DS in All Saints episode. GRRRRR!

Did anyone else watch All Saints last night?? It was
infuriating. They showed a young girl who comes in having fainted
and with cramping. Turns out she is pregnant, she calls in her brother,
turns out he is the father of the child. They do an ultrasound
and low and behold, nuchal fold is thick and it is assumed the baby has
DS. The whole implication of the episode was that it was the incest
that caused the DS- because it was a recessive condition carried by
both of the parents!!!!! What a load of crap! You
think they would check their story lines wouldn't you. Now we
will have people in the street looking at us weird thinking that our
beautiful children are the result of incestuous relationships!!!
I guess they couldn't find any other condition that is chromosomal in
nature that can be picked up on an ultrasound.

GRR and double GRR . They did have a little speel at the
end of the show saying that if you wanted to comment on any of the
storylines on the show you could go to the All Saints yahoo
group. Perhaps we should BOMBARD them!!!

Bombarding sounds like a great idea Nicola! How rude of them.....gggrrrr

Cas

Apparently incestuous relationships actually lower the chance of getting DS. (not that I am advocatind this!)

Are we talking Trisomy or Translocation here? Or are the statistics for both??

Cas

I just gave them my response

Cas

oh i want to say the F word grr I’ll post them soon they better retract that. anyone no if DSA is submitting a statement ?
I might eve post on down syn, all saints won know what hit them

Craig is wild how long you guy's think this is going to take to undo. I will kill if anyone says this to my son. oh so much damage and all the hard work that people have done for years all undone
I can hardly breath

I need a link please I cant find one

argh my post didn't come through. I just googled All Saints and clicked on the first link (tv show) and under the blue squiggly line is a line that says "What do you think....?" or something. Try that

Cas

Ok thanks I was searching through Yahoo groups all I found were fans.
I rang DSQ they said they will look into it, but want to make sure that it was clear that they were saying that the Ds was caused by the incest…. Also I think what does it matter because even have the two happen at one… it will give that impression.
I’m just going to phone channel 7 and also I let DSQ know what has been happening on Home and Away they are watching and aware. I want to know though if the story is going to be about Down syndrome, have they had contact with the Ds community and do they have the story right????

I really wanted to understand why what they have said in the show is so incorrect. Here is my understanding..

The only kind of DS that can be inherited is Translocation Ds. That is
where one of the 21st chromosomes attaches itself to another
chromosome. A parent can carry this and not have DS if the
attached chromosome IS their second copy of 21, so although it is in
the wrong place they still only have 2 copies of the chromosome. (thus
called a balanced translocation) When it comes time for cell division
to form an egg or sperm, the randomness of division means that this
attached copy can end up in a cell with the other normal copy of
21. At conception then, you can end up with the normal 2 21st
chromosomes plus the translocted extra, and thus traanslocation DS. Sooooo, as far as incest
goes, if BOTH parents had a balanced translocation and both
passed on 2 copies of 21, the embryo would end up with 4 21st
chromosomes and would not be viable. Therefore inheriting DS from
both parents in an incestuous relationship is impossible!!! I am
sure that was clear as mud!!

Hey, I just thought of something!! Gianna's teacher at Early
intervention is Nikki Anderson- SISTER to Jolene Anderson who is in All
Saints!!!! I will certainly be giving Nikki a big message
to pass on through her sister.

hehehe um...yeah - thanks Nicola! Brings back vague memories of genetics from high school sounds right so obviously someone has got their story wrong....

Cas

I missed it last night. Bugger. Off to check out the All Saints site. How infuriating that they include such crap in the show

As Cathy said, think about the implications for all of us! How many people will look at our children, and US and wonder if it is because of incest

i'm on the phone to 7 right now on hold i lots it

ok here is the address to send complaints to she said this will make it more legal.
Pox 777 Pyrmont
NSW
2009

i told her exactly how my husband and I feel, Craig has a week tummy and sicked up, shhh i didn't say that on here.
I’m phoning disabilities services now, i'm sure they look after this type of thing.
some type of legal action needs to be taken
If Tay has this crap said to her at school, she will not cope

That's a really good point Cathy, who knows what people are going to start saying.

I KNEW this would be covered on here. All Saints is one of my favourite shows, but I am utterly SICK of them getting things wrong. As soon as Jack talked about a thickened Nuchal Fold the hairs on the back of my neck went up! They DEFINITELY said that the baby had more chance of having DS because of the Transolcation gene (they didn't actually say translocation, just brother and sister carrying the same type of gene), so if what you say it correct Nicola (and it sounds right to me!) then they have fucked up big time.

