The Story

It takes an inner toughness to keep a job these days, and Stacy Nakell has one of the toughest jobs there is. She's a social worker. But she has an extra edge when she tells women that they can find the courage to stand up to a violent person in their lives. Stacy is a boxer in her off-hours. 

In 1987, Alison was newly divorced and needed a babysitter for her two boys. She looked through the classifieds. There she saw a phone number for someone named "Pat." When Alison discovered that Pat was a man she was nervous, but she met with him anyway. Pat took the job and moved into their apartment immediately. Nine months later, Pat Keenan stole their hearts, married Alison and adopted the boys. Also in this episode, Bob Hancock is a chicken farmer whose life changed dramatically when the poultry plant he did business with canceled its contract with him.

Timothy Quill is a doctor who specializes in care for people at the end of life. In his work, he asks dying people to tell him their stories, and he lets their life experiences help shape his treatment. It's a method he learned early in his career, and one he used when it came time to help his own father die. Also in this episode: the photographer Cornel Hunter.

During the reign of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979), nearly 90 percent of Cambodian dancers and musicians perished. Sophiline Cheam was only eight years old when her family was driven from Phnom Penh to a life of extreme labor, starvation and disease working as peasants in the fields. Her life was transformed when the Khmer Rouge was overthrown. Sophiline became one of the first classical dancers trained by those who had survived to pass on the ancient art form. Also on the show: a chance encounter with Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.