0:00:03 > 0:00:07One of the things I love about us Brits is our spirit of generosity.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10If I can give back to somebody who had a similar struggle to my own,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13then that's what I'd like to do.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Last year, nearly three-quarters of us gave to charity.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But what if you had the chance to go back
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and relive moments from your past?
0:00:21 > 0:00:22I wish I was 18 again.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27I'm expecting Mum and Dad to walk out now and say, "Hello."
0:00:27 > 0:00:28- Yeah.- You know?
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Moments which would inspire you to want to help someone today...
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I want to give back to those people that are going through that,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36that I went through in the beginning.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38If I can give something to somebody else
0:00:38 > 0:00:40- that will change their lives, I'd really love to.- Fantastic.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45..someone who had no idea this life-changing windfall was coming.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I have got, potentially, her dream in my hand.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51- How are you feeling?- Nervous.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53There'll be surprises...
0:00:53 > 0:00:54- How are you?- I'm good!
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- Thank you so much!- Thank you!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03..with acts of generosity that will change people's lives...
0:01:05 > 0:01:10- We're all crying.- Do you need a hug as well?- Yeah, thanks.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11..forever.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12That's brilliant.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Somebody that just does that for people, it's just amazing.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16It really is.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18This is Going Back Giving Back.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Today, we're going back to the 1980s.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37It's a story of determination and great courage...
0:01:37 > 0:01:41when the events of a single night changed a person's life forever.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45How does one man react when we take him back to the place
0:01:45 > 0:01:48where he realised his life would never be the same again?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Did you ever think, you know, in the dark of night in this place,
0:01:52 > 0:01:53"Why me?"
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Yeah, you'd be... You'd be lying if you didn't.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59I think everybody would naturally say, "Why...? Why me?"
0:01:59 > 0:02:04What's inspiring him to want to make a difference to someone today?
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I want to give back to those people that are going through that,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09that I went through in the beginning.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Can he transform the life of one extremely courageous woman?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Sometimes I wake up and I feel really angry, because I have...
0:02:16 > 0:02:18But you have got to get on with your life, then, haven't you?
0:02:18 > 0:02:19Absolutely.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And we're on tenterhooks as we prepare for a big surprise...
0:02:23 > 0:02:24So, how are you feeling about this?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- A little nervous.- I am as well.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31..with a gift that will transform her life.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- Can I give you a hug? - Of course you can.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I can give you a big hug.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- You're welcome.- Thank you so much.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I've come to the stunning Shropshire countryside on the Welsh borders to
0:02:49 > 0:02:53meet an exceptional man who rose above personal tragedy to live an
0:02:53 > 0:02:54extraordinary life.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00For some, when disaster strikes, it sets them back for good.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04For others, it motivates them to achieve even greater things in life.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Now, the person I'm going to meet today
0:03:06 > 0:03:08definitely embraced the change.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10I can't wait to hear his inspiring story.
0:03:11 > 0:03:1448-year-old Stewart lives in North Yorkshire,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17but it was in Shropshire that his life took a dramatic turn.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Hiya, Stewart! How are you?
0:03:22 > 0:03:23Nice to see you.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Coffee's here as well, good man!
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Really good to meet you. So, go on, then, Stewart,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33what's motivating you to give something back today?
0:03:33 > 0:03:34Well, I've had a...
0:03:34 > 0:03:36You know, I'm not a multimillionaire,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38but I've had a reasonably successful life,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40post the injury that I had when I was 17.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46As a boy, Stewart was a typical child who loved the outdoors.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50But it was in 1985, aged 17,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53that Stewart's world was shaken to the core.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- Tell me what happened to you.- So, I was coming home from ice-skating,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01crashed the car, broke my neck.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Next five months in hospital. - Goodness me.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Within a split second, Stewart's life had changed forever.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10He was in a coma for two and a half weeks.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13When he woke up, he was told the devastating news
0:04:13 > 0:04:15that he was paralysed from the chest down,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and had limited use of his hands.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20A lot of people would have crumbled. Not you.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Well, I think, you know, you look at it and...
0:04:25 > 0:04:28On the face of it, you think, "Life's over."
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And you really are in that predicament.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32But, you know, I'm a battler.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I've gone on, had a reasonable lifestyle
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and have a nice, you know, family life.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Stewart's life-changing accident didn't stop him from leading a
0:04:45 > 0:04:48wonderful life. He's married, with two young children.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52And after being frustrated with the quality of wheelchairs and
0:04:52 > 0:04:56accessories available to him, he decided to design his own.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It was a huge success, and today he runs his own company,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02selling equipment for people with disabilities.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06So, is that...? What happened to you has motivated you
0:05:06 > 0:05:10- to want to give something back? - Yeah, I think, you know...
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It's one of those things, because I've got that comfortable lifestyle,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I want to give back to those people that are going through that,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18that I went through in the beginning.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22You know, and where are they at? You know, wonderful life...
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- Life all over.- How do you feel that your help could change
0:05:25 > 0:05:27someone's life forever?
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Erm... Quite proud, really.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34You know...
