Episode 10
Away with the Fairies
In each episode of Series 5 you will hear the words and music of Maggie Bell, who experienced sexual, physical and emotional abuse by her brother for 17 years, from the ages of 5 to 22 years.
Sibling abuse is an often neglected aspect of incest and, like all forms of intrafamilial abuse, it carries longlasting impact on the victim-survivors. For Maggie, the prolonged severe abuse she endured resulted in Dissociative Identity Disorder or D.I.D., in which different memories, reactions and feelings were isolated into separate parts of her personality.
To hear more about DID please listen to Episode 1 and for more about Maggie’s story please listen to Episode 2. During the long years of her abuse Maggie used music as a way to escape her trauma as well as to express herself when words were not allowed.
All of the pieces you will hear in this series have been created by Maggie as part of an exploration of living with D.I.D, with different parts or groups of parts composing each piece as a way of explaining the experiences or feelings they hold. Dr Jan Ewing.
NLM producer: Tanya Lee and Narrator: Sandra Sully
Sandra Sully | Presenter & Journalist
Sandra is a senior journalist and presenter for 10 News First Sydney and has been an integral part of the 10 News team since 1990, celebrating her 35th anniversary at the Network in early 2025. In 2024 Sandra was recognised for her efforts in media, community and charity as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division, in the Australia Day Honours list. As one of the most recognisable and respected faces on Australian television, Sandra has also hosted major Network news events including the Federal Election coverage, the Federal Budget, the Royal Wedding and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral from London, and Oprah Winfrey’s Big ‘O’ event at the Botanical Gardens. Sandra’s career includes 18 years as the highly popular Presenter and Senior Editor of TEN Late News with Sports Tonight.
In that role Sandra was the first Australian journalist to break the news of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. She has subsequently covered anniversary commemorations of both the Bali bombings and the September 11 attacks. Sandra is a storyteller and her engaging warmth, style and versatility have enabled her to cover numerous national news events such as Commonwealth and Olympic Games, as well as becoming the first woman to co-host the iconic Melbourne Cup/Spring Carnival, a role she filled for seven years. Sandra is a passionate sports fan and was on the board of Hockey Australia from 2014-2023, and the Vice President from 2019-2023, and has been serving on the Board of Directors for Hockey ONE since 2022, as well as being one of the first women members of the prestigious Carbine Club of New South Wales, which supports children in sport. Sandra is the Patron of SpinalCure Australia and has been for more than 20 years. As Patron, Sandra has been a key driver in securing major and ongoing funding for research into curing spinal cord injury.
Sandra is also an Ambassador for the PA Research Foundation. 2 For many years, Sandra worked tirelessly on her passion project Agenda, raising the voice of Australian women on International Women's Day, she staged the inaugural Long Lunch, as well as publishing a coffee table book with all proceeds donated to women's charities namely Women’s Legal Services QLD (WLSQ) supporting domestic violence services. She is a regular on panels celebrating women and creating awareness of women’s issues, internally at Paramount internationally and in the wider community. Sandra was one of the first journalists in the country to fully understand and embrace the digital media revolution. Seeing early on the power of the platform and its ability to immediately deliver up-to-date and breaking news, Sandra has established herself as one of the nation’s news leaders online, building a mass following on social media platforms. Sandra launched her podcast Short Black With Sandra Sully in 2019, where she talks candidly to a series of intriguing and inspiring women who have something interesting to say, about what really matters. Short Black with Sandra Sully won the Best Interview category at the Australian Podcast Awards 2022. Sandra’s passion for news has fortified her position as one of the finest newsreaders in the country, delivering 10 News First bulletins with integrity and credibility.