Episode 2 Going Back Giving Back

How often have you watched the news and seen disasters...

The sea rose up 20 feet, flooding the area.

..and tragedies?

The bomb exploded at about 3:10pm this afternoon.

What if you were caught up in the events?

I've been out there and checked so many bodies and she's not there.

And now, inspired by your past,

you're on a mission to help someone today.

The support that we had after the fire was so tremendous.

You just want to do something for the people that helped us.

Hopefully I'll be able to help him to achieve some of his goals.

Someone who has no idea that this life-changing gift is coming.

Oh, my days! Why's there so many people outside?

Hiya, Paul.

CHEERING

Thank you so much.

We're here today to surprise somebody very special.

This is Going Back, Giving Back.

It's Boxing Day 2004.

A devastating tsunami ravages the Indian Ocean coastline,

hitting 14 countries.

Whole towns and villages are destroyed.

More than 230,000 people lose their lives.

Among the worst affected is Sri Lanka,

where one British family was caught up in the middle of the carnage.

We woke up and we didn't know what had hit us.

I was screaming, "Paul, get up, get up!"

Miraculously, two brothers survived.

Grateful for the help they received,

these remarkable young men now want to give back to two boys

with a tragically similar story...

Ten years ago we were in the same situation and...

they've seen that, you know,

hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel.

..and change their lives forever.

Surprise!

CHEERING

I'm on my way to meet Rob and Paul Forkan at a cafe.

The brothers are fashion designers and run a successful clothing brand.

They live in South London, not too far from Croydon,

where they were brought up.

Hiya. Hi, good to see you.

It's hard to believe, meeting them today, how much the boys have overcome.

30-year-old Rob and 27-year-old Paul are the middle two of six children.

We had such a unique upbringing where her parents took us out of school at

a young age and we went travelling and we were volunteering across India

and all over the place.

The Forkan brothers spent four years exploring Southeast Asia with their

parents and siblings.

Just before coming home for good,

the family was to spend Christmas by the beach in Sri Lanka as a final

goodbye. It was then tragedy struck.

An undersea earthquake sent enormous waves rolling across the

-Indian Ocean...

-This is just one small stretch of the Sri Lankan

-coastline.

-The sea rose up 20 feet, flooding in minutes.

Lives and businesses washed away.

The tsunami claimed more than 35,000 lives in Sri Lanka.

Against all the odds, Rob, Paul and their younger siblings -

11-year-old Matty and eight-year-old Rosie - survived the destruction.

But the fate of their parents, Kevin and Sandra Forkan, was unknown.

The traumatised children flew back to the UK alone,

where they were taken in by their older sister, Marie.

When we came back it was quite a manic time and nobody knew where we were

going to live, what we were going to do and our sister at the time who was 21, you know,

took on the responsibility of bringing everyone into her house.

Yeah, we kind of had a few people,

family and friends and that, when it happened that kind of all came

together to help us get through the few years when we were at that age.

We had a few people that,

you know, anonymously were kind of supporting us in the background in

terms of donating money, whether it was to sort out, you know,

we needed new bunk beds or something like that because suddenly we were

kind of thrown into my sister's house.

'The generosity of friends and even strangers is what's spurring Rob

'and Paul on to give back.

'Five years ago, the boys established what's now become a popular flip-flop'

and clothing company.

Since then, the brothers have dedicated their lives to helping others.

What's your name? Thank you.

They've been able to fund and set up homes in Sri Lanka,

India and now Malawi.

You've helped so many people already in your young lives and what's

different about this? You know, what are you looking for in that individual?

So, I think for us with this it's more a case of actually finding someone

that is in a similar position to what we were when we returned,

and I think it's more a case of trying to show somebody that there's light

at end of the tunnel.

Listen, in order for you to give back, I think we need to go back first.

I've got the car outside.

-Shall we go?

-Sounds good.

-Come on, let's go.

So, have you got any idea where we're off to now?

No idea, so I'm sure we'll be in for an interesting day.

Yeah.

We're heading out of London to a place dear to Rob and Paul's hearts.

It was in the year 2000 when their mum and dad, Kevin and Sandra,

decided to sell up and leave the UK,

taking their four youngest children to see the world.

