain in her side and the frequent need to urinate. Those symptoms were caused by a tumor in her ovary called a teratoma. Teratomas usually strike young women.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Sometimes it was very generic sounding, like elevator music. Then it seemed to switch to some kind of strange experimental jazz. Lauren had just moved into her apartment and didn't want to cause any trouble with her new neighbors, but they clearly were not stopping anytime soon. So she finally climbed out of bed and grabbed her broom.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
This kind of tumor is made up of tissue from other parts of the body, like hair, muscle, nerve, organ, or bone. Normally, when the immune system recognizes a tumor in the body, it creates antibodies to try and kill it off. However, the specific type of antibodies formed from a teratoma can end up targeting more than just the tumor. They can also attack the brain and cause anti-NMDAR.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
In trying to defend her body against this tumor, Lauren's brain had accidentally attacked itself. Brad nearly collapsed from relief. They had a clear-cut answer for what Lauren was up against. It meant they weren't working in the dark. Now they just needed to get the tumor out. A surgeon removed the teratoma the next morning. It was 13 centimeters long, so more than 5 inches long.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And unfortunately, it was malignant, which meant Lauren needed chemotherapy in order to fully recover. For the next two weeks, Lauren stayed in a medically induced coma. Once she was finally awakened, she couldn't remember anything that had happened to her. She had to relearn how to walk and how to talk, but day by day, she got stronger and was finally well enough to go home.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Six months later, Lauren got the news they'd all been hoping for. She was now officially cancer-free. After a full recovery, she went on to graduate from school and earned an advanced degree. Then in April of 2022, she took a new job as executive director of a senior living facility. She never heard phantom elevator music or seagulls again.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
From Ballin Studios and Wondery, this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, hosted by me, Mr. Ballin. A quick reminder, the content in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This episode was written by Steve Chivers. Our editor is Heather Dundas. Sound design is by Matthew Cilelli. Coordinating producer is Sophia Martins.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Our senior producer is Alex Benidon. Our associate producers and researchers are Sarah Vytak, Natalie Bettendorf, and Tasia Palaconda. Fact-checking was done by Sheila Patterson. For Ballin Studios, our producer is Alyssa Tommenang. Our head of production is Zach Levitt. Executive producers are myself, Mr. Ballin, and Nick Witters. For Wondery, senior managing producer is Ryan Lohr.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Our head of sound is Marcelino Villapondo. Our producer is Julie McGruder. Senior producers are Laura Donna Polivoda, Dave Schilling, and Matt Olmos. Our executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louis for Wondery. Hey, Prime members, you can binge eight new episodes of the Mr. Ballin podcast one month early and all episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And before you go, please tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She was just about to knock on the ceiling with her broom when the direction of the music suddenly changed. Now it sounded like it was coming from next door. Lauren shook her head in frustration. She didn't want to start a fight with the entire complex. So she climbed back into her bed and threw her pillow over her head. She could still hear the music, but eventually she drifted off to sleep.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The next morning at 8 a.m., Lauren arrived at her job as a nursing home administrator. She had just been hired two months ago, and she was proud that she'd gotten this position at such a young age. Running the nursing home was Lauren's dream job. She loved interacting with the elderly residents and wanted to make a difference in their lives.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
So even though she was running on fumes at this point from a lack of sleep, Lauren pushed through the day, checking in on staff and residents and running various meetings. Thankfully, it was a Friday, so Lauren had the weekend to look forward to. She and her friends were heading to one of the islands off of Lake Erie, which is one of the Great Lakes.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Lauren hoped some time outdoors would help her regain some energy. And the weekend getaway was just what she needed. The sun was out, there was a gentle breeze over the lake, and the water was cool and refreshing. Lauren was excited to reconnect with her best friends, and on their first night out, they went out to dance and have some drinks.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She forgot about work and her annoying neighbors and just enjoyed herself. But as the evening progressed, Lauren found herself using the bathroom more than usual, but she figured it was just because she was drinking. A little while later, when she was on the dance floor, she felt a sharp pain on her left side. The pain stayed with her the rest of the night.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She thought it was menstrual cramps and did her best to ignore them. Nothing was going to stop her from having a fun weekend. And by the time she got home Sunday night, she was feeling better, just like she had hoped. But soon after Lauren stepped into her apartment, her good mood evaporated. Her neighbors were playing that annoying elevator music again.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The faint melodies seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Lauren dropped her bags and shook her head. She wasn't going to let this upset her. It was late and she knew she needed to get some sleep. So she unpacked and got ready for bed. But just like before, it was impossible to relax with that music coming through the walls.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She tossed and turned for hours until finally exhaustion overtook her. When Monday morning rolled around, Lauren was definitely not feeling well. She figured she was paying for her weekend of partying, so she tried to shake it off. She made herself a cup of coffee and got on the treadmill for her daily run.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
But she'd only been on the treadmill for a minute when once again, she felt an intense pain in her left side and had to stop running. It almost felt like someone was punching her hard, but from the inside. This pain went far beyond menstrual cramps. She figured something else had to be going on. Lauren thought back to everything she did at Lake Erie.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Up next is one of my recent favorites from the series. Whether you're new to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries or a longtime listener, I think you'll find it just as captivating as I did. If you like this content, make sure to follow Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She wondered if she had pulled a muscle while she was out swimming. It didn't seem likely, but she couldn't think of anything else that would explain the pain. Lauren had no idea how she was going to get through the day, much less the week, but she didn't want to call in sick. She was still new to her job and people were counting on her.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
So she slowly got dressed while wincing in pain and got ready for work. And as she did, she thought to herself, at least her neighbors weren't playing that God awful music. Once Lauren arrived at work, she did her morning rounds and sat down at her desk to take care of some paperwork. But as hard as she tried, she just couldn't focus. There was something distracting her.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
It was that weird music she kept hearing in her apartment. It made no sense that the same music would be playing in the nursing home. Lauren looked around just to see if there were any speakers nearby, but there was none. She tried to ignore the disjointed melody, but it was impossible. It seemed like it was coming from everywhere. But then she realized something that made her heart start racing.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
If there really wasn't any music actually playing right now, that could only mean one thing. The music was only happening in her head. She wondered if she was going crazy, but before she jumped to any conclusions, Lauren thought of someone who might be able to help her. She had a friend who was an audiologist, which is a doctor that specializes in hearing.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Lauren called her right away and explained what was going on. She described the strange repetitive sound and said it was following her everywhere. Lauren's friend listened patiently, then told her that what she was describing sounded upsetting, but it actually wasn't uncommon. She promised that Lauren was not going crazy.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She said that sometimes people can hear melodies in everyday noises, like busy traffic or the hum of air conditioners. And just like songs that get stuck in your head, these sounds can do the same thing. Since Lauren was clearly so tired, she was probably more susceptible to hearing these noises.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Her friend was sure that once Lauren just got some quality sleep, this weird music she was hearing would go away. Lauren was relieved, but also frustrated. The music was actually the thing keeping her from sleeping in the first place. But she was glad to know that if she could just get some rest, maybe her life would go back to normal.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
