0:00:02 > 0:00:05This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07# Here we go again One, two, three
0:00:07 > 0:00:12# Do you want to come and join in the dance with me? #
0:00:13 > 0:00:15My name is Roger Graef.
0:00:15 > 0:00:1950 years ago, I made a film about an Australian boy named Brett Nielsen.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22# ..in the dance with you
0:00:25 > 0:00:29# Here we go again Down that same old path
0:00:29 > 0:00:33# Here we go again
0:00:33 > 0:00:35# Here we go... #
0:00:35 > 0:00:37I have come to Australia to find out
0:00:37 > 0:00:40how Brett has survived the last 50 years.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51I catch myself out, you know, occasionally it makes me laugh.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54When there is someone around who doesn't have any arms,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56my first thought is, "Oh, poor bastard,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58"I wonder how he manages," you know?
0:00:58 > 0:01:00You are on Bay FM amongst other things,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04it's 21 past 4 now and it's Friday afternoon,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08for all of those who may have forgotten, no, it's Friday.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12# Asked me why I wore no shoes upon my feet... #
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I know I don't have any arms,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18but it's not sort of a major part of the day, you know,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20it's sort of a, "Oh, yeah, that's right."
0:01:34 > 0:01:36The last time I saw Brett was in England.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40He was four and being fitted for artificial arms.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43When he was six, his family moved back to Australia and we lost touch.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50- Hello, Roger.- Brett, how are you doing?- Good. How are you?
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Gorgeous to see you. Can I hug you?
0:01:53 > 0:01:58- Absolutely. It's been a while. - 50 years, right?- Yeah, 50 years.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02You haven't changed at all, except you're, you know, taller!
0:02:02 > 0:02:05You said that every day, you're solving problems, you know.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Reinvent the wheel, that was it.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- CORK POPS - Whoops! Wow, that came out quickly!
0:02:11 > 0:02:15- That was good! Brilliant! - And suddenly!
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'It is immediately clear that a great deal has happened in 50 years.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22'Brett has had three marriages and two children -
0:02:22 > 0:02:27'20-year-old Pasha from one ex-wife and 12-year-old Jack from his third
0:02:27 > 0:02:29'and he has a new serious girlfriend, Helen,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'a flight nurse he met four months ago.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:34We've got some grapes from our garden as well.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Oh, these are your grapes? Wow!
0:02:36 > 0:02:41Who was it that broke up these various marriages and relationships?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Uh, in my marriages, I think...
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Well, my wives ran away from home was my perception.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Obviously, they weren't happy.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Apparently I am a little bit intense at times, you know,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58a bit like a steam train,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02but Helen doesn't think so, do you, darling?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04HE MOUTHS
0:03:04 > 0:03:07'The thing that attracted me the most
0:03:07 > 0:03:11'about Brett was our common values'
0:03:11 > 0:03:13and we exchanged a lot of written stuff,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15because it was a distant relationship,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'and he is quite a gifted writer
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'and so he would paint these images and I really got to know him.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24'It almost sounds a bit old-fashioned,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26'the old letter way, really,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28'and I just fell in love with that,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31'being romanced by the written word,'
0:03:31 > 0:03:37and flowers in the post. Yeah, he's a good find!
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'Seeing Brett as head of the family takes me back
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'to filming him in the '60s when he was the youngest at the table.'
0:03:46 > 0:03:49He was pretending to be his father, you see,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and he said, "Oh, I am Peter Nielsen and I have got three sons."
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I said, "Oh, yes, and what are their names?"
0:03:55 > 0:03:59And he said, "Well, one is Mark and he teases,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04"and one is Karl and he cries and one is Brett and he's got no arms."
0:04:04 > 0:04:10Total disbelief to think that a tablet that had been given
0:04:10 > 0:04:15to ward off morning sickness would create this sort of problem.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The tranquilliser thalidomide was a global commercial success story
0:04:20 > 0:04:24in the '50s that became the greatest medical disaster in history.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29It is now believed that at least 100,000 babies in 46 countries
0:04:29 > 0:04:32were either destroyed or damaged by the drug.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Some parents were advised to put their babies straight into care
0:04:36 > 0:04:38or even leave them to die.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45I was hoping to actually see the birth and I was kept well away
0:04:45 > 0:04:50and it was possibly an hour or so after the birth before I was told
0:04:50 > 0:04:55that there was an abnormality
0:04:55 > 0:05:00and I found it a bit hard to deal with.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06In the summer of '61, thalidomide was discovered
0:05:06 > 0:05:09as the cause of the global spike in birth defects.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Damage to the foetus was done in the first 42 days of pregnancy,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17depending on which day it was taken.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The 20th caused brain damage, the 21st and 22nd eyes and ears,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24the 24th affected arms.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28In Australia, Brett's mother Barbara took just one tablet
0:05:28 > 0:05:34from a sample given by her GP on what must have been her 24th day.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40- Cheers, Roger.- Cheers!- Cheers!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'Brett worked all his life until he retired five years ago,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'but he is still very busy.'
0:05:46 > 0:05:50For 30 years, he made his living as a record producer
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and ran a bulldozing business.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57'Now he is about to release a CD of his own songs
0:05:57 > 0:05:59'and is building a house next door for his dad.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:03You'll be happy to know I have thought
0:06:03 > 0:06:05about giving up smoking recently.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07No, seriously.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13'There is a lot happening apart from building the shed, you know,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16'a house for the old man.'
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Yeah, we have just finished the album
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and doing a new website
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'and getting the infrastructure together
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'for, you know, flogging CDs again
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'and Dad is moving in, which is a big one,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32'and I am having a romance as well.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35'So, you know, I mean, there is a lot going on
0:06:35 > 0:06:40'over the next few weeks. All good, all good.'
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Don't do this at home, kids.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48'Brett's independent life was established early on by his parents.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50'They refused advice to put him into care
0:06:50 > 0:06:53'and instead treated him as a normal child.'
0:06:53 > 0:06:57We had decided the only thing to do was to possibly go to England,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00where there were far more children,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and we had been in correspondence
0:07:03 > 0:07:06with the Thalidomide Association over there,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11so we could actually achieve something worthwhile for Brett.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This choice wasn't easy.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Victims' families were struggling on their own,
0:07:17 > 0:07:18emotionally and financially,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22so the Nielsens sold everything and moved to Britain.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26There were many more families with affected children sharing advice
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and the best artificial arms were being made there.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- NARRATOR:- The Nielsens' search
0:07:31 > 0:07:33began 12,000 miles away in Australia.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Powered limbs are so new
0:07:36 > 0:07:40that they had to come all the way to England to find them.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43That's when I first met Brett and his family.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47That is where these were hidden, in the newspaper clippings.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50We'll take them out, we'll take them out.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54'Given the 50-year gap, I'm keen to see pictures of Brett growing up.'