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Things have changed in my life and I've had good things come through,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40people have come along and helped me...
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Yeah, I think, yeah, I feel good.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Well, listen, I think in order for us to give back,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I think we need to go back first, if you like.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- So, shall get on with it? - Yeah, why not?
0:05:53 > 0:05:57We're taking Stewart back to a time and place where he was faced with
0:05:57 > 0:06:01great adversity, to help him decide how he can assist someone who finds
0:06:01 > 0:06:03themselves in a similar situation today.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08So, have you got any idea of where we're going?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- I kind of guessed.- Where do you think we're going?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Well, I kind of think we're going to Gobowen Hospital.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Stewart's absolutely right.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18We're heading to the village of Gobowen,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20just outside Oswestry in Shropshire,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24to the spinal unit of a specialist orthopaedic hospital
0:06:24 > 0:06:28where Stewart spent five months after his accident.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30He arrived there in a coma.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So, you woke up in the hospital?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Yes. Yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35What happened then?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I just saw people pushing around in wheelchairs.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42You know, it was like...
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Yeah, I...- I suppose, you're smiling now, but I bet at the time
0:06:47 > 0:06:50it was frightening, wasn't it?
0:06:50 > 0:06:51I think probably deep down it was frightening.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54But I was 17, I was blase.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I accepted that something devastating had gone on,
0:06:58 > 0:07:04and I accepted that my life had changed, but I didn't really know.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08You know, I didn't really know what entailed after that.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Stewart was just a typical 17-year-old who enjoyed cycling
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and ice-skating. He'd just passed his driving test,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and borrowed his mum's car to take friends to the ice-skating rink.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23What do you remember of the actual day?
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Not a lot. I remember going and skating,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30because we did that on a regular basis,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34but I normally went up on my bike and I'd gone up in my mum's car.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Oh, so it was a full car, was it?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Yeah, it was an Escort Mark Two.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Razzed up with a little sport steering wheel.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47My mum probably regrets having that little sport steering wheel on the car.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50So, you don't remember anything of the accident?
0:07:50 > 0:07:52I don't remember anything at all of the accident.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I have vague recollections of being in an ambulance,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- but I don't really know.- OK.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Stewart had lost control as he was driving round a corner.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04His car rolled three times.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09The friends travelling with him survived with no injuries,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11but Stewart's life was about to change forever.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15He's been in a wheelchair for 31 years,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18but he's hugely thankful that he ended up at the spinal unit of the
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Is it a happy place for you, or a sad place?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It's a happy place.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's a happy place, because I'm alive.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- Yeah. That's amazing, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Stewart arrived at this hospital as a teenager in July 1985.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Remembering how he came to terms with his life-changing injuries and
0:08:46 > 0:08:50the dedicated care he received here is bound to stir up emotions
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and hopefully fuel Stewart's desire to help someone today.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58This was my practice area in the chair.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03- OK.- I used to have maybe six, seven times going in at first,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06just coming from down this corridor.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11- To work up the arms?- Just to practise with the arms, yes.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I can't begin to imagine being in hospital for five months.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Yeah, well... It's just one of those things.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24It becomes... It does become home, you know,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27for a short period of your life. It becomes home.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31And you just accept that...
0:09:31 > 0:09:34That's just how it is.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41In the early 20th-century, a serious spinal injury meant certain death.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Those who survived lived a tough life, filled with complications.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48But everything changed in the 1950s.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Antibiotics were discovered to treat infections
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and extend life expectancy.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Revolutionary treatments repositioned the spine,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and bones were fused to prevent further damage.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And rehabilitation exercises began to be used
0:10:02 > 0:10:06to give paralysis patients more strength and mobility.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11These are treatments that are still being used and improved on today.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16So this was your ward?
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Yeah, well, this has kind of all really changed.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20I think these were baths, like, shower things.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- OK.- Here, it's all...
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I think this was the operating theatre
0:10:26 > 0:10:28where I had pins put in my head.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- Right.- I can't remember, really. - Gosh.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- Wow. So this was it. Amazing. - Yeah, none of this was here.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38And it was just 25 beds all along.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Wow. Amazing.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The specialist spinal unit was opened in 1966.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Stewart was admitted here almost 20 years later.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54How does it feel being back?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59I don't know, really. It's kind of eventful. It's...
0:10:59 > 0:11:04It's nice to see it, you know, clean and crisp and...
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Bit different to when you were here, then?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Oh, massively. Yeah, it was like an old army hospital.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11But I suppose what they're doing is exactly the same thing, isn't it?
0:11:11 > 0:11:16Yeah, they're doing the same job and rehabilitating people, you know,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- back to life, basically.- Yeah. Amazing.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Over the five months Stewart was here, he had daily physio
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and had to relearn things he'd previously taken for granted,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31like getting dressed, picking up a cup and opening doors,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34as well as learning to use a wheelchair.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40I can... I'm just trying to imagine you and 24 others in the ward.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Yeah. And it was mixed.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- Was it?- Yeah, there was... There was none of this, you know,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- females in there and males in there. There was curtains.- Yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- But it was mixed.- How did you feel about that?
