It's going to be a sad Winter for Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) & Jai Sharma (Christopher Bisson) in Emmerdale.
It will be learnt Laurel has got pregnant which completely rocks her and Jai as none of them were planning on this happening.
This winter Emmerdale will portray a storyline regarding a couple making the very difficult decision to end their pregnancy after a prenatal diagnosis.
In the near future, Laurel's pregnancy will be played out on screen.
At first the baby is a welcomed surprise because the couple look forward to cementing their blended family with new the new life.
Gleefully attending the inaugural scan the pair will learn of a devastating truth. Their baby is failing to develop as it should be and they are told it is a possibility the baby has a chromosomal defect.
ITV/STV viewers will see Laurel & Jai battle their consciences, unsure of what to do for the best.
It will be learnt Laurel has got pregnant which completely rocks her and Jai as none of them were planning on this happening.
This winter Emmerdale will portray a storyline regarding a couple making the very difficult decision to end their pregnancy after a prenatal diagnosis.
In the near future, Laurel's pregnancy will be played out on screen.
At first the baby is a welcomed surprise because the couple look forward to cementing their blended family with new the new life.
Gleefully attending the inaugural scan the pair will learn of a devastating truth. Their baby is failing to develop as it should be and they are told it is a possibility the baby has a chromosomal defect.
ITV/STV viewers will see Laurel & Jai battle their consciences, unsure of what to do for the best.
The challenging subject of Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) will be explored.
Once Laurel undergoes CVS, the results will come back explaining the baby has Down's Syndrome.
Then Laurel & Jai will make the decision which will devide the nation - they will terminate the pregnancy.
An ITV insider told AndyGibsonTV.com:
"Statistics show that annually around 40,000 women will be told there is a chance that their baby is not developing as expected. Most expectant parents will eventually be reassured, but around 5,000 who find out that their baby has a genetic or physical condition make the painful decision to end the pregnancy every year. The Emmerdale story team felt it was a story that needed to be told. With the support and guidance of Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC) we endeavour to ensure this story will be sensitively told whilst reflecting the reality many couples face."
Charlotte Bellamy, also, gave her view on her next storyline:
"Terminating a pregnancy is an emotive subject, but I think as a programme what Emmerdale does brilliantly is portray difficult stories that are important to tell. The statistics tell us that a majority of people faced with similar news resulting from a diagnostic test, do take this decision. So I hope Laurel and Jai's story will take the audience on the journey of them coming to this conclusion and having some understanding why they do. There are some very powerfully written scenes that I hope will give a fair portrayal of their situation. When I embarked on this storyline I was well aware of the responsibility of the subject matter, but the scripts have been so well written and I think the story is told fairly."
In conclusion, Laura Shaw (Series Producer - Emmerdale), said:
"Right from the moment the idea was first mooted for this storyline, we knew it was one that if we went ahead with, it had to be fully researched, which involved us speaking to medical professionals, charities and parents with lived experience. Listening to women and men telling us their stories, hearing what brought them to make the difficult decision to terminate their pregnancies, cemented for us that this was a topic rarely shown on soap, but a really important one to highlight."
Laura, continued:
"Translating what we had learnt into Emmerdale scripts led to what was arguably the most challenging and difficult writing our writing team had ever been tasked with. What we have produced and Charlotte and Chris have both brilliantly brought to life, is some of the most heartbreaking and emotional episodes of Emmerdale viewers will have ever seen."
Antenatal Results and Choices will be heavily involved with this new angle and Jane Fisher, their Director, commented:
"We have over 30 years’ experience of supporting women and their partners through the painful circumstances of ending a wanted pregnancy after a prenatal diagnosis. Thousands of parents go through this every year, but it is rarely spoken about. This can lead to bereaved parents feeling very isolated in their grief. We are really pleased that such a popular drama as Emmerdale is tackling this story in such an empathetic and thoughtful way. I have been particularly impressed by how they have valued input from us to help make sure it is as true as possible to the complex reality for couples. It won't make for easy viewing but will do much to break the silence around this sensitive topic."
Emmerdale continues every weekday on ITV/STV.
Once Laurel undergoes CVS, the results will come back explaining the baby has Down's Syndrome.
Then Laurel & Jai will make the decision which will devide the nation - they will terminate the pregnancy.
An ITV insider told AndyGibsonTV.com:
"Statistics show that annually around 40,000 women will be told there is a chance that their baby is not developing as expected. Most expectant parents will eventually be reassured, but around 5,000 who find out that their baby has a genetic or physical condition make the painful decision to end the pregnancy every year. The Emmerdale story team felt it was a story that needed to be told. With the support and guidance of Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC) we endeavour to ensure this story will be sensitively told whilst reflecting the reality many couples face."
Charlotte Bellamy, also, gave her view on her next storyline:
"Terminating a pregnancy is an emotive subject, but I think as a programme what Emmerdale does brilliantly is portray difficult stories that are important to tell. The statistics tell us that a majority of people faced with similar news resulting from a diagnostic test, do take this decision. So I hope Laurel and Jai's story will take the audience on the journey of them coming to this conclusion and having some understanding why they do. There are some very powerfully written scenes that I hope will give a fair portrayal of their situation. When I embarked on this storyline I was well aware of the responsibility of the subject matter, but the scripts have been so well written and I think the story is told fairly."
In conclusion, Laura Shaw (Series Producer - Emmerdale), said:
"Right from the moment the idea was first mooted for this storyline, we knew it was one that if we went ahead with, it had to be fully researched, which involved us speaking to medical professionals, charities and parents with lived experience. Listening to women and men telling us their stories, hearing what brought them to make the difficult decision to terminate their pregnancies, cemented for us that this was a topic rarely shown on soap, but a really important one to highlight."
Laura, continued:
"Translating what we had learnt into Emmerdale scripts led to what was arguably the most challenging and difficult writing our writing team had ever been tasked with. What we have produced and Charlotte and Chris have both brilliantly brought to life, is some of the most heartbreaking and emotional episodes of Emmerdale viewers will have ever seen."
Antenatal Results and Choices will be heavily involved with this new angle and Jane Fisher, their Director, commented:
"We have over 30 years’ experience of supporting women and their partners through the painful circumstances of ending a wanted pregnancy after a prenatal diagnosis. Thousands of parents go through this every year, but it is rarely spoken about. This can lead to bereaved parents feeling very isolated in their grief. We are really pleased that such a popular drama as Emmerdale is tackling this story in such an empathetic and thoughtful way. I have been particularly impressed by how they have valued input from us to help make sure it is as true as possible to the complex reality for couples. It won't make for easy viewing but will do much to break the silence around this sensitive topic."
Emmerdale continues every weekday on ITV/STV.
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