The two older sisters stayed back in England.

The family flew to Goa, on the west coast of India.

This was to become their base for volunteering and travelling.

Do you think you learned more on your travels than you did at school?

Definitely. We fell in love when we were out in India,

in terms of just the culture and how vibrant it was, and just...

It was an eye-opening kind of experience.

Our parents wanted to show us kind of how other children could live and

-how lucky we are.

-Doing all the charity work we did as children has made

us more outgoing and

given us a good sort of entrepreneurial spirit.

And then also just an alternative upbringing in terms of...

You know, whether it was doing art on the beach one day,

-playing cricket with local kids, and things like that.

-Amazing.

And, yeah, it was very random,

but something that we don't regret for a minute.

I have to say that your parents sound really cool.

They were. We had an incredible time for four, five years,

where we probably spent more time with our parents than most people,

-you know...

-Would do in their lifetime.

..would do in their lifetime, because we actually became...

It was a case of, they were our best friends and

all of us kids were, you know, a very tight unit.

Are you thankful for that time, now?

-With what's happened?

-We were thankful then.

Every year, the Forkan family would come back to the UK to see Rob and Paul's

older sisters. They'd stay in a caravan they owned on the south coast of England.

So, you've probably guessed where we're heading.

Yes.

Bournemouth. Kind of a spiritual home?

It is, to be fair.

This was always a nice space for us, as well,

because we always used to come back,

when it was, like, the monsoon or something like that -

we would head back so that we could catch up with friends and family.

-Bournemouth by the sea.

-There we go.

It's the worst day, as well, by the sea.

It couldn't be any colder than this.

A lot of people say to us, how do we

still love going down to the sea and the beach...?

I have to say, that's the first thing that,

when I knew we were coming down here, and we see this...

Waves crashing onto a beach.

Does it not just bring it all back?

It does, sometimes, but it's one of those, as well, that,

we spent so many years on the beach.

For us, just being by the sea is actually like a second home.

Every time I look at the waves I always go, "Oh, Mum and Dad."

The Forkans' trip to Sri Lanka at the end of 2004 was meant to be

their final holiday before heading back to England.

The family travelled south along the coast before arriving at the tropical

resort of Weligama.

It was meant to be the perfect family Christmas holiday.

The place when we got there was so picturesque,

and we were stunned by kind of how beautiful it was,

and obviously we'd been on the coast of India, and then we were like,

now we are in Sri Lanka, you know, so it was really cool.

Christmas Day was wonderful.

A day spent surfing, playing cricket on the beach,

followed by a festive meal at the resort.

After a game of chess and Risk,

Kevin and Sandra took the younger children to bed.

They turned to Rob and Paul and wished them happy Christmas.

This was the last time Rob and Paul would ever see their mum and dad.

At eight o'clock the following morning,

the picturesque coastline was destroyed in minutes by a devastating tsunami.

We woke up and we didn't know what had hit us.

-I woke up first...

-He was screaming, "Paul, get up! Get up! There's water in the room!"

And I just thought he was joking.

Suddenly, the murky water left the bungalow,

as though someone had pulled the plug out of a giant bathtub.

There followed an eerie silence.

No birdsong, no sounds of lapping waves.

Then, all hell broke loose.

We saw people kind of running around, screaming frantically,

"What's going on?"

Two minutes later I saw a guy absolutely pelting past our room with his kid, legging it.

And I was trying to work out what was going on.

SHOUTING

The ground was vibrating.

A split second later, there was a thunderous roar.

A wall of water slammed into their bungalow.

The door just got smashed down.

The windows got smashed in.

Before we knew it, everything was floating up...

The toilet, basin, sink and everything got smashed off.

So then we were in a room of chaos.

And we knew we had to get out of the room,

because if we stayed in the room we had no chance.

When we came outside... It was like a bungalow,

so the water was then taking off all the roof tiles.

And the only thing left were the beams, the supports...

..and Rob was holding on, and as I came out

-it was literally like a washing machine, just...

-And we were trying to climb up the wall,

but as we were climbing up the wall, the wall was being smashed away.

So, I slipped and Rob literally grabbed my arm -

I don't know how he was holding me - and he then pulled me up.

It's a miracle that you survived it.

