The Happy Pod: Soldiers' letters from 1916 finally home

Summary

Global News Podcast — The Happy Pod: Soldiers' Letters from 1916 Finally Home
BBC World Service — November 1, 2025
Host: Alex Ritson

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Episode Overview

This uplifting edition of the “Happy Pod” from the BBC World Service highlights positive stories from around the globe. The central focus is an extraordinary rediscovery: letters from two Australian soldiers written during World War I, found on an Australian beach, and finally returned to their families over a century later. The episode also features a newly unveiled memorial for LGBT veterans in the UK, an octogenarian Ironman triathlete, the emotional work of students restoring an ancient Egyptian mummy in Britain, an inspiring para-athlete’s comeback, and the power of singing in community choirs.

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Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. WWI Soldier’s Letters Return Home

(Starts ~02:22)

• Discovery of the Bottle:
  Deborah Brown’s daughter uncovers a glass bottle containing notes on Wharton Beach, Australia.
• Contents of the Letters:
  The bottle held handwritten messages from two WWI Australian soldiers: Malcolm Neville and William Harvey.
  • Malcolm’s message was intended for his mother:
    "Will the person finding this bottle please send the contents to Mrs. W. Neville..." (Deborah Brown, 03:13)
• Emotional Impact:
  Deborah recalls the power of reading Malcolm’s cheery update:
  • "Food is real good so far, with the exception of one meal, which we buried at sea accompanied by a mouth organ band. The dear old Ballarat…we are as happy as Larry. Your loving son, Malcolm." (Deborah Brown, 03:37)
  • “You have no idea what it felt like to read that. And I get quite teary to open that letter.” (Deborah Brown, 03:18)
• The Bottle’s Journey:
  Upon reflection, Deborah concludes the bottle was likely buried in the beach dunes for decades, not adrift at sea:
  • "There was no barnacles. There was no growth...we now assume...it’s been buried in our sand dunes..." (Deborah Brown, 04:26)
• Reuniting with Family:
  With dedicated online sleuthing, Deborah tracks down Malcolm’s great nephew, Herbie Neville.
  • “It's amazing what Deborah's found and it means so much to my family…Deb means a lot to our family now too.” (Herbie Neville, 06:01)
• Plans for Preservation:
  Herbie considers placing the letter in the National War Museum in Canberra, while Deborah hopes the bottle and story remain together for historical context.
• Emotional Closure:
  • “What does it mean to your family?”
    “It's unbelievable. They are so grateful…It’s quite moving, actually.” (Herbie Neville, 07:02)
  • “I think they're the most amazing people I've probably ever come across.” (Herbie Neville, 07:29)
  • “I would hate for the story to leave the bottle.” (Deborah Brown, 07:54)
• Both soldiers’ messages have now been returned to their descendants.

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2. LGBT Veteran Memorial Unveiled in the UK

(Starts ~08:28)

• Historical Context:
  King Charles unveils a memorial to LGBT veterans who were expelled from the armed forces before the lifting of the ban in 2000.
• Description of Memorial:
  • “It’s a bronze letter...written as if it was a letter from one person to a loved one…used as evidence...retrieved and opened up again...there’s this dark interior to reflect the dark times…” (Kevin Bazley, 09:14)
  • “…but with words like pride, strength, solidarity, picked out in brighter letters for that hope for the future.” (Kevin Bazley, 09:44)
• Veteran Testimonies:
  • Carol Morgan and Kevin Bazley recall being dismissed due to their sexuality, not that long ago.
  • “Words that were used to condemn us are now actually there in gold letters to honor us and to future people.” (Carol Morgan, 11:48)
• Emotional Reaction:
  • “I’m not an emotional person, but I was very emotional seeing the actual statue...absolutely stunning.” (Carol Morgan, 11:25)
  • “It was everything that we could have hoped for in terms of that permanent memorial to the pain and suffering...but also reflecting on...duty, honour, courage, sacrifice...” (Kevin Bazley, 11:59)
  • Veterans were welcomed by serving LGBT military, underpinning the sense of unity and progress.
• On Reconciliation and Happiness:
  • “We are part of the military family again and we are glad to be part of the military family again.” (Kevin Bazley, 13:31)

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3. 80-Year-Old Woman Completes Ironman World Championship

(Starts ~13:49)

