Casualty fans break down in tears over special Xmas episode with real life stories & heartbreaking plight of little girl
CASUALTY fans were left in tears over the show’s Christmas episode that featured real life stories and a heart breaking tale of a little girl.
The special episode set on Christmas Day in the Emergency Department is called – All I Want for Christmas – and centred around the miracle of blood.
What made the episode even more powerful is that it featured statements from people that have had their lives impacted by giving and receiving blood.
In the opening scenes we saw Dr Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) donating her own blood at a clinic then leaving for work.
In the ED, Siobhan {Melanie Hill) told hospital staff that an amber warning had been given because blood was in short supply at the hospital.
On the road, paramedics Jacob (Charles Venn) and Teddy (Milo Clarke) arrived in deep fog to a tunnel where there had been an eight car pile up.
After calling for help, Ian (Michael Stevenson) arrived to support Jacob with a father trapped in a van who needed a roadside blood transfusion.
Back in hospital, Stevie met Leah, a six-year-old girl and her mother Adele (Lucy-Jo Hudson), who explained that her daughter had been lethargic and complaining of headaches.
Stevie thought Leah may have a viral infection and placed her in isolation in case it was meningitis which could turn into a public health crisis.
Dylan (William Beck) informed Stevie that blood was now in very short supply but he had sent out for fresh supplies.
He informed her that she must only do a transfusion if it was absolutely necessary.
Stevie then received Leah’s blood results and looked extremely worried before telling Adele that her daughter was severely anaemic and needed a blood transfusion.
Adele was relieved that it was not meningitis and agreed to the treatment saying: “That’s fine, just happy we don’t have to stay the night.”
Later, in the car park Dylan told Stevie that Adele thought she was going home but she should really be moving wards.
But Stevie said: “No she’s not, she’s staying here.”
Then she confessed that she thinks Leah has leukaemia but she hadn’t told her mum yet.
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She explained how maybe she can let them have Christmas together and wait until Boxing Day to give them the news.
But later, in a heart breaking scene, Stevie informed a sobbing Adele of the truth.
The screen then switched to James, a real life father whose daughter Rachel had a similar illness, and it was like a punch to the stomach for viewers.
In a highly emotional scene, he explained how blood donations literally kept his daughter alive and gave her extra time to be with him.
Back in the ED, the emotional journey continued when Stevie told Iain that Leah shouldn’t be in hospital but should be opening Christmas presents back at home.
Iain gave Stevie a present to give to Leah and she took it to her, explaining that a special visitor all dressed in red wanted her to have a special gift.
Leah smiled in delight and Adele said: “It’s too much.”
Stevie replied: “No, it’s not. It’s Christmas.”
Fans were in tears and rushed to social media to express their feelings about the show.
One tweeted: “Watching that dad speak so openly about his daughter is heartbreaking.
“I can’t even put into words how losing my sister makes me feel so for a father to be so brave on a national TV drama, quite something.”
Another added: “I’m am an emotional wreck Xx.”
A third wrote: “Blimey this is harrowing. Thank you to anybody who gives blood and all the wonderful people who try to keep us alive.”
The Casualty Christmas special is available to stream on BBC iPlayer