Yeah, I'd say we were pretty lucky.

Rob and Paul had made a miraculous escape,

but had no idea what had happened to the rest of their family,

who had been staying in a different bungalow, closer to the water.

At the time, we found our younger brother.

We saw him, and he was in a coconut tree.

I could see he was cut up, and his head was all bleeding.

And he was crying out for help. So, then you're kind of panicking, your younger brother's in trouble.

We couldn't find our sister for a good few hours,

-and then we got a call...

-We found her later in the day.

The surfers had saved her.

There was a glass door and that was all smashed apart,

and she just literally came running through and jumped through the glass,

jumped over everything and just came running at us.

Yeah, that was a moment you don't forget.

You know, cos we'd been looking for our parents.

We thought that they...you know.

They were gone. We thought our sister was gone,

and then suddenly we found our sister, so then we had some hope.

Reunited with Matty and Rosie,

Rob and Paul were desperate to find their mum and dad.

Rob headed into town, where he was struck by the full horror of the tragedy.

It was like a football field of people, and you are just kind of like, what is going on here?

And you're just walking up and down looking for a white person,

you know, in the hope of finding your parents.

-What? They were all dead?

-Yeah.

Rob didn't find his mum and dad among the bodies.

He and Paul continued their search amid the destruction.

We then thought we saw our mum on a bus,

and we were then chasing this bus, and we...

Literally ran for, like, ten minutes...

-Chasing it.

-..to get to this bus.

-And, like, screaming at it.

-Banging on it, on the side.

We ran into the bus and got on it, and we ran to the back,

and we thought it was her, and then it wasn't her,

-and then we were like...

-My heart sank.

-Oh. I can imagine.

The Forkan children were more than 5,000 miles from home.

Matty was severely asthmatic.

With his medication lost in the sea,

Rob and Paul made the heartbreaking decision to leave the devastation and get to safety.

That whole time, as well, though, we were telling...

To get our brother and sisters home,

we had to pretend that everything was OK and that Mum and Dad were going to meet us at home.

With no money, no ID,

no shoes and only the clothes that they were wearing when the waves

struck, the four siblings hitchhiked to Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on a 200-mile journey.

There was a lot of people, locals, that wanted to help us.

They saw that we were these four young kids,

we were obviously in a foreign country.

If they didn't help us, we wouldn't have survived.

With the support of Sri Lankans and staff at the British Embassy,

the children boarded a plane home.

With still no word of their parents, their older sisters took them in.

I mean, the first three months, I had my head in my pillow.

We were shell-shocked.

-We didn't know...

-We didn't have it confirmed.

-They couldn't find their bodies, and stuff, so...

-How did you deal with that?

-That was horrible.

-Yeah, that was horrible. Waiting around and...

-Every day you're going into school and you're sat there,

you're in a new school, so you don't really know people,

and you don't have anything confirmed whatsoever.

Finally, they got the news they were dreading.

The bodies of their parents had been found.

-It was horrible finding out.

-Yeah, it was horrible finding out.

-I kept telling myself stuff that I wanted to tell myself...

-Wanted to believe.

-..and wanted to believe.

So, yeah, that was horrible.

And coming back here to Bournemouth, where, you know,

it's obviously a very special place for both of you -

has that reinforced that feeling that you want to give something back to somebody today, as well?

Yeah. It is important that people see that even in the darkest kind of

hour, there can be some light at the end of the tunnel.

It might not be immediately, it might take time,

and there'll always be dark days, but...

..hopefully, from seeing what we've gone on to do,

and kind of our mentality around it,

hopefully that might help somebody else with the situation they're

currently in to kind of push on.

After returning to the UK,

the Forkan children adjusted to their new life with their sister,

but it all became too much for Rob.

Exhausted and overwhelmed by the responsibility of getting his family

home, and dealing with the loss of his parents, he needed time alone.

He escaped to his parents' caravan, close to Bournemouth beach.

You spent quite a lot of time on your own here, as well, didn't you?

I did. So, after the tsunami I actually used to work here.

I used to lifeguard here, funnily, after everything.

And I used to come down here and spent the summer,

had a long summer here just before I turned 18,

and just basically had a bit of space and kind of rebuilding myself,

so to speak.

