Overheard
Eight-year-old Hazel listens in as her teachers discuss her. Their words are devastating. Decades later she realises she's spent a lifetime testing herself against what they said.
Hazel Ellis-Saxon was brought up in a busy household with four siblings in the village of Tiptree in Essex in the 1960s. She struggled with her school work and was often finishing assignments when the other children were enjoying playtime. One day in a quiet classroom Hazel overheard her form teacher describe her to a colleague as βmentally retardedβ. These two words had a profound effect β leading her to believe that she must be a huge disappointment to her parents and would never enjoy a full life.
Dr Sian Williams hears how this label shaped Hazelβs decisions for decades and what it took for her to throw it off.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Wed 3 May 2023 09:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 3 Sep 2023 23:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Action Line
Information and support for issues covered in Life Changing.
Podcast
-
![]()
Life Changing
Extraordinary stories of life's turning points.
