Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: Heroic teens save couple from drowning

Episode Date: January 20, 2024

This week, we meet the teen rescuers who saved a couple from drowning in Barbados. Also: the pioneering heart transplant for a newborn hailed as a success. And, ending homelessness the Finnish way.

Hello, this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service, with reports and analysis from across the world. The latest news seven days a week. BBC World Service podcasts are supported by advertising. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Thank you. Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts. Unmissable stories from around the globe. From the BBC World Service. My happy place, this is who I am.

Search for the documentary, Lives Less Ordinary, and amazing sports stories, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Hi, I'm Zoe. And I'm Emma. And we're in Canada. Welcome to The Happy Pod. This is The Happy Pod from the BBC World Service. I'm Jackie Leonard, and in this edition, uploaded on Saturday, January 20th, the quick-thinking teenage swimmers who saved holidaymakers from a riptide in the Caribbean.

We didn't even stop to think about anything, and we just wanted to help them. And we did it all properly, in the right way. The surgeon who carried out a world-first partial heart transplant on a newborn baby. Talk about the joy of your life to be able to see a child that you've done a groundbreaking operation on and to see how happy the family was. And what Finland is doing to sort out homelessness. It sounds so simple.

You give people a home of their own and things start to happen. Also in this podcast... It's a beautiful example of what you can achieve when working together. We designed a specialised hedgehog crash test dummy. A hedgehog-shaped crash test dummy to protect wildlife from a new man-made peril. And the hats trying to get you excited about the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Picture this, a holiday in Barbados, a relaxing swim in the Caribbean. Then disaster, a riptide, and despite how you struggle, you can't get to shore.

Thank goodness then for Zoe Ireland McClensek, aged 13, and Emma Basserman, aged 14, who knew exactly what to do. Belinda Stone and her husband Robert were the lucky rescuees, and this is what a very grateful Belinda told CBC. Zoe and Emma saved our lives. There's no two ways about it. So let's hear from the Canadian heroes themselves, starting with Zoe. I was boogie boarding with Emma, and I heard a faint call for help in the distance. I was looking around to see who it was and I could see a girl pretty far out and she was waving her arms around. So I go out and she told me that her husband was further out and he was struggling to swim back and she needed a lifeguard. I said that there aren't any lifeguards on the beach so I

acted as quick as I could and I put her onto the boogie board and I pulled her in to shore by going parallel. So I was wondering what was happening and I went back in to see them. And by that time Zoe had brought back the woman and the woman was talking about how her husband was further out and he needed help. So me and Zoe, we both went back out and she put the man on her boogie board and tied the strap to her ankle and she started swimming with him. And I think that's a very impressive thing because I don't think a lot of people would have been able to do that. So I told her where to go.

I told her to keep going parallel to the beach and to go diagonal when we were going back in just in case. And I kept looking back at the husband that was on the boogie board because he was breathing very hard and I was quite worried about him. And then I was also keeping an eye out for the wife that was on the beach to make sure that she wasn't going back into the ocean because that could have been very disastrous as well. They were really lucky that you were there, not just swimmers, but really good swimmers. I mean, we're talking we're talking Olympic hopeful, right? So I've been training competitively for six years and I'm going to Olympic trials in May. I hope to make the Olympics either in 2028 or 2032.

And Zoe, tell us a little bit more about the sort of reaction that you have had to your heroics in rescuing this couple? I'm pretty shocked about it. I'm not entirely sure why everybody's kind of like, whoa, you did that? Because I feel like it's a human thing. Anybody who sees anybody in danger, you go and you help them. But I'm so happy that the words getting out about how swimming is so important. Now, I'm just going to bring in your coach, Chuck, who is listening to this conversation. When you heard about this, what was your reaction? So I'm Zoe's dad as well and Emma's coach. When Zoe came and told me, I was like, sure, sounds good, Zoe. I didn't really believe that she went out and saved someone.

She's a bit of a prankster sometimes. But Michelle, her mom, was there and saying, no, the couple came up to us leave that she went out and saved someone she's a bit of a prankster sometimes but uh michelle her mom was there and saying no the couple came up to us and was thanking us profusely i'm like are you serious she says yes they went in there and saved this couple who were you know obviously very thankful and i was incredulous at first and now i'm just not only proud but impressed that they were able to do this. For Zoe to pull a grown man in, she's a tiny little thing, so to be able to do this was a great feat of not just strength and endurance, but they were smart.

Pulling them in the right way is something you don't always think of in a moment of crisis, and they did, which was great. You taught them that. Well done. Back to you, ladies. What advice would you give to someone that they should know before they go swimming in the sea how to escape a riptide if there aren't any Canadian superheroes around?

