Monday night’s episode of Emmerdale featured the heartbreaking moment when Chas Dingle and Paddy Kirk lost their newborn daughter Grace. Medical Hire were privileged to have been involved in the filming of this incredibly emotional episode.
The storyline began a few months ago when Chas and Paddy were told that their unborn baby girl had the rare condition bilateral renal agenesis and would only have a short time to live after she was born. The condition was diagnosed during Chas’s routine 20-week scan when doctors were unable to see the baby’s kidneys.
Following the diagnosis, the couple bravely decided to continue with the pregnancy rather than opting for a termination, and so the tragic countdown began.
After going into labour at Aaron and Robert’s stag party at the Woolpack last week, Chas and Paddy headed straight for the hospital. Monday night’s episode saw baby Grace being born, followed by a series of emotional scenes where Chas and Paddy imagine the future they could have had with their newborn baby girl, and at the same time, savouring the precious few moments they have together before they have to say goodbye. Sadly, baby Grace only lives for 30 minutes, quietly passing away in Chas’s arms.
Helping to make the emotional scenes true to life, Medical Hire were involved in the storyline from the very beginning. The team provided ultrasound equipment and scan images for Chas’s 20-week scan, for the scenes where the rare condition was initially diagnosed.
For filming of Monday and Tuesday night’s episode, Medical Hire supplied a range of maternity equipment and managed the setup of the delivery suite and a bereavement room. The bereavement room contained a cuddle cot – a specialist piece of equipment designed to keep the baby cold so family have time to say their goodbyes.
The Medical Hire team also took advice from nurses at Forget-Me-Not to ensure the Emmerdale cast and crew had the very best advice and information at hand. The Forget-Me-Note nurses also advised on set on the day of filming.
To find out more about Medical Hire and the range of medical equipment and props for TV and film production, call 0113 2628000.
(*Image courtesy of ITV)