Unsung Heroes and Final Redemption / Neil Adams episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 23, 2026 · 29 MIN

Unsung Heroes and Final Redemption / Neil Adams

from Real Things Living · host Brigitte Cutshall

He wasn't a doctor, but he talked his way past the barricades on 9/11 anyway — and spent the next 24 hours saving strangers' eyes.Author, Neil Adams, joins Brigitte Cutshall to talk about his book "From the Pile", written to honor his late best friend Michael Dorian — a veterinary technician who posed as medical personnel to help injured firefighters at Ground Zero on 9/11.Neil shares how Michael's selfless act ultimately cost him his health, the years-long fight to prove he was there, and the surprising twists (a lost news tape, a local Emmy, a Spike Lee documentary "Epicenters") that followed.Takeaways:(1) A civilian with no medical credentials talked his way into helping first responders on 9/11; and it changed the rest of his life.(2) Proving he was there decades later became its own story, complete with a rediscovered news tape and an Emmy win.(3) Michael's life became one of quiet redemption, using his final years to help others and leave a legacy through Neil's book.To learn more about Michael’s story, watch the Emmy-winning news footage, or order your copy of "From the Pile", visit https://readneiladams.com or request a copy of the book at your local brick-and-mortar bookstore today!

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 23, 2026

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Unsung Heroes and Final Redemption / Neil Adams

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