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Born Survivors Season

Born Survivors returns to BBC Three with a new series of hard-hitting and inspiring documentaries, in which young people forced to live with serious issues reveal their strategies for survival.

The documentaries, which tackle the subjects of under-age drinking, eating and young motherhood tell the extraordinary stories of young people surviving whatever life throws at them, and gives them an opportunity to talk candidly about their experiences and determination to change their lives.

The documentaries are accompanied by self-contained online "minisodes" and nine short films made by young people across the country in collaboration with the Media Trust, themes ranging from homelessness and growing up in care, to cancer and gang life.

Both minisodes and short films can be found at bbc.co.uk/bornsurvivors.

Kizzy – Sex, Prams And Exams

Pregnant at just 13, Kizzy Neal gave birth to Kaylib in May 2007.

Her pregnancy, the birth, which she describes as "the best moment of her life", and early months of motherhood were captured in a touching and unique film originally broadcast on BBC Three in December 2007.

In the summer of 2008 the cameras returned to catch up with the young mum.

Kizzy – Sex, Prams And Exams traces her development from young teenager to full-blown mother and her first steps towards independence as she turns 16.

Juggling motherhood, college and work is tough but not impossible for Kizzy. Along the way she manages to find a place for Kaylib at a local nursery and have him baptised.

But then Kizzy's not an average teenager, and is working hard to throw off any negative labels attached to her because she had Kaylib so young.

A BBC News And Current Affairs production.

FS

My 22 Stone Dad And Skinny Me

Fifteen-year-old Emma is 5ft 7in and weighs just seven-and-a-half stone.

She has lost 14lbs in 12 months, admitting six months ago that she'd stopped eating because of her dad, Grant. Weighing in at 22-and-a-half-stone, Grant is clinically obese.

Discovering that his own weight was at the root of his daughter's illness was devastating for him.

An eating disorder is a complex mental illness and, despite the fact that one in 20 young women in the UK will develop such an illness, getting professional help is not always easy.

Fortunately, living in Lancaster, Emma can be referred to Eating Disorders Network (EDN), the area's only charity specialising in this field.

Over the course of six months, the documentary tracks Emma's progress as she attempts to get to her target weight of eight-and-a-half-stone and Grant works hard to shed five-and-a-half stone.

Observing the family dynamic, by talking to Emma, her parents and her boyfriend, My 22 Stone Dad And Skinny Me attempts to understand the role that family dynamics can play in teenage eating disorders.

A BBC News And Current Affairs production.

FS

Vodka, Homework And Me

Vodka, Homework And Me follows a group of young people, aged between 11 and 16, as they reveal the full extent of their alcohol abuse and the effect it is having on their lives.

Eleven-year-old Reece has been drinking nearly every other weekend since he was ten. Using his pocket money to buy alcohol, he was secretly getting drunk in the local park and getting into trouble.

Now, with the support of his mum Rowena and step dad Gary, Reece is trying to stop drinking and get his schooling back on track. But even at 11-years-old the pressure on him to have a drink is immense.

This documentary follows Reece and 15-year-old Charlotte as they embark on The Glaciere Project, an extraordinary scheme which has helped even the hardest of under-age drinkers turn away from the bottle, and sees them board a tall ship where booze is banned.

A BBC News And Current Affairs production.

FS