Terry Wiles facts for kids
Terrence 'Terry' Wiles, born on January 12, 1962, is a well-known person from the United Kingdom. He was born with physical differences because his mother took a medicine called thalidomide during pregnancy. Terry became famous around the world thanks to a TV show called On Giant's Shoulders and a book with the same name. The TV show even won an Emmy Award.
Contents
Terry's Early Life
His Birth and Adoption
When Terry's birth mother was pregnant, she took a medicine called thalidomide. This medicine was meant to help with morning sickness. Sadly, it caused Terry to be born with severe physical differences.
Because of these challenges, Terry's birth mother left him at the hospital. He was then placed in care. In October 1967, he met Hazel (who was born Brooker) and Leonard George Wiles at Chailey Hospital in Sussex. After some discussions with his birth mother and Social Services, Leonard and Hazel were able to adopt young Terry. As a fresh start with his new parents, he decided to change his name to Terrence Wiles.
The "Supercars"
Leonard Wiles, Terry's adoptive father, was very good with machines. He had even helped design military equipment during World War II. Over the years, Len built special "Supercars" for Terry. These cars were based on forklift trucks. They helped Terry to stand taller and move around freely for the first time.
Terry faced some difficult times at his secondary school, Ernulf Community College in St Neots. He later left that school to study at a polytechnic. In the early 1980s, he also attended California State University at Fullerton in the United States.
Becoming an Actor
On Giant's Shoulders TV Show
When Terry was 17, he played himself in a 1979 BBC television drama. It was part of Play of the Week and was called On Giant's Shoulders. In the show, Bryan Pringle played Leonard Wiles, and Judi Dench played Hazel Wiles. Judi Dench was even nominated for a BAFTA award for her role. The show was directed by Anthony Simmons. This film was based on a book by Marjorie Wallace and Michael Robson, published in 1976.
Terry Wiles had never acted before. Because he was 17 during filming, his voice had changed. To make him sound younger, a child actor's voice was used for his character. This was because he played himself from ages 9 to 12 in the show. The drama won an Emmy in 1980. After the film was shown in the United States in 1980, Terry was interviewed on popular TV shows like Good Morning America and The Mike Douglas Show.
Life in New Zealand
Moving and Marriage
After Terry received some money for his birth differences, he and his adoptive parents moved to New Zealand. Later, in 1986, Terry met Robyn at a conference for children with disabilities. Robyn was a nurse. She left her husband in June 1988 to be with Terry.
Terry and Robyn faced challenges from both their families. Terry's parents thought Robyn was only interested in the money he had received. However, despite these difficulties, Terry and Robyn got married on October 13, 1990. Their wedding took place at their home in Hamilton, New Zealand. There were 25 guests. Terry's mother, Hazel, did not attend, but his father, Len, was there.
After the marriage, Len and Hazel Wiles stopped contact with Terry and Robyn. They moved back to England in 1993. Terry learned of his adoptive father's death in 1995 through the Thalidomide Society. He never heard from Hazel Wiles again; she passed away in Cambridgeshire in 2013.
Helping Others
Terry and his wife, Robyn, still live in New Zealand. Terry has helped and supported other people with disabilities. In 1997, Channel 4 filmed Terry and Robyn in New Zealand for a documentary. It was called Fight For Love. In the film, they talked about how they met and how they had to overcome family and societal views to be together.