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- There he is.- Yep, that's me.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03- Awww!- Awww!- There is you.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08There is young Dad. Looks like a smooth haircut. You're so cute.
0:08:08 > 0:08:14- Young Brett.- Young Bretto. - This is boarding school.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Jack, check out that... It's '73 so you would have been...- 13.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22That is Dad at your age. You have got the same hairdo as well.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- Oh, wow!- Oh, here's Mum - me and Mum.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Awww!
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I remember Brett's mother Barbara vividly from the original film.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35She was amazingly resilient
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and key to ensuring Brett had a normal childhood.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43- BARBARA NIELSEN:- We felt that, rather than treat Brett gently,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46we should make every effort to treat him
0:08:46 > 0:08:50as near as possible as a normal child -
0:08:50 > 0:08:55because he was going to grow up in a normal world
0:08:55 > 0:08:59where people will say hurtful things,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03where, whilst he may be quite an adorable little thing
0:09:03 > 0:09:06whilst he's a baby, he won't be very adorable
0:09:06 > 0:09:12when he is 15 or 18 or 25, so he must compete with others.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17She played an important role in the whole of their upbringing.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19There is no question of that.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23And that showed very eminently
0:09:23 > 0:09:26when we were down at the hospital the evening she died -
0:09:26 > 0:09:32the emotions that were displayed there were phenomenal.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Hello, Brett, how are you this morning?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Have you come to see us at nursery school?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'She was the one that sort of got Brett to do things
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'that were probably outside of his normal comfort zone, I guess.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44'More important, they were outside
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'a lot of other people's comfort zone'
0:09:46 > 0:09:50so he wasn't going to get away without doing the washing up.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53OK, he had to sit on the draining board to wash up,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55but when it was your turn, it was your turn.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57So she didn't want him to be special
0:09:57 > 0:10:01in a way that made him stand out for the wrong reasons.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05She wanted him to be special for the reasons like his music or whatever.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- BARBARA NIELSEN: - When Brett was a tiny baby,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I used to take him out to the shops
0:10:10 > 0:10:13and the clinic, things like that, as much or possibly more
0:10:13 > 0:10:16than I used to take the other children
0:10:16 > 0:10:20because I thought, "Let him get used to being stared at
0:10:20 > 0:10:25"and poked, as some people do, right from birth."
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Better be used to a half-dozen stares every day of the week
0:10:29 > 0:10:32than to just suddenly get half a dozen every Sunday.
0:10:32 > 0:10:39I think she had some very hard social interactions with people,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41because they would see her with Brett
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and they would only think the worst, so...
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- BARBARA NIELSEN:- Sometimes, people have come up in the street
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and said, "Did you take those drugs?"
0:10:52 > 0:10:57They somehow think that one is a drug addict and takes narcotics.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59And so they think that these mothers
0:10:59 > 0:11:02have brought this on the child themselves.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And, for quite a long time, it would hurt.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12But mothers who keep their children at home
0:11:12 > 0:11:16so that they may protect themselves and the children from stares
0:11:16 > 0:11:23and unkind remarks are really making the burden far greater,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26because the child must come out into the world someday.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34'Going shopping with Brett, it's clear the awkward outings
0:11:34 > 0:11:39'with his mother prepared him for his confident shopping trips today.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42'For a start, he shamelessly parks in the disabled bay
0:11:42 > 0:11:45'without an official permit.'
0:11:45 > 0:11:48We will go and park in the spastics' spot cos it is nice and close.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50HELEN LAUGHS
0:11:55 > 0:12:00- Hi, Richard.- G'day, mate. How are you?- Good, good, good.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'She was a very strong person, Mum,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'didn't take no for an answer, EVER!
0:12:07 > 0:12:09'Yeah, no, she was a classic.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:11OK, thank you very much.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15'She would always be finding little sayings and God knows what
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'and one of them I pulled off her fridge
0:12:17 > 0:12:21'and the line was "It doesn't matter what happens to you in your life,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23'"what matters is how you deal with it."
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'But these are the things that shape your personality
0:12:26 > 0:12:28'and all of that sort of stuff.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:32That one looks like it has been run over by a truck.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- Let's not have that one.- We won't have the run-over-truck one.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- No.- No, OK.- This one will do.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45OK, listen, Jack, you need to wash your hands.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Get all that oil off them now, darling.
0:12:48 > 0:12:54I park in the spastic one, because I can, and Pasha hates it.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Because Dad parks in the disabled spot in a two-door Mercedes.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- It just looks ridiculous.- Why?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Because Dad has no sticker
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and he is driving a two-door convertible Mercedes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11What's the car got to do with anything? It's a parking spot.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Because the disabled spot is for someone in a wheelchair, Dad.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- No, no, no...- Or someone with bad legs.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19But, Brett, there is a catch - you are not disabled.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Yeah, but, you know... And I don't have a sticker.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27You are disabled when it means parking out the front of Woolworths.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32- Well...- Then it's, "Oh, I really just need the car here."
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Look, I'm an easy target, Pasha.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37I'm an easy target. If it will make you feel better...
0:13:37 > 0:13:41"I have no arms! Why would you move me out of this parking spot?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- "I need help." - Stop being disloyal to Dad.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's OK, Pasha, I am an easy target, you know.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Go hard if it makes you feel better, it's fine.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50Oh, shut up, Dad!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Do you remember me telling you about Brett last week?
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Remember me telling you that when his mummy made him,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59there wasn't quite enough to make arms
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and how lucky you are that when you were all made,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04your mummy managed to make arms for you?
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Getting Brett and other affected children into a normal school
0:14:08 > 0:14:10was the aim of the original film.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12It wanted to show reluctant head teachers
0:14:12 > 0:14:14that children without all their limbs
0:14:14 > 0:14:17actually used more of their brains than other children.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27He has grown up with the fact that he hasn't any arms
0:14:27 > 0:14:33and he accepts things so completely as they are and he doesn't mind
0:14:33 > 0:14:35if the children say to him, "Where are your arms?"
