When the Bloom family rescued an injured magpie chick, she saved them in return. As the chick grew into a beautiful bird, Sam Bloom, paralysed and depressed, found a joy and strength of her own. Their story is one of compassion, friendship and support in the most unlikely of places. ‘When Penguin [the magpie] was weak and sickly, Sam would lovingly nurse her back to health,’ says Cameron, Sam’s husband and co-author of Penguin Bloom. ‘When Sam found it hard to get moving, Penguin would sing her energy levels up.’ Beautiful.
PHOTOGRAPH: CAMERON BLOOM, TAKEN FROM FROM ‘PENGUIN BLOOM’ BY CAMERON BLOOM AND BRADLEY TREVOR GREIVE (CANONGATE BOOKS, £14.99). PENGUINTHEMAGPIE.COM
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it ”