Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

Case #36: Travis Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Travis Bolt was a charismatic kid with an old soul…and a natural talent for music. When Travis turns eight years old, he begins to experience uncontrollable muscle movements that continue to escalate in intensity. He starts getting in trouble in school, injuring himself inadvertently, and faces years of medical trial treatments that create new health problems. All the while, Travis endures relentless bullying at school—not only from fellow students, but from teachers as well, the result of ignorance and a lack of understanding about his condition—until he stumbles upon an unconventional treatment that changes everything.

We want to hear from you! Share your own medical mystery or tell us about the episode you connected with the most at Symptomatic@iheartmedia.com.

Travis's music was provided by Gravel Road Records and can be found on your favorite streaming platforms by searching Travis Bolt. His new album is called Burning Bridges.

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If you'd like to learn more about the Tourette's Association of America, you can find them at tourette.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #03: Zach - Revisited Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Let's revisit one of our favorite episodes from Season 1. Zach was your average 11-year-old who loved pizza, sports, and going fishing with his Dad until an incident at a baseball game changed his life forever. As an illness quickly takes hold and wreaks havoc on his body, it’s a race against the clock to figure out what’s happening and save Zach’s life. All new medical mysteries are back next week!

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To find out more information on Sepsis, visit Sepsis.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #35: Len (Pt. 2) Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

This is part two of Len Geiger’s story. The last we heard from Len, he was flying over the handlebars of his mountain bike only three months after receiving a miraculous lung transplant that had saved his life.

We want to hear from you! Share your own medical mystery or tell us about the episode you connected with the most at Symptomatic@iheartmedia.com.

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You can learn more about Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency through the Alpha-1 Foundation at https://alpha1.org/ or alphaid.com where you can request a free Alpha-1 test kit.

If you want to learn more about life saving organ donations you can go to Donate Life America at https://donatelife.net/ or OrganDonor.gov.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #35: Len Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Len Geiger was a perfectly healthy, athletic young man with no signs of illness…but when Len enters his late twenties he starts falling ill with chronic chest infections. By age thirty - Len begins to experience breathlessness so debilitating he can barely walk across a parking lot. 10 years after the onset of symptoms, Len is dying from lungs that can no longer function due to a disease often overlooked in testing.

We want to hear from you! Share your own medical mystery or tell us about the episode you connected with the most at Symptomatic@iheartmedia.com.

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You can learn more about Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency through the Alpha-1 Foundation at https://alpha1.org/ or alphaid.com where you can request a free Alpha-1 test kit.

If you want to learn more about life saving organ donations you can go to Donate Life America at https://donatelife.net/ or OrganDonor.gov.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #34: Brendon Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Brendon Paradis began to lose his vision out of nowhere. Doctors spend decades trying to stop the unexplained hemorrhaging in his retina with no success. Brendon has attempted to come to terms with his fate but when his son Keegan begins to show a more rapidly advancing version of this mystery condition, they reignite the search in a race against the clock to save Keegan’s vision.

We want to hear from you! Share your own medical mystery or tell us about the episode you connected with the most at Symptomatic@iheartmedia.com.

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You can learn more about ROSAH and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at https://www.niaid.nih.gov/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Symptomatic is back with Season 5! Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

All new episodes full of medical mysteries are coming soon. Join host Lauren Bright Pacheco as we explore new stories in which patients become investigators, survivors become advocates, and exceptional doctors become heroes. Tune in for season 5 of Symptomatic, starting on September 22nd.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #33: Phoebe Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Marshall knew from only a few months into her fourth daughter Phoebe's life that something was definitely wrong. By the time Phoebe was six, Sarah began to fear for her daughter's life. She underwent countless tests, dozens of surgeries, and was in and out of the hospital for years. Phoebe’s health was declining and no one could tell their family what was wrong. Desperate for answers and unwilling to give up on her daughter, Sarah contacted the Undiagnosed Diseases Network - a decision that would change their lives forever.

We want to hear from you! Share your own medical mystery or tell us about the episode you connected with the most at Symptomatic@iheartmedia.com or drop us a voice note at https://www.speakpipe.com/Symptomatic.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting your voice note using the link provided, you acknowledge that we have permission to potentially include that audio in future content.

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You can find more information about the Undiagnosed Diseases Network Foundation at https://udnf.org/.

You can learn more about the Model Organisms Screening Centers (MOSC) and Dr. Hugo Bellen’s work at https://flypush.research.bcm.edu/lab/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #32: Michelle Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Michelle Shapiro had built a career helping others get healthy when she was hit with a debilitating health crisis. Doctors were unable to identify the cause of her symptoms - no matter how hard Michelle pushed for answers. So unwell that she could barely function - Michelle made it her mission to get to the bottom of what was going on only to find that the condition she was experiencing is still being understood by the medical community.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting your voice note using the link provided, you acknowledge that we have permission to potentially include that audio in future content.

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You can follow Michelle on social media @michelleshapirord and on her website michelleshapirord.com. You can take the Highly Sensitive Body quiz here: https://michelleshapirord.com/hsb-quiz

Dr. Tania Dempsey can be found on instagram @drtaniadempseymd and online at drtaniadempsey.com. Her podcast is called Mast Cell Matters.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #31: Kristen Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

What began as intermittent rashes that popped up years apart turned into excruciating, long term flare ups with no reprieve for Kristen Willard. Unable to sleep, shower, or even put on pants - Kristen’s quality of life plummeted. With no common trigger to explain the debilitating flares, she was forced to endure for months on end without relief. After decades and at the end of her rope, Kristen seeks answers one last time.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting your voice note using the link provided, you acknowledge that we have permission to potentially include that audio in future content.

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You can learn more about Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria at chronic-urticaria.org and you can find the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform at gaapp.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Case #30: Rose & Casey Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

Rockstar Casey McPherson and his family were shocked to the core when his daughter Rose was diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation that has no known treatment. Faced with the possibility of losing his daughter, the front man of the Flying Colours dropped everything to devote his life to trying to find a cure before time runs out.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting your voice note using the link provided, you acknowledge that we have permission to potentially include that audio in future content.

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You can learn more about AlphaRose at https://www.alpharose.com/, To Cure A Rose Foundation at www.tocurearose.org and TCAR RareLabs at https://www.tcarrarelabs.org/.

You can follow Casey @casey.mcpherson on instagram.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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