As the week went by, Lauren did her best to stay relaxed, but the music in her head just would not stop, and it continued to make sleep nearly impossible. And so a few days after talking to her friend, Lauren again dragged herself to work, and as she headed down the hall toward her office, she noticed a new odd sensation.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
We put out new episodes every week, and each one dives into a bizarre, mind-bending medical mystery that will leave you questioning what you thought you knew about the human body. In the summer of 2020, a desperate father ran alongside a stretcher in the ICU of an Ohio hospital, holding his daughter's limp hand. She was on a ventilator and was about to be put into a medically induced coma.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Her hands felt like they were covered in a thick layer of dirt, and they felt sticky too, almost as if a glue stick had melted in her palm. She kept scrubbing her hands with soap and hot water, but she couldn't get them to feel clean. Lauren was totally confused. She'd never felt anything like this before. And it wasn't long before that same sensation spread to her feet.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Lauren felt like her socks were glued to her toes. At first, it was just a little bit irritating, but then it became totally unbearable. She started going barefoot at work, which helped a little bit. She realized it was weird, but she couldn't stand the thought of putting her shoes and socks back on.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Lauren was afraid that there was a connection between her auditory hallucinations and now her hands and feet feeling dirty all the time. But she had no idea what that connection could be. Lauren's instinct was telling her to go see a doctor, but she imagined how ridiculous it would all sound. She hung on to what her friend, the audiologist, had told her about feeling better with some rest.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
And so Lauren convinced herself that this was the weekend she would finally get some sleep and all these problems would just finally go away. That Saturday night, more than two weeks after her strange symptoms had begun, Lauren climbed into bed exhausted. She tried to ignore the strange soundtrack playing in her head, her sticky hands and feet, and the dull pain still in her left side.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She pulled the comforter up to her chin, and she tried to meditate, letting the sounds of birds outside her window lull her to sleep. But after a few minutes, Lauren's eyes flew open. She realized that the birds singing outside her window were seagulls. Seagulls live near water, and there was not an ocean or a lake anywhere near her.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The seagulls got louder and louder, and finally sounded like they might just fly right into a room at any second. Lauren knew that no amount of rest was going to make them go away, because just like the music, these squawking seagulls were in her head. She couldn't wait any longer. She needed to see a doctor.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Almost 500 miles away in Easton, Pennsylvania, Lauren's father, Brad, was sound asleep at home when his phone rang. He saw Lauren's name on the caller ID and felt his stomach tighten. She wouldn't be calling so late if something wasn't wrong. After he answered the phone, Lauren told him what had been going on for the past couple of weeks.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She had reached the point where she was so worried about her symptoms that she was heading to the emergency room to get checked out. Brad could hear the panic in her voice, and that made him scared. He was fully awake now, calculating how long it would take him to drive to Ohio.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
He jumped out of bed and reached for his clothes, telling Lauren he was on his way, but she told him he should stay home. She wanted to see what the doctor had to say before he made such a long trip. Brad reluctantly agreed to hold off, but he told Lauren to call as soon as she had any answers. 30 minutes after talking to her father, Lauren arrived at the emergency room.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She took a breath and then described her symptoms to the admissions nurse, expecting to get some strange looks. But the nurse just nodded and took some notes. Then Lauren was sent back to see a doctor who performed an exam and drew her blood. Lauren waited anxiously as they processed her results. And after a little while, the doctor approached Lauren's hospital bed.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She searched his face, looking for any sign of concern, but his expression seemed totally relaxed. He told Lauren that her tests were completely normal. He didn't think anything was really wrong with her. As he spoke, he flipped through her chart and asked about her work. She explained she'd recently moved and started a new job.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
The doctor nodded and said he understood, and he said, you know, Lauren, you're probably just stressed. And then he prescribed her some anti-anxiety medication, and he gave her an order to see a psychiatrist. Lauren was frustrated with the doctor's diagnosis, but he seemed to be certain there wasn't anything else going on with her.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
So Lauren left the ER feeling somewhat unsettled, and on the way home, she called her father, Brad. Lauren could always rely on him to be supportive and honest with her. She told him how annoyed she was that all these doctors just assumed she was stressed because of her new job. But she was thriving there and loved the new challenge. It didn't make sense to put the blame solely on stress.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Her dad said he totally understood her frustration, but the doctors knew what they were doing. He asked Lauren to at least start taking the anti-anxiety medication. With any luck, they'd let her get some sleep, and then at that point, with a clear head, she could reassess her situation. Lauren was not convinced, but she promised her dad that she would try.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Later that week, Lauren drove to work as usual. She'd been taking her anxiety medication, but so far, it really wasn't helping. She still heard all the mysterious music playing everywhere she went, and so she really wasn't getting more than an hour or two of sleep at night. She gulped down some strong black coffee, but nothing could cut through her brain fog.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She'd been a zombie at work all week, often losing track of what she was supposed to be doing. Lauren turned into the parking lot, pulled into her parking spot, and then got out of her car, and as she walked towards the building, she left the engine running and her keys in the ignition, and her laptop and purse were still on the passenger seat. Lauren entered the conference room in a daze.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
Just a few weeks earlier, she had been completely fine, but now she was inches from death. Her doctors had no idea what was wrong with her. All they knew was that whatever was going on, it had started when she began hearing a mysterious song.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She felt like she was moving in slow motion, and she barely registered the team of nurses who were already there for the weekly staff meeting. Lauren sat down at the table and tried to read the agenda, but the words looked like a jumble of hieroglyphics. At some point, Lauren tried to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She looked at the faces of her colleagues, who were now staring at her in confusion, and suddenly Lauren realized she had no idea how she had gotten there or what she was supposed to do. The nurses who were at the meeting with Lauren could tell something was wrong with her. They helped Lauren lie down on a nearby sofa and took her blood pressure, which was extremely high.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She could hear another nurse calling 911. Lauren tried not to panic, but the fear was overwhelming. Then her mind went totally blank. By the time the ambulance arrived, Lauren was starting to come out of her trance-like state. The fog that had been clouding her mind had lifted, and she felt more clear-headed than she had in a long time.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She insisted that she did not need to go to the hospital, but the staff wouldn't hear of it. And so, after some gentle coaxing, they convinced Lauren to get in the ambulance. The paramedics took Lauren to a local hospital where doctors ran a series of tests. As she waited for the results, she felt surprisingly calm.