Meanwhile, Paul and younger siblings Matty and Rosie were adopted by their older sister Marie.

Cos when you came back from Sri Lanka,

you lived for a while with your sister, is that right?

Yeah, I lived with my sister in Farnborough,

at the other end of Hampshire.

So, I wasn't lucky enough to be able to be a lifeguard -

I had to go to school and do that, I'm afraid.

He wanted to come down here and spend the summer, and instead

-he had to go to school.

-I came down at the weekends and stuff. And summer holiday.

-And up to plenty of mischief here, I bet.

-It was good fun. There was loads of good friends from here.

What was nice about it is they never wanted to find

out what happened, or question it, or...

Because what was interesting was, even when we came back,

a lot of adults around us didn't know what to say,

didn't know what to do.

But, actually, just hanging around with other kids your age is actually,

we found, the best form of, you know, of kind of getting yourself back to normal.

We're on our way back to London now, where Rob and Paul live and work.

It's remarkable how far the brothers have come since their tragic loss.

In 2012, inspired to help underprivileged children,

Rob and Paul set up a charitable foundation, Orphans For Orphans.

They also launched their flip-flop and clothing brand to help fund it.

On the tenth anniversary of the tsunami, the brothers returned to Sri Lanka,

to where their lives changed forever.

Here, they opened their first children's home.

The centre provides education, medical help and food for those in need.

So, here we are in bustling London. Spitalfields market.

But what's the significance of this place?

This was actually, when we started Gandys,

the first wholesale account we ever got was actually in Spitalfields

-market, so that's what made us quit our jobs and gave us motivation to kind of go on.

-Over there.

It's just round there. So then we were like, OK, maybe we should just go for it.

And this is obviously going back four or five years now.

So, we decided when we opened our first store in London, and the flagship,

we thought, what better place to do it?

Where it all started and what gave us the confidence to get going.

Today, their company is worth millions of pounds.

The clothes are sold in top high-street shops and are worn by celebrities

like Sir Richard Branson, actress Michelle Keegan and One Direction's Niall Horan.

The print designs used to make the clothes and even the branding is all

inspired by the boys' mum and dad, Sandra and Kevin.

What do you think Mum and Dad would have made of this?

-They would have loved it.

-Yeah, they would definitely love it.

Would your dad wear the clothes, do you think?

-Hopefully not, no! Wouldn't want him in them, I'd be like...

-Too cool.

-Yeah, too cool.

-Oh, is that right?

OK. But, no, I think for them, like my mum...

They worked in fashion, and so I think the fact that we've been creative

and we've opened our own stores, I think they'd love it.

We've been on quite a journey.

I think I'm allowed to use that word, because we have.

Has it reinforced in you that desire to help someone?

-Definitely.

-Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.

Well, listen, it's been a real honour spending time with you,

and what you are achieving is just phenomenal.

-I'll catch up with you shortly.

-Brilliant.

-Awesome.

-Cool.

-Take care, guys.

-Cheers, Aled.

The foundation of hard work, curiosity and ambition that Sandra and Kevin Forkan

instilled in their boys has enabled them to face their huge loss,

but it's also helped them to establish their very successful lives.

I've got so much admiration for them.

They have this drive to succeed, but also a wish to give something back.

Taking them to Bournemouth has cemented that desire to help,

and we think we've found somebody whose story will really resonate with them.

Brothers 14-year-old Sam and 17-year-old Jordan Walker live in Aberdeen

with their grandparents, Lynne and Keith, and uncles, Josh and Daniel.

-Morning, guys. How are you doing?

-Morning, Grandad. How are you doing?

Last summer, their mum Julie and little brother Lucas were killed in a terrible accident.

Like Rob and Paul's parents, they died at the hands of Mother Nature,

when unseasonably high waters swept them out to sea.

The parallels between what the Walkers and the Forkans have experienced is extraordinary.

They were even the same age when tragedy struck.

So we thought they should meet. I really hope they get on.

So, a little bit nervous about today's experience,

but super excited to meet young Sam and Jordan.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about their story, as well.

Hopefully after we've heard more about their journey,

we can share with them kind of everything that we have experienced,

and hopefully that'll help them with their future.