0:14:35 > 0:14:37He will answer them quite sensibly.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42It is the parents who are much more worried than the child about it.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I suppose that it is just an inborn fear
0:14:45 > 0:14:51of any kind of physical deformity. Some people just can't accept it.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57To help Brett fit in, he wore an artificial arm in infant school.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Getting him arms was the reason
0:14:58 > 0:15:00his parents spent everything on moving to the UK.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04They hoped this was the key to a normal life,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06but it was far from straightforward for Brett.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Let me see if you can press straight.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11If you press it on one side, Brett, it comes up.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13If you press it the other side, it goes down.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Now, you press it with your chin for a minute. That's it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19The movements are simple, but the apparatus is complex,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22especially for a little boy or girl to live with.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26It will take 12 days just to fit the jacket properly
0:15:26 > 0:15:30and, as he grows, Brett must return for a new arm every six months.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35'We tried just about everything over there.'
0:15:35 > 0:15:42The best that was available at that stage was the gas-operated unit.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Its power comes from compressed gas
0:15:43 > 0:15:45kept in a cylinder on the child's back
0:15:45 > 0:15:47and is controlled by switches under the chin.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Working?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- It's not.- Try the elbow.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59That's the shot.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03But dressing a child in a prosthetic each morning
0:16:03 > 0:16:08is a fairly lengthy process, and with Brett bitching
0:16:08 > 0:16:10that it is hurting here, it is hurting there...
0:16:10 > 0:16:15- NO!- Oh, you'll forget all about it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20BRETT PROTESTS
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Where does it hurt?- On my shoulder.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So, he was quite a lively boy, was he?
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Far too bloody lively, yes.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Kids at school were terrified of that.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36It's a scary hand, how did you click this closed?
0:16:36 > 0:16:41There was a little gas cylinder I had to wear
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and it had to be changed throughout the day and whatnot
0:16:44 > 0:16:45because they ran out.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Occasionally, one of the air pipes would come off the thing
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and there would be this thing
0:16:54 > 0:16:58- snaking around inside my shirt at 100mph.- Oh, no!- Yeah.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Once we got back to Australia, I spoke to a doctor
0:17:03 > 0:17:07and he felt that he could actually put a pair of arms on Brett
0:17:07 > 0:17:14and I mentioned this to Brett and I was told in no uncertain manner
0:17:14 > 0:17:18what to do with the arms, and they wouldn't have looked pretty there.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Family comes first in Brett's life -
0:17:23 > 0:17:27his mother's death a year ago was a terrible loss
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and changed Brett's view of his role, especially towards his ageing father.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35We don't have power, which is very frustrating, because...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40..there is not a lot you can do without power,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42but, fortunately, we do have gas.
0:17:42 > 0:17:48I am trying to build a new shed/house
0:17:48 > 0:17:51for my dad to come and live in
0:17:51 > 0:17:55and it is running about three and a half weeks late at the moment.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59'I wonder why Brett is doing this.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03'Is it to look after his childhood carer?'
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Right, you want to spin around on the chair first?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Better ask your friend first.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14You've been a good lad so we'll give you a good swing.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18I'm going round...
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Dad and I speak every morning on the phone, you know,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and we are very much a part of each other's lives in a lot of aspects
0:18:27 > 0:18:32and, you know, we talk to each other often, two or three times a day,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35what's going on and what's happening.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And it's good. I am looking forward to having him here,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41having three generations of Nielsen blokes under the same roof.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I think that'll be fantastic!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'Given how full Brett's life is already,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51'it's surprising he wants to take on looking after his ailing dad as well.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'Peter lives in north Sydney on his own,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55'but close to his two other sons.'
0:18:55 > 0:18:59A couple of years ago, he had a heart attack and fell over
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and he broke both his arms and I was the one who went
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and looked after him, which I thought was quite ironic.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10You know, hang out and help him get dressed
0:19:10 > 0:19:15and turn the shower on and cook and rah-rah-rah-rah-rah
0:19:15 > 0:19:21and company and all of that sort of stuff, so to me, he looks like
0:19:21 > 0:19:24he needs a bit of a hand, so to speak,
0:19:24 > 0:19:30and I just figure that he can probably live a much better life
0:19:30 > 0:19:34living up here with me than he can living by himself in Sydney
0:19:34 > 0:19:37with my brothers a mere 5km away.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39But, anyway, we won't go into that.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44I don't think anybody likes being told what they should do.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I am concerned about it
0:19:46 > 0:19:50because it is costing a bloody lot of money
0:19:50 > 0:19:58and I don't want the feeling that I've actually disappointed him
0:19:58 > 0:20:03or done anything... But I have access to various doctors down here,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05which I wouldn't have access.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11Brett says it is only half an hour up the road to the Gold Coast,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14but I don't particularly want to go to the bloody Gold Coast
0:20:14 > 0:20:20every second day or so to see some doctor, and that's it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22'I don't know how he is going to make up his decision.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26'I don't know what different items he has to put into the mix
0:20:26 > 0:20:29'to try and decide,'
0:20:29 > 0:20:34so he may or may not... I think part of him...
0:20:34 > 0:20:38The trouble to move may be greater than the benefit of actually moving.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43I keep putting it to the back of my mind, you know. It's a dilemma.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47I feel Brett's trying to force him into accepting the fact
0:20:47 > 0:20:49that he's built this thing just for Dad
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and I think that's wrong. Dad's his own person. He's got his own mind,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55he's always done his own thing.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I understand where Brett's coming from, but I don't see that working.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And Brett does not see our point of view.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05So, sorry, Brett, I don't want him to go.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10All the Nielsens seem to have strong opinions.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Brett's decision to abandon artificial arms so young
0:21:13 > 0:21:15was a declaration of independence.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17But if he couldn't support himself,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21he could need lifelong financial help from his parents.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26That was the argument 62 British families used to win a six-year fight
0:21:26 > 0:21:29for compensation from Distillers,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33the company that licensed thalidomide in Britain and the Commonwealth.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The firm which sold the thalidomide drug in Britain
0:21:36 > 0:21:38has offered to pay £20 million.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41It will go to more than 300 children born deformed
0:21:41 > 0:21:43because their mothers took the drug
0:21:43 > 0:21:45on doctors' orders when they were pregnant.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Distillers also paid modest compensation
0:21:48 > 0:21:52to 36 Australian children, including Brett.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53But it went into a trust fund
0:21:53 > 0:21:57that he could only access a decade later, when he was 25.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01In Sydney, that meant both Nielsens had to work all hours
0:22:01 > 0:22:04to send the teenage Brett to boarding school.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It must have been his next big test.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I want to know how he survived with hundreds of adolescent boys.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17To find out, I have come three hours west of Sydney
0:22:17 > 0:22:20to Scots School in Bathurst - now co-ed.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28I thought it would be a very good thing for the school
0:22:28 > 0:22:30to have Brett with us
0:22:30 > 0:22:36and his father was terribly anxious that he should be a normal boy,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and he was to all intents and purposes,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45though very confident and very competent -
0:22:45 > 0:22:48an interesting child.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51He used to walk around... He was a bit cocky with that,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53I don't know how he got away with it,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55but he used to have the smokes in his top pocket
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and I remember him flicking it out and just pulling one out.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03He'd have a lighter or matches, whatever. Incredible.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I had been caught smoking in town, in a cafe,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10and before he wrapped the cane around me,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13he said, "What the hell did you think you were doing?"
