The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve

In this episode, the fixers take on three more challenges to change lives, including one of their toughest yet when they try to help a young boy with Tourette's to control his tics and behavioural issues. 11-year-old Malachi lives with his mum and younger brother in Cornwall. Malachi has Tourette's Syndrome, a neurological condition characterised by involuntary movements and noises called tics. He also has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and struggles with disruptive urges and violent outbursts. At school, he needs three support workers with him at all times. As Malachi gets older, his behaviour is increasingly difficult for mum Marie to manage and she is increasingly worried that if he doesn't find a way to control himself, he will end up in serious trouble. Electronics engineer Ryan White teams up with Zoe Laughlin, an expert in materials, to explore what they can do. But their first encounter with Malachi leaves them concerned that they may have taken on more than they can manage. Knowing more about the condition could help them work out what to do, so their next stop is Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to meet one of the world's leading experts in the field, Dr Tara Murphy. Four-year-old Jasper suffered complications after contracting hand, foot and mouth disease when he was one year old. He had a heart attack and a stroke in his spine which left him paralysed from the waist down. His parents have sought the best medical help they can get for their son, in the hope that he will one day be able to walk again, but so far he has only gained enough strength to be able to crawl. They are hoping that the team can come up with an invention that will enable Jasper to be upright and moving his legs, so that he can work on building the strength in his muscles and get used to being in a standing position. Technologist and designer Haiyan Jang takes up the challenge and enlists the help of inventor and engineer Yusuf Mohammed to help search for a solution. Whatever they create needs to safely hold him up in the right position and also keep his young brain engaged so that he enjoys using it. 26-year-old Greg is determined to be as independent as possible, despite being paralysed from the neck down. He led an extremely active and social life before a car crash dramatically changed his life four years ago. Now he has no control of his body and can only move his head to operate devices like his wheelchair and computer. Home is an assisted-living apartment in Bristol where he receives help with everyday tasks but, in order to remain active, he makes an arduous journey into the city centre on his own every day in his electric wheelchair. This two-mile trip would be straightforward enough for most people, but for Greg it is fraught with difficulties. With no use of his hands he is unable to press buttons on road crossing boxes, he can't use his mobile phone without asking strangers to pick it up and dial the numbers, and he has to give shop assistants his credit card pin number and ask them to use it for him. Designer and engineer Ross Atkin and software expert Akram Hussein pair up to see if they can come up with a solution. If they can crack it, they could potentially change the lives of many more people with similar disabilities.

A team of inventors attempt to change the lives of three inspiring people with very different problems. Four-year-old William has a rare form of epilepsy which causes him to have multiple seizures, some of which are life-threatening. These seizures can happen at any time. With doctors unable to control them through medication, and no suitable seizure alarms, William's parents have to take it in turns to watch him around the clock. Lack of sleep and constant worry over the last four years has left them both desperate for help. Designer and technologist Haiyan Zhang bravely agrees to take on one of the most emotionally charged problems of the series. Can she come up with an invention that will help William's parents to monitor him and ease the pressure they're under? 19-year-old Ian was born with cerebral palsy which has left him with no control of his body and an inability to speak. Since he was a child, he has loved sailing - an activity he used to enjoy with his dad before he was killed in a car accident three years ago. Now Ian goes out on the water with a friend who has fashioned a rudimentary system so that Ian can signal directions to him using his eyes. This allows him to have some involvement in navigating the boat, but what he really wants is to have complete control of the vessel. Engineer Ryan White and experience designer Ruby Steel team up to see if they can come up with a solution. If they're successful, it'll be the first time anyone has ever sailed a boat using just their eyes. They're hopeful that their idea to use the eye-gaze technology that Ian already uses to operate his computer will work if they hook it up to motors on the boat. Susan has multiple sclerosis and lives alone. She was diagnosed when she was 40 years old and, as the symptoms have worsened over the years, she has worked hard to maintain her independence. Carers visit her twice a day to help her get in and out of bed and perform basic tasks, and her daughters visit regularly, but for much of the day she is on her own. Her flat has been kitted out with a range of assistive technology, but most of it is not fit for purpose. She has a tablet computer which she struggles to operate due to tremors in her hands and a computerised system to operate the telephone and various electrical items, which are difficult to navigate and hard to read as her eyesight is failing. Ruby's initial thought is to use the latest smart technology so that Susan can operate systems using her voice. But like many older people, Susan is not familiar with this latest technology and knowing how to navigate it and what commands to use is incredibly confusing for her. Ruby needs to find a way to make smart technology more accessible for people like Susan. If she can crack it, she could help her to remain living in her own home, and potentially help thousands of other elderly and vulnerable people to avoid loneliness and continue living independently.