Sam and Jordan think we're making a programme about grief.

They have no idea the Forkans are here to see if they can help the two boys.

-Hello.

-You all right, guys? How are you doing? Jordan. Nice to meet you.

-Rob. Hi, guys. How's it going?

-Sorry. Nice to meet you.

-How are you?

-Cheers.

We had quite an intense experience at a young age,

and we're here today hopefully to find out a little bit more about yourselves

and hopefully that might give you a bit of inspiration for the future.

Sam and Jordan lost their mum and brother just nine months ago.

It was the middle of summer. Jordan was at a football match.

Julie took six-year-old Lucas and Sam to the beach.

The tide was in, and the water was choppy.

The boys stood on the ramp, watching, but a wave struck them.

They were swept into the sea.

Me and Lucas were stuck in the water.

I was holding on to Lucas at the time.

The second one came, it hit us, too, I couldn't hold on to Lucas.

I don't know where he went.

I couldn't see him after it.

And then my mum screamed, "No, my babies!"

My mum ran down and tried to come in.

And she got pulled in, too.

So, me, my mum and Lucas were stuck in the water.

And I couldn't see Lucas for the life of me.

Passers-by tried desperately to help the family.

People threw life buoys.

Sam and his mum Julie managed to cling onto one,

but the waves kept coming at them, and Julie was knocked off.

People started trying to pull me up.

I've finally seen my mum when I was coming towards the end,

and my mum was upside down, floating.

As Sam was rescued, he feared the worst for his mum and Lucas.

Wrapped in blankets, he was rushed to hospital suffering from extreme hypothermia.

I was in the ambulance, and everyone told me it was going to be OK,

my mum and Lucas will be fine.

But I had already seen what had happened in my own head.

While Sam was being treated, the family frantically tried to reach Jordan.

Finally tracking him down, he went straight to the hospital,

where he met his grandparents.

I was like, "What's happened? Has somebody got hurt?"

And then my grandad told me, "Your mum and your little brother Lucas

"have been in an accident and they've passed away." And...

HE SIGHS

It was just the worst thing that I...

It hit you, you know?

-Yous must have felt the same when it hit you.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It was...

..terrible.

Having gone through such trauma, Rob and Paul know the foundation

for recovery is having a good network of people for support.

So you must have had some strong people around you

after, you know, that experience, supporting you?

-Friends and family?

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

Who has been helping you?

My uncles are something else. They are like big brothers. They are so close.

I just love them. They're ace.

They take your mind off of things, as well.

And interact with you a lot, try and encourage you to do stuff,

like getting on with your life.

My granny and grandad just took us in.

Like nothing. They have always loved us,

but they have to love us a bit more now.

-Because...

-They've got to do your washing?

-Yeah. Exactly.

Sam and Jordan's story is heartbreaking.

Two young boys lost their mother and their baby brother in a tragic

accident. Neither was in touch with their father.

Fortunately, their grandparents Lynne and Keith Dawson didn't

hesitate to take them in. While Rob and Paul are with the boys,

'I'm meeting them to find out more.'

Great to see you. Thanks so much for meeting me.

Tell me a bit about the boys. What are they like?

They are lovely. Really lovely boys.

Very energetic.

Very sporty.

Very polite.

-You must be very proud of them?

-Oh, yeah, of course we are, yes.

Definitely. The strength that I think both the brothers together,

you know, is really strong, you know.

But I think coming and staying with us since the tragedy has helped them leaps and bounds, you know?

It also must have been very, very tough for you because, you know,

you lost a daughter and a grandson, as well?

Yeah, I miss her so much.

In a way, does she live on through the boys?

Yeah. Every day I think about her because I can't not.

-No.

-I have her boys.

I have two roles now.

I'm a grandma, but I'm also their mum. You know?

Back at the house, the guys are learning just how much they have in

common. Sam and Jordan are finally able to share their story with people

who know exactly what they're going through.

I'm sure you have had it. I played it back in my head a million times

going, "Could I have done this?"

"What if I'd done that?" "If only I caught that or did this or did that."

Yeah, that's exactly the same as me. If I was there. If I thought I was...

-Maybe I could have helped.

-Yeah.

-But you can't live like that.

