Susan Kuhnhausen went home expecting an ordinary evening. Instead, she walked into a fight for her life.

In September 2006, Susan—a 51-year-old emergency room nurse—returned home from work and discovered an intruder hiding inside her house. He attacked her with a claw hammer, and Susan fought back.

What she didn't know at the time was that the man wasn't a random intruder. He had been sent there to kill her.

Susan survived the attack. Her attacker did not.

As investigators began piecing together what happened, they uncovered a deeply personal motive involving Susan's estranged husband, Michael, their impending divorce, their home, and a decision that would change Susan's life forever.

But this isn't a story I wanted to tell simply as a tale of attempted murder.

It's a story about what happens when someone tries to end your story—and you survive.

Susan's experience changed her profoundly. She had to reckon not only with what had happened to her, but with the fact that someone she had once loved had been behind it.

And yet, she kept going.

In this episode of Fate & Fables, we look at Susan's life before the attack, what happened that night, how she survived, and what came afterward—the fear, the trauma, the rebuilding, and the remarkable resilience of a woman who refused to let someone else's decision determine how her story ended.

🌿 The plant for this episode: Awapuhi ginger aka Shampoo Plant

Each week on Fate & Fables, I work with a plant connected in some way to the story's location or theme while I tell the tale.

Sources & further reading:

• Willamette Week — Beth Slovic, "A Hit Man Came to Kill Susan Kuhnhausen. She Survived. He Didn't."
• Contemporary reporting and court records relating to the 2006 attack and subsequent prosecution

Fate & Fables is a collection of extraordinary true stories about survival, resilience, fate, and the remarkable things ordinary people are capable of when their lives suddenly take an extraordinary turn.

If you enjoy stories about people who somehow make it through the impossible, consider subscribing and joining me for the next one. ❤️

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Lost in the Sahara with no idea where he was, Mauro Prosperi spent nine days fighting to stay alive.

In 1994, Italian endurance athlete Mauro Prosperi entered the Marathon des Sables, a grueling ultramarathon across the Sahara. Then a massive sandstorm swept through the race and changed everything.

Separated from the course and hundreds of kilometers from where he was supposed to be, Mauro found himself completely alone in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

What followed is one of the strangest survival stories I've ever encountered—featuring an abandoned desert shrine, bats, desperate attempts to find water, and a man who eventually came to see death in a very different way.

But this isn't just a story about surviving the Sahara.

It's a story about what happens inside your mind when you realize nobody is coming to save you.

🌿 Fate & Fables

Extraordinary true stories of survival, resilience, and the strange turns of fate that leave us wondering how anyone made it out alive.

🌿 Plant of the Week: lemon tree

This week's plant was chosen to connect us to the landscape and story we're exploring. We chose to roll with Italy in honor of Mauro.

📚 Sources & Further Reading

• Marathon des Sables — official race history
• Mauro Prosperi — interviews and first-person accounts
• The Guardian — Mauro Prosperi interview
• Additional sources referenced throughout the episode

🎙️ Fate & Fables on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FateAndFables

If you enjoyed this story, consider subscribing and joining me every Sunday for another extraordinary true story.

Sometimes fate writes stories stranger than fiction. Those are the ones we'll tell.

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Could you survive being swallowed by a whale?

In June 2021, commercial lobster diver Michael Packard was diving off the coast of Cape Cod when the impossible happened—a humpback whale engulfed him whole.

For around 40 seconds, he believed he was going to die. Instead, he was thrown back into the ocean...alive.

In this episode of Fate & Fables, I tell the extraordinary true story of one of the most unbelievable survival stories ever recorded while working with a New England Aster, a flower native to Massachusetts, where Michael's incredible story unfolded.

Some stories sound like myths.
This one really happened.

🌿 Plant of the Week: New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

📚 Sources & Further Reading
• Michael Packard – In the Whale: The True Story of a Man, His Incredible Ordeal, and the Family That Never Lost Hope
• Interviews with Michael Packard
• Cape Cod Times
• Associated Press

🎙️ Listen as a podcast:
https://fateandfables.buzzsprout.com

If you enjoy true survival stories told with a touch of nature, I'd love to have you subscribe. New episodes arrive every Survival Sunday.

Sometimes fate writes stories stranger than fiction. Those are the ones we'll tell.
— Fate & Fables

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What are we really capable of surviving?