When you're caught in a riptide, always make sure you're swimming parallel. And if you notice that you're not going anywhere by swimming parallel, try to call for help. But if nobody notices, then just go the opposite direction, swim parallel the other way. Do you have any message for your newfound worldwide fans? Definitely know how to swim. That's a big one. I'm so grateful that my dad has coached for like, I'm going to say more than 30 years, but I'm not so sure.

But I'm so grateful for my dad that he taught me from a very young age how to swim. And if it wasn't for him teaching me, I wouldn't be able to go and help that couple. But thankfully, I was able to. And Emma? As a message in general, I would definitely just say to keep working on what you love and to always push for your best in anything you do. Emma Basserman, look out for her in the 2028 Olympics and fellow hero Zoe Ireland-McLensec and a reminder that they are just

14 and 13. We also heard from Zoe's dad, Coach Chuck, and a shout-out to Dorval Swim Club in Montreal. A first birthday party is a joyous thing. How much more so when the smiling birthday boy is the recipient of the world's first partial heart transplant, carried out when he was just 17 days old and desperately unwell. Dr. Joseph Turek, paediatric heart surgeon at Duke University in North Carolina, told us about the breakthrough. This is the first time in the world that we've been able to take valves and have them grow in

a human. This was a newborn who was in desperate need of new valves to replace the aortic and the pulmonary valve, the two valves that come outside of the heart. And we were able to use valves obtained from a donor. And here we are 21 months later, and both of these valves are growing in proportion to the baby's size, and they're completely competent. They don't leak whatsoever. How is your little patient now? He is doing just amazing things. He's meeting all of his milestones. You know, I've had a very close relationship with this family. And so I followed him along the way. They zoomed me in for his first birthday party when he smashed his first birthday cake. I mean, talk about the joy

of your life to be able to see a child that you've done a groundbreaking operation on and to see how happy the family was. You would look at him and you have no idea that he's this heart pioneer. That's just wonderful news. So what does this development mean for other infants who might need this sort of treatment? This opens up an entirely new field for babies in need of valves. This could potentially be the solution for thousands and thousands of children moving forward in need of valves. And so far, there have been 13 of these cases now done.

So 12 since baby Owen had his initial partial heart transplant, there have been 12 more. We've done nine of them. But I think one of the things we are most proud of is that we have taught three other colleagues how to do this as well. Why is it better than a full heart transplant? The problem with full heart transplant in newborn babies is it takes, at least in the US, it takes about four to six months for a heart to become available. And Owen didn't have that kind of time. Why did you become a pediatric heart surgeon? Early on, I was really impressed with the challenge involved in pediatric heart surgery. You have to realize we're operating on

hearts that are the size of a strawberry and performing very complex type of repairs. And that challenge really attracted me. And then I think the other thing that I really enjoy about this is I enjoy the responsibility being there for these families. You know, this is their baby, this is their everything. And I want to have that responsibility and I want to be able to help that family out. And this case really highlights that. We didn't have good options for Owen. I approached the family about this idea of partial heart transplantation. They asked me, have you done this before? And my response was, we've done it in five piglets. But then they put their trust in us and said, well, I guess Owen's going to be your first human. You really have to admire the courage

of the family as well, don't you? Because obviously you have this tiny life in your hands and they have entrusted their child to you. It takes incredible courage for a family like this. And I don't think we could have asked for a better family for this groundbreaking procedure. You have to have a family that also is going to be trusting and to be willing to take that risk. And the other piece that played into the Monroe family choosing to move forward with partial heart transplantation was the idea that they could potentially help thousands and thousands of children down the road with this very courageous move. What's your hope for this particular advance that has

been made with little Owen? What do you hope to see happen with it? And what sort of timescale? I hope that this becomes the standard of care for babies that need valve replacements. And I think it will be. The data is incredibly promising right now. We need to figure out a way in which we can make this so that it's available to more and more pediatric heart centers so that they can perform these life-saving procedures on these children. And I think that two or three years down the line, this is going to be commonplace within our profession. Dr. Joseph Tjerik, what would you do with $27 million? Marlena Engelhorn from Austria has just inherited

that amount from her grandmother, and she's planning to give away a hefty chunk of it. And she's setting up a group of fellow citizens to decide how. A random sample of 10,000 people have been asked to apply, and of them, 50 will be chosen. James Menendez spoke to Marlena about her decision, and what limitations there'll be on spending the fortune. They can't do something that goes against the constitution. They can't do anything that's against democracy or violent or against life. They can't destroy anything or buy weapons or stuff like that. It can also not be profit-oriented. But other than that, they're really free to decide and I am absolutely not free to do anything about it. What do you hope they come up with? What if they decided to give

all the money, for example, to a donkey sanctuary? If they can argue that, well, to the public eyes and ears who are going to look really closely, that's perfectly okay. I don't think that this is what's going to come out of it. I think the deliberation and the process will really create awesome ideas, and we're going to learn so much from these people. Would you rather the government had taken this money in tax, and then it was up to them to distribute it? I wish that the government would do that. And I still think it's the best way to do it, because it's the most democratically legitimized way of handling redistribution. I still want to be taxed on my wealth. I still wish that there was going to be a reform. But it doesn't mean that I get to be inactive about it

and just have these nice wishes. I want something done. And I want my redistribution to reflect all the democratic principles that I think are so valuable in our society. So this good council is really a good outcome. Maybe it's more democratic. It's a more direct way of citizens being able to say how their money is spent. I mean, lots of people would argue that the way that governments spend money can be wasteful. It doesn't always target the sorts of things that people care about. It's true. And you can argue the same about rich people.