At least you're here, cos now you've got each other to support each other.

The biggest issue was definitely in denial if it was real or not.

-My denial wasn't as bad as his because I was in it.

-Not the same.

It was straight... Yeah, it was real.

I kept telling myself for six months, nine months,

a year after that they're not dead, they're coming back.

Probably the worst thing, and it's still going on,

is just thinking you want to hear their voice one more time.

It's one of those that you can hope but you have to try and start dealing with it.

But it's tough.

See how nice it is meeting people like you.

It made my... It's like a dream.

It's helped me so much.

It's crazy.

Rob and Paul are in a unique position to understand how Sam and Jordan are feeling.

And the boys are really opening up.

Shortly after the accident, Jordan felt he needed to visit the seafront.

It was terrible going down there to see it,

but I just wanted to say a few things to my mum.

Say I loved her and stuff.

And I think she heard me because she supported me through everything.

She's made me the person I am today.

I just think of the good times cos it's so much better.

We went back to Sri Lanka ten years later, to where...

We didn't... We didn't actually go directly where we were.

That was TEN years later.

-That was tough, as well.

-We literally wanted to come home.

The first night we were like, let's go home.

I haven't been near the water.

I haven't been anywhere near, like, the pathway beside it.

I'm just staying away from it.

-Don't think you've got to get back down.

-You know when your body feels right...

Yeah. Eventually, you will be able to just go down there.

But just don't rush, do it in your own time.

-You'll know when you're ready.

-Mum was just...

-She was so loving.

..loving, determined, put everyone in front of her.

-She's just like any mum.

-Yeah.

She's just...

She really did anything for us.

Like, absolutely anything she could have done.

-Was she a character?

-Yes.

Yeah, she's her own little character. So was Lucas, as well.

But like...

-He was something...

-Lucas was something else.

He had no evil in him but he always had that little evil grin.

When he's done something...

-A little cheeky chap?

-Yeah, cheeky.

-I miss that boy so much.

He was so funny.

Oh! His smile was incredible.

He was so cheeky.

It's not just the brothers Sam and Jordan who feel the loss of their mum

and brother every day - Lynne and Keith are also grieving,

but taking comfort in being able to look after their grandchildren.

It's very, very busy with them, because we've got so much to do.

But I enjoy it. It takes my mind off of the hurt.

But you must see her in them, as well.

Of course. Especially Samuel, every time I look at him.

It's nice to have them because...

I've still got Julie and Lucas because I've got the boys.

'It's time to let Lynne and Keith in on our secret.

'Do they think Sam and Jordan would benefit from the Forkans' help?'

Well, you know the boys think we're making a programme about coping with grief?

Is not the full picture because we're from a programme called Going Back, Giving Back.

And there are some brothers, the Forkan brothers, who want to help your boys.

-Wow.

-How do you think they'll feel if we surprise them?

Oh, my goodness.

-They'll just be...

-They will be well surprised.

-Will they?

-Yeah.

-Will they react well?

-Yes.

-They won't run away?

-No.

No, they're quite confident boys.

I think that they'll be quite teary.

Yeah, they will be taken aback, definitely. That's without a doubt.

Yeah. Well, I think I'm looking forward to surprising them now.

You'll keep the secret, won't you?

-Yeah. Definitely.

-Don't tell them anything, OK?

We won't tell them nothing.

I'll see you shortly.

-Right.

-See you later.

-Bye.

It's been great meeting Lynne and Keith and hearing how much they adore Sam and Jordan.

I just hope Rob and Paul think they can help the boys.

What are your ambitions in the future, and your interests?

I definitely want to get good grades done at school.

So every time I've got a test I think,

I need to do this test for Mum and Lucas.

Get a good score so I might actually do something in the future.

I want to at least get a decent job and move out of Scotland tae a hotter place.

- I don't know where. - And what about you, Jordan?

Well, right now, I want to become a joiner.

But I hope to be playing football in the future, as well.

And I would like to move away. To maybe Spain when I'm older.

Play for Real Madrid?

-Yeah. Play for Real Madrid.

-Wouldn't be bad, would it?

Be brilliant, wouldn't it?

So you can still have a future?

-Yeah, exactly.

-Even with everything that you're faced?

