An uplifting look at how science can change lives
Television makeover shows have become ever more ambitious. They used to be happy sprucing up houses, gardens or wardrobes. Now series such as Netflix hit Queer Eye aim to transform entire lives. Inventing the Impossible: The Big Life Fix (BBC Two) attempted something similar for disabled people, but with less moisturiser and rag rolling, more mobility and freedom.
A team of inventors tried to transform the everyday existence of people in need by creating ingenious bespoke solutions to their problems. First up was Graham, an avid snowboarder until he got caught in an avalanche. Now severely disabled, he dreamed of hitting the slopes again. His carer Roy put it poetically: “He’s encased in his body and wants to break out, like a wild bird in a cage.”
Could inventor Yusuf Muhammad help him realise his dream of standing upright on a board again? As the admirably cheerful Graham said through his voice synthesiser: “If all else fails, it should make funny viewing.” When he eventually took to the Alps, it turned out to be inspiring viewing instead.
Alexander lived with a rare genetic disorder that caused such extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, he could die if his skin was exposed to sunlight. When he went outside, he had to cover every inch of his body and wear a bulky home-made visor. So materials expert Zoe Laughlin hunted for a lightweight alternative that would allow him to go out in public without being stared at. She found it in a special effects workshop, fitting Alexander with a spookily lifelike prosthetic mask.
Finally came trainee hairdresser Kyle, whose hopes of becoming a professional stylist were hampered by his deformed hand. Wild-haired engineer Jude Pullen, your textbook mad scientist, came up with a tool to give Kyle the required dexterity. Pullen got a smart back-and-sides in return.
So why did this worthy show slightly disappoint? That terrible title was its first problem. The series debuted last spring as The Big Life Fix but now bolted on three extra words as an unwieldy botch job. Narration by fresh-faced adventurer Simon Reeve was overly literal and patronising, more like a schools programme than a prime-time production for grown-ups, while the stories’ resolutions simply felt rushed.
It was engaging enough, demonstrating the life-changing potential of science in everyday settings. Yet there was a better show lurking inside this middling one. The Big Life Fix should have fixed its own niggling problems first.
One in every thousand British babies is born with a spine or brain defect like spina bifida – Latin for “split spine”. Despite having it herself, Bafta-nominated actress Ruth Madeley admitted she didn’t fully understand the condition. Horizon: Spina Bifida & Me (BBC Two) saw her set out to discover why she was born with it 31 years ago, whether it could have been prevented and what the future holds.
She talked to fellow sufferers, including 40-year-old Mark Westhead – a keen rock-climber and karate champion who told her: “Being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you can’t do things.” A few weeks later, sadly, he died of liver disease contracted during surgery – a stark reminder of the associated health problems linked to spina bifida.
More hopefully, Madeley witnessed how pioneering fetal surgery could offer a different future for babies diagnosed with the condition by operating on them before they’re even born – and was humbled to hear from families whose lives it had miraculously changed. She also met the admirable Lord Rooker, who has spent five years campaigning for white bread flour to be fortified with folic acid, which could prevent threequarters of birth defects.
Madeley was a warm screen presence, wry with an accessible approach. Personal resonances were everywhere. What stuck in her mind, though, was that 80 per cent of expectant parents whose baby is diagnosed with spina bifida choose to terminate the pregnancy.
She concluded: “As well as embracing these amazing medical breakthroughs, maybe we could all start to think of disability in a more empowering way. If this journey has taught me anything, it’s how incredibly proud I am to have spina bifida.” She can also be proud of this enlightening film.
Inventing the Impossible: The Big Life Fix
Horizon: Spina Bifida & Me