Sean Rooney was killed on September 11, 2001, after United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

As he tried to make his way to the roof of the building while searching for a way out, Sean called his wife, Beverly Eckert. She came to StoryCorps to remember their final conversation.

Beverly’s story is one in a series of real-life stories presented by StoryCorps and Upworthy reminding us #WhoWeAre—everyday Americans speaking to our best selves.

Click here to listen to Beverly’s original StoryCorps interview.

StoryCorps and Upworthy, the mission-driven media company that reaches more than 200 million people each month, have joined forces to launch #WhoWeAre, a campaign to share the stories of everyday Americans, build compassion, and offer hope to a divided nation. #WhoWeAre calls on Americans to reach across perceived divides and listen to one another.

Click here to learn more about the campaign.