-Really achieve...

-You can still go on and hopefully, you know, make something of your life.

-It was nice to meet you.

-Thanks for today.

-Pleasure.

-Pleasure meeting you.

-Take care. Have a nice flight home.

-See you later.

-All the best.

See yous later.

What a day that's been.

Incredible young guys.

Absolute pleasure meeting those two.

Really enjoyed, one, firstly, their humour.

You know, just chatting to them.

Normal young lads, as well.

I was really emotional, listening to their story.

And I remember being their age, as well.

I think they quite liked that they could open up to us.

No-one else in their family has been through what we've been through.

Yeah, and just seeing where we are now.

I think the fact that just playing football with them, having a laugh,

and they realise that we are two young guys

who, ten years ago, were in the same situation.

They've seen that, hopefully, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

It's been a month since I saw Rob and Paul,

so I'm on my way to find out what they've decided.

It was a powerful meeting between the two sets of brothers.

The grief is still very raw for Jordan and Sam,

but Rob and Paul will understand that more than anyone.

Will they be able to think of a gift that can truly change the young boys' lives?

-Great to see you again, guys.

-Yeah.

-Good to see you.

You've met Jordan, you've met Sam.

-How did it go?

-Oh, it was brilliant.

It was kind of like a reflection of ourselves ten years ago or so.

Just everything they were saying, how they were acting together.

The strength they were kind of... How they support each other.

-You could sense that straightaway?

-Yeah.

They've got closer together as brothers, similar to us.

God, that must have been so emotional for you guys, then?

-It was a pretty emotional day yesterday, to be fair.

-Yeah.

There are so many parallels in the story, aren't there?

-Oh, there is.

-It's crazy, like the age.

Rob was the same age as Jordan, I was the same age as Sam, pretty much.

-Yeah.

-So that's...

Speaking with them has made us think back to when we were at their age.

It's quite crazy, there's a lot of things that we kind of just shut off and didn't see.

That was going on around them.

They kind of jigged our memory and we're now seeing that sort of side of it.

And then all their kind of passion, as well.

Everything that they're into, whether it's travelling,

and they want to go see the world.

And it was actually kind of nice just to go back and not...

In terms of hearing their tragic story,

but just in terms of everything they are doing now to take the positive

steps forward. It was nice to actually see that and, again,

just see that fighting character that they've got.

I think I know the answer to this already from the little time we've spent together now.

-But are you going to help them?

-Oh, definitely. Forever.

As much as possible. Wow. God, I didn't expect you to say that.

-Forever?

-Yeah, yeah.

We've got a million ideas in our head. Even when they get to 18, 19.

In the short term, they are both super passionate about football,

and we're going to take them to QPR.

Both of them want to be professional players.

We're going to get them into the training session for the last game of the season.

And then we're taking them to the game, the final game of the season.

They both have never been to England, so we'll bring them down to London.

And then we'll take them to our store and kit them out.

We want to start a trust fund for them in which it will give them the money to go around the world

-when they hit 18.

-Wow. That is amazing.

That is so amazing.

-I can't wait to see their faces.

-Neither can I, now!

I know they're coming here - they think - "for tea with family and friends."

So why don't we surprise them and give them the good news?

-Sounds good.

-Brilliant. Cheers. Let's go.

Everyone is gathering together to surprise Jordan and Sam.

The boys think they've just come to the hotel to have tea with their grandparents and uncles.

To see so many friends and family will be a complete surprise.

-Have you got the letter? Yes.

-Letter is here.

-Excellent. Ready to go. Perfect.

OK. Right, we just need two boys now.

The brothers believe Rob and Paul have flown back to London.

They have no idea they are just behind these doors.

Surprise!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Come on in. How are you? Pop yourself there, if you can.

How are you, mate? Are you all right? Nice to see you.

Listen, guys. I'm Aled Jones from the BBC.

-How are you?

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, as well.

You thought we've been making a programme about grief.

Well, it's not the full story.

-Is it, guys?

-Not quite the full story.

Yeah, we've got a little bit of a surprise for you.

After meeting you guys, we were incredibly inspired.

And it reminded us back of our days ten years ago when we had our situation.

So we've got a letter for your gran, Lynne, to read out to you.