0:11:52 > 0:11:53It was all right.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- I was 17, I was a boy, you know. - Of course you were.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- Listen, where shall we head off to next, then?- Outside.- OK.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04That's where we, you know, in the summer,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- we'd have a bit of a party out there.- Well, let's go.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Stewart's recollection of his time here is surprisingly positive.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19But he was with 24 other patients who'd gone through similar trauma.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22It's the support and the camaraderie that they had that's bringing back
0:12:22 > 0:12:24such fond memories.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- So, you'd come out here? - Yeah, this patio area.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Yeah, right down there. So we'd rock and roll down there.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- What, you with your mates?- Yeah, we'd come out...
0:12:34 > 0:12:39you know, one of the doors, the fire exits at the end of the ward.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43And, you know, those that smoked would sit here and have a smoke,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and there'd be a few cans of beer, you know, around.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- Of course, I was almost 18 by then. - Yeah, of course you were.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54You know, this was kind of the only real recreation that there was.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Good God. Do the memories come flooding back when you're back here?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Yeah, because, you know, if we go down that road there, you know,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04there's a nice pub that we used to take a mile and half trek.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- OK.- And the stronger guys, the guys that were paralysed lower down,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- they'd pull me along with a bit of rope.- Really?
0:13:11 > 0:13:15And did you ever think, you know, in the dark of night in this place,
0:13:15 > 0:13:16"Why me?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Yeah, you'd be... You'd be lying if you didn't say,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21"No, I never, ever thought, why me?"
0:13:21 > 0:13:25You know, I think everybody would naturally say, "Why me?"
0:13:25 > 0:13:26I would, when I'd go to put my socks on.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29That's like this craziest thing. "I can't get these socks on!"
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And I'd throw the sock and it bounces off the wall.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33No damage to anybody.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Yeah, you know, and I had to prove that I could get undressed
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- to go to bed late.- Right.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42That was kind of really weird.
0:13:42 > 0:13:4517-year-old boy, all of a sudden having to prove to somebody
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- that you don't need somebody else's help.- Yeah.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Where do you think you'd be without this place?
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I don't know. I don't know, spinal injury's a serious thing
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and your body just shuts down.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03So in the acute days, you know, it's all about keeping you alive.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05And then in the semi-acute days, it's about...
0:14:07 > 0:14:10..learning to live your life with the paralysis.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14And once you get beyond that, it's learning to enjoy life.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- And that's what you're doing now? - I'm doing it now, yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Trying my best, anyway.- Good on you. Shall we go back in?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Yeah.- Come on.- Cool.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Being here is clearly bringing back poignant memories for Stewart.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Coming up, we've been on the hunt for someone whose story we think
0:14:33 > 0:14:35will resonate with Stewart.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36And we think we've found them.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- Monty, come! Come on! - She's an extremely brave woman
0:14:41 > 0:14:44whose life, too, was changed in a split second.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48She thinks we're making a programme about people with spinal injuries.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51She has no idea the real reason behind Stewart's visit and
0:14:51 > 0:14:54that she could be in for a gift that will change her life.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03There's one area that holds particularly strong memories
0:15:03 > 0:15:04for Stewart - the woodwork shop.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08It's where patients with paralysis make things to help them become
0:15:08 > 0:15:09more independent.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- What sort of things did you make here, then?- One of them.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- Sliding board. - What's a sliding board?
0:15:15 > 0:15:17So you use this and you...
0:15:17 > 0:15:21You know, you just literally put that underneath your bum,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24and then you slide across into the car.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Ah, OK.- So this was, kind of, your first transition
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- into becoming independent. - I see.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Wow. How much time did you spend in here, then?
0:15:32 > 0:15:33Oh, this was the best place.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- Was it?- Yeah, yeah, this was where you had fun.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Reliving what he went through 30 years ago has certainly brought
0:15:40 > 0:15:43vivid memories back for Stewart, and reminded him of the battles
0:15:43 > 0:15:46he had to overcome.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49We went through your old ward and there were quite a few people going
0:15:49 > 0:15:53through similar situations as you were when you were in there.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56That was the first time I've seen you quiet.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- Yeah.- Has coming back here reinforced that feeling that
0:16:00 > 0:16:02you want to help someone, you want to give back?
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Yeah, when you see people just lying there,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09they're just lying there in the bed and just waiting for
0:16:09 > 0:16:12the moments to pass them by and get on with life
0:16:12 > 0:16:16- on the other side of here, yeah. - I'm glad we came back, are you?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- Well, yeah, it's an interesting place.- I've really enjoyed seeing
0:16:19 > 0:16:21- where you've been, anyway.- Yeah.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- Shall we go?- I hope so. - Yeah, come on, let's head out.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Stewart has a lot to thank this hospital and its staff for.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36But there's one man in particular
0:16:36 > 0:16:38who played a huge part in his recovery
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and we've arranged a reunion between them.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46- Wow!- Fantastic. You're looking grand.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Do you want to take a seat?- Yeah.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Dr Wagih El Masri is the orthopaedic surgeon who treated Stewart
0:16:52 > 0:16:56at the specialist spinal unit, and was the one who broke the news
0:16:56 > 0:16:58to him that he was paralysed.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- It's 31 years?- Yeah, absolutely. 31 years.- Incredible.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Yeah. I've been sat down longer than I've been stood up.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Incredible.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13I don't think you would probably remember much...