I was apoplectic. My poor husband was trying to sleep beside me (truckie, goes to sleep early!), and I kept belting him in the arm, going "you won't believe this" and "you should hear what they're saying NOW".

They need to start getting things right. My good friends husband has Hep C, and Dan's ability to be rid of the virus with only a few weeks treatment and barely a side effect is utter bullshit too. My friend had to stop watching the show, as it pissed her off so much.

I have just spoken to Channel 7 Producer sectary Kimberley Duband
She has said that it is only one possible of how the story might unfold.
After I questioned her about where they are gaining background information about Down syndrome she said that they have medical professionals that gather the latest (yes Lastest) and most up to date information

I said to her I didn’t’ think the producers understand the implications of the show and how much this will effect all the hard work in advocacy and positives about Down syndrome.
She said to me that I had an extreme view and that there is no way her show could, have such an effect on the community, oh bla, bla vla she went on and on totally has no idea
Also when she was saying that Down syndrome could be caused by incest, I said to her it’s because you have absolutely no idea how Down syndrome occurs …. If she did she would know that Down syndrome couldn’t’ directly be caused by incest
Which she responded with that it is just one possibility of many for the story line.

I’m so mad I cant think straight and cant remember half the stuff she was saying
I rang the toll free number and once I mentioned All Saints regarding the Down syndrome story line, I was told I had to be put through to the Production secutary looking after the calls about this

Her email address is
Kduband@seven.com.au


I’m so upset.
I did try to explain to her that there is a huge possibility that at school today my Daughter could hear about this, be teased even. She just tried to make out I was over reacting, “that could never happen from the story line, the tone of the story line was not inline with what you are saying…..”
She is so wrong, you only have to look at the medical word “retarded” to know that something like Incest is a smorgest board for Bullies, comedians and the like.


Please some of you lovely people help out with letters

UPDATE

I just rang her back to cause Tayla just came home from school in tears

We are actually in tears right now she's worrying about the long term effects this might have. I think I will have a talk to the kids at school about it. If anything develops more like teasing… Any hints for me for this?


I should also say that Kimberly was lovely this time I spoke to her, she has already had a talk to the writers. She was much more compassionate. And I told her I could tell her own tone had changed. she said to me that she worked a few years ago with children with Ds and Autism.
I explained to her more about the medical side and Told her my DD was here and just home from school I want her to know what was mentioned and that at least it was in a light tone, but who knows next week.
I suggested to her that they “fix” it make it right. Though I pointed out that as many people that seen that episode wont se an update.
Well as far as I’m concern channel 7 should pay for advocacy for the next 10 years at least to make sure everyone knows the truth.
That is what I think the aim should be, what is done is done, but it needs fixing and they should fix it/ you know how these things stick forever……….

She is waiting for my email I have to get started
Nicola have you sent one yet? I have friends on another parenting (not Ds one) that have started to send them.
I’m just not good at the facts only the emotions we need members from here with the medical facts.
Please you guy’s

Good on you Cathy. I would love to send an email, but because I didn't see the show I don't think I should. I'm sure there will be a huge uproar because of it. I'll be interested to see if my kids heard anything at school too.

I haven't sent her specifically an email but I posted a message
in no uncertain terms on their website. Gianna has come down with
something (fever, watery eyes) and I think I am not too far behind so I
will just have to get to it when I can.

Buggsie wrote:

Good on you Cathy. I would love to send an email, but because I didn't see the show I don't think I should. I'm sure there will be a huge uproar because of it. I'll be interested to see if my kids heard anything at school too.

I haven’t seen it myself but am still going to send an email you could just send something simple even that you have been made aware of it and please send you more information about the episode

Come on lady’s we have to do this, this is all our fight.

Cathy, it got the better of me. I actually emailed A Current Affair. Let's hope they show some interest. Oh, I also left a comment on the All Saints page. You can't say much though in 3oo characters!

I fele a bit funny to cause i didn’t' see it but I have posted on the Australian breastfeeding forum and plenty their have seen it and were concerned also
There are a few lady’s’ there that have sent emails now too
So I figure if they are and they dont have a personal interest then I have to

Oh Nicole where are you I hav ebeen looking around the net and it's not good news
am I looking at out of date stuff ?