The Fire Inside

Jack Fronczak was raised as Paul Fronczak — a kidnapped baby supposedly reunited with his grieving Chicago family in the 1960s. But something never felt right. He never connected with his family. He didn't look like them. His name didn't feel like his. At 10 years old, Jack crawled into his family's crawl space looking for Christmas presents and found newspaper headlines instead: Hunt for Missing...

Jojo Dries grew up in a house where the people who were supposed to protect her were the ones doing the harm. The abuse started when she was 9. She was homeschooled, isolated, with no one outside the family to turn to. She didn't even have the language for what was happening. Only the feeling that something was wrong, and that fighting back made things worse. When she did fight back, her sibli...

At 18 years old, Ray "Speedy" Walker was in a car accident that left him paralyzed...and took his mother's life. He woke up in the hospital alone, with no family allowed in due to COVID restrictions, and had to process everything by himself. In this conversation, Speedy gets real about the darkest moments: crying every night, feeling like a burden, and the times he wanted to end it all. He also ta...

Kathleen never saw herself as a cancer patient — she was aprofessor, a mom to two daughters adopted from China, a cyclist climbingColorado's Rocky Mountains. Then thyroid cancer came at 45. Then colorectalcancer at 60, in the middle of a COVID lockdown, with zero symptoms except oneincident she almost ignored. In this deeply moving episode, Kathleen takes us throughtwo very different cancer journe...

He lost his mother at 16. Six years later, Chicago detectives took everything else. After a grueling 30-hour interrogation — no food, no sleep, handcuffed to a wall — Deon Patrick signed a confession he didn't write. He spent the next 21 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit. Evidence showed his co-defendant was already in police custody when the crime took place. None of it ma...

Rachel Socorro was 19 years old when someone she trusted handed her to a trafficker. What followed was captivity, violence, and choices no woman should ever have to make. What came after is the reason this episode exists.  Today Rachel runs Total Life Wellness -- a national life recovery ministry that has helped over 500 survivors of trafficking,abuse, and addiction. She is the author of Living Pr...

On Father's Day 2008, Joseph Groh went for a quick bike ride near his home in Grapevine, Texas. A patch of sand sent him over the handlebars. He broke his neck at C4 and was paralyzed from the neck down. He was 53 years old. One year later, he founded the Joseph S. Groh Foundation — a nonprofit that has since helped 146 families across 38 states, distributing over $1.4 million in grants to wor...

Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. was in his mother's womb when the FBI assassinated his father. This conversation goes beyond the history into the battle fatigue, the weight of a name, and the fire that keeps him going. SUPPORT CHAIRMAN FRED HAMPTON JR. Save the Hampton House: savethehamptonhouse.org Cash App: $SavetheHamptonHouse Instagram: @OfficialChairmanFredHamptonJr ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ S...

In this episode, Sarada Duvvuri introduces the new season of The Fire Inside podcast, sharing her motivation for creating a platform that highlights real stories of resilience and inspiration. She reflects on personal experiences of loss, identity, and the challenges of navigating life after trauma. The podcast aims to explore themes of perseverance, trust, and the journey of rebuilding oneself af...

In this last episode of season 1, Rob Vessels takes us deep into the internal struggle that he faced as an American soldier re-entering society. Like many veterans, he was left with post traumatic stress and wildly conflicted feelings about his country, his actions, and his sense of belonging. Listeners will be captivated by the steps he took to humanize a race that he was conditioned to de-humani...

This Fire Inside episode chronicles the incredible journey of Amy Ralston, a resilient soul fighting for clemency. In this emotional interview, Amy courageously shares the heartbreaking circumstances that led to her incarceration, revealing a flawed justice system that left her yearning for redemption. With raw vulnerability, she recounts the trials and tribulations she faced, shedding light on th...

Join us for the captivating journey of Josh Lily, a former member of a mysterious cult. Through his gradual awakening and courageous escape, listeners will gain profound insights into the dark underbelly of cults and the incredible power of resilience. Josh shares the struggles he faced in breaking free from indoctrination and the transformative process of reclaiming his own autonomy.

When life often tests our resilience, it is stories of unwavering determination that inspire us to rise above our own challenges. Today, we dive into the remarkable journey of Basimah Shakir, a woman whose life took several unexpected turns, but she emerged stronger than ever. Battling through the aftermath of a life-altering car accident and a life-threatening health scare, Basimah defied the odd...

Join host Sarada in a captivating interview with Jeremy Evans, a courageous survivor who shares his harrowing story of a life-altering bear attack and the subsequent journey of resilience and recovery. From the gripping moment of the encounter to the lessons learned in rebuilding his life, Jeremy's inspiring tale showcases a unique ability to survive under extreme circumstances. Listeners will...

Step into the world of Belinda Minor, a woman who faced the unimaginable loss of her daughter. In this powerful episode, we explore how Belinda navigated the depths of grief and emerged with a heart full of compassion. Listeners will be moved by her incredible capacity to forgive and how she transformed her pain into purpose. Sarada Duvvuri - Creator & Host Andrea Johnson - Producer Chris Stau...

Step into the extraordinary world of resilience and triumph with "The Fire Inside," a captivating podcast that delves into the astonishing true stories of hidden heroes. Hosted by Sarada Duvvuri , a documentary producer and all-around survivor, this weekly show will leave you awestruck and empowered to tackle your own demons. Sarada fearlessly opens up about her own remarkable journey in...

The Fire Inside was born out of a desire to connect with and inspire others. Focusing on uniquely challenging stories, this podcast highlights the inner strength that each of us calls upon to persevere through the most dire circumstances. Our goal is to give everyday people a chance to tell their story, from the initial pain to the powerful rise, and the truth about what it takes to really heal. L...