0:17:13 > 0:17:16No, I was out for two and a half weeks, I believe.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20And it took...
0:17:20 > 0:17:25It took about three to four weeks for,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29whether it's me to pluck the courage to tell you...
0:17:29 > 0:17:33It took a little while for you to be ready
0:17:33 > 0:17:36to hear the news about your injuries...
0:17:36 > 0:17:40- Yeah?- ..and paralysis and the effect of the paralysis.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I just remember seeing people in wheelchairs going past the
0:17:43 > 0:17:46end of my bed, thinking, "I think something's happened here."
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Yeah. Most people do not accept it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- Yeah, it's a big change. - Absolutely.- Huge change.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I remember the grapes.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01I think it was maybe six or seven weeks after that and I managed to be
0:18:01 > 0:18:02able to pull a grape off.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- And it was like, wow! - That's an achievement.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06You know, the huge changes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- But for my parents it was tough. - Oh, yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:17It's always tough for the partner and parents and the near relatives.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22- Yeah.- It is much tougher for them, psychologically,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24socially, financially.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Yeah, absolutely.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Mum packed in work to be there virtually every day.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Recovering from his accident was a critical time in Stewart's life.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36But his determination paid off.
0:18:36 > 0:18:44It takes a great deal of courage, patience, resilience and
0:18:44 > 0:18:49ability to deal with the worst, and I'm proud of you.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Yeah?
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Dr El Masri is right to be proud of Stewart.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59But Stewart also owes a lot to his surgeon, and values his opinion.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05So... I'm going to give something to somebody.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- Yeah?- To help change their life.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Maybe it's not going to change it massively,
0:19:12 > 0:19:18but it's just a little, little thing, a gift that I can give.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- Yeah.- To give somebody something that, you know,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26might give them hope.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Yes.- What do you think?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Having achieved what you've achieved,
0:19:31 > 0:19:37I trust you and I trust your judgment.
0:19:37 > 0:19:43And I trust that whatever you're going to do will be considered
0:19:43 > 0:19:49and really in the best interests of the person you're trying to help.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I can't tell you more than that.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Well, that's the intention.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- Yeah.- Just to be nice to somebody.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Meeting up with the surgeon who treated him has reminded Stewart
0:19:59 > 0:20:03just how far he's come, and taking him back to where his recovery
0:20:03 > 0:20:05started has sparked powerful memories.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Where do you think you'd be without this place?
0:20:08 > 0:20:13I don't know. I don't know, spinal injuries is a serious thing.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16But, most importantly, it's helped focus his mind.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Has coming back here reinforced that feeling that you want
0:20:19 > 0:20:21to help someone, you want to give back?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Yeah, when you see people just lying there,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29just waiting for the moments to pass them by... Yeah.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It's clear that going back to when he had his life-changing accident
0:20:32 > 0:20:36has made Stewart even more determined to give back.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Of course, there are many people
0:20:40 > 0:20:43who could benefit from Stewart's generosity,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but we think we've found somebody whose story really fits the bill.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54The Staffordshire cathedral city of Lichfield is home to 57-year-old
0:20:54 > 0:20:57former teaching assessment consultant, Susan,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00where she lives with her husband, John, and dog, Monty.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Monty, come! Yeah.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Up, up, up! Come on!
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It was 18 months ago that Susan's life, just like Stewart's,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10changed in a split second.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16She was left paralysed after a freak accident whilst out jogging.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Watch out, Monty.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Susan loves being active, so her accident has come as a huge blow,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26but just like Stewart, she's determined to stay positive.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So, with these parallels, we've arranged for them to meet.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I'm on my way to see Susan now.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42I hear she's had a spinal injury and a dramatic change in life.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45But, you know, life isn't always over
0:21:45 > 0:21:48when you have a dramatic change in life.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Maybe there's something I can do.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Unlike Stewart, whose parents cared for him after his accident,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00as a mother of two grown-up children,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Susan has had to get used to the roles being reversed.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- Hiya.- Hi, Susan.- Come on in. - Stewart.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Nice to meet you.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- Nice to meet you too.- Come on.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Stewart has spent his adult life in a wheelchair, but for Susan
0:22:16 > 0:22:18it's something she's still learning to accept.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Stewart could help transform Susan's life
0:22:23 > 0:22:25so this is a crucial meeting.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- This is my husband. This is John. - Nice to meet you, John.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Susan and John think we're making a programme about people
0:22:33 > 0:22:34with spinal injuries.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37They have absolutely no idea that Susan could be up
0:22:37 > 0:22:40for a life-changing gift.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I believe that you had a spinal injury a year or so ago, yeah?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Yeah, January 28th, 2015.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- Yeah?- Not a date that I'll forget.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55No, see, it's one of those days, July 1st, 1985, so...
