Salter joins Eastenders Star at Joint Down’s syndrome project to help parents |
On Friday 17th November, Reading West MP Martin Salter will be helping to launch a joint initiative between the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and a local Down’s syndrome Group which has produced two vital information packs for parents who are expecting or have a baby with the condition.
Martin Salter will join Baby ’Petal’ from Eastenders, parents and children from West Berkshire Down’s Group, and Trust Directors To help launch the new brochures. Petal, real name Grace, plays the baby of Honey and Billy in the popular soap and has raised awareness about Down’s syndrome to the programme’s millions of viewers. The packs have been jointly developed by the hospital’s midwifery department and West Berkshire Down’s Syndrome Group, when members of the group identified there was not enough relevant information and support to families who had a confirmed diagnostic testing for a Down’s syndrome baby, or who gave birth to a child without the condition detected beforehand. Martin Salter said: “I’m pleased to be supporting a project that will give vital help and guidance to parents who either have or are about to have Downs Syndrome children. It is important that these parents receive the best possible support available“ Linda Rough, Ante-Natal Services Manager at the Trust, said: “We offer the national screening programme to detect Down’s syndrome to all our mums, but felt that more support was needed for those who tested positive. We also have some mums who give birth without knowing beforehand that they have a baby with Down’s syndrome. “We worked in partnership with the West Berkshire Down’s Group, to produce information packs that were relevant, helpful and pointed them to organisations and people that could support them.” Brenda Heys, from West Berkshire Down’s Group, who has a three-year-old son, welcomes the packs. She said: “I didn’t know before I gave birth that my baby had Down’s syndrome and it would have been really helpful to have had an information pack and local support contact that could have answered some of my questions. “The parents at the Down’s Group were very keen to contribute to the project and we have had a lot of positive feedback from health professionals.” |
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