The Happy Pod: From a small town, to the moon

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1:17This is the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service.

1:26I'm Holly Gibbs and in this edition, the joy of Artemis II. When I woke up this morning, I looked out my back window and the moon looks a little bit different now. And I think everybody in town will feel that. You know, when you look up there, you can see that there's a piece of Ingersoll up there. We hear from the mayor of a small Canadian town, home to one of the astronauts. Also on this podcast, a garden supporting people with Parkinson's disease. We want to just make sure that this garden represents every person in the Parkinson's community, whether they have the condition, whether they're a loved one or a friend, that we're there for you and that we see you and we hear you.

2:06The woman who's had a memorial bench dedicated to her survival after she had a heart attack at the age of 22. And my phone, it just wouldn't stop ringing. I had so many people wanting to volunteer. I decided to just stop at 10. The rescue operation, which reunited Molly the dog with her owner one week after they were separated.

2:35astronauts have made history by going further from earth than anyone before on the artemis 2 mission and that wasn't the only record broken by the nasa crew christina cook became the first woman to travel to deep space while victor glover became the first person of color to do so Back here on Earth, people have been gripped by watching it, including the small Canadian town of Ingersoll, home to Jeremy Hansen, one of the astronauts. I spoke to the mayor of Ingersoll, Brian Petrie. Ingersoll is located in southwestern Ontario, right between Canada's version of London and the city of Toronto. We're a population of about 15 ,000 people now, and we're an industry town.

3:18We build things that go out all over the world. We've been building things for generations, and it's given us a good lifestyle here. Wow, you've got a population of 15 ,000 and one of them has gone around the moon and back. It's unbelievable. You know, Jeremy went all through high school here and everybody who knows Jeremy, he's a little bit older than myself, but they all knew he was going to do big things. There was no doubt about that. And it's just a great story of small town dreams becoming the reality on the biggest stage there is. How excited are people of Ingersoll that one of their own has achieved going on this mission?

3:52Everybody's just super positive. And, you know, Jeremy's a fantastic individual and he's such a nice human being. And so everybody is just pumped for him and they're all behind him. And his family, his mom and dad still live here. And so it's just, it's unbelievable to a lot of us that, you know, this is happening. He's been working on it for a long time, but it's just happiness all the way around that someone from our town is really achieving their dreams, not only for this town, but for Canada. and you know when I woke up this morning I looked out my back window and the moon looks a little bit different now and I think that's I think everybody in town will feel that you know when you look up there you can see that there's a piece of Ingersoll up there.

4:29And how are the locals celebrating? There's been a lot of individual celebrations everybody's been getting together to watch the news as it happens the launch specifically and then around the moon but our high school our local high school where Jeremy went to school there you know they've been fantastic of having what they call the Artemis II Club. When I was in high school, people couldn't wait to get out of town. They didn't see the benefits of small town. But stories like this show that doesn't matter where you grow up, if you have big dreams, you can go all the way to the moon and around it and be successful in small towns.

5:00Really, I don't want anybody out of our youth or past or present to think that just because they don't live in a big metropolis that they can't do things that they really want to put their mind to. And certainly not everybody can be an astronaut. But really, there's no limit to where you come from. You put in the hard work and you follow your dreams. And having that little piece of Ingersoll, being able to say we can take part in that, it means a lot. So why are people so excited by the Artemis 2 mission? I spoke to two former NASA astronauts, Nicole Stott and Steve Swanson, and asked them exactly that.

5:35There is just this awe and wonder that's presented through the way these missions are flown through the vantage point of the place that we're in. And you think about these four human beings that are traveling further than any humans have ever traveled off of our planet. That's a pretty exciting thing to think about. And then the fact that they're able to share that experience with us live inside of, you know, of their Orion spacecraft. and, you know, the opportunity to experience who and where we all are in space together this way, I think it's attractive to everyone, and it should be. Steve, what about you?

6:13I think as humans, we like to explore and go new places. And so this is definitely watching somebody else go to this really new place. Yes, we've been there before, but this is something that they have never seen in person. And to see them and get to feel the same things, because they do such a good job of explaining their emotions, what they're seeing out the window, everything like that, that I think they're taking everybody along and they're doing such a good job of being welcoming to everybody out there that we all feel like we're with them on that trip. And Steve, how encouraging have you found this reaction for the future of people wanting to become astronauts and wanting to go to space?

