Every now and again there’s a moment on reality-based TV that makes you feel so much joy, you forget you don’t actually know these people and you bawl your bloody eyes out.
That’s what happened to many viewers watching Monday night’s episode of This Time Next Year when guest Belinda was reunited with three of the men who saved her life.
As Belinda explained to host Karl Stefanovic in the part of the segment filmed a year ago, on 7 April 2015 she had been driving home from a camping trip with her kids when a driver in another lane veered from her side and collided with Belinda’s car head-on.
Thankfully, Belinda's two boys were able to escape, but the mum was seriously injured and trapped.
"When the paramedics arrived I could hear them talking but I couldn't see their faces," she explained.
The emergency service workers were able to free Belinda and provide life-saving medical treatment while they transported her to hospital.
Belinda told Karl that while she remembers their voices well, she can't remember any faces and didn't know how to go about finding them. However, she pledged that by this time next year (2017) she would have found them.
"There was I think all up 13 paramedics and the helicopter crew as well... It would be so good to actually meet them."
When she returned this year, Belinda shared the news that she'd only been able to find two of the members of the helicopter crew. And that's when Karl invited her to listen to voices and see if she recognised any. From the tears in her eyes it was obvious she did.
If there were dry eyes in the audience at this point, they were no longer once three paramedics came through the door and embraced Belinda.
Barely audible of the audiences applause and cheers was Belinda telling the man she was hugging: "Thank you so much. I've waited so long to say that".
And that is how you make someone cry tears of joy for someone they've never met.
Listen to the latest episode of Mamamia's TV podcast The Binge.
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