0:22:55 > 0:23:00- Really?- I've got a few years on you. - You have, yeah.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Susan was doing what she loved best when she had her accident.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07She was out running when a tree fell, hitting her head.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The impact compressed her spine and broke her back.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16My passion was jogging, so I would solve problems when I was jogging,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I would clear my headaches when I was jogging,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21which is what I was doing on that day.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26I loved it. And I've gone from full-time work, loving my jogging,
0:23:26 > 0:23:32loving my life, to being hit by a tree trunk.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33A tree trunk?
0:23:34 > 0:23:38- And...- Got more chance of winning the lottery, apparently...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41- Yeah. Yeah.- ..than a tree falling and hitting you like that.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Well, you'd have to do the lottery.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Yeah, complete freakish accident.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50- Unbelievable.- Yeah, so I went from being healthy to, suddenly,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I can't move my legs and I have to be flat on my back for...
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Yeah. For a period of...?- Six weeks.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Six weeks, yeah, flat on her back.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- Yeah?- And then we got the brace that you wore for...
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Was it another six weeks?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Susan was taken to the same specialist orthopaedic hospital
0:24:07 > 0:24:10in Oswestry as Stewart, to be treated in the spinal unit.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14We met the consultant, who...
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Well, John had had a conversation with someone before that
0:24:19 > 0:24:24and had seen an X-ray, which I hadn't seen and didn't realise
0:24:24 > 0:24:25how bad it was.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Yeah.- Although it starts to creep up on you, doesn't it?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- Yeah.- Over time, you start to realise that...
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Their recommendation, obviously,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37- was that I had to have an operation on my spine.- Yeah.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And I always thought I'd be scared of having an operation, but...
0:24:42 > 0:24:45..somehow your brain accepts that you need it and...
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?
0:24:47 > 0:24:52You know, especially, if you're in a specialist place.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Yeah.- You kind of automatically go...
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Yeah.- ..this must be the right thing to do.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00And when you can't move your legs...
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- Yeah.- ..you're pretty sure that you need some kind of help.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Susan has been paralysed for 18 months
0:25:08 > 0:25:11which is a relatively short time in terms of recovery
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and acceptance of a spinal cord injury.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17She's had to give up a job she loves and, like Stewart,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20relearn basic day-to-day things.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Suddenly your life is in a chair.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- Yeah. It's a massive change. - Yeah, you're learning...
0:25:26 > 0:25:28You start by learning to sit up, for goodness' sake.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Where you feel like you're on a bowl of jelly and...
0:25:31 > 0:25:34you have to learn how to...
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- get onto a chair.- Yeah.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- Get in and out of the car, with a sliding board. - Get in and out of a car!
0:25:40 > 0:25:41Massive.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43And then lift your wheelchair into the car...
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- Yeah.- ..which was a biggy for me. - Yeah?
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Susan has also had to accept her body isn't as it once was.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53One of the things that...
0:25:54 > 0:25:58..I found really difficult to get my head around is how your...
0:25:58 > 0:25:59- your body changes.- Yeah.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03You know, your muscles are wasted and...
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- Yeah, I know.- ..after years of being help fit and healthy,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09suddenly my legs have got this weird, no shaped...
0:26:09 > 0:26:11So all...
0:26:11 > 0:26:16And everything below the waist, it's just out of your control, isn't it?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- Yeah.- And I find that...
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- I find it difficult.- Yeah.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24There are moments when I just think, "I hate this."
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Yeah.- And I'll say, "I hate my...
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- "..my body. I hate my legs."- Yeah.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Um, and then it's gone and I get on with my day.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Susan is paralysed from the waist down,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39unlike Stewart whose paralysis is from the chest down.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The thing about being in a wheelchair is that everybody
0:26:42 > 0:26:43is different, aren't they?
0:26:43 > 0:26:45With a spinal cord injury,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48I don't think you get two that are exactly the same.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49I think the only similarity, really,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52between any spinal injury is that it's instant.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Yeah.- You know, it is literally instant.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58It just happens, like, in a split-second.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Sometimes I wake up and I feel really angry, because I have...
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I'm picking up my legs to get off the bed.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04- Yeah.- But...
0:27:04 > 0:27:07You have to get on with your life, though, haven't you?
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Yeah, absolutely.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13And you know, as you move on and on and on, it becomes blase.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16While Susan is doing her best to be positive,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18not being able to exercise
0:27:18 > 0:27:21is something she's finding hard to accept.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26I like to stay active, so it kills me that I can't get out very far...
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- Yeah.- ..in my wheelchair.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30I'm getting better in my wheelchair.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I still can't do high kerbs.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- Yeah.- Or a back wheel balance.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- They're...- I'll get there.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39They are things that, you know, you do.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44The road at the end of the close that we live on is sloped.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- Yeah.- So I go up and down there.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51There's a piece of grass by the side of it that's got a sloped path,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53so I go up and down there to try and get exercise.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Stewart wants to find out what really drives Susan.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02What would make a huge difference to her life?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I love my jogging, I think you've got that idea.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10And I just miss the freedom that you feel, and...