• Natalie Grabo’s Achievement:
  Becomes the oldest woman (age 80) to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
• Her Experience:
  • “I was just very, very happy. Cherie Ruenfeld was there at the finish line...that was fun to see her.” (Natalie Grabo, 14:44)
• Learning to Swim at 59:
  Natalie picked up swimming late after years of competitive running.
  • "I had never learned to swim...I had one of my daughters drive up so she could do the swim…then I just loved it. I was hooked." (Natalie Grabo, 16:22)
• Motivation:
  • “Oh, I love the challenge of it...the feeling afterwards of accomplishment...that you did something really hard.” (Natalie Grabo, 17:21)
  • “For me it’s the day to day training...I’ll always be active. I’ll always get up and do something.” (Natalie Grabo, 17:39)

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4. Students Restore 2,300-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy

(Starts ~19:16)

• Background:
  Two students from the University of Lincoln help restore Pa Shery, a mummified Egyptian man, at the Derby Museum.
• Personal Connection:
  Researcher Ella Monteiro describes connecting with the mummy:
  • “After a couple days, you’re walking in and saying, good morning, Pa Shery...we would say goodnight Pa Shery and it kind of felt like we were tucking him in bed.” (Ella Monteiro, 22:01)
• Reflections on Cultural Heritage:
  • “There’s a cultural aspect...now we can use him for further education...when things are taken out of their origin, there can be damage, there can be loss.” (Ella Monteiro, 20:42)
• Emotional Impact of Conservation:
  • “[It] left a huge impression on me. I think it’s gonna impact me for the rest of my life.” (Ella Monteiro, 22:50)

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5. Para-Athlete’s Comeback After Brain Injury

(Starts ~22:52)

• Kate Hoang’s Story:
  Former Kansas City police officer rebuilds her life after a traumatic brain injury, through friendship and adaptive sports.
• Journey to Purpose:
  • “When we’re done doing our job, we don’t know what we are...for, I would almost say a full decade, I was just lost.” (Kate Hoang, 23:23)
  • A friend and the Boulder Crest program for PTSD were pivotal in Kate regaining her health and drive.
  • “There’s more for me than just being a bump on the log...having that purpose and having a drive for service again.” (Kate Hoang, 24:31)
• Representing the US:
  • “It just means a lot to me to be on the team.” (Kate Hoang, 25:35)
  • Update: Kate won bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships.

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6. The Social and Health Benefits of Choir Singing

(Starts ~26:45)

• Meet the Real Voices Choir:
  A non-auditioned London choir brings together adults from all walks of life.
• Inclusion and Wellbeing:
  • “Everybody who wants to can come and sing and enjoy themselves and learn a skill and meet other lovely people.” (Becky Chalmers, 26:56)
  • Choir members speak of the sense of connection and emotional benefit:
    • “I’ve always sung wherever I’ve lived...I seek out a choir so I can meet people, connect...I feel part of something bigger than myself. Great breath work, great for calming down emotions like anxious feelings.” (Karen Hortz, 28:35)
    • “If you could put all the benefits in a pill, it would be magical.” (Karen Hortz, 28:57)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Deborah Brown: "You have no idea what it felt like to read that. And I get quite teary to open that letter." (03:18)
• Herbie Neville: "It's amazing what Deborah's found and it means so much to my family." (06:01)
• Carol Morgan: “Words that were used to condemn us are now actually there in gold letters to actually honor us and, and to future people.” (11:48)
• Kevin Bazley: “It was everything that we could have hoped for in terms of that permanent memorial…” (11:59)
• Natalie Grabo: "Oh, I love the challenge of it...the feeling afterwards of accomplishment and that you did something really hard." (17:21)
• Ella Monteiro: "It was definitely a lot more personal...after a couple days, you’re walking in and you’re saying, good morning, Pa Shery." (22:01)
• Karen Hortz: "If you could put all the benefits [of choir singing] in a pill, it would be magical and sell—people would be popping them all the time." (28:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• WWI Letters Discovery & Reunion: 02:22–08:28
• LGBT Veterans’ Memorial Coverage: 08:28–13:49
• 80-Year-Old Ironman Finisher: 13:49–17:51
• Egyptian Mummy Restoration: 19:16–22:52
• Kate Hoang’s Para-Athletics Comeback: 22:52–26:45
• Real Voices Choir & Singing Benefits: 26:45–28:57

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Tone

True to “The Happy Pod’s” ethos, the episode is heartfelt and hopeful, blending personal triumphs, the healing power of community, and acts of generosity with moments of reflection and emotional resonance.

