It was September 2000 when Lisa and her 10-year-old brother Gary were taken to the airport. Their Dad said they were going on holiday and that mum Tracey was going to join them later, just as soon as she could get time off work. As the children boarded the plane full of expectations for the trip they could not know how profoundly this moment would shape the rest of their lives – they were soon told Tracey had died and there was no point ever going back to England. Dr Sian Williams hears about Lisa’s struggles to adapt to a new life in Pakistan, trying to keep memories of home and her mum alive but falling into despair and loneliness. Meeting her Mum again and returning to England aged 17 comes with a whole new set of challenges. This story is told from two perspectives, to hear mum Tracey’s experience scroll back to the previous episode.

Taken: Lisa’s story

In this series Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have set their lives on an entirely different course. This podcast is all about the human experience, how people deal with obstacles that turn their lives upside down. The journeys are not always straightforward and there are often some remarkable discoveries along the way. Would you like to appear on the podcast? Do you have an extraordinary story to tell? We'd love to hear from you: lifechanging@bbc.co.uk

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Tier Blundell was never a bad kid, he was bright and curious but also disruptive. He grew up sandwiched between two cultures and felt excluded from society. Those feelings were amplified when aged 11 Tier was informed by his school that he wouldn’t be welcome back following the summer holidays and was instead sent to a Pupil Referral Unit. He left there with no qualifications and a sense of shame, until the day he puts on a suit, turns up for an unscheduled meeting and demands another go at education — and the results are staggering.

Excluded

Su Chantry was adopted as a baby and grew up fantasising that she was the daughter of a French princess who would one day return for her. As an adult with her own family, Su received an unexpected phone call. She rushed to meet her mum, and they would spend just one day together, her last.

Chérie

Aged 19, Dan Simmonds turned down a university place and instead became an oil trader in the City of London. It was an exciting and ruthless environment driven by big risks and even greater rewards but also ultimately challenged Dan’s values and filled him with a desire to seek something new. Over a decade later whilst jogging around Regent’s Park Dan made a discovery that would change his life and career.

Trading places

Agnes Nisbett is a nurse and midwife whose own hospital experience in the 1970s revealed just how flawed and uncaring the system could be. Agnes came to the UK from St Kitts and Nevis as part of the Windrush generation. Her goal was to achieve as much as she could in her profession and despite the many barriers, “sheer hard work” got her to the top. Now in her eighties and looking back on her time in the NHS, she shares how her own private and personal loss inspired her to challenge and change things for others. This interview discusses the experience of stillbirth. Details of help and support with pregnancy-related issues are available through the BBC Action Line at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

It's the little things

Georgia Gabriel-Hooper is now 20, she works for a tractor dealership and enjoys bumbling around the countryside. But as a child she was witness to a terrible event: her mother, Cheryl, was murdered in a domestic homicide. Understandably that day had a profound impact on Georgia who’s since shown extraordinary courage and determination to use her personal testimony to raise awareness and create change around domestic abuse. If you, or someone you know, has been affected by domestic abuse or violence, you can find details of support available on the BBC Action Line at bbc.co.uk/actionline. If you are in immediate danger, you should dial 999.

Taken: Lisa’s story

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