Episode 2 Going Back Giving Back

One of the things I love about us Brits is our spirit of generosity.

If I can give back to somebody who had a similar struggle to my own,

then that's what I would like to do.

Last year, nearly three quarters of us gave to charity.

But what if you had the chance to go back

and relive moments from your past?

I wish I was 18 again.

LAUGHTER

-I'm expecting Mum and Dad to walk out now and say hello, you know?

-Yeah.

Moments which would inspire you to want to help someone today.

I want to give back to those people that are going through that,

that I went through in the beginning.

If I can give something to somebody else that will change their lives,

-I would really love to.

-Fantastic.

Someone who had no idea this life-changing windfall was coming.

I have got, potentially, her dream

in my hand.

-How are you feeling?

-Nervous.

There will be surprises...

-How are you?

-Very good.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

..with acts of generosity that will change people's lives...

Really excited.

We are all crying.

-Do you need a hug as well?

-Yeah, thanks.

..for ever.

Somebody that just does that for people, it's just amazing, it really is.

This is Going Back, Giving Back.

Today I'm going back to the past,

and it's a tale of how a four-legged friend turned one family's life around.

We meet the mother whose little boy's life was changed for ever

when he was given his beloved dog.

It built Tom's confidence,

it helped him through some tough patches that any teenager has.

Of course.

What's driving her to want to help someone today?

You've been talking about your lovely dog.

Made a big difference to your life.

Oh, absolutely.

A huge difference in terms of the companionship.

Can she transform the life of one brave young boy?

-Snap!

-Oh.

And it's nerves all round as we prepare for the big surprise...

How are you feeling?

-Nervous.

-How about you?

-Nervous too.

..with a gift that will transform his life.

Oh, that's lovely.

I've come to the beautiful rolling Buckinghamshire countryside to

discover all about specially-trained assistance dogs, who can help people

with disabilities lead more independent lives.

The dogs are incredible, but you know,

ten years ago they were only available to adults with disabilities,

not children. Well, I'm on my way to meet a woman who changed all that.

'61-year-old Hillary lives in a quiet village with her husband, Paul,

'and 23-year-old disabled son Tom from a previous relationship.'

-Who's this?

-That's our dog, Fonzie.

Mad boy.

'Hillary is an incredibly resourceful woman who worked hard

'to forge a career as a management consultant,

'as well as give her son the best in life.

'And she has now made the momentous decision to help someone whose life

'mirrors her early life.'

Can I get you a cup of tea?

-Oh, I'd love one, yes. Thank you.

-Right, thanks.

So you've had an interesting life.

Yes, I think so, probably in more ways than one.

Hillary was facing life as a single mum when her son Tom was born

ten weeks prematurely.

When he was just a few days old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy,

but Hillary was determined he would still lead a full life.

So as Tom was growing up, the two of them travelled the world,

visiting 14 countries, ranging from Australia to North America.

I think I really wanted him to always have

this positive attitude to life.

I just wanted to show him,

OK, maybe you're not able to walk,

but you can still go and experience everything.

But despite her positivity, Tom struggled with his confidence.

However, Hillary discovered there was one thing that seemed to bring

him out of his shell.

Tom and I went to a little garden fete near here and they had the helping dogs that

you can have, the petting dogs that people have in the hospital.

And Tom was really enjoying this dog on his lap.

And I had obviously seen assistance dogs in Britain, but I just thought,

gosh, you know, it would be really good if we could have a dog working

with Tom. And then I sort of investigated and found out that

actually there weren't any dogs for children.

It was just for adults, wasn't it?

But Hillary discovered assistance dogs were being used for children in

North America. So she researched what they were doing and approached

a charity here.

And after a few months, got what she wanted.

At the age of 11, Tom became the first boy with special needs

in the country to get an assistance dog.

He was called Vigo, and they even appeared on Blue Peter.

How has Vigo changed your life?

Well, he's made me a lot happier

and he's also helped me with practical things.

Vigo sleeps on your bed, is that right?

Yeah, he does.

Does he keep you warm as well?

-Yeah, he does.

-Oh, and I bet he is your best mate, is he?

-Of course he is.

-Of course he is.

-Vigo revolutionised Tom's life and helped him achieve

what he had only dreamed of.