0:28:11 > 0:28:15..I know it sounds silly, but the wind blowing on your face.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- Yeah, wind blowing on your face. - The wind blowing in your hair.- Yeah.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19Even though I've got short hair.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- It's just there's something about that that gives you a buzz.- Yeah.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26- And you don't really get that.- Yeah.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29That feeling that I had when I jogged,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- I've just lost it. - Just don't whoosh along.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36We're looking at wheelchairs, the best wheelchair that we can get.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40And now we're looking at equipment that can be added to the wheelchair,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42to allow her to get out into the country lanes.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44If I had something that...
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Something that attached to my wheelchair
0:28:47 > 0:28:50- that would allow me to exercise.- Yeah.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54That's what I want to do. I want to exercise, and feel, again,
0:28:54 > 0:28:58that my heart rate's rising
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and that, just that rush that you get.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06The equipment Susan's describing is extremely expensive
0:29:06 > 0:29:10and unaffordable, as she and John have had to use their savings
0:29:10 > 0:29:14to pay for adapting their home for her wheelchair.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18But it would give both of them the freedom to do so much more.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22We used to love holidaying in Austria, cycling and walking.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25And we will, for sure, go back to Austria.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- Yeah.- Maybe not this year, but we'll go back.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30I do miss...
0:29:30 > 0:29:31- being active.- Yeah.
0:29:31 > 0:29:37And we have talked a lot about getting the handcycle, haven't we?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39And we'll get there, we'll do it.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41And we'll go back to Austria.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- Yeah.- And we'll just, like we say, find other things to do.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Hello.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Aw, beautiful, hey.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51It's been fantastic to meet you.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53So I'll get out of your hair.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55I'll let you feed the dog.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57- Yeah.- And hope to you see again sometime.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59- Yeah, it would be nice to see you again.- All right.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01- Thanks very much.- Thanks a lot.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03- Thanks.- Great to meet you.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- And you.- Lovely to meet you.- Yeah.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07- See you again.- See you again, I'll see you out.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13This meeting has undoubtedly been emotional for Stewart,
0:30:13 > 0:30:14hearing about Susan's accident
0:30:14 > 0:30:17and remembering what he went through too.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Lovely to meet you! Bye!
0:30:27 > 0:30:29So, it went...
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Um, really well.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35Er, Susan's obviously very much at the beginning of her
0:30:35 > 0:30:37spinal injury journey
0:30:37 > 0:30:42and she's a very active person and I think becoming active again
0:30:42 > 0:30:44is really important to her.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Stewart knows exactly what Susan is going through,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55just 18 months after her accident.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57He can feel her frustration.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00She's longing to be active and independent again.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04But making the important decision whether he can help Susan
0:31:04 > 0:31:07is a big one.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11So, he's taking advice from someone that was there in his time of need.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13His mum, Joyce.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- Over the past few days, I've been to Oswestry.- Yeah?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Back to the, um...
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Back to the old spinal unit.- Yeah.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- But it's not an old spinal unit any more.- Is it not?
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Is it nice and modern now?- There's masses of changes gone on.- Yeah?
0:31:30 > 0:31:33And I met the boss himself.
0:31:33 > 0:31:34Oh, the big man?
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Yeah, Wagih, and I've met...
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I've met a woman in the Midlands.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- Yeah?- Who's very early days.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47- Yeah.- Going back, you know, kind of just reminds you of the early days.
0:31:47 > 0:31:48But...
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- Yeah.- It's still a massive thing to deal with, because...
0:31:52 > 0:31:54It's still a lot to come to terms with, yeah.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- ..you know, when you can't use your legs.- Yeah.- It's a big thing.- Yeah.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- And she was very active, very active.- Yeah.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02She was out running and a tree fell on her.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Oh!
0:32:04 > 0:32:06- That's horrible.- Yeah.- Wow!
0:32:07 > 0:32:09How is she coping with it, herself?
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Very... Very good, but, you know, it's a tough,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16it's a tough time for anybody, going through, you know, immediate,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18sort of that immediate paralysis.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22January of last year was when she was injured.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27And you can see, it's like, it's really early days.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28It's... Yeah.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And she's, you know, just coming to terms with things.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And she's like getting out and doing some stuff.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37So I can see...
0:32:37 > 0:32:39- Yeah. Well, really... - She wants to exhilarate herself.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44When you think back, that was a big help for you, wasn't it?
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Oh, yeah. So, I'm kind of thinking that, you know,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50there's something that I can do to help her.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54- Yeah?- I'm thinking of finding something to help her
0:32:54 > 0:32:56on that next step.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- Next journey. Yeah, well, this... - What do you think?
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Well, it would have been nice if there had been somebody
0:33:01 > 0:33:03who could've helped you on the next step,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- so I think it's a brilliant idea.- Yeah?
