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, shared in the new book, Penguin Bloom: The odd little bird who saved a family, is one of compassion, friendship and support in the most unlikely of places. 

‘Penguin was just a small, wobbly-headed magpie chick when my son, Noah, found her lying injured on the grass after being blown out of her nest, located some 20 metres up a towering Norfolk Island pine tree,’ says Cameron. ‘She was very lucky to survive such a horrendous fall but without immediate care would have died within a day.

‘When Penguin [the magpie] was weak and sickly, Sam would lovingly nurse her back to health,’ explains 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. 

Penguin Bloom by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Grieve (Canongate Books, £14.99) is out now. Visit penguinthemagpie.com to read more of Penguin’s story or buy the book.

Royalties from sales of the book will go to Spinal Cure Australia and Wings For Life in the UK.

Images: Cameron Bloom Photography