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Medical Mysteries - "A Rare Bird"
She was so relaxed that she began texting her friends to come hang out with her in the hospital. She said she was having a great time. Lauren's friends were taken aback by these text messages. They knew what she was going through, and this just didn't sound like her at all. A little while later, Lauren's father, Brad, was busy at work when his cell phone rang.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
Hey, it's me, Mr. Ballin. Thank you so much for listening to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries. Our studio, Ballin Studios, has another incredible brand new podcast for you to listen to, and it's hosted by none other than Nexpo, a YouTube creator with millions of subscribers on his channel.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
Nexpo is truly an incredible storyteller, and now he's launching his podcast with new and exclusive stories you can't find anywhere else. It's called Late Nights with Nexpo, and each week, Nexpo will bring you a terrifying story that will absolutely shake you to your core.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
From the most bizarre unsolved mysteries, to going down the internet's creepiest rabbit holes, to chilling true crime, Nexpo will explore the stories that actually keep him up at night. And if they're keeping him up, I'm pretty sure you'll want to listen with the lights on. or off, depending on how much you like to scare yourself. Either way, one thing's for sure, you'll be hooked.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
So now, I am proud to present you a full episode of Late Nights with Nexpo. It's called Madness on the Mountain, and in it, Nexpo dives into an eerie mystery of death and survival, which still stumps people today. In 1993, seven hikers set out into the Camar de Bon mountains, but only one returned alive. And the reason for their sudden, violent deaths has never been explained.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ballen Studios Presents: Late Nights with Nexpo
So what happened on that mountain? After you finish listening to the episode, please go follow Late Nights with Nexpo wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes of Late Nights with Nexpo will come out every Wednesday. Enjoy.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Hey Prime members, you can binge episodes 73 through 80 right now and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. On the afternoon of Saturday, October 30th, 1948, a teenage boy wearing an orange and black uniform ran across his high school's football field. He searched the sky for a pass from his quarterback, but a thick layer of fog had rolled in that made it impossible to see.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Dr. Roth realized he was all alone in his office. He held onto a desk and tried to steady himself, but he kept hacking until he felt nauseous. He managed to make it to the bathroom before he actually vomited. And then after that, he stumbled to the bathroom sink and splashed cold water on his face.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
His heart was racing and his whole body felt weak, but he knew he couldn't just stand there because he still felt faint. So he rushed towards the back room where drugs were stored and grabbed a vial of adrenaline and a clean syringe. With his hands shaking, Dr. Roth filled the syringe, poked the needle through his pant leg into his thigh and injected himself with adrenaline.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And after that, he just collapsed into his office chair. After a few moments, Dr. Roth took a big, deep breath. He sat there for several minutes, relishing how good it felt to breathe again. And as he slowly calmed back down, Dr. Roth tried to figure out what had just happened to him. Just like the patients he'd been visiting all day, he'd had what seemed like a sudden, very severe asthma attack.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
But why? He felt sure that something in the air, in the fog, was causing people all over town, including him, to nearly suffocate. But what? Fog was normal in Donora. So what was different about it this time? As he was thinking it over, Dr. Roth opened up a drawer in his desk, and out of pure habit, he grabbed a cigar. Without thinking, he struck a match with the cigar and took a puff.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And immediately, he launched into another uncontrollable coughing fit. Meanwhile, Helen was on her way back to work after her dinner break. She walked through the fog and passed a crowd of people gathered on McKean Avenue. There were adults and kids, all dressed up in festive costumes. Helen knew they were all waiting for the annual Halloween parade to begin.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
But she couldn't think about candy and costumes right now. She was too preoccupied with getting back to work and making sure her patients were okay. She soon made it to the brownstone and went upstairs to the doctor's office. And right when she opened the door, she heard the phone ring. But before she could answer it, she heard something else.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
There was a groaning sound coming from the back hallway. It made the hair on the back of Helen's neck stand up because Dr. Kohler and Dr. Roth were supposed to be at home on their dinner breaks. Helen should have been alone at the office. She followed the groaning sound back to Dr. Roth's private office, and she opened the door to find one of her bosses slumped in his chair.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
His face was bright red and drenched in sweat, he was wheezing, and his eyes were huge and terrified. But somehow, Dr. Roth spoke, and he told Helen he was okay. He just needed to catch his breath. Helen did not believe him. But she could still hear the phone ringing, and Dr. Roth told her to just go answer it.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And so perhaps against her better judgment, she turned and left, and when she got back into the waiting room to answer the phone, she now saw there were a few patients that had come inside. She gestured to let them know she'd be with them in a second, and then she answered the phone. But this time, Helen didn't hear a patient begging for help.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
She heard her other boss, Dr. Kohler, and his voice sounded strained. He said that ever since he had left the office earlier that afternoon, he'd been struggling to breathe too. and he said he didn't know when he'd be able to come back to work.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Helen said okay, but it really was not okay, because as she stood there holding the phone to her ear, the office door swung open and more coughing, wheezing patients tumbled inside. Helen felt so confused and helpless. Half the town was outside enjoying the Halloween parade, totally oblivious to what was happening.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Meanwhile, the phone wouldn't stop ringing and patients were flooding into the doctor's office one after another. And the doctors, Dr. Kohler and Dr. Roth, were both deathly ill and no one actually knew what was causing any of this. Helen felt like she had no choice but to close the office because there was nothing Dr. Kohler or Dr. Roth could do for anybody.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
So she hung up the phone and turned around and told the patients gathered in the waiting room that she was very sorry, but they would have to leave and go to a different doctor's office for help. About seven hours later, a man named Rudolf Schwerha was lying in bed with his wife. They were both fast asleep until the sound of the phone ringing jolted them awake.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Rudolph rolled over, looked at the clock on his bedside table and sighed. It was 2 a.m., which meant the call could not be good news. And that was because Rudolph was both a mortician and the county coroner. He lived right above the funeral home that he owned and operated, and he only got calls in the middle of the night if somebody had died.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Rudolph picked up the phone and said hello, and sure enough, the woman on the other end, a dispatcher at the local sheriff's office, said a 70-year-old man had passed away about half an hour earlier. She said he'd suddenly developed severe respiratory symptoms and stopped breathing. Rudolph did not ask any follow-up questions, because it was 2 a.m.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
and he wasn't really thinking straight, and also because he was totally unaware of the mysterious illness currently plaguing Donora. He just asked the woman for the address and then said he would send his hearse, pick up the man's remains. Rudolph then called his hearse driver and explained the situation and the driver said he was on it and would bring the remains back to the funeral home soon.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Rudolph hung up and while his wife went back to sleep, he laid there awake in bed and listened for the sound of the hearse pulling into his driveway. He figured the driver would show up within minutes because the address was only two blocks away. but half an hour passed by before Rudolph finally heard a car's engine rumbling outside.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Rudolph was about to get up to go greet the driver, but as soon as he threw back the covers, his phone rang again. And again, it's the middle of the night, and so these calls are not good news. Rudolph noticed his wife had just woken up and she sat up next to him looking confused. Rudolph picked up the phone and said hello, and he was surprised to hear that another person had passed away.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And like the first, they'd suddenly developed severe breathing problems and then just died. Two deaths within an hour of each other was unusual in a town as small as Donora. And it was even more strange for two people to just suddenly stop breathing. Rudolph didn't know what was going on, but now he felt uneasy, and he decided he should go with his driver to the next address.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
So Rudolph told his wife he'd be back soon, then he got dressed and hurried outside. A few minutes later, Rudolph rode in the passenger seat while his hearse driver inched down the street. It had taken the driver so long to get to the funeral home because the fog outside had somehow gotten even worse. It was like a solid gray wall.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
As the driver slowly inched forward, Rudolph stared intently out the windshield, desperately trying to somehow see through the fog. They were headed to a neighborhood on the opposite side of the Monongahela River. And to get there, they would have to drive across a very thin road right next to a cliff.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
