Channel 9 showed this incredible documentary quite some time ago, about Brett Nielsen, Australia's first Thalidomide baby who was born with no arms. It was titled  'Brett: A life with no arms".

It was perhaps the opening scene where Brett is on his way to the supermarket, driving his 2 door Mercedes sports car with his feet (toes on steering wheel) that caught my attention.

After the first 10min I was in awe.

Brett Nielsen who was a 'Thalidomide baby" and so was born with no arms. In 1965, Film-maker Roger Graef made a documementry titled "One of Them is Brett" which showed an extraordinary story about a spirited four-year old's fight for identity and survival. His parents sold up and moved from Australia to Britain to get Brett the medical help he couldn't get there.

Fifty years later, whatever happened to him? Roger has tracked him down in this follow-up film which includes this story of Brett's childhood and the story of Brett's life since he was a child.

Brett is now a musician (he uses his feet to play the piano like others use their hands), composer, record producer and motivational speaker. Watching him make himself a cup of tea by pouring the boling water into a mug using his toes to hold the kettle is quite something. Not to mention using those same toes to roll a cigarette and leisurely place it between his lips before lighting up.

He is a loving single dad with three ex-wives. And he's in love yet again.

This documentary is a film about passion, optimism and fun, a story of triumph over adversity. In the words of Brett:

'it doesn't matter what happens to you in your life, it matters how you deal with it.'.

View on youtube

View the original 1965 Documentry: One of Them is Brett