So what difference did Vigo make to Tom's life?

Oh, he built Tom's confidence,

helped him through some tough patches that any teenager has.

-Of course.

-But there are other issues and more obstacles.

I think we should meet Tom, don't you?

-Yeah, he's down the corridor.

-Right, come on, then, lead the way.

-OK.

Hillary is fiercely proud of Tom.

Despite his disabilities,

he went away to Lancaster University and spent a year studying in North America,

gaining a first-class degree in politics.

He then went on to get a masters in US foreign policy.

-Nice to see you.

-Nice to see you too.

Just been hearing all about you.

-It's all good.

-Oh, good.

Tom's life was transformed when he got Vigo,

who sadly passed away last year.

We've been talking about your lovely dog.

Yes. Brilliant.

Made a big difference to your life.

Oh, absolutely, huge difference,

in terms of the companionship.

And what about for your confidence?

Oh, it was massive.

I mean, quite often you go unnoticed if you are in a wheelchair,

so having the dog there is a big draw.

And what about practically?

Vigo did a lot for you, didn't he?

Oh, yeah, in terms of helping, opening doors, picking stuff up

-for me...

-Really?

-..if I dropped it and all sorts of things. Yeah.

And we were always teaching him new things,

like how to switch off lights.

'Over the past year, Hillary and her family have been saving money to

'give assistance to a child in a similar situation today, in memory

'of their beloved dog.'

You can tell how much he meant to you.

Has it reinforced that desire you had to help other people?

Oh, yeah, definitely.

-Don't you think, Tom?

-Yeah.

-We've always felt it was so important

to be able to give back.

I reckon, to even further reinforce that desire,

I think we should go back in time,

if you are keen. And I will take you somewhere.

Oh, gosh, OK.

-A little voyage of discovery, maybe. Shall we go?

-Let's go.

-Come on, then. Tom, we will love you and leave you.

-OK.

-Follow me.

-OK.

We are taking Hillary back to where it all started.

We are hoping it will evoke memories that will reinforce her desire

to help someone today.

So, I mentioned earlier on that we might be going back in time.

Where do you reckon we are going?

From the look of where we are heading, I think it might be the charity.

-Could be.

-It could be.

LAUGHTER

Hillary has got it in one.

We are heading to the Dogs For Good training centre for assistance dogs

in Banbury, Oxfordshire,

where she and Tom learnt how to build a relationship with their dog, Vigo.

When Tom was diagnosed to start with,

that must have been such a frightening time for you.

Yeah.

I think it was just so unexpected.

You know, you just don't know how it's going to be.

-No.

-It's... Just not sure how your life is going to turn out.

And of course, until that happened to me,

I'd never really had any experience of

anybody with a disability.

And how did you feel when the doctor told you about the diagnosis?

I just felt...

..shocked.

I remember thinking, "I'm never going to smile again."

It's interesting, isn't it? Because Tom has given me more joy...

-It's funny, isn't it?

-..laughter and...

But at the time it was...

"Please tell me, you know, give me some certainty.

"How this is going to work out?"

And of course, they can't. Not with that diagnosis.

So it's... Really, really

a tricky thing to hear.

Tom got Vigo as he was turning 12.

He had him by his side for seven years,

until he was 18, when he left home to go to university

and when his faithful friend went into retirement.

And over the years, has it got easier?

Yeah, it has.

It's amazing...

-I suppose it's amazing how resilient we are as humans.

-Yeah.

-And of course, you just, you grow with your child.

-Uh-hm.

-Your life becomes that life that you have together.

-Yeah.

I think if somebody had said to me,

"You will have a child who uses a wheelchair,"

I would have not been able to cope with that if I'd known that right

at the beginning. But as Tom just progressed and became his own person,

it was like, he's Tom.

He was a really funny little lad.

He's very independent, isn't he?

-Very independent.

-Obviously gets that from you.

Yeah, and his love of travel.

So I'm really pleased, actually,

because I always wanted that.

-I wanted him to see the world and think...

-He certainly has with you.

-"Great opportunities here."

Tom's dog didn't just boost his confidence,

it also gave him more independence,

as he was taught how to assist Tom in basic tasks such as switching on

the lights, picking up things, and even tucking him up in bed.

