KJZZ partners with The Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers series. We record the live events and share them with you on the radio. In Phoenix, the storytellers share stories about our community or the life events that have shaped them. Megan Finnerty is the creator of the series.

Jeremiah Toller/The Arizona Republic

Becca Smouse shares her story at the Searching event at the Desert Botanical Garden on September 9, 2018.

When Becca Smouse was 5 years old, her mom, Ann, had a heart transplant.

The anti-rejection medication was hard on her and Ann had diabetes, chronic pain and gastrointestinal problems. In spite of that, Ann made sure to be involved in Becca’s life from Girl Scouts to helping Becca learn how to babysit.

Becca says she and her mom are a lot alike. They each had bad eyesight and wore glasses. Ann frequently said things like, “Hang on, I need to wash my glasses,” any time they needed to rush out of the house

Becca Smouse works for the Tempe Union High School District.

The next storytelling event is Wednesday, January 23, at the Peoria Center for the Arts. To learn more about the Arizona Storytellers project or how to tell your own story, visit storytellersproject.com.