60 Minutes: Apr 1

On 60 Minutes this weekend, finding WWII bomber The Yorkshire Rose; triathlete Lauren Parker; and the Iraqi refugee / surgeon giving back to soldiers.

The Surgeon And The Soldier
When Munjed Al Muderis fled war-torn Iraq, he escaped with just two things: a medical journal and the determination to start a new life. In the years since, he has put both to great use. After arriving in Australia as an illegal immigrant, Associate Professor Al Muderis is now one of the most skilled surgeons in the world. His expertise is in a revolutionary procedure called Osseointegration, which fuses human bones with robotic limbs. On assignment for 60 Minutes, Mark Burrows reports on an operation this remarkable surgeon performs to rebuild the often-troubled soldiers who fought in conflict zones like his old homeland – good men such as US Army Captain Luis Montalvan.
Reporter: Mark Burrows
Producers: Steve Jackson, Clair Weaver

The Yorkshire Rose
At 91, Jack Crane should be enjoying a quiet life at his home in Lithgow, west of Sydney. Instead he has found himself at the centre of one of World War Two’s most intriguing mysteries, the disappearance of an RAF Stirling bomber known as the Yorkshire Rose. In June 1944 the plane was flying a top-secret mission deep inside Nazi-occupied France when it vanished. There’s been no trace of it, or the 23 servicemen on board, since. But with a lot of help, Jack thinks he now knows where the Yorkshire Rose is and he’s fighting reluctant bureaucrats at the British Ministry of Defence, demanding they conduct a search. He desperately needs answers because his brother Bob was the pilot, and after three-quarters of a century, time is running out to bring this war hero home.
Reporter: Ross Coulthart
Producer: Howard Sacre

Going For Gold
This time last year Lauren Parker was one of Australia’s most promising triathletes.
Supremely fit, her life was an exciting blur of international competition and full-time training. Then she was involved in a dreadful, freakish accident that left her paralysed. Sadly, Lauren wasn’t just broken physically and mentally – she could see no hope. But after months of misery something extraordinary happened. Next week she’ll be going for gold at the Commonwealth Games. Peter Overton reports on Lauren’s inspiring reinvention, and how some mighty help from an unlikely friend got a gifted athlete back on track.
Reporter: Peter Overton
Producer: Howard Sacre

You Can
On this holiday weekend Peter Overton also meets a beautiful young Australian for whom life has not been a holiday. Jess Van Zeil is fighting a brutal battle with melanoma, but incredibly, despite her illness, she says she’s a lucky one. That’s because she has been able to receive treatment at the newly established Melbourne You Can Centre, a facility specially designed by young cancer patients, for young cancer patients. Jess’s story highlights the urgent need to close the gap in care that currently exists for those with cancer who are aged between 15 and 25.
Reporter: Peter Overton
Producer: Jo Townsend

7pm Sunday on Nine.