It's funny that the dogs they gave to adults, but not to children.

Yes, I don't actually know why they didn't do it.

I think it's a slightly different thing.

With the children, you work as a partnership, so an adult's with the child,

mainly because they are big dogs,

-and even though they are very well trained, they are still dogs.

-Yeah.

So if they see a cat right in front of their nose, you can't always...

-A small child in a wheelchair couldn't necessarily hold on to a dog.

-Got you, I see.

I think this is going to be quite a poignant trip back in time for Hillary.

-We are going here, yeah?

-Yeah, just in there.

Does it mean that much to you, this place?

Yeah, I love it.

It was really special.

Hillary and Tom were here 12 years ago when they were united with their

beloved Vigo. And all three of them spent a fortnight in intensive

dog-training camp.

Right, then, should we head in and go see some doggies?

Yeah, let's see some doggies.

Remembering how this special dog transformed Tom's life,

and indeed her own, is certain to have an impact on Hillary.

So, go on, what does it feel like, being back here?

-It's like being back at home, almost.

-Really?

Yeah, it was a really special time that we had here together.

And you weren't paired here with...

No, they bring the dogs to you first.

And I think that's a really nice thing, especially for the children.

-And they really look at the child and match the personality of the dog.

-Got you.

-And then you come here?

-So when we came here,

we didn't have that worry about, "What dog are we going to get?"

We already knew we were going to get Vigo.

And then we came here.

We came here for ten days, two weeks, to do the training,

but also for Vigo to bond with us.

Got you. So you stayed here as well?

-Yeah, yes.

-Can I have a look?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Well, you lead the way.

-OK.

Tom was the first child in the UK to receive an assistance dog.

But the idea of dogs helping humans rather than just being pets

dates back to the 1930s when the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association was formed.

Today, dogs can assist in lots of different disabilities,

such as cerebral palsy, which Tom has.

This is the place where an exciting new chapter in Hillary and Tom's

extraordinary lives began with their dog, Vigo.

DOGS BARK

And our first stop is the very room all three of them stayed in.

-So this is it?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Our own little hotel room.

-Yes.

-With dog beds.

With dog bed and dog bowl.

-I see, you're both in here, and then...

-Yeah.

Oh, you've got outside space as well.

That's great.

Also, how great that you knew

what was happening here was something very, very special.

Yeah, the start.

-The start of everything.

-He was number one.

He was number one.

Amazing that he was such a trailblazer, wasn't he?

And it was very exciting.

Because I think also

-the trainers, the charity, we were all learning together.

-Yeah.

-Because they had never done it before with a child.

-No.

So it was a really interesting,

-you felt like you were really at the beginning of everything.

-I bet.

We all sort of had such fun.

And the three of you were in here together.

We were, yes.

And at first, Vigo stood at the door there,

wanting to go back to his trainer.

-Oh, no. Heartbreaking.

-It was awful.

-I bet.

-He cried. And we felt terrible.

But then over time, of course...

Yes, over the two weeks that we were here,

he was completely bonded with us by the end of it.

OK. Well, listen, I might have another little surprise for you.

-Do you want to follow me?

-Oh, OK.

Your face is a picture. Come on, then.

There was one person responsible for matching Hillary and Tom with Vigo

and helped with the training all those years ago.

-You might recognise this lady.

-Hello!

-Hello, you.

-Nice to see you.

How are you?

-I'm well. How are you?

-Oh, all right.

A trip down memory lane.

Helen is director of training here,

and has been at the charity for 26 years.

It's a long time ago, you know, honestly.

But it doesn't feel like it.

-No, it doesn't.

-We had such a lovely time here.

No, we did. We worked hard.

-Oh, really(?)

-No, we did.

I was just saying, he was a pioneer, wasn't he?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

-Yeah, yeah.

Things have changed so much, but when we started working with you,

that was basically just sort of pivotal for this charity.

Vigo taught us a lot and Tom taught me an enormous amount.

And it was in the 1980s that dogs began to be used to help people with

other disabilities rather than just the blind.

Today, assistance dogs are trained to help the deaf and the disabled

with practical tasks, such as unloading the washing machine...