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For more positive stories, expert insight, and global news:
Follow or subscribe to the “Global News Podcast” from the BBC World Service.

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

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[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

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[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

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[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

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[Natalie Grabo]

For the ones who get it done.

[Alex Ritson]

This is the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson, and in this edition.

[Herbie Neville]

What an amazing thing. And you know, thanks to Deb. Any other person probably would have could have walked past it, couldn't have taken any notice of it.

[Alex Ritson]

The man reunited with a very special piece of his family history. We talked to him and the woman who found it. The memorial for LGBT veterans kicked out of the armed forces because of their sexuality.

[Carol Morgan]

Words that were used to condemn us are now actually there in gold letters to actually honor us and, and to future people. So it's for past, present and future generations.

[Natalie Grabo]

Oh, I love the challenge of it. As long as you are physically capable of doing them, then it's why everybody does them for the challenge of it. End up feeling afterwards of accomplishment and that you did something really hard.

[Alex Ritson]

Meet Natalie. She's 80 and has just completed an Iron man challenge in Hawaii.

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

And I feel a connection. You know, I do think I'll go visit him and be like, hello, Pashary, it's been a while, so I do think it left a huge impression on me. I think it's going to impact me for the rest of my life.

[Alex Ritson]

The students here in Britain helping to restore an ancient Egyptian mummy. We begin in Australia, where a very special treasure has been found. Deborah Brown's daughter Felicity was clearing up rubbish on Wharton beach when she found a thick glass bottle with some notes inside. Deborah carefully opened the bottle a few days later and found handwritten messages from two Australian soldiers who served in the first World. Malcolm Neville And William Harvey. After searching for relatives online, Deborah managed to find Herbie Neville, Malcolm's great nephew. The Happy Pods. Holly Gibbs spoke to Deborah and Herbie and started by asking Deborah what the note said.

[Deborah Brown]

The first one that we read was from Malcolm and it said, somewhere at Sea on August 15, 1916. Will the person finding this bottle please send the contents to Mrs. W. Neville, Wilka Watt, South Australia. Private Malcolm a. Neville, number 2214 of the 4th Reinforcements, 48th Battalion. And then it says, AIF, which is Australian Infantry Forces. You have no idea what it felt like to read that. And I get quite teary to open that letter. And so then we then went on to straight away, because those letters, well, his letters were so well maintained. And it says, dear Mother, having a real good time. Food is real good so far, with the exception of one meal, which we buried at sea accompanied by a mouth organ band. The dear old Ballarat, which is the ship, is heaving and rolling, but we are as happy as Larry. Your loving son, Malcolm. It just tore at our heartstrings. And then more and more through that same day when we discovered that he had died the year a year after.

[Interviewer]

So. So where do you think this bottle has been in the meantime?

[Deborah Brown]

Well, first of all, we just assumed, and in our excitement, we assumed that it had been in the ocean and washed up because Felicity found it right on the shoreline. But as a couple of days went by and the excitement died down a little bit and we started to really think about it, we thought, this can't have been in the ocean, for one. The little cork would not have survived. And also, there was no barnacles. There was no growth whatsoever on the outside of the bottle, not one bit. So we now, we now assume, and no one will ever know, but it has to be the case that it came ashore many, many years ago and has been buried in our sand dunes at our local beach, which has big sand dunes, because that would have protected it.

[Interviewer]

And how does it feel giving Herbie's family part of their history?

[Deborah Brown]

Oh, that is just incredible. And to. To have made a whole pile of new acquaintances across Australia and give them so much joy. I mean, they've all been caught as they've all been calling me and sending me messages. And Herbie's going to come all the way across Australia. He's one end of Australia, we're at the other, and he's going to come and visit us.

[Interviewer]

I have just had a message from Herbie himself. Yes, I can get him on the call.

[Deborah Brown]

Yes, no, that's Fine.

[Carol Morgan]

Okay. Hello, Herbie. How are you?

[Herbie Neville]

How are you, Deb?

[Deborah Brown]

Yeah, good, darling, good.

[Interviewer]

Well, I've had a wonderful chat with Deborah about this amazing story, Herbie, and I just want to hear about what your reaction was when you got that message from Deborah to say that she's found this message in a bottle.

