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Saved by a Stranger

Series 1

Marc and Peter

Duration: 58 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Two HDLatest broadcast: on BBC Two Northern Ireland

Marc is a public health worker who was diagnosed with HIV aged just 17 in the late 1980s, when the stigma surrounding the disease was at its peak and a diagnosis was considered a death sentence. Struggling to cope, Marc found support at the Landmark Centre in Brixton where he had regular counselling sessions with a volunteer called John, opening up about his fears and hopes for the future ahead. Nearly 30 years later, Marc is desperate to find and thank John for helping him through his darkest hour and encouraging him to live life to the fullest.

Peter was a young father of three children living in Belfast in 1979 when he was shot in his own home during a heightened period of violence in the Troubles. The attack was a tragic case of mistaken identity that left Peter fighting for his life and unable to walk again. He spent almost a year recovering at Musgrave Park Hospital, confined for hours at a time and strapped in a painful rotating bed with only his own thoughts for company. During this time, a rehabilitation nurse called Betsy would sit by Peter’s side, mop his brow and chat with him, making him feel valued at a time when he was at his lowest ebb. Today, Peter is searching for his ‘angel’ Betsy, whose kindness and care he has never forgotten. Show less

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