..crossing the road...

and even posting letters.

There are also now medical detection dogs that can do things such as

remind people to take their medication,

or alert someone who's going to have an epileptic fit before it happens.

So you put them through their paces here.

Can we have a look at what you do?

Absolutely. I think, probably, let's go up to the training hall,

which is new.

Oh, good.

-It looks very different from when you were there.

-Go on, then.

Coming up - we've been on the hunt for someone whose story will really

resonate with Hillary,

and we think we've found them.

He's an incredible little boy.

And with his wonderful mum, they are the mirror of Hillary and Tom.

-Never too old for a cuddle, are you?

-Mm.

-Mm.

They think we are making a programme about children with disabilities.

They have no idea the real reason behind Hillary's visit,

and that they could be in for a life-changing gift from her.

It's amazing what these assistance dogs can do,

but will reliving the intensive training that they all went through 12 years ago

inspire Hillary to give back even more today?

We are joined here by Leanne, one of our trainers...and Skipper...

-Hello, Skipper.

-Hello, darling.

..one of our golden retrievers.

Oh, he's beautiful.

There's a good boy.

-Oh.

-How long would it take the dog to learn to do something like that?

Well, we find it is individual to each dog.

So they all learn at different rates, very much like you and I, really.

We usually anticipate the whole learning phase

takes about six months.

These intelligent dogs are trained to pick up and fetch things,

and even help their owners get undressed and...

turn on the lights.

So using the light switch, again, is something he enjoys doing.

So this is a sock off the...

And again, at the moment we are keeping it easy.

So not putting it on fully because it's about being successful.

You want the dog to want to do it,

so it's creating a situation where there's a really good chance of the dog

having success and then going, "Oh, I like that."

I'm amazed by... He takes it off and then drops it and then picks it up.

Yes. Again, that's down to him as an individual.

-I love that.

-Not all dogs would do that.

-That's one job.

-But you can tell that's how his brain is focusing,

-it's awesome.

-Puts it in compartments.

I always remember, you always said to us,

"Set it up for success,"

and I always think of that.

What else does he do, what else does he do?

Does he sing?

Can he open the door? Can he?

Oh, go on, then.

Hey!

Good boy.

This has been quite a vivid trip down memory lane for Hillary.

Coming here today, I'm just bowled over by what this dog can achieve.

Is it reinforcing that feeling that you want to help somebody?

Absolutely. It's brought back all the memories of how it was for us

when we were here, and that really exciting first few days

bonding with our wonderful boy,

but then the whole life that we had.

And then obviously it would be amazing to be starting that journey

again, for somebody else.

Well, listen, I will leave you two to reminisce.

-OK.

-I'll see you soon.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-Nice to see you.

Revisiting where the adventure started with their assistance dog

has been poignant for Hillary.

So, go on, then, what does feel like being back here?

It's like being back at home, almost.

-Really?

-Yeah. It was a really special time that we had here together.

So has remembering how their much-loved dog, Vigo,

made such a difference to Tom's life.

Quite often you go unnoticed if you are in a wheelchair,

so having the dog there is a big draw.

Hillary has such a strong connection with this place

and coming back here today has just reinforced all those

positive feelings. You know,

it's easy to see that actually it's her son's success story that is

driving her to want to give something back today.

Of course, there are many people who could benefit from Hillary's generosity,

but we think we've found somebody whose story will definitely

strike a chord with her.

The parallels between his life and Hillary's son Tom's life are remarkable.

He is an amazing, inspirational young boy.

In a suburb of Birmingham,

12-year-old Bradley lives with his devoted mum, Sarah.

Snap!

Oh.

Bradley has a progressive muscle wasting disease that put him

in a wheelchair at the age of nine.

Although she's married now, just like Hillary,

Sarah was a single mum for the first few years of Bradley's life.

She's an incredible woman who does all she can to encourage her son.

My mum is one of the most amazing people I could have in my life.

And she just does...

she does everything for me.

She helps me so, so much, it is just really, really nice to have a person like that.

Sarah has always kept a positive attitude and made sure she and Bradley

deal with what life throws at them as best they can,

just like Hillary did with Tom.

And there's one thing that Bradley wants more than anything -

an assistance dog, like Tom's Vigo.