[Herbie Neville]

It's amazing what Deborah's found and it means so much to my family. And I guess Deb means a lot to our family now, too, because she's gone to the effort to bring it home and extract the letter out of the bottle.

[Interviewer]

How did you feel when you heard what the letter had said?

[Herbie Neville]

I was in disbelief. And when I rang the other members of all our family, they were in disbelief too. I think they were in shock. What an amazing thing. And, you know, thanks to Deb, any other person probably would have. Could have walked past it, wouldn't have taken any notice of it.

[Interviewer]

Where will the letter live? Are you gonna have it on the wall behind a frame? What are you gonna do with it when you get it?

[Herbie Neville]

Well, I haven't actually decided that, but I'm thinking of putting the letter in the National War Museum in. In Canberra.

[Interviewer]

What does it mean to your family to be given this slice of your history?

[Herbie Neville]

It's unbelievable. It's. They are so grateful that they received that letter. And it's quite moving, actually, to know that he's reached out to his mother. Well, he hasn't. If anyone finds this, let Mum know he was happy and they'd thrown one. I think he was pretty happy to be going to war.

[Interviewer]

What would you say to Deborah and her family for finding this letter and reaching out to you?

[Herbie Neville]

I think they're the most amazing people I've probably ever come across.

[Interviewer]

Oh, Deborah, that must be lovely to hear.

[Deborah Brown]

It is. And I haven't actually told Herbie yet, Holly. I forgot to message him to tell him that I posted his letter yesterday. So he will probably get.

[Herbie Neville]

Oh, you're a good girl, dad.

[Deborah Brown]

We haven't actually made a decision about the bottle either, as a family. I personally that the bottle needs to be in the museum with the letters or with copies of the letters, because otherwise it will become. In the years to come, it might become just a bottle. And I would hate for the story to leave the bottle.

[Herbie Neville]

I'd just like to sincerely thank Deborah, her husband Peter, and their daughter Felicity, just for being so good people and reaching out and almost in tears now.

[Deborah Brown]

But, yeah, it makes me cry a lot too.

[Carol Morgan]

Herbie.

[Herbie Neville]

Yep.

[Alex Ritson]

Deborah and Herbie speaking to Holly Gibbs the notes found in the bottle from the other soldier, Private William Harvey, have also been returned to his family here in Britain. King Charles has unveiled a memorial to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel after a decades long campaign against a ban on being gay in the armed forces. In his first official engagement in support of the LGBT community, the King visited the sculpture named an opened letter. I spoke to Kevin Bazley, a Royal Air Force veteran, and Carol Morgan, an Army veteran, both dismissed and investigated by the authorities because of their sexuality. I asked Kevin to describe the memorial.

[Kevin Bazley]

It's a bronze letter and they are written as if it was a letter from a one person to a loved, loved one that might well have been found during the time of the ban, used as evidence against that person to have them dismissed. Screwed up, thrown away, and it's been retrieved and it's opened up again. And this two and a half meter tall letter, it has this dark interior to reflect the dark times of the ban, where people were hiding, they were fearful, they knew they were unwanted by the military. But with certain words like pride, strength, solidarity, picked out in brighter letters for that, hope for the future. And the rear of the letter is this highly polished bronze finish that almost looks like gold that glints in the sun again, just reflecting on that brighter future and how well people can serve in the UK armed forces today openly as gay and lesbian.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, you use the word openly because, I mean, this ban was still in place until the year 2000. It's not that long ago in the great scheme of things. And both of you were dismissed because of your sexuality, even though you weren't openly LGBT in the armed forces?

[Carol Morgan]

Well, I served like in late 70s, early 80s, but it was deemed illegal to be gay in the services at the time. We had to hide our sexuality because if we had been caught then obviously what actually did happen to us that we would be dismissed and interrogated for being gay because we could be blackmailed or anything else like that, they said. So it was an instant dismissal.

[Kevin Bazley]

I joined the Royal air Force in 1985. I was 18, fresh from school. I was outed to the RAF Police and arrested and interrogated and then eventually discharged in September of 1995.

[Alex Ritson]

Things have been really changed in 25 years for you to be standing and watching the King unveil this monument. Carol, describe for me the moment you watched the drapes come off that statue.