0:23:13 > 0:23:16And I apparently said, "Well, I didn't think anyone would notice."
0:23:20 > 0:23:24"You're sitting in a cafe smoking a cigarette with your feet
0:23:24 > 0:23:26"and you didn't think anyone would notice?!"
0:23:26 > 0:23:30And you also said that you couldn't be caned
0:23:30 > 0:23:32because it was against the law.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35That was at the state school,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38because they caned everyone on the hand, but at boarding school,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40they'd wrap the cane around everyone's arse
0:23:40 > 0:23:44and I had one of them so...damn.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46We also had another situation.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49He and another boy were going to have a fight.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54They had a fight, Brett won - that didn't do Brett any harm at all.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59He grew in the estimation of a lot of the boys in the school.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Anyone said anything wrong, he'd get stuck into them.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04He could look after himself.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08He could kick you quicker than someone could punch, basically,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10he was phenomenally quick on his feet
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and he could really defend himself.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15We were told, you know, "Look after your brothers,"
0:24:15 > 0:24:18but that went for the other two looking after me too
0:24:18 > 0:24:21if I got into a scrap, and Brett has come to my aid as well, too.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25I got picked on at Pittwater High and Brett just walked up,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28dunked his satchel off his shoulder and kicked the shit out of someone.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33Left hand, under there... Tight into your shoulder.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36All right?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Lock it in,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40swing your other arm through... Lose it or eat it.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'I didn't enjoy school. I didn't enjoy boarding school at all.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:49I was always on the outer. The whole school was either involved
0:24:49 > 0:24:53in the school cadets marching around with .303s
0:24:53 > 0:24:57or in the bagpipe band, and, you know, saying about,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01as much as I loved music, the idea of me marching playing bagpipes
0:25:01 > 0:25:03just didn't seem like a great career move,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and the army insisted that the rifle be held with both hands,
0:25:07 > 0:25:12so, you know, I sort of spent a lot of time just doing my own thing.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Left, left, left, right, left...
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Brett left school at 15 to become an intern at the local radio station.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It was a job that would change his life.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Bit of solid gold
0:25:25 > 0:25:29from Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You.
0:25:29 > 0:25:3110 past 12 now from 2MBS-FM.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35'I found kids like that who were determined'
0:25:35 > 0:25:40not to allow their disability to become a handicap
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and they worked harder and tried harder
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and once they got to the normal level of competency,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48they didn't stop trying.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50He came to us from Scots School
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and they said, "Look, he has an interest in production and music.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58"He plays piano and he would love to come in
0:25:58 > 0:26:00"and do some work experience,"
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and we just... With a view to perhaps getting a career in radio,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and I think learning the production and giving him the skills,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10which Brett just then ran with,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13because he ran his own production company, didn't he?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- And...- He still does.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18HE PLAYS PIANO
0:26:18 > 0:26:21# See that old man in the street
0:26:21 > 0:26:25# Asked me why I wore no shoes upon my feet... #
0:26:25 > 0:26:31'My neighbour had a piano and I used to go and annoy them,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34'often playing their piano and mucking around with it,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'and then when I was still at school,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39'a fella taught me basic chord structure'
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and so with that I sort of started working out
0:26:42 > 0:26:46how to get my feet around playing chords.
0:26:46 > 0:26:52# People like to think they know who they are
0:26:52 > 0:26:57# Too many trying to copy a star
0:26:57 > 0:27:03# Aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah... #
0:27:03 > 0:27:05'I started writing songs,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08'because it seemed to be something
0:27:08 > 0:27:10'which was interesting me at the time,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13'because I had a lot of spare time at boarding school,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17'and I starting bashing away on a piano
0:27:17 > 0:27:20'and decided I was going to become a songwriter,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24'so that's what started off trying to write songs
0:27:24 > 0:27:28'and just sort of has progressed ever since then.'
0:27:34 > 0:27:39Singing and playing his own songs took him into local clubs.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44I ran a restaurant in Byron Bay in Johnson Street
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and we decided to put on some entertainment.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53# There is a house in New Orleans... #
0:27:53 > 0:27:57And Brett approached us one day to come and play there and we said,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01"Yeah, this is unusual, but, yeah, give us a go."
0:28:01 > 0:28:05He was very good. I mean, on stage he was very entertaining.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08We had people coming back basically just to see him
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and he had quite a good following, actually.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Love of music also brought Brett his first wife, Lydia.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18She was 27, Brett was 19.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22A mutual friend introduced us whilst we were at the function.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26She said, "You would love to meet Brett,"
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and I went, "Oh, yeah, OK," so I met Brett
0:28:28 > 0:28:32and I didn't even realise that he was in any way unique or different,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I just thought he was standing in a crowd of people.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39And we were just chatting away and we started to talk about music
0:28:39 > 0:28:42and playing piano and I casually mentioned
0:28:42 > 0:28:45that there was a piano at the house where I was staying
0:28:45 > 0:28:47and he said, "Let's go, let's go!
0:28:47 > 0:28:50"I want to play you my songs, I want to play you my songs,"
0:28:50 > 0:28:52and I went, "Oh, all right," off we'd trot,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and we spent the whole night just listening to music,
0:28:55 > 0:28:56to each other's songs.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02I think of my time with Brett as the best years of my life.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05We had a ball, we had an absolute ball.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07OK, in the early days, we had very little.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09We had the house and that was about it
0:29:09 > 0:29:12and we slowly pieced it together and made it into a beautiful house
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and we got the gardens happening, we got the studio built,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18we did the music and we got into stuff
0:29:18 > 0:29:21and we were energetic and we did things.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23And that's when you're in your 30s, you do those things,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25and we did those things, it was our 30s,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27it was our, you know, our prime time.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32Brett's studio was the key to a successful recording business,
0:29:32 > 0:29:36including producing nine CDs of his own relaxation music
0:29:36 > 0:29:38that sold over 120,000 copies.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Oh, look at that!
0:29:44 > 0:29:47'Brett's latest project is an album that began 27 years ago
0:29:47 > 0:29:49'and was never released.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52'It is a collection of mostly his own songs called Pigs In Space.'
