Call the Midwife fans praise show’s Down Syndrome storyline

Call the Midwife fans have praised the BBC One show for a story line featuring a baby with Down’s syndrome in the series 10 finale. 

Viewers were move to tears by Sunday night’s episode after Blanche Dellow, played by Madeleine Worrall, prepared to give her daughter to her baby to her younger sister Sylvia, played Charlotte Hamblin,  to put up for adoption.

But after the baby is born with Down’s Syndrome, Sylvia rejects the newborn – but biological mother Blanche falls in love with the baby and names him Robert. 

‘I love him, I just love him, just like I would any of you,’ she says as she holds her new son.  

Call the Midwife fans have praised the BBC One show for a story line featuring a baby with Down’s syndrome in the series 10 finale. Viewers were move to tears by Sunday night’s episode after Blanche Dellow,  played by Madeleine Worrall, (pictured) prepared to give her daughter to her baby to her younger sister Sylvia, played Charlotte Hamblin, to put up for adoption.

After the baby is born with Down's Syndrome, Sylvia rejects the newborn - but biological mother Blanche falls in love with the baby and names him Robert (pictured)

After the baby is born with Down’s Syndrome, Sylvia rejects the newborn – but biological mother Blanche falls in love with the baby and names him Robert (pictured)

‘He’ll be slower to walk and talk than the average child, but he will walk and he will talk, children with Down’s Sydrome have be so rewarding to care for,’ the doctor explains.

‘I want him, I just never knew how much, I love him, I just love him,’ Blanche adds. 

Blanche and her husband Walter, played by Michael Begley, decide to raise Robert, which had viewers ‘sobbing’ and praising the sympathetic portrayal. 

One fan praised the show, writing:  ‘Amazing as always. Well done Call The Midwife

‘My only complaint is you need to make more episodes its over far too quickly for me.’.

Another said:  ‘The usual floods of tears—and applause—for Call The Midwife. Last night’s Down’s Syndrome story line was particularly powerful.

Call the Midwife fans praise show for heartfelt handling of Down's syndrome plot, pictured is Sylvia, played Charlotte Hamblin, who rejected the baby

Call the Midwife fans praise show for heartfelt handling of Down’s syndrome plot, pictured is Sylvia, played Charlotte Hamblin, who rejected the baby 

Blanche and her husband Walter, played by Michael Begley, decide to raise Robert, which had viewers 'sobbing' and praising the sympathetic portrayal. Pictured in hospital with doctors

Blanche and her husband Walter, played by Michael Begley, decide to raise Robert, which had viewers ‘sobbing’ and praising the sympathetic portrayal. Pictured in hospital with doctors

‘Really amazing episode of  Call The Midwife this evening, breaking the stigma of Down‘s Syndrome,’ wrote another. 

A third added: Thank you to Call the Midwife for your sensitive portrayal of the birth of baby Robert who has Down’s Syndrome.

‘Loved the conversation between the two blokes talking about bringing up a child with Down’s Syndrome. 

‘This is great TV – we need more like this,’ wrote a fourth.

In April, the BBC confirmed Call The Midwife will return for three more series, Filming for the next series will begin soon and is slated to air next year, as insiders report that the coming series will cover the years 1967-1969. Last night episode is pictured

In April, the BBC confirmed Call The Midwife will return for three more series, Filming for the next series will begin soon and is slated to air next year, as insiders report that the coming series will cover the years 1967-1969. Last night episode is pictured

Fans were quick to praise the show, calling it 'sensitive' and 'powerful'

Fans were quick to praise the show, calling it ‘sensitive’ and ‘powerful’

In April, the BBC confirmed Call The Midwife will return for three more series, 

Filming for the next series will begin soon and is slated to air next year, as insiders report that the coming series will cover the years 1967-1969.

The show is set in the 1950s and 1960s in London’s East End – and focuses on a group of midwives in a nursing convent. 

Call The Midwife regularly attracts more than 10million viewers making it one of the most successful shows on British TV.

But it has only ever won one Bafta award, the Radio Times Audience Award in 2013, which was voted for by members of the public.

It has not received a single nomination since that year in any category, with the Best Drama award often going to thrillers such as Peaky Blinders or Broadchurch.

The show was written and created by Heidi Thomas based on the memoirs of a nurse.