[Carol Morgan]

I'm not an emotional person, but I was very emotional seeing the actual statue there at the national memorial, arbitrary. It's absolutely stunning. Because you had the sun shining through it as well, and the flowers were arranged around the bottom of it. I mean, it's just totally spectacular. Like a friend once said to me, words that were used to condemn us are now actually there in gold letters to actually honour us and to future people. So it's for past, present and future generations that outlive us. It's going to be standing there for many, many years.

[Kevin Bazley]

It was just, it was everything that we could have hoped for in terms of that permanent memorial to the pain and suffering of the veterans who were dismissed, but also reflecting on all the duty, honour, courage, sacrifice that the current serving personnel are allowed to demonstrate as their true selves, Seeing those current serving personnel, I mean, as the veterans approached the memorial for the first time, we were actually walking down an avenue lined with 90 current serving personnel from the LGBTQ networks and seeing them there proudly out as LGBT plus serving personnel, welcoming us, genuinely happy to see us, and us happy to see them as well was just incredible. And that first impact that it had on veterans, you could just see the raw emotion that was being displayed on people's faces.

[Alex Ritson]

Last question. This is the happy pod. Are you, You've been through a lot. Many other serving LGBT people went through a lot, but are you now happy with the way things turned out?

[Carol Morgan]

I've got a new family of veterans and serving personnel. We are one family and we are united as veterans and serving people. I'm. I'm over the moon. I couldn't, we could not have asked for anything better than we have now. We, we. I'm just literally still so buzzing from Mondays. It's unbelievable.

[Kevin Bazley]

This, this is an amazing climax to the reparations that are going on. It really has been that process of melding the veterans and the current serving back together again. We are part of the military family again and we are glad to be part of the military family again.

[Alex Ritson]

Kevin Bazley and Carol Morgan. Natalie Grabo has become the oldest woman to finish an Ironman World Championship at the age of, of 80. Ironman competitions include a 3.8 kilometer swim, 180 kilometers cycle ride and a 42.2 kilometers run, which is the distance of a marathon. 1600 people took part. The Ironman in Hawaii was Natalie's 11th. She only learned how to swim when she was 59. She finished in a time of 16 hours and 45 minutes, just within the race's 17 hour cut off time. A video of her crossing the finishing line shows her stumbling with exhaustion but determined to finish with the crowd cheering her on. Natalie spoke to Priya Rai and started by telling her how it felt to cross the finish line.

[Natalie Grabo]

I was just very, very happy. Cherie Ruenfeld was there at the finish line. She was the previous record holder. So she was there and that was fun to see her.

[Interviewer]

So she broke the record at 78 years old. I was wondering, actually, Natalie.

[Carol Morgan]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Because she looks like she was congratulating you. Of course, she maybe said something in your ear. Do you remember what it was?

[Natalie Grabo]

No. But we've competed against one another for years now and 2022, she set the record and I was. There were four of us in the 75 to 79 age group that year and two didn't finish. And Cherie and I finished and she finished ahead of me. So she did a great job that day. And when she found that I was there in Kona this year, she was just very, very gracious and encouraging and wished me the best of luck. I ran the whole course other than walking through the aid stations, and I don't think I've done that very often in an Ironman race. So I really felt good on the run. So that was a very nice feeling and a feeling of confidence that I would have no trouble making the total cutoff. I went into the race with a hamstring issue that I had irritated during one of my bike workouts about five weeks before the race. So I got some therapy. I took a total of about five or six days off totally. So I missed some of my key workouts. So I was a little bit nervous about that.

[Interviewer]

Talk to me about learning to swim at 59 to now be doing what you're doing at this level.

[Natalie Grabo]

Well, I had been running for about 20 years and doing quite well, really enjoying running 5Ks and 10Ks and doing very well in my age group. But I was also getting injured a lot and my friends were all getting into triathlon and they kept urging me to do a sprint triathlon that was nearby and was a little embarrassed. But I finally admitted that I had never learned to swim. So I had one of my daughters drive from where she was living up. I said, amy, if you could just do the half mile swim and then I can get on the bike and run, I'd be so grateful. I don't care how fast you go, just give me the chips so I can do the rest. So I did that and I just loved it. I was hooked. I loved all the people. I loved the energy. I loved everything.

[Interviewer]

And as you reflect, what's your answer to the question that I'M sure you get asked a lot of times which is why do you do these Ironman competitions?