0:29:52 > 0:29:55# Here we go again One, two, three
0:29:55 > 0:29:58# Do you want to come and join in the dance with me? #
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Why did it take 27 years to finish Pigs In Space?
0:30:01 > 0:30:03I recorded all of those songs
0:30:03 > 0:30:08and a whole bunch more and then I mixed them
0:30:08 > 0:30:11on two or three different occasions
0:30:11 > 0:30:17and I was never quite happy with the product at the end of it
0:30:17 > 0:30:20and never quite happy to release that,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24and then decided we wanted to finish the Pigs In Space project
0:30:24 > 0:30:26and that is what we did.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28# Roses are red and violets are blue
0:30:28 > 0:30:34# Nobody does it for me like you do... #
0:30:36 > 0:30:37When did you stop singing publicly?
0:30:37 > 0:30:42In 1981, I stopped singing publicly.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44It was the International Year of the Disabled
0:30:44 > 0:30:48and I didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52What was the wrong impression?
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Well, I don't know, that it was something to do
0:30:54 > 0:30:56with the Year of the Disabled, you know,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59I just didn't want to be a part of it.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03# Bend the ending, bend the start
0:31:03 > 0:31:07# Nothing's worth it when you've lost your heart
0:31:10 > 0:31:12# Grandpa once said to me
0:31:12 > 0:31:16# "Boy, you've gotta let your spirit go free"... #
0:31:18 > 0:31:21'Brett's impressive lifestyle contrasts sharply
0:31:21 > 0:31:24'with other surviving thalidomide victims around the world.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27'They have struggled all their lives to win compensation
0:31:27 > 0:31:31'against fierce corporate resistance.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33'Although Brett gained from the settlements,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37'he kept working and avoided the treadmill of legal campaigns,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41'preferring the company of family and friends instead.'
0:31:41 > 0:31:45I think it all starts from the back yard, really, and I figure
0:31:45 > 0:31:49if my little world has integrity and all the rest of it,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51that it can flow out from there,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53so that is sort of what I mainly concentrate on.
0:31:53 > 0:31:59I was also thinking about you not wanting to be seen as a whinger.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03What does it mean to be a whinger, when there is a really good cause?
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Whingeing, to me, is sort of where one's got the attitude
0:32:09 > 0:32:11that the world owes them a living
0:32:11 > 0:32:14and I don't believe the world owes anyone a living.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17I think everyone needs to get up and get happening
0:32:17 > 0:32:19and do the stuff they have got to do.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Whingeing in the Nielsen family is strictly taboo.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Brett's mother died last year,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31but her influence still prevails throughout the family.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34You could never, ever complain about anything with Grandma,
0:32:34 > 0:32:35cos she would shut you down.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40So, yeah, I definitely think the no whingeing comes from Grandma.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43You could rip off Mum's arm and she would say,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45"Just put a Band-Aid on it, I have got other stuff to do".
0:32:45 > 0:32:47She really was like that, she was unbelievable.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50- BARBARA NIELSEN:- I used to get so annoyed when he would ask me...
0:32:50 > 0:32:55not ask, DEMAND that I should do this and do that
0:32:55 > 0:32:57and he would scream so much,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01but because the child was so handicapped,
0:33:01 > 0:33:06it seemed even worse to me to feel resentful.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12- NARRATOR:- Brett's mother realised that her resentment
0:33:12 > 0:33:14was normal for a young woman with two other children,
0:33:14 > 0:33:18and so stopped giving in to him automatically,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21but she also saw that Brett was not just crying for help -
0:33:21 > 0:33:25he was crying for more independence.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28MOTOR STARTS
0:33:30 > 0:33:34'I can see Barbara's influence on the way Brett has lived his life.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'As well as marketing the studio, he bought a small bulldozer
0:33:37 > 0:33:42'and worked on building sites locally for 27 years.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45'It was a high-risk venture, both financially and physically.'
0:33:48 > 0:33:50It is a bit of a career jump.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53It is not like, "The natural progression of my radio career
0:33:53 > 0:33:54"is to go and buy a tractor."
0:33:54 > 0:33:59No, it's not, but I mean, you know,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01I like driving things, you know that,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05and I needed to earn some sort of an income somehow
0:34:05 > 0:34:09and nothing much was really jumping out,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12so earth moving seemed like a really good idea.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17'Brett's willingness to take risks
0:34:17 > 0:34:20'to become independent showed in his teens.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22'With money from a serious bicycle accident,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25'he bought a flat in Sydney, and then traded it in for a house
0:34:25 > 0:34:29'that he still lives in 37 years later.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31'He was just 19.'
0:34:31 > 0:34:32I came for a holiday up this way
0:34:32 > 0:34:36and came to visit some friends who were living here.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38And I said, "This is such a great place,"
0:34:38 > 0:34:41and they said, "Yeah, it's such a bummer it's up for sale."
0:34:41 > 0:34:43BRETT LAUGHS
0:34:43 > 0:34:46So I went and put a 50 holding deposit on it,
0:34:46 > 0:34:47down at the local real estate
0:34:47 > 0:34:51and went home and sold the other place and bought this one.
0:34:58 > 0:35:0014 years later at 33,
0:35:00 > 0:35:04Brett's independence and fearless way of living
0:35:04 > 0:35:07were threatened by a near-fatal car accident.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- Look at this, Dad. - Oh, my God!
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It was an F100.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21And it was a very, very big accident,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25where a person in a Volvo couldn't drive very well
0:35:25 > 0:35:29and lost control of their car and crashed into me.
0:35:29 > 0:35:36I smashed 16 teeth, lip got severed right up into my nostril,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40broke my nose, stitches in my eye, broke my left leg,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43couple of toes in my right foot had broke as well
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and it was a bit like having broken arms and legs - I couldn't walk,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I couldn't hold a cup, I couldn't hold a cigarette,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51I couldn't do anything,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55and my wife had left a couple of months earlier. Damn, damn, damn!
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Were you angry? How did you feel about the other driver?
0:35:59 > 0:36:02I thought he was a bit of a clown
0:36:02 > 0:36:04for not being able to drive his car very well,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07but, you know, accidents happen!
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Did it make you cross?
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Cross - no. No, I don't think I was cross,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15it was more frustrated,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18because not being able to walk or anything,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21it was just very, very difficult to get around.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23And, you know, a wheelchair?
0:36:23 > 0:36:25"How are you going to go in the wheelchair, Brett?"
0:36:25 > 0:36:27"Badly!" You know?
0:36:28 > 0:36:29Crutches? No!
