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The Magpie that Saved a Family

During a holiday Sam Bloom fell off a roof terrace and was paralysed from the chest down. Her depression only lifted when she rescued a magpie chick which had fallen from its nest

Sam Bloom suffered a near-fatal fall when on a family holiday in Thailand in 2013. The accident left her paralysed from the chest down and in a deep depression. But help was to come from a very unexpected source. The family discovered an injured and abandoned magpie chick which had fallen from its nest near their home. The process of nursing the bird back to health enabled Sam to come out of her darkest days, and helped the family to heal.

Spanish-born Carlos "Charpu" Puertolas flies drones, with video cameras attached to them, through abandoned buildings in remote areas. Carlos posts the videos online, and they have been met with awe by people around the world.

Some of the harrowing stories of Syrians fleeing the war have been turned into a play performed by refugees themselves. The play, Queens of Syria, draws on women's experiences of trauma and exile and also on the classic text The Trojan Women, which is set during the war between Greece and Troy in ancient times.

Umra Omar spent part of her childhood in the spectacular Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. The unspoilt islands are recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. But for all its natural beauty, parts of the archipelago are amongst the poorest parts of Kenya. Some of the villages have no access to vital health care. But Umra is trying to change this through her organisation called Safari Doctors.

Image: Sam and Cameron Bloom, their children, and Penguin the Magpie
Credit: Cameron Bloom

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Thu 6 Oct 2016 06:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Wed 5 Oct 2016 11:06GMT
  • Wed 5 Oct 2016 19:06GMT
  • Wed 5 Oct 2016 21:06GMT
  • Thu 6 Oct 2016 01:06GMT
  • Thu 6 Oct 2016 03:06GMT
  • Thu 6 Oct 2016 04:06GMT
  • Thu 6 Oct 2016 05:06GMT
  • Thu 6 Oct 2016 06:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected