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 Gone Up North for a While
 The James Gang Rides Again
 Miles and Shelly Go Flatting
 Shelly Has A Baby

Synopsis

This is the third documentary made about the remarkable life of Shelly West (Michelle Belesarius) who was crippled by rheumatoid arthritis as a child and blind since she was 20. After giving birth against medical odds, Shelley, and husband Dion, bring their new daughter Michela home; but they find parenting fraught with money worries and, for Shelly, the ongoing challenge of bonding with her daughter. To augment their finances, she writes a book and takes up public speaking — but a steadily weakening heart requires potentially life threatening surgery.

Credits (9)

 Julienne Stretton

Julienne Stretton
Director

 Colleen Hodge

Colleen Hodge
Producer

 Colin Hogg

Colin Hogg
Writer

See all credits ›

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Produced by

 Colleen Hodge Productions

Colleen Hodge Productions

Source

 TVNZ Archive

TVNZ Archive

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Related Titles (4)

 Miles and Shelly Go Flatting

Miles and Shelly Go Flatting

Television, 1993 (Full Length)

Shelly's television introduction

 Shelly Has A Baby

Shelly Has A Baby

Television, 1996 (Full Length)

The story of Shelly's pregnancy

 The James Gang Rides Again

The James Gang Rides Again

Television, 1990 (Excerpts)

Billy T James tells the story of his heart transplant operation

 Gone Up North for a While

Gone Up North for a While

Television, 1972 (Full Length)

More parenting against the odds

Quotes

And although I’m blind and disabled by arthritis, we were both totally confident about being parents. 

– Shelly West

I didn’t go through all of that to have her, and nearly die having her, to give up now and leave her when she’s only three. 

– Shelly West