0:36:29 > 0:36:31And on and on it went,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35so I had to rely on friends more than anything
0:36:35 > 0:36:37for the better part of a month
0:36:37 > 0:36:41to do everything, which was, you know, terrible.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42Terrible.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47'I am finding it hard to grasp how calmly
0:36:47 > 0:36:49'Brett seems to deal with adversity.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52'If he wasn't angry at someone who almost killed him,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55'surely he must feel strongly about the scandal of thalidomide
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'and the German company who made it, Grunenthal.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:00'I've seen him cross with people,'
0:37:00 > 0:37:05but I wouldn't say Brett's actually got a temper.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07I don't see him as that...
0:37:07 > 0:37:11He can be very cutting with the wit.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:37:13 > 0:37:17I think that's what gives him the ability
0:37:17 > 0:37:19to do such great motivational speaking.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22The feet thing has never really been an issue.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25It's whatever you are used to as you grow up.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30I was with my daughter one day, who was two or three at the time,
0:37:30 > 0:37:35and she said, "Look, Dad, there's a man playing piano with his hands."
0:37:35 > 0:37:38LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
0:37:38 > 0:37:41In his 30s, Brett turned his optimism and resilience
0:37:41 > 0:37:43in the face of his situation...
0:37:43 > 0:37:45"What a weirdo!" You know?
0:37:45 > 0:37:48..into a third career as a motivational speaker.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50He was in demand all over Australia.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52He joked about his lack of arms,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54but stayed clear of thalidomide politics.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57As we close, if I was to share some insights about life
0:37:57 > 0:38:01which I consider to be important, it would be these few things.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05The first is personal responsibility -
0:38:05 > 0:38:08my parents made no special modifications to our home
0:38:08 > 0:38:11as they felt that I should adapt to the world
0:38:11 > 0:38:14and not expect the world to adapt to me.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20Be kind to yourself, recognise your achievements,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24listen to your heart and follow your dreams.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Look around and see the beauty in simplicity.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Work hard at whatever is in front of you
0:38:32 > 0:38:36and know in your bones that you can do anything.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41And, finally, it doesn't matter what happens to you in your life,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43it matters how you deal with it.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much, good night.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50CHEERING
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'Brett now follows those principles in his turn as a dad.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56'He is a single parent to Pasha
0:38:56 > 0:38:59'and to Jack, whom he looks after four days a week.'
0:38:59 > 0:39:02He is my number one support system.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08He's great. He really supports me with anything I do.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10He's a great dad.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14'Someone once said to me that having a child
0:39:14 > 0:39:17'is the greatest love affair of your life
0:39:17 > 0:39:19'and I think it is, you know, I love the kids,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23'and no-one makes me laugh as much as Jack does.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26'He is just hilarious, you know, constantly.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27'We have a crazy time together
0:39:27 > 0:39:30'and, you know, we do lots of stuff together,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33'we cook together every night and all of that sort of stuff,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36'just hang out. It's great.'
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Here's Jack.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- Hi, Jack. How are you, darling? - Good. How are you?
0:39:44 > 0:39:48- Good. How was your day? - It was pretty good.- Yeah?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55He has always been Dad. You know how Dad is.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Dad - the man of the house, Dad cooks dinner,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01I help, you know, that sort of thing.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03But now I know how intense Dad's life has been,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I want to help more with him. that sort of stuff.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Another part of Brett's life has come into sharper focus.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13He is increasingly concerned
0:40:13 > 0:40:17by the behaviour of the makers of thalidomide, Grunenthal.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20A few years ago, someone sent me an e-mail
0:40:20 > 0:40:22about a book about thalidomide,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25and I had never read any books about thalidomide. What for, you know?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27The horse has already gone,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30let's not bother shutting the gate now, you know.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34And I must have been very bored the next day or something
0:40:34 > 0:40:36because I went to the link
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and sort of had a bit of a look at it, as you do,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42and the entire front cover was a photo of me
0:40:42 > 0:40:44and so I had to read the book after that.
0:40:44 > 0:40:45Tell me more about the book
0:40:45 > 0:40:47and what it made you feel at that point.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51It made me feel quite incredulous
0:40:51 > 0:40:54that the whole thing had actually happened...
0:40:55 > 0:40:57..that, you know...
0:40:58 > 0:41:04Yeah, this is just outrageous that people could carry on as they did.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Since the scandal broke in 1961,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Grunenthal has always denied responsibility.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15In the late '60s, the German government took them to court
0:41:15 > 0:41:19on behalf of the 5,000 German victims.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22After years of bullying expert witnesses and victims,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26the leading defence counsel became Minister of Justice.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29After several secret meetings with the prosecutors,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31the trial was stopped without a verdict,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33but with fierce condemnation from the judges.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37It took until 2012 for the new chief executive
0:41:37 > 0:41:40to express regret to the victims
0:41:40 > 0:41:43for what he called "50 years of silent shock".
0:41:43 > 0:41:46The victims said they would rather have more money.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Brett has kept out of the fight until now.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54What is the point in being anything with that situation?
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I mean, there is absolutely nothing I can do to change it. Nothing.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01You say it very calmly, you know what I mean?
0:42:01 > 0:42:07There are people you could hate, you could hate them.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12I would, I think I would. I don't know, what do the other victims feel?
0:42:12 > 0:42:17Do they hate them? Because you are very special as a person, anyway.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Well, I don't know if they hate Grunenthal or whatever.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24I mean, it seems a little bit sort of counterproductive
0:42:24 > 0:42:29to hate them. I think they are a bunch of arseholes,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32but I don't hate them, you know, I think the way
0:42:32 > 0:42:35they went about what they did was absolutely outrageous,
0:42:35 > 0:42:40- but, you know, it has already happened.- Sure.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45So far better to make a statement
0:42:45 > 0:42:52that makes them actually respond, I think that would be great.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54'Brett's launch of his new CD offers him
0:42:54 > 0:42:56'the chance to challenge Grunenthal.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59'It has taken 27 years to complete the album.'
0:42:59 > 0:43:02They have choreographed it to your...
0:43:02 > 0:43:07'And even longer for him to take on the company that made thalidomide.'
0:43:07 > 0:43:09Action!
0:43:09 > 0:43:12'I want to do some videos to promote the album
0:43:12 > 0:43:16'and as an added extra, I thought it would be really cool
0:43:16 > 0:43:19'to make a statement about Grunenthal,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22'and, you know, Grunenthal just haven't really done the right thing.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26'It's just really, really wrong and I believe they should be held'
0:43:26 > 0:43:28accountable for their actions
0:43:28 > 0:43:30and for the products that they've produced.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36And I am probably old enough now to talk about it,
0:43:36 > 0:43:42whereas probably before I wasn't. You know, a bit young and silly.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44I think this is beautiful, this tape. I love this stuff.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48It is a bit American Gothic or something, isn't it?