With these parallels, we've arranged for them to meet.

I'm a little bit excited, bit nervous.

I'm looking forward to hearing their story and I'm hoping there's

something I can do to help them.

-Hi.

-Hi, you must be Sarah.

-Yes, Hillary?

-Yeah, hi.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Come through.

-Thank you.

This meeting has the potential to transform Bradley and Sarah's life.

So let's hope Hillary feels there is a connection.

Hi, Bradley.

Hello, I'm Hillary.

Lovely to meet you.

Sarah and Bradley think we are making a programme about children

with disabilities. They have absolutely no idea they could be

in line for a generous gift from Hillary.

Bradley, how are things with you?

Do you go to a mainstream school, Bradley?

Yeah, it's difficult because it's hard for other people to understand

what I need and how they can help me.

And I have quite a lot of bad days

because there's people saying stuff.

But it's like...

It's, like, knowing they are all running around

and just me watching them,

it's difficult.

That was the same for Tom.

Tom was the only child at his school in a wheelchair.

-Yeah.

-And like you,

his friends would suddenly shoot off across the playground and Tom

couldn't follow. So it's hard, isn't it, Bradley, when it's like that?

Also like Tom,

Bradley hasn't let his disability get in the way of making the most of life.

What things do you really like, Bradley?

What do you like to do, that really gives you a lot of pleasure?

Well, I play football, wheelchair football.

When I'm playing, it just takes my mind off everything.

And I'm just concentrating on that one thing,

so it just takes my mind off it

and I'm just really happy.

What Hillary would really like to discover is how important having an

assistance dog would be to Bradley.

So how come you actually decided you wanted to have a dog?

I've always liked dogs.

They've been my favourite animal.

And I just would...

Just because it's just hard for me to pick up stuff,

do different stuff on my own because I have to do different things.

And it would just be nice to have a companion with me and just to help me with

a lot of the things that my mum needs to do.

Yeah, yeah. Is there anything in particular?

It's more picking stuff up.

Because my mum, when she goes to bed, she sleeps upstairs,

and I'm down here on my own, I don't really have company.

-Yeah.

-So it's...

just a nice thing...

-Yeah. They're lovely companions.

-Yeah.

They've always got a waggy tail.

There is no doubt an assistance dog would make all the difference to Bradley.

Hillary would also like to find out how Sarah has been coping

as the primary carer to her son.

Unlike Tom, when Bradley was born,

there were no signs that he was facing a life with disabilities.

And how was it for you when you first had Bradley?

Were you on your own with Bradley?

I was on my own with Bradley when he was six months old.

Me and his dad split up.

And I knew something was wrong with Bradley, but I didn't know what.

I thought it was his stomach.

And then when he got to the age of two,

I noticed he kept falling all the time.

I just thought, "Oh, he's got two left feet, he's just learnt to walk."

So I took him to the doctors and then they noticed he was tiptoeing,

so they sent us to the closest hospital to get a diagnosis

to find out what was wrong with Bradley, really.

Wasn't expecting what I heard about him.

Bradley was just three when he was diagnosed with a form of

muscular dystrophy. It's a condition which affects his muscles,

causing them to weaken.

It's a progressive illness, which will get worse over time.

There is no cure.

How did you feel when you heard that?

Well, when you have children, you expect them to, you know...

They want to play football,

they will come and make something of themselves.

And when you find out your child is going to end up in a wheelchair,

it just rips your life from underneath you.

I found out very quickly about Tom because he was born ten weeks prematurely

and somebody told me straight away that he had brain damage.

But a bit like you, although I knew that, but they said,

"You won't know how badly disabled he will be until he doesn't

-"hit those milestones."

-Yeah.

-So again, I think,

-you can't imagine that life, can you?

-No.

You can't imagine that they won't be able to walk.

It's trying to get your head around that they're telling you that they

are going into a wheelchair. And you're, like, "How is my little boy, who's only three,

"going to end up in a wheelchair?"

You just have got to change your life, how you do things with them.

It is completely different.

You're not a normal family,

and you've got to find different ways of doing things.

Sarah had to give up her full-time job

as a pensions company administrator to care for Bradley.

Although he goes to mainstream school, when he's home,

Sarah has to do everything for him.