6:54Well, I'd say, yes, not just people wanting to go to space, but people who like space exploration as a field or an industry. I have students that I work with on that and everybody's watching. All the students have that live stream going all the time right now. It's just fantastic to see every time, you know, going to class, everybody's watching that. And so I think that's just fantastic. That has not happened before on any of our ISS flights, which, as Nicole and I, are still fantastic things. But it just doesn't seem to get the attention as much. But this one sure is. And it's just great to see the excitement these students have for this adventure.

7:29And Nicole, I wonder if I could ask you a bit of a personal question here. How does it feel to you to see the first woman to orbit the moon? I'm certainly excited about it. I think what we have in the crew that's on board Artemis II right now is just, you know, this wonderful representation of the astronaut corps in general. You know, we've got all flavor human beings that are trained and capable and selectable as crew members to, you know, to represent us on these missions. And it makes me really happy that we've, you know, put that in place with this crew. I'm hoping we get to the point where we're not even talking about it anymore.

8:09Right. Where it just is, you know, here we've got this cadre of people we're picking up. We're not even thinking about it. But I think it's it's worth mentioning, just like it's worth mentioning that we have the first international. partner traveling to the moon on this mission and the first person of color. I mean, it's about connecting with humanity. And I think this crew is, you know, the best we've had at representing that. What is your favorite thing about space? There's not just one memory. It like all wraps up into one big, beautiful memory to me. And it's affected by, you know, the people I got to share it with, the mission that we're on that's off the earth for the earth, the floating, you know, So you can't, it's just something you can't describe, this ability to move.

8:51But all of that kind of, you know, kind of is focused on this outside of the work, this experience that we have viewing Earth from space. And Steve, what about you? Yeah, very similar. I mean, we had so much fun in that environment. But looking back at our planet, it is one very, very beautiful. I enjoyed it. I could just sit for an hour just watching the planet go by and seeing all different things about it, watching the seasons change on the planet. And then the viewpoint, though, is just fantastic for realising that we are just one species on this planet and that we are all just a group of people on a spaceship in this vast universe.

9:33And one, we need to take care of it. And two, we need to treat each other as sisters and brothers and stuff like that. Nicole Stott and Steve Swanson. Next month, a garden inspired by people living with Parkinson's disease will be installed at a major hospital here in the UK. A garden for every Parkinson's journey was designed by Arit Anderson, who invited other gardeners who have the disease and their loved ones to help bring it to life. Arit told me the reasons why she wanted to create it. My sister has Parkinson's, so in my ideal world, I wouldn't be designing this garden. However, she has the condition and an opportunity arose for us to get funding from Project Given Back.

10:17And it was just too good an opportunity to be able to talk about Parkinson's on a world stage under the fabulous guise of being on a garden. And gardening is something that can help people with Parkinson's. The planting style that I've gone for on the garden is one that has familiarity. this is not about bringing in plants that are on the brink of extinction or any of that type of thing this is about having familiar plants and plants that actually at the workshop when I was with all of those gardeners who have the condition they gave me some of their favorite plants so I'm hoping that we're going to be representing as many of those throughout the gardens I really want the garden to convey the power of how a garden can help people with you know long-standing conditions and I want it to convey it in a way that is still full of joy a place where people can gather and that people can know that a garden has a place as part of their their their well-being basically.

11:21And is there anything that you've incorporated that's specific to your sister's experience of Parkinson's? Well I had the opportunity to work with a community of gardeners who happen to have Parkinson's and what we did was have a look at some of the symptoms that they experience. So things like walking, walking can be difficult if you have Parkinson's or you need to have space to walk alongside somebody or be in a wheelchair. So having a wider path than normal was something that we really thought about. Also as well, one of the precursor symptoms of Parkinson's is called anosmia, which is loss of smell.

11:59And we wanted to just sort of acknowledge the fact that this loss of smell is something that is a real symptom. And so we have a plant, a rose, sorry, that has been specially commissioned for Parkinson's and that actually will go on to raise money for Parkinson's UK. What do you want people to think and feel when they see this garden? just welcoming to make it really feel like it's a place of sanctuary and that actually that whether you have the condition or you don't have the condition that you can sit side by side a loved one and enjoy the experience of being surrounded by plants what is your favorite part of the garden favorite part of the garden that's like having a favorite child one of the elements of the garden that I hope will really work is the we're calling it the hand rill it's sort of a play on words of a hand row and is not only structurally beautiful it's imagine that you have a hand row a hand row height but it's going to have water running through it so it's given the functional element of support should somebody be walking and then just need to stop for a moment they can put their hand and rest upon it but there's also another symptom of Parkinson's called freezing, where literally the brain can't computate what it's doing at that time.

