Well-known Coronation Street character Joseph Brown, who is played by 11-year-old William Flanagan, is to be diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
The scenes, which will air next week, will show Joseph being rushed to the hospital where doctors will tell his worried parents and grandparents that he has the illness.
This follows on from a long-running plotline which has so far seen the boy's stepmother Gemma, played by Dolly-Rose Campbell, removed from the house by social services under suspicion of deliberately poisoning her stepson.
The ITV soap opera worked with Lyme Disease UK to write the scripts and consulted closely when it came to issues regarding symptoms and treatments.
There is a shock in store for Gemma and Chesney next week as they finally get to the bottom of their son Joseph’s mysterious illness when he is diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) January 9, 2024
Read more here: https://t.co/wMStK0eKbq#Corrie pic.twitter.com/d1HO24upss
Coronation Street writers work closely with Lyme Disease charity for new plotline
Julia Knight, a retired specialist practitioner paediatric nurse, who volunteers with Lyme Disease UK, said: “It has been my great pleasure to work with the Coronation Street script writers to give them advice and pointers so that they could produce a storyline that is both realistic and engaging.
“Lyme disease can easily be overlooked if a person only shows viral-type symptoms initially, as in the storyline. Raising awareness of the disease and giving people the information about how to prevent it is essential.
“With knowledge, bites can be prevented, and awareness of possible symptoms means that people who do contract the disease can seek medical advice promptly.”
Are you a late Lyme disease sufferer?
— Lyme Disease UK (@UKLyme) January 8, 2024
Dr Joseph G Jemsek has created this guide which outlines a number of self-help tools to help manage your condition,https://t.co/DbtO2i6vW6#lymedisease #lymediseaseawareness #lymediseaseuk #lymediseasebattle #lymediseaserecovery pic.twitter.com/GELdhOG4yP
What are the symptoms of Lyme Disease?
There are a number of symptoms related to Lyme Disease with one of the most well-known of these being an Erythema Migrans rash.
This is a circular expanding rash that can appear between three days and three months after an infected tick bite.
However, around 30% of those with the condition do not produce a rash.
Other symptoms include fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches, fever and chills, neck stiffness, nausea and digestive issues, while facial palsy, when one side of the face drops, can also occur, especially in children.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here