[Natalie Grabo]

Oh, I love the challenge of it. As long as you are physically capable of doing them, then it's why everybody does them. For the challenge of it and the feeling afterwards of accomplishment and that you did something really hard. I think that's just a great confidence booster. I like the competition but for me it's the day to day training. So if, if ever I, you know, don't want to race anymore, I'll always be active. I'll always get up and do something.

[Alex Ritson]

Natalie Grabo speaking to Priya Rai Coming up in this podcast I love being.

[Natalie Grabo]

Part of a choir.

[Interviewer]

I've always sung wherever I've lived. U S uk I seek out a choir so that I can meet people, connect, shared love of music. I feel part of something bigger than myself.

[Alex Ritson]

Meet the choir Trying to unite people from different parts of the world.

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[Asma Khalid]

America is changing and so is the world.

[Alex Ritson]

But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm.

[Alex Ritson]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Alex Ritson]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Two students from the University of Lincoln in England have been helping to restore a 2,300-year-old Egyptian mummy. During the 19th century, the mummified man known as Pa Sherry was taken to Britain from Egypt. He's been part of the Derby Museum's collection since at least 1859. X rays show the mummy was severely damaged when he was previously unwrapped and examined. Charlotte Gallagher has been speaking to one of the student researchers, Ella Monteiro.

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

I was really, really excited. I was really eager to start doing the work. It was something that like, I connected with almost immediately and yeah, and what.

[Interviewer]

Was your reaction when you saw him for the first time?

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

I thought he was smaller than I expected he's only five, three. But then obviously came the, oh, my gosh, he's two, 300 years old and he's right in front of me. So there was a bit of an existential crisis very soon after that where I was like, how is it possible that I'm in a room with someone who was alive so long ago?

[Interviewer]

What did you know about his story? Was there anything that you could find out from, as you said, the writings and the pictures that could tell you about the man that he was?

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

Not much. I think most of the history we know is the more recent history, the past, let's say, like 100, 200 years. But what we do know is that he would have had to be in the top 2%, simply because the. The process of mummification is already so expensive. Like, the linens alone cost an exorbitant amount of money. And on top of that, he also had this intricately painted cartonage that had real gold on it. Right. So we do know he had to be very wealthy. Apart from that, there's not much that we know about his life back then. But then we do know that he. He was unwrapped, that he's missing his skull, his pelvis and his feet as we've done some X rays of him, and we can see that those parts are missing. So I would say that's. That's most of the history that we do know. But I think his story now can become a lot bigger than what it has been. Right. Because now there's all this talk of, like, he's been brought over here from Egypt and, you know, now there's a bit of a cultural aspect to it as well. And now we can use him for further education of, like, this is what happens sometimes to things when they're taken out of their origin. There can be damage. There can be, like, loss.

[Interviewer]

And did you feel quite attached to him by the end? Because obviously you were working on him for quite a long time and you were learning bits about him, and obviously you found out that bits of him had been taken away. I just wondered what kind of relationship you had with him.

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

It was definitely a lot more personal and intimate than any other object I've worked on because he is a person. Like, after a couple days, you're walking in and you're saying, good morning, Pashuri. And we would have this privacy screen that we would put on him at the end of every day, both for Pashuri and just because some people aren't comfortable seeing human remains and so we would say goodnight posturi, and it kind of felt like we were tucking him in bed. And it was the same thing. In the morning, we'd pull the sheet back and we'd say, good morning. So there is a certain level of personification that happens that I would say hasn't happened in other objects that I've worked before that haven't been human remains. It's just this hyper awareness that you're working on a person, a human being, and that could just as easily be me. 200 years from now. I feel a connection. You know, I do think I'll go visit him and be like, hello, Pashary. It's been a while. So I do think it left a huge impression on me. I think it's gonna impact me for the rest of my life.

[Alex Ritson]

Ella Monteiro, speaking to Charlotte Gallagher. Kate Hoang was living her dream in 2003 as a Kansas City police officer. But when she suffered a traumatic brain injury in the line of duty, attacked for issuing a traffic ticket, her life changed. She struggled to move on until a new friend stepped in to help. Now she's been representing the USA at the World Para Athletics Championships. Before competing, she spoke to Kate Smith.

[Asma Khalid]

We base a lot of our job and our identity with our job, and when we're done doing our job, we don't know what we are. I didn't know who I was, and so it was super hard. So when all that happened, it was like everything disappeared. So for, I would almost say a full decade, I was just lost.