From Ballin Studios and Wondery, I'm Mr. Ballin, and this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, where every week we will explore a new baffling mystery originating from the one place we all can't escape, our own bodies. So if you like today's story, please go to a store the follow button is currently shopping at and page them over the intercom to tell them their car is being towed.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And so Rudolph, naturally, was very concerned that they might accidentally drive right off of it. So when they neared the cliff, Rudolph told the driver to stop and said he wanted to drive, but he would still need the driver's help. While Rudolph got behind the wheel of the hearse, the driver got outside and stood in front of the car.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Then he used a flashlight to guide Rudolph through the fog and make sure the car didn't slip off the side of the cliff. And so Rudolph gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles and did his best to drive as carefully as he could. He knew they would only need to cover a very short distance, but every inch on that cliff felt like torture.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they made it past the cliff and into the neighborhood. They picked up the deceased person's body and then turned right back around and did the same process of slowly driving past the cliff. And then finally, once they were on the other side, they headed back to the funeral home. And by the time they finally got back there, it was almost sunrise.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And Rudolph's wife at this point was wide awake standing by the front door. And the totally overwhelmed look on her face made Rudolph's stomach drop. He didn't need to ask her what was wrong. He could tell by the bags under her eyes that she must have been up all night answering phone calls intended for him, meaning more people must have died.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
So, as soon as Rudolph and the driver had moved the second body into the funeral home, they got back in the car to go pick up another, and then another, and another. By 10 a.m., there were nine bodies waiting in the morgue, and the phone kept on ringing. Four hours later, at 2 p.m. on that Saturday afternoon, a man named August Shambone pulled into the driveway of a stately home in Donora.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
August was the town mayor, but he'd recently been away on business. So when he walked inside, he immediately went to the pile of messages his family had written down for him while he was gone. And as he worked his way down the stack of paper, his face went pale.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Like many people in Donora, August had had no idea that a mystery illness was suffocating people to death all over town, until he saw all these panicked messages from residents, doctors, and morticians begging him for help. August realized he had a very serious emergency on his hands.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Donora didn't have a single hospital, and several of the town's doctors were too sick themselves to work, so people who fell ill literally didn't have anywhere to turn. Meanwhile, bodies were piling up. Between Rudolph's funeral home and the others in town, the death toll was now at 11 people.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And based on the calls he'd received, August estimated that hundreds, maybe even thousands more people were sick. August spent the rest of the day doing whatever he could to help.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
He worked with local nurses to create emergency medical stations, he called in doctors from out of town to come help, he had extra oxygen and inhalers shipped into Donora, he even called the state health department for backup. But at the same time, August didn't make any emergency announcements. But in fairness, he didn't really have a way to.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Donora didn't have a local TV or radio news station, and the newspaper was only published on weekdays. And since this disaster had happened on a weekend, the only way for news to travel was by word of mouth. So while half the town did their best to deal with this mysterious outbreak, the other half was blissfully unaware, carrying on business as usual.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
When they run out to go deal with it, steal their shopping cart. This episode is called Darkness in Donora. On the morning of Friday, October 29th, 1948, a young woman named Helen Stack woke up inside her modest home in the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania. And as soon as Helen opened her eyes, she started coughing. Her throat had been sore for a few days, but this morning it felt even worse.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
The local high school even went ahead with their scheduled football game, even though their players literally couldn't see more than a few feet across the field. But finally, after what felt like one of the longest days of his life, August felt like he needed to call a town meeting. Everybody needed to know what was going on.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
However, he couldn't get everybody from the city council and the board of health together until the following morning. And so first thing the next morning, which was Sunday, October 31st, August made his way through the thick gray fog to a government building downtown. There, he met with a bunch of community leaders to discuss what was going on.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And they all agreed that the fog must have something to do with it. But there were a lot of questions that nobody could answer, like what made this fog different? And why was it making some people sick and even killing some people while others seemed totally unaffected by it? They couldn't make sense of it, let alone figure out how to stop it.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Then at some point during their conversation, August began to hear rain pattering down on the roof. He looked out the window and saw the drizzle turn into a full-on downpour, and he watched in amazement as the rain seemed to wash the fog away. The thick gray clouds that had hung over Denora for nearly a week disappeared in minutes. And with it, the mysterious illness disappeared too.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Just like that, the phones at Denora's doctor's offices stopped ringing. It would take years for public health researchers to understand what had happened during that October week in Donora, Pennsylvania. And that's because there was essentially a large-scale misinformation campaign to hide the truth. However, eventually, the truth came out.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
The so-called fog that blanketed Donora that week was not actually normal Donora fog. It was smog from Donora's many industrial mills. These mills manufactured steel, zinc, and sulfuric acid, and as part of that process, they pumped dangerous chemical byproducts directly into the air. Normally, the smog would float up towards the sky and dissipate quickly.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
But during October 1948, Denora was hit by a very rare weather event called a temperature inversion, which in short, kept these dangerous chemicals down at street level for days. It worked like this. Usually, air is warmest near the surface of the Earth and gets colder as it goes upward towards the sky. But during a temperature inversion, this gets flipped around.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Warm air moves into the space above cold air and traps the heavier cold air underneath it. And when this happened in Denora, which was situated inside a natural bowl in the earth, the warm air was almost like putting a lid on top of that bowl. And so the deadly chemical byproducts from the mills were trapped, turning the air in Denora into a concentrated poison.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
But because fog was so normal in the valley, most people didn't think anything of it. Plus, throughout that very consequential week, and for years afterwards, the owners of the mills insisted they were not to blame, putting out a blizzard of misleading information to defend themselves. They claimed the weather was the problem, not the chemical byproducts.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And many locals believed this, because they didn't want the mills to shut down. Two-thirds of the men in Donora worked there, and the majority of families in town depended on that income. All told, at least 70 people died as a result of what became known as the Denora smog, and over 4,000 people were sickened. Experts said that x-rays of survivors' lungs looked like victims of chemical warfare.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
The Denora smog incident was the worst air pollution disaster in United States history, but it also sparked a national conversation about air pollution and the need for better industrial safety regulations. Two years later, in 1950, the US held its first ever National Air Pollution Conference. After that, progress was slow but steady.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
The nation's first major air pollution law was passed in 1963, and the Environmental Protection Agency was formed in 1970. As of today, all of Donora's industrial mills have been shut down. There's now a museum in that town that commemorates those who lost their lives during Donora's smog and proudly displays the slogan, Clean Air Started Here.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Hey, Prime members, you can listen to new episodes of Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. And also, Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries ad-free. Join Wondery Plus today. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at listenersurvey.com.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
From Ballin Studios and Wondery, this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, hosted by me, Mr. Ballin. A quick note about our stories. They are all inspired by true events, but we do sometimes use pseudonyms to protect the people involved, and also some details are fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
She thought she might be coming down with a cold, but Helen was not the kind of person to let a minor illness slow her down. So she still got out of bed, got dressed, and then drank some coffee and ate breakfast before starting her walk to work. From where her house stood near the top of a hill, Helen could sometimes see the entire town.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And a reminder, the content in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This episode was written by Karis Allen Pash Cooper. Our editor is Heather Dundas. Sound design is by Ryan Patesta. Our senior managing producer is Nick Ryan. And our coordinating producer is Taylor Sniffen. Our senior producer is Alex Benidon.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Our associate producers and researchers are Sarah Bytack and Tasia Palaconda. Fact-checking was done by Sheila Patterson. For Ballin Studios, our head of production is Zach Levitt. Script editing by Scott Allen and Evan Allen. Our coordinating producer is Samantha Collins. Production support by Avery Siegel. Executive producers are myself, Mr. Ballin, and also Nick Witters.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