But just like Hillary,

Sarah wants Bradley to experience as much in life as he can.

OK, they're not having the life that perhaps everybody else thought they

were going to have, but within that parameter,

-what can we do that's going to make it special?

-Yeah.

Because with Bradley, I knew...

They usually say the age of nine or ten, or nine to 12

they're going to come off their feet,

so I knew the first ten years of Bradley's life,

I had to cram his life in that ten years

so he got to do everything while he was still able.

-I know they can when they are in the wheelchair, but it's more difficult.

-Yeah.

Bradley and Sarah would love an assistance dog like Hillary and Tom had.

They're on the charity waiting list, but they don't know when, or even if,

it will actually happen.

Where are you in the process of... on the waiting list or whatever?

Yeah, at the moment,

we still don't know whether we are going to get a dog or not,

which I'm really nervous about.

Because obviously, it's that not knowing.

I'm really nervous, because if it doesn't happen, then obviously...

-The disappointment.

-Yeah, exactly.

And I don't want to disappoint him, really.

Do you know how long the process is, Sarah?

I don't because I've waited two years...

Being on the waiting list.

Really? That's a long waiting time.

-It is.

-That's a long process.

-It is.

-Obviously we were the first ones, so I suppose in a way we were lucky then.

-Yeah.

Hillary can see so much of herself in Sarah.

I suppose for me it was always like,

"I want Tom to have a positive attitude."

And hopefully, if you do get a dog or anything like that,

they open up so many different avenues.

So I hope it's not because he's now in a wheelchair, that's the end.

No. The problem is, Bradley is very attached to me.

So I think having a dog might give him more independence and he might

want to go and do more stuff.

Although they are really good with the practical things,

but the real thing with children is all that social, emotional stuff.

-Yes.

-You know, the love that you have.

And also the fact that people talk to you if you've got a dog,

whereas they don't often talk to the kids.

-No, they don't, do they? They tend to ask you.

-Yeah.

"Is your child all right?" And it's like, "No, ask him."

Just because he's in a wheelchair.

-The dog's down there, with Bradley, or with Tom, and people come.

-Wow.

Makes them so much more confident.

It really would help Bradley with his confidence.

And like you say, it would be nice for Bradley to be

looking after a dog rather than we're always constantly looking after him.

And I think that would be, that would boost Bradley.

And it is nice to speak to someone else who's actually gone through it,

who's actually had the dog and lived the life with a dog,

and the difference it makes.

Tom said... He couldn't have imagined his life without Vigo.

Seeing how desperate Bradley is for an assistance dog has obviously

touched Hillary. He and mum Sarah remind Hillary of Tom and herself

before they got their beloved Vigo.

Sarah, it's been lovely meeting you.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-I will do.

-Take care, bye.

-Bye.

It was very moving.

They have a huge amount to cope with.

And if I can give back and help bring a bit of joy into their lives,

that would be just a fabulous thing to do.

There's no doubt Hillary feels a strong bond with Sarah and Bradley,

and completely understands the challenges they are dealing with.

They are kindred spirits.

But before making up her mind whether she can help them,

she's going to discuss this important decision with her son, Tom,

and his stepdad, her husband, Paul.

-Hi, darling.

-Hi, love.

-How did you get on?

-Yeah, OK.

-Hi, Tom.

-Hiya.

-I wanted to just have a chat because obviously you don't

-know where I've been the last couple of days.

-No.

Would you like anything else?

No, I think that's great, thank you.

It's really been quite emotional, actually,

because I went to meet Sarah and Bradley.

And, Tom, it was really strange because it really reminded me of our

life together before Vigo.

And I think for Bradley it would be like for you, Tom,

really giving him a lot more confidence.

Yeah, definitely, that was the main thing...

above everything else.

They've been on the waiting list at Dogs For Good for two years.

-Two years?

-Yeah.

-Blimey.

And they are waiting to hear whether they will get a dog or paired with a dog.

But Sarah's journey with Bradley has been really similar, actually,

to how you and I were, Tom.

She found out when he was three

that he had Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

So, Sarah gave up work.

-She's been on her own with Bradley for a number of years.

-Yeah.