[Interviewer]

It wasn't until Kate found a job as a security officer at a Kansas City school just three years ago that she was able to turn her life around. There she met Patty, who gave her unconditional friendship.

[Asma Khalid]

One of the bigger, obviously the bigger turning point was her. On top of, she found a great program, Boulder Crest, that dealt a lot with ptsd. And after that, things kind of clicked. She really kind of held my feet to the fire and kept me accountable. Like, oh, yeah, it helps when you do go to the doctor. And then once I started doing basic things like, like eating and doing all those things, it's like, oh, yeah, you do start feeling better and then. And then doing all those things. And then it was like, oh, I feel like working out now. And then once I started going to the gym, they had a gym that had an adaptive, like CrossFit. And I really got hooked with that. And once I got into that, they were like, well, did you want to do coaching? You can. I'll teach you how to do adaptive coaching. I'm like, oh yeah, that hooked me even further into that adaptive world. And I was like, oh, there's more for me than just being a bump on the log and having that purpose and having a drive for service again. Because I think for a lot of people, I think it's not having a purpose.

[Interviewer]

So we cycle forwards to all of this is happening. You're getting stronger and faster and fitter. You finally or kind of out of nowhere almost get invited to the, the U.S. championships, don't you, at Eugene, Oregon track town. So it's, you know, the center of the track and field world in the US and now you are competing for your country at the, at the World Championships. I mean, when we, we've talked about purpose and we've talked about identity, I wonder what those mean to you now that you're wearing the Star Spangled Banner.

[Asma Khalid]

I don't even know if I can put words to like how it, how it makes me feel. I've always felt super driven to serve, serve other people and serve my community and my country. And I know there's a lot or take for granted. There's a lot of privileges in our country and it's really easy to take for granted. It just means a lot to me to be on the team.

[Alex Ritson]

Kate Hoang speaking to Katie Smith. And Kate went on to win a bronze medal in the women's F36 shot put. Let's end this episode here in the UK. That's the real Voices Choir, a singing group from London. They're on a mission to connect people from different parts of the world through a love of singing and the Happy Pods. Tracy Gordon went along to their annual concert to find out the benefits of singing in a choir.

[Interviewer]

Real Voices is a non editioned choir for anybody over the age of 18. Our members tend to range from sort of early to mid 20s all the way through to early 70s.

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

Becky Chalmers, the founder of Real Voices Choir.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I started it just to give everyone an opportunity to have access to high quality musical experiences. So that, yeah, Real Voices just means that everybody who wants to can come and sing and enjoy themselves and learn.

[Student Researcher / Choir Member]

A skill and meet other lovely people.

[Interviewer]

The choir is an eclectic mix with performers of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. My name is Mattea and I moved.

[Deborah Brown]

Here from Germany not long ago.

[Interviewer]

I've been singing in different choirs before.

[Deborah Brown]

And I like how music and singing together connect people.

[Interviewer]

The atmosphere here is cheerful and relaxed, so I'm happy to be part of the Real Voices. This is Emma. We sang the song Please don't move to Melbourne. Which was quite a coincidence being from Melbourne myself, but it was a song that was quite playful and and close to my heart as well. Having music as such a wonderful outlet to connect with those around you, whether they are strangers, loved ones, it really helps you feel at home when you.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Are on the other side of the world. It's believed singing has the power to.

[Interviewer]

Improve our well being and mental health. A study by scientists in Sweden found that when people sang in choirs, their heartbeats become synchronized. Karen Hortz is another choir member and psychotherapist. I love being part of a choir. I've always sung wherever I've lived US uk. I seek out a choir so that I can meet people, connect, share love of music. I feel part of something bigger than myself. Great breath work, great for calming down emotions like anxious feelings. If you could put all the benefits in a pill, it would be magical and sell people would be popping them all the time.

[Alex Ritson]

Karen Hortz and the Real Voices choir ending that report by Tracy Gordon. And that's all from this edition of the Happy Pod. We'd love to hear from you. As ever, the address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk this edition was mixed by Daniel Fox and the producers were Holly Gibbs and Harry Bly. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Richard. And until next time, goodbye.

[Asma Khalid]

America is changing and so is the world.

[Alex Ritson]

But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington D.C. i'm.

[Alex Ritson]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Alex Ritson]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.