For Wondery, our head of sound is Marcelino Villapando. Senior producers are Laura Donna Palavoda and Dave Schilling. Senior managing producer is Ryan Moore. Our executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louis for Wondery.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Donora sat inside of a valley right on the banks of the Monongahela River, surrounded on three sides by 400-foot-tall cliffs. On the fourth side were rolling hills that stretched off into the distance. That morning, though, Helen couldn't see any of Donora's natural beauty because fog was blocking her view. In fact, low gray clouds had been hanging over the town for the past four days.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
But that was actually normal because Donora was inside of basically a natural bowl in the earth. The surrounding cliffs and hills blocked the wind, so the fog would accumulate and then get stuck in the valley. To Helen, this was just part of life in Donora. And while it was sort of frustrating at times, it was easy to ignore, because there were so many other good things about living there.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Everybody was friendly, there were plenty of jobs, and there were always fun events going on. As she walked to work, Helen could hardly see across the street, but she could see enough in front of her to say hello to the neighbors who passed her by on her side of the sidewalk, who all knew her by name.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And then at some point, she passed by a street next to a bunch of industrial mills that were also shrouded in fog, and she knew that somewhere in that fog, most of the men in Denora were working. And when she reached McKean Avenue, the main street in town, she could barely make out the workers who were hanging up decorations for that evening's annual Halloween parade.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Eventually, Helen came to a stop in front of a tall brownstone building on McKean Avenue. She went inside, walked up to the second floor, and unlocked the door of the doctor's office where she worked. Helen was the only employee working for the two doctors, Ralph Kohler and Edward Roth. To Helen, these two men seemed pretty similar.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
As the boy waved his arms, the ball bounced off his helmet and fell to the ground. But before he could even jog back to his teammates, the boy heard the school's announcer call his name over the loudspeakers. The announcer sounded urgent and told the boy to report to the sidelines right now. And when he got there, his coach told him he had to head home right away. His mother needed him.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Both were in their 40s, they were tall and heavyset, and they both had very kind and patient demeanors. The only obvious difference between them was that Dr. Roth smoked cigars like a chimney, and Dr. Kohler avoided cigars altogether because he had diabetes and a heart condition. As for Helen, she was a receptionist, a secretary, and a nurse, so she had a lot of responsibilities at the office.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And today, like most days, she was the first one to the office. She turned on the lights and opened up the blinds in the waiting room, then began sweeping up the thin layer of soot that had blown in through the air vents and settled on the floor overnight. Like the fog in Donora, the soot was also very annoying, but totally normal to Helen. She knew it came from the mills nearby.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
It was just a normal part of living in a factory town inside of a valley. After Helen was all done cleaning up the waiting room, she looked around and smiled, because she had just enough time to go smoke a cigarette before the doctors came in and patients began to arrive. Helen sat down behind the reception desk and lit her cigarette.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
She took a long drag, but immediately she noticed it had a strange, bittersweet taste to it. She tried again, and suddenly the tobacco tasted so awful that she doubled over coughing. She coughed until she had tears in her eyes, but she wasn't sure if it was from the cigarette, her sore throat, or maybe both.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Either way, Helen stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette into her ashtray, and then she heard the door open. She looked up to see Dr. Kohler walking inside, and so she knew her workday was about to begin. A few hours later, at 3 p.m., Dr. Kohler stood in the back of the doctor's office and pulled on his overcoat. Even though it was only mid-afternoon, he already felt exhausted.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
His diabetes and his heart condition left him chronically tired, and to deal with it, he kept to a very specific schedule. He went home every day at precisely 3 p.m. so he could lay down and rest before dinner. But right when he was about to leave, he heard quick footsteps coming down the hallway, and Helen rounded the corner.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
She looked concerned and said an older man had just come in, wheezing and complaining that he couldn't catch his breath. Dr. Kohler knew he needed to get home for his own sake, but his partner, Dr. Roth, had already gone on a break, and he couldn't just turn away a patient who needed help. So he took off his overcoat and told Helen to bring the patient back to an exam room.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Moments later, Dr. Kohler met that patient in the exam room, and he recognized him as one of his regulars. The man was one of many locals in town who Dr. Kohler treated for asthma, which is a chronic condition that causes a person's airways to swell and make it difficult to breathe. And so as a result, Dr. Kohler wasn't surprised that this patient was wheezing.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Whenever the fog in Donora got really thick, people's asthma tended to flare up. So Dr. Kohler gave his patient the usual asthma treatment for 1948, which was a shot of adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that can help open a person's airway when they're having trouble breathing. Once the adrenaline shot took effect and the man caught his breath again, Dr. Kohler sent him on his way.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Then the doctor put his overcoat back on and followed that patient out, anxious to go home and get in bed. 30 minutes later, Helen sat at the reception desk and flicked through the day's mail. Usually, the office got quiet in the afternoons, and then business would pick up again in the evenings. So she was using the lull to get some administrative work done.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
So the boy just took off his helmet and ran home through the fog. When he burst through the door, he saw his father lying on the couch with the doctor standing over him. And his mother was standing by, weeping. The doctor told the boy that he was very sorry, but his father had just died. The boy just stood there, stunned. His father had been fine that morning.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Helen pulled out the junk mail from the pile and then got up to throw it away. But as she was walking towards the trash can, she heard a loud crash from the hallway outside the office, followed by the sound of somebody yelling. Helen's first thought was somebody fell down the stairs, and so she rushed to check if they were okay, and what she saw in the hallway absolutely terrified her.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
A man she didn't recognize was clinging to the banister, and his knuckles were white and his face was turning blue. He was moaning in pain, kicking the wall and screaming, Help me! Help me! I'm dying! Helen was so confused and afraid that she just froze.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Luckily, another doctor who ran his own private practice across the hall from them soon showed up, and so did the other doctor that Helen worked for, Dr. Roth. While those two doctors began to help the man, Helen heard the sound of her phone ringing at her reception desk.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And so Helen kind of broke out of her trance, ran back inside the office and answered the phone, and immediately she heard the sound of a woman screaming on the other end of the line for help, just like the blue-faced man in the hall had been doing. The woman said her husband couldn't breathe and he needed help right now. Helen got the woman's address and promised that Dr. Roth would be there soon.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
However, before Helen could run across the hall and tell Dr. Roth that another patient needed his help, the phone rang again, and then again, and then again. And everyone Helen spoke to said the same thing. They couldn't breathe, they were coughing up blood, their heads hurt, their stomachs were killing them, and they all thought they were going to die.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And unfortunately, the town only had a single ambulance, and it was booked solid. And so one after another, Helen took down these people's names and addresses and added them to the growing list of patients the doctors needed to visit. Helen had no idea what was going on in Donora, but it certainly felt like all hell had broken loose inside of her normally quiet town.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
He didn't understand what could have happened. However, what this boy did not know was that his father was not the first person in town to die that day, and he would not be the last, because this community was in the middle of a medical disaster that would change the course of American history.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Two hours later at 6 p.m., Dr. Roth squinted as he very slowly drove down McKean Avenue after an afternoon of house calls. Because of the fog, which now had gotten so bad, he could hardly make out the lines on the road, and so he just gripped the steering wheel tightly and went really slow, keeping an eye out for the brownstone building where he worked.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
Dr. Roth had never been in a situation like this before. People all over town were struggling to breathe, regardless of whether they had asthma or not, and Dr. Roth really didn't know why. He figured it must be something in the air, literally. But even with fog this bad, he'd never seen it affect people this much before.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