0:43:49 > 0:43:52Fantastic, well done!
0:43:52 > 0:43:55'Brett has recently taken on a lot of responsibility -
0:43:55 > 0:43:58'the album, two music videos, building a house for his dad
0:43:58 > 0:44:01'and raising Jack on his own.'
0:44:01 > 0:44:05- They're better than the white ones. - Really?- Yeah.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09'Doing all this with no arms and very little help carries a major risk...'
0:44:09 > 0:44:11Good morning, Brett, how are you?
0:44:11 > 0:44:14'..that his body could suddenly let him down.'
0:44:14 > 0:44:17- I am all set up for you. - Good on you.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Come in, make yourself comfy. I will be with you when you are ready.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25It's not one of those sort of movies, it's a family show.
0:44:25 > 0:44:26- That's right. Off you go.- OK.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I want to know from Peter, Brett's physio and close friend,
0:44:31 > 0:44:35what is the long-term physical cost of Brett's remarkable independence?
0:44:35 > 0:44:40Brett's, basically... Because of his disability,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42he works with his legs a lot,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45and there is obviously more wear and tear
0:44:45 > 0:44:49in his pelvis, his legs, his knees, as there would be with other people,
0:44:49 > 0:44:54so my focus is mainly on balancing the pelvis, straighten his hips,
0:44:54 > 0:44:58keep his spine in good working order, and I work a lot on his feet
0:44:58 > 0:45:02to make sure mobility remains good,
0:45:02 > 0:45:06and, over the years, he has been pretty stable.
0:45:06 > 0:45:11You have seen him in action! He's quite remarkable.
0:45:15 > 0:45:23When I see him operate his hands, his feet, I am so impressed.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27The joints in his, they are so much more mobile.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29They are meant to do fine work.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32The fine motor skills are much more developed in the hands.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36But when I look at Brett's fine motor skills
0:45:36 > 0:45:39that he uses with his feet, it is remarkable.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44- How are you?- Good, how are you? - Good, thanks.- What's going on?
0:45:44 > 0:45:47'Did Brett ever imagine having arms?
0:45:47 > 0:45:49'Or feel phantom pain in the missing limbs?'
0:45:49 > 0:45:52He told me this one story,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56he was painting his house, painting up on the ceiling,
0:45:56 > 0:46:00one foot had the paintbrush, one foot had the paint pot,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and he was sitting on the ladder, painting.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07He fell over and he said the first and only time in his life,
0:46:07 > 0:46:12he wanted to use hands to soften the fall,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15but still no phantom pain,
0:46:15 > 0:46:18but he said he had this feeling,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21arms were growing in that second when he fell
0:46:21 > 0:46:25to soften the fall, and I thought, "That is a remarkable experience".
0:46:32 > 0:46:36'Brett's plan to move his father next door is on hold.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40'The new house is months late with serious building problems.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43'He shows them to his friend Trevor, a property developer.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48'For a start, there are no handrails on the stairs or veranda -
0:46:48 > 0:46:50'risky for a man with no arms
0:46:50 > 0:46:53'and his 83-year-old father who has trouble walking.'
0:46:53 > 0:46:58- Oh, gee.- It shouldn't be like that.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01The other thing is that there is a beam running along here,
0:47:01 > 0:47:03all the way along there,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06all the way down the other side and it is not here.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12There it is down there, but it's in the wrong place.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15- I think so.- I am staggered they have done this to you, Brett.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20They demanded full payment, last final payment before Christmas.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23But they hadn't finished?
0:47:24 > 0:47:27- They hadn't done very much by then at all.- I hate to have to say it,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30but I think you have been taken advantage of in this circumstance.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32I think I have, Trev.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36'Yet again, Brett seems calm in the face of things that would have me
0:47:36 > 0:47:42'climbing the wall, like Grunenthal or the construction problems.'
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Brett doesn't show a lot of emotion outside, he is very controlled
0:47:46 > 0:47:50and I think that also comes from the fact that when you are at school -
0:47:50 > 0:47:53back to his schooling again - he would have had a lot
0:47:53 > 0:47:56of cruel things said to him, I'm sure,
0:47:56 > 0:47:59and he learned to insulate himself so not to show emotion
0:47:59 > 0:48:01and I think that is where that would have come from.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05'Helen found the same reaction when they were disturbed at a restaurant.'
0:48:05 > 0:48:11We'd had a lovely evening, really nice evening, chattering away
0:48:11 > 0:48:13and this drunk walked up
0:48:13 > 0:48:20- and started just being loudmouthed, wasn't he?- He was.- Obnoxious.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22He was fascinated by the situation
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and couldn't help but to say something
0:48:25 > 0:48:31and, in doing so, he was taking up our space, basically.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34The way Brett deals with that,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36I found that really extraordinary,
0:48:36 > 0:48:41because I wanted to get out and snot them,
0:48:41 > 0:48:45because that seemed fair and reasonable.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Losing control, I mean, if you, you know,
0:48:47 > 0:48:51are telling someone to fuck off, essentially you have lost control.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55- BARBARA NIELSEN:- Of course we felt sorry for him while he was young,
0:48:55 > 0:48:59but as he grew older and was quite happy,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01then there was no need to feel sorry.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Why should one feel sorry for a happy person?
0:49:03 > 0:49:06'The family have seen the original film before,
0:49:06 > 0:49:10'but I want to show it to them again to see if it sheds any light
0:49:10 > 0:49:12'on what lies behind Brett's incredible composure.'
0:49:19 > 0:49:23Don't touch it! DON'T!
0:49:28 > 0:49:30- That was brutal!- He sees the world
0:49:30 > 0:49:33not quite with rose-coloured glasses...
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I'd say he deserved it, personally.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39..but he thinks people are mostly very kind.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41- Do you still believe that?- Yep.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44'I do. I've always thought that, you know.'
0:49:44 > 0:49:49I figure that mostly when I meet people for the first time,
0:49:49 > 0:49:54they go into some sort of state of shock, basically.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59And all of the layers of bullshit that everyone has up to impress
0:49:59 > 0:50:02and whatever else is stripped off.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04And I get to see the real person.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08The Nielsens, like many other parents, had already been through
0:50:08 > 0:50:10a frustrating series of hospital visits.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Thalidomide problems were new
0:50:13 > 0:50:18and so complex that most doctors were caught unprepared.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21It was a very intense time for me as a young child.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24- Yeah. Really?- Shit, yeah.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29Yeah, well, I spent three months in hospital and Mum and Dad came
0:50:29 > 0:50:33and visited every Sunday cos it was 70 miles away or something,
0:50:33 > 0:50:38once a week for a few hours sort of thing, and on and on it went,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41so it was a lot of separation anxiety and stuff like that.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43Oh, poor you!