So I'm going to pass that to you, Lynne. Over to you.

"Sam and Jordan.

"We were both really moved by your story,

"as losing a family member is extremely tough,

"and especially under such heartbreaking circumstances."

Oh, I can't read it.

Don't worry. You relax.

Yeah, Rob. You do it. You've done really well.

Um, so, yeah.

"Meeting you two took us back to the place

"it was like at 15 and 17 when we came back after the tsunami,

"losing our parents.

"This is the first time in many years we have rewound to feel what it's like to be in that position.

"We both stayed up late last night thinking about what we could do for you

"that may help you - not just in the short-term, but in the long term.

"So we would love to come back up to Aberdeen to see how you're getting on.

"But before that, we want to bring you down to London.

"You both said you haven't been down to England.

"And we thought it would be great to invite you down to see the famous sights of the city.

"Big Ben, Buckingham Palace.

"Come and visit our flagship store.

"And we will take you to Spitalfields Market,

"where we will kit you out with a new wardrobe."

-LYNNE:

-Jordan needs a new wardrobe.

That's what we thought. We thought that.

"And we aren't quite finished there, though.

"When we came back, Queens Park Rangers gave us a day out to remember.

"We've organised for you to join us to go for the last game of the season and, before that big day,

"they're going to let you go and train with the players.

"You mentioned you wanted to play with the players,

"and you both have aspirations to play professionally,

"so we've arranged for you guys to go and meet some pros and see how it's done."

APPLAUSE

You all right, mate? Come here.

Good on you.

You haven't heard it all yet.

"We've now got something for the future, because that's, as we said,

"the short-term. You both mentioned you wanted to see the world.

"So we've started you both a trust fund,

"with the money to go in it and explore the world when you're both ready.

"Your mum did a great job in bringing you up this far.

-VOICE BREAKING:

-"Now make her and little Lucas even prouder by working

"hard in life and showing a good attitude.

"We promise that many good things will happen

"for you both as you're so young and still have a life ahead of you."

Wow. How are you guys feeling?

I think I can tell.

Oh, I'm so thrilled.

I knew something was up. You were terrible at delaying.

So a bit of training with the QPR players?

It's going to be amazing, though, isn't it?

Definitely. Oh, my goodness.

But also the guys were telling me that, you know,

they are going to be there for you for whenever you need them.

Because, as I say, they know exactly what you're going through,

so they will always be there as friends for you, as well.

-Yeah, forever.

-I will definitely be there for you, as well - both of you.

Wow! Oh!

Listen, I'll leave you guys to chat and catch up again.

It's been lovely spending time with you.

And really nice to meet you, and you, as well.

Take care. All the best.

Lovely to see you. Guys, all the best to you, as well.

See you soon. Thanks.

Really overwhelmed from the bottom of my heart

about the boys.

It's a dream come true for them. They're chuffed to bits.

Massive lump in my throat. Massive lump in my throat.

And you know that even through all this massive tragedy has happened,

it's a massive blow to the two boys,

and now they've been given another chance.

They both want to travel the world,

and it will be the greatest experience for them ever.

And the football thing is just astonishing.

They will be so excited.

You know, I don't think there would be a kid on this planet who would be more happier than them on that day.

'Wow, that was really emotional.'

-Incredible.

-Yeah.

-I've never had a feeling like that. And the whole room, as well.

It was a great moment, just seeing their faces and their nan and grandad, as well.

The whole family's reaction was brilliant.

Hopefully, this will inspire them to keep fighting.

I now feel like I'm part of their family. Which is great, as well.

-Grandparents, the whole family around them. Brilliant.

-Yeah, they've been...

Can't wait to come back up to Aberdeen and them coming down to see us in London.

I was just speechless.

-It's going to be insane.

-My lifelong dream to play football with professionals.

-It's insane.

-For them to come all this way up to make our lives better is just incredible.

Nothing else is better.

You know, all four lads in there have had such trauma in their young lives.

But the Forkan brothers are living proof that out of bad can come good.

Even though horrendous events that happened in your early life may be

with you forever, they don't necessarily have to negatively shape the rest of your life.

Now, Sam and Jordan have found not just mentors in Rob and Paul, but lifelong friends.