Coronation Street praised by charities for raising awareness with heartbreaking miscarriage storyline
CORONATION Street has been praised by charities for raising awareness with the heartbreaking miscarriage storyline that saw Michelle and Steve lose their baby.
Viewers of the soap were overwhelmed by the emotional scenes that saw the much-loved Corrie couple lose their baby Ruairi just 23 weeks into the pregnancy.
Many fans of the show had suffered a similar experience and took to Twitter to share their painful memories and to praise the ITV soap for raising awareness.
As well as the outpouring of support from viewers, many charities praised Corrie's handling of the sensitive storyline and emphasised how it was important to air the tough storyline in order to break the stigma surrounding miscarriage and stillbirth.
Pregnancy research and information charity said they "really admired" Kym Marsh's "bravery in filming these scenes and think her acting in last night’s episode was particularly powerful and sensitive".
Kym lost her son Archie in 2009 when he was born prematurely at 21 weeks.
Her co-star Simon Gregson also revealed he and his wife Emma had lost 11 babies and spoke of how he felt "helpless" as he tried to support his other-half through the ordeal.
"We salute Kym and Simon for reliving their own personal tragedies for this storyline. No one should have to face this heartache. If you have any concerns about your baby's movements always speak to your midwife or maternity unit."
Other fans were blown away by Kym's performance, demanding that she be given an acting award for her work.
In emotionally powerful scenes, Michelle and husband Steve McDonald were told their baby wouldn't survive and Michelle was left to give birth to her son surrounded by the sound of crying babies.
Desperate to know if he was breathing, Michelle begged for news and when the nurse told her the tragic news that he wasn't breathing, Michelle broke down totally.
Given the chance to hold her son, Michelle sobbed over him as Steve tried to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry," she said as she held her son for the first and last time. "I'm sorry. I don't want to give him back. I don't want to leave him."
The devastating aftermath of the miscarriage has also been revealed with the heartbreak putting a strain on Kym and Steve's relationship.
“I thought long and hard before agreeing to take on the challenge of this storyline. It is a cause very close to my heart having lost my beautiful Archie," she said.
“I have had to go to some very dark places in my mind while filming these heartbreaking scenes, but my family, friends and colleagues have been incredible.
"Losing a child is something that never leaves you so to revisit those feelings has been challenging.
“Coronation Street ensured that I had a counsellor on set at all times, but for me the best tonic after a hugely emotional day was to go home to my kids and be reminded of how lucky I am to have them.”
Corrie bosses worked closely with stillbirth charity Sands on the episode.
Kym was with her ex-husband, Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, when she lost Archie. They later had daughter Polly, five, together. She is also mum to David, 21, and Emily, 19.
She added: “I felt it was an important story to tell to raise awareness of something which affects thousands of women every year. I am very proud.”
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