I read somewhere that on Eastenders..

[bundle]

...Honey & Billy's baby girl (about to be delivered) will have Down Syndrome.

I just wondered what people thought about this (assuming they treat the whole subject "responsibly")

i think that there was a thread on here about two weeks ago about it IIRC.

sorry, have been away and couldn't find it under search

there's been a lot of discussion about this on the DS-UK mailing list.
Generally most people seem to feel that it's a good thing, and apparently they have done tons of research with help of the DSA, have spent a lot of time with parents etc.
Someone's just posted that they heard the baby was going to be given up for adoption though - which would of course put a different spin on it altogether.

Must add that, never having watched Eastenders in all my life, I don't have much of an opinion on it!.

I think as long as it's treated in the right way then it's all about awareness.

The DSA are happy with it so....

I'm bound to be upset when everyone's all upset at such 'terrible news' but as long as it turns out that they show having a child with DS isn't a terrible thing to happen to someone then that's all that really matters.

I wait with baited breath.
Feel a bit nervous about it tbh. Silly of me but I dodn't want the world to all rell back in horror as a child with DS appears on eastenders and everyone is in tears over it etc. I want it to be a positive thing from the off.

Shit - see if the baby is put up for adoption that would do me in.
Like Eastenders writers and crew anre saying it's such an awful thing to have DS, no-one culd possibly want to keep a child with DS, it must be given away. God I so hope that doesn't happen

Thomcat, surely it's good to show any scenario (DS or whatever) "warts n all" because life with any child, whatever their abilities/disabilities is full of ups and downs?

I personally think it's a good thing even if it's just about "visibility" but would be v if the adoption storyline is true.

It is Bundle yes, but for me the more positive the story line the happier I'll be, that's just me. I don't want anyone pregnant and going through testing to be scared stiff because of something they see on Eastenders! As long as it's balanced it's all good. Giving the baby up for adoption wouldn't be even slightly positive and would upset me a great deal.

They had the DS story line on Brookside years ago. A liitle girl born to the Farnhams. From what I remember (and my knowledge of DS is limited) they handled it well.

Brookside did handle it well (I ran the press office at Mencap at the time) but then the baby was never really featured as an ongoing story.

They had a similar story several years ago when Rikkaaay and Beeyanca's unborn baby showed signs of having Down's and the storyline was that they decided to terminate the pregnancy. That was handled very sensitively as it of course had to be and I also recall an advice line for people in similar circumstances being shown after the programme too. I honestly do trust that the BBC will handle this story line just as well.

oh fgs why would they put the baby up for adoption? how bloody 70's

my dd's escorts son is 23 and when she used to go to the special needs nursery with him all the other mums with children with down sundrome had adopted them. It used and still does make her and

oh I remember the Brooky one now, it was good.

TC, I too would be v upset at an adoption storyline but I think in this case it may centre around a heart defect which requires early surgery, which is the case with some children who have DS so some parents will face it in real life. I think where I read about it, it was called "bad news" for Billy/Honey, but this was relating to the fact that the little girl could die, not that she had DS.

oh I remember the Brooky one now, it was good.

TC, I too would be v upset at an adoption storyline but I think in this case it may centre around a heart defect which requires early surgery, which is the case with some children who have DS so some parents will face it in real life. I think where I read about it, it was called "bad news" for Billy/Honey, but this was relating to the fact that the little girl could die, not that she had DS.

sorry for double post

I do get angry at the fact that being told your child has any form of SN is seen as being unfrotunate or "bad news".

would they say to a blonde couple..."sorry mr and mrs x your DS is a brunette?

i hope they sho that depsite it being a possible shock that this DX is not the end of the world and as the child grows up they show al the positives there are in having a hild with DS.

They are obviously intending for the child to be a relativly long term feature as they are actually getting in a DS baby.

I think Ricky and Biancas baby had a severe case of spina bifida didnt it?

I think heart surgery is bad news. But I know what you mean, about all SN being treated that way.

I stand corrected on the Rikkaaay/Beeyanca storyline - it was spina bifida, not Down's.

That would be fine Bundle, a balanced storyline is all I hope for. Heart defects are unfortunatley all too common so I understand them wanting to cover this. Just as long as they keep the storyline going, show her/him recover and grow up into a great kid.

Adoption would be a terrible storyline.
If they do that I'll be on their case big time.

Like Fio says that storyline woud be so out of date, like shutting hi or her up in an instution which is what used to happen asw ell.

These days people many, many people with DS live indepentantly, have jobs etc and thta's what I want to come across to people.
Not that having a child with DS is full of health problems, scares, worries and tragedy and heartache, becasue it isn't.

I dont know, I felt it was 'bad news' when my dd was diagnosed with special needs. i was infact devastated, so I dont it is unrealistic for it to be seen as initially 'bed' iykwim

that was in reply to fattiemumma

and ikwym Thomcat, my dd's school is PMLD/SLD and alot of the children go on to do their GCSE's and live semi independantly. I think it is unrealistic to think that children with significant learning difficulties will not acheive

I totally expect it to ne seen as 'bad nes' at first, it would be uinrealistic oif everyone just said 'ohh a bay with DS, how wonderful'.
There are bound to be tears and and all that but I don't want the down side to drag on too long, and hope that the positive side is shown alongside the not so good stuff.

I think it's pretty clear that - partly because of the not very good way a lot of people are told about their child's disability or impairment - parents do usually initially react in terms of 'bad news'.

I agree, Fio, the families I know with SN children definitely went through a "grieving" period for the (NT) child they didn't have.

Agree shunting off would be a cop-out, and very old-fashioned (as well as insulting). I remember the little girl on Brookside growing up and just being part of the family.

exactly Fio.

Show the negative, cos it does exoist, but it's so not all bad and if you are going to cover s storyline like this it has to surely be better if it's balanced if not more positive than negative.

The older people with DS I know all live semi indepentantly, one is a teachers helper in Lotties new school to be, one is in a band etc.