The way that they spend their money and ruin the climate with it, for instance, is also pretty awful. And we still have to take it because that's how our world works. But we can regulate power and we can regulate wealth. That might be something that comes out of it. But you're not giving away all your money, are you? I will eventually have redistributed everything other than what I have needed the past two and a half years. But I want to transfer into having a job, having a salary, being able to cover my costs with my income. That's where I want to end up. The thing is, the conditions under which extreme wealth are possible are extreme poverty.

And if a democratic decision can end poverty by ending extreme inequality, then I'm very happy to join this route. I'd rather live in a world where we have a much more equal society and where we share our resources. We can regulate how birth affects us and we can make sure that we can be much more equal individuals in a democratic society by sharing. Marlena Engelhorn. Still to come in this podcast. The freedom cap represents freedom, liberty in French history. You can also see it on the stamps, in the coins. And now on posters, in stadiums and on the streets of Paris

in anticipation of the Olympics and Paralympics, We'll meet the mascots. This is the story of the charismatic Nigerian preacher, T.B. Joshua. Some called him a miracle worker. Others say they knew a very different man. He's not this holy man. What happened to me and to others should not happen to any human being. This is World of Secrets from the BBC World Service. Season two, The Disciples. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts. I'm going to go. podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcasts Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership.

Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts. What happens if you give a homeless person somewhere to live with no strings attached. Finland has adopted a radical approach called Housing First in which homeless people are simply offered their own apartment alongside whatever support it is they need to remain housed. The idea is that it's easier to sort out issues such as addiction or poor mental health if you have a secure home. It's been going for a few years now and Erika Benke has been to

see how it's working. What did you think when you first saw this? Wow. What was the wow about? The size? The size and this is actually the nicest apartment where I have ever lived. Vivaldi. Home, cozy, private. I just love it. It's called Housing First, and it's as straightforward as it sounds. I think it's the beauty of the Housing First that, you know, it sounds so simple. You give people a home of their own and things start to happen. So in 2007, with funding from the government, the Y Foundation started buying up apartments.

They were then rented out to homeless people at a rate that they could afford, usually covered by their benefits. At the same time, shelters were converted into self-contained apartments with lots of communal space and, crucially, on-site support. So we're heading to the Vainola housing unit. Welcome. My name is Jarkko Jurasalo and I'm manager of the Vainola housing unit. This is the community's living room. And this is free space to come and watch TV or play games or chat. So here is showers and then the sauna is over here.

There are huge windows with a gorgeous view onto a forest and lake. It all feels very peaceful and cosy. In the hallway, we meet a tenant mopping the floor. It's one of the optional work activities on offer here. Tenants can earn a bit of extra money and perhaps learn a new skill that eventually might help them get a job outside the unit. In his 20s, Petri found himself sleeping rough in Helsinki. I was six years in the streets.

Winters was very bad. You have to walk when you're outside at night that you can keep your body warm. If I don't get this chance, I'll be six feet under. 100% saved my life. Were you in touch with your family? It was a very rough time because I don't have even a phone. Now things are much better because I can call my mum.

You have your family back? Yeah, and they got me back, and I feel very lucky. It's much better because I can call my mom. You have your family back. Yeah, and they got me back. And I feel very lucky. Petri is one of around 6,000 people in Finland who moved into housing-first apartments. And of those people, about 90% have remained housed. But for Juha, success is a very individual matter. The main thing is that, you know, when politicians see that there are no one sleeping on the streets in the city centre of Helsinki,

we can keep Helsinki clean and safe and vibrant city for everyone. When it was first set up in 2007, how much did it cost initially? It cost around 170 million euros. It was a big investment because we knew it's the right thing to do and at the same time we are also able to save money in the future. And that is because they don't need to use the expensive emergency services and of course some of the people when they get the home and support they might come back to working life, begin paying taxes and so on. Before I leave Vainola, another resident, Kimo, invites me into his apartment.

Before he became homeless, Kimo ran his own business for 18 years and now he's setting up a new one. How did you become homeless? I got a brain aneurysm and then I had a severe case of depression. I just couldn't take care of myself. At first, Kimo was given a single room in a more traditional homeless hostel. You couldn't visit other occupants' rooms. It felt like a prison, actually. What has changed since you moved here in September? Freedom. It's wonderful.

