For Lisa Hover and her husband Andy, life on the Hampshire Dorset border with their family of four children seemed idyllic. Even when a routine sight test on their young daughter Annabelle picked up an abnormality, it all seemed manageable. But the abnormality turned out to be early sight loss, which itself masked a more severe and life shortening genetic condition. With no cure available, Annabelle was determined the most from her limited life span.

Lisa talks to Dr Sian Williams about the challenges, joys and sadness she experienced - and Annabelle's dream to have a white Christmas with all the family.

Producer: Tom Alban

As a young man, Mohammed, AKA MFA Zaman, arrived in Britain from Bangladesh with a working visa, a patron and a job lined up as a chef. On arrival though, the promises of a bright future turned to ashes when he became a victim of modern slavery. But at this lowest of low ebbs in his life, Mohammed decided that he needed to do something - and that something was to volunteer at an old people's community club in Lewisham, near where he was living.

Mohammed tells Dr Sian Williams how this life-changing decision helped him to find freedom.

Producer: Tom Alban

After a whirlwind romance, Paul Mason and his wife Isabel were in no doubt that they wanted to start a family. It was not easy, but eventually that ordinary miracle happened. And yet it was a little more than ordinary - because they discovered they were to be parents to triplets.

Paul tells Dr Sian Williams about the joyful and harrowing life-changing events of his children’s birth, and explains how the family have since discovered the extraordinary generosity of strangers.

Producer: Tom Alban

Mother-of-two young children, Tanja Bage, had always been a keen singer and performer, so she was increasingly aware of her shortness of breath. The diagnosis was cancer, which required almost immediate surgery to remove the tumour, and with it her vocal chords. She would be losing her voice, and she had just a week to prepare herself and her family.

Tanja tells Dr Sian Williams about navigating the challenges of motherhood whilst having to re-learn how to speak – and reveals an exciting new artistic venture which has changed her life.

Producer: Tom Alban

After moving to Los Angeles, 12-year-old Dan Edozie and his mother were left homeless and begging for food. Life was not easy: they slept where they could, sometimes on public transport, sometimes in the refuges of the city’s infamous Skid Row. But a chance separation from his mother was about to change his fortunes forever.

Dan tells Dr Sian Williams how this life-changing moment allowed him to take control of his own destiny and set his sights on sporting greatness.

Producer: Elaina Boeteng

Sarah Fairbairns spent much of her life feeling she was a bit different. Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, she gained the reputation of a wild child – from travelling to India, to dancing on stage with the cast of iconic counter-culture musical Hair. And yet all the while, she faced bouts of sadness and depression, and a confusion as to why that should be. Later in life, Sarah made a discovery about a medical childhood trauma that changed the way she viewed the world – and wrote in to Life Changing to share her experience.

Now in her seventies, Sarah speaks to Dr Sian Williams about how confronting her past has provided belated but extraordinary relief.

Producer: Tom Alban

Strapped to explosives, threatened with execution and packed into a vehicle with a suicide bomber, civil engineer Nick feared for his life. It was 2013, and he had found himself at the heart of a violent attack on the Algerian gas facility he was working at, carried out by a group later revealed to be affiliated to Al-Qaeda. It was a deadly hostage situation, in which 39 workers lost their lives – several of them Nick’s close colleagues.

Talking to Dr Sian Williams, he describes how the attack unfolded and why he has sought to use his horrific experience to support others facing similar trauma.

Producer: Tom Alban

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence and death. Details of help and support are available through the BBC Action Line at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Dr Sian Williams looks forward to another series of extraordinary stories.

When twins Georgia and Melissa Laurie set off a once-in-lifetime adventure to Mexico in 2021, they thought it would be an opportunity for some sisterly bonding. Whilst on their travels, they went for an ill-fated swim in a lagoon – and found themselves in a terrifying fight for survival.

They tell their incredible story to Dr Sian Williams, and explain how in that moment, and over the years that followed, their love for each other kept them alive.

Tony Redmond was an experienced medical doctor from Manchester, used to dealing with challenging situations. In December 1988, he attended two major global disasters that left him feeling a broken man, ready to hang up his stethoscope. But it turned out he was not quite done yet.

After writing in to Life Changing about his experience, Dr Sian Williams invited him onto the podcast to share his story.