By this point in the day, he'd already given so many patients adrenaline injections that he'd run through his entire supply. And he'd barely made a dent in the list of people who still needed help. And so now he needed to stop by the office and refill his supply of adrenaline before making more house calls. But it was literally too foggy to even find his own address.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And so Dr. Roth figured he'd have better luck if he just parked his car and walked. So he carefully pulled to the curb, turned off the engine, and got out. He went to the sidewalk, and when he saw the nearest building to him, he realized he'd actually driven past his office without knowing it.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
And so Dr. Roth doubled back towards the brownstone, threw open the door, and began running up the stairs. However, after only a few steps, he had to stop because he ran out of breath, and then he began to cough. His chest felt tight, like somebody was squeezing the air out of him.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora
He managed to make it back to his office, but immediately when he got there, he doubled over in the entryway and coughed until tears were streaming down his face. Dr. Roth felt like he was choking. He started to panic and looked around for help, but his secretary, Helen, had left for dinner, and his colleague, Dr. Kohler, who had left to go take a nap, was still at home.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Hey Prime members, you can binge episodes 73 through 80 right now and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. One August morning in 2019, a widow in her 70s drove in silence with her two adult children to a hospital in New Brunswick, Canada. Although it was a beautiful summer morning, the mood in the car was somber.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
They wondered if the disease might have some genetic basis, and whether as a result, they were at risk of meeting the same fate as their father. But, since at this point nobody knew what the disease even was, there was no way to determine if they were in danger or not.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
That morning, Ted read that Dr. Marlowe, along with a variety of other experts, had been meeting at the Public Health Agency of Canada to discuss a new disease that had afflicted more than 40 people in the region, which meant Dr. Marlowe had discovered at least 20 new cases since Ted's dad got sick.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
These experts were referring to this disease by the name New Brunswick Neurological Syndrome of Unknown Etiology. Ted continued reading and he saw that patients with the syndrome spanned different ages, lifestyles, and backgrounds, but they all seemed to develop dementia in the exact same way his father had. And so far, six of these people had died.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Ted was relieved to read that the scientists did not see any genetic link in this disease. In fact, scientists found that these patients had only one thing in common. They all lived in the same geographical area. And this made scientists suspect that something in the environment might be to blame.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Some scientists had apparently drafted a memo to warn local doctors about this horrible, mysterious illness, while others feared it would cause panic and argued against sending it out. However, that disagreement no longer mattered because somebody had leaked the whole memo to the press. And so the mysterious disease now had global attention.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
With this mystery disease now out in the open, Ted hoped to connect with other families affected by the syndrome. And he would quickly discover that somebody had already set up a discussion group for New Brunswick Neurological Syndrome on Facebook.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
And soon Ted would share to this group that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research had offered Dr. Marlowe's group 5 million Canadian dollars to fund a clinical investigation of New Brunswick disease.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
However, two months later, the New Brunswick provincial government announced it would be taking over this investigation, which meant Dr. Marlowe and his team of scientists would no longer be involved. Ted and the other members of this Facebook group could not understand why the government would exclude Dr. Marlowe.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
He had done more than anybody else to identify the strange condition and its victims. Ted thought the government should be looking to include more scientists rather than leaving people out. It just made no sense to Ted or anybody else in this group. Unless something was going on behind the scenes that they weren't aware of.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Five months later, in October of 2021, Ted was driving to work on a crisp fall morning. He kept the windows cracked to enjoy the fresh air with the radio turned on low. Ted was doing his best to enjoy the morning, but his mind was preoccupied. His father, Louis, had been dead for over two years, but his cause of death was still unknown.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Ted and his Facebook friends had been anxious for more information, but ever since the provincial government had taken over the investigation, there had been zero updates on the issue. As Ted passed an 18-wheeler loaded with lumber, his ear happened to catch a snippet from the radio. He turned up the volume just in time to hear the announcer mention the New Brunswick disease.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
The province had been studying a cluster of 48 cases, eight of which had been fatal so far. To conduct autopsies on those eight fatalities, they had turned to an independent doctor from the province of Ontario, Dr. Robert Hansen. And now Dr. Hansen had finished his investigation. and his preliminary conclusion was that there was no connection between the cases.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
They were all separate incidents, unrelated to each other. Dr. Hansen determined that each of these patients had contracted a well-known disease, such as cancer, Lewy body dementia, or Alzheimer's. There was no new disease here. Ted couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was certain there had to be a connection between all these cases. Also, Ted had seen his father's autopsy report.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
He wasn't sure which disease Dr. Hansen thought had killed his father, but he knew that his dad had absolutely not died of CJD or any of those diseases listed in Dr. Hansen's report. It was something new, something that still was not recognized by the medical community. And so now, Ted wondered if maybe the Canadian government wanted to keep it that way.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Something just felt off about this whole situation, and so Ted decided he was going to do something about it. Over the next few months, Ted and his family communicated with dozens of families through that New Brunswick Disease Facebook group. And they all agreed that Dr. Hansen was wrong. There was a connection between all these cases.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
And the cause had to be environmental since almost every patient lived in the same area of Canada. Working together, Ted and the others had come up with possible strategies to continue searching for an answer. One idea was just to crowdfund their own environmental testing.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Another idea was to invite famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich, whose life was actually made into a movie starring Julia Roberts, to have her lead an outside investigation. And at the same time, week after week, they campaigned relentlessly, hoping that Dr. Hansen's panel might change their conclusion that the condition was not real.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
They hoped they were having an effect, but Ted couldn't tell for sure. Then one day on February 24th of 2022, Ted picked up the newspaper from his front lawn and saw a headline about the case. He brought the paper inside and spread it out on the kitchen table and flipped to the article.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
There it was, in print, the Provincial Oversight Committee's final report on the so-called New Brunswick disease. After supposedly much consideration and debate, the committee ruled in agreement with Dr. Hansen's assessment. The cases were not connected. A new disease did not exist. Ted's heart sank. All of their efforts had been for nothing.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
It seemed like the truth behind his father's death would now stay unknown forever. Over eight months later, as the sun was beginning to set on an autumn afternoon in 2022, Dr. Marlow slumped into his chair behind his desk and sighed deeply. His last patient of the day had just left. Finally, he could take a moment for himself.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Even after the government shut down his research into the New Brunswick disease, Dr. Marlow's workload of patients who appeared to have the non-existent condition continued to grow. Eventually, it totaled 430, 111 of whom were under the age of 45, and 39 had died so far. And almost all of them suffered a similar pattern of sudden cognitive and physical decline.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Dr. Marlow could find little connection between the age or background of the patients themselves, but he did notice a striking pattern in when they got sick. Most of his new cases were clustered around late summer and early fall. he tried to think about what environmental factors might change at the end of the summer.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Glancing out the window, Dr. Marlow let his eyes settle on the line of trees at the horizon, a common sight across heavily forested Canada. But today, it sparked something in his mind. Dr. Marlow wondered if the late summer spike in cases had something to do with forestry schedules. Dr. Marlowe knew that most logging is done in the summer.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Once the trees are felled and hauled away, new seedlings are planted to regrow the area so it can be logged again in the future. But in order to keep weeds and shrubs from choking off the new trees, loggers spray herbicide. As with many chemicals, Dr. Marlowe knew that their effects on humans sometimes took generations to identify.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
If it was discovered that exposure to these herbicide chemicals was sickening people in this area, it would be a massive liability for the Canadian government. Was it possible that's what they were afraid of and why the government had closed the investigation? To keep a connection like this hidden?
