‘I’m an emotional wreck!’ Ellie Simmonds fans break down in TEARS as star learns she was branded ‘evil’ and ‘stupid’ before being put up for adoption in moving documentary
Ellie Simmonds fans were left in tears on Thursday night after watching the moment she learned she was branded ‘evil’ and ‘stupid’ before being put up for adoption in her new documentary.
Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family sees the Paralympian, 28 – who was born with achondroplasia (dwarfism) – explore disability as well as searching for her blood family after finding out she had been put up for adoption at just 10 days old.
While filming the documentary, Ellie was devastated to discover her mum wished she had died at birth after medics told her Ellie would be ridiculed and seen as ‘evil’ and ‘stupid’ due to her condition.
Ellie also discovered the information sheet given to her birth mother days after giving birth, which stated that those with dwarfism ‘tend to be muscular and acrobatic, which is perhaps the reason for them traditionally being involved in the circus and other forms of theatre’.
The letter also read: ‘Children have to deal with being stared at and laughed at by other children. Indeed, there are those with normal height who equate short stature with evil and stupidity.’
Emotional: Ellie Simmonds fans were left in tears on Thursday night after watching the moment she learned she was branded ‘evil’ and ‘stupid’ before being put up for adoption in her new documentary
Past: Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family sees the Paralympian, 28 – who was born with achondroplasia (dwarfism) – explore disability as well as searching for her blood family after finding out she had been put up for adoption at just 10 days old
As she sat down and read the documents with a pal, Ellie couldn’t hide her shock at the type of language being used about her only 28 years ago.
And viewers at home were also in shock, with many left emotional and in tears at Ellie’s plight and the language surrounding dwarfism at the time.
‘Wow just wow! Tears and snot throughout! Cant believe the information ur birth parents were given and that wasn’t that long ago! Thank you for sharing your journey!’ commented one watcher.
While another shared: ‘Watching #elliesimmonds documentary & it is so heartbreaking. Also, the fact she was born in 1994 & the medical sheet her birth parents got about people with dwarfism. Like they are “stupid” and “evil” & would be in the circus. Truly disgusting.’
‘OMG how much do I want to give @EllieSimmonds1 a massive hug right now? Am in tears. X’ sobbed a third person.
‘Ellie Simmonds, beautiful Angel, am totally sobbing’ shared a fourth emotional viewer.
‘Few who know me would say I’m an emotional person, but that Ellie Simmonds documentary had me tearing up big time’ tweeted a fifth.
A sixth upset fan wrote: ‘Watching Finding My Secret Family on ITV with Ellie Simmonds as she searches for her birth mother. I’m an emotional wreck.’
Shocking: While filming the documentary, Ellie was devastated to discover her mum wished she had died at birth after medics told her Ellie would be ridiculed and seen as ‘evil’ and ‘stupid’ due to her condition
No way: Ellie also discovered the information sheet given to her birth mother days after giving birth, which stated that those with dwarfism ‘tend to be muscular and acrobatic, which is perhaps the reason for them traditionally being involved in the circus’
Shock letter: ‘Children have to deal with being stared at and laughed at by other children. Indeed, there are those with normal height who equate short stature with evil and stupidity’
Can’t believe it: Ellie was visibly stunned as she discovered what doctors had told her mother about her condition
With another adding: ‘Watching #elliesimmonds. ASTOUNDED by the wording on the information sheet her birth parents were given. Children with dwarfism described as “stupid” and “evil”. Suited for careers in the circus! This wasn’t 100 years ago, it was in the 1990s!! Good grief!!’
Elsewhere in the documentary, after exploring her difficult past, the film culminates in the emotional moment that Ellie finally meets her birth mother.
Ellie had previously written to her mother and became emotional as she read out notes from the letter, including that she was not angry with her birth mother for giving her up for adoption and that she has always known she was adopted.
The decorated sportswoman was left in tears as her mother replied admitting she been riddled with ‘guilt and self-hatred’ over her actions.
Ellie went on to have a meeting with her mother, but opted not to show the woman’s face over fears of how she may be perceived
Speaking after the emotional reunion, Ellie said: ‘It was amazing. We spoke about everything over the last five hours. We’ve got the same sense of humour we were laughing so much.
‘I felt like her face was just like me. What touched my heart was that she thinks about me everyday and she always sees me as a daughter.’
Reaction: Viewers at home were also in shock, with many left emotional and in tears at Ellie’s plight and the language surrounding dwarfism at the time
Elsewhere during the show, Ellie revealed she always knew she was adopted and she often wondered what sort of person she’d be if she had been raised by another family.
She said: ‘There wasn’t that one time I knew I was adopted, it was just something I always knew. I’ve got such a great family. If I wasn’t adopted to them, who would I be?
‘My mum always says if I wasn’t adopted to them, I’d probably be naughty because I channelled my determination and competitive through swimming and sport. If I was left to my onw free will, I could be in jail. My mum says that.’
Ellie also looked through old photos of her birth mother during the show along with forms detailing the circumstances around her adoption.
Chatting with a friend, she said: ‘The last time my birth mother saw me, I was two weeks old. I don’t know anything about what she was going through or what she was told about my dwarfism.’
Tough journey: Elsewhere in the documentary, after exploring her difficult past, the film culminates in the emotional moment that Ellie finally meets her birth mother
Heartbreaking: The decorated sportswoman was left in tears as her mother replied admitting she been riddled with ‘guilt and self-hatred’ over her actions
Secret: Ellie went on to have a meeting with her mother, but opted not to show the woman’s face over fears of how she may be perceived
Reading some of the notes she has kept, Ellie said: ‘This was probably when she was told I had dwarfism. Here it is, throughout my birth mum’s pregnancy, she felt something wasn’t right.
‘When I was born, despite reassurances from medical staff that I was normal, became convinced there was a problem.
‘A few days after I returned home, the hospital confirmed I had achondroplasia and she expressed concerns with the midwife there wasn’t bonding with myself and requested that I be placed up for adoption.’
Reflecting on how quickly she was given up for adoption, Ellie said: ‘Two days is not a long time to decide a massive, monumental thing. Again, she was a single parent wasn’t she so you’ve got to try and place yourself in her shoes.’
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