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Yeah, sounds really good.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10For Stewart, having his mum's blessing to help Susan
0:33:10 > 0:33:12is hugely important.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17In Susan, he's found someone he can totally relate to.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21He's been there and understands what she's going through today.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24We've gone back, now Stewart needs to go forward,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and decide in what way he can make a difference to Susan's life.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39It's been a week since I saw Stewart last,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41and I know during that time he's met up with Susan.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43What an amazing woman she is.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46She didn't allow that freak accident to destroy her life,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48she's shown great courage.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Actually, Stewart must have seen a lot of himself in her.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53They're both made of similar stock, don't you think?
0:33:53 > 0:33:57But I wonder if he's ready to give something back and help her.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Let's go and find out.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Stewart's waiting for me just around the corner from the park
0:34:03 > 0:34:07where Susan and husband John are out with her dog Monty.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11And it's that time when we discover exactly what he's going to do.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14- How are you?- Good to see you again. Very good.- Nice to see you.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16So, you've met up with Susan?
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- Yeah. Yeah.- How did it go?
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Yeah, really, really good.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23But, you know, obviously quite daunting.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27You know, especially for Susan, because it's very early days.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- Was it emotional for you?- Yeah.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34Yeah, it is cos you're kind of reliving those early days
0:34:34 > 0:34:36of, you know, what was it like...
0:34:36 > 0:34:39By all accounts I was fairly horizontal
0:34:39 > 0:34:41and accepted the situation pretty quickly.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45But was that cos I was young?
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- Yeah, maybe.- Yeah.- Do you think it's harder for Susan, then?
0:34:48 > 0:34:51I think it's a lot harder because she's, you know,
0:34:51 > 0:34:53middle of her life.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Everything's going great, she's got children.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59You know, and...
0:34:59 > 0:35:02And then, all of a sudden, bang.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Life changes.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06What's the plan, then?
0:35:06 > 0:35:07Um, well...
0:35:07 > 0:35:11I think one of the things she really enjoyed before her accident
0:35:11 > 0:35:14was getting, you know, exhilarating herself and really,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16really pushing her body to the limit.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- She used to go running...- Right. - ..clear her head running.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23And one of the pieces of kit that I think I can help her with
0:35:23 > 0:35:25is a handcycle.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27- A handcycle. - That'll attach to her chair.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Right, how does that work, then?
0:35:29 > 0:35:31So, we just, there's a bracket there that, you know,
0:35:31 > 0:35:35it'll just fit to her chair and she can clip it on.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38And then you just rotate your arms around,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41there's an electric power there to assist you on the hill climbs,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44cos arms are not as strong as legs.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- And...- So she can get out and about again.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Wow, do you think that'll make a big difference to her life?
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Huge. Huge, massive.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- Yeah.- In what way, do you think?
0:35:53 > 0:35:54A double effect.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57The release of endorphins and then there's also, you know,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00the fact that you're out in the countryside
0:36:00 > 0:36:01and you're doing something.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05This is as close as you can possibly get to what she did
0:36:05 > 0:36:06before her accident.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Gosh. It's invaluable.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Invaluable, yeah. Without question.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- Are they very expensive? - Yeah, they're about five grand.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14- Wow.- Yeah.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17So you're going to make a huge difference to her life.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19- I think so. Yeah. - How does that make you feel?
0:36:19 > 0:36:20Um...
0:36:22 > 0:36:25I don't know. Just able to do it, you know?
0:36:25 > 0:36:26It's...
0:36:26 > 0:36:30If you can make that big change to people's lives.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Fantastic. God, blimey, I can't wait to see her face.
0:36:32 > 0:36:33- Have you written your letter?- Yeah.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35- Shall we head off and see her? - Yeah. Absolutely.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38She has no idea that we're coming, it's going to be a big surprise.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- Fantastic.- All right. Come on, let's go.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Stewart's put down on paper how he intends to help Susan
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and it's the big moment,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51telling her and her husband John what we've really been up to
0:36:51 > 0:36:56and for them to discover how Susan's life is about to be transformed.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- So, how are you feeling about this? - A little nervous.- I am as well.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05It's... It's because you set it up beautifully by saying, you know,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08this will give her the freedom that she hasn't got any more.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13- It's life-changing.- It's massively life-changing, yeah.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15There she is, she's over there, isn't she?
0:37:17 > 0:37:18OK. Here we are.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Hello, hello.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- Hi, Susan.- Hello.- I'm Aled Jones from the BBC. Nice to meet you.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27How are you? You thought we were making a programme about disability.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- Yes.- It's not the full story, is it, sir?
0:37:30 > 0:37:35No. The full story's held inside this letter.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39I met you this week and some of the things that you've been through
0:37:39 > 0:37:42reminded me of my past 30 years ago.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46So if you could do, I'd like you to read this letter out.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48If you could read it out loud, please.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53"Dear Susan, it was a pleasure to meet you and your husband..."