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Logging was one of New Brunswick's oldest, biggest, and most profitable industries, and messing with an economic engine of that size was a dangerous business. If the forestry industry feared they might be tied to a public health epidemic, Dr. Marlowe had no doubt that calls would be made to top political leaders to put pressure on them to stop that information from getting out.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Too many people stood to lose too much money. Dr. Marlowe wanted to test this new chemical theory, but it would take weeks before he finally found a laboratory that was willing to discreetly run some tests for him. It was a six hour drive away in the province of Quebec, but Dr. Marlowe was thankful to have anyone willing to take on this work.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
In December of 2022, Dr. Marlowe collected blood samples from over 100 of his New Brunswick disease patients and he shipped them to this laboratory. His goal was to test as wide a spectrum of patients as possible to make sure his results were scientifically sound. Weeks later, Dr. Marlowe finally got word from the lab that the tests were complete.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
He swiped open his tablet to check the results and what he saw astonished him. Dr. Marlowe's hunch had been correct. The results from the Quebec laboratory proved it. 90% of Dr. Marlowe's patients' blood samples contained elevated levels of glyphosate, which is a herbicide routinely used in forestry work. In one case, the levels were 15,000 times higher than the lowest detectable numbers.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
The chemicals in glyphosate block an enzyme necessary for plant growth, so any weeds or grasses sprayed with it eventually die. Dr. Marlow was certain that this chemical was having a long-term, sometimes devastating effect on people's health. But despite his findings, not everyone agrees that glyphosate can be harmful.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
The United States Environmental Protection Agency ruled in 2022 that glyphosate causes no health risk, even to children. But in Canada, the debate is beginning to tilt in Dr. Marlowe's favor. Eventually, the province of Quebec acknowledged a link between glyphosate and an increased risk for Parkinson's, a brain disorder that can cause stiffness and serious problems with movement.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Other recent studies have shown that glyphosate disrupts the naturally occurring bacteria in the gut that play a key role in overall health. When bacteria in the gut are imbalanced, it can cause inflammation throughout the body, including in the brain.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Some scientists believe this inflammation can lead to Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, just like Lewis and the other patients experienced. Dr. Marlowe continues to hold out hope that the government will resume their research, and he may get his wish.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
From Ballin Studios and Wondery, I'm Mr. Ballin, and this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, where every week we will explore a new baffling mystery originating from the one place we all can't escape, our own bodies. So if you like today's story, whenever the follow button texts you, only reply with, who dis? This episode is called Sudden Insanity.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
On November 15, 2024, the newly elected premier of New Brunswick, basically the province's new governor, said she wants to reopen the investigation, which means, finally, the people affected by New Brunswick disease may get the answers they've been seeking. Hey, Prime members, you can listen to new episodes of Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries early and ad-free on Amazon Music.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Download the app today. And also, Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries ad-free. Join Wondery Plus today. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at listenersurvey.com. From Ballin Studios and Wondery, this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, hosted by me, Mr. Ballin. A quick note about our stories.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
They are all inspired by true events, but we do sometimes use pseudonyms to protect the people involved, and also some details are fictionalized for dramatic purposes. And a reminder, the content in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This episode was written by Britt Brown. Our editor is Heather Dundas.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Sound design is by Ryan Patesta. Our senior managing producer is Nick Ryan. And our coordinating producer is Taylor Sniffen. Our senior producer is Alex Benidon. Our associate producers and researchers are Sarah Bytack and Tasia Palaconda. Fact-checking was done by Sheila Patterson. For Ballin Studios, our head of production is Zach Levitt. Script editing by Scott Allen and Evan Allen.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Our coordinating producer is Samantha Collins. Production support by Avery Siegel. Executive producers are myself, Mr. Ballin, and also Nick Witters. For Wondery, our head of sound is Marcelino Villapando. Senior producers are Laura Donna Palavoda and Dave Schilling. Senior managing producer is Ryan Moore. Our executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louis for Wondery.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
A few days before New Year's Eve in 2018, a woman in her 70s named Jane Benchley stepped through the front door of her New Brunswick, Canada home after walking her terrier around the block. She called out for her 81-year-old husband, Louis, but the house was quiet. Jane checked their bedroom, then the bathrooms, and even looked in the backyard.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
And just as she started to worry, she heard Louis' voice from down the hall. She opened the door to what used to be his office. Inside, her husband was hunched over his desk, looking at dusty old accounting logs and muttering to himself. Jane was surprised to find him there. Louis had retired years ago and hardly ever used the office anymore.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
When Jane asked him what he was doing, Louis slammed his fist down. Then he shoved the folders to the floor, leapt to his feet, and began shouting about how he'd been cheated. A supplier overcharged him for lumber on a contracting job, and he was furious about it. Jane tried to calm him down by reminding Louis that he'd sold his construction business years ago.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Any money conflicts from old projects were water under the bridge now. But Lewis was not having it. He just stood there angrily shaking his head and fell silent. Jane left the office to give her husband some space to sort through his anger on his own. But at dinner later that night, Lewis was still fuming. He barely spoke.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
The previous winter, the woman's husband and the father of her children had suddenly lost his mind and died. It had been almost like he was in the grips of an extremely fast-moving case of Alzheimer's. His mind and body had declined so quickly, ravaged by this frightening and mysterious disease.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Jane couldn't understand why he was so fixated on financial matters from ages ago, but she just hoped a good night's sleep would clear his head. But the next day, Jane returned to the house after running some morning errands to find her husband acting totally frantic again. This time, it was about his appearance. He pointed to his head in a panic and asked why his hair was white.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Jane didn't know what to say. She told Lewis that nothing had changed and that his hair had been white for a long time, but he brushed her off and stormed out of the room. Jane had a bad feeling. Momentary confusion was one thing, but her husband's strange behavior the last couple of days seemed like something much more serious.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
So she went to the office where Lewis was and she asked him a simple question. What year was it? And his answer floored her. He said it was 1992, but it was not. That was 26 years earlier. And so now Jane was frightened. Despite his age, Lewis hadn't shown any signs of dementia before yesterday. But today, his grasp on reality seemed to be slipping by the hour.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Jane found herself wondering if this might be some extremely aggressive form of Alzheimer's. And so she grabbed her phone to book Lewis the next available appointment with his doctor. That night, Jane did her best to try to relax. She sat down in front of the TV with a cup of tea, but no matter what she did, she just couldn't stop worrying about her husband.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
As she got up to pour a new cup, she heard a loud crash from down the hall. Jane rushed towards the noise and swung open the office door. Inside, the floor was covered in shattered pieces of Louis' desk lamp. Behind the desk sat Louis, thrashing in his chair with his eyes rolled back in his head. Jane rushed to his side and tried to calm him down, but his body was spasming out of control.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
All she could do was hold his limbs and try to keep Louis from smashing anything else. Gradually, the seizure did subside, and once Lewis was breathing normally, Jane grabbed her phone, purse, and keys and guided her husband to the car. Her mind raced as she drove him to the hospital. What in the world was going on with her husband?
