Both Elizabeth Shields from Sutton Coldfield and David Carthy from Bromsgrove were living and working with Spina Bifida when they were filmed by ATV in 1981. Complex questions about life, death and even their right to exist are broached with delicacy by reporter Wendy Nelson. Nevertheless, continuous pain and their awareness of their own potentially shortened lifespan create pressures that extend well beyond the experiences of able-bodied viewers.