Logo

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

The human body is a miracle. But when it’s not working, it can be the stuff of nightmares. On this new series from master storyteller MrBallen, we’re sharing medical horror stories and diagnostic mysteries that are surgically calibrated to make your blood run cold.From bizarre, unheard-of diseases and miraculous recoveries to strange medical mishaps and unexplainable deaths — you’ll never hear the phrase “heart-stopping” in the same way again. MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between MrBallen and Wondery, the award-winning company behind Dr. Death.New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge the first 8 episodes, early and ad-free on Amazon Music.

Ep. 12 | Dark Killer

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 1.3K views
  • 7 months ago
  • 32:46

In 1998, a new mother begins experiencing intense full-body aches, unstoppable itching, and crushing fatigue. But everyone she talks to says it’s all in her head and the woman feels like she’s losing her mind. Will someone be able to figure out what’s wrong with her before it’s too late?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 11 | What’s Wrong with Vince?

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 680 views
  • 7 months ago
  • 34:03

In the spring of 2009, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer takes over a country medical practice in Fletcher, North Carolina. His predecessor is no longer running the clinic because he’s serving a life sentence for murdering his father. But, as Benjamin learns more about the case, he begins to wonder if the man is truly a cold-blooded killer or if there’s another explanation for his terrifying crime.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 10 | Sin Nombre

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 720 views
  • 8 months ago
  • 39:16

In the spring of 1993, young, healthy people of the Navajo nation start dying from a mysterious disease that fills their lungs with so much fluid that they suffocate. The CDC’s best scientists scramble to uncover what’s causing it before it spreads – and the answer might lie in a story from ancient Navajo legend.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 9 | Sleep Addict

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 910 views
  • 8 months ago
  • 26:55

In 2005, a high-powered attorney starts falling asleep for dangerously long periods at a time. No matter what she tries to keep herself awake, she constantly needs sleep, like an addict craves a fix. It gets so bad, she fears that one day she’ll fall asleep and never wake up again.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 7 | The Shadow/The Experiment

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 790 views
  • 8 months ago
  • 34:15

“The Shadow”When a woman’s unexplainable heart condition threatens her life, surgeons turn to a rare and dangerous operation. They have less than an hour to operate and find the cause of her condition. What they discover is jaw-dropping.“The Experiment”A New York City radio producer in her early 40s falls mysteriously ill after having dinner with friends. She goes to the doctor, but he can’t find anything wrong. As her symptoms worsen, she decides to take matters into her own hands and run a dangerous experiment on herself. Her discovery changes her life forever.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Listen Now: RUN, FOOL!

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 640 views
  • 8 months ago
  • 06:40

From Ballen Studios, and master storyteller Rodney Barnes, comes RUN, FOOL!, a weekly compendium of grisly and harrowing tales guaranteed to make you scream. Episodes every Tuesday.Listen Now: http://smarturl.it/RunFoolSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 6 | Blood Feast

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 610 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 26:30

One night in 1944, over 300 patients at a mental hospital in Oregon become violently sick after eating dinner. Many of them die. An investigation is quickly launched to determine the source of this deadly illness. Was there something wrong with the food itself? Or could it have been the work of a deranged killer?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 5 | Silent Scream

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 910 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 27:03

In September 2004, a 15-year-old girl is suddenly struck with fatigue and blurred vision. When she’s rushed to the hospital, she’s given a grim diagnosis: she’s dying and there’s nothing medical experts can do. But one doctor has a desperate last-minute idea: an experimental treatment that could save her life… or lock her into a fate worse than death.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sanju’s Belly/One by One | 4

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 850 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 29:57

“Sanju’s Belly”For decades, a 36-year-old Indian man has been plagued by a mysterious swelling in his belly. He refuses to see a doctor, until one day, he’s rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. When doctors operate, what they find inside him is horrific.“One by One”A family in 1860s London is struck by a mysterious illness that claims three of their children. When the city’s finest physician is brought in to treat the family's last surviving child, a three-year-old girl, he is baffled by her symptoms. But as he digs deeper he realizes the true killer has been staring him in the face all along.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 4 | Sanju’s Belly/One by One

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 690 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 30:57

“Sanju’s Belly”For decades, a 36-year-old Indian man has been plagued by a mysterious swelling in his belly. He refuses to see a doctor, until one day, he’s rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. When doctors operate, what they find inside him is horrific.“One by One”A family in 1860s London is struck by a mysterious illness that claims three of their children. When the city’s finest physician is brought in to treat the family's last surviving child, a three-year-old girl, he is baffled by her symptoms. But as he digs deeper he realizes the true killer has been staring him in the face all along.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Change in Fortune | 3

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 670 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 29:05

On a hot September day in 1986, a family in Goiania, Brazil, suddenly begin feeling sick after a celebration. The symptoms are horrific: vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding. But one family member suspects something far worse. Her hunch soon leads to a devastating discovery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tigers on the Ceiling | 2

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 620 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 34:02

In 1951, dozens of people in the small French town of Pont St. Esprit fall ill with nausea, chills, and stomach pains. At first, the local doctor suspects food poisoning, but when the symptoms turn into hallucinations, violence, and even suicide, he realizes that something much more sinister is at play.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ashes to Ashes | 1

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries

  • 640 views
  • 9 months ago
  • 24:18

In the Spring of 1986, a man discovers that his elderly father has been trapped inside his home that was devastated by a fire. But no one can figure out what caused the fire – or what exactly happened to the man’s father. When medical science can’t explain it, one investigator turns to a strange phenomenon to find answers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.