He Was Dying. Then Doctors Tried Some Forgotten Viruses.

Happy New Year! This week, as the podcast team gears up for a brand new 2019 season, we’re revisiting two of our most talked-about segments from 2018. First up is the rage-inducing inside story of America’s student debt machine: How the nation’s flagship loan forgiveness program is failing the very people it’s meant to help. Next: Viruses that could save us all. Tom Patterson, a psychologist, was dying from a seemingly unstoppable superbug infection when his wife, Steffanie Strathdee, an epidemiologist, began considering an unconventional treatment: phage therapy. We retrace Tom's incredible journey to the brink of death and back, and this fascinating field of medical science we're only just beginning to understand. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices