We all know what it's like to feel stuck in a rut and how hard it can be to get out of it. My Yellow Brick Road is a new series beginning on RTE2 tonight that focuses on giving people the jump-start they need to get back on track.
A makeover show with a difference, we'll follow along as four guides – Claire, Greg, Jordan and Noel – use their lived experiences and wisdom to help others get back on track. All have each battled and dealt with often traumatic difficulties, from Alopecia to depression, dyslexia to drug abuse, and have helped give others strength by talking openly about where they found the strength to do so.
Claire Balding, insta-famous for candidly documenting her struggles with alopecia, is one of four mentors on the show and 27 year-old Laura Gahan needs their support. Both women dropped into studio to tell Ray D’Arcy all about the show.
Laura has a genetic condition called Nail Patella Syndrome, which is generally categorised by abnormalities of the nails, knees, elbows and pelvis. The condition varies in severity for each individual, so Laura described her symptoms.
"When I was born I had club feet … I can’t fully extend my arms. I have a very small patella, which is a knee cap, I have an absence of finger nails. I produce too much protein in my kidneys, which over time gave me kidney failure, so I ended up on dialysis when I was 22."
Laura lived with the condition relatively unfazed for a number of years, but as her condition worsened and her dependency on dialysis increased, things had to change.
"I was working, I was well, I was happy, I was going out with a guy at the time, I was living independently. Then when I got sick, I moved back home."
It became obvious that the only solution was a kidney transplant. Laura’s mother had assumed that she’d be able to be a living donor for her daughter, but when she turned out not to be a match, her brother stepped in.
"My brother offered to give me his kidney. Glen looked at me in bed around Christmas time, I couldn’t eat my dinner or anything and he said ‘I’m going to give her a kidney’."
And to think some people just give vouchers.
Laura’s transplant was an instant success, but the recovery time required and the years of dialysis preceding it, had dented her confidence and left her feeling a little lost.
"It wasn’t just because I got a kidney transplant … I felt like I’d put up borders because of my disability with my arms and stuff … the big gap in my CV too from being on home dialysis, I felt like who’s going to want to employ this girl."
Three years on, what she craves more than anything is the routine of work and that ‘Friday feeling’ all of her friends enjoy after a productive week.
"Make me feel like I’m normal, like I have the same structure and routine as my friends."
Step in Claire and the other mentors on the ‘My Yellow Brick Road’ team. Keen to clarify that they’re not experts, Claire and the gang are more like friendly supporters who’ve weathered their own storms and come out shining.
"We’re just normal people that were once in Laura’s position or that of the other six participants, we can see a lot of ourselves in each of them. It’s a nice message I think, that we all go through hard times, we all have a bump in the road that we need to get over … Once you’re able to tell your story, or tell a part of your pain, your pain starts to diminish then."
On tonight's episode...
We meet Laura Gahan, a 27-year-old with Nail Patella syndrome, which means she cannot extend her arms fully. Five years ago she suffered kidney failure and had to undergo dialysis, but Laura is a born fighter and has been bolstered by her fighting spirit. Although she grew up on Westmeath, she now lives in Ballyfermot with her family.
Laura underwent a successful kidney transplant from her brother Glenn, and after such an ordeal couldn't wait to get back on track and "shout up the road" about her new kidney. However, the gap in her working life following the illness has made it difficult to find a job. It's a common conundrum: you need experience to get a job and you need a job to get experience.
She keeps incredibly active, however, volunteering and always willing to try anything, but she needs some encouragement to get back on her yellow brick road. Enter: our four guides!
They will help Laura take some big steps on her journey, sourcing expert career advice, work experience and helping her prepare for interviews with a new look, nutrition advice and lots of encouragement.
But will it be enough to secure her a role she would love?
You can listen to Ray's chat with Laura and Claire, in full, here.
My Yellow Brick Road airs on RTÉ 2 on Wednesday 13 November at 9:30pm.
