Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
As our little boy was wheeled away for his heart operation we thought we were losing him... it was horrible. But we agreed to donate his organs if it came to it
child a chance of life. Paddy and Chas’s decision was inspired by Chas’s niece Sarah who is clinging to life on the heart transplant waiting list.
Dominic is 100% behind the Daily Mirror’s “Max’s Law” campaign, named after heart transplant boy Max Johnson, to change the donor system to “opt-out” so organs automatically become available unless people choose not to take part.
“We’ve always been organ donors in our family and given blood,” he says. “The only sensible thing is an opt-out system.
“If you are involved in an accident, they’ve got to root through your wallet, find that donor card, and if someone hasn’t got a card what then?
“That person might have wanted to be a donor but never discussed it with their family. It is not something you speak about at dinner table is it? An opt-out system has to be the best way.”
His co-star Lucy Pargeter, who plays Chas, agrees. Mum to Lola, 13, and one-year-old twins Missy and Betsy, she says parents do not want to think about what they would do in that situation, so an opt-out system would be best. “It should be a given that you are there to help others when you pass,” she says. “I haven’t thought about it with my children, it’s not something you bring up. “You don’t want to think about it, it is like writing your will. You don’t think, I’ll sign my children up to the organ donor register today. Because people don’t have those conversations it should be an opt-out system.”
Both actors have been astounded by the amount of people who have thanked them for highlighting the choices faced by parents when told their unborn child is unlikely to survive. Chatting during a break from filming, Lucy says: “I’m surprised by how many people have said this has happened to us, it is bringing it all back and thank you for highlighting it. It has been quite overwhelming how many people it does and has affected.”
The stars say that the harrowing storyline has even helped people talk about their own baby loss for the very first time.
Lucy explains: “Some people have not been able to say to friends, they never thought anybody would understand.
“Hopefully we have helped people to open up and talk about their experiences or their fears if they are going through something similar.
“I think that is what soaps do, they open up conversations to help people talk about these issues.”
Emmerdale sought guidance from the Forget Me Not charity, which supports families of children with life-shortening conditions for accuracy.
“When we have had emotional stuff to film it was very hard to leave it behind, you can’t shake it,” Dominic says. “We aren’t going through it in real life, Imagine really going through it?
“Firstly as an actor you want to get it right. You are honoured to be given that story, then on the flip-side you want to