0:50:43 > 0:50:48It's just sad to watch it, it's really sad.
0:50:48 > 0:50:56It's like Dad with no arms now isn't sad. That's just Dad,
0:50:56 > 0:51:02but a child with no arms is really, really tragic.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Yeah, tough times.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Awww!
0:51:09 > 0:51:13Yesterday, when we watched One Of Them Is Brett together,
0:51:13 > 0:51:15last night, it sort of...
0:51:16 > 0:51:19..it sort of stirred up a few things
0:51:19 > 0:51:23and I sort of realised that there was a whole bunch of memories
0:51:23 > 0:51:25or whatever about those times
0:51:25 > 0:51:30that I had basically fairly successfully stood on
0:51:30 > 0:51:34and, you know, repressed for 50 years, feeling a little bit
0:51:34 > 0:51:40sort of abandoned, really, you know, and left in hospitals and whatnot
0:51:40 > 0:51:42and I totally understand and realise
0:51:42 > 0:51:45that my parents were doing the absolute best they could for me
0:51:45 > 0:51:48cos they loved me so much and all of that sort of stuff.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51But, you know, at the end of the day,
0:51:51 > 0:51:56the feeling is still there of some sort of abandonment as a youngster.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05I never knew that Brett spent three months
0:52:05 > 0:52:08in hospital being fitted for arms,
0:52:08 > 0:52:12largely on his own, at the age of three.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15He had already lived through it by the time I filmed him a year later.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24'With the house in limbo and his dad still undecided about the move,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27'Brett turns his energy back to his album and the protest video.'
0:52:27 > 0:52:29It's a tricky one because...
0:52:29 > 0:52:31'Simon the director and his editor Julie
0:52:31 > 0:52:34'have come to Brett's house to produce it.'
0:52:34 > 0:52:35When was it actually banned?
0:52:35 > 0:52:41It was released in October '57 and it was banned worldwide in '61.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45In '61, right. I personally never realised the extent
0:52:45 > 0:52:47to which Grunenthal were like, "Whoops!"
0:52:47 > 0:52:50That seems to be their attitude.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54- 50 years is ridiculous.- Not really having been held accountable for it.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57The other thing about Grunenthal is that the brothers,
0:52:57 > 0:53:05the Wirtz brothers, who had it running, were Nazi Party members.
0:53:05 > 0:53:11- Oh, God!- And the people who invented the drugs
0:53:11 > 0:53:16and who worked for Grunenthal were all out of the camps.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19They are all the doctors or whatever they were,
0:53:19 > 0:53:23who were testing stuff and doing experiments on the Jews
0:53:23 > 0:53:26and rah-rah-rah. They are the guys who invented thalidomide
0:53:26 > 0:53:29and they are the guys who worked for Grunenthal.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31That adds a very sinister dimension, doesn't it?
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Well, it does and I just figure that no-one seems to have had
0:53:35 > 0:53:40a great deal of success in doing anything with Grunenthal.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42And I'd love to embarrass the bastards.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Really, really embarrass them.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48'Brett going public about his feelings
0:53:48 > 0:53:50'is another big step for him.'
0:53:50 > 0:53:54I am not looking for money from Grunenthal for me,
0:53:54 > 0:53:55I am really not,
0:53:55 > 0:54:00but there's a lot of people who aren't in my position,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02who haven't been as fortunate one way or another
0:54:02 > 0:54:07with their ability to work or whatever it is.
0:54:07 > 0:54:13And, you know, there's a whole lot of people out there
0:54:13 > 0:54:18having a really shitty time, shitty, shitty time, and it's wrong.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23And the second one for me.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25'The protest video is Brett's way
0:54:25 > 0:54:27'of finally joining the 50-year campaign
0:54:27 > 0:54:29'against those who made the drug.'
0:54:32 > 0:54:33Thalidomide.
0:54:33 > 0:54:34Every woman must be aware
0:54:34 > 0:54:37that it's most important that they do not take this drug.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41We're looking at the very worst disaster inflicted by medicine.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44# Isn't it a pity
0:54:48 > 0:54:51# Isn't it a shame
0:54:53 > 0:54:57# How we break each other's hearts
0:55:00 > 0:55:03# And cause each other pain... #
0:55:06 > 0:55:10Half a century after my film about a determined four-year-old,
0:55:10 > 0:55:15I see a happy man driven by love - of his children, of his father,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18who has now decided to move into the new house,
0:55:18 > 0:55:20and now Helen.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Inspired by her, Brett is writing songs again
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and he no longer hides his feelings about Grunenthal.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30# Isn't it a pity? #
0:55:30 > 0:55:33'It has been a privilege to share a small part
0:55:33 > 0:55:36'of the journey of this extraordinary ordinary man.'
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Years ago, I sat down and I was feeling miserable about something,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43glum, as Helen would say,
0:55:43 > 0:55:47and I sat down with a bit of paper and a pen
0:55:47 > 0:55:52and I wrote down all of the things that I wanted in my life, you know,
0:55:52 > 0:55:57sort of, you know, the most extreme things that I could think of,
0:55:57 > 0:55:59and I wrote them all down and looked at it all
0:55:59 > 0:56:02and went, "Ah, I've got them all."
0:56:03 > 0:56:07You know, I want to live in a big house, have a view of a mountain,
0:56:07 > 0:56:12live near the water, have a recording studio in the back yard.
0:56:12 > 0:56:18I mean, really, you know, beautiful kids, girlfriend, dog.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23# Now isn't it a shame... #
0:56:23 > 0:56:27Researchers report that Thalidomide children continue to be born.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31# How we break each other's hearts... #
0:56:31 > 0:56:33What many saw as corporate greed at its worst...
0:56:33 > 0:56:37# And cause each other pain
0:56:39 > 0:56:44# How we take each other's love
0:56:46 > 0:56:49# Without thinking any more... #
0:56:49 > 0:56:51It's an absolute disgrace.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58# Forgetting to give back
0:57:00 > 0:57:03# Isn't it a pity?
0:57:06 > 0:57:12# Forgetting to give back
0:57:12 > 0:57:16# Isn't it a pity?
0:57:19 > 0:57:24# Forgetting to give back
0:57:26 > 0:57:30# Isn't it a pity? #