13:18And it stops and you physically freeze. And what you need to have sometimes is a sound or something that kind of triggers the brain to move on again. So this handrail will not only sort of have this, like I say, a very functional opportunity, but it'll also be there to maybe enable people to kind of come out of potentially a freezing episode. How does it feel to use your sister as inspiration? I mean, obviously, it's a difficult and emotional, very emotional experience for both of us. I guess, yeah, it's going to be sort of emotional, but I'm incredibly proud of my sister. We want to just make sure that this garden represents every person in the Parkinson's community, whether they have the condition, whether they're a loved one or a friend, that we're there for you and that we see you and we hear you.

14:03One of the gardeners who worked on it is Anna Edwards. I spoke to her and started by asking her about the specific features of the garden. It's got sort of several areas that are really important. And it partly reflects that it's a disease that is sort of manifold. There's about 40 symptoms people can have. And everyone's got their individual journey with this. For me, I think one of the most important areas is the handrail. Another part of the garden is a shelter, beautifully designed. And the idea really behind that is very much that a lot of people with Parkinson's, Their sleep is very much impacted.

14:37They sleep really badly. And the shelter is somewhere where people can use that garden at night. I would love people to understand why some of the features are as they are and to get a chance to explain that and show that to them. But it's beauty as well as the message of more understanding about Parkinson's as a disorder, how complicated it is. I had a big mental health crisis sort of about a year into my diagnosis, which came out of nowhere, really, and hit me like a ton of bricks. And that was a time where I was very depressed, very anxious. Yeah, that was a really scary period of my life. And at that point, I have to say, even my garden couldn't really entice me because I was just so low and so unmotivated.

15:20as I got better again and was able to garden again and was able to enjoy these things again. I'm sure that is part of the picture of staying well is being outside. Why is it important that we show health conditions like Parkinson's in creative ways like a garden? I mean, I think it's certainly one way to communicate what that condition looks like and what is helpful to people with that condition. and I think it's partly important that that's done in a beautiful way. So what will happen to the garden? So it's going on display in May. When the Chelsea Flower Show is over, this garden will be moved to Oxford to a hospital that is a centre of excellence for neurology and will then be used on a daily basis by people with Parkinson's, by their families, by carers.

16:10I just love the idea that over time this will be a haven for people. How proud are you to be part of it? Oh my God, it means the world to me. I mean, the thought of little me standing on a garden in the Chelsea Flower Show and explaining to people why the garden is designed as it was and answer their questions and answer questions they may have about Parkinson's. It's huge and I'm so proud of it. It's just wonderful and I mean, I'm so excited. It's ridiculous. I'm sort of like a kid waiting for Christmas at the moment. Anna Edwards. To New Zealand and a double rescue mission. Jessica Johnson and her dog Molly were hiking in a remote part of the country's South Island when Jessica slipped and fell down a drop of more than 50 metres.

16:55Jessica was airlifted to safety, but Molly the dog was missing and the chances of finding her were tiny. After a nationwide crowdfunding campaign and the help of volunteers who refused to give up, Molly was rescued a week later. Here's the moment that Molly and an injured Jessica were reunited.

17:20The BBC's Julian Warwicker spoke to Lillian Newton from Precision Helicopters, the company that led this rescue mission. It started off a week before, on the 24th of March, before Molly was found, where I got a text message from a friend of mine that another friend of theirs had fallen down a waterfall and that she'd lost her dog, Molly. we are the closest helicopter business and the spot where she lost Molly is so remote it would take multiple days to walk in there and you'd have to be extremely experienced at walking in the alpine terrain so we took it upon us to look for Molly off our own backs and our own budget we took our helicopter out and looked for her but we were unsuccessful we had three attempts and we'd had no luck.