Obviously trying to look after him, but similar to us,

she's always had a really positive attitude.

It has really touched you, hasn't it?

Really touched me.

I just felt I was almost going back down our life story.

It does seem that way.

For me, it would be so incredible if we could help them to have that

special partnership that we had.

-I agree.

-Yeah?

-What do you think?

Well, for me, I guess...

..we've been saving for a year and I never expected to get

the opportunity of seeing where the money could go.

I think it would be just amazing, wouldn't it,

to actually be able to see the joy of a new partnership starting?

And it would be such a lovely thing in memory of our darling Vigo.

Vigo gave you some of the most amazing experiences, didn't he?

Yes, absolutely.

And I am sure Bradley, once he has the dog,

will have just as many wonderful experiences

as I did for 11 years or so.

It's an amazing... You can't really put words to it, even,

or a price on it.

It just is such a wonderful thing.

So, that's agreed, then?

-Yes.

-Totally, yeah.

Great. That's fantastic.

I just wanted to make sure you were both OK.

-100%.

-I absolutely want that to happen.

Having the family's full support to give a life-changing gift to Bradley

and Sarah is essential to Hillary.

By introducing them,

we've found a family that are going through a similar experience to what

she and Tom did.

We've gone back. Now Hillary needs to move forward,

and it's time for us to have a catch-up.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Hillary again.

It's been a week, and during that time

I know she's met up with Bradley and his mum.

The similarities in both families' stories are remarkable.

They've both shown such great resilience and strength,

getting on with life. And also, seeing Bradley and his mum must have reminded Hillary of

bringing up her own son, Tom.

But I wonder if she's ready to change someone's life for ever.

It's a big decision to make, isn't it?

Let's go and find out.

Tom has joined mum Hillary to meet me close to where Bradley is playing

wheelchair football, watched on by his mum, Sarah.

Time to find out exactly what Hillary and Tom are going to do with

the money the family have been saving for the past year.

Hello, you two. How are you?

-Oh, hi.

-Nice to see you.

-Hiya.

-Lovely to see you again.

-How's it going?

Good. Very nice.

-Just needed the sun.

-Yeah, well, we can't have everything.

-No.

So, you've met up with Bradley and his mum.

-Yeah.

-How did it go?

-It was fantastic, actually,

and it was really interesting because it brought back so many memories of

-how Tom and I had been together before we got Vigo.

-Yeah.

It's a very similar situation in that Bradley and his mum have been

on their own for quite a long time.

And obviously Sarah, similar to me,

had taken that decision that, "This is a really tricky situation that we are facing.

"But I'm going to make it as positive as possible."

You could definitely see the parallels, then.

-Yeah, definitely.

-I suppose the million dollar question is,

have you two spoken about what you're going to do?

-Yeah, we have, haven't we, Tom?

-Yeah, we both agreed that it would

be really good to put some of the money that has been saved forward

to helping them get a dog,

training a dog that they can have for themselves.

Wow. That would be amazing.

So this will make owning a dog much more of a reality, won't it,

if you pay for the training? How much is it going to cost?

I think the training is going to cost about 2,500.

Goodness me, that's very generous of you.

This money will pay for a residential training course

for Sarah, Bradley and an assistance dog,

like the one Hillary and Tom went on with their dog, Vigo.

Hillary has put down on paper what she and her family intend to do.

I can't wait to see their faces when we give them the news.

-You've got your letter?

-I have got my letter, yes.

-Should we go and surprise them?

-Yeah, let's go.

Come on, let's do it.

It's the moment of truth.

Coming clean to Bradley and Sarah with what we've really been up to,

and for them to discover how Bradley's life is about to change.

So, how WILL they react?

SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

-So, Bradley and his mates are in the sports hall playing football, by all accounts.

-Right.

Of course, they've got no idea that we are coming.

Neither has his mum.

-How are you feeling?

-Nervous.

-How about you?

-Nervous, too.

Don't be too nervous, it's a great thing you're doing,

it's an amazing thing you're doing.

And it's going to make such a difference to his life, isn't it?

-As you know more than anyone.

-Brilliant.

-It's in there.

-Right.

It's a good match going on.

Hi, guys. How are you?

Where is Bradley?

Come over here, Bradley.