Visiting Wijnola, there's a real sense of people thriving and getting on with their lives now that they don't have to worry about finding a bed for the night. Before I go, I ask Petri what it's like to feel his own set of keys in his pocket after all those years on the street. When I walk somewhere outside, I just do like this. You got them in your fist very tightly. Yeah. It's like my treasure. Erika Benke in Finland, and you can hear more on housing first if you just look for the documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Now, what to do about a new peril for wildlife, robotic lawnmowers? Stay with me. Sales of robo-mowers are growing,

but do they know to stop for the creatures that scuttle, scurry or squeak in your garden? Here in the UK, we are especially worried about the decline in hedgehog populations, and a hedgehog-shaped crash test dummy has been designed to help ensure mower designers take wildlife into account. It's based on research at the University of Oxford, led by Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen. Some of these models, not all, may be harmful to the hedgehogs. And being a researcher at the Wild Crew University of Oxford, specialising in wildlife conservation,

I naturally feel a responsibility for eliminating this potential threat to the remaining hedgehogs. And are they actually, the ones you saw that harm hedgehogs, are they actually running over them or are they injuring them in a way that's potentially fatal? Yeah, the problem is that they don't detect the hedgehogs, so they keep running over them. And you've come up with something which enables people to check robotic lawnmowers with my results from my research informing the design of these new robotic lawnmowers. We designed a specialised hedgehog crest test dummy, which can be 3D printed and used in these safety tests we've designed, allowing the manufacturers to actually test their products in the development process

of making more hedgehog friendly robotic lawnmowers. Is it possible, I'm sure you hope to get to the point where all new ones are hedgehog friendly. How would people know today if they are or not? So the next step is to have this security or safety test implemented in the testing protocol that actually approves the machine for sale at the European market. And this will hopefully lead to a labelling system that would guide the consumers into buying the hedgehog-friendly robotic lawnmowers that will allow us to eliminate at least that potential risk to the hedgehog's survival

and eventually save the hedgehogs. Dr. Sophie Lund Rasmussen, known on social media as Dr. Hedgehog, and she was talking to Michelle Hussain. And if you're in a part of the world where you don't have hedgehogs, I will share a video of the one in my garden, just for explanatory purposes, obviously. Now, with six months to go until the Paris Olympics, it's not just the athletes who are racing against the clock. A team of soft toy makers in Paris are sewing and stuffing hundreds of thousands of red, white and blue mascots. The mascots represent the small Phrygian caps worn for centuries as a strong symbol of liberty and inclusivity. Nisha Patel has been to Paris to see the video characters come to life.

This is the official video launching the Frisians. It starts with a nod to the past, the famous Delacroix painting depicting Marianne, dressed in Roman clothing, wearing this recognisable red Frisian cap. Pike in one hand, the French flag flaring in its full glory in the other. Then the cap jumps up with legs and eyes donning the Paris 2024 logo on its front and from behind appears its partner Paralympic mascot with a running prosthetic. The pair run and play some of the Olympic and Paralympic sports. Skateboarding, wheelchair basketball, archery. Like many Olympic games, these mascots will be available to buy. At first, the contract to manufacture these was given to a company in China, but this sparked huge public outrage in France. A new contract was won by French firm Doudou et Compagnie,

which has a long history in designing and manufacturing quality soft toys. They are now producing the mascots, which require 38 processes to make, and have a unique feature, Paris 2024, written in braille on the underside. Deborah Vittel is the general manager. The Freedom Cap represents freedom, liberty in French history. It's part of our daily life because, for example, it represents French Republic. But you can also see it on the stamps, in the coins. It has a strong relation also with arts.

If you go to Louvre Museum Museum you will see quite a lot of paintings on which a woman, men but also women, wears this prison cap as a symbol of liberty. In front of me here I've got some of the mascots that have been made in China and also I've got one here that's made in Paris which is slightly larger. It costs, and this is roughly nine times more expensive than in China, these are selling about $43, $44. I mean, that's quite expensive for a mascot. We have decided to use a specific plush, French traditional plush. This was very important for us. We also decided to make an innovation so that the children can play with it, do some sports with the mascots. The price is a little bit higher because this is also the price of the French manufacturing.

So 39 euros is a price, yes, but it's a price of an industrial project and a price for a plush souvenir. With a target of half a million to make by July, the race is on for this company to be ready for the world's biggest festival of sport. That was Neeta Patel in Paris. And that's it from us for now. But remember, if you'd like to be part of the Happy Pod, or you just want to say hello, really,

the email address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. This edition was mixed by Paul Mason. The producers were Anna Murphy and Harry Bly. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jackie to go. like Global News, Americast and The Global Story, plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership.

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