Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) and Zack Hudson (James Farrar) are set to be hit hard by the loss of their baby in upcoming EastEnders episodes.
The couple were left devastated by the news that their baby had Edwards’ syndrome, and made the difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy.
In upcoming scenes, Whitney will begin to withdraw from family and friends as she struggles to cope with her grief.
Zack is desperate to speak to her, though feels rejected by her sudden withdrawal.
Little does he know that Whitney also wants to speak to him.
Their breakdown in communication leaves them both in pain, as they struggle to come to terms with their loss.
Will they manage to open up to each other, or will they continue to suffer alone?
In order to tell this heartbreaking story sensitively and accurately, EastEnders worked alongside SOFT UK and Antenatal Results and Choices.
Jan Fowler, Chair at SOFT UK, said: ‘At SOFT UK, we support families impacted by Edwards’ or Patau’s Syndrome and we were pleased to be able to work with the EastEnders team on how they could approach the story of Whitney and Zack’s baby’s diagnosis of Edwards’ Syndrome in an accurate and sensitive way.’
What is Edwards’ Syndrome?
Edwards’ Syndrome is a rare but serious condition where a baby has extra copies of a chromosome which affects the way it grows or develops.
Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. If a baby has Edwards’ syndrome, however, they have inherited an extra copy of chromosome 18, which can lead to health problems. The condition affects each child differently.
In the UK, around 3 in every 10,000 births are affected by Edwards’ syndrome.
‘At ARC we hear daily from expectant parents dealing with the shock of being told their baby is not developing as expected, as is sadly the case for those who receive an Edwards’ Syndrome diagnosis’, Jane Fisher, Director at Antenatal Results and Choices, added.
‘This is a distressing and often isolating time for expectant parents as they try and navigate their next steps in a state of emotional turmoil and it’s rarely spoken about.’
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