It’s always heartwarming to hear a story about how an animal helped someone with injuries heal, whether they be physical or emotional. Usually, we hear these stories about dogs or cats and sometimes horses or other mammals, but a magpie? Who would have thought that magpies are extremely intelligent? Interestingly, they can live between 20 to 30 years in the wild.
After seeing the Netflix movie named Penguin Bloom, which I have seen more than once, I investigated the facts of the story. The movie was based on the book Penguin Bloom written by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive. Due to the fact that the Bloom family had a lot of input into the creation of the movie, it appears that it is pretty accurate and was filmed in the Blooms’ actual house in Newport, New South Wales, Australia.
Sam Bloom, who was played in the movie by Naomi Watts, lived on a beach in Sydney, Australia with her husband, Cameron, and sons Rueben, Noah and Oliver. Sam, a registered nurse, was energetic and active, an avid surfer and enjoyed outdoor activities with her sons. She also traveled extensively with her family.
It was on a trip with her family to Thailand in 2013 when she walked with her family up to the second story of an observation deck to see the amazing views. Sam, unfortunately, leaned on a rotten railing that gave way, causing her to fall approximately 20 feet to the concrete below. Although she miraculously survived, she suffered severe spinal cord damage, a fractured skull and brain bleed, ruptured lungs and a lacerated tongue. After she recovered and went through extensive rehabilitation, she was faced with the reality that she would never walk again and would be confined to a wheelchair. Sam fell into a deep depression, and her beautiful home on the beach just reminded her of everything she loved but could no longer enjoy. She no longer had the will to find enjoyment in life and was inconsolable.
Then one day her son, Noah, found an injured baby magpie that had fallen out of its nest, which he named Penguin. Penguin needed intensive nurturing, and caring for Penguin took Sam’s focus away from her disability. She now had a new sense of purpose. She no longer felt isolated and lonely as Sam and Penguin became inseparable, and they helped each other to heal. Penguin also helped the grieving family bond again and helped Sam to heal emotionally as well as physically.
Giving her the strength to persevere through her difficulties and have a brighter outlook on life, Sam returned to water sports. She started paracanoeing, and with lots of hard work and practice, she started competing and placed 13th in the world. She also won two Australian titles before representing her country at the 2015 World Para Surfing Championships.
After two years of living with the Blooms, Penguin was released into the wild, but she will never be forgotten. Noah Bloom said, “We thought we were rescuing Penguin, but Penguin rescued us.”
Sam Bloom and Penguin by Cameron Bloom & @penguinthemagpie
With every Penguin Bloom book sold, 10% of the royalties go toward finding a cure for people living with a spinal cord injury. As the book is soon to be published in the UK, North America, Germany, Japan and Korea, we are so pleased to have partnered with many of the best spinal research organizations in the world that will one day make this happen.