Is Sarah around?

Come on, Sarah, come here.

I'm Aled Jones - from the BBC.

Now, you thought we were doing a programme about childhood

and disabilities. That's only part of the story.

-How are you?

-Hi, Sarah.

She's got the rest.

Sarah, I was really touched by your story when I came and met you

and Bradley. It reminded me so much of how Tom

and I had been before we got our lovely dog, Vigo, and...

I've got a letter for you and I would like you to read it.

If you can read it out loud, if that's all right?

-I'm not good at reading things like this.

-THEY CHUCKLE

"Dear Sarah and Bradley, it was so good to meet you both last week.

"Your story touched my heart and brought memories back to my life

"with Tom before we got our dog, Vigo.

"What really inspired me was your fighting spirit and Bradley's

"passion for the things he loves.

"Together we have searched for the positives despite the challenges you

"both faced. The greatest gift that came to Tom and I was our beautiful,

"gentle friend Vigo.

"His waggily tail and constant companionship

"opened up a whole new live for the both of us.

"He brought joy and happiness to us and we felt blessed

"to have him. It would be my greatest joy to be part of creating

"special partnerships for you.

"Over the past year, Tom and my husband and I

"have all been donating money

"to the Dogs For Good charity,

"and I'm happy to say that the money we raised is going to be used...

"..to pay for the training course at the charity centre in Banbury.

"It will be great for us to know that our gift to the charity will be

"able to help in such a meaningful way.

"With our warmest wishes, Hillary and Tom."

Oh, that's lovely.

You all right? You've got me going now.

Look at you. Is that going to make a big difference to you?

Yes. My gosh.

I know how much it will mean,

because it meant so much to Tom and me. You know...

-(Thank you.)

-We loved our Vigo

and he's always in our memory.

And if we could do this, it's going to

bring Vigo to life for us again, you know?

You're going to have such a lovely time.

And we really hope that we can be there with you...

-Yes, you definitely will.

-..to enjoy it.

-Yes, definitely.

No, thank you. Thank you so much.

To give Bradley a taster, we've brought a dog down.

How would you feel like if you had a dog like that?

Already - it really helped me. It would just be amazing.

So, now you've got a dog, you will be able to go out everywhere.

For me, it was such a big thing for my confidence,

you know, being able to go out with a dog.

They are just brilliant, they are brilliant to have.

I really hope you enjoy it.

And it will help you out a lot, I hope, like it did with me.

-They're so well-behaved.

-They are amazing.

-Absolutely amazing.

-Yes.

I'm really pleased all of this has worked out.

Really pleased. We were very, very nervous. I'm sorry to surprise you like that.

-That's OK.

-I will leave you to your football match, then.

-OK.

Score a goal for me.

See you later.

WHISTLE BLOWS

I just can't believe it. I can't believe it's happening.

I think it's just amazing, I wasn't expecting this.

You know, we were still thinking we were still going through the process

of not knowing if we were going to get a dog or not.

And then all of a sudden, today,

I've just found out that we've got the training sorted

and that we are going to get a dog. And I just think it's brilliant.

More for Bradley, you know, and us as a family.

I think it's just brilliant, it really is.

Just amazing because the thought of getting a dog...

That can help me and do lots of things for me, and help me a lot.

It's just really, really good.

I was just so pleased that actually

neither Sarah or Bradley had any idea.

It was so great to see the look of shock,

also happy surprise on their faces.

And I think they're both going to go home and not quite believe it.

Just to give someone else the opportunity to have the amazing 11,

12 years that I had, is really...

It's not something I thought I would ever be able to do.

And I know it's going to be just as amazing for them as it was for us.

It is very exciting, I can't wait.

When he was growing up, Tom's dog, Vigo, obviously meant the world to him.

And now, thanks to Hillary and Tom's generosity,

Bradley is well on the way to getting his own miracle dog

that will surely enhance and better his life.

Isn't it incredible the difference a four-legged friend can make?

Since filming, the family have had a visit from a golden retriever called Gus.

He was brilliant, wasn't he?

-Yeah.

-Absolutely brilliant.

He's so calm and the things he can do is amazing.

It's a long process,

but they have their fingers crossed that he is the dog for Bradley.