18:12So that's when we decided, I had a gut feeling she was still alive, that I would approach the public and see if anyone would be interested in helping us fund a mission. And they were. I mean, the crowdfunding campaign worked, didn't it? Yes, I was overwhelmed. I had a goal of$2 ,400 to fly the helicopter there and back. And I looked at the account at nine o 'clock at night and there was eleven and a half thousand dollars there so I removed the bank account and told everyone to please stop donating. So you got the helicopter and volunteers came forward as well to help once you'd flown to the right spot?

18:52My phone it just wouldn't stop ringing. I had so many people wanting to volunteer I decided to just stop at 10 because I didn't want too many people. I had to be very careful that nobody else got injured in the process of trying to look for Molly. Yeah, it was pretty amazing. How is Jessica now? Because obviously she was injured when she fell. When I seen her, she was bruised from head to toe and covered in scratches. It's quite remarkable that she didn't get more injured or die. She landed luckily in the water, which broke her fall. But she was also very heartbroken until we pulled off this event.

19:32For Jessica, Molly was her life. She was her family, you could see. And she does lots of backcountry adventures, tramping everywhere with Molly. And I could understand how she felt. And how much of New Zealand has been following this story as it's unfolding? I think the whole country, plus then the rest of the world. I could not believe how far it took off. It's incredible. like our little business. We've only got three employees and that's myself, my dad and my mum. It's just crazy. Lillian Newton.

20:11Coming up on The Happy Part. There's no other feeling in any other part of my life that you get from scoring a much changing goal. You know, that euphoria. I don't think there's anywhere else where I'd feel that. The rise of powerchair football.

20:29You're listening to The Happy Pod.

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21:42On this week's episode, we'll look at the way that algorithms could change how much you're paying for your groceries. How even astronauts have issues with Microsoft Outlook. and whether the next trend in tech is less tech. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

22:03Memorial benches with engraved plaques can be found in public parks and gardens around the world and usually they're to commemorate someone who is no longer with us. But a young woman in the UK has just had a bench put up and named after her in honour of her surviving. Faith Harrison was 22 years old when she had a seven-hour heart attack. She was told by doctors she was lucky to be alive. Now she's on a mission to inspire others to simply live life. The BBC's Chloe Hughes went along to meet Faith at her new bench. Before my heart attack, I was a weightlifter, bodybuilder, strength training, but really just lived a carefree lifestyle, I guess.

22:47I think at that age of 22 you think you're invincible. Straight after I was pretty much told the heart function was really really poor which just meant my body organs weren't getting enough blood to support everything I needed to do. I was told if I didn't respond to medication I'd need an ICD so defib fitted in case of a dangerous arrhythmia to shock me and the potential again if my medication really didn't work that I would need a heart transplant which I don't think I would ever heard those words but I didn't realise at the time how much damage my heart attack had actually done to me and what the consequence of a heart attack actually is.

23:27How has that changed your life? It changed it completely I think it did a 180 but I think it did a 180 for the best reasons. I looked at life completely different I started to take care of myself more physically mentally and emotionally especially mindfulness. I stepped away from obviously strength training and went into Pilates which then led to opening my own studio which is going really really well and I'm really happy about it I think everyone everything in life went on the flip side but the best side it could have done. I'm just onto the bench now then why here? I mean it's a lovely view anyway so you can sit here and just talk and talk about life and what we're grateful for but also to reminisce people who maybe didn't survive cardiovascular disease and being able to raise awareness and educate and also you know for the people who did survive looking at them and saying go live your life have a good time.

24:21How do you feel when you sit here do you come here often? Yeah we come every time that we actually walk around Shoesby it's come our little spot to have a drink and sit and talk and for me it's it's not about me the bench really isn't it it does go for everyone that's got cardiovascular disease in order to educate and raise awareness. My outlook was don't care what anyone's got to say. Do whatever feels good for you, try your best and you'll never know if it's going to work unless you give it a go and as much as life gets uncomfortable and you know horrible at times there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

24:58I want people to realise that living is a luxury you know in terms of being able to walk and talk and see their loved ones. A lot of those things people don't have and we do take for granted. So as simple as being able to walk is a luxury. So take more opportunities in life and just do more, essentially. Faith Harrison speaking to Chloe Hughes. A couple in the Netherlands have held their wedding at one of the busiest railway stations in the country. And it's not for their love of transport, but to start a conversation about sustainability. The BBC's Branca Lesser-Di Saar has the details. Utrecht Central Station, Netherlands' busiest rail station.