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Six months later, in May of 2019, Dr. Alan Marlow, a neurologist, looked across his office desk at Jane and her two adult children, Ted and Ellen. The mood in the room was tense and very emotional. Jane dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. Only days ago, Jane's husband, Louis, had died.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Dr. Marlowe first met Jane and Lewis back in January of 2019, when she had brought her husband to the hospital following that seizure. Initially, Dr. Marlowe thought Lewis must have a brain disorder, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, or ALS. Any of these could have explained his abrupt mental decline and loss of motor control.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
By the end of May that year, the woman's husband was dead, leaving her and her children both shattered and confused by what they had just witnessed. But the worst part of it was they didn't even know what disease had killed him. His doctor had a pretty good guess, but he wouldn't be sure until an autopsy was performed.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
And so Dr. Marlowe had conducted various tests to confirm that Lewis had one of these conditions, but all of the tests were inconclusive. Yet, week by week, Lewis's symptoms only worsened. He began having daydreams that were like nightmares. They were pure hallucinations, but very real to Lewis. Also, Lewis began to lose control of his limbs.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
He would have these muscle spasms that were super intense, to the point where basic movements would cause him severe pain. Eventually, Dr. Marlow suspected the worst, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and always fatal condition that is caused by abnormal proteins in the brain.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
The symptoms of CJD, as it's also called, can seem like an unusually fast-moving case of Alzheimer's, but there are no treatments to slow its progress. Victims typically die within six months to a year. Now, unfortunately, CJD can only be diagnosed by doing an autopsy of the patient's brain after death.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
And so even though Dr. Marlowe felt confident what Lewis had was CJD, he couldn't be sure so long as Lewis was alive. And so the doctor did everything in his power to ease Lewis's symptoms. However, his condition never improved and Lewis died within five months of his first meeting with the doctor.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Dr. Marlowe knew that being back in his office was hard for Jane, but he needed her to sign documents consenting to an autopsy of her husband's body. Learning the details of the condition that killed Lewis might help future CJD patients avoid a similar fate. Jane dried her eyes, took the pen, and signed the documents.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Three months later, in the late summer of 2019, Dr. Marlowe returned to his office to find an email informing him that Louis Benchley's post-mortem report was complete. Dr. Marlowe clicked it open and he was surprised at what he saw. Louis did not have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Louis' symptoms had been very consistent with CJD. Nothing else had made sense to the doctor.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
But if CJD didn't kill Louis, what did? Dr. Marlowe opened Lewis's old medical file to re-familiarize himself with the details. And as he did, something about Lewis's combination of symptoms rang a bell in Dr. Marlowe's memory. Dr. Marlow dug up the case files of some other patients he treated over the past few years.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Now, they were much younger than Lewis, in their 20s or 30s, so at first they did not seem connected to him, especially since CJD typically afflicted older or elderly people, but these younger patients had reported very similar symptoms to Lewis, sudden mental and physical decline with no warning or prior genetic condition.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
And so now, two months later and after an autopsy was done, the family was going to meet with that doctor about what he discovered. Once the woman and her children were settled in the doctor's office, he got straight to the point. Unfortunately, the autopsy had been inconclusive. Her husband had died from an unknown illness.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
The other similarity was that nearly all the patients, Lewis included, lived in the same two regions of Canada, the city of Moncton, which is the most populous city in New Brunswick, and the Acadian Peninsula, a strip of the northeast coast known for scenic fishing villages and blueberry farms.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
However, Dr. Marlow couldn't imagine why the people in these two specific areas of New Brunswick would be more vulnerable to this strange and deadly disease. Dr. Marlowe buzzed his secretary to schedule a meeting with Jane to share the results of her husband's examination. Dr. Marlowe wondered what to tell her after breaking the news that her husband had not in fact died of CJD.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
He knew she'd want to know the same thing he did. What had killed Lewis? Dr. Marlowe just hoped he could eventually find the answer. Six months later, in the depths of winter, Dr. Marlowe poured himself another cup of coffee in the break room and looked out the window. It was barely 3 p.m., but it was already getting dark out. Dr. Marlowe felt spread thin by his workload recently.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Over the past six months, his medical practice had been filled with a string of complicated cases, all very similar to Louis Benchley's. Patient after patient had come to him after suffering an abrupt mental decline, followed by physical degeneration. As with Lewis, many of the patients exhibited symptoms similar to CJD, but something was always slightly off.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
No matter how many tests Dr. Marlowe ran, the results never quite aligned with CJD. The symptoms either developed too slowly or too rapidly, or they didn't respond to medications that they should have. But the strangest thing was how young most of these patients were. And this made Dr. Marlowe think.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
Ever since Lewis's post-mortem examination showed that he was negative for CJD, Dr. Marlowe had begun to have the sneaking suspicion. Maybe what happened to Lewis was something totally new, something other doctors hadn't recognized yet, something still unnamed. Dr. Marlowe admitted that that was a bit far-fetched, but it was the only working theory Dr. Marlowe had.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
However, despite his suspicion that perhaps he was looking at this brand new condition here, Dr. Marlowe still reported each of these new mysterious cases to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System, run by the Canadian government. He hoped that by keeping the government informed, it would help them spot larger trends that maybe Dr. Marlowe couldn't.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
He figured that if they did see a bigger trend, that healthcare providers like himself would be notified of any special actions they should take in response. In the meantime though, Dr. Marlowe decided to do a little investigating on his own.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
But before the widow could say a word, the doctor told her that wasn't all. In digging through the hospital's records, the doctor had discovered 20 other patients in just the past few years who were diagnosed with symptoms that were very similar to her husband's. So whatever this disease was, it was not isolated.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
But the strange thing was, beyond their geographic proximity, there was nothing connecting these patients, not age, not lifestyle, nothing, which left the doctor with a chilling but inescapable conclusion. Something where these people lived was responsible for making them sick, but the doctor had no idea what it could be.
MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity
A little over a year later, on an early morning in 2021, Louis Benchley's son, Ted, opened his morning newspaper and saw that the mystery disease that had killed his father was finally getting some public attention. After meeting with Dr. Marlowe, Ted and his sister Ellen had been scared to death.
Small Town Murder
#581 - Sexy Sunday School Teacher Slaughter - Enid, Oklahoma
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.
Small Town Murder
#581 - Sexy Sunday School Teacher Slaughter - Enid, Oklahoma
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Small Town Murder
#581 - Sexy Sunday School Teacher Slaughter - Enid, Oklahoma
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.
Small Town Murder
#585 - Serial Killer's Secret Graveyard - Kingston Township, Pennsylvania
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.
Small Town Murder
#585 - Serial Killer's Secret Graveyard - Kingston Township, Pennsylvania
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Small Town Murder
#585 - Serial Killer's Secret Graveyard - Kingston Township, Pennsylvania
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.
Small Town Murder
#583 - Charming Serial Killer - Kirkland, Washington
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.
Small Town Murder
#583 - Charming Serial Killer - Kirkland, Washington
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Small Town Murder
#583 - Charming Serial Killer - Kirkland, Washington
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.
Small Town Murder
#582 - Seven Murders & One Lie - Elkland, Missouri
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.
Small Town Murder
#582 - Seven Murders & One Lie - Elkland, Missouri
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Small Town Murder
#582 - Seven Murders & One Lie - Elkland, Missouri
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.
Small Town Murder
#580 - Beauty Shop Butcher - Roebuck, South Carolina
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.
Small Town Murder
#580 - Beauty Shop Butcher - Roebuck, South Carolina
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Small Town Murder
#580 - Beauty Shop Butcher - Roebuck, South Carolina
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.
Small Town Murder
#584 - Killer Homecoming King - Powell, Wyoming
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.
Small Town Murder
#584 - Killer Homecoming King - Powell, Wyoming
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Small Town Murder
#584 - Killer Homecoming King - Powell, Wyoming
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.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E7: How Did We Get Here?
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.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E7: How Did We Get Here?
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.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E7: How Did We Get Here?
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E9: Bad Marriage
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.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E9: Bad Marriage
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E9: Bad Marriage
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.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E8: Life and Death
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.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E8: Life and Death
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. Ballin's Medical Mysteries should be your new go-to weekly show.
Something Was Wrong
S23 E8: Life and Death
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.