0:37:53 > 0:37:55My hand's shaking now.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58"I enjoyed getting to know you and hearing your story,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01"which has many similarities to my experience.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05"Spinal injuries are a devastating situation that makes you rethink and
0:38:05 > 0:38:07"readjust your life in many different ways.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12"And we both endured our rehabilitation in the same hospital,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14"nearly 30 years apart.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18"I think the word most appropriate to this after hospital experience
0:38:18 > 0:38:20"is transform.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23"I'm aware that one of the pastimes you enjoyed before your injury
0:38:23 > 0:38:26"was to push your body physically by running.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29"And I'm aware that you wish to do this once again.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32"You miss the buzz you used to get from exercise.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34"I would like to make that dream a reality..."
0:38:41 > 0:38:43- I can't...- Are you all right?
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- Yeah.- Do you want me to finish it off for you?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49No, I'll do it. All right.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51"I'd like to make that dream a reality by giving you
0:38:51 > 0:38:54"a hand propelled cycle...
0:38:54 > 0:38:56"that would fit directly to your own chair."
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Sorry. Can you read it?
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Yes, of course I will. Are you OK?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04I didn't intend to make you cry.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05"And to make those hills easier,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09"it'll have an electric boost to keep you ahead of your husband,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12"just like I do with my 11-year-old son.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14"I hope you'll accept my gift
0:39:14 > 0:39:17"and that it will give you a little bit of that independence back.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20"Enjoy the new-found freedom that your cycle will give you.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22"Please keep me updated with your travels."
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- Thank you so much.- Hopefully one day, you'll do that Austria trip.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Oh, yeah. I'd love to. You don't think I'll be fast enough, do you?
0:39:30 > 0:39:34We can't fit it to your chair today because it takes
0:39:34 > 0:39:35a half-hour modification.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38But I brought one along
0:39:38 > 0:39:40just so you know what it's like.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- Yeah?- And, um...
0:39:42 > 0:39:43Can I give you a hug?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Of course you can.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47No, he's going, he's going.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48I'm not going anywhere.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51I can give you a big hug.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Thank you so much.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58You're... You're welcome.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00You're absolutely, totally deserving of it.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03You're working towards this level of independence, and,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06you know, you really are pushing those boundaries.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And it's a terrible time that people go through with the spinal injury.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11I've done it.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Although I was 17 and you're kind of a bit older,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16and you kind of understand the psychological reasons
0:40:16 > 0:40:19why exercise might be good.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21That means so much to me, really.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23- Good, good. - It feels like, you know, freedom.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Stewart's mum Joyce is on hand to present Susan with her
0:40:27 > 0:40:29exciting, life-changing gift.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33It's a snazzy bit of kit, isn't it?
0:40:33 > 0:40:34It's amazing.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Yeah.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Pleased to meet you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40This is Mum - Joyce.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- Susan.- Nice to meet you.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- So...- I wish I could clip it on now, but I know I can't.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48You can clip it onto another chair, because I've brought one along,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51because I kind of thought you might be a little bit excited
0:40:51 > 0:40:53to give it a go. I've also brought mine along.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55- All right.- So if you fancy it,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57we'll do a little bit of riding in the park.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04You're going to... That's it. Let it drop.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Drop it. Are you ready to rock and roll?
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- I am, yeah.- Crack on. Right.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26It just makes you want to go faster, doesn't it?
0:41:26 > 0:41:28You can do some hills in a minute.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Brilliant.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41I just can't describe it.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44And that's just in slow mode.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48How does it feel?
0:41:48 > 0:41:49So much fun.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51It just gave me a buzz.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- Do you want to go faster now, Susan? - I would. I'm scared of knocking anybody over.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56You won't knock anybody over.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- Brilliant.- We can do some really steep hills if you want.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02Yeah.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03I think she does.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Listen, I'll leave you guys to it.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- You probably want to go faster, don't you?- I do. I do.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- Well, you enjoy it.- Yeah? - And lovely to meet you.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- Sorry to surprise you. - Nice to meet you.- And you as well.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- Stewart, top man.- Cheers. Thanks, mate.- All the best.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21I could feel the emotions really taking over.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26I think my body has just stopped shaking.
0:42:26 > 0:42:27But, er, it's...
0:42:28 > 0:42:29It's wonderful.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31She was bamboozled.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35She hadn't a clue. She hadn't a clue what was coming.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37It's just amazing.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I keep looking at Stewart, I can't believe that he chose me.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47I feel really happy to be able to change somebody's life.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I never imagined I'd be doing something like this one day.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53When John says, "I'm just going on a bike ride,"
0:42:53 > 0:42:57I'll be able to say, "Well, I'm coming with you now."
0:42:57 > 0:43:00It's going to be great. We can go out together.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03That future that we've planned for seems, er...
0:43:04 > 0:43:06..a reality now.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Meeting Stewart and Susan has been so inspirational.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15You know, they've both had to face disaster in their lives.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17It would have been so easy for them to give up.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21But they didn't. It's incredible what a positive spirit can achieve.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23And now, with the new bike attachment,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25there is no stopping Susan.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27What a life changer.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29It's been such an honour to meet them both.