A Life Less Vertical

When Melanie Reid spent a year recovering on the spinal ward in Glasgow after falling off a horse, her world collided with an unlikely collection of ordinary people with incredible stories. Despite their only common ground being a newly broken body, Mel grew close to her ward mates. She sets out to discover what became of them. Danielle was just a 15 year-old school girl, a car crash victim whose spine was crushed by her own seatbelt. She was the first person to utter words to a heavily medicated Melanie. Danielle’s buddy, Daniel, was a year older and hiding a dark secret. Karen's story is more similar to Melanie's, but her outlook is very different. Her passivity has always fascinated Melanie - can she learn anything from it? David sat down for a flight and found, when it landed, he couldn’t stand up. Sammi, was crushed by a fork lift on the family farm - but has now reinvented herself as a top athlete. The ten years that have passed have changed them all, and Melanie reflects on the different ways that they've experienced and adapted to the life less vertical. Presenter: Melanie Reid Producer: Leeanne Coyle Executive Producers: Robert Nicholson & Mark Rickards A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4