Cambridgeshire couple adopt a 'Thalidomide boy'

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Contains descriptions of abliest treatment, outdated ableist language

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From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Cambridgeshire couple adopt a 'Thalidomide boy'


Anglia TV meet a 'Thalidomide boy' and his remarkable adoptive parents; all the subject of a new book and adapted BBC TV 'Play of the Week'.

Thalidomide baby' Terry, born without arms and with limited use of his lower limbs, has been adopted by Cambridgeshire couple Hazel and Len Wiles. Adoptive father Len, a technical wiz, has created a 'Supercar' for Terry, a wheelchair based on the design of a forklift truck, enabling Terry to adjust his height and move around freely. Journalists Marjorie Wallace and Michael Robson are due to publish a book about Terry, titled 'On Giant's Shoulders'.

Wallace and Robson's 1976 book 'On Giant's Shoulders: the Story of Terry Wiles' was later adapted for television, airing on BBC2 as the 'Play of the Week' in 1979. In the television film Terry Wiles played himself and starred alongside accomplished actors Judi Dench and Bryan Pringle who portrayed Terry's adoptive parents Hazel and Len.


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