The Happy Pod: My best friend had my baby

Global News Podcast

BBC

Daily News, News

4.2 • 7.8K Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We hear about an extraordinary story of love, friendship and a teenage promise fulfilled over a decade later. When Georgia Barrington was told, at the age of 15, that she'd been born without a womb, she thought her dreams of having a baby were over. So her best friend, Daisy Hope, promised she would one day act as her surrogate. Years later, after having her daughter, she reminded her friend of that offer -- and a few weeks ago gave birth to Georgia's baby girl. The women say it's given them a bond like no other. Also: how the traditionally male world of yodelling is being given a modern, feminist twist. Switzerland's new yodel choirs aim to bring people from all backgrounds together and connect them through song. The world-famous Chinese pianist, Lang Lang, talks about the healing power of music. His charitable foundation runs concerts and creative workshops for children struggling with physical or mental health issues or grief. We find out about how one winner of this year's Earthshot prizes is bringing education to women living on some of Bangladesh's most fragile islands. Plus: a statue honouring the true impact of pregnancy and childbirth on women's bodies; the man bringing the stress-busting sights and sounds of nature to tens of thousands of people around the world; and the young owl rescued from a cement mixer.

Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Ankur Desai. Music composed by Iona Hampson

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:05.8	This is the happy pod from the BBC World Service.
0:13.6	Hi, I'm Uncle Desai and in this edition.
0:16.1	I knew that there is no way that I would have two children and Georgia wouldn't have any.
0:20.4	I just feel so lucky. And every time I look at her, I just, yeah, I'm so grateful.
0:25.4	If you can do an act of kindness that really changes someone life, then you should do it if you can.
0:30.6	How an extraordinary teenage promise resulted in a woman having a baby for her best friend.
0:36.6	The world-renowned pianist Lang Lang on spreading the healing power of music.
0:40.9	We've been very lucky to work with many kids around the world.
0:45.0	And somehow music is really the best medicine.
0:49.2	A new statue designed to celebrate the realities of pregnancy and childbirth.
0:55.4	The small owl that had a lucky escape after getting stuck in a cement mixer. Plus the young feminists putting their own
1:00.9	spin on an ancient alpine tradition. You're listening to the Happy Pot on the BBC World Service.
1:18.0	Music. Service. We start with a story of love, friendship and an extraordinary teenage promise.
1:24.0	Georgia Barrington was just 15 when she learned she'd been born with ovaries but no womb,
1:29.2	a rare condition called Maya Rakitansky Kusta Hauser syndrome, or M.R.K.H.
1:35.2	So her best friend, Daisy Hope, promised that she would carry her baby for her when they were older.
1:39.8	Despite her heartbreak, Georgia continued with her dream of becoming a midwife,
1:43.8	and after delivering Daisy's baby, her continued with her dream of becoming a midwife.
1:50.0	And after delivering Daisy's baby, her friend became her surrogate and gave birth a few weeks ago.
1:55.1	They've been speaking to Emma Barnett, starting with the day the GP broke the news to Georgia.
1:59.0	At the time, she may as well have just said to me, you will never have children.
	...

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