In this first episode of Fate & Fables, I share the extraordinary true story of Juliane Koepcke, the only survivor of LANSA Flight 508, who fell nearly two miles from the sky into the Peruvian Amazon and somehow walked herself to safety over the next eleven days.

But this isn't just a story about surviving the impossible.

It's about resilience, instinct, and one young woman whose calm understanding of the rainforest may have saved her life.

While I tell Juliane's story, I'm working with a Sterling Moon Begonia (Begonia sterling moon), a beautiful South American native chosen to quietly connect this week's plant with the part of the world where our story unfolds.

Every Sunday, I'll be sharing another remarkable true survival story from history—stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances, and the incredible strength of the human spirit.

If stories like these are your thing, I'd love to have you here.

🌿 New episodes every Sunday.

Sources

• When I Fell From the Sky — Juliane Koepcke
• BBC News interview with Juliane Koepcke
• Additional historical research from contemporary news archives and published accounts.

About Fate & Fables

Fate & Fables is a weekly storytelling series where extraordinary true survival stories are shared from the garden. Every episode explores incredible moments of human resilience while tending a plant connected to the place where each story unfolds.

🌿 Plant of the Week

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In today's episode, we're thrilled to introduce you to the trailblazing Emily Seeboonruang, a woman who defied convention and embraced the wild, natural power of childbirth. A first-time free birth mama Emily chose a birthing path that led her to her cozy cabin deep in the heart of the wilderness. With only the unwavering support of her husband by her side, Emily embarked on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery and empowerment. The story of Emily's beautiful, healthy son's arrival in the world is not just a tale of unconventional choices; it's a testament to the strength, resilience, and boundless love within every mother.

You can also ready Emily's story alongside many others published in 'Women of the Wild'

Tune into her podcast Mother Freedom on YouTube

Connect with Emily on Instagram @motherfreedom_

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Chloe De Sousa is not your average love, sex, and relationship coach; she's a luminary with over two decades of experience in guiding individuals through the depths of intimacy and self-discovery. As a seasoned 5 rhythms dance teacher and a dance movement psychotherapist, she's not just about theory; she's all about embodiment and transformation.

With a passion for unlocking the boundless potential within each person, Chloe empowers her clients to embrace their ecstatic sexuality and step into their own unique leadership journey. Her approach is rooted in trauma-informed practices, blending the latest findings in modern science with the timeless wisdom of ancient tantra.

Known as a "legend of space holding" and hailed as the "queen" of 5 rhythms dance facilitation, Chloe's reputation precedes her. Her influence extends globally, offering 1-1 coaching, transformative courses, and captivating talks that bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern understanding.

Beyond her spoken words, Chloe is also a published author, sharing her profound insights with the world. In her eyes, pleasure is not a privilege but a birthright for everyone. Join us as we delve into Chloe's captivating world and discover how you too can awaken your inner legend and embrace the pleasure that life has to offer.

Visit Chloe's Website HERE

Connect HERE with Jenni, naturopathic therapist and host of 'Women of the Wild'

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Join as Jessy shares her story of choosing home birth to birth her breech baby as well as her insightful wisdom - both from both her perspective as a mother and as a trained and licensed midwife. She has been in birth work since 2016, first as a doula and then as a midwife. She strongly believes that babies are born how they are conceived: in peace, safety, and comfort. Jessy loves using natural medicine to help heal the body and aid throughout pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. She has two beautiful girls and spends her free days outside on the mountainside of Utah or reading a good book.

Check her out on Instagram @two_heartbeats_midwifery www.twoheartbeatsmidwifery.com

If you would like to feel more confident in your knowledge of delivering a breech baby at home connect here at Breech Without Borders https://www.breechwithoutborders.org/

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If you're curious about what it's like to experience a free birth with the baby born en caul (still in the bag of waters!) then this episode is for you. Join me as I chat with Hope Evans, an experienced free birth mama, holistic practitioner, and contributor to my latest book Women of the Wild - a book of first hand empowering home birth and free birth stories and birth prep wisdom from women all over the world. We take a deeper dive into her personal story and her experience as she shares all about the free birth of her second child as well as the interesting differences between her freebirth and the birth of her firstborn, which was in the hospital system setting.

Connect deeper with Hope on instagram @_adashofhope
Purchase 'Women of the Wild'
Connect with the host, Jenni Dais

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